“That is all I know about this matter, except that being absent from duty on sick-leave there may be difficulty in the matter of my tunic, which is badly torn.”

Having finished his story Narayan Singh stood at attention like one of those wooden images they used to keep on the sidewalk outside tobacco stores.

Grim smiled at the prisoners and asked whether they had any remarks to make—­a totally lawless proceeding, for he did not caution them, and had no jurisdiction as a magistrate.  They were three men caught red-handed attempting murder and burglary, and entitled accordingly to protection that the law doesn’t always accord to honest men.  But, as I have said, a true tale in the ears of criminals acts like a chemical reagent.  It sets them to work lying, and the lie burns off, disclosing naked truth again.  But, mother of me, they were daring liars!  The fellow who had come out of the scrap more or less unscathed piped up for the three, the other two nodding and prompting him in whispers.

“What that Indian says in the main is true.  He did jump down from the gallery and surprise a meeting summoned by Yussuf Dakmar.  And it is true that Yussuf Dakmar’s purpose is to bring about a massacre of Jews, which is to be simultaneous with an attack by Feisul’s forces on the French in Syria.  But we three men are not in favour of it.  We have had no part in the preparations, although we know all details.  We are honest men, who have the public interest at heart, and accordingly we have spied on Yussuf Dakmar, purposing to expose all his plans to the authorities.”

Jeremy began humming to himself.  Mabel tittered, and little Doctor Ticknor swore under his breath.  But Grim looked as if he believed them —­looked pleasantly surprised—­and nodded gravely.

“But that hardly explains your following this Indian through the streets and attacking him on the veranda,” he suggested, as if sure they could explain that too—­as sure enough they did.

“We did not attack him.  He attacked us.  It was obvious to us from the first that he must be an agent of the Government.  So when Yussuf Dakmar told us to follow and murder him we decided it was time to expose Yussuf Dakmar, and that this was our opportunity.  We knew surely that this Indian would take that letter straight to some official of the Government; it was only necessary to pretend to hunt him and in that manner inveigle Yussuf Dakmar into the toils.

“But when we reached this house Yussuf Dakmar was afraid and refused to approach nearer than the street.  He insisted on keeping watch outside the garden gate while we should draw near and shoot everyone who might be in the house and recover the letter.  He is a coward, and we could not persuade him.

“So we decided to pretend to do his bidding, and to whisper through the window to the people within to pass out to the street by some back way and capture him, after which we would give all our evidence to the authorities.