Part 20 (2/2)

But Ajeet's complicity in the decoity where the merchant and his men had been killed, gave the Dewan just what he had planned for--the power of death over the Chief. As to his own complicity he had taken care to speak of the decoity to no one but Hunsa. The yogi had been inspired, of course, but the yogi would not appear as a witness against him, and Hunsa would not, because it would cost him his head.

So now, at a hint from Nana Sahib, the Dewan seized upon Ajeet, voicing a righteous indignation at his crime of decoity, and gave him the alternative of being strangled with a bow-string or forcing the Gulab to go to the camp of Amir Khan to betray him. Not only would Ajeet be killed, but Bootea would be thrust into the _seraglio_, and the other Bagrees put in prison--some might be killed. Ajeet was forced to yield to these threats. The very complicity of the Dewan made him the more hurried in this thing. Also he wanted to get the Bagrees away to the Pindari camp before the Resident made a move.

The mission to Amir Khan would be placed in the hands of Hunsa and Sookdee, Ajeet being retained as a p.a.w.n; also his wound had incapacitated him. He was nominally at liberty, though he knew well that if he sought to escape the Mahrattas would kill him.

The jewels that had been stolen from the merchant were largely retained by the Bagrees, though the Dewan found, one night, very mysteriously, a magnificent string of pearls on his pillow. He did not ask questions, and seemingly no one of his household knew anything about the pearls.

When the yogi asked Hunsa about the ruby, the Akbar Lamp, Hunsa, who had determined to keep it himself, as, perhaps, a ransom for his life in that troublous time, declared that in the turmoil of the coming of the soldiers he had not found it. Indeed this seemed reasonable, for he, having fled down the road to the Gulab, had not been there when they had opened the box and looted it.

So the Dewan sent for Ajeet, Hunsa and Sookdee, and declared that if the Bagree contingent of murder did not start at once for the Pindari camp he would have them taken up for the decoity.

It was Ajeet who answered the Dewan: ”Dewan Sahib, we be men who undertake all things in the favour of Bhowanee, and we make prayer to that G.o.ddess. If the Dewan will give fifty rupees for our _pooja_, to-morrow we will make sacrifice to her, for without the feast and the sacrifice the signs that she would vouchsafe would be false. Then we will take the signs and the men will go at once.”

”You shall have the money,” the Dewan declared: ”but do not delay.”

That evening the Bagrees made their way to a mango grove for the feast, carrying cocoanuts, raw sugar, flour, b.u.t.ter, and a fragrant gum, goojul. A large hole was dug in the ground and filled with dry cow-dung chips which were set on fire. Sweet cakes were baked on the fire and then broken into small pieces, a portion of the fire raked to one side, and their priest sprinkled upon it the fragrant gum, calling in a loud voice: ”Maha Kali, a.s.sist and guide us in our expedition.

Keep calamity from us who wors.h.i.+p Thee, and have made this feast in Thy honour. Give us the sign, that we may know if it is agreeable to Thee that we destroy the enemy of Maharaja Sindhia.”

When the Bagrees had eaten much cooked rice and meat-b.a.l.l.s, which were served on plantain leaves, they drank robustly of _mhowa_ spirit, first spilling some of this liquor upon the ground in the name of the G.o.ddess.

The strong rank native liquor roused an enthusiasm for their approaching interview of the sacred one. Once Ajeet laid his hand upon the pitcher that Hunsa was holding to his coa.r.s.e lips, and pressing it downward, admonished:

”Hunsa, whilst Bhowanee does not prohibit, it is an offence to approach her except in devout silence.”

The surly one flared up at this; his ungovernable rage drew his hand to a knife in his belt, and his eyes blazed with the ferocity of a wounded tiger.

”Ajeet,” he snarled, ”you are now Chief, but you are not Raja to command slaves.”

With a swift twist of his wrist Ajeet s.n.a.t.c.hed the pitcher from the hand of Hunsa, saying: ”Jamadar, it is the liquor that is in you, therefore you have had enough.”

But Hunsa sprang to his feet and his knife gleamed like the spitting of fire in the slanting rays of the setting sun, as he drove viciously at the heart of his Chief. There was a crash as the blade struck and pierced the matka which Ajeet still held by its long neck.

There was a scream of terror from the throats of the women; a cry of horror from the Guru at this sacrilege--the spilling of liquor upon the earth in anger at the feast of Bhowanee.

Ajeet's strong fingers, slim bronzed lengths of steel, had gripped the wrist of his a.s.sailant as Bootea, darting forward, laid a hand upon the arm of Hunsa, crying, ”Shame! shame! You are like sweepers of low caste--eaters of carrion, they who respect not Bhowanee. Shame! you are a dog--a tapper of liquor!”

At the touch of the Gulab on his arm, and the scorn in her eyes, Hunsa s.h.i.+vered and drew back, his head hanging in abas.e.m.e.nt, but his face devilish in its malignity.

Ajeet, taking a bra.s.s dish, poured water upon the hand that had gripped the wrist of Hunsa, saying, ”Thus I will cleanse the defilement.” Then he sat down upon his heels, adding: ”Guru, holy one, repeat a prayer to appease Bhowanee, then we will go into the jungle and take the auspices.”

The Guru strode over to Hunsa, and holding out his thin skinny palm commanded, ”Jamadar, from you a rupee; and to-morrow I will put upon the shrine of Kali cocoanuts and sweet-meats and marigolds as peace offerings.”

Hunsa took from his loin cloth a silver coin and dropped it surlily in the outstretched hand, sneering: ”To Bhowanee you will give four annas, and you will feast to the value of twelve annas, for that is the way of your craft. The vultures always finish the bait when the tiger has been slain.”

Soon the feathery lace work of bamboos beneath which they sat were whispering to the night-wind that had roused at the dropping of the huge ball of fire in the west, and the soft radiance of a gentle moon was gilding with silver the gaunt black arms of a babool. Then the priest said: ”Come, jamadars, we now will go deeper into the silent places and listen for the voice of Bhowanee.”

He untangled from the posture of sitting his parchment-covered matter of bones, and carrying in one hand a brocaded bag of black velvet and in the other a staff, with bowed head and mutterings started deeper into the jungle of cactus and slim whispering bamboo, followed by Ajeet, Sookdee and Hunsa. Presently he stopped, saying, ”Sit you in a line, brave chiefs, facing the great temple of Siva, which is in the mountains of the East, so that the voice of Bhowanee coming out of the silent places and from the mouth of the jackal or the jacka.s.s, shall be known to be from the right or the left, for thus will be the interpretation.”

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