LORD OF THE WORLD Umballa began to go about cheerfully.

He no longer doubted his star.
Gutter born, was he?
A rat from the streets?
Very well; there were rats and rats, and some bit so deep that people died of it.

He sometimes doubted the advisability of permitting Colonel Hare's head man Ahmed to roam about; the rascal might in the end prove too sharp.
Still it was not a bad idea to let Ahmed believe that he walked in security.

All Umballa wanted was the colonel, Kathlyn and the young hunter, Bruce.

It would be Ahmed, grown careless, who would eventually lead him or his spies to the hiding-place.
That the trio were in the city Umballa did not doubt in the least, nor that they were already scheming to liberate the younger sister.