Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/63

Rh the Khansama and pointed out to him the wound on his forehead he had received at the hand of his master, as well as several bruises he had sustained by falling on the rubbish heap.

All this was in the hearing of the tea-planter, but he did not feel that there was any necessity of correcting his servant. He merely murmured to himself—"What liars these damned natives are!"

The First Information drawn up, the D. S. P. said to his Daroga—"You must arrest the culprits this very evening. Don't let them out on bail during the night." He then bade good night to the tea-planter and left.

The Daroga then approached the tea-planter and said with much deference,

"Will the Huzoor be pleased to give the Khansama leave of absence for a little while to come with me and identify the accused?"

"All right, you may go Khansama. Show the culprits to the Daroga."

The Khansama, with great hesitancy, said—"They were a large number of boys, Huzoor, and it was getting dark. I doubt if I could identify them."

"Soor,"—thundred [sic] his master—"If you can't identify the accused, I will dismiss you instantly."