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80 [voice, as he] gazed steadily on his silent comrade as if [to ask] what he thought of the [matter.]

"Yes, sardar, he speaks truth," said Bhiku, [breaking] silence for the first time, "why else should he [kill] the woman."

"I was going to kill her," said Rajmohan with a shudder, "for having done the very deed you charge me with."

"The woman! the woman! Kill the woman," said the sardar as he sprang to the spot where he had seen Rajmohan's wife sink at her husband's uplifted blade.

He alighted on a heap of clothes which he had mistaken for his intended victim in the dim light of the expiring lamp.

"Wretch" muttered he, "you need not escape me—don't think a sardar can't hunt you out in this little room."

"Stop," said Rajmohan, recovering the accustomed energy of his voice, "none but myself touches my wife; unbind me."

"Unbind him, Bhiku, while I drag her out by her hair," said the sardar as he jumped to another corner where he saw something white again. Bhiku quickly cut Rajmohan's bandages with his sword. "Het! clothes again!" muttered the robber as again he struck the hilt of his sword at a cane petara. "but! out! wicked woman," said he highly exasperated and struck his weapon here and there on the bedstead. There was no Matangini on the bedstead.