money--for the soldiers would not sell except for cash; but for a few
rupees they were ready to part with anything. Strings of pearls, worth a
thousand pounds, were bought for a couple of rupees--four shillings;
diamond aigrettes, worth twice as much, went for a sovereign; and the
Warreners soon laid out the seventy pounds which they had between them
when they entered the palace; and their pockets and the breasts of their
coats were stuffed with their purchases, and each had a bundle in his
handkerchief.

"I wonder," Dick said, as they made their way back, "whether we have been
fools or wise men. I have not a shadow of an idea whether these things are
only the sham jewels which dancing girls wear, or whether they are real."

"It was worth running the risk, anyhow; for if only half of them are real
they are a big fortune. Anyhow, Dick, let's hold our tongues about it.
It's no use making fellows jealous of our good luck if they turn out to be
real, or of getting chaffed out of our lives if they prove false. Let us
just stow them away till it's all over, and then ask father about them."

It was calculated that twenty thousand soldiers and camp-followers
obtained loot of more or less value, from the case of jewelry, valued at
one hundred thousand pounds, that fell into the hands of an officer, to
clocks, candelabra, and articles of furniture, carried off by the least
fortunate. The value of the treasure there was estimated at ten millions
of money at the lowest computation.

The fall of the Kaiserbagh utterly demoralized the enemy; and from that
moment they began to leave the town by night in thousands. Numbers were
cut off and slaughtered by our cavalry and artillery; but large bodies
succeeded in escaping, to give us fresh trouble in the field.