The first was an enormous Sikh, with a
black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund. Outside
of a show I have never seen so tall a man. The other was a
little, fat, round fellow, with a great yellow turban, and a
bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl. He seemed to be all in a
quiver with fear, for his hands twitched as if he had the ague,
and his head kept turning to left and right with two bright
little twinkling eyes, like a mouse when he ventures out from his
hole. It gave me the chills to think of killing him, but I
thought of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a flint
within me. When he saw my white face he gave a little chirrup of
joy and came running up towards me.
"'Your protection, Sahib,' he panted,--'your protection for the
unhappy merchant Achmet. I have travelled across Rajpootana that
I might seek the shelter of the fort at Agra. I have been robbed
and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the
Company. It is a blessed night this when I am once more in
safety,--I and my poor possessions.'
"'What have you in the bundle?' I asked.
"'An iron box,' he answered, 'which contains one or two little
family matters which are of no value to others, but which I
should be sorry to lose.
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