Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 24, 2025
At length the rajah, accompanied by the damsels, who continued fanning him, took his departure, and the banquet was at an end; but Reginald did not forget a scowl he had observed on the countenance of Khan Cochut as he and Burnett quitted the hall. He had left Faithful the sole occupant of a stall in one of the stables. Before lying down at night, he went to pay his favourite a visit.
Reginald, indeed, felt convinced that they had been instrumental in blowing up the fort. The slave pleaded that he had to obey the commands of his master, who was probably destroyed; while Cochut, who had no such excuse to offer, exhibited the most abject fear, and offered to give information of the greatest importance, provided his life was spared and his property secured to him.
"He fears that we may remain and supplant him in the good graces of the old rajah. If we can win him over, he may assist us; but the attempt to do so would excite his suspicion." Reginald promised to follow his friend's advice, and they agreed that they would simply be civil to Cochut, and appear to be only desirous of visiting the scenes of interest in the neighbourhood.
Again and again Cochut protested that what he said was correct. Reginald appealed to Buxsoo, who acknowledged that the statement made by Cochut was probably too true. He himself had had his suspicions aroused for some time, but he had not as yet gained sufficient information to enable him to warn the authorities.
They parted at the door, for Nigel felt no inclination to go forth again, and the steward had business, he said, to attend to. He promised to call for Nigel at an early hour the next morning to set out for Meaux, undertaking to direct Jacques Cochut to have his horses in readiness. Maitre Leroux did not call at as early an hour as Nigel expected.
His plan had been to go boldly to the court, to assert that he had been carried off by the orders of the rebel Mukund Bhim, and pretending to be greatly surprised on hearing of the abduction of the ranee, to offer to go in search of her. It was a hazardous scheme; but Khan Cochut was a daring man, and had convinced himself that timid measures rarely meet with success.
Has your highness possession of them, or can you inform me where they are to be found?" "Papers! Documents! Of what do you speak? I remember that some time back Khan Cochut, in whom I then placed unlimited confidence, at my order examined into the state of my treasures, and found some papers which I was unable to decipher.
He beckoned to Burnett and Reginald to take their seats one on either side of him, greatly to the disgust of Khan Cochut, who had to move further down the table. Several nobles and other courtiers were present.
"There is wisdom in that remark," coolly observed Khan Cochut; and Bikoo was forthwith despatched by his master to explore the place into which the tigress had tumbled. He went though with no great alacrity to obey the order he had received, taking with him a long stick; not that it would have served him much against the enraged tigress, but it was the only weapon he possessed.
Though pieces of stone and huge masses of timber fell around on every side, the gallant major escaped uninjured, as did happily the larger portion of his men; and, as he rode forward to meet Burnett, who came galloping up, he passed Sambro, dragging on Khan Cochut, and the elephant carrying the slave Bikoo.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking