Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER LXXXVI.

  A few steps further on, and Kakrey turned the ponies into a sidestreet, and stopped at the handsome gateway of a respectable house.The steps up to the entrance being easy, the active mountain animalsscrambled up them in turn, and their riders were thus taken at onceinto the first court. Then, when the gates were closed, Goolab liftedthem from their seats; and the men, who had remained without, tookpossession of the guard-room inside the first archway, which, while itafforded ample accommodation, enabled them to continue their protectionto the last.

  Once more in private, and their mufflings removed, and as Goolab ledLurlee into the second court, they were met by a lady of middle age,who, attended by several servants, advanced and saluted them cordially,yet with a peculiar reverence.

  "The wife and daughter of Afzool Khan are welcome to our poor house. Olady! why did you not advise me of your coming?"

  "Who art thou?" asked Lurlee faintly, "and who told thee of us?"

  "My husband was at his office in the bazar," replied the lady, "andsome men came asking for shelter for noble travellers who were veryweary. He asked who they were, and was told of you. O lady, yoursteps are fortunate, and Alla hath led you here to do us honour. Manybenefits hath my lord received from the noble Khan, and there is muchto repay--very much."

  "Have you hot water for a bath, lady?" cried Goolab, interrupting her,"and some decent clothes instead of these, and some food that nobleladies can eat? They will be better than fine words. Alas! that for thelast four days we have eaten dry parched pease, dry bread, garlic, andporridge--unblessed food, O lady; and my mistress, you see, is ill ofit, and talking to her won't cure her!"

  "Fear not," replied the dame, smiling; "we have had scant notice, yetwe may do something," and she was as good as her word. Hot water tobathe with, was quickly prepared, and clean refreshing clothes; andthe rubbings and kneadings of several young girls relieved their wearyaching limbs. Soft cushions were put down to lie on; and there was ahospitable, grateful hostess ministering to every want. Even Lurlee'schurlish humour was already softened by the attention paid to her; andshe remembered, with satisfaction, in spite of her late disbelief,that the day was Thursday, and that, as she entered the house betweenfive and six in the afternoon, the hour was ruled by Mercury, and waspropitious.

  About the same time, a body of horsemen--there might have been fromtwo to three hundred of them--were approaching the town from the otherside, through the camp which spread out irregularly among the fieldsand gardens. Their horses neighed frequently as they passed tents whereothers were picketed, seemingly envious of their rest and comfort; andthe appearance of the whole party, jaded and wayworn, indicated a longweary march in a hot sun that day, which had now come to a close.

  As they passed the first tents, the men loitering by the wayside askedcarelessly who they were, and being told, followed them eagerly;while the news that one remnant of the noble host which had been sotreacherously destroyed at Purtabgurh had arrived, traversed the campbefore them. As men of the Paigah of Afzool Khan were recognized, manya rough heart swelled, many an eye filled with tears, as the horsemenproceeded: while crowds followed them, greeting old friends who hadescaped, or tendering their respectful salutations to the young Khan,and congratulating him on his escape.

  Bulwunt Rao and the hunchback were in front, and as they neared thetown urged their horses on. "Wait for us at the gate; we will not belong, and will bring the water," cried the latter; and when Fazilreached it, a litter--which had been rudely constructed of a bed-frameand stout bamboo poles, covered with some coarse sheets--by whichhe had been riding, was set down. The men who had carried it wereexhausted, and as they placed it on the ground, lay down themselves ata little distance.

  Fazil dismounted and approached it. "Tara!" he said, "Tara! art thouasleep? We have arrived, and there is now no more fatigue or danger. OTara, awake!"

  The girl turned mechanically towards him, but did not seem to recognizehim; her eyes were much glazed, and her lips cracked and parched."Water," she said faintly.

  "Alas! I dare not give it thee, Tara," he replied. "O my life--Obeloved, look up! wait but till they return, and all will be well!"

  She shook her head, and a smile, very sad and sweet, seemed to passover her face, but she did not speak. Fazil looked out among the peoplepassing to and fro; perhaps there might be a Brahmun among them, whocould give her a few drops of water to moisten her mouth, but he sawnone. How wearily the time seemed to pass! With what impatience did hewatch the gate whence Lukshmun or Bulwunt Rao, on their double errand,should return; and with what misery did he look upon the poor girl,lying in heavy fever, without the means of relieving her! How he longedfor his sister or Lurlee! but it might be days ere they arrived, andtill then he must trust her to strangers.

  It had been a weary day, indeed--a day of intense anxiety to all whoaccompanied him. Under the excitement of release from imminent death,and in the rapid ride of the afternoon of her rescue, Tara had bornethe fatigue wonderfully; and as night set in, and they took somehurried rest among the corn-fields of a village, Fazil hoped that shewould sleep, and be refreshed against the morrow; but it was not to beso. During the night the girl began to speak incoherently at times,and it was evident that she suffered from high fever. Still they mustproceed; there was no delaying there. The tracks of his party weredistinct, and a force of the enemy's horse might yet overtake them anddestroy them if they tarried.

  So, after feeding their horses on green corn-stalks, and themselvesobtaining a rough meal from the green heads of corn roasted in a fire,they again set forth. They had no other food, for they dare not stay tocook it, and they had avoided villages as likely to expose themselvesto collision with the surly people. Once or twice, straggling partiesof cavalry had been met; but they had passed without notice, and thefarther they proceeded, the less chance there was of interruption. Sofar all was well; but Tara grew worse, and could no longer sit thehorse on which she had been placed; so, in a village which was passed,a litter was contrived, a drink of milk obtained, and the party againset forward. Finally, they had arrived safely at Kurrar; but Taranow knew no one, she could not be roused to speak, and lay moaningpiteously, as if in pain.

  "When she gets water it will refresh her," thought Fazil, as he sathelplessly by her, praying, in his own simple fashion, that God wouldbe good to him and spare her. "Weariness and the terror of death havecaused this," he said to himself, "and rest alone can cure it."

  At last Lukshmun returned with a Brahmun and some water, and the man,looking into the litter, shook his head hopelessly.

  "She is dying," he said; "let her be taken out and placed on theground, that her spirit may depart easily."

  Fazil flung him away angrily. "She shall not die," he criedpassionately; "give her the water--as much as she will drink." But itwas of little avail,--she scarcely swallowed any, and motioned the manaway with her head impatiently.

  Then came Bulwunt Rao. "I had much ado to find the merchant," he said,"and when I did, he told me strange guests were already with him,and that he could not find room for a Brahmun woman. Nevertheless heyielded at last, and we are to go. I rode by the house. The porch wasfull of men, so we must seek shelter elsewhere. The merchant said hewould meet you at the door of the house, but he does not yet knowwho you are. I did not tell him. I only said you were a nobleman ofBeejapoor."

  "And why did you not tell him?" cried Fazil, with some impatience; "heowed my father a thousand benefits."

  "So much the better, Meah," returned Bulwunt, "and he looks as thoughhe would repay them. Come, it is close by."

  The bearers again took up the litter and carried it on. Fazilaccompanied it on foot, holding the side; and at the same door whichwe have already described, stood a pleasant-looking man, dressed inflowing Arab robes and a green turban, and several servants behindhim,--who saluted Fazil courteously as he stood aside for the litter togo by.

  "Meer Jemal-oo-deen, if thou art he," said Fazil, "will have forgottenone whom he
knew long ago."

  "I have forgotten your face," returned the man, "yet you are welcome,and the peace of the Prophet be upon you. Who are you?"

  "Fazil, the son of Afzool Khan," was the reply.

  "O, great joy! O, thanks be to Alla!" cried the man, lifting up hishands, "and blessed be the saints and the Prophet who have sent thee.Embrace me, and come in quickly, for thy mother and sister have alsobeen brought to us, and are safe within."

  "Then she will live! they will save her!" cried the young manexcitedly. "They will save her! O Meer Sahib, where are they?"

  "Within, in the zenana," replied the merchant. "Sorely exhausted, Ihear, but already better; and she?" and he pointed to the litter.

  "No matter, sir," said Fazil, advancing; "all will be told youhereafter. She is much to them; but she is grievously shaken, and welose time. She cannot speak, and is burning with fever."

  "Ah, is it so? Then let her be carried in," and he clapped his hands."Take that litter within at once," he said to the women who came; "thensee to the lady who is in it."

  Four stout women took up the litter, carried it into the inner court,and set it down.

  Lurlee and Zyna were lying in an inner room, the door of which wasopen, and from whence the entrance to the court could be seen. "Whatcan they be bringing in?" said Lurlee, as she saw the end of thestrange litter entering the door. "A man following, too! Begone!" shescreamed violently, hiding her face under the sheet; "begone! thisplace is private."

  "Mother," cried Fazil, who heard her voice but did not see her; "it isI; and here is Tara. Come, O Zyna; where art thou? Come quickly to her."

  O delicious joy! Lurlee, forgetting all her previous troubles, sprangfrom the bed on which she had been lying languidly, and Zyna followed;and they fell upon his neck with low whimpering cries, like dogs whenthey have found a lost master. Where was fatigue now?

  Tara! It was far in the night ere consciousness returned to her. "Nomatter, Alla hath sent her again to us," said Goolab, whose ideaswere always of the most practical description; "she is ours now, andwe will bathe her." And some Brahmun women, who lived hard by, cameand assisted. So, ere morning broke, Tara was lying on Lurlee's bosomsobbing gently: and, with her loving arms wound round her recoveredtreasure, Zyna was sobbing too.