can't help himself."

There was a lull, each one turning this momentous thing over in his
mind.

It was the jamadar who broke the silence; somewhat at a tangent he
said: "As to a decoity, Your Honour said that we being of that
profession should undertake one."

The Dewan roared; the burden of his expostulation was the word liar.

But Nana Sahib laughed tolerantly. "Don't mind me, Dewani; fancy all
the petty rajas and officials stand in with these decoits for a share
of the loot--I don't blame you, old chap."

Hunsa, taking the accusation of being a liar as a pure matter of
course, ignored it, and now was drooling along, wedded to the one big
idea that was in his mind:

"If a decoity were made perhaps it might even happen that one was
killed--"

"Lovely! the 'One' will be, and his name is Ajeet," Nana Sahib cried
gleefully.

But Hunsa plodded steadily on. "In that case Ajeet as Chief would be
in the hands of the Dewan; then it could be mentioned to him that the
Gulab was desired for this mission."

"That might be," the Dewan said quietly. "I will demand that Ajeet