Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/163

 put his hand upon the idol. Let one amongst you take the ring, I will point out the man."

The Hindoos looked at him with reverence; they all separately entered the dwelling, and did as they were ordered. The jāmadār performed the same ceremony, although he was a Mussulmān. On their appearing before the gosāin, he desired them all to show their hands, and having examined them with much attention, he exclaimed, looking at the hands of the jāmadār, "You are the thief!" The man held up his hands to heaven, exclaiming, "God is great, and you are a wonderful man! I, a Mussulmān, did not believe in your power; your words are words of truth; I took the ring, here it is: if it be your pleasure, you can, doubtless, point out the man who stole the rupees."

The gosāin then told the people, that unless the money were forthcoming the next day, he would come and point out the thief. That evening the jāmadār roamed around the house, calling out in the most dismal voice imaginable, "You had better put back the rupees, you had better put back the rupees." The police came, and wished to carry off Ram Din to prison, because he was the servant who had put the money by my side. The man looked at me. "Is it your will? I am a Rajpoot, and shall lose caste; I have served you faithfully, I am present."

"Who will be security that you will not run away?" said the barkandāz. I replied, "I will be his security: Ram Din will remain with us, and when the magistrate sends for him, I will answer for it he will be present." The man's eyes filled with tears: it was the greatest compliment I could pay him: he made a deep sālām, saying, "Mem sāhiba! Mem sāhiba!" in an agitated and grateful tone. The next morning the jāmadār informed me that a bag was on the top of the wardrobe in my dressing-room, and none of the servants would touch it. I went to the spot, and desired Ram Din to take it down.

"This is the cloth that contained the rupees," said the man, "and it has never been opened; I know it by a peculiar knot that I always tie." He opened the bag, and found the whole of the money.