sudden, however, when within less than a bow shot of the
house, the pretended yogis raised a loud and terrifying yell, and rushed
toward me, brandishing staves and daggers. Then did I realize that I was
in the presence of a gang of armed dacoits. Before I could summon help,
I was mercilessly beaten over the head with bludgeons; after which I was
bound hand and foot, and thrown face downward on the divan on which I
had been seated. I could hear the sound of a scuffle in the courtyard,
and the dying scream of the eunuch who guarded the entrance to the
women's apartments, rising high above the frightened cries of my two
wives and the children and of the female slaves who attended them. Then,
because of the grievous blows that had assailed me, as well as the agony
of my mind, consciousness fled, and I lay like one dead unto the world.

"It must have been hours before I was awakened from this stupor, for the
moon was riding high in the heavens. Over me was bending the demoniac
face of a Hindu priest, a worshipper of Siva as I knew from the caste
marks on his forehead.

"'Where is the Ganapati?' he hissed in my ear. 'It is that which we
want. We will spare your life if you surrender the stolen god and the
blue diamonds.'

"Instantly great joy surged through my heart, for I knew that, whatever
other evil fortune had befallen, my secret treasure chamber had not been
discovered. And with this joy came the determination that I would rather
die than surrender the necklace of blue diamonds, or allow the mocking
elephant-headed god to be returned to his place of honour before a crowd
of idolatrous worshippers.

"I shall not recount the details of that terrible night. I need but say
that I was tortured in a dozen different ways--the soles of my feet were
burned with hot embers, the flesh of my thighs was pierced with daggers,
I was beaten all over with clubs, and when I lost my senses for a spell
I was revived by chatties of cold water being dashed on my face. But I
never spoke a word. The very spirit of Shaitan had entered into my soul;
if they were devils, then was I the prince of devils in my resolve to
defy them.

"I was but faintly conscious of my surroundings, when I heard a
whispered colloquy among the priests disguised as robbers.

"'We must not kill him,' I heard one voice say. 'Only if he lives shall
we recover the Ganapati.'

"Then also I heard some faint cries from afar off, from the village,
showing that the dac