The Irish standard., 1895-06-01
USED TO STAND OUTSIDE THE GATEWAY.

| I USED TO STAND OUTSIDE THE GATEWAY.
on your oath on the cross OF the Chris
tians, or your body this night shall be-
thrown into the ditch and we shall
pass over to our brothers in the rebel
army. There is no middle way.
Which is 1t to be, death Or life? We
can only give you three minutes to
decide, for the time is passing, and all
must be done before the rounds come
again
"'How can I decide?' said I. You
have not told me what you want Of
me. But tell you now that if it is
anything against the safety Of the
fort will have no truck with it., SO
you can drive home your knife and
welcome -,
est is nothing against the fort, said
he. We only ask you to do that which
your couutrymen come to this land for.
We ask you to be rich. If you will be
one Of US this night, we will swear to-
you upon the naked knife, and by the
threefo1d oath which no Sikh was ever
known to break, chat you shall have
your fair share OF the loot. A quarter
of the treasure shall be yours. We can
say no suirer.'
"'But what is the treasure, then"
I asked. i am as ready to be rich as
you can be, if you will but snow me
how it can be DONE
"sYou swear, then said he, by the
bones Of your father, by the honor of
your mother, by the cross of your faith,
to raise no hand and speak no word
against us, either now or afterwards?'
81 will swear it. answered, pro
vided that the fort is not endangered
".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 g..
j" There are but three, said I.
"!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 tell it to you
because Iknow that an oath is binding
upon Feringhee, and that we may
trust you. Had you been a lying Hin
doc, though you had sworn by all the
y
would have been upon the knife, and
| your body in the water. But the Sikh
knows the Englishman, and the Eng
| lishman knows the Sikh. Hearken,
then, to what have to say.
"'There is 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 and boards his gold rather than
spend it. When the troubles broke out
he would be friends both with the lion
and the. tiger-with the sepoy and
with the companys raj. Soon, however,
it seemed to him that the white mems
day was come, for through all the land
he could hear of nothing but their
| death and their overthrow. Yet. being
| a careful man, he made such plans that,
come what might, half at least Of his
treasures would be left to him. That
which was in gold and silver he kept
| by him in the vaults Of his palace, but
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 mer-
| chant, should take it to the fort at
Agra, there to lie until the land is at
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 were 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 Achnet, 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
side-postern of the fort, and has chosen
this one for his purpose. Here evil
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
f5unone,s but the great treasnye of the .