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The Rajah, Seo Sing, was a worthy old man. He had four sons,
Surubjeet Sing, the eldest, Omrow Sing, Kaleepurkas Sing, and
Jypurkas Sing. The eldest was then married, and about the age of
twenty-five; the other three were still boys. The old man left the
management of the estate to the eldest son, a morose person, who led
a secluded life, and was never seen out of the female apartments,
save twice a-year, on the festival of the hooley and the anniversary
of his marriage. Mr. Ravenscroft had never seen or held any communion
with him, save through his father, brothers, or servants; but he was
in the habit of daily seeing and conversing with the father and his
other sons on the most friendly terms. The eldest son became alarmed
when he saw Mr. Ravenscroft begin to plant indigo, and prepare to
construct vats for the manufacture; and apprehended that he would go
on encroaching till he took the whole estate from him, unless he was
made away with. He therefore hired a gang of Bhuduk dacoits from the
neighbouring forest of the Oude Tarae to put him to death, after he
had been four months at Bhinga. During this time Mrs. Ravenscroft had
gone on one occasion to Cawnpoor, and on another to Secrora, on
business.

Bhinga lies fifty miles north-east from Secrora, where the 20th
Regiment of Native Infantry, under the command of Colonel Patton, was
then cantoned. On the 6th of May 1823, Ensign Platt, of that corps,
had come out to see him. In the evening, the old Rajah and his second
and third sons came to visit Mr. Ravenscroft as usual, and they sat
conversing with the family on the most friendly terms till nine
o'clock, when they took leave, and Mrs. Ravenscroft, with her child
and two female attendants, retired to the sleeping-room in the house.
Ensign Platt went to his small sleeping-tent outside the quadrangle,
under a mango-tree. This tent was just large enough to admit his
small cot, and a few block-tin travelling-boxes, which he piled away
inside, to the right and left of his bed. Mr. Ravenscroft slept on a