At the Point of the Bayonet: A Tale of the Mahratta War

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter 6: In The Company's Service.

  There was no conversation between Harry and Sufder on the way backto the hotel; Harry saying that he would tell the news when Soyerajoined them, otherwise he would have to go through it twice. Theyrode slowly through the streets, and Soyera arrived a few minutesafter them.

  "Now," Harry said, "we will go up to my room and talk the matterover.

  "Mr. Malet has been kind enough to give such a favourable report ofme that I am appointed lieutenant to the 3rd Regiment of NativeCavalry, and shall be employed as assistant to the resident atPoona, should there be fresh disturbances there."

  "That is good fortune, indeed," Sufder said.

  "Wonderfully good fortune! and I owe it all, in the first place toSoyera, and in the next to yourself. You see, I have gained greatlyby taking your advice, and remaining in the Deccan until fit formilitary service. Had she declared who I was when she took me downto Bombay, before, there is no saying what might have become of me.

  "And now, the first thing to do is for me to go out and order auniform. When I return I will draw up, in Mahratti and English, afull account of the manner in which I was saved, by Soyera and you,from being murdered; and how I have been brought up."

  Harry had learned, at the Governor's, the name and address of anofficial at the Judge's Court who would get his statements copiedout, in proper form and writing; and when he had taken them downfrom the lips of Sufder and Soyera, he saw this gentleman, whopromised that the documents should be ready by the next day.

  Having thus put his business in train, Harry went to call upon Mrs.Sankey. She did not recognize him at once but, as soon as he madehimself known, she received him most warmly.

  "You looked as if you would grow into a big fellow, but I hardlyexpected that you would have done it so soon."

  "It is more than four years since I left you. I don't think that Iam likely to grow any taller than I am; though of course, I shallget broader."

  He then told her what had happened since he left her, and how hehad just been appointed an officer in a native cavalry regiment.

  "I am very glad you have come now. My daughters have both married,and I am going to sail for England in a few days. Whether I shallstay there permanently, or come back, I cannot say but, at anyrate, I shall be away at least two years."

  "I should have been very sorry to have missed you, Mrs. Sankey. Ihave always looked back, with the greatest pleasure, at the time Ispent here."

  "You have kept up your English well," she said.

  "I have followed your advice, and hardly ever missed reading aloudfor an hour, so as to keep my tongue accustomed to it; and I knowmany of Shakespeare's plays by heart, and could recite a great manypassages from the writings of Dean Swift, Mr. Addison, Mr. Savage,and others."

  His next visit was to Jeemajee, who received him with realpleasure, when he told him who he was. Harry had not learned--nordid he ever learn--that the kindly Parsee had contributed a hundredpounds towards the expenses of his education; but he did know thathe had presented him with his outfit of clothes, and had been themeans of his being placed with Mrs. Sankey; and during the monthshe remained at Bombay, he paid frequent visits to the man who hadso befriended him.

  The next day he went with Sufder and Soyera, who swore to theirstatements before the judge of the High Court.

  As soon as his uniform was ready, Harry went to his regiment--whichwas encamped on the maidan, between the fort and the nativetown--and was introduced to the colonel.

  "I have come to report myself, sir," he said to the colonel. "Myname is Lindsay."

  "I was expecting you," the colonel said, "for Mr. Malet came inthis morning and told me about you; saying that you would mostlikely come either today or tomorrow. I will have a tent pitchedfor you, this afternoon; and a soldier told off as your servant. Ofcourse, at first you will have to go through the somewhatunpleasant task of learning your drill.

  "From what Mr. Malet told me, I think you are not likely to be muchwith us as, from your perfect knowledge of Mahratti, and of thecountry, you can do better service in a staff appointment than withthe regiment.

  "You are much fairer than they had given me to expect."

  "I have been hard at work, for the last two days, in getting rid ofthe dyes with which I have been coloured, ever since I was aninfant."

  "Ah! You are not very noticeably darker, now, than other officersin the regiment.

  "Now, I will hand you over to the adjutant. You will, of course,mess with us today; and I can then introduce you to your brotherofficers."

  The adjutant was sent for, and soon entered.

  "Mr. Lewis," the colonel said, "this is Mr. Lindsay, who wasgazetted to us two days ago. He will be very useful to us, if we goup to Poona again--of which there is always a possibility--for hespeaks Mahratti like a native, having lived among the people sincehe was an infant. He is the son of Major Lindsay, who was killedhere at the time of the advance on Poona."

  "You will be a great acquisition to us," the adjutant said, as heleft the tent with Harry. "Most of us speak a little Mahratti; butit will be very useful to have one of us who is perfect, in thatway. Of course, you have not got your full kit yet; but you willwant a mess jacket and waistcoat. These I can lend you, till youget your own made."

  "They are ordered already, and I am to get them in a couple ofdays. It was so much more important that I should get the undressuniform, to enable me to begin work, that I did not press thetailor quite so much as to the other clothes."

  "Are you ready to begin work, at once?"

  "The sooner the better," Harry replied.

  "Then I shall hand you over to the native officer, who has chargeof the drilling of recruits. There is a small yard, behind thebarracks, where Europeans are instructed in the first stages. Tosee them doing the goose step would not add to the respect thesoldiers have for their white officers. They are therefore taughtsuch matters in private so that, when they come out for companydrill, they are not quite at sea."

  Half an hour later, Harry was at work under the instructions of anative officer. By the time he had finished, a tent had beenerected for him; and he was glad to find a bath ready, for it wasmuch warmer down in Bombay than above the Ghauts, and it had beenhot work drilling. The adjutant had chosen a Mahratta servant, andthe man's surprise, when the newly-joined officer addressed him inhis own language, was great.

  As Mr. Malet had told him that, except when on duty, the officersgenerally wore civilian clothes, he had purchased several whitesuits, consisting of jacket and trousers, as these were kept instock by a Parsee tailor; and he put on one of these, with a whiteshirt, after he had finished his bath. He had scarcely done so whena bugle sounded.

  "That is the call for tiffin, sahib," Abdool said.

  "Do the officers go in uniform?"

  "No, sahib, not to this meal."

  Just at this moment, the adjutant came in.

  "Come along, Lindsay," he said. "I thought I would come round foryou. It is rather trying going into a room full of strangers."

  There were some twelve officers gathered in the mess tent, and theadjutant introduced Harry to them, singly. They were all curious tosee him, having heard from the colonel--who had summoned them tothe tent, a quarter of an hour before the bugle sounded--someparticulars of his life; and how he had been at once appointed tobe lieutenant, without going through the usual term as a cadet, asa reward for important services.

  Their first impression of him was a favourable one. He was now nearlysix feet in height, with a powerful and well-knit frame. His face waspleasant and good tempered and, although the features were still boyish,there was an expression of restraint and determination that had beenacquired from the circumstances in which he had been placed.

  He had seen the barbarous splendour of the entertainments at thePeishwa's court, but nothing like the well-ordered table now beforehim; with its snow-white cloth, its bright silver, and perfectappointments.

  When the meal was over, the co
lonel said:

  "As duty is over for the day, I think it would be most interestingif Mr. Lindsay would give us an account of his life, andadventures. As you are all here, it would save him the trouble ofgoing over his story, again and again; for you are all, I am sure,like myself, anxious to know how it was that he has been able, allthese years, to pass as a Mahratta among Mahrattas."

  There was a general expression of agreement. Cheroots were lighted,and Harry told his story, with some detail. When he had finished,the colonel said:

  "I am sure we are all obliged to you, Lindsay. You have had aremarkable experience; and few of us have, in the course of ourlives, gone through anything like the same amount of adventures. Tohave been, at your age, a peasant boy, an English school boy, ashikaree, an officer in the Peishwa's court, a confidential agentof Nana Furnuwees, and now a British officer, is indeed wonderful.It speaks volumes for your intelligence and discretion."

  "I cannot take the whole credit to myself, sir. I had two goodfriends. My nurse, not content with saving my life, taught meEnglish, instructed me in the ways of our people, and even in theirreligion, and continually urged me to exercise myself in every way;so that when, some day, I left her, I should in bodily strength andactivity not be inferior to others; and, aided by her brother,expended all her savings, of years, in having me educated here.Next to her I owe much to Sufder, who first taught me the use ofarms, and then presented me to Nana. Without such an introduction Imust, had I entered the Mahratta service at all, have gone as aprivate soldier, instead of obtaining at once a post at court.

  "To Mrs. Sankey I owe very much for the kindness she showed me, andthe pains she took with me; and I owe much, too, to Mr. Jeemajee,the Parsee merchant."

  "Yes, you owe much to both of them," the colonel said; "but theirteaching and advice would not have gone for much, had it not beenfor your own energy, and for the confidence you inspired in thePeishwa's minister.

  "What are you going to do about your nurse?"

  "We have not quite arranged, as yet, sir; but she will, at anyrate, remain here for a time. She loves me as a mother; and I thinkthat, so long as I am quartered here, she will remain. She hasalready found a lodging, at the house of a woman of the same casteas herself; and tells me that she is sure she will be comfortablewith her. If we move, and all goes on quietly in the Deccan, shewill return to her brother's, where she is thoroughly at home andhappy."

  "And Sufder?"

  "He will return, in the course of a week or so. He is greatlyinterested in what he sees here, especially in the shipping, neverhaving seen the sea before. I think that, probably, he will remainfor two or three years with his troop of two hundred men; and willthen settle in the village, of which and the surrounding country hehas received the jagheer. This, although not large, will sufficefor him to live in comfort. It is but a few miles from Jooneer, andhe will therefore be able to be near his friends, and pay frequentvisits to his cousin Ramdass."

  In a short time Harry became a general favourite, and made theacquaintance of the officers of all the regiments in the garrison;for his romantic story speedily circulated and, before he had beena fortnight in the city, he had received invitations to dine at alltheir messes.

  After the exciting life he had led, for two years, he felt, onbeing released from drill, that life in a garrison town was dulland monotonous. The simple habits, in which he had been brought up,did not help him to enjoy heavy meals at regimental mess.Occasionally he and two or three other officers crossed to themainland, and had some shooting in the wild district of the Concan.But he was pleased when he received an order, from the Governor, tocall upon him.

  "Colonel Palmer," he said, "has written, requesting me to send himan assistant; as matters do not seem to be going on well at Poona.He suggested that you, from your acquaintance with the people andtheir intrigues, should be selected for the post but, even had henot done so, I should have chosen you, as being better fitted forit than any other officer here.

  "Your instructions are simple. You will watch, and endeavour topenetrate the schemes of the various factions, and assist ColonelPalmer generally."

  "Am I to go up in my uniform, sir; or to wear a disguise, similarto that in which I came down here?"

  "That is a matter over which I have been thinking. I have come tothe conclusion that you will be more likely to obtain intelligencein native garb. All parties look with jealousy upon us, and wouldbe chary of giving any information to an officer of the Residency;and therefore, if you have no objection, we think that it will bean advantage to you to assume native dress. Of course, you couldnot go in the attire that you came down in for, although you wouldnot be recognized in uniform, you would, if dressed as before.

  "I would rather leave that matter entirely to you, and also themanner in which you can proceed. You must also decide, foryourself, whether to renew your connection with Nana Furnuwees. Itappears to me that he is the only honest man in the Deccan, and theonly man who takes the patriotic view that there should be peaceand rest throughout the country. He is, however, no more willingthan others that we should, in any way, interfere in the affairs ofthe Deccan."

  "That certainly is so, sir; but I know that it is his most earnestdesire to possess the friendship of the authorities of Bombay. Hehas frequently told me that he is a great admirer of the English,of their methods of government, and of the straightforwardness andsincerity with which they conduct their business. But he is afraidof them. He sees that, where they once make an advance, they neverretire; and is convinced that, if they obtained a footing above theGhauts, there would be no turning them out, and that theirinfluence would be supreme."

  "Very well, Mr. Lindsay; you showed such discretion and judgment,during your residence at Poona, that I am well content to leave thematter in your hands. The appointment as assistant to ColonelPalmer will carry with it a civil allowance of three hundred rupeesa month. Of course, all necessary expenses will be paid and, shouldyou find it expedient to use a certain amount of bribery, to obtainthe news we require in other quarters besides that of the minister,you will refer the matter to the Resident.

  "You will, of course, give your reports to Colonel Palmer, and willbe under his orders, generally. He will be requested to furtheryour special mission in every way in his power."

  "When shall I start, sir?"

  "As soon as you like, Mr. Lindsay."

  "I shall be ready, sir, as soon as the clothes are made for me. Imust have one or two disguises, of various kinds, to use as mostdesirable. Some of these I can, no doubt, buy ready made--perhapsall of them. If so, I will start at daylight, tomorrow."

  "Very well, Mr. Lindsay. I shall be sending up a despatch toColonel Palmer, and it will be left at your tent, this evening."

  On leaving the Government House, Harry went to see Soyera. Scarcelya day had passed, since he came to Bombay, without his paying her avisit.

  "I am off again to Poona," he said. "I do not know how long I shallbe away. It must depend upon what is going on up there. Of course,I should be glad to have you with me; but that would hamper mymovements. I shall, naturally, see Sufder as soon as I get there."

  "But what are you going for? Will you travel as an officer?"

  "No, I shall be in disguise. It seems that things are unsettled;and I am, if possible, to find out the intentions of the variousleaders, and communicate them privately to our Resident. I shallhave to take to dyeing my skin again, which is a nuisance, but itcannot be helped. I shall take with me three or four differentdisguises, and get you to do the shopping for me. I wish to havethem by this evening, as I shall start in the morning, early.

  "I shall get leave to take my soldier servant, Abdool, with me. Heis a sharp fellow, and may be useful. I shall have to buy a ponyfor him."

  "What sort of disguises do you want?"

  "One is that of a native soldier."

  "That is easy enough, as it differs but little from the ordinaryMahratta's dress."

  "One would certainly be the attire of a trader, in g
oodcircumstances. I can't think, at present, of any other."

  "I should say the dress of a Brahmin might be useful," Soyerasuggested.

  "Yes, that would give me an entry, unquestioned, to Nana, or to anyother person of importance."

  By nightfall, Soyera had bought the three disguises, and obtainedfrom a native dyer a supply of stain sufficient for a long time;and Harry had purchased two useful ponies, for himself and hisservant.

  At mess, that evening, the colonel said:

  "So you are going to leave us, for a time, Mr. Lindsay. I havereceived a letter, from the Governor, requesting me to put you inorders, tomorrow, as seconded from the regiment for civilemployment. I won't ask you where you are going. That is nobusiness of ours. But I am sure I can say, in the name of myofficers as well as myself, that we shall all miss you, very much."

  A murmur of acquiescence passed round the table and, seeing thatHarry, in thanking the colonel, made no allusion to what he wasgoing to do, they followed the example of their superior officer,and abstained from asking any questions.

  "I should like to take my man, Abdool, with me, Colonel," Harrysaid, later on. "He is a sharp fellow, and I might find him veryuseful."

  "By all means. I will tell the adjutant that I have allowed him togo with you."

  "I am not going in uniform, nor are you to do so," Harry said toAbdool, when he returned to his tent. "I am going in Mahrattadress, and I shall take a lodging in the town, and pass as anative. I know, Abdool, that you are a sharp fellow, and feelcertain that I can depend upon you."

  "You can certainly depend upon me, sahib. You have been a kindmaster, and I would do anything for you."

  "What part of the country do you come from, Abdool?"

  "From Rajapoor, in the Concan, sahib. I had no fancy for working inthe fields, so I left and took service with the Company. I havenever regretted it. I have been a great deal better off than if Ihad enlisted in the army of one of the great chiefs. The pay ishigher, and we are very much better treated."

  "Well, Abdool, when this business which I am now starting on isover, I shall recommend you for promotion and, in any case, willmake you a present of three months' pay."

  The next morning they started at daybreak. When a few miles out oftown, they took off their uniforms; and Harry put on the dress of atrader. There was no occasion for any disguise for Abdool who, likeall the native troops, was accustomed, after drill was over for theday, to put on native garments. The uniforms were then folded up,and stowed in the wallets behind the saddles.

  They had brought with them a good supply of grain for their horses,and provisions for themselves; so that they might not have to stopat any village. They rode at a steady pace, and mounted the Ghautsby eleven o'clock. Then they waited three hours, to feed and restthe animals and, just as the sun was setting, entered Poona, havingaccomplished a journey of fifty miles. Knowing the place so well,Harry rode to a quiet street near the bazaar and, seeing an old manat one of the doors, asked him if he knew of anyone who couldafford accommodation for him and his servant.

  "I can do that, myself," the man said. "I am alone in the house.Two merchants who have been staying here left me, yesterday; and Ican let you have all the house, except one room for myself."

  "You have no stables, I suppose?"

  "No, sahib, but there is an outhouse which would hold the twohorses."

  There was a little haggling over the terms.]

  There was a little haggling over the terms; for it would have beenaltogether contrary, to Indian usages, to have agreed to any pricewithout demur. Finally the matter was arranged, at a price halfwaybetween that which the man demanded, and that offered by Harry and,in a short time, they were settled in the two rooms of the secondfloor. Harry then went out and bought two thick quilted cushions,used as mattresses, and two native blankets.

  They had still provisions enough for the evening. The furniture wasscanty, consisting of a raised bed place, or divan; two tables,raised about a foot from the ground; brass basins, and largeearthenware jars of water. Harry, however, was too well accustomedto it to consider such accommodation insufficient.

  "Tomorrow," he said, "I will get a carpet for sitting upon, and youwill have to get copper vessels, for cooking."

  Abdool presently went out, and returned with two large bundles offorage for the horses. Soon afterwards they lay down, feeling stiffand tired from their unaccustomed exertions.

  The next morning Harry went to the Residency. He had again paintedcaste marks on his face, which completely changed his appearance.Telling the guard that he had come from Bombay, and had a messagefor Colonel Palmer, he was shown in.

  "You bring a message for me?" the colonel said, shortly; for hewas, at the time, writing a despatch.

  "Yes, sir," Harry answered, in Mahratti. "I have come to be yourassistant."

  "Then you are Mr. Lindsay!" the Resident exclaimed, dropping hispen and rising to his feet. "I received a despatch, yesterday,saying that you were coming. Of course, I remember you now, havingseen you on the day I came up here; but your dress is altogetherdifferent, and the expression of your face seems so changed."

  "That is the result of my having adopted different caste marks,larger than they were before, with lines that almost cover myforehead."

  "I did not expect you to come in disguise."

  "The Governor thought, Colonel, that I might be of greater service,in finding out what was passing in the town, and in goingelsewhere, were I to come up as a native. To an officer of theResidency, all parties would keep their lips sealed."

  "I thoroughly agree with you," the Resident said. "Your disguisediffers so much, from your former appearance, that I do not thinkany of your acquaintances, of those days, would be likely torecognize you."

  "At present I am supposed to be a trader; but I have with me thedress of a peasant, or small cultivator, which I used when I wentinto Scindia's camp. I have also the dress of a Brahmin--one of thebetter class--which I thought, if necessary, would enable me toenter the house of Nana, or other leaders, without excitingsurprise. I also have my uniform with me.

  "I am staying, at present, in the street that faces the market, atthe house of a man named Naroo. I myself am Bhaskur. I have asoldier servant with me, on whom I can confidently rely; and I willsend him, with a chit, when I have any news to give you, and youcan send me word at what hour I had better call.

  "Now, Colonel, I am at your orders and, if you will indicate to methe nature of the news which you wish to gain, or the person whomyou want watched, I will do the best I can. At present, I knownothing of any changes that have taken place, since I left here."

  "The only event that is publicly known is that, while the Peishwahas carried out his engagement with Scindia and with the Rajah ofBerar, he refused to ratify any treaty with the Nizam; and theconsequence is that the latter's general quitted Poona, withouttaking leave of Bajee Rao, and returned in great indignation toHyderabad. This matter might have been smoothed over, if Scindiahad intervened, or if the Peishwa had made suitable advances to theNizam; but he has not done so. There is no doubt that he thoroughlydislikes Nana Furnuwees and, instead of being grateful to him forhaving placed him on the throne, he would gladly weaken his power.At any rate, it was Nana who formed the confederacy; and I knowthat his greatest wish is to keep it intact, and to secure peace tothe country.

  "Moreover, matters have been further complicated by the death ofHolkar. He left two sons behind him, Khassee and Mulhar.Unfortunately, Khassee is next door to an imbecile; while Mulharwas a bold and able prince. The brothers quarrelled: two halfbrothers took the part of Mulhar, who left his brother's camp, witha small body of troops, and took up his abode at a village justoutside the city--and was, I believe, favoured by Nana, whoseinterest naturally was to have an active and able prince, as rulerof Holkar's dominions. Scindia--who was, I suspect, delighted atthis quarrel in Holkar's camp--supported Khassee, and sent a bodyof troops to arrest Mulhar, who, refusing to surrender, maintaineda desperate defence, u
ntil he was killed. Jeswunt went to Nagporeand Wittoojee fled to Kolapoore, but they were almost the onlyadherents of Mulhar who effected their escape.

  "So matters stand, at present. The fact that the imbecile Khasseeowes his elevation to Scindia will, naturally, give the latter apredominating influence over him. Thus, you see, the confederacyhas gone completely to pieces. The Nizam is estranged; the Rajah ofBerar has gone home to Nagpore; Holkar's power is, for the time,subservient to Scindia; and Nana Furnuwees is, therefore, deprivedof all those who aided to bring him back to power.

  "You are well known to Nana, are you not?"

  "Yes, Colonel, he was kind enough to place a good deal ofconfidence in me."

  "Then I think you cannot do better than see him, to begin with, andgather his views on the matter. I myself have heard nothing fromhim, for some time. He knows that the Company are well disposedtowards him; but he also knows that they can give him noassistance, in a sudden crisis."

  "But surely, Colonel, Bajee Rao, who owes everything to him, willnot desert him?"

  "My opinion of the Peishwa is that he is a man without a spark ofgood feeling; that he has neither conscience nor gratitude, andwould betray his own brother, if he thought that he would obtainany advantage by so doing. He is a born schemer, and his sole ideaof politics is to play off one faction against another. I wouldrather take the word of a man of the lowest class, than the oath ofBajee Rao."

  "I am sorry to hear it, sir. He seemed to me to be a fine fellow,with many accomplishments. His handsome face and figure, andwinning manner--"

  "His manner is part of his stock in trade," the colonel said,angrily. "He is a born actor; and can deceive, for a time, eventhose who are perfectly aware of his unscrupulous character.

  "Remember one thing, Mr. Lindsay: that if you are in anydifficulty, or if a tumult breaks out in the city, you had bestmake your way here, at once. A trooper of my escort was thrown fromhis horse, and killed, the other day; and if you attire yourself inhis uniform, you will pass for one of them. Whatever happens, theyare not likely to be touched. Both parties wish to stand well withme and, even were it found out that you are an Englishman, youwould be safely sheltered here; for I should claim you as myassistant, and an officer in our army, and declare truthfully thatyou had only assumed this guise in order to ascertain, for me, thefeelings of the populace."

  "Thank you, sir. I will certainly come here, as soon as any serioustrouble begins."

  That evening, after rubbing off the caste marks and assuming thoseof a Brahmin, and putting on the dress suitable for it--padding itlargely, to give him the appearance of a stout and bulky man--hewent to Nana's house.

  "Will you tell the minister," he said to the doorkeeper, "thatKawerseen, a Brahmin of the Kshittree caste, desires to speak tohim?"

  The man gave the message to one of the attendants who, in two orthree minutes, returned and asked Harry to follow him. The ministerwas alone.

  "What have you to say to me, holy man?" he enquired; and then,looking more fixedly at his visitor, he exclaimed:

  "Why, it is Puntojee!"

  "You are right, Nana. I am sent here to ascertain, if possible,what is going on, and how things are likely to tend. But first, Imust tell you that I am now here as Colonel Palmer's assistant."

  "I will take you entirely into my confidence," Nana said. "Untilyou told me that you were an Englishman, when you took leave of metwo years ago, I could not quite understand why it was that I feltI could confide in you, more than in the older men around me. Iesteem the English highly, and especially admire them for theirhonesty and truthfulness. You at once impressed me as onepossessing such qualities and, now that I know you are English, Ican understand the feeling that you inspired.

  "I am glad you have come. No doubt your Government are wellinformed, as to the state of affairs here. I feel the powerslipping from my hands, without seeing any way by which I canrecover my lost ground. Scindia is solely under the domination ofGhatgay, whose daughter he will shortly marry. I have, of course,made it my business to enquire as to the antecedents of this man. Ifind that he has the reputation of being a brutal ruffian,remarkable alike for his greed and his cruelty--a worse adviserScindia could not have. Holkar was but a poor reed to lean upon,for he was as weak in mind, as in body. But at any rate, he was atrue friend of mine and, now that he has been succeeded by one evenmore imbecile than himself--and who is but a puppet in the hands ofScindia, to whose troops he owes his accession--his power and hisdominions are practically Scindia's.

  "There can be no doubt, whatever, that Bajee Rao is acting secretlywith Scindia; that is to say, he is pretending so to act, for he isa master of duplicity and, even where his own interests areconcerned, seems to be unable to carry out, honestly, any agreementthat he has made.

  "I am an old man, Mr. Lindsay, and can no longer struggle as I did,two years ago, against fate; nor indeed do I see any means ofcontending against such powerful enemies. The Rajah of Berar,although well disposed towards me, could not venture, alone, tosupport me against the united power of Scindia and Holkar, backedby that of the Peishwa.

  "There is but one direction in which I could seek for help--namely,from the Government of Bombay--but even this, were it given, wouldscarcely avail much against the power of my enemies. And even wereI sure that it could do so, I would not call it in. My aim, throughlife, has been to uphold the power of the Peishwa, and to lessenthat of Scindia and Holkar and, by playing one against the other,to avert the horrors of civil war. Were I to call in the aid of theEnglish, I should be acting in contradiction to the principles thatI have ever held.

  "The arrival of a force of English, here, would at once unite thewhole of the Mahrattas against them, as it did when last theyascended the Ghauts; and believing as I do in their great valourand discipline, which has been amply shown by the conduct ofScindia's infantry, which are mainly officered by Europeans, it isbeyond belief that they can withstand the whole power of theMahratta empire. But granting that they might do so, what would bethe result? I should see my country shaken to the centre, thecapital in the hands of strangers, and to what end? Simply that I,an old and worn-out man should, for a very few years, remain inpower here. It would be necessary for those who placed me there toremain as my guardians, and I should be a mere cypher in theirhands. Nothing, therefore, would persuade me to seek English aid toretain me in power."

  "But the English would doubtless act in alliance with the Nizam,and probably with the Rajahs of Berar and Kolapoore."

  "Possibly they might do so, but what would be the result? Each ofthese leaders would, in return for his aid, bargain for increasedterritory, at the expense of the Peishwa; and I, who believe that Iam trusted by the great mass of the people here, should become anobject of execration at having brought the invaders into ourcountry.

  "No, Mr. Lindsay; my enemies can, and I believe will, capture meand throw me into prison. They will scarcely take my life, for todo so would excite a storm of indignation; but I always carrypoison about with me and, if they applied torture as a preliminaryto death, I have the power of releasing myself from their hands.

  "Are you established at the Residency?"

  "No, sir; I am living in disguises, of which I have several, in thetown. In that way, I can better discover what is going on than if Iwere in uniform, as assistant to Colonel Palmer. Should there be atumult in the city, or if I find that my disguise has beendetected, I can make for the Residency; and either put on myuniform and declare my true character, or attire myself as one ofthe Resident's escort."

  "Come here as often as you can," Nana said. "I shall always be gladto see you. It is a relief to speak to one of whose friendship Ifeel secure. As a Brahmin, you can pass in and out withoutsuspicion; and I will always tell you how matters stand."

  "I have not yet spoken, Nana, of my work as your agent in Bombay. Ihave sent you reports, from time to time; but there was nothing inthem that could be of any value to you. At present, the attentionsof the authorities of Bombay, Madras, and Ca
lcutta are centred uponthe probability of war with Mysore. Tippoo has continually brokenthe conditions under which he made peace with us, six years ago;and it is known that he is preparing for war. He has received withhonour many Frenchmen, and is in communication with the FrenchGovernment; and believes that he will be supported by an army,under General Bonaparte and, as it is certain that, when the warbreaks out again, it will need the fighting strength of the threetowns to make head against the army of Mysore, as far as I havebeen able to learn they have given but little attention to thestate of affairs in the Deccan. I have therefore been able tofurnish you with no useful information, beyond telling you that thesympathies of the Governor and Council are wholly with you, andthat they consider that the fact of your being in power heresecures them from any trouble with the Mahrattas.

  "Therefore, sir, I have put aside the allowance you have given me,considering that I have in no way earned it; and have written thisorder upon the bankers with whom I have placed it, authorizing themto pay the money to anyone you may depute to receive it;" and hehanded the letter to the Nana.

  The latter took it and, without opening it, tore it up.

  "Your offer does you honour, Mr. Lindsay, but it is impossible forme to accept it. Your information has not been without advantages.I have foreseen that the Nizam would probably enter into analliance with your people; and that the very large increase that hehas made in his battalions, under foreign officers, was intended tomake his alliance more valuable. I, however, have not deemed itnecessary to imitate his example, and that of Scindia, by raising asimilar force. Your communications, therefore, have been of realvalue, and have saved a large outlay here; but even had it not beenso, there can be no question of your returning your pay. Youundertook certain work, and you have to the best of your powerscarried it out; and it is not because you consider that theinformation you sent me is not sufficiently valuable that you have,in any way, failed to carry out your part of the contract.

  "I consider it of very great value. In the first place because, asI have said, it relieved me from anxiety as to the Nizam'sintentions of increasing his army; and in the second place, iteased my mind by showing that neither Scindia nor Holkar wasintriguing with Bombay, which knowledge is worth a crore of rupeesto me.

  "It is the first time, sir, since I have taken part in politics,that anyone has offered to return money he has received on theground that he had not sufficiently earned it; or indeed, upon anyother ground, whatever. Your doing so has confirmed my opinion ofthe honesty of your people, and I would that such a feeling werecommon among my countrymen, here. No negotiations can be carriedon, no alliance can be formed, without a demand for a large sum ofmoney, or for an addition of territory. All our petty wars arewaged, not on a question of principle, but entirely from greed.

  "Let us say no more about it. I am, as of course you have heard, avery wealthy man; and have so distributed my money among theshroffs of all India that, whatever may happen here, I shall losecomparatively little; and I am glad to know that some very smallportion of it goes to one whom I regard as a genuine friend, andwho does not draw a tenth part of what many of those around meaccept, without any consideration given for it."

  "Thank you, sir, but--at any rate while I am stationed here, asAssistant Resident--I cannot continue to receive pay from you. Ishould regard it as a disgraceful action, and absolutelyincompatible with my duty."

  "Well, so far I will humour you, Mr. Lindsay; though from what Ihear, in the Carnatic and Bengal the British officers, civil andmilitary, do not hesitate to accept large sums from nativeprinces."

  Harry was well aware that this was so, and that many Britishofficials had amassed considerable fortunes, by gifts from nativesources. He only replied:

  "That is a matter for their own consciences, sir. They may berewards for services rendered, just as I did not hesitate to acceptthe sum that you so generously bestowed upon me. It is not for meto judge other men, but I cannot but think that the custom ofofficials accepting presents is a bad one."

  "Where can I find you," Nana said, changing the subject, "if Ishould need to communicate with you, before you call again?"

  Harry gave his address.

  "Your messenger must enquire for Bhaskur, a trader from Ahmedabad,who is lodging there."

  He chatted for some time longer with Nana, and then took his leaveand returned to his lodging.