on the house after sunset with a hundred of his
followers. Their approach was spied by the darwan before they actually
reached the house. He promptly bolted the gates and ran to give the
alarm. Minghal took advantage of the breathing space to beat a hasty
retreat through the back entrance, and hurried to Bakht Khan with the
news.

It was some time before Rahmut's men forced an entrance, so solid were
the doors. They had scarcely broken in when the commander-in-chief
arrived on the spot at the head of a considerable body of picked men.
There was a stormy scene between him and Rahmut, who, however, could not
but yield to superior force. He was more enraged than ever, especially
because during the short time they had been in the house his men had
gained little plunder, all the valuables having been sold to supply the
wants of Minghal Khan. The old chief was led away under arrest, and
carried straight to the palace. The king was in no mood to overlook this
direct transgression. All day he had been harassed by reports of the
ill-treatment of residents by the sepoys. It was intolerable, he cried,
that his peaceable subjects should be harassed and threatened by
soldiers who had come to the city with the avowed object of destroying
the English. Still more intolerable was it that the soldiers should
attack one another.

"I see clearly," said the wretched monarch, "that the English will take
the city, and kill me."

"Be of good cheer, illustrious one," said one of his officers. "Do thou
put thy hand on our heads, and without doubt we shall be victorious."

And then, to the number of a hundred and fifty, they filed past him, and
as he placed his hand on the head of each he said, "Go thou with haste
and win victory on the Ridge." And they begged him to lay a severe
penalty on this Pathan stranger, Asadullah, who had come to trouble the
city. Then up spoke Bakht Khan, ever blunt of address.

"Punish Asadullah," he said, "it is but right; but punish Minghal also.
They are arrows of one quiver. The Arab horse gets whipped and the
Tartar is fondled. I am weary of Minghal Khan."

But the covetous officials knew that Minghal was poor, whereas rumour
ascribed to Asadullah the possession of great treasures of plunder. The
treasury was empty. That very day a message came from Gwalior to the
effect that the whole army there was willing to place itself at the
king's service, and he petulantly made answer: "I say there is no money
for t