"So", said the Jemadar, "you have all been aiding and abetting
your friend in the murder of poor Madari's only son." "May it please
your excellency, we have never heard of any murder." "Impudent
scoundrels," roared the Jemadar, "does not the poor boy lie dead in
the sugar-cane field, and is not his highness the Thanadar coming to
hold an inquest upon it? and do you take us for fools enough to
believe that any scoundrel among you would venture to commit a
deliberate murder without being aided and abetted by all the rest?"
The village watchman began to feel some apprehension that he had been
too precipitate; and entreated the Jemadar to go first and see the
body of the boy. "What do you take us for," said the Jemadar, "a
thing without a stomach? Do you suppose that government servants can
live and labour on air? Are we to go and examine bodies upon empty
stomachs? Let his father take care of the body, and let these
murdering shopkeepers provide us something to eat." Nine rupees'
worth of sweetmeats, and materials for a feast were forthwith
collected at the expense of the shopkeepers, who stood bound, and
waiting the arrival of his highness the Thanadar, who was soon after
seen approaching majestically upon a richly caparisoned horse.
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