“Sit down, crow,” said the blind faquir unkindly and there was a snigger.  “The treasure will be removed at once—­this night, or I will remove myself from Gungapur with all my followers—­and go where deeds are being done.  I weary of waiting while pi-dogs yelp around the walls they cannot enter.  Cowards!  Thousands to one—­and ye do not kill two of them a day.  Conquer and slay them?  Nay—­rather must our own treasure be removed lest some night the devil, in command there, swoop upon it, driving ye off like sheep and carrying back with him——­”

“Flesh and blood cannot face a machine-gun, Moulvie,” said the squint-eyed Hindu.  “Even your holy sanctity would scarcely protect you from bullets.  Come forth and try to-morrow.”

“Nor can flesh and blood—­such flesh and blood as Gungapur provides—­surround the machine-gun and rush upon it from flank and rear of course,” replied the blind man.  “Do machine guns fire in all directions at once?  When they ran the accursed thing down to the market-place and fired it into the armed crowd that listened to my words, could ye not have fled by other streets to surround it?  Had all rushed bravely from all directions how long would it have fired?  Even thus, could more have died than did die?  Scores they slew—­and retired but when they could fire no longer....  And ye allowed it to go because a dozen men stood between it and you——­,” and again the good man spat.

“I do not say ‘Sit down, crow’ for thou art already sitting,” put in a huge, powerful-looking man, arrayed in a conical puggri-encircled cap, long pink shirt over very baggy peg-top trousers, and a green waistcoat, “but I weary of thy chatter Blind-Man.  Keep thy babble for fools in the market-place, where, I admit, it hath its uses.  Remain our valued and respected talker and interfere not with fighting men, nor criticize.  And say not ‘The treasure will be removed this night,’ nor anything else concerning command. I will decide in the matter of the treasure and I prefer to keep it here under mine hand....”

“Doubtless,” sneered the blind man.  “Under thy hand—­until, in the end, it be found to consist of boxes of stones and old iron.  Look you—­the treasure goes to-night or I go, and certain others go with me.  And suppose I change my tune in the market-place, Havildar Nazir Ali Khan, and say certain words concerning thee and thy designs, give hints of treachery—­and where is the loud-mouthed Nazir Ali Khan?...” and his blind eyes glared cold ferocity at the last speaker who handled his sword and replied nothing.

The secret of the man’s power was clear.

“The treasure will be removed to night,” he repeated and a discussion of limes, routes, escort and other details followed.  A dispute arose between the big man addressed as Havildar Nazir Ali Khan and a squat broad-shouldered Pathan as to the distance and probable time that a convoy, moving at the rate of laden bullock-carts, would take in reaching Pirgunge.