eyes of the inquisitive, she sings songs of her own making and only
very rarely the same song twice. She sang that night of the winds of
the world which, she claims, carry the news to her; although others
say her sources of information speak more distinctly.

It seemed that the thread of an idea ran through song and dance
alike, and that the hillmen and beyond-the-hills-men, who sat back-to-
the-wall and watched, could follow the meaning of it. They began to
crowd closer, to squat cross-legged on the floor, in circles one
outside the other, until the European three became the center of
three rings of men who stared at them with owls' solemnity.

Then Yasmini ceased dancing. Then one of the Europeans drew his
watch out; and he had to show it to the other two before he could
convince them that they had sat for two hours without wanting to do
anything but watch and listen.

"So _wass!_" said one of them--the drunken.

_"Du lieber Gott--schon halb zwolf!"_ said the second.

The third man made no remark at all. He was watching Ranjoor Singh.

The risaldar--major had left the divan by the end wall and walked--
all grim straight lines in contrast to Yasmini's curves--to a spot
directly facing the three Europeans; and it seemed there sat a
hillman on the piece of floor he coveted.

"Get up!" he commanded. "Make room!"