a
fortress in the heart of Scindia's dominions. He sent him off with
a strong escort, under the charge of an officer named Sukaram
Ghatgay who, although having command only of a troop of one hundred
horse, belonged to an ancient and honourable family.

Balloba could hardly have made a worse choice. Ghatgay had a
daughter who was reported to be of exceptional beauty, and the
young Scindia had asked her father for her hand. Ghatgay, an
ambitious and enterprising man, had given no decided answer; not
from any real hesitation, for he saw how enormous would be the
advantage, to himself, of such an alliance; but in order to
increase Scindia's ardour by pretended opposition, and so to secure
the best terms possible for himself. The reason he gave would
appear natural to any Mahratta of good blood, as none of these
would have given a daughter of their house to one who, however high
in rank, had ancestors belonging to a low caste.

Upon the way, Bajee, who was aware of Scindia's wishes, and was
most anxious to obtain his goodwill, urged Ghatgay to give him his
daughter in marriage and, after much pretended hesitation, the
latter agreed to do so--on condition that Bajee would authorize him
to promise Scindia a large sum of money, as soon as he again
ascended the musnud; and that he would get the prince to appoint
him his prime minister, which post would be vacant at the overthrow
of Balloba. This being arranged, Bajee Rao pretended that he was
seriously ill; and Ghatgay therefore halted, with his escort, on
the banks of the Paira.

Taking with him his disguise as a countryman, Harry, as soon as he
learned that Ghatgay had started with Bajee, mounted and followed
him; and travelled, at some little distance in rear of the party,
until they halted. Then he went to the house of a cultivator, left
his horse there, and exchanged his dress as fighting man for that
of a countryman.

There was no occasion for him, now, to disguise his age or darken
his eyes and, as before, he hired a cart, bought some grain for
forage, some sacks of rice and other things, and boldly entered
Ghatgay's camp. As the prices he asked were low, Ghatgay purchased
the whole contents of his cart. When this was cleared, Harry left
his cattle and wandered about, saying that he and the animals
needed an hour's rest.

Presently he passed Bajee Rao, who was standing listlessly at the
door of a tent.

"I am Puntojee," Harry said, as he passed. "I followed you