Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XV.

  Pahar Singh had been long watching from the window we have beforementioned. There were three descents from the plain above to thevillage, all within his view; and there were men on each of thebastions also, watching in all directions. He was very restless andmoody; not even the gold found in several bags which he had taken tohis private apartments--not even the large amount of booty, which hadso few light coins in it--could dispel the gloom. He had ordered allabout him to be silent, and even Amrut Rao had obeyed him as yet;and his little daughter, who was allowed to sit in the hall when nostrangers were present, had nestled to his side, but was afraid tospeak.

  Ararat Rao knew, however, by experience, that the more his masterwas allowed to brood over anything in this manner, the harder it wasto rally him; and as the account of the money had been made up, hetook the paper, trimmed the lamp, and stood in an attitude to read,unchecked by the actual distortion of the chief's face in a repressedfury, at which even his daughter concealed herself, and cowered into acorner, and which soon broke out in violent oaths and abuse.

  Amrut Rao bent to the storm, and did not reply. After an interval heread slowly:--

  "Twenty-seven thousand two hundred and ninety-three rupees; and thefive bags of ashruffees which you took inside--how many were in them?"

  "What is that to you? do you want to steal them? By the gods! you areover-familiar to-night, Amrut Rao. Did I not bid ye all be silent, anddare you disobey? you--dare you?" cried the chief, raising himself,while the foam gathered upon his lips, and the veins swelled on hisforehead. "Dare you?"

  "My lord," replied Amrut Rao, joining his hands, "abuse of a Brahmun,out of a noble mouth, is sin--unfitting to hear. Be reasonable. This isthe best booty which we have seen for many a day. If we knew the totalof the ashruffees we could add it, and you could sign the day-book, andclear away all the bags. It is getting late."

  "Let it be. No, I will not sign the paper," cried Pahar Singh,petulantly. "What need have I with wealth? he will not come now. I willgo to Kasee, Jugunath, and Rameshwur; I will give up the world; I havecommitted much sin, and will have no more of it. I will---- Ha, by thegods! there is a shot on the road," he continued, as the sharp ringof Gopal Singh's matchlock broke the silence without: "another, andanother! and a horse's neigh, too; and there were but the three. Can itbe they, Maun Singh? speak! by your soul, speak: why are you silent?"

  "Let the cloud pass from your spirit, brother: it is they, sure enough.I would swear to Gopal's gun by its ring anywhere."

  "Burn a light from the upper bastion--two! it may cheer them down thepass. Quick!" cried the chief; "answer their signal. O Maun Singh! ifI said anything bad, forgive me, brother; but I was distraught withcare for that boy. Yes, they will see that," as the first blue lightglittered over the village. "Burn another, Ranoba--a large one!" hecalled from the window to the men above; "we may even see them. Bythe gods! yes, Maun Singh, there they are: the three, and a man onhorseback muffled up--a large grey horse--who can it be? Get hot waterready, and enough for all to eat. Bring a goat to kill before him. Tellthy mother, O daughter, to see to this; tell her they are come. Howmany short rupees were there, Amrut Rao?"

  "My lord, it was as I said: the Brahmuns' bellies would be empty if wetrusted to short rupees; all we could find were nine doubtful ones."

  "Then, count out fifty more--stay, a hundred: will that feed them?"

  "You have not told me how much gold there was, Maharaj," continued theKarkoon pertinaciously, not noticing the gift.

  "Now, a plague on thee for an obstinate fool, Amrut Rao," replied thechief, laughing; "did I not tell thee not to speak about it?"

  "The total of the silver is twenty-seven thousand two hundred andninety-three rupees," returned the Karkoon; "and the gold must be addedto complete the account before we retire."

  "Well, then, there were five bags, and fifty Akburi mohurs in each:will that content you? or must you see them?"

  "Why couldn't you tell me this at first?" continued Amrut Rao, writingin the account, which he spread on his left hand; "there, at twentyrupees each, another five thousand, that makes thirty-two thousand twohundred and ninety-three rupees. My lord ordered fifty rupees for thedole to-morrow; it might as well be the odd ninety-three."

  "Ay, take that, and the two hundred over to boot, good fellow, if thouwilt. Here, some of you, stop him, stop my son, and kill a goat beforehim at the gate; see that lights are waved over him, and the evil eyeis taken off him. Quick! there are the torches flashing in the bazar."

  "I have deducted the sum, Maharaj," said the Karkoon deliberately; "nowlook at the total, and put your seal to it. Thirty-two thou----"

  "By Krishna! thou wouldst leave me no peace, Amrut Rao," replied thechief; "here is the seal; seal the memorandum, and begone. Yet stay;thou art a good fellow after all; so take a handsome doopatta, or apair of dhotees, out of that coin for thyself."

  "Not out of the Brahmuns' bellies," retorted the Karkoon; "thank you. Ishall have plenty of gifts by-and-by. Here is your seal."

  The chief might have answered angrily, had his attention not beendiverted at the moment. "Ah, here they are," he cried, looking from thewindow; "they have brought the man's horse up to the steps, and aretaking him off--bound, too! Ai Purmeshwar! but there must be much tohear. Why do they delay?"

  In truth they had not delayed; for several torch-bearers, stationedat the gate, hearing the shots on the hill, had run forward in thedirection of the pass, while the retainers and others from the bazar,crowded up to bid the young man welcome; for the anxiety in the castlehad spread over the village. So Gopal Singh and his party entered thegates among many eager faces, lighted up by torches tossing above them,and were welcomed by noisy shouts as the men clustered round them. Thena bevy of village women awaited them, some bearing brass dishes filledwith mustard-seed, and small lighted lamps, which were waved over him;others with jars of water, which were poured out before him; and, asothers joined them, there was quite a procession up to the end of thesecond traverse.

  Farther on, at the gate of the castle, stood a body of the householdservants and retainers, one having a naked sword, and a goat before himbleating loudly. As Gopal Singh advanced, the sword flashed in the air,and the headless carcase struggled convulsively as the blood spoutedover the sill and step, and trickled down towards the Lalla, who,lifted from his horse, shuddered as he was set down among it.

  Again the ceremony of having lights waved over him by some of thewomen-servants was repeated; and Gopal Singh, bidding Lukshmun and theothers search the Lalla carefully and keep what was found, ascendedto the court, and was met in a warm embrace by his uncle, and led tothe window, where, being seated, all present, including Maun Singh,advanced to salute him in turn.

  "What did I say, brother?" cried Maun Singh joyfully. "I knew he wouldnot disappoint us. Yet thou shouldst not have gone alone, Gopal."

  "Nay, but I had the hunchbacks with me, and more would have spoiledmy small hunt, which, if not so grand as thine, uncle, may yet beimportant," replied the young man.

  "Ah, the boy, the boy!" exclaimed the chief, stroking the young man'sface, and kissing the tips of his own fingers; "have I not broughthim up since he was the height of my knee? And I thought him lost--AiBhugwan, Bhugwan! Ai Purmeshwar! He is safe and well--safe and well,O Sri Mata! My heart swells. What did I say for the Brahmuns? Nevermind now. Go, bathe and eat, my son, and we will see to everythingafterwards."

  "Not before that matter is settled, father--that is, about the man Ibrought with me."

  "Yes, I had forgotten--certainly. Light the large lamps," cried thechief to the attendants at the lower end of the room; "let us see whatmanner of man he is. Who is he, Gopal?"

  "That we have to find out, father. They thought him a spy of theEmperor's, and he came from Aurungabad, by Bheer, to Kullianee, to theGosai's. He changed some bills for gold, and he has got it. I offeredescort, but was refused; so I went from Muntalla to the Burr tree atKinny, for we heard he was going to sleep in t
he Mutt at Surroori. Theywere sending him on privately, father."

  "Shabash! well done, son. A spy? Well, if we are true to the King'ssalt, he goes no farther; and he was being sent privately! Ah, theold foxes! Here he is--what a sight!" cried the chief, breaking intouncontrollable laughter. "Who art thou? What have they done to thee?Speak."

  In truth the poor Lalla was a show. The order to search him had beenliterally complied with, and while two stout fellows held his armswide apart, he was helpless to struggle. Rama and Lukshmun, who wouldallow no one to touch him, had dived into every pocket, and felt everypossible place of concealment, even to the Lalla's hair, which wasloosened and hung about his shoulders. His turban had been removed andshaken out, while one end was now fastened to his right arm. The bag ofgold, tied round his waist, his bundle of precious papers, his sword,dagger, and waist-shawl, had all been taken from him and made into abundle, and the articles were deliberately counted by the hunchbackas they were deposited, one by one, in the centre of the shawl spreadout for the purpose. It was quite in vain that the Lalla entreated,besought, struggled, or resisted by turns; the place, the rough menaround him, all forbade hope of pity, and he submitted. Finally,Lukshmun dragging him by the end of his turban, Rama pushing himbehind, and several of the others assisting, the Lalla was brought intothe presence of the chief, where he sank down, stupidly staring abouthim.

  Where were all the fine speeches he had contrived, which should havecarried the chief's heart at once? All the couplets, too, from theBostan that he was to have quoted?--All gone. His head was bare, hisclothes untied and hanging loosely about him; his boots removed:and his appearance of utter helplessness, and the hopeless, piteousexpression of despair in his face, might have excited compassion in anybut the hardened men by whom he was surrounded and confronted.

  "Who art thou, knave? Speak," cried the chief, sternly, again raisinghis voice and checking his laughter. "Who art thou?"

  "There now, make a salaam to the 'Lion of the Jungle'" (as the chiefwas called among his people), said Lukshmun, raising the right handof the Lalla to his head, which dropped helplessly. "Ah, I see he isashamed, poor man, of his naked head. There, Lallajee," and he woundthe turban round his head hastily, giving it a ludicrous cock toone side, increasing, if possible, the grotesque expression of thefeatures--"there now, get up and make your Tusleemat, else my lordmay be angry; and he is not exactly safe when he is," he added in awhisper. "Get up, and don't be afraid."

  But the Lalla's terror was too great, his mouth too dry to speak."Am[=a]n, am[=a]n!--Mercy, mercy!" was all he could gasp.

  "Who art thou, knave?" cried Pahar Singh again. "Whence art thou come?Give a good account of thyself. Let go of him, rascals!" he continuedto the men who held him; "begone all of ye."

  "Maharaj," cried Lukshmun beseechingly to the chief, "here are theLalla's things; who will take them? Look, Rao Sahib," he continued, toAmrut Rao, "here they are: count them. I have done with them--for theLion is getting savage--let me go. Beware, O Lalla! take my advice, andtell all about yourself, else I shall have to kill you somehow. Youdon't know the Maharaj as I do."

  This advice, and the diversion effected by the hunchback, afforded theLalla a little time for the recovery of his senses; but who could haverecognized the bland, accomplished Toolsee Das, in the abject figurebefore them? Hastily pressing the turban straight upon his brows, theLalla arose, and, as well as he could, made the ordinary Tusleemat.

  "Shabash!" cried the chief. "Well done, that was never learned in thejungle. Now speak truly, and at once, who art thou?"

  "Noble sir," returned the Lalla, "I claim your protection. There hasbeen a mistake about my treatment. My property has been taken, and Ihave been misused----"

  "I misuse thee, knave?" cried Pahar Singh, his brow darkening; "who artthou to bandy words with Pahar Singh? I have never seen thee before."

  "Beware, Lallajee," said Gopal Singh; "did I not warn thee? Say whothou art at once, or I will not answer for thee. Do not eat dirt."

  "Peace, boy!" interrupted the chief angrily; "the fellow looks like aknave--a thief--his is no honest face. Speak; or, by the gods, therewill be scant ceremony with thee!"

  "My lord, my lord!" cried the Lalla piteously; "mercy, I am no thief; Iam a poor Khayet of Delhi, travelling to Beejapoor, on business of myown--a stranger--a poor stranger."

  "What business, Lalla?"

  "My lord, we are merchants, and have dealings with people there forclothes and jewels. There is a dispute about the accounts, and I havecome to settle them," said the Lalla glibly enough. It was one of thestories he had made up by the way.

  "Who are the merchants?" asked the chief.

  "The Gosais of the Mutt at Kullianee, where I was yesterday; they sentme on," replied the Lalla.

  "O, hear!" cried Gopal Singh; "they knew nothing about thee, exceptthat thou hadst a bill on them for a thousand rupees, and the money wasgiven thee in gold. Is not this true? Did I not hear it myself?"

  "Thou art no merchant, dog," exclaimed Pahar Singh. "Did ever merchantmake an obeisance like that? Ah, we are true testers of gold here; thetrue and the false are soon found out. Who art thou? speak truly, andfear not."

  "By the shrine at Muttra, by the Holy Mother, I am what I say, a poorKhayet, a Mutsuddee only. O noble sirs," continued the Lalla, "give memy property, and let me go. I will seek shelter in the bazar: let mego, for the love of your children."

  "I beg to petition," interposed Lukshmun, joining his hands, "that, asI brought him, my share of the gold be given me before he goes. I tookcare of him on the road--did I not, master?"

  "Silence!" roared the chief; "any one who speaks shall be flogged. Whoart thou, O liar? Mutsuddee thou art, but whose? Thy speech betraysthee--beware!"

  "I have told you, noble sir. Thakoor Das, Preym Das is the name of thefirm; my name is Toolsee Das--Lalla Toolsee Das, your slave to command.Ask at Kullianee, and the house will be known there. I--I--am a poorman--a stranger; who knows me?" said the Lalla, now whimpering.

  "A fool, a liar art thou, throwing away life," returned Gopal Singh."This is the second time I have warned thee. We know thou art from theroyal camp, and a spy to Beejapoor. Speak, else----"

  "And the doom of a spy is death; and thou art a liar too, and a cowardto boot. Look at him now, Gopala," said his uncle, interrupting andpointing to the man; "look at his coward face."

  The Lalla was trembling violently. His knees shook, and his teethchattered audibly as he shivered. He could not speak, but lookedvacantly from one to another. "I am c-o-o-ld--c-o-o-o-ld," he saidfaintly; "the wet, sirs, and the long travel. Am[=a]n, am[=a]n! I amonly a merchant, let me go."

  "Thou art cold! then we will warm thee," cried the chief grimly. "Yet,speak, O Lalla, ere I give the order. We would not hurt thee withoutcause--otherwise----"

  "Ai Narayun! Ai Ramchunder! believe me, I am no spy. I swear by God Iam no spy," he replied earnestly.

  "Bind him!" cried the chief furiously. "A liar and a spy. Make torchesof his fingers! we will soon hear the truth."