226 B. Bandyopadhyaya — Samir Mdsd, [No. 3, 



The emperor replied, smiling, " Come forward, dear Seth,* I will give 

 you not only the Raj of Randhir, but that of Hamir. I will make you 

 a great TJmrao" Sarjan took an oath by chewing a betel-leaf and attached 

 himself privately to the cause of Ala-uddin, who removed his tents and 

 pitched them on his former position near the fort. 



The false mind of Sarjan devised a good plan. In the dead of the 

 night, he managed with the greatest secrecy to throw dry hides into the 

 deep under-ground stores of grain named Java and Blwra. At break of 

 day he came to the darbdr of Hamir and with a profound bow said to the Rao : 

 " My lord, we are really in a great extremity. The supply of provision 

 has failed. The only resource now left us is to meet with the emperor and 

 make friends with him." Hamir was at first indifferent to what he said, 

 but when Sarjan repeatedly pressed his point, he could no longer keep his 

 passion within bounds. His eye-balls darted fire. He roared, " Be- 

 gone, vile coward, begone from my sight. Dost thou propose to shake my 

 resolution ? Understand, wretch, if I bow down my head at the feet of the 

 emperor, my mother will be ashamed* of having borne me ten months in 

 her womb." He softened and then continued, "What is the motive of thy 

 request ? If I go to Ala-uddin with proposals of peace, my meeting with 

 him will go hard against me and against my virtues as a Rajput. Listen, 

 thou fool, the basest of all mortals, mean and timid, listen ; I am a Ksha- 

 triya, and if I break through my resolution, I shall no more be worthy of being 

 called by that glorious name. How do you know that our stores are empty ?" 

 " If it please you, lord," replied Sarjan, " to go to the stores, you will see 

 with your own eyes the reality of what I speak." Then he took Hamir 

 to the stores and threw stones into them. How great was the Rao's dis- 

 appointment to hear them resound. He was now convinced of the truth 

 of Sarjan's words and could not find out that the real cause of the rever- 

 beration were the hides, thrown some hours ago by his perfidious store- 

 keeper. 



Seeing the Rao very sad, Muhammad Shah with joined hands, thus 

 prayed, " Do not be sorry, my generous patron and protector. Permit me, 

 I humbly implore you, to permit me to go to the presence of Ala-uddin. 

 The moment he will get me, he will, I have no doubt, march back for his 

 capital. You have given me house and have suffered so much. Do not 

 stake your life and throne, Rao, but reign secure in your dominions. 

 Wherever I shall go, your praises shall be on my lips for evermore." 



Hamir replied, smiling, " What on earth is stable, Sheik ? How can a 

 being endowed with reason desire for a thing which, taken at its utmost 



* Seth is a title of respect given to a wealthy merchant. 



