officer? Give an account of yourselves!"

There followed an interlude in Rajasthani.* Tom Tripe becoming more
blasphemously vehement as it grew clearer that the risaldar had done
entirely right.
[* The native language of Rajputana.]

"Lady," he said presently, riding round to Tess's side of the dog-cart.
"I'm going to have hard work to convince this man. I'd orders from
Gungadhura to search your house, Krishna knows what for, and I rode
up to ask your leave to do it, hoping you'd be alone after the party.
Chamu told me you and your husband had gone out, and one of the
three beggars gave me a message intended for you that tallied pretty
close with one I knew you'd received already, so I guessed where to
head for, and sent the dog in advance. He came back with his hair on
end reporting trouble, and then as luck would have it I rode into these
two men on their way to Gungadhura. If they'd reached him, we'd all
have had to make new plans tomorrow morning! You want to see the
princess, of course? But what have you got that can get by the guard?"

Tess produced Samson's scribbled note, and he studied it in the carriage
lamplight. Then she recalled Yasmini's warning that Tom Tripe had no
brains and must be told what to do. Her own wits began to work desperately.

"I'm the lady doctor, Tom. That is my written order from the burra
sahib." (Commissioner).

Tom scratched his head and swore in a low voice fervently.

"The difficulty's this, lady: since the escape from the palace across