groan he then produced the twenty-five hundred rupees never before heard of bakshish or graft.
“Now, if you come to Firoz Khan’s house in half an hour,” concluded Lambert, “I’ll guarantee to clear the whole matter up. If you doubt my good faith you can send along an escort to see I don’t mean to escape, but they must obey my orders or the guarantee is off.”
So accompanied by some of the palace officers Lambert returned to Firoz Khan’s house through the growing popular tumult. At the door Lambert ordered the escort to remain and prevent any one’s entrance. Then he went up to his room, and making sure that he was not observed, took the jewels out of the trunk. Then he leaned out of the window and tossed the trinkets one by one on to the ledge of the buttress. The monkeys at once set up a chattering of delight.
“That’s what you get for stealing my suspenders,” he exclaimed, as he flung the last jewel toward them. “Make the most of your short dream of wealth.”
Then he went down and talked with the palace officers until Dunker Rao arrived. Lambert at once led Dunkar Rao to the roof, and conducted him to a spot overlooking the buttress. The gray whiskered monkey had cocked the king’s crown on his head, and appropriated most of the other jewels, but his chief pride seemed to lie in Lambert's suspenders, which he wore as an order of merit across his breast.
“I guess that’s the biggest thief of the lot,” remarked Lambert, pointing to the gray whiskered monkey. “There may be some excuse for the others, but that old villain deserves all he may get.”
Dark faces peered over the edge of the roof with exclamations of surprise and wonder. But the source of
