ed
with him," the soldier agreed.

Kassim had taken the written paper closer to the light. At sight of
the thumb blood-stain upon the document, he gave a bellow of rage.
"Look you all!" he cried holding it spread out in the light of the
lamp; "here is our Chief's message to us given after he was dead; he
sealed it with his thumb in his own blood, after he was dead. A
miracle, calling for vengeance. Hunsa, dog, thou shalt die for
hours--thou shalt die by inches, for it was thee."

Kassim held the paper at arm's length toward Barlow, asking: "Is this
the message thou brought?"

"It is, Commander."

Kassim whirled on Hunsa, "Where didst thou get it, dog of an infidel?"

"Without the gate of the palace, my Lord. I found it lying there where
the Sahib had dropped it in his flight."

"Allah! thou art a liar of brazenness." He spoke to a Jamadar: "Have
brought the leather nosebag of a horse and hot ashes so that we may
come by the truth."

Then Kassim held the parchment close to the lamp and scanned it. He
rubbed a hand across his wrinkled brow and pondered. "Beside the seal
here is the name, Rana Bhim," and he turned his fierce eyes on Barlow.

"Yes, Commander; the Rana has put his seal upon it that he will join
his Rajputs with the British and the Pindaris to drive from Mewar
Sindhia--the one whose Dewan sent Hunsa to slay your Chief."

"Thou sayest so, but how know I that Hunsa is not in thy hand, and that
thou didst not prepare the way for the killing? Here beside the name
of the Rana is drawn a lance; that suggests an order to kill, a secret
order." He turned to a sepoy, "Bring the Rajput, Zalim."

While they waited Bootea said: "It was Nana Sahib who sent Hunsa and
the decoits to slay Amir Khan, because he feared an alliance between
the Chief and the British."

"And thou wert one of them?"

"I came to warn Amir Khan, and--"

"And what, woman--the decoits were your own people?"

"Yonder Sahib had saved my life--saved me from the harem of Nana Sahib,
and I came to save his life and your Chief's."

Now there was an eruption into the chamber; men carrying a great pot of
hot ashes, and one swinging from his hand the nosebag of a horse; and
with them the Rajput.

"Here," Kassim said, addressing the Hindu, "what means this spear upon
this document? Is it a hint to drive it home?"

The Rajput put his fingers reverently upon the Rana's signature.
"That, Commander, is the seal, the sign. I am a Cho