“You’ve no call to make yourself out any better than he is!” he interrupted.  And at that Maga Jhaere threw a kiss from across the room, but one could not tell whether her own dislike of Rustum Khan, or her approval of Will’s support of Kagig was the motive.

Fred began humming in the ridiculous way he has when be thinks that an air of unconcern may ease a situation, and of course Rustum Khan mistook the nasal noises for intentional insult.  He turned on the unsuspecting Fred like a tiger.  Monty’s quick wit and level voice alone saved open rupture.

“What I imagine Rustum Khan means is this, Kagig:  My friends and I have engaged you as guide for a hunting trip.  We propose to hold you strictly to the contract.”

Kagig looked keenly at each of us and nodded.

“In my day I have seen the hunters hunted!” he said darkly.

“In my day I have seen an upstart punished!” growled the Rajput, and sat down, back to the wall.

“Castles, and bears!” smiled Monty.

Kagig grinned.

“What if I propose a different quarry?”

“Propose and see!” Monty was on the alert, and therefore to all outward appearance in a sort of well-fed, catlike, dallying mood.

“This dog,” said Kagig, and he kicked the German’s ribs again, “has said nothing of any other person he must rescue.  Bear me witness.”

We murmured admission of the truth of that.

“Yet I am the Eye of Zeitoon, and I know.  His purpose was to leave his prisoners here and hurry on to overtake a lady—­a certain Miss Vanderman, who he thinks is on her way to the mission at Marash.  He desired the credit for her rescue in order better to blind the world to his misdeeds!  Nevertheless, now that she can be no more use to him, observe his chivalry!  He does not even mention her!”

The German shrugged his shoulders, implying that to argue with such a savage was waste of breath.

“What do you know of Miss Vanderman’s where-abouts?” demanded Will, and Maga Jhaere, at the sound of another woman’s name, sat bolt upright between two other women whose bright eyes peeped out from under blankets.

“I had word of her an hour before you came, effendi,” Kagig answered.  “She and her party took fright this afternoon, and have taken to the hills.  They are farther ahead than this pig dreamed”—­once more he kicked Von Quedlinburg—­“more than a day’s march ahead from here.”

“Then we’ll hunt for her first,” said Monty, and the rest of us nodded assent.

Kagig grinned.

“You shall find her.  You shall see a castle.  In the castle where you find her you shall choose again!  It is agreed, effendi!”

Then he ordered his prisoners made fast, and the gipsies and our Zeitoonli servants attended to it, he himself, however, binding the German’s hands and feet.  Will went and put bandages on the man’s burns, I standing by, to help.  But we got no thanks.