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Updated: May 23, 2025
The headman and his men, with howls of dismay, rushed back to stop the conflagration. And just then the jewel merchant arrived in his cart. The curtains of the canopy were thrown back and the fat Hindu sat blinking his owl eyes in consternation. At sight of Ajeet he descended, salaamed, and asked: "Has there been a decoity in the village is it war and bloodshed?"
But now he would betray the Sahibs, that is why I have brought back the paper of protection." "Will they kill Ajeet?" Barlow asked. "I will tell the Sahib what is," the girl answered, drawing her sari over her curled-in feet, and leaning one arm on Barlow's chair. "The decoity that was committed last night was, as Ajeet feared, because of treachery on the part of the Dewan.
"I will demand that Ajeet takes the Gulab to help secure Amir Khan and if he refuses I will give them no rations so that he will go on the decoity." "No, Dewan Sahib," Hunsa objected; "say nothing of the Gulab, because Ajeet will refuse, and then he will not go on a decoity, fearing a trap.
It was the jamadar who broke the silence; somewhat at a tangent he said: "As to a decoity, Your Honour said that we being of that profession should undertake one." The Dewan roared; the burden of his expostulation was the word liar. But Nana Sahib laughed tolerantly.
Barlow sprang to his feet and paced the floor; then he plumped into the chair again, saying: "What an unholy scheme, even for India. Gad! how I wish I'd killed the brute when I had the chance." "I did not know that Hunsa had proposed this neither did Ajeet; for they wanted to get him in their power through the decoity so that if he refused permission he might be killed.
Through Hunsa the Dewan sent word that we must obtain our living in the way of our profession, which is decoity." "I wonder," Barlow queried. But Hodson, nodding his head said: "Quite possible; and also quite probable that the dear avaricious Dewan would claim a share of the loot if it were of value, jewels especially." He addressed Ajeet, "I have nothing to do with this; I am not Sindhia."
He had a message for the Chief from the god Bhyroo who galloped at night on a black horse, and the message had to do with the decoits, for if they were successful they could make offering to the priests at the temple of Bhowanee, for in her service decoity was an honourable occupation and of great antiquity.
"Don't mind me, Dewani; fancy all the petty rajas and officials stand in with these decoits for a share of the loot I don't blame you, old chap." Hunsa, taking the accusation of being a liar as a pure matter of course, ignored it, and now was drooling along, wedded to the one big idea that was in his mind: "If a decoity were made perhaps it might even happen that one was killed "
Hunsa knew that this was no new thing; he had been engaged in many a decoity where men of authority had a share of the loot, and had effectually side-tracked investigation. In fact decoits always lived in the protection of some petty raja; they were an adjunct to the state, a source of revenue.
"Ajeet has told why the men were brought for what purpose?" "Yes, Gulab; to kill Amir Khan." "And when they refused to go on this mission, the Dewan, to get them in his power, connived with Hunsa to make the decoity so that their lives would be forfeit, then if the Dewan punished them for not going the Raja of Karowlee could not make trouble.
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