The soldiers hang their guns there now.' 'Ah! And has the Maharajah many soldiers, and have they good guns--new guns ?' Sunni looked into the Colonel's face with eager pleasure to reply; but there he saw something that made him suddenly close his lips.
He had not lived ten years among the Rajputs without learning to read faces, and in Colonel Starr's he saw that all this talk the Colonel desired about Lalpore was not for Lalpore's good.

The boy thought for a minute, and tightened his lips, while a little firm line came on each side of his mouth.

He only opened them to say, 'Burra sahib, I cannot tell you that.' 'But you must tell me,' said Colonel Starr firmly.
'No,' returned Sunni, 'not that, nor any more informations about the fort.' The Colonel's face grew stern.

He was not accustomed to disobedience.
'Come,' he said; 'out with it, boy.

I have no time to waste.' His tone was so serious that Sunni felt a little nervous thrill run all over him.
'No,' said he.
The Colonel tried another way: 'Come, my little chap,' said he gently, 'you are English, are you not ?' Sunni nodded.
Then you must serve the English Queen.