Shajts from aic IZastern Quiver.

V.—THIE SWORD-HIL'T OF THE TDOI, AT DELHI

By CHARrLES ], Maxsrorp, B.A.

L.

AM sorry that we could not persuade Hassan to join us in this attempt,” 1 said to Denviers; *“he is a strange character i some respects, but I have no doubt his know- ledge of these Hindu temples would have been of great service to us in this scrape. 1 wonder 1f we shall escape with our lives ?”

“Can’t say, Harold,” responded my com- panion ; “we are evidently in for it at present. Look at that trecacherous guide —how [ wish we could hear what he 1s telling the Brah- mins ! We were fools to trust him, in face of what Hassan said to the contrary, when he endeavoured to dissuade us from entering the temple. It was a rchigious scruple entirely which in- fluenced our own gutde when he rcfused to come— the Arab 1s brave cnough otherwise! ”

“Never mind, I'rank,” T replied ; “i1f things come to the worst we shall die game, no doubt, but 1 certainly would prefer to continue our adven- tures and travels to being finished off by these fanatics. What villainous countenances they have !'”

We were prisoners In - a temple ncar Delhi. After seeing the wonderful rock of Hestra, we started next day mn the direction of the Suliman Moun- tams. Thence we proceeded to ILa-

hore, and, crossing SRR EE v E

v Tl BEAHAMINS,

the Punjab, paid a visit to the great fair of Hurdwar, and were now at the sacred city of Delhi, in a difficulty which threat- cned to ceffectually terminate our wanderings. We had a special reason for visiting this temple, for during our travels in Persia we had been entertained on one occasion by a famous Parsee at Shiraz. From him we obtained certain information which in- spired us with the suicidal notion that we could penetrate into a Hindu temple, succeed in abstracting from it a long-hidden treasure, and thus have sufficient wealth at our disposal to cnable us to mdulge in whatever travels we cared to undertake without interfering with the proceeds of our first adventure.

We had won his confidence by abjuring in his presence the fragrant weed, for fire in any form was sacred to him, even when contained in the pipe of peace. Talkmg to the Gucbre for some time, we eventually succeeded n per- suading him to speak of Nadhir Shah. He related to us a rumour, wnich was current in Persia, to the cffcet that during his two monthy’ occupation of Delhi, this famous Shah had hidden some fine brilliants mn a temple, and to scurc their safety until his departure, a special mode of concealing them had been devised. He averred, with his hand upon his beard, that in the inner court of the temple an 1dol had

Yol. iv.—s7,