Leslie's child--I know not
his name, he is but a child in arms--and the child's nurse."
The general still found it difficult to make up his mind.
"What proof have I of you?" he asked.
"Sahib, my honor is in question! I have a debt to pay!"
"What debt?"
"To the Raj."
"To the Raj?"
"Aye, Sahib! I have but one son, and his life was saved for me by
a British soldier. A life for a life. Four lives for a life. I ride!
I need, though, a fresh horse. And I ask for the loan of that sergeant,
and those twelve men."
"I wonder whether a man such as you can realize exactly what it means
to us to know that white women are in Jailpore, at the mercy of black
mutineers? I mean, are you sufficiently aware of the extreme horror
of the situation?"
"Knew you Captain Collins Sahib, of the Jailpore command?"
"Know him well."
"Knew you his memsahib?"
"She was a niece of mine."
"I slew her myself, with this sword!"
"When? Why?"
"Yesterday. Because her husband could not get to her himself, and
since he and I knew each other, and he trusted me.
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