Ramnath drove Badshah. As they climbed the steep, winding road among the
hills and rose out of the damp heat of the Plains, Fred declared that he
felt better at once in the cool refreshing breezes that swept down from
the lofty peaks above. The forest fell away behind them. The great teak
and _sal_ trees gave place to the lighter growths of bamboo, plantain,
and sago-palm. A troop of small brown monkeys, feasting on ripe bananas,
sprang away startled on all fours and vanished in all directions. A
slim-bodied, long-tailed mongoose, stealing across the road, stopped in
the middle of it to rise up on his hind legs and stare with tiny pink
eyes at the approaching elephants. Then, dropping to the ground again
with puffed-out, defiant tail, he trotted on into the undergrowth angry
and unafraid.

Arrived at Ranga Duar the brother and sister exclaimed in admiration at the
beauty of the lonely outpost nestling in the bosom of the hills. They gazed
with interest at the stalwart sepoys of the detachment in khaki or white
undress whom they passed and who drew themselves up and saluted their
commanding sahib smartly.

Dermot had given up his small bungalow to his guests and gone to occupy
the one vacant quarter in the Mess. Noreen was to sleep in his bedroom,
and, as the girl looked round the scantily-furnished apartment with
its small camp-bed, one canvas chair, a table, and a barrack chest of
drawers, she tried to realise that she was actually to live for a while
in the very room of the man who was fast becoming her hero. For indeed
her feeling for Dermot so far savoured more of hero-worship than of
love. She looked with interest at his scanty possessions, his sword,
the line of riding-boots against the wall, the belts and spurs hung on
nails, the brass-buttoned greatcoat hanging behind the door. In his
sitting-room she read the names of the books on a roughly-made stand to