“But we’ll be out of this by that time,” put in Patsy. “Gee, Chick! I’m sorry I wasn’t with you when you nailed that Pike over there.”
“You can help to take care of him now,” laughed Chick. “That ought to console you.”
“I’ll slap him on the wrist if he gets gay,” returned Patsy, with a grin.
For five hours the party of white men, with their two faithful native adherents, Jai Singh and Adil, sat in their rooms, keeping a close eye on William Pike, and accepting the hospitality offered them by Calaman.
Servants came at frequent intervals to see if they wanted anything, and to bring coffee, sweetmeats, cigarettes, and so on, until Nick Carter told them they all wanted to rest for an hour or two, and would rather not be disturbed.
The grave-faced menials accepted this dictum with the same humble politeness that they had everything else, and did not come near them again.
Pike had been kept discreetly out of their sight. At least, that was Nick Carter’s intention. But he could not be sure that the servants did not know of Pike’s presence in the palace, since they seemed to find out everything.
“Are you ready?” asked Pike suddenly, when darkness reigned outside, and they had been sitting for some little time by the light of the one lamp which Adil had set going on a side table.
Chick looked out of the window, but could see only blackness.
“Quite ready!” replied Nick Carter.