PATNA DURING THE MUTINY. 167 



But we soon got used to it, and took good or bad news just as it 

 came. 



The calm confidence felt by the Commissioner communicated 

 itself to all the others, and with Tayler and Rattray at the head 

 of affairs, I felt comfortable enough, and didn't trouble myself much 

 about the Mutiny which was going on around. 



One morning, soon after the Sikhs arrived, the Commissioner 

 came and told me that from certain information he had received, he 

 thought it very probable the Wahabees, a fanatical sect of Moslems 

 in the city, would give us trouble and raise the flag of insurrection. 

 So in order to keep them quiet he intended making their head men 

 leave, for the present, their houses in the city, and take up their 

 abode near us, where they would be out of temptation to do us 

 mischief, with the Sikhs to watch them. They also would act as 

 hostages for the good behaviour of their crew. 



The arguments used for this proceeding appeared to me so good 

 that I heartily concurred, and next day, when the Wahabee Chiefs 

 arrived by invitation, I received them and bowed them, with all due 

 ceremony into the large room in which we used to dine. 



Five or six other Europeans were also present, and after a few 

 unimportant observations about the weather and the crops, at a 

 given signal Colonel Rattray and some Sikhs marched in, and then 

 we informed the Wahabees of our plan for keeping them out of 

 mischief and beyond the reach of calumny, which, so far as I could 

 see, afforded them unqualified delight. 



An old fellow who sat next to me was the only one who appeared 

 uneasy, for he looked at me slyly through the corners of his eyes 

 as though he could not clearly understand our little game ; but 

 I calmed his fears, and said, " Your Reverence, in your new abode 

 — which, by the way, is much cleaner, larger, and more comfortable 

 than your own — you will enjoy peace with honour whilst these 

 troubled times remain ; and you can tell your beads and study the 

 Koran at leisure." 



Running my eye over the list of persons present at that historic 



