"Not her special men by any chance?"

Puff--"Gad, what smoke!--couldn't say, of course, but"--puff--puff--
"shouldn't think so."

"Well--I'll go along with you if you like, and look them over."

Both tone and manner gave Saunders credit for the suggestion, and
Saunders seemed to like it. There is nothing like following up,
in football, war or courtship.

"I see you're a judge of a cigar," said King, and Saunders purred,
all men being fools to some extent, and the only trouble being to
demonstrate the fact.

They had started for the station entrance when a nasal voice began
intoning, "Cap-teen King sahib--Cap-teen King sahib!" and a telegraph
messenger passed them with his book under his arm. King whistled
him. A moment later he was tearing open an official urgent telegram
and writing a string of figures in pencil across the top. Then he
decoded swiftly,

"Advices are Yasmini was in Delhi as recently as six
this evening. Fail to understand your inability to
get in touch. Have you tried at her house? Matters
in Khyber district much less satisfactory. Word from
O-C Khyber Rifles to effect that lashkar is collecting.
Better sweep up in Delhi and proceed northward as quickly
as compatible with caution. L. M. L."