The Pindari spoke to the orderly, “Go thou and wait below.”

When he had disappeared the Pindari rose from the ebon-wood chair, stretched his tall giant form, and laughed.  “Thou art a seemly man, Ayub Alli, but thinkst thou that Amir Khan would have fear that thou sendst thy playthings by the orderly?”

“No, Chief, it was but proper.  And you will know that the message is such that none other may hear it.”

“Sit on yonder divan, Afghan, and tell this large thing that is in thy mind.”

As Barlow took a seat upon the divan covered by a red-and-green Bokharan rug, lifting his eyes suddenly, he was conscious of a mocking smile on the Pindari’s lips; and the fierce black eyes were watching his every move as he slipped a well-strapped sandal from a foot.  Rising, he stepped to the table at one end of which the Pindari sat, and placing the sandal upon it, said:  “If the Chief will slit the double sole with his knife he will find within that which I have brought.”

“The matter of which you speak, Afghan, is service, and Amir Khan is not one to perform a service of the hands for any one.”

“But if I asked for the Chief’s knife, not having one—­”

“Inshalla! but thou art right; if thou hadst asked for the knife thou mightst have received it, and not in the sandal,” he laughed.  The laugh welled up from his throat through the heavy black beard like the bubble of a bison bull.

The Pindari reached for the sandal, and as he slit at the leather thread, he commented:  “Thou hast the subtlety of a true Patan; within, I take it, is something of value, and if it were in a pocket of thy jacket, or a fold at thy waist, those who might seek it with one slit of their discoverer, which is a piece of broken glass carrying an edge such as no blade would have, would take it up.  But a man’s sandals well strapped on are removed but after he is dead.”

“Bismillah!” The Pindari had the paper spread flat upon the black table and saw the seal of the British Raj.  He seemed to ponder over the document as if the writing were not within his interpretation.  Then he said:  “We men of the sword have not given much thought to the pen, employing scribblers for that purpose, but to-morrow a mullah will make this all plain.”

Barlow interrupted the Chief.  “Shall I read the written word?”

“What would it avail?  Hereon is the seal of the Englay Raj, but as you read the thumb of the Raj would not be upon your lip in the way of a seal.  The mullah will interpret this to me.  Is it of an alliance?” he asked suddenly.

“It is, Chief.”

The Pindari laughed:  “Holker would give me a camel-load of gold rupees for this and thy head:  Sindhia might add a province for the same.”

“True, Chief.  And has Amir Khan heard a whisper of reward and a dress of honour from Sindhia’s Dewan for his head?”