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He looked doubtful, but accepted. "Aho! And that Voban, he would have had his hand in," he growled. I began to get more light. "She was shut up at Chateau Bigot hand of iron and lock of steel who knows the rest! But Voban was for always," he added presently. The thing was clear. The Scarlet Woman was Mathilde. So here was the end of Voban's little romance of the fine linen from Ste.
At this, our guard, who had recovered sufficient spirit to ride a few paces in advance, fell back, and the impassive Dervish became greatly agitated. Where there is an uncertain danger, it is always better to go ahead than to turn back; and we did so. But the guard reined up on the top of the first ridge, trembling as he pointed to a distant hill, and cried out: "Aho, aho henak!"
And then I read him that part of her postscript which had to do with himself. He put his head on one side like a great wise magpie, and "H'm ha!" said he whimsically, "aho! Gabord the soldier, Gabord, thou hast a good heart and the birds fed the beast with plums and froth of comfits till he died, and on his sugar tombstone they carved the words, 'Gabord had a good heart."
He had added some brandy, also, of which I was glad, for it was bitter cold outside, as I discovered later. He was quiet, seeming often to wish to speak, but pausing before the act, never getting beyond a stumbling aho! I greeted him cheerfully enough. After making a little toilette, I drank my coffee with relish.
And shall he save himself so? Am I not alive? Though he run northward to the Dora and the snow, or southerly to the Black Water, I will follow him, as a lover follows the footsteps of his mistress, and coming upon him I will take him tenderly Aho! so tenderly! in my arms, saying: 'Well hast thou done and well shalt thou be repaid. And out of that embrace Daoud Shah shall not go forth with the breath in his nostrils.
Besides, I had no other resource but to make a friend among my enemies, if I could, while yet there was a chance. It was like a load lifted from me when I saw his mouth and eyes open wide in a big soundless laugh, which came to an end with a voiceless aho! I gave him another tumbler of wine. Before he took it, he made a wide mouth at me again, and slapped his leg.
As they watched it dropped out of sight and everything was suddenly very bleak and black. And a curious thing happened. Naraini cried out sharply "Aho!" as if unable to contain her excitement. Somewhere in the palace behind them a great gong boomed like thunder. A pause ensued, disturbed only by the fluttering of the woman's breath: for the space of thirty pulse-beats nothing happened.
After a moment, cocking his head at me as might a surly schoolmaster in a pause of leniency, he added, "As quiet, as quiet, and never did he fly at door of cage, nor peck at jailer aho!" I looked at him a minute seriously, and then, feeling in my coat, handed to him the knife which I had secreted, with the words, "Enough for pecking with, eh?"
Perchance," she told him archly, "thou didst not think to see me so soon, or in this garden? Perchance surprise hath robbed thee of thy wits and thy tongue as well, O wordless one? Or thou art overcome with joy, as I am overcome, and smitten dumb by it, as I am not? Aho, Lalji! was ever a woman at loss for words to voice her happiness?"
"'Tis dickey-bird, aho!" cried he. There was exultation in his eye and voice. Here was a chance for him to prove himself against me; he had proved himself for me more than once. "Here was I," added he, "making for M'sieu' Voban, that he might come and bleed a sick soldier, when who should come running but our English captain! Come forth, aho!" "No, Gabord," said I, "I'm bound for freedom."
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