The Winds of the World

virtue in Yasmin's method of attack. Suckled in a mountain-range where vengeance is believed as real and worthy as love must be transitory,

n him from an upper story when he went to moan beneath her window. He decided to include that woman in his vengeance, too, if possible, but not to miss

ummit of exasperation when, on making application at a free dispensary, his sores were dressed for him by a Hindu assistant apothecary who lectured him on brotherly love w

imself and think of new obscenities; and as he stood beneath a cloth awning to await the passing of a more

m Ranjoor Singh's squadron passed the end of the lane. He felt himself clutching at a red kn

im in the crowd. Now that he no longer wandered objectless, but looked ahead and walked with a will and a purpose, street-corner "constabeels" ceased to trouble him;

nseen would be increasingly more remote; and he had no desire to die until he had killed the other four men, Ranjoor Singh

ce had been a shop, but that now was boarded up and showed from outside little sign of occupation. But he saw that the door at the end of an alley by the building was aj

spurs that goad him to greater frenzy and more speed. The troopers swaggered at a drilled man's march

ean victory and have been free to wreak red vengeance on the rest. As it was, rage mastered him, and h

guard the next blow with his forearm; he seized a good fistful of the Afridi's bandages and landed hard on his naked foot with the heel of an ammunition boot. The Afri

ngue; and, seeing a crowd come running from four dire

door at the end of the alley by the boarded shop, and a second after he had started

f weight, and steel-shod boots, and strength, and speed into the effort. A yard from the door he took off, as a man does

ms seized him by the feet and dragged him inside. Then the door closed again, and this time a bolt really did sh

he limit of its lungs, and one-tenth yelling information that was false before they had it. Those at the back believed already that there were ten men down. In the next street there was

leg and fat of paunch, who had enough imagination to conceive of a regiment in receipt of the news, and the mental picture so appealed to him that

after an afternoon's work teaching scouts. He clung to the risaldar-major's stirrup, and was dragged ten f

ed Ranjoor Singh. "Are the Mosl

"Blood in the gutter-blood like water-twentee policemen are alread

oor Singh, sitting back in the saddle to get a better look at him, and

bottom dog. You better hurry like slippery! One Afridi is beginning things,

gate to the rescue. He still clung to the stirrup, and since he would not let go, Ranjoor Singh proceeded to t

e babu. "The blood of your men lies in street calling aloud for vengeance!" A university educatio

the regiment's headquarters, in readiness for the order from a civil magistrate without which interference would cost him his commission. But the babu wa

iments of Tommees-drun

n to jail. The Tommees

irst your men will be e

uleted. You

t any men of his who happened to be in danger would be rescued with neatness and speed. If there was no trouble yet, there would very likely be some swearing when the soldiers got there. In the meantime he was

irrup, wrenching it free from the risaldar-major's foot; then the horse grew savage at the unaccustomed extra weight, and lashed out hard behind him, missing the babu twice in quick

broken into pieces. Then he felt himself. At last he rose, and after a speechless glance at

It is time indeed that German influence be felt, in order that British yoke may be cast off for good and all. Now I take it a German soldier would have arrested everybodee, and I would have received much kudos in addi

, getting over the ground faster than many a thin man could have done. As he ran his lips worked, for

milling crowd, through which four small policemen were tr

rowd, who had more breath but not enough imaginat

khs! Th

protection but no violence at Sikh hands ever since '57; and since the babu really did look frightened,

t being a new idea and just as good as any, the whole crowd took to its heels, leaving the four

ned the body, asked a dozen questions of the four policemen, wrote in

ou!" he calle

m shrewdly so that it suggested deference whi

ou know ab

ing on way was thrown to ground violentlee by galloping horse whose rider urged same in opposite direction. Observe

horse? Who rode

d say veree recently, however. The horse was ridden by a pe

way did

y, knocking me over in transit

he ar

ered the animal. With the

ife, whom not even the adroitest police officer could recognize as

weapon of

t. It was with the horse-with the rump of the anima

me to the office, and there we

arre

u're a

the law. I demand capture and arrest, together with fine and imprisonment o

ll talk about th

desk at which a native clerk presided. There he was made to recite his story again, and since he had had time in which to think, he told a most amazing, disconnected yarn that

who knew him and could certify to his address, and i

*

by murder in the bazaar. The man's name and regimental number proved him to have been one of D Squadron'

he demanded; s

tly w

ess, given from memory, about a man who galloped away on horseback, threw no light at all on the case; so, because he could think

in at the police station, but the babu had

those nearest to see anything; and it was admitted that the crowd had been suddenly panic-stricken and had scattered before the p

abu who had brought him the story of riot that afternoon. He stopped his carriage and stepped out. On second thought he ordered the carriage away, for he was in plain clothes and not likely to a

he had learned directness under Colonel Kirby, and

; but from another native it bewilders them, just as a left-handed

n when you ran to war

Sikh's tall manly figure. His eye was furtive, glancing ever sidewise; but the S

said, since the babu would not ans

from somewhere down in his enormous stomach and say

kes me!" h

e asked a question. I am no lawyer to maneuver

than tentative. He could have denied it next

way went th

helms me!" s

f for

my good money-

e Old East thinks. He recognized the preliminaries of a bargain, and searched his mind to re

of t

os

re?

uspected to be murderer, a person unknown-possibly a Sikh

much

t," said the babu unwinking. He

e five rupees of it," said Ranjoor Singh, "when

nd my heart too full wi

s under such conditio

ten rupees," sa

hting for rupee after rupee until his wit assured him he had reached

great conviction, scratching at his stomach

joor Singh in a new voice that seemed to suggest unutterable things. "Moreover, I will pay it when

ahib, I

nd counted twelve rupees and three

ay?" he

gone while I watched the movements of a murderer! It

arch thee by the nape of thy fat neck to the police station, where they will put thee in a cell for

a fat hand and the

u, jerking a thumb ov

gh tha

eak door, down

rying as if goaded by fear

h a chink in an upper shutter, and he intended to try directness on the problem once again. It was ten full paces down the passage to

hed fists. Presently he turned his back to the door and kept up a steady thunder

ssers-by and of all the neighbors, and though he had had no fear and no other intention

heard whispering, so he resumed his thunder. Almost at once there followed the unmi

s weight and strength against the door, drawing in his breath and shoving with all his might. Resistanc

ays and oh! wic

d thankles

Grit into roo

er stone, he

they groaned

e (but he helpe

despair t

he dam's down, and

o, summon my bro

's at arms,