FUTTEHPORE SIKRI. 
171 
officer for leave of absence from their military duties 
for a few days, upon the plea of seeking for some 
treasure among the ruins in the neighbourhood, 
affirming that they had certain intelligence of a spot 
where it could be found. It being by no means of 
rare occurrence that coin and valuables, even to a 
very large amount, are found among the crumbling 
tombs and palaces, and the men being of good cha- 
racter, the commanding officer acceded to their re- 
quest, they obtained a fortnight’s leave of absence, 
and departed, nobody knew or enquired whither. At 
the expiration of their term of absence they returned 
to their duty, but without having made the discovery 
of which they had declared themselves so sanguine ; 
yet having conducted themselves well, as far as was 
known, during their period of leave, they found no 
difficulty in renewing it shortly afterwards. On the 
expiration of their liberty, however, they were this 
time at fault; they did not rejoin the ranks, nor 
were any tidings to be gained of them among their 
comrades. Orders were issued for their apprehension, 
as deserters, and parties searched the ruins in all 
directions, yet no news could be gleaned of them by 
any means : no one had seen or heard of them. 
Some weeks after the disappearance of these men it 
was reported among the natives that the saint whom 
they were accustomed to worship at the Jaod Bhae 
had become disturbed by some misconduct or sacri- 
legious transgression of the people, for that in more 
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