The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-17
Copyright, A4.l
y ETwEEN Jehun and Bimabur. on
y the Himalayan slopes. and between


n ETwEEN Jehun and Bimabur, on
Id the Himalayan slopes. and between
the jungles and the higher country
where the pines and deodars are gathered
together. ruled the petty rajah Of whose
wonderful treasure / am telling. Very
great was the treasure, people said. for
the rajah had prospered all his days. He
had found Mindapore q village, and. be-
hold, it was a city. Below his fort of
unhewn stone the hat-roofed huts Of mud
had multiplied: and now there sprang up
houses with upstairs rooms, and the place
which had once boosted no more than
one buniah man. engendered a bazaar in
the midst of it, as fat oyster secretes
a pearl. And the holy place up the river
prospered, and the road up the passes
was made safe. Merchants and fakirs
multiplied about the wells. men came and
went, twice even white men from the
plain on missions to the people over be-
yong the deodars, and the streets of the
town were ever denser with poultry and
children. and little dogs dyed yellow, and
with all the multitudinous rich odors Of
human increase. As at last at the crown
of his prosperity. this legend of his treas
ures began.
He was a portly, yellow-faced man.
with a long black beard, now steadily
growing gray. thick lips. and shifty eyes.
He was pious, very pious in his daily rou-
tine, and swift and unaccountable in his
actions. None dared withstand him to his
face, even in little things. Golam Shah,
his vizier, was but servant, a carrier Of
orders; and Samud Singh. his master Of
horse, but a driller Of soldiers. They were
tools, he would tell them outright in his
pride of power, slaves in his hand that
he could break at his will. He was child
less. And his cousin, the youth Aim
Khan. feared him, and only in the re-
hottest recesses Of his heart dared to
wish the rajah would presently die and
make a way for the cyons.
It would be hard to say when hrst the
rumor spread that the rajah Of little
Mindapore was making a hoard. None
knew how it began or where. Perhaps
from merchants of whom he had bought.
It was said that rubies had been bought
and hidden away; and then not only
rubies, but ornaments Of gold, and then
pearls, and diamonds from Golsonda and
all manner Of precious stones. Even the
deputy commissioner at Allapore heard
of it. At last the story re-entered the
palace at Mindapore itself. and AKIN
Khan, who was the rajah's cousin and
his heir, and nominally his commander
in-chief. and Golam Shah. the chief min
lister, talked it over one with another in
a tentative way.
He has something new" said Golam
Shah, ENORMOUSLY; "'he has something
new, and he is keeping it from me-"
Azim Khan watched him cunningiy. II
have told you what have heard" he
said. For my own part know nothing"
He goes to and fro musing and hum
ming to himself" said Golam, meditative-
ly "as one who thinks of pleasure"
More rrbies, they are saying" said
Aim, dreamily, and repeated. as II for
his own pleasure, 'trubies." For AKIN
was the heir.
Especially is it since that Englishman
came" said Golam, three months ago.
A big old man, not wrinkled as an old
man should be, but red and with red hair
streaking his gray, and with a tight skin
and a big body sticking out before. So.
An elephant of a man, a great quivering
mudbanx Ct man, who laughed might
lily, so that the people stopped and lis
tened in the street. He came, he laughed.
and as he went away W. heard them
laugh together"
''Well?' said Aim.
He was a diamond merchant, perhaps
or a dealer in rubies. Do Engiishmen
deal in such things?"
Would had seen him.! said Azim.
He took gold away" said Golam.
Both were silent for space. and the
purring noise Of the wheel Of the upper
well, and the chatter Of voices about II
rising and falling. made a pleasant sound
in the air. Since the Englishman went"
said Golam, The has been different. He
hides something from me-something in
his robe. Rubiesi What else can it be?'
He has not buried it," said Aim
He will Then he will want to dig 1t
up again and look at it." said Golam, for
he was a man Of experience. 1T go soft
~. Sometimes almost come upon him.
Then he starts"
He grows old and nervous" said Azim,
and there was a pause.
Before the English came" said Go
lam, looking at the rings upon his fin
gers, as he required to his constant pre-
occupation; there were no rajahs ner-
vous and old
That, I say, was even before the COM
ing Of the safe. 1t came in a packing
case. Such a case it was as had never
been seen before on all the slopes Of the
Himalayan mountains. 1t was an ele-
plants burden even on the plain. 1t was
days drawing nearer and nearer. At Ala
pore crowds went to see 1t pass upon the
railway. Afterward elephants and then
a great multitude OF men dragged It up
the hills. And this great case being OPEN
ed in the hall of audience revealed with
in itself a monstrous iron box, like no
other box that had ever come to the city.
1t had been ma6e. 50 the story went. by
necromancers in England expressly to the