Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XI.

  A stout serving-man was holding a powerful grey horse, which, well,if not handsomely, caparisoned, stood neighing loudly before the doorof an ordinary house in the main street of Surroori, a small villagenearly midway between the towns of Kullianee and Allund, as a personwithin, evidently of a superior class, was girding up his waist with ashawl, and otherwise preparing himself for a day's journey. Of middlestature, thin but well-proportioned, with a light bamboo-colouredcomplexion of a pale cast, and a slight habitual stoop, the man seemedunaccustomed to rough exertion; and the sword he had just fastened intohis waist-belt, along with an ivory-handled poniard and knife, wasapparently more for ornament than for use--such a one as might be usedat court, or by a boy,--not the weapon of a soldier.

  The man's face was clean shaven, except a long moustache, whichdrooped very much at the corners, and the features were by no meansill-favoured. A first glance showed an expression of much intelligence,mingled, however, as you looked further, with much cunning. The eyeswere small, deep-set under bushy eyebrows, and of a light grey; thenose high and aquiline, but broad across the nostrils, and hungover the moustache in a peculiar manner; the forehead was wrinkledinto furrows by habitual elevation of the eyebrows; and, as far asthe upper part of the face was concerned, it had an appearance offirmness, which the lower portion belied; for the mouth, drawn up atthe corners in a constant and apparently hypocritical attempt to smile,was evidently performing an office foreign to its intention; and thechin, which suddenly retreated into a somewhat bony throat, had nocharacter but decided weakness, if not, indeed, actual cowardice anddeceit. Thus, the whole features wore a restless, suspicious, andhypocritical expression, which, most likely, was a true indication ofthe possessor's mind.

  Lalla Toolsee Das was not a native of the Dekhan, but had served forthe last two years, or nearly so, in the Dufter, or Record Office ofthe Emperor Aurungzeeb. The Lalla had been sent from Delhi to hisuncle, who was in the Emperor's service: and, having given proofs ofability as a Persian scholar, he had been appointed to a confidentialsituation about the Emperor himself. What use the Lalla had made of hisposition will appear hereafter, as also why he now undertook a longjourney alone, in a strange country, and at an inclement season of theyear. Meanwhile we have only to describe his progress, which, so far asthe weather is concerned, appears uncertain.

  The Lalla had risen early, bathed, breakfasted, and packed hissaddle-bags. He had looked out several times since morning, but alwayswith the same result as to the sky, which continued of a dull, leadengrey, with occasional rain. There was no wind, it was close and hot,and his host, an old Byragee, who was a lay monk of the Mutt, ormonastery, at Kullianee, which the Lalla had left the day before, waspersuading him to remain. But the indifferent night's rest he hadendured from the venomous mosquitoes, the moaning of a cow over anew-born calf, and other noises from cattle and goats,--from the women,who ground at the mill so early in the house, singing a discordantCanarese song--and, above all, his personal anxiety to proceed,--haveweighed against the weather.

  "Ah, my poor Mootee," said the Lalla, as he heard his horse neigh,"thou wilt have a hard day of it, I fear, in the mud. How far didstthou say it was, Bawa Sahib?" he continued to his host.

  "It is six coss, by our reckoning here, by one road--seven or eight bythe other," replied the Byragee, "which, in the coss you are accustomedto in Hindustan, will be ten one way, and thirteen the other."

  "And you recommend the longest road, Bawajee?"

  "Well, sir, it is as you please. You will have somewhat less mud andstones by the upper road than by the lower--that is all."

  "Ah, friend," continued the Lalla, as we shall call him, "four cossmore at the end of a hard day is not pleasant, and so the less thebetter. Let me see; here is my route. Ah, Kinny, little and great; Isuppose I can rest at either if I like, though I should prefer gettingon to the worthy Fathers' Mutt at Allund."

  "Certainly," replied the old man; "but do not stop at Kinny, if youcan help; and, above all, do not shelter yourself at the temple on thehill, under the 'Burr' tree. Ah, yes, there will be heavy rain to-day,Lallajee, for it is so hot," he continued, looking up at the clouds,now deepening into fringes of black here and there; "you had betterstay."

  "No, Bawa, I must go on; and if it rains I can't help it. But about thetree," the Lalla continued; "I suppose there are sprites and devils init as usual; and, to say the truth, I am not afraid of them. A manthat always lives among soldiers, you know, gets brave."

  "Indeed," returned the Byragee dryly. "O, of course! But take myadvice, and when you change guides at Kinny, ask them to send you bythe south road; it's--it's the best, and some bad places are avoided.But here is the Patel," he added, as that functionary, emergingfrom his doorway opposite, with a striped blanket over his head andshoulders, saluted the Lalla with a loud "Numascar Maharaj!" "He willdirect the guide himself, Lallajee, which will insure a speedy and safejourney."

  They followed the Patel through the village, which, under the steadilyincreasing rain, looked sufficiently wretched to deter any one fromstaying, who had not urgent necessity for doing so. This was notthe Lalla's predicament; and he now unfastened a large thick felttravelling-cloak from the pommel of his cloth saddle, put it over hishead, and wrapped it around him so as to cover his legs, which wereprotected by long, soft, Persian riding-boots.

  Few people were astir. Under shelter of the house-walls the dogs hadassembled in groups, and, standing with their tails between their legs,barked at the stranger as he passed. Pigs and fowls, being disturbedby his horse, ran to and fro, with noisy grunt and cackle. Some cattlestood together in parties near their owners' houses, a heavy steam fromtheir nostrils ascending into the thick air, and broke the silence byan occasional hoarse low. Here and there a stout motherly dame, with achild seated astride on her hip, and others hanging about her, stood,nothing abashed, at her house door, looking at the Lalla as he passed;or a farmer, with his blanket cast over his head, smoking his morningcigarette, lounged under shelter of his own eaves, and exchanged amorning greeting with the Patel. The spouts of terraced houses werebeginning to run fast, and small streams of water were already makingtheir way through the mud.

  In the gateway were two or three "jowans," or young men, who watchedand guarded it, and acted as messengers. One of these was sent for aguide, and the party stayed under shelter till he arrived, when theLalla and his bundle were formally made over to him, to be delivered upat the next village, about two miles distant; and finally, the Lallamounted.

  "Don't forget the south road from Kinny," said the Byragee, wishing hima good journey, as the Lalla, making his parting salutation, rode outof the gateway.

  "Who is that?" asked the Patel. "You kept him mighty close in your Muttlast night."

  "I don't know," returned the other; "but he goes on the governmentbusiness to Beejapoor, and you know the order which came with him. Isuppose it is some secret matter, else he would have had an escort."

  "Well, he is gone, whoever he is," said the Patel; "and I would ratherhe travelled than I, even on that good beast of his, to Allund, to-day.It is going to rain badly--but it will do the grain good." And so theyfell to talking of their farms, and the prices of grain at the lastmarket, while the Lalla and his guide proceeded onward.

  If the Lalla could have understood his guide, the way might have beenbeguiled by pleasant gossip of the country round; but of the vernacularof that part of the country he was profoundly ignorant, and everyattempt he made in the "Oordoo," or court language, was met with a curt"Tillid-illa"--"don't understand"--or an occasional very expressivepantomimic action on the part of the guide, who, looking back,sometimes pointed to the bundle on his head, then to the rain, andagain tapped his own stomach, or stuffed his fingers into his mouth,conveying the intimation that he expected to be well rewarded, and wasvery hungry. Thus the next village was reached, the first guide wasdismissed with a little extra gratuity, and the Lalla again proceededwith a fresh one.[5]

 
The ranges of low hills crossed from time to time had been stony butfirm ground, and as yet Motee had not suffered. The dreaded river,which might have cut him off from Allund, was now behind him; and,after ascending a small eminence, and a wide plain appeared beforehim, our traveller congratulated himself on a speedy arrival at hisdestination, having, as he considered, got over at least one half ofhis journey.

  Very soon, however, the rough, stony path changed into one which attimes was difficult to discern at all. The plain over which the roadnow lay was cultivated as far as could be seen, but the fields were asyet unsown. Step after step the mud appeared deeper, the stones in itmore numerous and slippery; and, in fact, after about a mile, duringwhich the rain had fallen more heavily than ever, the plain appearedcovered with water, which could not run off, and the black soil of theroad and fields to have turned into liquid mud, barely able to supportthe stones which lay so thickly upon it. So long, too, as the rain hadnot penetrated far below the surface, Motee's feet had at least the dryearth to rest upon; but now not even that remained, and yet the gallanthorse struggled on, snorting, and occasionally plunging, but evidentlybecoming wearied by efforts which had no respite. Still the guide ledon, sometimes by the road-track, sometimes by its grassy banks, andagain leaving both, struck into other paths through the fields whichpromised firmer footing.

  The rain continued to pour in torrents: indeed, it was more than everviolent: and a flash of blinding lightning, followed by a roar ofthunder before them, promised worse weather. Poor Motee even winced,evincing a strong determination to turn round and set his tail to it;but a few words of encouragement from his master, and being led a fewpaces by the guide, restored his temper, and he proceeded gallantly.

  At the junction of two roads, the guide paused for a moment. One, itwas clear, led to a village they had seen for some time past, the treesof which loomed large and heavy through the thick air, but it appearedout of direction of the path. The Lalla's stock of Canarese was simplynothing--of Mahratta not much more; but the name of his destinationwas, at least, intelligible. "Allund," he said, holding out a rupeebetween his finger and thumb, "Allund!"

  The guide grinned as he took the coin. "Allund!" he returnedaffirmatively, and striking into a path to the right, the Lalla couldsee that, by avoiding the village to the left, the road led apparentlyin the direction of what looked like a clump of trees standing outagainst the sky. Was that the banian tree of which he had been warnedby the old Byragee at Surroori? The Lalla's little stock of Mahrattawas again put into requisition, and the guide seemed to understand itreadily.

  Yes, the village to the left was Little Kinny; that to the right,great Kinny, and that was the "Burr" tree beyond. Good; then he hadonly to avoid the tree, if that indeed were necessary. Since the pealof thunder the rain had decreased, and a breeze was springing up inhis face, which was very refreshing. The clouds, too, were breaking,as appeared by patches of bright fringe in the south-west. The guidepointed to them cheerfully, as he moved on at a steady pace; for theplain, though muddy in parts, was now not so bad as what he had alreadypassed. So, as our friend is likely to reach Kinny without farthertrouble, let us see what Lukshmun has been doing since we left him.

  The little rivulet in the valley was above his knees as he passedit, and, to any one who did not know it, the ford would have beendangerous; but Lukshmun waded through, without apprehension, and a fewminutes after, as he entered the village gateway and shook the rainfrom his blanket, a group of people assembled there welcomed him with ahearty shout of greeting.

  "We thought you would have given it up and departed," said the oldPatel, who, with his son, a few of the village farmers, and thePutwari, or accountant, were sitting in an open chamber of the deepgateway, the usual place of business. "We thought you would have goneaway, else I would have sent up some milk. Why did you not come and sithere, instead of in that ungodly place up yonder? Here, one of ye,"he continued to a group of "jowans," who were sitting in the oppositechamber, "take his blanket and dry it. Hast thou eaten to-day, friend?"

  "Nothing but a bit of stale cake I had in my waist-cloth," replied theman; "only that my teeth are strong, it would have broken them. The'poor man's' bread in the Mutt at Kullianee is not dainty food, and theflour was musty, O Patel!"

  "Take him away to the house, and let them feed him; the women will havesomething good, I dare say," replied the Patel. "Go and see."

  "And no one has passed since morning?"

  "Not a creature. It is not weather to send the dogs out; and the mudfrom Kulmus to Kinny and hitherwards will be hopeless. No, he won'tcome to-day; but go and eat, friend--go and eat."

  "If I am wanted," said Lukshmun.

  "Jee, jee! Ay, ay! I will not forget you. Go!"

  "What does he want out such a day as this?" asked the Putwari. "Whathas Pahar Singh in hand just now?"

  "What does it matter to us, Rao Sahib?" returned the Patel; "all wehave to do is to keep his people in good humour, to save our cattlefrom being harried, our stacks from being burned, and our people," headded, looking round at the farmers and their wives, "from being robbedwhen they come from market? That is worth what we pay him. Should wehave got the crops off that disputed land at Chitli if he had not sentthose spearmen?"

  "No, no; do not interfere," said a chorus of farmers' voices, who, inthose unsettled times, might, unless their village were known to beunder the protection of some local chieftain, at any time have theirflocks and herds swept away by the people of a more powerful village,or by any of the independent gentry, or barons, as we may call them,of the country. "What have we to do with state affairs, or with PaharSingh either?"

  So the assembly having voted non-interference with whatever might bein hand, our friend Lukshmun was allowed to get his meal in peace.Smoking--the impossibility of getting anything--and a tight waist-band,had kept appetite down as yet; but with the Patel's kitchen inprospect, it rose fiercely for the occasion as he approached the house.

  Lukshmun washed his feet and hands before he entered and sat down.O, what a smell of fried onions there was! and, as a girl set beforehim a pile of hot, well-buttered jowaree cakes, a cup full of "char,"or pepper-water with tamarind in it, a fresh leaf full of a savourystew of vegetables of all kinds, and some _dall_ or pease-pudding,well-seasoned with red pepper and garlic, Lukshmun's heart expanded,and he set to work with a good will. Every now and then a woman at thefireplace asked him if he would have more, and it was brought him fromthe pan, smoking hot. Lukshmun dallied with each morsel as he ate; andwhen even reduced by repletion to licking his fingers, grudged thesummons brought by a man that he was to come.

  "Couldst thou not give me a few cakes, O sweet one, and some dall?" hesaid to the good-natured looking wench who had been serving him. "Ihave a brother--hungry--all day in the rain--while I have eaten. Thouart like the moon, O beauty, and thy heart as soft as butter. Give methe cakes for a poor, weak, hungry brother."

  "Was there ever such a tongue and such a face?" retorted the damsel,laughing. "Look, Rookmee!"

  The cook turned round and looked, too, laughing heartily; forLukshmun's attitude on one leg, with the sole of the other footpressed against the calf of it, his hands joined and stretched outimploringly, and his seared face twisted into a grotesque expression ofsupplication, was not to be resisted.

  "Give him these cakes," said the cook, handing two to the girl.

  "By your antelope eyes, O sweet ones, more!" he said, not altering hisposture. "Do you think two would fill a hungry man's belly? By yourlotos feet----"

  "There, begone!" said the cook, handing him a few more and some dall;"there is a meal for a Rajah. Go, if the mistress should hear you----"

  "I am gone, O my beauties," continued Lukshmun, folding the cakesinto his waist-cloth, and tying them behind, then washing his handselaborately. "You have made my heart----"

  "Come quickly, come," said a voice at the door; "they want thee. Wiltthou eat all day?"

  "I worship you, lovely nymphs, even as Rama adored----" />
  "Begone!" cried both the girls in a breath. "Here is the mistresscoming, and if she hear such nonsense thou wilt be whipped."

  "Here is the man who will be your worship's guide," said the Pateldeferentially to our friend the Lalla, who, having arrived safely, wasnow divested of his upper clothing, which some of the men were dryingin the opposite chamber, and seated in the place of honour of theassembly; "but your worship should eat before you go on, and the RaoSahib here will take you to his house--a Brahmun's house," he added, asthe Lalla appeared to hesitate.

  "Ah, no, sir," returned the traveller, who indeed was very hungry, "Icould not eat without I bathed, and I had better wait till I get toAllund. Shookr, shookr! I should be too long about it, and my horsehas had his feed, and is ready to go on. And this is the guide?--notbeautiful exactly."

  "No, Maharaj, I am not beautiful, truly," replied Lukshmun, with adeprecatory gesture to the Patel, "but I may be useful to this noblegentleman. You may trust me, my lord. The Patel knows me, and so doall these worthy gentlemen; and am I not come for you?"

  "They expect me, then, good fellow," replied the Lalla, amused by theman's broken Oordoo, and his grotesque expression of face.

  "Ah, yes, noble sir," answered the man, joining his hands, "ever sincemorning; and as I was coming here on business I was told to bring youon. And now let us proceed, else it will be night ere we reach Allund;and," he added, with a wink to the Patel, "it is not good to be outlate on the roads."

  "What, are they dangerous, then?" asked the Lalla, looking anxiouslyaround him.

  "O no," cried Lukshmun, interposing readily; "there is no trouble inthe country, and my lord is armed, and so am I. O no, only in regard tothe mud and the stones. My lord will not find the road long, for I cansing him Mahratta 'lownees' if he likes."

  "There was a tree and a temple which I was told to avoid, and to ask tobe sent by the south road," said the Lalla, preparing to mount.

  Lukshmun exchanged glances with the Patel and the Putwari. "Could anyone have warned the stranger?"

  "A tree!" said the Patel, gravely. "What tree? dost thou know any,Lukshmun? And the south road? what road?"

  "O, I suppose the noble gentleman means that by Navindgee, andHoshully, and Chik-Wondully, and Hully Sullgarra," said Lukshmun,rolling out a volley of hard Canarese village names. "That road? Why,it is six coss further from here! They should have sent him by it fromSurroori. No," he continued, dropping the Lalla's stirrup, which hehad taken in his hand, "if the gentleman likes to go he can do so, ofcourse, but his slave begs to be excused;" and he put his joined handsup to his nose.

  "Very good," said the Lalla, "I don't know; only I was told----"

  "By whom?" interrupted the Putwari.

  "By Deo Bawa, the Byragee at Surroori."

  "O, the old Bawa!" said the Patel, laughing. "Curious, is it not, noblesir, that the old man thinks that there are devils in the tree? Hetells me he was bewitched there once, and I ought to cut it down."

  "And I told him I was not afraid of them, Patel; but he said there wassomething else," returned the Lalla.

  "Robbers, I suppose," said Lukshmun, readily; "Pahar Singh's men,perhaps."

  "Perhaps," added the Lalla, "but he did not say so."

  "Well for him," thought the Putwari, "or his stacks would have beenburnt to-morrow night."

  "Ah! no fear of thieves when you have one of 'the hunchbacks' withyou," said Lukshmun. "Come, mount, my lord. Salaam, Maharaj," hecontinued, making a mock salutation to the sun, which was juststruggling through a cloud. "Salaam! thou hast been moist to-day; comeout and dry thyself and us too. Now, noble gentleman, mount, and youwill see how fast the excellent dinner I have eaten in the Patel'skitchen will take my feet to Allund, and the good horse, too, looks asfresh as if he were but just starting," and he patted him. "Ah, welldone, sir!" he continued, as the Lalla mounted not ungracefully; "wepoor Dekhanies cannot compare ourselves on horseback with you northerncavaliers. Come, sir, the road waits for us."

  And with a salutation all round, the Lalla rode out of the gate, andour friend Lukshmun, cutting a caper which showed his marvellousactivity by way, as he said, of getting the dinner out of his legs, andcalling to the guide who carried the bundle, they passed on over thevillage common.

  The Putwari sighed as the party left the gate.

  "I tell thee, Seeta Ram," said the Patel, "he will come to no harm, andhe is gone away happy."

  "I am glad he did not eat at my house; it is not pleasant feeding a manwho has death in his throat," returned the Putwari.

  "I tell thee he is safe," retorted the Patel; "and if he is killed, itis no affair of ours."

  "No, it is no business of ours," said the Putwari, settling to hisaccounts with a sigh which vexed the Patel. "No, it is no business ofours," echoed the farmers.

  At that time Rama, who was seated on the heap of stones, looking fromthe top of the hill, exclaimed, as the three persons emerged from alane into a low field in which the road was distinctly visible.

  "Jemadar! he is coming at last, and Lukshmun is with him; we must beready. Look, they are there!" he continued, as Gopal Singh joined him,"between the village and the stream."

  "Ah, I see them, Rama, and thy brother is as true as gold. We will jointhem as they go on; he must not suspect us yet."

  FOOTNOTE:

  [5] Each village is obliged to furnish a guide to travellers on paymentof a small gratuity, and these men relieve themselves at every village.