"Depend on it he will; he will hear the tinkling of the silver, and will run to it as ever lover did to his mistress's signal. Besides, he has no chaff in prospect, but rupees, man, rupees. The fellow would run to Delhi for as much."
"We shall see," said Peer Khan. "If it be written in his fate that he is to come, why, Alla help him, come he must, there is no avoiding destiny. What! Peroo the Bhutteara come out of his house at night to visit Thugs! I say the thing is impossible; it has often been tried, and failed utterly; the fellow laughed at them, as well he might."
"For all your doubts, Khan," said I, "Inshalla! we will throw earth on his beard to-night; and as we may as well be ready, call Motee, and two or three Lughaees; the grave must be dug, and that immediately."
Motee came, but was as desponding of success as Peer Khan. "You will never take him," he said; "did not Ganesha offer to divide a large booty here last year, and that Peroo should have a share if he would come to take it? and he sent word that he laughed at our beards, and we had better leave his share in the hollow of an old tree known to us, or he would send the whole police of Saugor after us in the morning."
"And so you left the share?"
"We did, and it was a good one too."
"Then Ganesha was an owl, and I will tell him so if I ever meet him. Peroo should not have had a cowree from me; nor will he now unless he comes to take it."
We were silent for some time, and I could hear the dull blows of the pickaxe, as the sound was borne by the chill night-wind from the place where the grave was preparing. He will come, thought I, and his iniquity will be ended: shame on the cold-blooded coward who can sell men's lives as he does, without striking a blow against them! As I was thus musing, our messenger was seen, in the dusky light, returning at the top of his speed, and alone. "We told you so!" cried both my associates triumphantly; "we told you how it would be!" I was vexed, and bit my lips to conceal my chagrin. "Let us hear what he says, at any rate," said I.
"Well, what news, Junglee?" cried I, as he ran up quite out of breath.