and worshipped you, and then asked you to go off with him on some
mysterious mission."

Dermot had resolved to say as little as possible about his experiences.
Europeans would not credit his story, and he had no desire to be regarded
as a phenomenal liar. Natives would believe it, for nothing is too
marvellous for them; but he had no wish that any one should know of the
existence of the Death Place, lest ivory-hunters should seek to penetrate
to it.

"Nonsense. Badshah wasn't mad," he replied. "It was just as I guessed when
you first told me of these fits of his--merely the jungle calling him."

"Yes, sir. But the weirdest tale of all was that you were seen leading an
army of elephants, just like a Hindu god, to invade Bhutan."

"Where did you hear that?" asked Dermot in surprise.

"Oh, the yarn came from the _mahouts_, who heard it from some of the forest
guards, who said they'd been told it by Bhuttias from the hills. You know
how natives spread stories. Wasn't it a silly tale?" And Parker laughed at
the thought of it.

"Yes, rather absurd," agreed the Major, forcing a smile. "Yes, natives are
really--Hello! who's done this?"

They had reached the garden of his bungalow. The little wooden gate-posts
at the entrance were smeared with red paint and hung with withered wreaths
of marigolds.