"Keep the others close, and show this to Amrut Rao," said the chief. "Here," he continued, as the Karkoon, being called, advanced, "look at this; what dost thou make of it?" The Karkoon looked at the seal and started. "May I open it?" he said. "Yes, read it to us," said the chief. He read it over slowly twice. "Well, what is it?" asked his master. "What Moro Trimmul wrote from Tooljapoor--what they asked you, my lord, to join in; and here is your name with five thousand men in figures after it, and the Wuzeer's with a lakh." "Is it genuine, think you? that is what we want to know," said Gopal Singh. "Certainly," replied the Karkoon; "there is the private mark on the seal, and the signature 'Hé Venunti'--'this supplication'--is all the Maharaj can write. No one could forge that, it is too crooked. How did that man get it?" "He stole it, Amrut Rao," said the chief; "and we are discussing whether he ought to live or to die. What dost thou think?" "As a traitor to the salt he has eaten, he ought to die, master," said the Karkoon, looking at the Lalla, who felt that his fate was in the Brahmun's hands,--"but----" "That is just what I said! he is not fit to live," interrupted the chief. "Let him die. Ho!" "But"--continued the Karkoon in Canarese, persistently interrupting the chief, and waving back Lukshmun, Rama, and others, who were advancing--"if I may speak. He says he wants to take them to Beejapoor. Let him have his own way. A bargain may be made with Ali Adil Shah through his secretary the Meerza--not by him" (and he pointed to the Lalla), "but by us. The letters will not alter the matter one jot, and my lord can act as he pleases afterwards. We can send people with the Lalla." "Excellently spoken, Amrut Rao; ye have all better brains than I have. Then the papers are valuable?" said Pahar Singh. "Yes, my lord, if properly vouched for; and the man who stole them can give a better account of them than we can. The King might give any money--a lakh of rupees--for them. He already more than suspects the Wuzeer and Sivaji Bhóslay of being in league with the Emperor, and would rejoice to get such proofs of their treachery." "Hark ye, Lalla," cried the chief, changing the language to Oordoo, which he spoke well, "what didst thou expect to get for these papers? What is the price of them?" "My lord," he replied, simpering and putting up his joined hands, "they may be worth lakhs--so the Gosais at Kullianee told me--anything I liked to ask. They will negotiate the matter with the secretary and the King for me; and if my lord would only condescend to assist, I--I--would give--yes, he might be sure of a share." "I of a share!--of a bribe! Art _thou_ feeding me with a bribe? O base dog, and son of a dog! Pig! I a share? O Lalla, thou art surely mad, and fated to eat dirt. Enough of this! Ho, without!--Lukshmun!--hunchbacks!--away with him; give him the handkerchief in the outer court. Quick!" roared Pahar Singh, relapsing into fury.