"I'll go back at once," I said eagerly.
He nodded approvingly, and took me to wish the ladies good-bye.
"Do be careful," his wife said earnestly. "It was terrible about poor Mr. Collingwood and his gunner; everyone was so upset."
"I nearly waved to you when you passed the Bunder Abbas this morning," I told Miss Borsen, "but was afraid you'd think me forward—think me like that fussy major."
She laughed merrily.
"You were quite right. You never wished me good-bye when you left the steamer, so I should not have waved back."
The political agent accompanied me part of the way.
"That looks as if you expected to be attacked," I remarked, pointing to the earthworks, breastworks, and lines of wire entanglement.
"That's all over for the present. Some wandering brigand tribe did make it unpleasant for us once, but that's ancient history now. Good-bye! Look! my wife and Miss Borsen are waving good-bye."
I waved my helmet, and strode down the path feeling quite a hero, my head full of my new job.