"It is strange," said the German, after a while. "For years I have
tried to get in touch with native officers. Here and there I have
found a Sepoy who would talk with me, but you are the first officer."
He was brown-studying, talking almost to himself. He did not see the
curse in the risaldar-major's eyes.
"I have found plenty of merchants who would promise to finance
revolt, and plenty of hillmen who would promise anything. But all
said, 'We will do what the army does!' And I could not find in all
this time, among all those people, anybody to whom I dared show what
we--Germany--can do to help. I have seen from the first it was only
with the aid of the army that we could accomplish anything, yet the
army has been unapproachable. How is it that you have seemed so
loyal, all of you, until the minute of war?"
Ranjoor Singh spat again through the opening with thoroughness and
great deliberation. Then he proceeded to give proof that, as Yasmini
had said, he was really not a buffalo at all. A fool would have taken
chances with any one of a dozen other explanations. Ranjoor Singh,
with an expression that faintly suggested Colonel Kirby, picked the
right, convincing one.
"The English are not bad people," he said simply. "They have left
India better than they found it. They have been unselfish.
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