The Delta independent., 1895-09-11
swell, we carried him in, Abdullah,


door We took him to place which
the Silshs had already prepared. 1t was
some distance off, where winding pas
sage leads to great empty hall, the
brick walls of which were all crumbling
to pieces. The earth floor had sunk in
at one place, making a natural grave,
so we left Achnet the merchant there,
having first covered hlm over with
loose bricks. This done, we all went
back to the treasure.
st lay where he had dropped it when
he was first attacked. The box was
the same which now lies open upon
your table. A key was hung by n
sillsen cord to that carved handle upon
the top. We opened it, and the light
of the lantern CLEANED upon Il collec.
ton of gems such as | have read of and
thought about when was n little lad
at Pcrshorc. 1t was binding to look
upon them. When we had feastcd our
eyes we took them all out and made u
list of them. There were one hundred
and forty-three diamonds of the first
water, including one which has been
called, | believe, the Great Mogul,'
and is said to be the second largest
stone in existence. Then there were
nincty-Scven very fine emcralds, and
one hundred and seventy rubics. some
of which, however. were small. There
were forty carbunclcs, two hundred
and ten sapphires, siXty-onc ngates and
great quantity of bcryls, onyxes, cats
eyes, turquoises and other stones, the
very names of which did not know at
the time, though | have become more
familiar with them since. Besides
this, there We're nearly three hundred
very fine pearls, twelve of which We're
set in gold coronet. by the way,
these last had been taken out of the
chest and were not there when re-
covered it. I'd
After we had counted our treasures
we put them back into the chest and
carried them to the gateway to show
them to Mailomet Singh. Then we
solemnly renewed our oath to stand by
each other and be true to our secret.
We agreed to conceal our loot in
safe place until the country should he
at peace again, and then to divide it
equally among ourselves. There was
no use dividing it at present, for il
gems of such value were found upon
us it would cause suspicion, and there
was no privacy in the fort nor any
place where we could keep them. We
carried the box, therefore, into the
same hall where we had buried the
body, and there, under certain bricks
in the best-preserved wall, we made
hollow and put our treasure. We made
careful note of the place, and next day
! drew four plans, one for each of us,
and put the sign of the four of us at
the bottom, for we had sworn that we
should each always act for all, so that
none might take advantage. That is
an oath that can put my hand to my
heart and swear that l have never
broken.
We'll, there's no use my telling you,
gentlemen, what came of the Indian
mutiny. After Wilson took Delhi and
Sir Colvin relieved Lucknow the back
of the business was broken. Fresh
troops came pouring in, and Mana
Sahib made himself scarce over the
frontier A flying column under Col.
Greathcad came round to Agra and
cleared the Pandies away from it,
Peace seemed to be settling upon the
country, and we four were beginning
to hope that the time was at hand
when we might safely go off with our
shares of the plunder. In n moment,
however, our hopes were shattered by
our being arrested as the murderers Of
Achmet.
1T came about in this way: When
the rajah put his jewels into the hands
of Achmet he did it because he knew
that he was trusty man. They are
suspicious folk in the east, however; so
what does this ajah do but take Sec
ond even more trusty servant and set
him to play the spy upon the first?
This second man was ordered never to
let Achmet out Of his sight and he fol-
lowed him like his shadow. lie went
after him that night, and saw him pass
through the doorway. OF course he
thought he had taken refuge in the
fort, and applied for admission there
himself next day, but could find
no trace of Achmet This seemed
TO him SO strange that he spoke
about it to sergeant of guides,
who brought it to the ears of
the commandant. A thorough search
was quickly made, and the body was
discovered. Thus at the very moment
that we thought that all was safe we
were all four seized and brought to
trial on n charge of murdcr-.hrce Of
us because we had held the gate that
night, and the fourth because he was
known to have been in company of the
murdered man. Not a word about the
jewels came out at the trial, for the
rajah had been deposed and driven ont
of India; so no one had any particular
interest in them. The murder, how
ever, was clearly made out, and it was
certain that we must all have been
concerned in it. The three Silshs got
penal servitudc for life, and was con-
dcnncd to death, though my sentence
was afterward commutcd into tho
same as the others.
sit was rather queer position that
we found ourselves in then. There
we were, all four tied by the leg and
with precious little chnnce of ever get
ting out again, while we each held