g ten lakhs, on condition of his placing Balloba
in confinement, re-establishing Bajee Rao on the musnud, and
returning with his troops to his own territory.

"I have no doubt that, when Bajee Rao hears this, he will be glad
enough to throw himself heartily into the cause. I may tell you
that he is apparently a guest, rather than a prisoner; and that he
has a camp of his own, in the centre of that of Scindia; and
therefore, when you have once made your way into his encampment,
you will have no difficulty in obtaining a private interview with
him. It is necessary that he should have money, and silver would be
too heavy for you to carry; but I will give you bags containing a
thousand gold mohurs, which will enable him to begin the work of
privately raising troops."

"I will undertake the business, sir. The only person I fear, in the
smallest degree, is Balloba himself. I must disguise myself so that
he will not recognize me."

Without delay, Harry mounted his horse, placed the two bags of
money that had been handed to him in the wallets behind his saddle,
exchanged his dress for that of one of Sufder's troopers, and then
started for Poona, which he reached the next day. He did not enter
the town; but put up at a cultivator's, two miles distant from it.

"I want to hire a cart, with two bullocks," he said to the man.
"Can you furnish one?"

"As I do not know you, I should require some money paid down, as a
guarantee that they will be returned."

"That I can give you; but I shall leave my horse here, and that is
fully worth your waggon and oxen. However, I will leave with you a
hundred rupees. I may not keep your waggon many days."

After it was dark, Harry went to the town and purchased some
paints, and other things, that he required for disguise. Having
used these, he went to the house of the British Resident and, on
stating who he was, he was shown in. Mr. Malet did not recognize,
in the roughly-dressed countryman, the young officer who had called
upon him before.

"I am Harry Lindsay and, being in Poona, called upon you to give
you some information."

"I recognize you by your voice," the Resident said; "but I fear
that there is nothing of importance that you can tell me; now that
Nana Furnuwees is homeless, and Bajee Rao is no longer Peishwa."

"Nana is not done with, yet, sir."

"Why, he is a fugitive, with a handful of troops under him."

"But he has his brains, sir, which are worth more than an army a