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Sadiq Ali smiled to behold his ally's surprise, but declined mysteriously to say what Rukn-ud-din and his men were doing on his parade-ground. Jirad Sahib would doubtless wish to make inquiries for himself, he said, and Komadan Rukn-ud-din had already asked leave to pay his respects to him.
Presently Badan Hazari came very quietly, and peered round a trunk to see whether his commander was awake. Gerrard called to him. "Heaven-born!" said the Granthi, saluting. "I have ventured to disturb the repose of your honour at the request of Komadan Rukn-ud-din." Gerrard started. "Bring him here," he said. "What is it?"
He say he Rajah Partab Singh's Komadan." "Tell him to send a message, since I am engaged with guests." "He say you must give up zose persons, sar. Old man and leetle boy, he come to look for zem." "Then tell him to come and take them. And you can promise him in my name a pretty tough job if he does." He turned from Moraes with noble disdain, and bestowed a reassuring smile upon his guests.
"Half of this I will take, and the other shall be borne by Komadan Rukn-ud-din, who has been faithful to his lord and his lord's mother, and to the salt he has eaten. As the dead bore it, so will we bear it, until the blood of Kharrak Singh can be blotted out in the blood of him who slew him." Rukn-ud-din limped forward and received the ghastly trophy, and Charteris saluted again and passed on.
Kharrak Singh hailed their astonishment as a tribute to himself, for some reason or other, and clapped his hands and cried "Shabash!" until he was tired. "Is the child unhurt?" the foremost Komadan ventured at last to ask, rather unnecessarily. "Fool! who should have hurt me?" cried Kharrak Singh. "The Feringhee," answered every one together. "Surely ye are all mad, O people.
"But Charteris Sahib the Rani every one?" murmured Gerrard, trying to remember what had happened. "The Rani Sahiba saw your honour fall, and herself took command of the soldiers, bidding them die rather than fail to recover your body. Sirdar Badan Hazari was killed, fighting very valiantly, and the Komadan Sahib Rukn-ud-din now leads the troops." "But Charteris Sahib what of him, I say?"
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