CHAPTER XVI.
I had not seen Bhudrinath now for some days, and fearing he might thinkme neglectful, I went to the serai in which he and the men had put up."Ah!" cried he, when he saw me approach, "so we are at last permittedto see the light of your countenance; what, in the name of Bhowanee,have you been about? I have sought you in vain for the last three days."
"Tell me," said I, "what you have been doing, and you shall know myadventures afterwards."
"Well, then," said he, "in the first place, I have made a series ofpoojahs and sacrifices at the different temples around this mostMahomedan of cities; secondly, I have seen and mixed in the Mohorum;and lastly, I have assisted to kill seven persons."
"Killed seven persons!" I exclaimed in wonder, "how, in the name of theProphet, did you manage that?"
"Nothing more easy, my gay young jemadar," he replied: "do you not knowthat this is the Karwan, where travellers daily arrive in numbers,and from which others are as frequently departing? Nothing is easierthan to beguile them to accompany us a short distance, pretendingthat we are going the same road: why a Thug might live here for ever,and get a decent living. The people (my blessings on them!) are mostunsuspicious; and, thanks to Hunooman and his legions, there isno want of rocks and wild roads about the city, which give capitalopportunities for destroying them."
"Ajaib!" I exclaimed, "this is very wonderful; and who were they?"
"Not in the least extraordinary," said Bhudrinath coolly, "if you thinkon it;--but to answer your question. The first was a Bunnea who wasgoing to Beeder; we took him to Golconda, and buried him among thetombs, and we got seventy rupees and some pieces of gold from him.The second were two men and their wives, who said they were goingto Koorungul: where that is Bhugwan knows! but it is somewhere in asoutherly direction. We killed them about three coss from the city,among some rocks, and left them there."
"That was wrong," said I, "you should have buried them."
"Not at all wrong, my friend; who will take the trouble of inquiringafter them? Besides, we had not time, for the day had fully dawned,and we feared interruption from travellers; we got above two hundredrupees, and two ponies, which I have sold for thirty rupees."
"Well," said I, "these make five; and the other two?"
"They lie there," said Bhudrinath, pointing to where a horse waspicketed; "they were poor devils, and not worth the trouble of takingout; we only got forty-two rupees from both."
"Dangerous work," said I; "you might have been seen."
"Oh, no fear of an old hand like me; every one was off to the city togape at the show, and we were left alone. I was deliberating whether weshould not accompany them on the road we came in by, and by which theywere going; but Surfuraz Khan cut short my doubts and uncertainties bystrangling one fellow on the spot, and I followed his example with theother; the bodies were concealed till night, and then buried."
"But is there no fear of the grave bursting?" I asked. He laughed."Fear! oh no, they lie deep enough; and you know our old tricks."
"Well," said I, "it is most satisfactory, and I have missed all this,have been a fool, and have lost my mistress into the bargain."
Bhudrinath laughed immoderately; but seeing the gravity of my face, hesaid, "Never mind, Meer Sahib, care not for my merriment; but truly thyface wore so lackadaisical an expression, that for my life I could nothave refrained. Cheer up, man, there is plenty of work in store foryou; women will be faithless, and young and hot-brained fellows willgrieve for them; but take a friend's advice, make your profession yourmistress, and she at least will never disappoint you."
"Your advice is good," said I; "nevertheless the mistress I have lostis, as you know, worthy of regret, and I shall miss her for many a day.But tell me, what have you now in hand,--anything in which I may have ashare?"
"Why no," he replied, "nothing; but if you are so inclined, we willtake a ramble this evening through the bazars, we may perhaps pick upsomebody."
"Of course I will be with you, for in truth my hand will get out ofpractice if I neglect work. But have you seen my father?"
"I have not," said Bhudrinath; "I hear he is very much engaged aboutthe property, and do not like to disturb him."
"You are right, he is," said I; "but he will finish all to-day, and getthe money. I suppose after that we shall not stay long here, and for mypart I care not how soon we set off; I am anxious for new scenes andadventures, and we are not likely to do much here. Is not Surfuraz Khanhere?"
"No; he is gone with a party of seven travellers towards Puttuncherroo,and has taken ten or fifteen of the best of the men with him; he willnot be back probably before night, if then."
"Who were the travellers?"
"Bunneas, I heard," said Bhudrinath carelessly; "I did not see themmyself, and Surfuraz Khan was in too great a hurry to give me anyinformation."
"Out upon me!" I exclaimed, vexed at my idleness; "here have I beenamusing myself while all this has been going on: for the sake of theProphet, let us do something soon, that I may settle scores with myconscience, for I have hardly assurance enough to look you in the faceafter my behaviour."
"Well," said he, "come this evening; if we can't decoy any one, we willkill somebody for amusement and practice."
"I agree," said I; "for by Alla! I must do something. I am asmelancholy as a camel, and my blood, which boiled enough yesterday,seems now scarcely to run through me;--it is not to be borne."
I found when I reached home that the dullal had arrived, and with himthe sahoukar's clerk, and some porters to carry the goods, as well asfellows with matchlocks and lighted matches, and others with swords andshields, to escort them. I stared at them. "One would think you weregoing to battle, Sethjee," said I, "with all those fierce fellows; I amhalf afraid of them."
The fellows laughed; and the clerk replied, "They are necessary, and wealways have them. If our goods were stolen, nay, carried off before oureyes, should we get any redress? no indeed: we therefore protect ourproperty the best way we can."
"Now," said my father, "take your goods and be off with them; they areno longer mine, and I fear to allow them to remain under my roof."
"Surely," said the clerk, "they will be out of your way directly; andnow let us speak about your money, or will you take some merchandise aspart of it?"
"Not a bit, not a bit," replied my father; "I want all my money inrupees--no, stay, not all in rupees; give me five thousand in silverand the rest in gold, it will be easier carried."
"I suppose you mean five thousand rupees, and the rest in gold bars;well, you must purchase gold according to weight, and the best istwenty rupees a tola;--but you had better take bills, and the exchangeis favourable."
"No, no; no bills," said my father, "but the gold. If I rememberrightly, the price of gold was high when I left Delhi, and was likelyto remain so; and I have plenty of persons for my guard if robbersshould attack me."
"You forget me," cried the dullal, "and my percentage."
"Make yourself easy," said I; "it will be paid out of the five thousandrupees; it will be about fifteen hundred, I think."
"What did you say? fifteen hundred! to whom?" asked the clerk.
"To this dullal," said I; "I suspect the rascal is cheating us."
"Cheating! surely he is; why Mohun Das, good man, what have you beenabout? are you mad, to ask so much?"
"Ah, it was my lord's offer and promise," said he, "and surely I shallnow get it! pray what business is it of yours?"
"What ought he to have?" asked my father.
"One per cent. is ample," replied the other: "and you might have savedthis too, if you had only applied yourself to the different sahoukars."
"We were strangers," said I, "and knew not their places of residence;so we were obliged to have recourse to this rascal, who offered hisservices."
"What! did you not take me from the Char-Minar? did you not promise mefive per cent., and bind me to secrecy about the sale of your goods?"cried the dullal.
"Listen to him," said
my father; "he raves. Now, Meer Sahib, did notthis bhurwa come begging and beseeching for employment, and when Isaid I would try him, and asked his terms, he said he was miserablypoor, and would take whatever was given him; was it not so? And now,Punah-i-Khoda, we are to be bearded in this manner, defrauded offifteen hundred rupees, where we have not as many cowrees to give, andmade to eat dirt into the bargain. Beat him on the mouth with a shoe!spit on him! may he be defiled so that Ganges water would not purifyhim! may his mother, sisters, and all his female relatives be----"
"Nay, my good friend," said the sahoukar's clerk, "be not thus rash andhot-headed, nor waste your breath upon so mean a wretch; since you haveemployed him, something must be given, it is the custom, and next timeyou will know better; say, may I pay him the one per cent., which willbe three hundred and six rupees?"
"Three hundred and six rupees! Alla, Alla! where am I to get the half?"cried my father: "for the love of the Prophet, get me off what you can;I swear by your head and eyes that I am a poor man, and only an agent;is it not so, Meer Sahib? am I not miserably poor?"
"You certainly cannot afford to pay so much money as one per cent.on this large sum," I replied; "nevertheless, as such appears to bethe custom, you had better give something, say one hundred and fiftyrupees."
"Certainly," said my father; "I am ready; I will not refuse anything inreason; but so large a sum--I was quite astounded at the impertinenceof the demand, and lost my temper, like a fool."
Mohun Das stood all this time with his eyes and mouth wide open,looking from one to the other, every word that was uttered increasinghis astonishment and disappointment. "Do you pretend to say," screamedhe at last, "do you pretend to say that I am not to get my money, myfifteen hundred rupees, for which I have toiled night and day? And doyou pretend to say I came to you first? did you not take me with youfrom the Char-Minar?"
"Nay, here is the Char-Minar again; for the sake of Alla," said I tothe clerk, "if you really know this fellow, advise him to be quiet;what have I, who am a soldier, to do with his filthy traffic; he mayprovoke a patient man once too often, and people with weapons in theirhands are not safe persons to play jokes with;" and I twisted up mymustachios.
I have told you, Sahib, what a coward the fellow was: he fell instantlyon the ground and rubbed his forehead against the floor. "Pardon!pardon!" he cried, "most brave sirs! anything, whatever you choose togive me, even ten rupees, will be thankfully received, but do not killme, do not put me to death;--see, I fall at your feet, I rub my nose inthe dust."
"You fool," cried the clerk, holding his sides with laughter, for hewas a fat man; "you fool; ah, Mohun Das, that I should have seen this!In the name of Narayun, who will do you any harm? Are you a child--you,with those mustachios? Shame on you, man; dullal as you are, besomething less of a coward; get up, ask for your money boldly, ask forwhatever these gentlemen please to give you, though indeed you deservenothing for your impertinent attempt at deception."
He got up and stood on his left leg, with the sole of the right footagainst the calf, his hands joined, his turban all awry, and theexpression of his face most ludicrously miserable.
"Ten rupees, my lord," he faltered out; "your slave will take tenrupees." We all once more burst into a peal of laughter; the Gomashta'ssides appeared to ache, and the tears ran down his cheeks.
"Ai Bhugwan! Ai Narayun!" cried he, catching his breath; "that I shouldhave seen this; Ai Sitaram! but it is most amusing. Ten rupees! whyman," said he to the miserable dullal, "you just now wanted fifteenhundred!"
"Nay," said my father, "let him have his due; you said one hundred andfifty,--that he shall have; do you, Meer Sahib, go with this worthysahoukar to his kothee, and bring the money; I dare say he will giveyou a guard back, and you can hire a porter for the gold and silver."
"Certainly, you shall have the men," said the Gomashta: "and now comealong; I shall have to collect the gold, and it may be late beforeit can be weighed and delivered to you, and the rupees passed by asuraff." As we went on, the dullal said to me, "You will pay me at thekothee, will you not?"
"We will see," said I; "the money is none of mine, and I will askadvice on the subject."
"Not your money! Whose then?"
"Why his who has employed you, and from whom you are to get one hundredand fifty rupees," I said; "are you a fool? Why do you ask?"
"Ah nothing, only I was thinking--"
"Thinking of what?" I asked; "some rascality I doubt not."
"Ah," said he, "now you speak as you did at the Char-Minar."
"By Alla!" said I, stopping and looking at him, "if ever you mentionthat word again--"
"Never, never!" cried the wretch, trembling; "do not beat me; rememberit is the open street, and there will be a disturbance; the wordsescaped me unawares, just as I was thinking--"
"That is twice you have said that, and by Alla! I think you have somemeaning in it; what _would_ you be at?"
"Nothing, nothing," said he; "only I was thinking--"
"Well!"
"I was only thinking that you are an adventurer, who has accompaniedthat rich merchant from Hindostan."
"Well, and what of that? you knew that before."
"You are not rich?"
"No indeed," said I, "I am not."
"Then," said the wretch, "why not both of us enrich ourselves."
"How?" I asked.
"Refuse the guard, or take some men I will guide you to; they will dowhatever you like for five rupees a piece; we will fly with the money,and there is a place in the rocks close to this where I have plunderhidden--we will go thither and share it."
"Where is the place you allude to--is it far?" I asked.
"No," said he; "will you come? I can show it you from a distance;we need not get up the rocks--there is danger of being seen in thedaytime."
I followed him for a little distance, and he pointed to a huge pile ofrocks at the back of the Karwan and Begum Bazar. "There, do you see awhite spot about half-way up on a rock?"
"I do," said I.
"That is the spot," he replied; "it is known but to myself and a fewothers; whatever I can pick up I put there."
"What do you get?"
"Ah, little enough; sometimes a shawl, a brocade handkerchief, or somegold, anything in fact. But why do you ask? Will you do what I said andjoin us? there are sixteen of us; one is yonder disguised as a Fakeer,the rest are hard by and will accompany us."
"Dog!" cried I, dashing him to the earth, "dog! dost thou know to whomthou speakest? Here there is no one," (for we had got to the back ofthe houses,) "and it were an easy task to send thee to Jehanum; oneblow of my sword, and that false tongue would cease to speak for ever:"and I half drew it. I knew the effect this would have: there was thesame grovelling cowardice he had displayed before! he clung to myknees; I spurned him and spit on him. "Reptile!" cried I at length,wearied by his abjectness, "I would scorn to touch thee: a Syud ofHindostan is too proud to stoop to such game as thou art; lead me tothe Sahoukar, for by Alla I distrust thee!"
"Nay, in this matter I have been honest," said the wretch; "the moneyis sure."
"It will be well for thee that it is," said I, "or I swear to berevenged; lead on, and beware how you go; if I see one attempt atescape I will cut you in two, were it in the middle of the bazar."
"Then follow me closely," said he; and he gathered up his garments,which had become disordered, and we again entered the crowded bazar. Wewere soon at the Sahoukar's, who awaited us: the money and gold weretold out, and a receipt I had brought with me given, and accompanied bythe guard of soldiers I took the treasure to my father.
"Meer Sahib, kind Meer Sahib," said the Dullal, as we approached ourdwelling, "you will forget all that has passed; Bhugwan knows I wasonly jesting with you; I love to play such tricks,--nay, I have alwaysbeen of a jesting disposition:" and he laughed in his terror. "You willnot forget my little perquisite, my hundred and fifty rupees, I knowyou will not."
"Peace!" cried I, "if you wish to get a cowree. Has i
t not beenpromised to thee on the word of two of the faithful? Thou shalt get theuttermost farthing."
I dismissed the sepoys with a small present when the money had beenlodged in our strong-room, and as they went, the miserable Dullallooked after them as though he thought with them had departed his lastchance for existence. It certainly drew to a close. "Give me my moneyand let me depart," said he in a hollow voice.
"Wait," said I, "till it is counted out for you."
"Ah, I had forgotten the Dullaljee," cried my father; "I will get outhis due."
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