"Your words are as sweet as the wine itself, good Meer Sahib; truly I will be with thee. I will tell my Saees to bring my horse and picket him among yours; no one will see me, and I will bring no one with me. I might exceed, you know, and I would not be an open scandal to the faith."
My heart leaped to my mouth as he uttered the words. The saddle, then, would be ours, without any trouble or risk of detection: how I blessed him for acceding so readily to my plans! "True, Khan," said I, "it will not do to be observed: we must be secret. I will have no one in my tent but Peer Khan, whom you know; he is my foster-brother, and a rare companion: we will have a pleasant carouse, I will send him to you when the pilao is ready."
"No, no," cried he, "do not—there is no need of it; I will stroll to your tent after dusk. And, hark ye!" said he to his Saees, who was trotting after him, "mind, you are to bring my horse and saddle to the Meer Sahib's tent, as soon as you see me going towards it. Remember, you are to lead it after me, as though I were going to ride; and when you arrive there, you are to picket it among his horses."
"Jo hookum," replied the fellow; "your orders shall be obeyed."
"And mind," continued the Khan, "you are not to tell any one where I am going, nor to answer any questions, if any are put to you, as you lead the horse along."
"Certainly not; since such is my lord's pleasure, I dare not disobey."
"You had better not," cried the Khan, "or I will try and find a korla for you."
The fellow dropped behind again, and we resumed our desultory conversation, chatting as we rode along on the merits of the different leaders, and how they had behaved. Ghuffoor Khan was a pleasant companion, and his remarks were full of wit and satire. I had put him in good humour by the prospect of a deep carouse, and we rode on cheerfully.
We reached our halting-place for the day, after a long and intensely hot march; and glad were we to get under the cover of our tents, to screen ourselves from the noonday heat. I had several messages from the Khan, in the course of the day, to know whether the repast was ready; but it would not have answered my purpose to have allowed that it was, or to have had it prepared one moment before the time fixed.
"You have been riding with the Khan, Sahib, all the morning," said Motee to me, "and have not, I suppose, observed the omens?"