Chunerbutty collapsed and sat down hastily on a mat. Then in English the
_Dewan_ continued:

"Have you any news?"

"No; I have forwarded as they came all letters and messengers from Bhutan.
The troops--" He stopped and looked at the Member of Parliament.

"Continue. There is no need of secrecy before Mr. Macgregor," said the
_Dewan_. "I have said that he is a friend of India."

"It's all right, my boy," added the Hebrew Highlander encouragingly. "I am
a Pacifist and a socialist. I don't hold with soldiers or with keeping
coloured races enslaved. 'England for English and India for the Indians' is
my motto."

"Well, I have already informed you that there is no truth in the reports
that troops were to be sent again to Buxa Duar," said Chunerbutty,
reassured. "On the frontier there are only the two hundred Military Police
at Ranga Duar. They are Punjaubi Mohammedans. I made the acquaintance of
the officer commanding them last night."

"Ah! What is he like?" enquired the _Dewan_, interested.

"Inquisitive, but a fool--like all these officers," replied the engineer
contemptuously. "He noticed Narain Dass on our garden and saw that he was a
Bengali. He learned that others of us were employed on our estate and was
surprised that Brahmins should do coolie work. But he suspected nothing."

"You are sure?" asked the _Dewan_.