Jagat Singha supplicated with clasped hands,
"Sire, if instead of redeeming my word, I waste the Emperor's troops, let me meet with condign punishment."
After thinking a while, the Raja said,
"God forbid that I should hinder the free exercise of your Rajput virtue. Look! here I entrust you with this business."
Saying this, he embraced the Prince with much feeling and bade him farewell.
CHAPTER V.
GARMANDARAN.
The traces of the road along which Jagat Singha returned from Vishnupur to Jahanabad, still exist. At some distance to the south of it, is the village of Garmandaran. The women whom Jagat Singha met in the temple, went towards this village. Several ancient forts were situated in Garmandaran, which may probably have owed its name to that circumstance. The river Amodara flowed through it. At one place, it so much deviated from the right line, that two sides of a triangular piece of land were completely surrounded; on the third, rose a rock-cut fort. At the head of this piece of land, and just where the river first entered, rose a stupendous castle from the water, piercing Heaven. The pile was composed entirely of black stone. The strong current laved its two sides. The traveller still sees the massive ruins of this impregnable fortress;—only the lower part now remains, the building having been reduced to a heap of ruins by the destructive
