"A month ago, Huzoor, so many rifles had been stolen that a regiment in camp locked their rifles to their tent poles, and so thought to sleep in peace.

But on the first night the cords of the tents were cut, and while the men waked and struggled under the folds of canvas, the tent poles with the rifles chained to them were carried away.

All those rifles are now in Kohara.

Surely, Huzoor, if they can steal the rifles from the middle of a camp, they can steal a weak girl among the hills." Ahmed Ismail waited in suspense, with his forehead bowed to the ground, and when the answer came he smiled.

He had made good use of this unexpected inducement which had been given to him.