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26
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1896.
task was very difficult, wanted somehow to continue it for a short time, waiting for an opportunity to plunder the woman. But she was not a person so easily to be made the subject of their deception.
One noon, when both the rogues were absent on their duty, she buried, in a very secret corner of her house, all her treasure, and locked up in the box heavy things, like broken pieces of stones, old rotten iron, etc. The box and the seal and everything was left in its original shape. After the rogues had their supper that night, she called them both near her, and slowly whispered to them thus:
"My sons, as you have made up your mind to live with me like my own children, you must little by little, know all my ways. I keep my box of money in the house during the white half of the month; in the dark half of the month I throw the box in the well. It is always better to be safe, as we live in a wood. Kindly help me, my dears, by removing the box to the side of the well, and by dropping it down there gently without making noise."
The rogues did not suspect anything, for, more or less, the reason of what she did seemed very natural, and so they assisted her in removing the box to the well side and dropping it in. The old woman held up the light as they did the work.
At about midnight the rogues went to the well. The Tanjore Rogne stood on the brink, while the Trichinopoly Rogue entered by the aid of a strong rope, one end of which was in the hand of the Tanjore Rogue. As everything had to be done very secretly the pikotta was not resorted to in order to get down into the well. The Trichinopoly Rogue went into the water and brought up the box in one dive, but he said that he had not yet secured the box, and that he must have a second, a third, and a fourth dive. Meanwhile, he opened the box in the well itself, and found by touch that himself and his friend at the month of the well had been deceived. It now struck him that be might have been deceived again by the Tanjore Rogue What guarantee was there that he would be safely lifted up? So he addressed him as follows:What immense treasure this box contains! It is very heavy. When I am ready I shall shake the rope which I have attached to the box. But be very careful in drawing up the box, for if the rope breaks in the middle the whole weight of the box will fall on my head and I shall die. After drawing up the box let down the rope again for me, and draw me up."
"My friend, our miseries are at an end.
The Trichinopoly Rogue then proceeded to seat himself in the box, removing all the stuff in it for the purpose.
The Tanjore Rogue drew up the box, and as soon as it reached the surface, he lifted it up, placed it on his head, and went off as fast as he could. His object in this was to evade the Trichinopoly Rogue, and take the whole property for his own use. When he had gone far enough to begin to feel safe from pursuit a voice fell on his ears: -
"Walk a little slower, my friend."
"What! has the Trichinopoly Rogue followed me?" He stopped for a minute, then quickened his pace a little. Again the same words fell on his ears:
"Walk a little slower, my friend."
Again he stopped, and, putting down the box, discovered the Trichinopoly Rogue, whom he had imagined all this while to be pining away at the bottom of the well, in the box itself.
"Was it proper on your part to have deceived me thus ?" asked the Tanjore Rogue.
"Was it proper on your part to have deceived me thus?" replied the Trichinopoly Rogue, and added that if he had not adopted that plan he would have been left in the well, as proved by the action of the Tanjore Rogue.
For a third time they came to an agreement that they should not deceive each other thus, but it was of no avail. They soon parted company, and went away to different places to try their skill independently.
