the ancient
institutions of the country will be destroyed and caste abolished. What
will then become of us Brahmins? We must put off that evil day, if it
is ever to arrive, as long as possible."

Thus the Brahmin Balkishen continued muttering. He was an ally of Khan
Cochut, and had been a chief agent in the late rebellion, as, through
having been the rajah's principal secretary, he was fully informed of
all that took place at the palace. But though an ally of the ex-barber,
he hated him cordially, both on account of his religion--or rather his
utter want of it--and the familiar and somewhat coarse way in which Khan
Cochut treated him. He had also assisted in carrying off Nuna, and was
afraid that Reginald, though the instrumentality of Buxsoo and Sambro,
would discover her place of concealment.

Notwithstanding his boasted enlightenment, he had a superstitious dread
of the tigress, whom he fully believed to be a "familiar" of the young
Englishman, and that while she was his protectress it would be useless
to make any attempt against his life. He had often tried to ingratiate
himself with Faithful for the purpose of destroying her; but being
unable to succeed, he bethought him of making use of a secret he
possessed, by means of which he believed that even the most savage wild
beast could be tamed. He had ordered one of his slaves--whom he had
left in the city--to keep a watch on the Englishmen, to follow them
wherever they went, and to bring him information of their movements.
Fortune, as he thought, had favoured him more than he could have
expected, and they had actually taken shelter in the very temple in
which he was lying concealed.

Having disposed of Faithful, as he hoped, he must next attempt to get
hold of the sturdy sailor--a more difficult task, as he rightly judged.
He was afraid to proceed by force, and he trusted that stratagem would
prove more successful. He felt an eager desire to carry his plan into
execution at once, but the watchful vigilance of Dick Thuddichum foiled
him. He had, indeed, been nearly captured by the sailor, and saw that
he must be more prudent in future. Little did honest Dick suppose that
a pair of keen eyes were fixed on him as he paced up and down on his
watch, and that had he gone a few yards further he might have found a
rope thrown round his neck, which would have prevented him from crying
out, and rendered his strength of no avail.

Sambro succeeded Dick, and was eq