The garden was a large cir woh—"; and some, as a the garden gate, followed by sign of utter abandonment, the officials. actually crammed earth into their mouths and swallowed cular enclosure, separate from it. A space was quickly cleared the house, and surrounded by by the Police, and the District a high wall built of stone. Magistrate sent in a request The only entrance was by the to see some responsible member gate which they now apof the household, whereupon proached, and it was flanked Mohamedshah and Imamali by a number of huts, inhabited came forth. After the usual by fakirs, beggars dependant salaams and such condolences on the Pir's bounty, darkas were appropriate to the faced scowling fellows, who occasion, the District Magis- looked on the proceedings with trate announced his intention lowering brows. "Sahib," said of taking charge of the Pir's Imamali to the District Magistreasure in order that it might trate, "let these men be sent be handed on intact to his away, lest they speak of this successor in peace and safety. to others and I be cut to Mohamedshah listened to this pieces. There are Hurs among proposal without enthusiasm, them." and hesitated to reply, but on being pressed, he observed sulkily that Imamali knew all the secrets of the family, and was in charge of the garden where the treasure was probably buried. The old vazir was put out of countenance, and trembled visibly at the responsibility thus thrust upon him. He joined his hands before Mohamedshah, and besought him in the name of God. He then turned in the same attitude of entreaty to the District Magistrate, saying, "Sahib, if I show you the secret places I shall be cut in pieces." "Who will cut you in pieces?" he was asked; but to that question he gave no answer at that time. "It is the sircar's order," said the District Magistrate; "lead the way, therefore, Imamali." So Imamali had to lead on towards From this it was apparent that Imamali, at least, was not a Hur, but he feared them. So when they entered, the gates were closed behind them, and sepoys posted on guard with strict orders to admit none. The garden was pleasant with fountains and flowers, oranges and limes, papayas and plantains, and many tall and shady trees. But Imamali walked among them uncertainly, for his mind was still wavering and reluctant, and he looked often at Mohamedshah for some sign of his will. After advancing some distance the two held a whispered consultation, and then at last Imamali, reaching a certain tree, picked up a spade that lay near, and began to dig among the roots. All those present watched him with eager interest, and saw that he uncovered the mouth of a buried earthernware jar, of the kind made famous in the story of Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Such jars are generally used for storing grain. The result, however, fell below expectation, for the jar contained nothing more than some loose earth and two rupees in coin. "What foolery is this?" said the District Magistrate impatiently. "We seek not empty jars, oh Imamali! but full ones. Doubtless you have put two rupees in an empty jar to show us, but that is a trick for children." And to Mohamedshah : "Is it fitting, Sahib, for your vazir to make a jest of us or is it that he and you have already taken the treasure for your selves?" At that the two conferred together in undertones, and then with more promptness the vazir moved forward to another tree, dug in the ground again, and revealed a second jar, of equal size with the first, filled to the brim with silver rupees. These being taken out and counted, numbered a lakh (one hundred thousand). As if now in the humour of revelation, Imamali proceeded to unearth a third jar also of one lakh of rupees, and then he halted. But the District Magistrate spoke in no uncertain voice: "We know that there are three lakhs. Show us also the third." This time both said there was no more to show; but their tones lacked the note of conviction, and their manner belied their words. The District Magistrate felt this, and pressed them very hard, till at length they gave way again, though apparently with even greater reluctance than before. Imamali led the way along a side-path to a remoter corner of the garden, where he dug deeply among some bushes, and finally disclosed a fourth jar full of gold gold in English sovereigns and in Turkish and Egyptian coin, mohurs of the Moguls, bars and ingots both stamped and unstamped. And on the top of this golden heap in the jar lay a folded paper written in Sindhi character. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was a Sindhi, read it aloud. It was in the form of a will of the late Pir, signed with his signature, bequeathing to Mohamedshah one lakh of rupees in gold. The contents of the pot were valued there and then. They amounted roughly to one lakh. The District Magistrate took charge of the paper, and placed the treasure under a guard. Neither threats nor persuasion could induce Imamali or Mohamedshah to produce anything further; they swore there was no other hoard of which they had knowledge. The last words of Imamali, addressed to the District Magistrate as he left the garden, were, "Let my part in this matter remain unknown, Sahib, or I shall be cut to pieces." Thus ended the episode of the treasure garden, which gave rise to considerable discussion among the officials. Did the emptiness of the first jar, except The for two rupees, come as a surprise to Mohamedshah and Imamali? No one had noticed their faces at the moment of discovery, for the attention of all those present was entirely absorbed in watching the excavation work. The odds were three to one against the emptiness of the first pot being a mere coincidence, and Imamali perhaps selected it in the hope of persuading the officials that there was no treasure at all to be found. Money had evidently been kept there. Then who had removed it? Pir in his lifetime, or somebody else during his illness or after his death? Imamali knew, and probably Mohamedshah, but no information was to be got from them. Was the will genuine? Why and by whom was it put there? Some thought and still think that it is a forgery, as the signature is not exactly like that of the old Pir, though resembling it. Others said that in his deathsickness his hand may have shaken as he wrote. The document is still among the secret papers in the office of the Collector and District Magistrate of Sukkur, perhaps; at all events, its full contents have not been published. Perhaps it purported to appoint Mohamedshah to wear the Turban besides bequeathing him a lakh of rupees, but history is silent on the point. The question, anyhow, is not of practical importance, for while the discussion was still going on and arrangements were being made for the safe custody of the gold and silver, a sort of coup d'état was achieved by Mohamedshah's opponents. The news came when the treasure-hunting party issued forth from the garden. There were other vazirs besides Imamali, and while the village was clear of officials, some of these, at the instance of his mother, took the young son of the old Pir hurriedly into the hall of reception, set him in the seat of his father with the sacred Turban on his head, and bowed down before him. And they brought in from the village some hundreds of people, who did obeisance to him and greeted him as "Pir Saheb " in the name of Allah. The die was now cast, and the main was called in his favour, for every Hur in the place, because he was the actual wearer of the Turban, became at once fixed in allegiance to him without regard to the rights of the matter. Some of the support of the vazirs was due to his very youth, which would ensure to them more influence and freedom of action than they would enjoy under the rule of an older man, who could check and govern them. The followers of Mohamedshah were at a disadvantage, and their enthusiasm was damped by fear of the Hurs. Nevertheless, the situation was still fraught with possibilities of trouble, and the District Magistrate and Police remained in camp there for several days, overawing the rival factions a We shall follow a while the fortunes of Imamali. For some months he continued to perform his duties as head of the household, but he was not happy under the new régime, nor was he regarded with favour by the vazirs of the council. Mohamedshah became a mere nonentity, whose influence was of no avail. So Imamali, having passed his seventieth year, retired from service, and took up his quarters with his daughter and her husband Hassanali, who lived in the Pir's village. and seeking a lasting settle- river; so he said to Hassanali ment of the dispute. At length that they would hire a bullockcompromise was reached. cart and take it to that place Mohamedshah, a lethargic and before floods made the roads unambitious young man, agreed impassable, which they did; to accept a lakh of rupees for and having loaded the cart in himself, and give up his claims. Dalor with his dues, Imamali The boy remained Pir, and his desired Hassan to drive it affairs were to be administered back to Pir-jo-goth. "I myduring his minority by a council self," said he, "propose to of five vazirs, who were duly journey onwards and visit Fatappointed. teh Mahomed, my friend, whom I have not seen for several years, on his island. He is rich and hospitable. First, I will go by camel to Yakubkhan's village, which is on the mainland opposite Fatteh Mahomed's, and there I will borrow a fisherman's boat to ferry me across the water." So Hassan returned home with the cart, not dreaming that he had seen his father-in-law for the last time. Imamali let it be known in Dalor that he sought a riding-camel to carry him the ten miles to Yakubkhan's, and on bazaar day, when people came in from the neighbouring villages to buy and sell, to watch wrestling matches and partridge fightings, to hear bhajans (music and singing), and to meet their friends, he found no difficulty in engaging a Jat (camel-driver) who was willing to take his camel in that direction. they set out early one morning, and in three hours came to Yakubkhan's; for there was delay on the road, caused by water, to avoid which they had to make a detour. Yakubkhan himself welcomed him with the usual polite saluta The hot weather came, and with it the river, which runs twelve miles to the west of Pir-jo-goth, began to rise. From a comparatively narrow stream meandering along in a wide bed, it spread over the whole bed, and began to climb the banks. Later on it would overflow the banks and engulf the lowlying lands alongside, often turning itself into a lake from five to ten miles across. It was not long after the commencement of this season that Imamali bethought himself of certain debts of grain and grass owing to him from men in the village of Dalor, near the So 66 I tions: Are you well? Is your Then Hassanali set out in health quite good? Is it so Then I congratulate you. am very pleased to hear it. Praise be to Allah. Mubarak! Shukrullah! It is good luck for me that I have the pleasure of meeting you again" and so on, to which Imamali replied in the same strain, though Yakubkhan was no particular friend of his. Imamali was then taken inside the zemindar's bungalow for rest and refreshment, while Allahbux, the son of Yakubkhan, was sent out to procure a boat for the guest. After a delay of an hour or more the boat was ready, and Imamali was escorted to the water's edge by his hosts. He invited Allahbux to accompany him, but that young zemindar excused himself. So Imamali took leave, embarked in the boat, and was poled across the "dhand," as they called it, by an old fisherman Chand and his son. Any swamp or overflow water or tank or jhil in Sind is a dhand. This particular one was merely a loop of the river with a very swift current, running behind the islands and cutting them off from the mainland by a channel one mile wide. Meanwhile Hassanali and his wife awaited the old man's return in Pir-jo-goth. Day after day passed and he did not come; nor did there come any news of him or any message to explain his absence, so they grew anxious, and feared that some mishap or illness had befallen him on the way. search. He came to Yakubkhan |