Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XLV.

  Somewhat later in the day, a few groups of men were assembled nearthose majestic Adansonian trees which still stand by the waysidebetween the Citadel and the outer gate of the fort of Beejapoor. Thesun's rays fell slanting through their dense foliage, and cast broadshadows upon the bright green sward, which, with the trees themselves,glowed in the evening light. The wind had fallen, and not a leafstirred in the oppressive sultry calm which prevailed.

  On one side, upon piece of faded carpet, torn and ragged, sat a Fakeer,to all appearance, with long matted hair streaming over his shouldersto his waist, and over his face also, so as partly to conceal it. Somecoarse rags hung loosely about him, but he wore the tall felt cap ofthe Kullunders, and their quilted robe thrown over his shoulders. Hesat upon his heels, leaning upon a bright steel rod with prongs at theend, which might serve either for support or defence, and spoke to noone; but now and again a low cry of "Ulla dilaya to leonga," was rathermuttered than cried aloud. A few copper coins and cowries, which hadbeen thrown to him by passers-by, lay on the carpet.

  At a little distance from him were two parties of armed men--someMussulmans, some Hindus--standing, lounging on the grass, and speakingcarelessly together. One of these, from his dress and hair, seemedto be of more pretension than the rest, and might be the Jemadar,or sub-officer of the party, and was attended by two men armed with"Puttas," long, broad Toledo blades, set in steel gauntlets inlaidwith silver, which hung at their backs, the hilts projecting overtheir shoulders. These men were both short, with round backs, andvery powerful frames; and, from this brief description, our previousacquaintance with them under the banian tree will be remembered.

  "Perhaps they have pardoned him, after all, and let him go," said Rama."The King is young, and soft as a woman; and what will the uncle yondersay to that, I wonder?"

  "Impossible," replied Lukshmun; "I was behind the guards all the time,and heard Jehandar Beg ordered for execution under the Goruk Imlee.No, the King was as firm as our uncle when----Look! what is that? Canit be they?"

  As he spoke, a small procession was seen approaching, a litter tiedup as though a lady were within; a few footmen ran beside it, and afew horsemen rode before and behind. Unobtrusive in character, itsmovements were nevertheless followed with the greatest interest by themen we have mentioned, and even the Fakeer looked aside to watch it.

  At first it seemed to be proceeding by the road in the direction of theouter gate; but as it arrived opposite the trees, the leading horsementurned suddenly across the sward and halted under them, followed by thebearers, who at once hastily put down the litter and retired apart. Theleader of the party drew up his own men at a little distance, while thefootmen were directed to remove the cover of the litter. As they didso, the person within, who was pinioned, put his feet out of it, andstood up.

  "Where is Hoosein, the executioner?" cried the officer; "he was orderedto be here; and this is no time for delay. Have any of ye seen him?" heasked of the people around.

  Some one answered, "He is not here;" and another cried carelessly,"Hoosein does not like doing service for his own master;" and a thirdcalled out sneeringly, "You will find him drunk in the bazar by thistime; go and look there."

  "God forbid," said the officer, impatiently; "go, some of you, and seeif he be coming in any direction;" and several of the horsemen dashedoff at full speed.

  "Enough, sir," said Jehandar Beg, sadly; "a keen sword is all that isneeded; and ye are soldiers. Loose my hands, I pray ye, that I may saymy last prayer before I die.... Peace for a while. Syn," he continuedto the Fakeer, whose chant had increased to a solemn wail; "here issomething for thee. See thou to my grave, and to the Fatehas afterdeath. This will be enough, perhaps," he continued, with a sad smile,throwing some gold coins to the man, which lighted upon his carpet, butwere not noticed.

  "Ulla dilaya to leonga!" was the only reply; but the tone, which hadbeen raised as Jehandar Beg appeared, now subsided into a low murmur.

  "Let it be here," said Jehandar Beg, stepping forward to a piece ofsmooth turf under one of the huge branches. "Will any one lend me ascarf? Stay, this will do," he continued, loosing his own shawl fromhis waist; "when I am dead, give it to the Durwaysh yonder." Then hespread it out on the ground, and knelt down upon it, with his facetowards Mecca, settling the cap upon his head, smoothing his long curlybeard, and the glossy brown curls which fell upon his neck. "Thereis no use asking for water for ablution," he muttered, "this willsuffice;" and taking up a little dry earth, he rubbed his hands withit, allowing the dust to fall over his elbows.

  Jehandar Beg looked once more around ere he began his prayer; above,to the stately trees, and their heavy foliage, among which a flock ofnoisy parroquets were fluttering from branch to branch, and screamingloudly; over the green sward, to the King's fort and palaces, onwhich, and upon the noble dome of the mausoleum of Mahmood Adil Shah,his first benefactor and patron, the mellow light of evening restedin a golden radiance, and away over trees, gardens, and minarets, allglowing in the same soft beauty; then upon the group around him, for afew chance passengers, seeing what was to happen, had gathered roundthe spot.

  A shiver seemed to pass through him as he closed his eyes slowly. Notof fear, for the man, a Fatalist by creed and habit, was meeting hisdoom stoically as a brave Moslem can do; but a thought had crossedhim which would not be put back--a vision of love and peace--of hisgirl wife in her rosy beauty, and of her fair boy, far away at his ownvillage and home, in the blue mountains of Khorassan--and of a fondaged mother who lived with them. This season they were to have come tohim. Who now would tell them of his fate?

  "A word, Jemadar," he said to the officer. "Bid that Fakeer comehither."

  "Thou wilt do it," he said, as the man rose and advanced, "for the sakeof the gold. Give this ring to Afzool Khan--my worst enemy in life, andyet the truest man in Beejapoor--and these papers; he will know what towrite to my--my--to my house. And now, friends, peace, and the peaceof God and the love of the Prophet be with ye! When I have said theprayer, I would die."

  It was finished, but as yet no executioner had arrived. Jehandar Begsat resting upon his heels, his eyes closed, while his beads passedrapidly through his fingers as his lips moved in prayer.

  "We cannot delay," cried the Jemadar to those around, "will none of yestrike a blow for the King? Here is the warrant, and here is a bag ofmoney for any who will earn it."

  "Go thou, Rama," said Lukshmun, nudging his brother, "thou art a surerhand with the 'Putta' than I am; but if thou wilt not, I will try mineon that rascal, who hath strung up many a better fellow than himself onthese trees. Hast thou forgotten what he did to our people?"

  "Yes," added Gopal Singh; "go, Rama, and end this play. See thou do itwell, and they will give thee the money. Go!"

  "If the uncle wills it," said Rama, hitching forward his longweapon, as he looked for a moment to the Fakeer, who bowed his head,imperceptibly to others, yet intelligibly to them, as he repeated hiscry. "Yes, I will do it," and drawing the broad blade, on which thesun's rays flashed brightly, he felt its edge, then put his hand intothe gauntlet which reached to his elbow, and fastened the straps overhis wrist and arm carefully. He now advanced lightly, with circlingsteps, flourishing the heavy weapon, as though it had been a stick,round and round his head; yet, with every sweep, it was clear that hewas measuring his distance more carefully. Another moment--a brightflash in the air--a whistling sound as the sword clove it--and thehead of Jehandar Beg rolled to the ground, the lips still moving withthe prayer which he had not finished, while the trunk fell forwardquivering.

  "The second to-day," said Rama, muttering to himself, as he wiped hissword on the sward. "Enough, enough!"

  "Soobhan Ulla!" exclaimed the Jemadar. "A brave stroke. Thou shouldstbe chief executioner thyself, friend."

  "That is my brother, noble sir," said Lukshmun, interrupting thespeaker, "and he does not like being spoken to after he has cut off aman's head. Give me the money, Jemadar Sahib, and let us
begone; yousee he is cleaning his sword; he might dirty it again if he were vexed."

  "Take it, friend," returned the officer, "and away with ye, for yonderis Hoosein Jullad coming, and ye may perchance quarrel over it. Begone!"

  "Bid him and his party watch here till I bring men to bury the dead,"said the seeming Fakeer, who had again risen and advanced, and who,having removed the bloody shawl, was rolling it up. "Watch with them,even though it should be night. This gold will suffice for all, and Iwill return." So saying, he stalked away rapidly in the direction ofthe fort, while his strange cry changed--"Ulla dilaya to leea, Ulladilaya to leea!" (God gave and I took, God gave and I took!)

  "Sir, here are the executioner's men, and they will watch; we need notstay," said one of the soldiers to their officer. "Let us go."

  The litter was taken up, the soldiers moved rapidly away, and thereremained only the watchers and two women, wrapped closely in heavysheets, who had not been previously noticed, and who sat coweringbehind one of the giant trunks, sobbing bitterly. Perhaps----; but nomatter now.

  The sun was sinking fast, and its rays fell upon a pool of blood,glistening, as it dried among the blades of the close sward,--upon aghastly head, its face turned upwards to the sky,--and a headless trunkbeside it, from which the crimson stream was still oozing. Above, onthe high bare branches, sat foul birds and ravens, which had alreadyscented the blood, and whose hoarse croaks mingled with the heavyrustle of the wings of vultures, assembling for a night feast;--nounusual matter, perhaps, in that place.

  * * * * *

  "A Fakeer says he must see you, my lord," said Goolab to Afzool Khan,as he sat quietly in his accustomed seat after the evening prayer."He is in the court at the door, and will take no denial. He will notgo away, but cursed frightfully when we said you were tired, and wereresting in private."

  "A Fakeer, Goolab! Do you know him?"

  "All he says, master, is 'Ulla dilaya to leea,'" replied the woman,"and he declared he would cut himself with a knife and throw his bloodupon us if we did not tell you. Hark! there is a shout."

  "Ulla dilaya to leea!"

  The Khan did not delay. "I know him, Goolab," he said. "Go, and say Icome."

  "Bid every one depart hence," said the man as Afzool Khan approachedhim, attended by several servants. "What I have to say to thee brooksno listeners. There," he continued, when all had gone; and flingingdown the bloody scarf at the Khan's feet, "look, it is his blood whowould have been true, but for him who went to hell before him. Here ishis last request to thee, Afzool Khan, for he trusted thee only, of allthis city. Take them, I have done his last bidding."

  "His seal and these papers, Syn. More treason, perhaps. Did he sayaught of them?" said the Khan.

  "Only that they belonged to his house, and I should give them to you;and he died like a brave man as he was."

  "Yes, as he was, Syn," echoed the Khan sadly--"as he was. And thou hastburied him? Else----"

  "I have cared for that; it doth not concern thee, Khan."

  "And who art thou, Syn? We have met before to-day."

  "Ay, Khan, and before that often. Am I safe with thee? Put thy hand onmy head; nay, fear not a poor servant of God, and I will tell thee whoI am."

  "Surely, friend," replied Afzool Khan, putting out his hand upon thehigh felt cap, "fear not."

  "Not there, not there; on my head," cried the man, grasping the Khan'shand, and kissing it while he removed the cap; "on my head, on my head.Ask Ali Adil Shah of me, and remember--Pahar Singh."

  "Pahar Singh!" exclaimed the Khan, starting back.

  "Hush, fear not; I have been pardoned, and the Shah's hand hath beenbefore thine on his head; fear not, I will be true to thee, for thouart faithful to him. Thy hand once more, Khan, freely and truly upon myhead."

  "Go, friend," said Afzool Khan, placing it as he desired. "Go, I doubtthee not, for I have heard what happened last night; go in peace.Whatever thou canst do for the Shah will not be forgotten."

  "There is yet one more work to-day ere I sleep, Khan--one more, and Igo to do it. God be with you."

  As he departed, the men on guard would have stopped him, but again theold cry arose, and in his assumed character no one molested him, as theshout, rising and falling on the air, died away in the far distance.

  Afzool Khan took up the bloody scarf and gave it to an attendant. "Letit be washed, and kept till I ask for it," he said. Not long afterwardssome Persian merchants were returning to their country, and they borethe last requests of the unhappy Jehandar Beg, with such monies ascould be saved out of his property, to his family.

  That evening the crypt under the old tomb was again empty. Maloosray'sscouts had brought him the news of Bulwunt Rao having survived hiswound; and of the occurrences in the Durbar of the King, of which hehad been advised by the Brahmun we have seen in communication withJehandar Beg. Watching from the terrace of the temple, he had seen theWuzeer's arrival at Allapoor; followed his course across the plain; andguessed, by the confusion and shots at the gate, and the dispersion ofthe horsemen with him, that something extraordinary had taken place,the particulars of which, and of the subsequent execution of JehandarBeg, were related by his scouts. Under the presence of Pahar Singh,therefore, Beejapoor was no longer safe; and as night closed, the wholeparty, unobserved, left their hiding-place to its usual tenants, thejackals and hyenas of the plain.