"Stop!" The girl's voice was almost a scream of expostulation. "To
speak of that means death, thou fool. And thou hast sworn--"

Ajeet's face had blanched. Then a surge of anger re-flushed it.

"Gulab," he said presently, "take care that the love thou say'st is
dead--but which is not, for it never dies in the heart of a woman, it
is but a smouldering fire--take care that it springs not into flame at
the words of some other man, the touch of his hands, or the light of
his eyes, because then, by Bhowanee, I will kill thee."

The Gulab stamped a foot upon the earth floor of the tent: "Coward! now
I hate thee! Only the weak, the cowards, threaten women. When thou
art brave and strong I do not hate if I do not love. 'Tis thou, Ajeet,
who art to take care."

Outside Guru Lal was casting holy oil upon the troubled waters of a
disputed ordeal. The wily old priest knew well how omens and ordeals
could be manipulated. Besides, unity among the Bagree leaders, leading
to much loot, would bring him tribute for the gods.

"It may be," he was saying to Sookdee, "that the blacksmith, who is not
of our tribe, nor of our nine castes, but is of the Sumar caste, has
sought to put shame upon our gods by a trick. At best he was a surly
rascal of little thought. It may be that the iron shot was made too
hot for the hand of the Chief. An ordeal is a fair test when its
observance is equal between men; it is then that the goddess judges and
gives the verdict--her way is always just. Have not we many times read
wrongly her omens, and have misjudged the signs, and have suffered.