Draw Swords! Part 67

"Yes, sir; fastened in a similar fashion, as I found at last, by the drawing back of a square pillar, leaving just room for a man to squeeze through."

"But where was this?" asked the Rajah excitedly.

"At the extreme end of a long stone pa.s.sage, hundreds and hundreds of yards from the temple walls--a strange place rising upward above my head--a place where I tried for hours till my fingers and nails were worn like this and bleeding," said the lad, holding out his hands. "But when at last I discovered the right place to touch, it yielded with the greatest ease."

"You astound me," cried the Rajah, by whom the charge was for the moment forgotten in this strange development. "And where did this other doorway bring you out?"

"In one of the rooms of the old palace, sir," cried d.i.c.k firmly. "The doorway was the one through which your highness's enemies and ours came to fire our magazine and a.s.sa.s.sinate all who came in their way."

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

THE SEARCH FOR THE JEWELS.

"Then you escaped by there back into your old quarters?" cried the Rajah as the murmur of astonishment died out.

"Yes, sir; and after coming across to my room to wash and dress, I heard that your highness had been sending for me. I came on, to find you ready to accuse me of this contemptible theft. Are you satisfied now where the jewels are?"

"Yes," said the Rajah firmly, "quite. Now, Wazir, what have you to say?"

"Say!" cried the man contemptuously; "I scorn to deny it. I, your mothers trusted friend and adviser--I steal her treasure of jewels, any one of which, if I had asked her, she would have given me at once?"

"You hear the way in which your charge rebounds on you?"

"I hear, but I scorn it all, your highness. It is a vile, cowardly invention, made to turn the light of your countenance from your faithful servants."

"You heard what was said?"

"Yes, I have heard all, your highness; but it is false. Let it be proved. If it be as the English boy says, it is true. If the jewels are not found where he says, it is false."

The Rajah bowed his head, and turned to Wyatt.

"That is fair, sir," said the latter. "Let the place be searched."

"Yes," said the Rajah; and, clapping his hands, he gave the order, and then turned to his guards, sending an officer and a dozen men to guard at the temple to see that there was no foul play.

He looked round him, to see that the chief priest was standing near the door, looking old and careworn, and he beckoned to him to draw near.

"Did you know of the long pa.s.sage the young English officer has described?"

"Yes; oh, yes," he replied; "it is where those of our people who die in the temple are buried beneath the stones. They lie there from end to end."

"Hah!" said the Rajah; "but the way out into the old palace?"

"If I had known, should I have advised the Ranee and the Rajah, your father, to place their treasures there for their son? Should I not sooner have built it up with the heaviest stones that could be found?"

"Yes," said the Rajah, "of course--for them if not for me."

He sat thinking for a few moments as if turning something over in his mind, and then turned to the two Englishmen.

"Captain Wyatt," he said, "I requested in a time of emergency that a guard of your men should be placed over my treasure in the great temple."

"Yes, sir; it was done, and has been faithfully carried out," said Wyatt haughtily.

The Rajah bowed, and his face was inscrutable as he said:

"I now withdraw that request. You will give orders for your men to retire at once."

"Then your highness has ceased to confide in your English allies?"

"No," said the Rajah; "but I must have this matter made clear. Send your order to your men."

"This is hardly fair to us, your highness," said Wyatt sternly.

"I stand at the head of all justice here, sir," said the Rajah proudly, "and I go now to see to what is right or wrong. You need not fear that I shall not be just."

"As your highness pleases," said Wyatt coldly.--"Mr Darrell, you will send an orderly to Sergeant Stubbs, and bid him withdraw his men instantly, to march to the old palace, and take up quarters there till further orders."

d.i.c.k turned to go.

"Stop!" cried the Rajah. "Mr Darrell will stay with me."

"As a prisoner, sir," cried Wyatt fiercely.

"As my friend, sir," replied the Rajah, "until we have been to the temple. Have the goodness to summon your man and give him the order in my presence. I wish my people to be satisfied that there can have been no communication with your people at the temple."

"Your highness is right," said Wyatt. "I wish those gentlemen who are our friends to see the same."

He turned and spoke to one of the officers, who left the audience-room; and as soon as he had gone, a few lines were pencilled in Wyatt's book, which he read aloud to the Rajah, and as soon as one of the orderlies reached the door he said sharply:

"Take that despatch to Sergeant Stubbs at the temple, and tell him to carry out the order at once."

The man saluted and went off, just as the Rajah's elephant was brought to the front entrance. Horses followed for all whom the Rajah selected to go, and a palanquin for the old Brahmin, so that a goodly procession was formed, one which had not gone above half-way before they pa.s.sed Stubbs and his men on the march to their former quarters in the old palace.

They halted, faced, and saluted as the Rajah and his brilliant party swept by, and then resumed their march; while soon after the Rajah's train drew up in front of the temple, whose guards had been so quickly changed. The dismounting followed, and by this time some twenty or thirty of the priests stood waiting to receive their ruler, who pa.s.sed from the blinding sunshine into the cool gloom of the place.

Orders were given by the chief Brahmin, and in a few minutes a party of priests came forward bearing lighted lamps, and their chief led the way right on into the far part of the temple, the Rajah following next with the two English officers and the Wazir. Lastly, about twenty of the chief followers of the Rajah came, and the train was brought up by the palace guards, who formed a semicircle round the spot where the chief Brahmin had stopped short for the others to advance.

Here the first thing that struck d.i.c.k was that the opening he had described as closed was now, as shown by the light of the lamps, quite open.

Nothing was said, but the two English officers exchanged glances.

The chief Brahmin led on through the narrow way, preceded by the lamp-bearers. The Rajah requested the English officers to go next.

Then he followed, and the Wazir next, followed by the guards.

As they reached the bottom of the narrow flight of steps, pa.s.sing the lamp upon its ledge, the place, lit up as it was now, looked strangely different of aspect; but there were the square dwarf pillars casting their dark shadows, and dimly seen away to the left was the opening to the cells.