Chapter IX: "the Inglese Loge!"

A few minutes later, the latter, standing under the mango tree, saw the dark figures fall apart and gradually draw near them. One tall, sinewy native, carrying a scimeter in his hand, as if led by fate itself, came straight toward the large mango, walking slowly with his serpent eyes darting keen glances in every direction.

Nearer and nearer he advanced, until within three paces, when he stopped. He had discovered the fugitives.

As he stood, the moonlight fell upon his bronzed countenance, and Marian recognized him as Ali Khan, their Mohammedan servant, who had left their house two days before to look after his sick wife.

"Ali," whispered Marian, "it is the Miss sahib, daughter of the missionary. Won't you save me?"

Dr. Avery believed the appeal useless, for the presence of this servant among the murderers proved that he was in sympathy with them; but, as is often the case, the impulse of the woman was superior to the reason of the man.

The native recognized the speaker and raised his hand.

"_Chup!_" (Be silent) he whispered, turning away and moving in another direction.

This proceeding brought him face to face with two other searchers, who were groping under the adjoining trees, and Marian overheard the words that passed:

"Have you found them?" asked Ali Khan.

"They are not near the house; they must be in another part of the garden.

"I have looked under every tree," was the unblushing remark of Ali Khan, "but they are not there."

"It is strange; let us make another search."

"I will help you," said Ali Khan, in an indifferent voice, "but it is useless. You, Buddao, pass close to the house once more, while Ramchundra and I look to the rear."

This suggestion was adopted. One of the men was sent to join his comrades in another part of the grounds, quite remote from the fugitives, while Ali Khan, the friendly servant, became one of the two who set out to prowl through the very part of the garden where the fugitives were hiding.

Ali Khan having proved his wish to befriend the Europeans, it now became his delicate and difficult duty to prevent his companion from detecting the deception. He had a double motive for such a course, for if Ramchundra should find the fugitives, it would be such proof of the disloyalty of Ali Khan that the others would undoubtedly kill him.

The friendly native stopped a dozen steps away, turned his back upon the tree which sheltered the fugitives, and looked toward Ramchundra, who was searching among the shrubbery, and gradually drawing near the couple. Unless he was diverted, he would discover them within the next three minutes.

"We are losing time," said Ali. "I believe now what some of our people said."

"What was that?" asked Ramchundra, looking up in surprise.

"That they ran down the road to the left."

"I did not hear that said."

"Several said it, and many have gone that way to look for them; they will find them while we are here."

"Likely they spoke truth," said Ramchundra, who, however, did not show any disposition to give up the search; "but this is such an inviting place that the Inglese would be sure to take advantage of it, if they had the chance."

"But how could they get the chance? They could only come in by the entrance where the porter would have seen them."

Ramchundra looked at the ruins of the low, flat roofed building in the corner of the compound. He had not noticed the broken wall over which the fugitives passed, but he seemed to suspect they had some way of entering the garden at that point.

Poking the stick in his hand among the shrubbery, Ramchundra resumed his search, gradually drawing near Dr. Avery, who stood grimly watching him revolver in hand. Ali Khan had edged over toward the mango, so that he stood between his companion and the fugitives.

Suddenly Ramchundra stopped poking with his stick, straightened up, and started toward Ali. The latter had his eye on him, and at once advanced so as to meet him, thus checking his approach a moment before it would be fatal.

"Have you searched behind you?" asked Ramchundra, peering around and over the shoulder of Ali.

"I have done so twice," was the reply,--an admission that sealed Ali's doom, if the fugitives were discovered.

"Then 'tis useless to look further."

At that moment the two stood so close that Dr. Avery feared he would betray himself by the tumultuous throbbing of his heart. He was still erect, with his back against the trunk of the mango, his pistol in his right hand, the muzzle pointed downward. Marian was partly behind him, with her tiny pistol ready for use, and the resolve to save one bullet for herself, in case the nerve of Baird should fail, when the crisis came. Neither dared whisper or move, for a strange hush brooded over the scene.

The clamorous mob in the road outside were impatient. Most of them moved away, while the rest were awaiting the verdict of their five representatives appointed to search the grounds.

At this juncture, when it looked as if the cunning of Ali Khan must prevail, a strange perversity took possession of his companion. Though Ramchundra had just remarked that it was useless to search further, he was determined to do so. He used his stick with much vigor, until all at once he met with a success for which he was not looking.

Underneath one of the bushes was coiled a deadly serpent, which with a slight hiss made a dart at the hand of the native, its fangs missing by a hair's breath. Ramchundra, with a quick flirt of the stick, decapitated it as neatly as Ali could have done with his scimeter.

Ramchundra seemed satisfied to go no further. Bloodthirsty as he was, he could not hope to succeed, where his equally revengeful companion (as he believed him to be) had failed, so at last he ceased his efforts. Side by side with Ali Khan, he sauntered toward the house.

If the other natives should take it into their heads to examine the lower part of the grounds, nothing could save the fugitives from discovery.

All at once Avery saw two strange figures walking directly toward him.

"It's all up now," he thought, knowing they were two of the ringleaders of the mob. "Ali does not see them; he imagines he has turned aside all danger, but he has failed----"

"_The Inglese loge! The Inglese loge!_ We have seen them!"

This was the fearful exclamation that suddenly rang out on the air, and that crushed the last faint hope in the hearts of Baird Avery and Marian Hildreth.