The Rajah's Fortress — page 281: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

268 THE RAJAH'S FORTRESS. The table drawers were first torn open. They held a supply of paper and envelopes, pens and sealing wax, and down at the bottom of the last drawer, under a stack of paper, Guy found a bunch of faded and yellow documents, which, when opened, proved to be without exception printed proclamations of the year 1858, offering a reward for the capture, dead or alive, of Dandou Pant, commonly known as Nana Sahib. They bore date at various places, Delhi, Luck- now, Bombay, Benares, Madras, Allahabad. Guy put these in his pocket without a word. There was no longer any doubt. The fiend of Cawn- pore still lived. The drawers held nothing else of any conse- quence, and closing them, Guy pulled back the Topee, whose eyes were riveted on the iron-bound chests. To his surprise, the books were, many of them, recent English publications, works of travel, bi- ography and science. The early education and cul- ture of this Hindoo prince had never deserted hima during these long years of exile. He had plotted murders and read history almost in the same breath. A hasty glance at the titles of the books, and then Guy ordered one of the big chests to be brought out into the center of the room. Topee and Wood dragged it under the light of the lamp. ‘The brass lock was broken with some diffi- culty, and as Guy raised the lid, a murmur of ad- miration burst from all. The chest was filled to the top with gold and sil- ver plate, chased goblets and bowls of quaint shape and design, and, in fact, all kinds of antique ves- sels richly engraved, the spoils of many a bold raid and robbery. The next chest and the next held pretty much the COLUM 1OOO SS co