to-day last night sent a salaam that I would listen to a matter of
value. Not wishing to have the hated presence of the murderer in the
room near where was Amir Khan I went below to where in a rock cell was
this Hunsa. This is the matter he spoke of, no doubt hoping that it
would make me more merciful, therefore, of a surety I think it is a
lie. It is well known, Sahib, that the Rana of Udaipur had a beautiful
daughter, and Raja Jaipur and Raja Marwar both laid claim to her hand;
even Sindhia wanted the princess, but being a Mahratta--who are nothing
in the way of breeding such as are the Children of the Sun--dust was
thrown upon his beard. But the Rajputs fly to the sword over
everything and a terrible war ensued in which Udaipur was about ruined.
Then one hyena, garbed as the Minister of State, persuaded the cowardly
Rana to sacrifice Princess Kumari to save Udaipur.

"All this is known, Sahib, and that she, with the courage of a
Rajputni, drained the cup that contained the poison brewed from poppy
leaves, and died with a smile on her lips, saying, 'Do not cry, mother;
to give my life for my country is nothing.' That is the known story,
Sahib. But what Hunsa related was that Kumari did not die, but lives,
and has the name of Bootea the Gulab."

The Chief turned his eyes quizzically upon the Englishman, who muttered
a half-smothered cry of surprise.

"It can't be--how could the princess be with men such?"

"Better there than sacrifice. Hunsa learned of this thing through
listening beneath the wall of a tent at night while one Ajeet Singh
spoke of it to the Gulab. It was that the Rana got a yogi, a man
skilled in magical things, either drugs or charms, and that Kumari was