136 MAHIIATTA WAR. 



chamber, when a band of soldiers burst by an obscure en- 

 trance into the palace. They at first pretended that they 

 came to demand arrears of pay, about which they had for 

 some time been clamouring; but it soon appeared that they 

 were impelled by a darker purpose. Narrain Rao, roused 

 from slumber, ran into his uncle's apartments, and threw 

 himself into his uncle's arms, entreating that he would 

 save him. The latter at first appeared to interpose in 

 favour of his nephew; but Somer Sing, the ringleader, said, 

 " I have not gone thus far to ensure my own destruction ; 

 let him go, or you shall die with him." Ragoba then ex- 

 tricated himself from the grasp of the youth, whom, as 

 well as a faithful servant that had clung round his neck, the 

 conspirators instantly pierced with their swords. 

 • All eyes were turned to Ragoha, as the person by whom 

 alone this crime must have been suggested. For some 

 time no proof could be obtained, till Rani Sastree, one of 

 the most respectable and upright of the ministers, having 

 collected various evidences, brought the charge so home to 

 him, that he at length confessed he had signed the order 

 to seize the person of his nephew, but denied having 

 in any degree sanctioned his death. A numerous body of 

 Indian politicians still believe that such was the truth/nnd 

 that a more criminal hand made an alteration in the writing 

 of which traces were asserted to be visible. In these cases, 

 however, the strong feelings of the public always adopt the 

 darker belief; yet Ragoba mounted without opposition the 

 throne to which he had thus paved the way, and soon after 

 departed on an expedition against Hyder, who was in the 

 field attempting to regain some of the territory lost in the 

 former war. But during his absence on this occasion, the 

 ministers, partly sharing the indignation of the public, 

 partly seeing the opportunity of drawing into their own 

 hands the supreme authority, entered into a combination 

 for raising to the office of peishwa the unborn son of Gunga 

 Bye, widow of the late peishwa, who had been left in a 

 state of pregnancy. The lady was conveyed to the fortress 

 ot Poorundur, accompanied, it is alleged, by a number of 

 Bramins' wives in the same condition, that in the event of 

 the issue proving a female, a male child might be immedi- 

 ately substituted. Ragoba, meantime, had been completely 

 successful m his war against Hvdcr ; but learning the dan- 



