"And to save all our lives," said Gerrard. "My dear Bob, how can I thank you?"
"Don't want to be thanked," growled Charteris. "If you don't know from your own feelings how I hated doing it, you ought to, that's all. Never mind, you'll do something of the same sort for me one day, and then I shall have the crow over you. And now just give me some idea of the state of affairs. Keep your silly head quiet, can't you? I didn't tell you to get up. Well, put your back against the tree, if you _must_ sit up. Who killer Cock Robin--that is to say, Partab Singh?"
"Either Sher Singh or some emissary of his."
"No, in the night. The wound was so small that it escaped notice at first. I charged Sher Singh with the murder on suspicion merely. He may not know that the truth has been discovered."
"Never show your teeth unless you can bite," said Charteris sententiously. "What does the opposition party consist of?"
"Little Kharrak Singh and his mother, whom Sher Singh wishes to become suttee."
Charteris whistled. "And which is more important--to bring home the Rajah's death to Sher Singh, or to save the Rani?"
"For Kharrak Singh's sake, to save his mother, undoubtedly. But now you are here, I hope to do both."
"We shall see about that. I gather from what you said in your letter last week that you know where to lay hands upon a sum of money sufficient to secure the loyalty of the army?"
"Yes, but to get at it I must be inside the palace enclosure, and even then I shall need your help."
"On the whole, my young friend,"--Charteris's voice was didactic in the extreme,--"you seem to me to have contrived to surround yourself with the materials for a very pretty row. Be thankful that you have at hand the services of a person of experience and knowledge of the world--myself, sir,"--with a resounding thump on his chest,--"to extricate you from a situation of uncommon difficulty and delicacy for one so young. You place yourself unreservedly in my hands?"
"Not a bit of it!" said Gerrard, struggling up, only to be pressed down again by Charteris's grip upon his shoulders.
"My dear Hal, you do. There's no other course open to you. Sher Singh has the big battalions, and though I admire your design of capturing Agpur with no weapons but cool cheek and shaky promises, I have a mean objection to adding my bones to the heap that would be the result. It is eminently a case for negociation, and here is the negociator. You stay where you are, and get ready to ride into Agpur to-night, 'pride in your port, defiance in your eye,' while I try my blandishments upon that nasty uncertain beggar, Sher Singh."