Fiction > Book editions > London, 1889 - Master of Ballantrae

294 THE MASTER OF BALLANTKAE.
among the leaves and brandies ; and coming shortly to
a place of advantage, he was able to observe Secundra
Dass crawling briskly off with many backward glances.
At this he knew not whether to laugh or cry ; and his
accomplices, when he had returned and. reported, were
in much the same dubiety. There was now no danger
of an Indian onslauglit ; but on the other hand, since
Secundra Dass was at the pains to spy upon them, it
was highly probable he knew English, and if he knew
English it was certain the whole of their design was in
the Mastery's knowledge. There was one singularity in
the position. If Secundra Dass knew and concealed
his knowledge of English, Harris was a proficient in
several of the tongues of India, and as his career in
that part of the world had been a great deal worse than
profligate, he had not thought proper to remark upon
the circumstance. Each side had thus a spy-hole on the
counsels of the other. The plotters, so soon as this
advantage was explained, returned to camp ; Harris,
hearing the Hindustani was once more closeted with his
master, crept to the side of the tent ; and the rest, sit-
ting about the fire with their tobacco, awaited his report
with impatience. When he came at last, his face was
very black. He had overheard enough to confirm the
worst of his suspicions. Secundra Dass was a good
English scholar ; he had been some days creeping and
listening, the Master was now fully informed of the
cons2:)iraey, and the pair proposed on the morrow to fall