Since they were written in Turkish they were of no conceivable use to any one but Fred and Rustum Khan.  Fred glanced over them, and shouted to Rustum Khan to come and look.  That was a mistake, for it called the Rajput’s attention to what had been happening to his prisoner.  He came striding toward us with his black beard bristling and eyes blazing with anger.

“Who searched him?” he demanded.

“He was searched by my order,” Kagig answered in the calm level voice that in a man of such spirit was prophetic of explosion.

“Who gave thee leave to order him searched, Armenian?”

“I left you his money,” Kagig answered with biting scorn, pointing to the little heaps of gold coin on the ground.

I had no means of knowing what peaks of friction had already been attained between the two, and it was not likely that I should instantly choose sides against the man who within the hour had saved my life at peril of his own.  But Will saw matters in another light, and Fred began humming through his nose.  Will left Gloria and walked straight up to Rustum Khan.  He had managed to shave himself with cold Jihun water and some laundry soap, and his clean jaw suggested standards set up and sworn to since ever they gave the name of Yankee to men possessed by certain high ideals.

“Kagig needs no leave from any one to order prisoners searched!” he said, shaping each word distinctly.

Rustum Khan spluttered, and kicked at a heap of coin.

“Perhaps you have bargained for your share of all loot?  I have heard that in America men—­”

’Rajput!” said Kagig, looking down on him from slightly higher ground, “I will hang you if you make more trouble!”

At that I interfered.  I was not the only one in Rustum Khan’s debt; it was likely his brilliant effort at the critical moment had saved our whole fighting line.  Besides, I saw the Turk grinning to himself with satisfaction at the rift in our good will.

“Suppose we refer this dispute to Monty,” I proposed, reasoning that if it should ever get as far as Monty, tempers would have died away meanwhile.  Not that Monty could not have handled the problem, tempers and all.

“I refer no points of honor,” growled the Rajput.  “I have been insulted.”

“Rot!” exclaimed Fred, getting to his feet.  When his usually neat beard has not been trimmed for a day or two he looks more truculent than he really is.  “I’ve been listening.  The insolence was on the other side.”

“Do you deny Kagig’s right to question prisoners?” I asked, thinking I saw a way out of the mess.

“Can I not question him?” Rustum Khan turned on me with a gesture that made it clear he held me to no friendship on account of service rendered.

He strode toward his prisoner, with heaven knows what notion in his head, but Fred interposed himself.  The likeliest thing at that moment was a blow by one or the other that would have banished any chance of a returning reign of reason.  Rustum Khan turned his back to the Turk and thrust out his chest toward Fred as if daring him to strike.  Even the kites seemed to expect bloodshed and circled nearer.