Part 28 (1/2)
He turned to Barlow. ”Captain Sahib, thou hast heard. The word of a Pindari, taken in the name of Allah, is inviolate. That is our answer to the message from the Englay Chief. There is no writing to be given, for a Pindari deals in yea and nay. Is it to be considered. Captain Sahib; is it a message to send that is worthy of men to men?”
”It is, Commander Ka.s.sim,” Barlow answered.
”Then wait thou for the seal.”
He raised his _tulwar_ aloft,--and as he did so the steel of every jamadar and hazari flashed upward,--saying, ”We Pindaris and Bundoolas who rode for Amir Khan, and now ride for Ka.s.sim, swear in the name of Allah, and on the Beard of Mahomet, who is his Prophet, friends.h.i.+p to the Englay Raj.”
”By Allah and the Beard of Mahomet, who is his Prophet, we make oath!”
the deep voices boomed solemnly.
”It is all,” Ka.s.sim said quietly. ”I would make speech for a little with the Captain.”
As each officer pa.s.sed toward the door he held out a hand and gripped the hand of the Englishman.
When they had gone Ka.s.sim said: ”Go thou back, Sahib, to the one who is to receive our answer, and let our promise be sent to the one who commands the Englay army and is even now at Tonk, in Mewar, for the purpose of putting the Mahrattas to the sword. Tell the Sahib to strike and drive the accursed dogs from Mewar, and have no fear that the Pindaris will fall upon his flank. Even also our tulwars and our spears are ready for service so be it there is a reward in lands and gold.”
The Pindari Chief paced the marble floor twice, then with his eyes watching the effect of his words in the face of Barlow he said: ”Captain Sahib, it is of an affair of feeling I would speak now. It relates to the woman who has done us all a service, which but shows what a perception Amir Khan had; a glance and he knew a man for what he was. Therein was his power over the Pindaris. And it seems, which is rarer, that he knew what was in the heart of a woman, for the Gulab is one to rouse in a man desire. And I, myself, years of hard riding and combat having taken me out of my colt-days, wondered why the Chief, being busy otherwise, and a man of short temper, should entail labour in the way of claiming her regard. I may say, Sahib, that a Pindari seizes upon what he wants and backs the claiming with his sword. But now it is all explained--the wise gentleness that really was in the heart of one so fierce as the Chief--Allah rest his soul! What say thou, Captain Sahib?”
”Bootea is wonderful,” Barlow answered fervidly; ”she is like a Rajput princess.”
Ka.s.sim coughed, stroked his black beard, adjusted the hilt of his _tulwar_, then coughed again.
”Inshalla! but thou hast said something.” He turned to face Barlow more squarely: ”Captain Sahib, the one who suffered the wrath of Allah to-day last night sent a salaam that I would listen to a matter of value. Not wis.h.i.+ng to have the hated presence of the murderer in the room near where was Amir Khan I went below to where in a rock cell was this Hunsa. This is the matter he spoke of, no doubt hoping that it would make me more merciful, therefore, of a surety I think it is a lie. It is well known, Sahib, that the Rana of Udaipur had a beautiful daughter, and Raja Jaipur and Raja Marwar both laid claim to her hand; even Sindhia wanted the princess, but being a Mahratta--who are nothing in the way of breeding such as are the Children of the Sun--dust was thrown upon his beard. But the Rajputs fly to the sword over everything and a terrible war ensued in which Udaipur was about ruined.
Then one hyena, garbed as the Minister of State, persuaded the cowardly Rana to sacrifice Princess k.u.mari to save Udaipur.
”All this is known, Sahib, and that she, with the courage of a Rajputni, drained the cup that contained the poison brewed from poppy leaves, and died with a smile on her lips, saying, 'Do not cry, mother; to give my life for my country is nothing.' That is the known story, Sahib. But what Hunsa related was that k.u.mari did not die, but lives, and has the name of Bootea the Gulab.”
The Chief turned his eyes quizzically upon the Englishman, who muttered a half-smothered cry of surprise.
”It can't be--how could the princess be with men such?”
”Better there than sacrifice. Hunsa learned of this thing through listening beneath the wall of a tent at night while one Ajeet Singh spoke of it to the Gulab. It was that the Rana got a yogi, a man skilled in magical things, either drugs or charms, and that k.u.mari was given a potion that caused her to lie dead for days; and when she was brought back to life of course she had to be removed from where Jaipur or Marwar might see her or hear of this thing, because they would fly to the sword again.”
Ka.s.sim ceased speaking and his eyes carried a look of interrogation as if he were anxious for a sustaining of his half-faith in the story.
”It's all entirely possible,” Barlow declared emphatically; ”it's a common practice in India, this deceit as to death where a death is necessary. It could all be easily arranged, the Rana yielding to pressure to save Mewar, and dreading the sin of being guilty of the death of his daughter. Even the Gulab is like a Princess of the Sesodias--like a Rajputni of the highest caste.”
”Indeed she is, Captain Sahib, the quality of breeding never lies.”
”What discredits Hunsa's story,” Barlow said thoughtfully, ”is that the Gulab was in the protection of Ajeet Singh who was but a _thakur_ at best--really a protector of decoits.”
”To save k.u.mari's life she had been given to the yogi, and he would act not out of affection for the girl's standing as a princess, but to prevent discovery, bloodshed, and, her life. It is also known that these ascetics--infidels, children of the Devil--by charm, or drugs, or otherwise, can cause something like death for days--a trance, and the one who goes thus knows not who he was when he comes back,” Ka.s.sim argued.
”Well,” Barlow said, ”it is a matter unsolvable, and of no importance, for the Gulab, k.u.mari or otherwise, is a princess, such as men fight and die for.”
There was a little silence, Barlow carrying on in his mind this, the main interest, so far as he was concerned, Bootea; as a woman appealing to the senses or to the subtlest mentality she was the sweetest woman he had ever known.
There was a flicker of grim humour in Ka.s.sim's dark eyes: ”Captain Sahib,” he said, ”that evil-faced Bagree has a curious deep cunning, I believe. I'll swear now by the hilt of my _tulwar_ that he made up the whole story for the purpose of having audience with me, and in his heart was a favour desired, for, as I was leaving, he asked that I would have his turban given back to him to wear on his going; he pleaded for it. Of course, Sahib, a turban is an affair of caste, and I suppose he was feeling a disgrace in going forth without it. It appears that Gulab had taken it as an evidence that he had been killed, but when I sent a man for it she told him that the cloth was possessed of vermin and she had burned it.”