There came Yussuf Dakmar and five men brushing by me, and they all went into a room four doors beyond the sahib's.

The room next beyond that one is occupied by an officer sahib, who fought at El-Arish alongside my battalion.

Between him and me is a certain understanding based on past happenings in which we both had a hand.

He is not as some other sahibs, but a man who opens both ears and his heart, and when I knocked on his door he opened it and recognized me.
"'Well ?' said he.

'Why not come and see me in the morning?
"'Sahib,' said I, 'for the sake of El-Arish, let me in quickly, and close the door!' "So he did, wondering and not pleased to be disturbed by a Sikh at such an hour.