Page:Harold Lamb--The House of the Falcon.djvu/232

 seen, by the light of the torches at the bridge. Abbas Abad was with the riders"

"Do you believe now?" Donovan swung savagely around to face Mahmoud. "Have I spoken the truth?"

As one man the Sayaks answered. "We believe. We have never doubted."

He did not smile. Half an hour ago these same men would have killed first him and then Edith Rand—if they could have found her—had not their suspicions been dispelled. Now, as so often in the past, the personality of the white man had won them to him.

Like children they were, jealous, arrogant, cruel, and yet, withal, open-hearted and faithful. As their multicolored robes crowded toward the door, his fist smote on the table.

"Iskander, bahader!"

At the familiar command, coupled with his noncommissioned rank in the Anglo-Indian army, the Arab halted and stiffened to attention. Others half paused, to listen. "Whither go you, son of Tahir?"

"To tear out heart and bowels of the Vulture—Monsey: aye, to sew the arrow stitches of vengeance. The angel of God has opened the gate of justice—we will not turn back. I go to the Tower, and with me all men of the Sayaks who can bear swords. Dono-van Khan, those swords will not be sheathed until" "I know." The white man cut short the other's eloquence. Now, however, he spoke not as officer to native, but as man to man. "You are the chieftain of the Sayaks; you must follow the path of duty. Am I less than you?"