"Thanks, old top! Rather think I'll stow that away as a good tip. But to return: I'd feel rather thankful to take a chance inside to--well, come back."
"You mean about the girl? We just forgot all that, and are now trying to do the best we can for what's to come, and your place is just where you've been stationed; that is, unless you're in command."
Lord Victor sprang to his feet, clicked his heels together, very erect and soldierly, for he had been at Sandhurst, and saluted. With a laugh Finnerty said: "Fall out!" The discussion ceased.
From where they were they could hear, at times, curious, muffled noises disturbing the evening quiet, coming from the palace hill. Finnerty now gave some final advice:
"It is now eight o'clock. If we do not come back for the horses or get you word before morning, make for the outside. Have you any money?"
Finnerty and Swinton gave him the money they had, the former saying: "If we get caught in that cave we won't need these rupees to pay board for long, I fancy." He held out his hand, and the youth took it, saying: "I'll remember about the thoroughbred colt."
Swinton shook hands with him, saying: "Duty is the best tutor, Lord Victor; it's a steadier, eh?"
"Sorry about--well, the--that silly break of mine about secret service, you know."
The Banjara, noting this completion of detail, said: "And the matter of a village, huzoor--does the young Lord Sahib understand that he is to tell the sircar that me and my brother have been true to their salt?"
"I will tell him to not forget, my friend, for you will well deserve it," the major answered.
When he had impressed this matter upon Gilfain, Finnerty held out his hand to the Banjara: "Brother, you are a man."
"We Banjaras are taught by our mothers that we are to become men," the herdsman answered with simple dignity.
Like the sealing of a solemn compact between the members of a brotherhood was this exchange of handclasps, Swinton also taking the Banjara's hand in a grasp of admiration.
As Finnerty and Swinton melted down the gloomed path with the Banjara's brother, the herdsman stood watching their going, repeating a tribal saying: "In the kingdom of men there are no boundaries."
When the two sahibs came out to where the Safed Jan Trail wound along the bed of a nala approaching the palace plateau, their guide said: "Just beyond is the new cave. I will go forward to see that no one keeps the door, for they will not think it strange that I should be about. If the sahibs hear the small cry of a tree cricket they may come forward."