But none had seen that raid because of the storm, and the spies who had said they talked with our men in the night were now disbelieved.

Our presence in the hills and Gooja Singh's escape was all set down to Turkish trickery; and doubtless they did not believe we truly had gold with us, or they would have detached at least a party to follow us up and keep in touch.
The clearest thing of all that the disjointed scraps of tale betrayed was that we were in luck! If the Kurds believed us to be Turks, they were likely to let us wander at will, if only for the very humor and sport of hunting us down when we should try to break back.

"No need to waste more labor setting this camp to rights!" said I."We shall rest a little and be up and away again!" And the wounded groaned, and some objected, but I proved right.

Ranjoor Singh was no man to study comfort when opportunity showed itself.

We rested two hours, and during those two hours our friend the Kurdish chief made tip his mind, and he and Ranjoor Singh struck a new bargain.
"Give me the gold!" said he.