Page:Thirty-five years in the East.djvu/87

Rh Although my post was at that time not fixed, and consequently I did not depend on, nor was I subject to any one I nevertheless imagined that my departure for the mountains had met with the consent of Runjeet Sing. But it was not so. The young Rajah, who had a secret disease, had induced me privately to accompany him, whilst Runjeet Sing, in my four months' absence, inquired after me several times of General Avitabile, who had first introduced me to him. It was, probably, for that reason that he detained me for nine months without giving me my dismissal, or appointing me to any office. General Allard said to me one day,jesting, "It is very difficult to get an appointment here, but still mors so to get one's dismissal, when once in office." He himself, feeling an excessive longing to revisit his dear native land, after an absence of so many years, petitioned for a short leave of absence, which the sly Runjeet Sing repeatedly promised, but a long time elapsed before he obtained it.

On the third day after our starting for the mountains, we arrived at Suchetghur, at the foot of the hills, not far from Samba. We made our journey partly on horses, and partly on elephants. At that place, the rajah had his stables and cannon-foundry, and several new-cast cannons and mortars were tried in his presence. One of the former burst, and a gulendas (Indian artilleryman) was stunned. The rajah requested me to examine the man, who complained of a violent pain on his right side, accompanied by severe shivering ; but, to the great astonishment of all the spectators, there was not the least trace of any external violence, whereupon the rajah himself, considering the case insignificant, opposed my wish to bleed him, and sent him some of his own mumiai. But at ten o'clock at night, about five hours after the accident had taken place, a messenger was sent by the rajah requesting me to attend the man, and bleed him. I instantly complied, and found that he had been, according to the custom of the Hindoos, taken out of his charpai ( bed ) and laid on the floor, where he expired in agony before I could give him any assistance. I do not know whether his liver was injured or not, a post-mortem