"Then ye are all willing to give Ranjoor Singh a trial ?" said I; and this time they all answered in the affirmative.
"I think your decision well arrived at!" I made bold to tell them.
"To me it seems you have all seen wisdom, and although I had thoughts in mind," said I, "of accepting work in the collieries and blowing up a mine perhaps, yet I admit your plan is better and I defer to it." They were much more pleased with that speech than if I had admitted the truth, that I would never have agreed to any other plan.

So that now they were much more ready than they might have been to listen to my next suggestion.
"But," said I, with an air of caution, "shall we not keep any watch on Ranjoor Singh ?" "Let us watch!" said they.

"Let us be forehanded!" "But how ?" said I."He is an officer.

He is not bound to lay bare his thoughts to us." They thought a long time about that.

It grew dark, and we were ordered to our huts, and lights were put out, and still they lay awake and talked of it.