The troopers listened and wondered, for they could not understand
what save earth and stone could lie below the watch-towers.

Shahbaz Khan began to call again: "They are below us. I can see
them! For the pity of God come over to me, Hafiz Ullah! My father
slew ten of them. Come over!"

Hafiz Ullah answered in a very loud voice, "Mine was guiltless.
Hear, ye Men of the Night, neither my father nor my blood had any
part in that sin. Bear thou thine own punishment, Shahbaz Khan."

"Oh, some one ought to stop those two chaps crowing away like
cocks there," said the Lieutenant, shivering under his rock.

He had hardly turned round to expose a new side of him to the rain
before a bearded, long-locked, evil-smelling Afghan rushed up the
hill, and tumbled into his arms. Halley sat upon him, and thrust
as much of a sword-hilt as could be spared down the man's gullet.
"If you cry out, I kill you," he said cheerfully.

The man was beyond any expression of terror. He lay and quaked,
gasping. When Halley took the sword-hilt from between his teeth,
he was still inarticulate, but clung to Halley's arm, feeling it
from elbow to wrist.

"The Rissala! The dead Rissala! " he gasped, "It is down there!"

"No; the Rissala, the very much alive Rissala. It is up here,"
said Halley, unshipping his watering-bridle and fastening the
man's hands. "Why were you in the towers so foolish as to let us