The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-06


down the long, family moonlit passage,
towards the hall of audience.
AS they did SO, the crack of q rifle
sounded far away, and after n pause
came the first awakening noises of the
town. One OF the eunuchs had an iron
bar, and Samud carried revolver in his
hand. lie fired into the locks of the
treasure room and wrecked them, and
the eunuch smashed the door in. Then
they all rushed in together, none stand
ing aside for Aim. Ii was dark, and the
second eunuch went reluctant to get
torch. in fear lest his fellow murderers
should open the safe in his absence.
But he need have had no fear. The
cardinal event of that night is the tri-
umphant vindication of the advertised
merits of Cobbs' unrivaled safes. The
tumult that occurred between the Min
dapore sepoys and the people need not
concern us. The people loved not the
new Rajah-let that suffice. The con-
spirators got the key from round the
dead Rajahs neck, and tried q multitude
OF the magic words of the English that
Samud Singh knew, suchas "Gorblimey"
lin vain.
In the morning, the sale in the treas
ure-room remained intact and defiant,
the woodwork about il was smashed to
splinters, and great chunks of stons
knocked out of the wall, dents abun-
dainty scattered over its impregnable
door, and dust OF files below. And
the shifty Golam had TO explain the mat
ter to the soldiers and mollahs as best
he could. This was an extremely diff
'cult thing to do, because in no kind Of
business is prompt cash so necessary as
in the revolutionary line.
The state of affairs for the next few
days in Mindapore was exceedingly
strained. One fact stands out prom
inently, that Aim Khan was hopelessly
feeble. The soldiers would not az first
believe in the exemplary integrity of the
safe. and n deputat ton insisted in the
most occidental manner in verifying
the new Rajah's statements. Moreover,
the populace clamored, and then by
naked man running, came the alarm
ing intelligence that the new deputy
commissioner at Allapore was coming
headlong and with soldiers to verify the
account of the revolution Golam Shah
and Samud Singh had sent him in the
meme OF Aim.
The new commits sioner was a raw
young man, partly obscured by pith
helmet, and chock full of zeal and the
desire for distinction; and he had
heard OF the treasure. He was going,
ho 20 pif
On the arrival of this distressing in
telligence there was hasty and in
formal council of state (at which Aim
was not presently, n counter revolution
was arranged, and all that Aim ever
learnt of il was the sound of foot
fall behind him, and the cold touch OF
- revolver barrel on the neck.
When the commissioner arrived, that
dexterous statesman, Golam Shah, and
that honest soldier, Samud Singh, were
ready to receive him, and they had two
corpses, several witnesses, and neat
little story. In addition they had shot
an unpopular officer of the Mindapore
sepoys. They told the commissioner
how Aim had plotted against the
Rajah and raised military revolt, and
how the people, who loved the old
Rajah, even as Golam Shah and Samud
Singh loved him, had quelled the revolt,
and how peace was restored again.
And Golam explained how Aim had
fought for life even in the hall of au-
dicnce, and how he, Golam, had been
wounded in the struggle, and how
Samud had shot Aim with his own
hand.
And the deputy commissioner, being
weak in his dialect, lad swallowed it
all. All round the deputy commission
er, IN the minds of the people, the pal
ace, and the city, hung the true story OF
the case, rs il seemed to Golam Shah,
like an avalanche ready to fall and
yet he did not learn it for four days.
And Golam and Samud went TO and
fro, whispering aud pacifying, prom
ising TO get at the treasure as soon
as the deputy commissioner could be
got out of the way. And as they went