n,
rather than endure the pangs of hunger longer."

"Your plan is a wise one," the rajah said. "It shall be tried. Let the
dishes be taken to him, every morning, and removed every evening. Each
evening they shall be weighed."

These orders were carried out, and on the following morning the dishes
were placed in the cell of the prisoner. When removed at night, they
were found to be untouched. The next evening several of the dishes
were found to have lost some ounces in weight. The third evening all
but one had been tasted.

"Let the prisoner be brought in again," the rajah ordered, when
informed of this.

"Dog," he said, "you have betrayed yourself. Had you been innocent,
you could not have known in which of the dishes the poison had been
placed. You have eaten of all but one. If that one contains poison,
you are guilty."

Then, turning to an attendant, he ordered him to take a portion of the
untouched food, and to throw it to a dog. Pending the experiment, the
prisoner was removed. Half an hour later, the attendant returned with
the news that the dog was dead.

"The guilt of the man is confirmed," the rajah said. "Let him be
executed."

"Will you give him to me, your highness?" Charlie asked. "His death
would not benefit me now, and to save his life, he may tell me who is
my enemy. It is of no use punishing the instrument, and letting the
instigator go free."

"You are right," the rajah agreed. "If you can find out who bribed
him, justice shall be done, though it were the highest in the state."

Charlie returned to his own quarters, assembled his lieutenants and
several other of his officers, and had the man brought before him.

"Hossein," he said, "you have taken money to take my life. I looked
upon you as my faithful servant. I had done you no wrong. It has been
proved that you attempted to poison me. You, when driven by hunger,
ate small quantities, which you thought would pass unobserved, of all
the dishes but one. That dish has been given to a dog, and he has
died. You knew, then, which was the poisoned dish. The rajah has
ordered your execution. I offer you life, if you will tell me who it
was that tempted you."

The prisoner preserved a stolid silence.

"We had better proceed to torture him, at once," one of the rajah's
officers said.

The man turned a little paler. He knew well the horrible tortures
which would, in such an instance, be inflicted to extort the names of
those who had bribed him.