226 B. Bandyopidhya4ya—Hamir Résa, [No. 8, 
The emperor replied, smiling, “Come forward, dear Seth,* I will give 
you not only the Raj of Randhir, but that of Hamir. Iwill make you 
agreat Umrdo.” Sarjan took an oath by chewing a betel-leaf and attached 
himself privately to the cause of Ald-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 Jdrdé and Bhérd. At break of 
day he came to the darbdér 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 isthe 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 Rajptit. Listen, 
thou fool, the basest of all mortals, mean and timid, listen; Iam 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 ?” 
“Tf 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 Ald-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 somuch. 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 P 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, 
