d for a seat and a camel-trunk set on end for a table,
Munshi Somwar Mal lending ink and a reed pen. Sleep seemed inclined to
forsake the young man that night when at length he lay on his bed
before the tent-door, the quarrelling round the camp-fires and the
fidgeting of the horses waking him whenever he dropped into a doze. At
last he succeeded in falling asleep, only to wake in a cold
perspiration, and to find himself standing up and hastily girding on
sword and revolver. What had awakened him he could not imagine, but he
had a vague impression of a cry or wail of some sort. It was not
repeated, and he unbuckled his belts and lay down again, mentally
anathematizing the perfume mingled with the Rajah's tobacco, which must
have given him nightmare. But when he woke again, in the grey light of
early dawn, the air was full of the sound of wailing, and his Granthi
officers and chief servants were gathered round his bed, respectfully
waiting for his eyes to open.

"Hillo, I must have overslept!" he cried. "Get the men into order of
march, Badan Hazari. I shall be dressed in no time."

"Do the orders of the Presence for the early start hold good?" asked
the Granthi officer significantly.

"Why not? What in the world is that noise?"

"It is the wailing of the women in the Rajah's camp, sahib. His
Highness was found dead by his attendants in the night."

"What! murdered?"

"They say there are no marks of violence, sahib. Hearing no sound from
the tent of audience after your honour had left, the servants ventured
to peep in, and found his Highness stretched upon the cushions, dead."

"The Protector of the Poor is earnestly entreated to shed the light of
his countenance upon the all-prevailing darkness in the camp," said a
white-bearded old man, whom Gerrard knew to be the Rani's scribe. He
rose hastily.

"I will be there immediately. The start is postponed for the present,
Badan Hazari, but strike the tents ready for marching, and get ready a
messenger at once to go to Darwan."

In the intervals of dressing he scribbled a hasty note to Charteris,
telling him what had happened, and that he should probably return to
the city at once, urging him also to forward the news immediately to
Ranjitgarh, and ask for definite instructions. Having seen this
despatched, he mounted and rode over to the Rajah's camp, which was in
a state of the wildest confusion. The bodyguard, the only portion of
the troops that could