Part 18 (1/2)
Here, besides s and ainst the wall on one side of the house stood a row of horses, saddled and bridled and bearing evidence of having traveled through the heat; through the open doorway the sunshi+ne glinted on a sword-hilt and a of a spur as some one sat cornerwise on a wooden table and struck his toe restlessly against the leg
Another string of women started for the water-hole, with their picturesque brass jars perched at varying angles on their heads; and as each one passed the doorway of this larger house she turned and scowled A Rajput, lean and black-bearded and swaggering, ca proudly with his arms folded across his breast As the last wohed aloud
”Nay!” said a voice inside ”Have done with that! Is noticing the Hindu woster turned and faced the old, black-bearded veteran who spoke
”If I had h this village, and fire the thatch They fail to realize the honor that we pay them by a visit!”
”Aye, hothead! And burn thy brother's barn hat is in it! The Hindus here are s a-plenty before a week is past, if I read the signs aright! Once before have I heard such s Once before I have seen chupatties sent fro the roadside for a month to follow! Keep thy sword sharp a while and wait the day!”
”But why,” growled another deep-throated Rajput voice, ”does the Sirkar wait? Why not smite first and swiftly?”
Mahoh his beard
”I know not!” he answered ”In the days when I was Risaldar in the Rajput Horse, and Bellairs sahib was colonel, things were different! But we conquered, and after conquest carown overconfident; they think that Mussul the other; they will not understand that this lies deeper than jealousy-they will not listen! Six eneral sahib what I thought; but he laughed back at alow and bade me eat my fill”
”Well-what round of new conquerors!”
”There will be no new conquerors,” growled the old Risaldar, ”so long as I and mine have swords to wield for the Raj!”
”But what have the English done for thee or us?”
”This, forgetful one! They have treated us with honor, as surely no other conquerors had done! At thy age, I too measured my happiness in cattle and coin and women, but then came Bellairs sahib, and raised the Rajput Horse, and I enlisted What came of that was better than all the wealth of Ind!”
He spread his long legs like a pair of scissors and caught a child between them and lifted hihts! A true Rajput! Nay, beat reat-grandson land or the next one!”
”Nay! But for England!” said the Risaldar, setting the child down on his knee ”And thou too, hot-head Before a week is past! Think you I called ether for the fun of it? Think you I rode here through the heat because I needed the exercise or to chatter like an ape or to stand in the doorwayfaces at a Hindu woman or to watch thee do it? Here I am, and here I stay until yet more news comes!”
”Then are we to wait here? Are we to swelter in Siroeh, eating up our brother's hospitality, until thy ers see fit to come and tell us that this scare of thine is past?”
”Nay!” said the Risaldar ”I said that I wait here! Return now to your own homes, each of you But be in readiness I am old, but I can ride still I can round you up Has any a better horse than e”
”There will be horses for the looting if this revolt of thine breaks out!”
”True! There will be horses for the looting! Well, I wait here then and, when the trouble comes, I can count on thirteen of my blood to carry swords behind me?”
”Aye, when the trouble comes!”