e the order,
on the sultan's treasury, to a large village down in the plain. You
would go to a trader, and say that you wished to purchase so much
grain and other goods, and would pay for them with an order on the
sultan's treasury. It would probably be accepted as readily as cash,
for the trader would send it to a merchant, or banker, at Seringapatam
to get it cashed for him, to pay for goods he had obtained there; and
either to send him any balance there might be, or to retain it for
further purchases. An order of that kind is better than money, for
trading purposes, for there would be no fear of its being stolen on
the way, as it could be hidden in the hair, or shoe, or anywhere among
the clothes of the messenger."

"Wonderful!" the old peasant said. "Your words are a relief, indeed,
to me, and will be to all the village, when they hear them."

"And now," Dick broke in, "let us talk about tigers. While you have
been speaking, those soldiers have passed the door twice, and have
been looking suspiciously at the house. If they take it into their
heads to come here, and to ask who we are and what is our business, it
would not do to tell them that we have been discussing the value of
the orders on the sultan's treasury.

"Now, if our advice has been of any assistance to you in this matter,
you, in turn, can render us aid in our business of killing tigers. We
want you to find out, for us, when a tiger was last seen near the
village; where its lair is supposed to be; and whether, according to
its situation, we should have the best chance of killing it by digging
a pitfall, on the path by which it usually comes from the jungle; or
by getting a kid and tying it up, to attract the tiger to a spot where
we shall be stationed in a tree."

"I will assuredly do that, and every one here will be glad to assist,
when I tell them the advice I have received from you--and would,
indeed, do so in any case, for it will be a blessing to the village,
if you can kill the tiger that so often carries off some of our sheep
and goats."

At this moment, there was a loud knocking at the door. On the peasant
opening it, a group of soldiers demanded to see the men who had
entered.

"We are here," Surajah said, coming forward. "What do you want?"

"We want to know who you are, and where you come from."

"Any one in the village could have told you that," Surajah said. "We
are shikarees, and have come here to destroy tigers. We were
arrangin