“Stop!” cried the Rajah. “Mr Darrell will stay with me.”
“As a prisoner, sir,” cried Wyatt fiercely.
“As my friend, sir,” replied the Rajah, “until we have been to the temple. Have the goodness to summon your man and give him the order in my presence. I wish my people to be satisfied that there can have been no communication with your people at the temple.”
“Your highness is right,” said Wyatt. “I wish those gentlemen who are our friends to see the same.”
He turned and spoke to one of the officers, who left the audience-room; and as soon as he had gone, a few lines were pencilled in Wyatt’s book, which he read aloud to the Rajah, and as soon as one of the orderlies reached the door he said sharply:
“Take that despatch to Sergeant Stubbs at the temple, and tell him to carry out the order at once.”
The man saluted and went off, just as the Rajah’s elephant was brought to the front entrance. Horses followed for all whom the Rajah selected to go, and a palanquin for the old Brahmin, so that a goodly procession was formed, one which had not gone above half-way before they passed Stubbs and his men on the march to their former quarters in the old palace.
They halted, faced, and saluted as the Rajah and his brilliant party swept by, and then resumed their march; while soon after the Rajah’s train drew up in front of the temple, whose guards had been so quickly changed. The dismounting followed, and by this time some twenty or thirty of the priests stood waiting to receive their ruler, who passed from the blinding sunshine into the cool gloom of the place.
Orders were given by the chief Brahmin, and in a few minutes a party of priests came forward bearing lighted lamps, and their chief led the way right on into the far part of the temple, the Rajah following next with the two English officers and the Wazir. Lastly, about twenty of the chief followers of the Rajah came, and the train was brought up by the palace guards, who formed a semicircle round the spot where the chief Brahmin had stopped short for the others to advance.
Here the first thing that struck Dick was that the opening he had described as closed was now, as shown by the light of the lamps, quite open.