The Ruby Sword: A Romance of Baluchistan

by Bertram Mitford

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  INCIDENTAL.

  "I'm afraid, Nesta, my child, that your soldier friends will have toalight somewhere else if they want any chikor," pronounced Campian,subsiding upon a boulder to light his pipe. "We've railroaded themaround this valley to such purpose that you can't get within a couple ofhundred yards. When are they due, by the way--the sodgers, not thechikor?"

  "To-day, I think. They have been threatening for the last fortnight."

  "Threatening! Ingrate! Only think what a blessing their arrival willshed. You will hear all the latest `gup' from Shalalai, and have acouple of devoted poodles, all eagerness to frisk, and fetch and carry--wagging their tails for approving pats, and all that sort of thing. Andyou must be tired of this very quiet life, unrelieved save by a coupleof old fogies like yours truly and Upward?"

  "Ah, I'm tired of the `gup' of Shalalai. I'm not sure I'm not quitetired of soldiers."

  "That begins to look brisk for me, my dear girl, I being--bar Upward--nearly the only civilian in Baluchistan. The only flaw in this to mealluring vista now opened out is--how long will it last? First of all,sit down. There's no fun in standing unnecessarily."

  She sat down on the boulder beside him, and began to play with thesmoothness of the barrels of the gun, which leaned against the rockbetween them. It was early morning. These two had strolled _off_ downthe valley together directly after _chota hazri_--as they had taken todoing of late. A couple of brace of chikor lay on the ground at theirfeet, the smallness of the "bag" bearing out the accuracy of Campian'sprognostication as to the decadence of that form of sport. The sun,newly risen, was flooding the valley with a rush of golden ether;reddening the towering crags, touching, with a silver wand, the carpetof dewdrops in the valley bottom, and mist-hung spider webs whichspanned the juniper boughs--while from many a slab-like cliff came thecrowing of chikor, pretty, defiant in the safety of altitude--rejoicingin the newly-risen dawn.

  Some fifty yards off, Bhallu Khan, having spread his chuddah on theground, and put the shoes from off his feet--was devoutly performing theprescribed prostrations in the direction of the Holy City, repeating thewhile the aspirations and ascriptions wherewith the Faithful--good, badand indifferent--are careful to hallow the opening of another day.

  "You were asserting yourself tired of the garrison," went on Campian."Yes? And wherefore this--caprice, since but the other day you weresworn to the sabre?"

  "Was I? Well perhaps I've changed my mind. I may do that, you know.But I don't like any of those at Shalalai. And--the nice ones are allmarried."

  This escaped her so spontaneously, so genuinely, that Campian burst outlaughing.

  "Oh that's the grievance, is it?" he said. "And what about the otherswho are--not nice?"

  "Oh, I just fool them. Some of them think they're fooling me. I let itgo far enough, and then they suddenly find out I've been fooling them.It's rather a joke."

  "Ever taken anyone seriously?"

  "That's telling."

  "All right, then. Don't tell."

  She looked up at him quickly. Her eyes seemed to be trying to read hisface, which, beyond a slightly amused elevation of one eyebrow, wasabsolutely expressionless.

  "Well, I have then," she said, with a half laugh.

  "So? Tell us all about it, Nessita."

  She looked up quickly--"I say, that's rather a good name--I like it. Itsounds pretty. No one ever called me that before."

  "Accept it from me, then."

  "Yes, I will. But, do you know--it's awful cheek of you to call me bymy name at all. When did you first begin doing it, by the way?"

  "Don't know. I suppose it came so natural as not to mark an epoch.Couldn't locate the exact day or hour to save my life. Shall I returnto `Miss Cheriton?'"

  "You never did say that. You never called me anything--until--"

  "Likely. It's a little way I have. I say--It's rather fun chikorshooting in the early morning. What?"

  "That means, I suppose, that you're tired of talking, and would like togo on." And she rose from her seat.

  "Not at all. Sit down again. That's right. For present purposes itmeans that you won't go out with me any more like this of a morningafter those two Johnnies come."

  "You won't want me then. You can all go out together. I should only bein the way."

  "That remark would afford nine-tenths of the British Army theopportunity of retorting, `_You_ could never be that.' I, however, willbe brutally singular. Very probably you would be in the way--"

  "Thanks."

  "_If_ we all went out together--I was going to say when you interruptedme."

  A touch on the arm interrupted _hint_. It came from Bhallu Khan, who,having concluded his devotions was standing at Campian's side, makingvehement gesticulations of warning and silence.

  "Eh--what is it?" whispered Campian, looking eagerly in the directionpointed at by the other.

  The forester shook his head, and continued to gesticulate. Then he putboth forefingers to his head, one on each side above the ears, pointingupwards.

  "Does he mean he has seen the devil?" said Campian wonderingly. "Iguess he's trying to make us understand `horns.'"

  Nesta exploded in a peal of laughter, which, though melodious enough tohuman ears, must have had a terrifying effect on whatever had beendesignated by Bhallu Khan. He ceased to point eagerly through thescrub, but his new gesticulations meant unmistakably that the thing,whatever it might be, was gone.

  All the Hindustani they could muster between them--and that wasn'tmuch--failed to make the old forester understand. He smiled talked--then smiled again. Then they all laughed together--But that was all.

  Although actually on the scene of his midnight peril, Campian gave thatexperience no further thought. Nearly a fortnight had gone by sincethen, and no further alarm had occurred. Bhallu Khan had made inquiriesand in the result had learned that the adjacent and then somewhatdreaded Marri tribe was innocent of the playful little event which hadso nearly terminated Campian's allotted span of joys and sorrows. Theassailants were Brahuis, of a notoriously marauding clan of that tribe,located in the Khelat district. What they were doing here, so far awayfrom their own part of the country, however, he had not learned, or, ifhe had, for reasons of his own he kept it to himself. This intelligencelifted what shadow of misgiving might have lingered in the minds ofUpward and his wife, as showing that the incident was a mere chanceaffair, and no indication of restlessness or hostility on the part ofthe tribesmen in their own immediate neighbourhood.

  Another fact gleaned by Bhallu Khan was that the man who had fallen toCampian's shot was not killed--nor even fatally wounded. This relievedall their minds, especially that of the shooter. It saved all sorts ofpotential trouble in the way of investigation and so forth--likewise itdispelled sundry unpleasant visions of a blood feud, which now and thenwould obtrude in spite of all efforts at reasoning them away; for thesefierce fanatical mountaineers were hardly the men to suffer bloodshed topass unavenged. However, no one was much hurt, and the marauders hadtaken themselves off to their own side of the country. Thus for aboutten days had life in Upward's camp held on its way just as though nonarrow escape of grim tragedy had thrown the visitor into its midst.Its inmates rejoiced in the open air life, and, save at night or for anafternoon siesta, were seldom indoors. The male section thereof,notwithstanding plentiful denunciation of the wily chikor and its ways,devoted much time to the pursuit of that exasperating biped, and allwould frequently join hands in exploring the surrounding country--tiffinaccompanying--to be laid out picnic fashion at some picturesque spot,whether of breezy height or in the cool shade of a _tangi_. Thus didUpward perform his forest inspections, combining business withpleasure--and everybody was content.

  And this statement we make of set purpose. No more aspirations after areturn to Shalalai were now in the air. The infusion of a new elementinto the daily life of the camp seemed to make a difference. Campianand the two young
er girls were friends of old. He did not mind theirnatural cheekiness--he had a great liking for them, and it only amusedhim; moreover, it kept things lively. And Nesta Cheriton--swornworshipper of the sabre, speedily came to the conclusion that all thatwas entertaining and companionable was not a monopoly vested in thewearers of Her Majesty's uniform.

  For between her and the new arrival a very good understanding had beenset up--a very good understanding indeed. But he, in the maturity ofyears and experience, made light of what might have set another manthinking. They were thrown together these two--and camp life is apt tothrow people very much together--He was the only available male,wherefore she made much of him. Given, however, the appearance of twoor three lively subalterns on the scene, and he thought he knew how theland would lie. But the consciousness in no wise disquieted him; on thecontrary it afforded him a little good-humouredly cynical amusement. Heknew human nature, as peculiar to either sex no less than as common toboth, and he had reached a point in life when the preferences of theornamental sex, for any permanent purpose, mattered nothing. But thestudy of it as a mere subject of dissection did afford him a very greatamount of entertainment.

  Mature cynic as he was, yet now, looking down at the girl at his side asthey took their way back through the wild picturesque valley bottom, thedew shining like silver in the fast ascending sun, a moist woodlandodour arising from beneath the juniper trees, he could not but admit tohimself that her presence here made a difference--a very greatdifference. She was wondrously pretty, in the fair, golden-hairedstyle; had pretty ways too--soft, confiding--and a trick of looking upat one that was a trifle dangerous. Only that he felt rather sure itwas all part of her way with the male sex in general, and not turned onfor his benefit in particular, he might have wondered.

  "Well?" she said, looking up suddenly, "what is it all about?"

  "You. I was thinking a great deal about you. Now you are going to sayI had much better have been talking to you."

  "No. But tell me what you were thinking."

  "I was thinking how deftly you got away from that question of mine--about the one occasion when you _did_ take someone seriously. Now tellus all about it."

  "Ah--I'm not going to tell you."

  "Not, eh?"

  "No--no--no! Perhaps some day."

  "Well you'll have to look sharp, for I'm off in a day or two."

  "No? you're not!" she cried, in a tone very like that of realconsternation. "Ah, you're just trying to crowd it on. Why, you'rehere for quite a long time."

  "Very well. You'll see. Only, don't say I never told you."

  "But you mustn't go. You needn't. Look here--You're not to."

  "That sounds rather nice--Very nice indeed. And wherefore am I not togo, Nessita, mine angel?"

  "Because I don't want you to. You're rather a joke, you know, and--"

  "--And--what?"

  "Nothing."

  "That ought to settle it. Only I don't flatter myself my departure willleave any gap. Remaineth there not a large garrison at Shalalai--horse,foot, and artillery?"

  "Oh, hang the garrison at Shalalai! You're detestable. I don't likeyou any more."

  "No? Well what will make you like me any more?"

  "If you stay."

  "That settles it. I cannot depart in the face of that condition," heanswered, the gravity of his words and tone simply belied by a whimsicaltwinkle of the eyes. She, looking up, saw this.

  "Ah, I believe you've been cramming all the time. I'll ask Mr Upwardwhen we get in, and if you have, I'll never forgive you."

  "Spare thyself the trouble O petulant one, for it would be futile in anycase. If I have been telling nasty horrid wicked little taradiddles,Upward won't give me away, for I shall tip him the masonic wink not to._You_ won't spot it, though you are staring us both in the face all thetime. So you'll have to keep your blind faith in me, anyhow. Hallo!Stay still a minute. There are some birds."

  In and out among the grass and stones, running like barn-door fowl was alarge covey. This time a whoop and a handful of gravel from Bhallu Khanwas effective. The covey rose with a jarring "whirr" as one bird. Adouble shot--a bird fell to each.

  "Right and left. That's satisfactory. I'm getting my hand in,"remarked Campian. "They're right away," looking after the covey, "and Ifeel like breakfast time. Glad we are almost back."

  The white tents half-hidden in the apricot tope, and sheltered by thefresh and budding green, looked picturesque enough against a backgroundof rugged and stony mountain ridge, the black vertical jaws of the_tangi_, now waterless, yawning grim like the jaws of some silentwaiting monster. Native servants in their snowy puggarees, flitted toand fro between the camp and the cook-tent, whence a wreath of bluesmoke floated skyward. A string of camels had just come in, and werekneeling to have their loads removed, keeping up the while their hoarsesnarling roar, each hideous antediluvian head turning craftily on itsweird neck as though watching the chance of getting in a bite. Butbetween them and their owners, three or four wild looking Baluchis--long-haired and turban-crowned--the understanding, whether of love orfear, seemed complete, for these went about their work of unloading, thenormal expression of impassive melancholy stamped upon their copper-huedcountenances undergoing no change.

  "Well, how many did you shoot?" cried Hazel, running out from the tentsas the two came in. "Only six!" as Bhallu Khan held up the "bag.""Pho! Why we heard about twenty shots. Didn't we, Lily?"

  "More. I expect they were thinking of you when they named this place,"said the latter.

  "Thought something cheeky was coming," remarked Campian tranquilly."The `cow-catcher' adorning thy most speaking countenance, Lilian mycherub, has an extra upward tendency this morning. No pun intended, ofcourse."

  "Oh--oh--oh!" A very hoot was all the expression that greeted thisdisclaimer. But a sudden summons to breakfast cut short furthersparring.

  "Upward, what's the meaning of Chirria Bach?" asked Campian when theywere seated. Lily and Hazel clapped their hands and cackled. Upwardlooked up, with a laugh.

  "It means `miss a bird' old chap. Didn't you know?"

  "No. I never thought of it. Very good, Lilian my seraph. Now I seethe point of that extra smart remark just now. What do you think, MrsUpward? she said this place must have been named after me."

  "They're very rude children, both of them," was the laughing reply."But I can't sympathise. I'm afraid you make them worse."

  A wild crow went up from the two delinquents. Campian shook his headgravely.

  "After that we had better change the subject," he said. "By the way,Upward, old Bhallu Khan went through an extraordinary performance thismorning. I want you to tell me the interpretation thereof."

  "Was he saying his prayers? Have another chikor, old chap?"

  "No--not his prayers. Thanks, I will. They eat rather better than theyshoot. Nesta and I were deep in the discussion of scientific and othermatters--"

  "Oh, yes."

  This from Lily, meaningly.

  "Lilian, dearest. If you can tell the story better than I can"--withgrave reproach.

  "Never mind--go on--go on"--rapped out the delinquent.

  "--In the discussion of scientific and other matters," resumed Campian,eyeing his former interruptor, "when Bhallu Khan suddenly enjoinedsilence. He then put his fingers to his head--so--and mysteriouslypointed towards the nullah. It dawned on me that he meant somethingwith horns; but I knew there couldn't be _gadh_ or markhor right downhere in the valley, and close to the camp. Then Nesta came to therescue by suggesting that he must have seen the devil."

  "Ah, I didn't suggest it!" cried Nesta. But her disclaimer was drownedin a wild yelp of ecstasy that volleyed forth from the two youngergirls; in the course of which Hazel managed to swallow her tea the wrongway, and spent the next ten minutes choking and spluttering.

  Upward was shaking in quiet mirth.

  "He didn't mean the devil at all, old chap, only a hare," he explaine
d.

  "A hare?" uttered Campian.

  The blankness of his amazement started the two off again.

  "Only a hare! Good heavens! But a hare, even in Baluchistan, hasn'tgot horns."

  "He meant its ears. Come now, it was rather smart of him--wasn't it?Old Bhallu Khan is smart all round. He _buks_ a heap, and is an oldbore at times, but he's smart enough."

  "Yes. It was smart. Yet the combined intelligence of Nesta and myselfcouldn't get beyond the devil."

  "Speak for yourself then," she laughed. And just then Tinkles, rushingfrom under the table, darted forth outside, uttering a succession offierce and fiery barks.

  "I expect it's those two Johnnies arriving," said Upward, rising. "Yes,it is," as he lifted the "chick" and looked outside.

  They all went forth. Two horsemen were turning off the road and makingfor the camp.