Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-07-25
CHAPTER xu.-CoNr1NUED.

Then my comrade and will swear
that you shall have a quarter of the
treasure, which shall be equally divided
among the four of u.s.
'''There are but three said I.
No; Dost Asbar 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 1 tell it to you
because know that an oath is binding
upon Feringhee, 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 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 q rajah in the northern
provinces who has much wealth, though
his lands are small. Much has como to
him from his father, and more still he
has set by himself, for he is of n 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 company'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 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 q NOR
chant, Should take it to the fort at
Agra, there to lie until the land is q
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 Achmet, is
now in the city of Agra, and de-
sires to gain his way into the fort He
my foster-brothcr 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
Ghall 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?'
''In Worcestershire the life of a man
seems great and a sacred thing; but
it is very different when there is fire
and blood all round you and you have
been used to meeting death at every
turn. Whether Achmct the merchant
lived or died was a 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 ne'er-do-we1 COM
ing back with his pockets full of gold
moidores. l had, therefore, already
made up my mind. Abdullah Khan.
however, thinking that I hesitated,
pressed the matter more closely.
e'Consider, sahib," said he, that if
this man is taken by the commcndant
he will be hung or shot, and his Jewels
taken by the government, so that no
man will be rupee the better for
them. Now, since we do the taking of
him, why should we not do the rest as
Is well? The jewels will be as well
with US as in the company's Golfers.