"
Charlie went in. One of the little creatures was lying upon the
ground, evidently in a state of great agony. The other was sitting up,
rocking itself backwards and forwards, like a human being in pain.
"They look bad, poor little beasts," Charlie said; "but what has that
got to do with my soup?"
"Shure, yer honor, isn't that jist what I keep the cratures for, just
to give them a taste of everything yer honor has, and I claps it into
the oven there to kape it warm till I've had time to see, by the
monkeys, whether it's good."
"It looks very serious," Charlie said, gravely. "Do you go quietly
out, Tim, call two men from the guardhouse, and seize the cook; and
place one or two men as sentries over the other servants. I will go
across to the rajah."
The latter, on hearing what had happened, ordered the cook to be
brought before him, together with the various dishes prepared for the
dinner. The man, upon being interrogated, vehemently denied all
knowledge of the affair.
"We shall see," the rajah said. "Eat up that plate of soup."
The man turned pale.
"Your highness will observe," he stammered, "that you have already
told me that one of these dishes is poisoned.
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