"Ride!" The trooper wheeled and went with a grin and a salute which he repeated twice, leaning back from the saddle for a last look at the man of his own race whom Byng had chosen to exalt.

He felt himself honored merely to have carried the sword.

Mahommed Gunga removed his own great sabre and handed it to one of his own five whom he overtook; then he buckled on the sword of honor and spurred until he rode abreast of Cunningham, a hundred yards or more ahead of the procession.
"Sahib," he asked, "did Byng-bahadur say a word or two about listening to me ?" "He did.

Why ?" "Because I will now say things!" The fact that the Brigadier had sent no message other than the sword was probably the Rajput's chief reason for talking in riddles still to Cunningham.

The silence went straight to his Oriental heart--so to speak, set the key for him to play to.