That's what it comes to." He turned away from the city as he spoke and took a step or two towards the flight of stone stairs which led down from the tower.
"Where is Shere Ali now ?" Linforth asked, and Ralston stopped and came back again.
"I don't know," he said.

"But I shall know, and very soon.

There may be a letter waiting for me at home.

You see, when there's trouble brewing over there behind the hills, and I want to discover to what height it has grown and how high it's likely to grow, I select one of my police, a Pathan, of course, and I send him to find out." "You send him over the Malakand," said Linforth, with a glance towards the great hill-barrier.

He was to be astonished by the answer Ralston gave.
"No.