And again Monck uttered his short, sardonic laugh. "Thank you, Tommy,"
he said.

There fell a silence between them, and a hot draught eddied up through
the parched compound and rattled the scorched twigs of the creeping rose
on the verandah with a desolate sound, as if skeleton hands were feeling
along the trellis-work. Tommy suppressed a shudder and got to his feet.

In the same moment Monck spoke again, deliberately, emotionlessly, with
a hint of grimness. "By the way, Tommy, I've a piece of news for you.
That letter I had from my brother this, evening contained news of an
urgent business matter which only I can deal with. It has come at a
rather unfortunate moment as Barnes, the policeman, brought some
disturbing information this evening from Khanmulla and the Chief wanted
to make use of me in that quarter. They are sending a Mission to make
investigations and they wanted me to go in charge of it."

"Oh, man!" Tommy's eyes suddenly shone with enthusiasm. "What a
chance!"

"A chance I'm not going to take," rejoined Monck dryly. "I applied for
leave instead. In any case it is due to me, but Dacre had his turn
first. The Chief didn't want to grant it, but he gave way in the end.
You boys will have to work a little harder than usual, that's all."

Tommy was staring at him in amazement. "But, I say, Monck!" he
protested. "That Mission business! It's the very thing you'd most enjoy.
Surely you can't be going to let such an opportunity slip!"