"No," said King, looking sharply sidewise at him and walking stride
for stride. His hands were behind him, too, and one of them covered
the gold bracelet on his other wrist.

The general looked equally sharply sidewise.

"Nor've I," he said. "She called me up over the phone yesterday
to ask for facilities for her man Rewa Gunga, and he was in here
later. He's waiting for you at the foot of the Pass--camped near
the fort at Jamrud with your bandobast all ready. She's on ahead--
wouldn't wait."

King listened in silence, and his prisoners, watching him through
the barred compartment windows, formed new and golden opinions of
him, for it is common knowledge in the "Hills" that when a burra
sahib speaks to a chota sahib, the chota sahib ought to say, "Yes,
sir, oh, yes!" at very short intervals. Therefore King could not be
a chota sahib after all. So much the better. The "Hills" ever loved
to deal with men in authority, just as they ever despised underlings.

"What made you go back for the prisoners?" the general asked. "Who
gave you that cue?"

"It's a safe rule never to do what the other man expects, sir, and
Rewa Gunga expected me to travel by his train."

"Was that your only reason?"

"No, sir. I had general reasons. None of 'em specific. Where
natives have a finger in the pie there's always something left