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Updated: May 3, 2025
He turned to the decoit: "Commence again, and tell the truth; and if I believe, you may be given protection from the British; but as to Sindhia I have no power to protect his criminals." The decoit cleared his throat and began: "I, Ajeet Singh, hold allegiance to the Raja of Karowlee, and am Chief of the Bagrees, who are decoits." The Resident held up his hand: "Have patience."
Sookdee stared in affrighted silence, and Hunsa's bellow of rage was stilled by Ajeet, who whirling upon him, the jade-handled knife in his grip, commanded: "Still your clamour! The Gulab has but seen the truth. I, also, know that, but a soldier may not speak as may one of his women-kind." There was a sudden hush. A tremor of apprehension had vibrated from Bagree to Bagree; the jamadars felt it.
"Yes," Barlow interposed; "that Hunsa goes not back will simply be taken as an affair of war, that he was captured and killed; there will be nobody to relate that you revealed the plot. When you arrive there you, also, will be showered with favours, and Ajeet Singh will owe his life to you; they will set him at liberty." "And as to Nana Sahib?"
"But I don't want the stone I can't take it," Barlow expostulated. "It is for a service, Sahib. Nana Sahib will assuredly cause Ajeet to be put to death if Bootea does not return to his desire, but the Sahib can buy his life with the ruby of great price." "But if it were stolen would not Nana Sahib demand it, and then kill Ajeet?"
And there three more bodies lay upon the ground, and beside them, held, were two horses. "It is Ajeet Singh," Sookdee said pointing to where the Chief lay with his head in the lap of a decoit. "These two native soldiers of the English came riding in with swiftness, for behind them raced Ajeet who must have seen them pass."
Lots were cast as to which of the two would take the ordeal first, and it fell to Ajeet. First seven paces were marked off, and Ajeet was told that he must not run, but take the seven steps as in a walk, carrying the hot iron on a pipal leaf on his palm. "This food of the cannon is now hot," the blacksmith declared, dropping his bellows and grasping a pair of iron tongs.
"The world is a very small place, Prince," Baptiste added. "But why has Hunsa brought this tale to men of affairs?" Sewlal queried. Hunsa cast a furtive look over his shoulder toward the verandah, and his coarse voice dropped a full octave. "The Presence has observed Bootea, the one called Gulab Begum, who is with Ajeet Singh?" "Ah-ha!" It was Nana Sahib's exclamation.
Hunsa tipped his gorilla body forward from where it rested on his heels as he sat, and his lowering eyes were sullen with impatience: "Chief Ajeet," he snarled, "think you that we can rob the seth of his treasure without an outcry and if there is an outcry, that he will not go back to those of his caste in Poona, and when trouble is made, think you that the Dewan will thank us for the bungling of this?
Boastfully Hunsa declared: "The ordeal will prove that I am thinking only of our success. This method of livelihood has been our profession for generations, and yet when we are in the protection of the powerful Dewan Ajeet says I am a traitor to our salt." For an hour they discussed the best manner of sallying forth in a way that would leave them unsuspected of robbing.
He was a man who would have shrivelled up, become atrophied, in an atmosphere of decency he would have died. Hunsa caused Sookdee to believe that he should have been the leader and not Ajeet Singh.
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