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176 THE FIVE WISE WORDS OF THE GURU
corner waiting for the news of Earn Singh's death, so that she might eat her breakfast.
Hours passed, and stare as he might from the window no messenger could be seen.
At last the prince could bear it no longer, and hastily disguising himself so that no one should recognise him, he jumped on a horse and galloped out to the hunting-tower, where the rajah had told him that the execution was to take place. But, when he got there, there was no execution going on. There were only some men engaged in building, and a number of soldiers idly watching them. He forgot that he had disguised himself and that no one would know him, so, riding up, he cried out:
' Now then, you men, why are you idling about here instead of finishing what you came to do ? When is it to be done ? '
At his words the soldiers looked at the commanding officer, who was standing a little apart from the rest. Unperceived by the prince he made a slight sign, a sword flashed in the sun, and off flew a head on the ground beneath!
As part of the prince's disguise had been a thick beard, the men did not recognise the dead man as the rajah's brother ; but they wrapped the head in a cloth, and buried the body as their commander bade them. When this was ended, the officer took the cloth, and rode off in the direction of the palace.
Meanwhile the rajah came home from his council, and to his great surprise found neither head nor brother awaiting him; as time passed on, he became uneasy, and thought that he had better go himself and see what the matter was. So ordering his horse he rode off alone.
It happened that, just as the rajah came near to the temple where Earn Singh still sat, the young treasurer, hearing the sound of a horse's hoofs, looked over his. shoulder and saw that the rider was the rajah himself I |
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