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Rh The robbers started to their feet; even Madhav himself was shaken.

"Is there an upper story?" said he.

"No, no," answered both the robbers at once.

"Stop; I will go up to the roof and see again," said the sardar.

It was easy for such a practised dacoit as the sardar to scale the no great elevation of the rooms. When up, however, his search proved as fruitless as before.

Bending over the edge of the roof he gazed intently on the ground on the back of the building, but here also his search proved equally unsuccessful. He returned once more, vexed and troubled.

A sudden light broke upon Madhav.

"Are there not two other rooms, similar to this, in the row?"

"Yes," said the sardar, "it seems so."

"Did you bring any other captives to these dungeons?"

"No."

"Perhaps then others did; some unfortunate victim of this wretch's cupidity is undergoing a horrible fate in one of these cells," said he, more as speaking to himself. "Can you go and see if there are any there?"

"You say right," replied the sardar, musingly. "Probably in that case, these doors are locked; but I can speak, and the prisoner, if any there is, will doubtless reply." The sardar again made a wick and proceeded to examine. To his