“Yes, what is it?” said Hulton as an orderly tapped at the door when he was in earnest conversation with Wyatt and the doctor, evidently upon some question of great moment to them all. “His highness the Rajah has sent a messenger, sir. He wants to see Captain Wyatt directly.”

“That will do,” said Hulton, and the man saluted and left.

“Now,” continued Hulton, “what does this mean?”

“I don’t know,” said Wyatt grimly. “The plot is beginning to unfold. I believe there is some trap.”

“No, no,” cried Hulton. “I begin to feel that the Rajah is sincere.”

Wyatt shook his head.

“Well,” he said, “what shall I do? Go and see him?”

“Alone?”

“Why not?” said Wyatt. “If he is sincere there is nothing to mind.”

Hulton hesitated.

“I hardly like you to go alone, Wyatt,” he said. “We will go with you.”

“And give them the opportunity to trap us all together if he means anything wrong. No; you stay here and quietly be getting everything ready. If I am not back in half-an-hour, come for me; and if things have gone wrong, seize him and the Ranee. It is our only chance.”

“And you’ll go alone?”

“Yes,” said Wyatt, drawing himself up and frowning, “I’ll go alone; and if I feel satisfied that he has done this, I’ll cut him down even if I die for it the next minute.”

Captain Hulton’s lips parted to speak, but Wyatt strode out without turning, walked across the hall, and went straight to where a group of the Rajah’s guards stood on duty outside the room he occupied.

One of the officers went in, and returned directly, to make way for him to enter.

He had expected to find the Rajah seated there alone, but, to his surprise, he found him surrounded by his people, principal among whom were the Wazir and the chief Brahmin; and in place of the usual smiling faces, he found himself meeting frowns and scowls.

There was a dead silence as Wyatt entered, and after a glance round he spoke.

“Your highness wished to see me?”

“Yes, Captain Wyatt,” said the Rajah sternly. “You are Mr Darrell’s friend?”

“Yes, sir, and brother-officer.”

“I have sent for him four times this morning. I wish to speak to him on a matter vital to his honour, and I keep receiving the reply that he is not in his room.”

“That was the true reason why he did not come, sir,” said Wyatt sternly; “he is not in his room.”

“Then why is he not in his room? Where is he?”

“That is what I want to know, sir,” said Wyatt sternly. “He left his quarters about midday yesterday.”

There was a keen exchange of glances between the Rajah and his officers, which Wyatt noted as he went on:

“And he has not returned since.”

There was another quick look exchanged.

“Perhaps your people can give some explanation of why this is, sir?”

“I or my people? No,” said the Rajah. “Can you?”

“Only this, sir—that he must have been waylaid and carried off, if he has not been assassinated by some of your people.”

There was a loud exclamation at this, and several of the officers, with indignant looks, clapped their hands to their swords; but the Rajah made a sign and there was silence.

“This is an insult to us, Captain Wyatt,” he said; “and if you are sincere in your declaration that you do not know where he is, you will agree to this.”

“Will you explain what you mean, sir?” said Wyatt haughtily.

“Yes. The matter concerns your young officer, whom I have trusted, and to whom I have shown the greatest favour; but as the matter concerns your brother-officers as well as yourself, and the honour of all is concerned, I must ask you to send for Captain Hulton and Doctor Robson to come here.”

Wyatt’s eyes dilated with the suspicion he felt, and his face looked harder and sterner than ever as he replied:

“Captain Hulton is still an invalid, sir, and Doctor Robson has nothing whatever to do with the conduct of our troop. I am in command, and the matter concerns me, and the honour generally of the troop. Mr Darrell, our young officer, has suddenly disappeared; I ask you and yours for some explanation, and I am told that it is a matter concerning our honour; have the goodness to tell me what you mean.”

There was again a low murmur and fierce gesticulations amongst the officers, who resented Wyatt’s tone, for he was speaking to the Rajah as if he were the offender being called upon to explain.

The Rajah sat troubled and stern for a few minutes as if irresolute, while the Wazir and other officers whispered together in a way which made Wyatt feel that his life was hanging, as it were, upon a thread.

“It is most painful, and a sorrow to me,” said the Rajah at last, “for I have behaved to this Mr Darrell as if he were my friend.”

Wyatt nodded shortly.

“He has come and gone here as he pleased, and my mother has during the past month treated him as if he were a son.”

Wyatt nodded again.

“He has been as free to go to and from her apartments as I have, and in opposition to the custom of our people, for she has often laughingly said he was but a boy.”

“Well, sir,” said Wyatt sternly, “what has this to do with the disappearance of my brother-officer?”

“This,” said the Rajah fiercely, and with his face full of the anger and disgust he felt: “my mother came to me quite early this morning to make her complaint of the treatment she had received.”

Wyatt was watching him searchingly.

“She has found that her ivory cabinet has been opened, and the whole of her diamonds, emeralds, pearls, and rubies are gone. You know the beautiful jewels she had.”

“Yes,” said Wyatt, “I know. They were magnificent, queenly. Well, sir?”

“Well,” said the Rajah, looking at him wonderingly, “my mother, the Ranee, tells me that Mr Darrell was seen to go to her rooms yesterday, and now he has fled.”

“Oh, I see,” cried Wyatt scornfully; “you mean that my brother-officer, a gentleman—an English gentleman—enjoying your hospitality, trusted by you in every way, has behaved like one of the vilest budmashes of the bazaar.”

“What else can I believe after my mother’s words?” cried the Rajah angrily.

“Bah!” raged out Wyatt; “I’d answer for him with my life. Rajah, shame on you! How can you be such a child?”

There was a roar at this, but the Rajah held up his hand, and turned to Wyatt.

“Then where is he?” he cried. “Why is he not here to answer to this charge?”

“You have been sending for me, sir?” said a familiar voice, and Dick Darrell, who had entered in the confusion unobserved, let fall the heavy curtain he had drawn aside, and stepped forward to his brother-officer’s side.