16 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL, 
to the brave and powerful spirits who compose the 
army of Malek-ul-Tija, the road will he smooth. 
Be comforted, then, for by this ruddy sword of 
my sires I swear that ere the conquering Sun 
shall have thrice dispersed the starry forces of 
retreating Night, the standard of Mallek-ul-Tija 
shall spread its broad shadow over the boasted 
stronghold of this unbelieving Sanghir. Courage, 
my friend ! I tell you that, while one single follower 
of Mallek-ul-Tija remains to him, you shall deal 
bloody stripes of vengeance on this your ill-fated 
foe ; and as a reward for your devotion, you shall 
receive all the honours of his crest and every biga 
of his dominion ; while for my master, the immortal 
Sultan, I reserve only the contents of the treasury 
and the personal property of the Raja, with a trifling 
imposition of tribute, say a hundred lahks annually, 
to be paid simply as a token of your allegiance.” 
“ Bountiful succour of the afflicted,” replied the 
crafty Sirkeh, who in his heart had sworn, with 
equal warmth, that, ere those three days were accom- 
plished, Mallek-ul-Tija should have gone to meet 
his vaunted sires ; u as your princely heart is o’er- 
flowing with generosity, so is your right hand replete 
with power. But alas ! you know not the dangers, 
the intricacies, the insuperable obstructions, which 
throng the narrow passage into those chaotic wil- 
dernesses which the vain Sanghir proudly calls a 
kingdom. Dense forests teeming with all sorts of 
