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He assured Sewlal Sookdee, if he were promised, as he had been, full protection, would join in the enmeshing of Ajeet Singh. Sewlal pledged his word to the jamadar that no matter if an outcry were raised over a decoity they would be protected the matter would be hushed up.
It so happened that when Nana Sahib swung up the gravelled drive to the Sirdar's bungalow on a golden chestnut Arab, Sewlal was there. But when, presently, Baptiste's durwan came in to say that Jamadar Hunsa of the new troops was sending his salaams to the Dewan, the latter gasped.
"It would be a merciful thing," Sewlal added "it would save bloodshed." "Well, Dewani, I must depart now. It will be interesting to see what your Bagrees do, especially when they become hungry." For two days the Bagrees sat nursing their wrath at the reproaches of Dewan Sewlal. And the Dewan, in spite of his bold denunciation of the decoits, was uneasy.
In writing the Raja of Karowlee for the decoits, Dewan Sewlal had not stated that the mission was for the purpose of bringing home in a bag the head of the Pindar Chief. As the wily Hindu had said to Sirdar Baptiste: "We will get them here before speaking of this dangerous errand.
A document was written out by Dewan Sewlal promising that in the event of the decoits carrying out the mission they had come upon the estate would be restored to Raja Karowlee, and that he would be compelled to assign to the three decoit leaders villages within that territory in rent free tenure.
"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.
The Dewan, with wide precaution, took care that the document was so worded that General Baptiste was the official promiser, putting in a clause that he, Sewlal, the Minister, would see that the General carried out these promises on behalf of Sindhia. Baptiste set his lips in a sardonic smile when he read and signed the paper.
At any rate Sewlal sent for Hunsa the night of the ordeal and explained to him, somewhat casually, that a jewel merchant passing through Mahrattaland had in his collection a ruby of no great value, but a stone that he would like to become possessed of because a ruby was his lucky gem.
Yes, Elizabeth is class." Dewan Sewlal was in a shiver of apprehension over the killing of the two sepoys; there would be trouble over this if the Resident came to know of it. But Hunsa had assured him that the soldiers and their saddles had been buried in the pit with the others, and that nobody but the decoits knew of their advent.
We will go upon a decoity, which is our duty, and leave the ordeal and all else in the hands of Bhowanee." Perhaps it was the customs official that told Dewan Sewlal about the Akbar Ka Diwa, the Lamp of Akbar, the ruby that was so called because of its gorgeous blood-red fire, as being in the iron box of the merchant.
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