Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-09-12
CHAPTER xu.-CoNr1suEp.

| CHAPTER XII.-CoNrISUED
Then my comrade and will swear
| that you shall have a quarter Of the
| treasure. which shall be equally divided
| among the four of us
l. There are but three said T.
NO; Dost Akbar must have his
| share We can tell the tale to you
| while we await them Do you stand
| at the gate, Mahomet Singh, and give
| notice of their coming. The thing
stands thus, Sahib. and I tell it to you
because know that an oath is binding
| upon Fer;nghee. and that we may
| trust you. Had you been lying Hin
| doc, though you had sworn by all the
| gods in their false temples, your blood
| would have teen upon the knife, and
| your body in the water. But the Sikh
knows the Englishman. and the Eng
| lishman knows the Sikh. Eearken,
| then. to what | have to say.
There is q rajah in the northern
! provinces who has much wealth, though
his lands are small. Much has come to
| him from his father. and more still he
has set by himself. for he is OF low
/ nature ard boards his gold rather than
| spend it. When the troubles broke out
| and the tiger-with the Sepoy and
| with the compaRy's raj Soon, however,
| it seemed to him that the white mems
| day was come, for through all the land
| he could hear of nothing bat their
death and their overthrow. Yet, being
! careful man he made such plans that.
| come what might, half at least OF his
| treasures would be left to him That
IN nd ell la
| by him in the vaults of his palace, bat
| the most precious stones and the
| choicest pearls that he had he put in
an iron box and sent it by trusty
| servant who. under the guise of z rner
| chant, should take it to the fort at
| Agra, there to lie until the land is a,
| peace. Thus if the rebels won he would
have his money, but if the company
conquer his jewels would be saved
| to him Having thus divided his
hoard he threw himself into the cause
of the Sepoys, since they We're strong
upon his borders BY doing this. mark
you, sahib. his property becomes the
due of those who have been true to
| their salt.
This pretended merchant. who
| travels under the name of Achuet, is
| now in the city of Agra, and de-
sires to gain his way into the fort. He
has with him as travelling companion
my foster-brother Dost-Akbar. who
knows his secret. Dost-Akbar has
promised this night to lead him to a
side-postern of the fort. and has chosen
this one for his purpose. Here he will
come presently and here he will
find Mahomet Singh and myself await
ing him The place is lonely, and none
shall know of his coming. The world
shall know of the merchant Achmet no
more, but the great treasure of the
rajah shall be divided among US. What
say you to it. sahib?'
I'm Worcestershire the life Of a man
seems great and sacred thing; but
it is very different when there is fire
and blood ali round you and you have
been used to meeting death at every
turn. Whether AchInet the merchant
lived or died was thing as light as air
to me. but at the talk about the treas
ure my heart turned to it, and / thought
of what might do in the old country
with it, and how my folks would stare
when they saw their neer-do-well COM
ing back with his pockets full of gold
moidores. / had, therefore already
made up my mind. Abdullah Khan,
however, thinking that | hesitated,
pressed the matter more closely.
".Consider, sahib." said he, that if
this man is taken by the commandment
he will be hung or shot. and his jewels
taken by the government, 50 that no
man Will be rupee the better fer
them. Now. since We do the taking of
him, why should we not do the rest as
as we'll? The jewels will lie as well
with US as in the company's Golfers.
There will be enough to make every
one of us rich men and great chiefs.
No one can know about the matter. for
here we are cut off from all men.
What could be better for the purpose?
Say again, then. sahib, whether you
are with Us, or if we must look upon
you as an enemy.
81 am with you heart and SOUL"
said l.
1T is WE'LL he answered, handing
me back my fireloclx. You see that we
trust YOU, for your word. like ours, is
not to be broken. We have now only
to wait for my brother and the ner-
chant
Docs your brother know, then, OF
what you will do?' asked.
THE plan is his, He has devised It.
We will go to the gate and share the
watch with Mahomct Singh
The rain was still falling steadily,
for it was just the beginning of the
wet season. Brown, heavy clouds were
drifting across the sky, and it was hard
to see more than a sto1e-cast. A deep
moat lay in front of our door. bat the
water was in places nearly dried up.
and it could easily be crossed. 1t was
strange to Inc to be standing there
with those two wild Punjaubees wait
| ing for the man who was coming 70 his
| death
Suddenly my eye caught the CLINT
| of shaded lantern at the other side of
| the moat. 1t vanished among the
mound-heaps. and then appeared again
coming slowly il our direction.
| Here they are" | exclaimed.
| You will challenge him. sahib. as
usual whispered Abdullah. Give him
| no cause for fear. Send Us in with
| him, and we shall do the rest while
you stay here on guard. Have the
lantern ready to uncover. that we may
be sure that it is indeed the man
| The light had ilicicred UPWARDS.
now stopping and now advancing. IN
| til could sec two dark figures upon
the other side of the rnoat. let them
| scramble down the slopiag bank,
| rho miro aud plirr, II