ly distributed.
To these Scindia's seal was affixed.

One such order had been placed there that morning. A sentry marched
up and down in front of it, lest any insult should be offered to
the paper. Satisfied that this would suit his purpose, he called
Abdool to him, and explained what he wanted.

"It will not be till this evening, for I want, before that step is
taken, to collect a party of ten horsemen to ride with me to
Ahmednuggur and back. By this time you know a great many people in
the town and, if I were to pay them well, you should have no
difficulty in getting that number."

"I could do that in half an hour, sahib. There are a great number
of the disbanded soldiers of the Peishwa's army who are without
employment, and who would willingly undertake anything that would
bring them in a little money."

"Well, you can arrange with them, today. They must not attract
attention by going out together, but must meet at the village of
Wittulwarree."

The next morning, Harry went to the shop of a trader who was, he
knew, formerly employed by Nana, and purchased from him a suit such
as would be worn by an officer in Scindia's service. Then he wrote
out a document in Mahratti, giving an order to the governor of
Ahmednuggur to permit the bearer, Musawood Khan, to have a private
interview with Nana Furnuwees. This done, he told the resident that
he intended to leave that night.

Colonel Palmer asked no questions, but only said:

"Be careful, Mr. Lindsay, be careful; it is a desperate enterprise
that you are undertaking, and I should be sorry, indeed, if so
promising an officer should be lost to our service."

"I will be careful, I assure you. I have no wish to throw away my
life."

When evening came on, he went to his room, stained his skin from
head to foot, put on the caste marks, then dressed himself in the
clothes that he had that morning purchased and, at nine o'clock,
left the house quietly with Abdool. At that hour Poona would be
quiet, for the terror was so great that few people ventured into
the street after nightfall.

When they approached the house on which the proclamation was fixed,
they separated. Harry went quietly to the corner of the street, a
few yards from the spot where the soldier was marching up and down,
and listened intently, peeping out from behind the wall whenever
the sentry was walking in the other direction. Presently he heard a
smothered sound, and the dull thud of a falling body.