by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXV
FELIX MCGAVONTY BRINGS DOWN SOME SNAKES
"Well, what do you think of this?" asked Captain Ringgold, turning to Mrs.Belgrave, as the elephant moved off.
"I don't feel quite at home up here," she replied, holding on with bothhands at the side of the howdah.
"I think it is nice," added Miss Blanche. "It seems very much like ridingon a camel, only there is more motion."
"It is a good place to see everything there is to be seen," suggestedLouis, as he looked about him. "The king is taking us to his palace in highstyle. If he meant to astonish us, he has hit the nail on the head."
"But where are Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava?" asked Miss Blanche.
"They are mounted on a couple of as handsome horses as I ever saw in mylife," replied the commander. "One of them is on each side of the Guicowar,at the head of the cavalry troop. In England and America the escort goesahead of the persons thus honored; but here, as a rule, the king cannotride behind anybody. You remember that when we saw the Sultan going to themosque in Constantinople he rode at the head of the procession, and all thegreat officers of state went behind him; and that seems to be the fashionhere."
"But is he much of a king?" Mrs. Belgrave inquired.
"They all call him a king, and I suppose he is one. He is a Maharajah, aword written with a capital, and composed of two words, _maha_, whichmeans great, and _rajah_, a king. The definition is 'a Hindu sovereignprince,' and that makes a king of him. He rules over a large territory, andLord Tremlyn says he is the most powerful of all the native princes. He iscertainly treating us very handsomely."
"I think I could get along without quite so much style," said Mrs.Belgrave, laughing; and she seemed to feel as though she was taking a partin a farce.
"All the style is in honor of the distinguished gentlemen we picked up inthe Arabian Sea. But excuse me, Mrs. Belgrave, if I suggest that it is notwise and prudent to laugh in the midst of such a spectacle as this. TheHindus are very exclusive until you get acquainted with them, and have agreat many prejudices which we cannot comprehend. They are very sensitive,and are very likely to misinterpret the expression and the actions of astranger; your laugh might be offensive, leading them to believe you weresneering, or making fun of them, as we should call it."
"Then I will be very circumspect," replied the lady. "But is the Guicowarreally a king, when all this country belongs to the English? Victoria isthe Empress of India."
"He rules over a protected state; but his powers seem to be almostunlimited. A British officer is always at his court, and is called a'resident,' who is the representative of the government. But he does notmeddle with the affairs of the state unless occasion requires."
The houses the tourists passed were all of Indian style, and there werealways towers and pagodas in sight. The region as they passed out of thecity was rural; and finally they came to the great gates of the palace,which they entered. The grounds were covered with great trees and gardens,in the midst of which was a palace, where they found the cavalry drawn upand presenting arms. The elephants were made to kneel down as when theparty mounted them, and they descended by means of ladders.
A host of servants ushered them into the palace, which Lord Tremlyn saidhad been appropriated to their use. Their luggage had already been sent totheir apartments; and an hour later the company assembled in the grandsalon, dressed to receive the Guicowar. His Highness did not "put on anystyle this time," and was as sociable as any common person. He saluted thecommander and Mrs. Belgrave; and then all the rest of the party werepresented to him by the viscount, and Mrs. Blossom had nearly shakenherself to pieces during the ceremony.
A bountiful collation was then served in another apartment, at which theMaharajah presided. He spoke English as fluently as any person present, andwas very affable to all. The Italian band played during the repast, and theGuicowar declared that it was the finest music he had ever heard. GeneralNoury had been placed on his right as the one highest in rank of anypresent.
The king proved himself to be exceedingly well informed in regard to theUnited States, and was even able to talk intelligently with the gentlemenabout Morocco. Though he had a wife, a mother, and a young daughter, theywere never presented to the gentlemen of the party, though the ladies werepermitted to make their acquaintance, and learned more from them aboutHindu domestic life than they could have obtained from any others.
"To-morrow will be a great day in Baroda," said Sir Modava to thecommander. "It is the great Sowari, a procession such as none of yourpeople ever saw, I will venture to say; and his Highness has providedplaces for all of you where you can see the whole of it in detail."
The king announced this great state occasion himself before the lunch wasfinished, and gave the visitors a cordial invitation to witness theprocession. The "Big Four," a term of which the viscount and Sir Modava hadalready learned the meaning, were very impatient to do some hunting. Theyhad brought their guns with them, and Louis informed the Hindu gentleman oftheir desire.
"Is there any place near the palace where we could find any game?" heinquired.
"Not in the palace grounds, but within a few miles of it a very ruggedregion may be reached, and a road-wagon will be provided for you. I willspeak to the Guicowar about it," replied Sir Modava; and he broached thesubject at once.
In half an hour a vehicle was at the door; and the boys were ready, dressedfor the hunt, and with their guns in their hands. Two officers wereappointed to attend them, and both of them spoke English very well. Thevehicle provided was a kind of coach, the floor of which was cushioned, sothat several persons could sleep on it during a long journey. It was drawnby four high-spirited horses; and, though the road was bad, it was drivenat a high rate of speed; and in less than an hour they alighted in a wildregion, where there was not a building of any kind to be seen.
The two officers directed the servants to take some boards from the top ofthe carriage, with which they stated their purpose to make a platform in atree, where they could watch for game; but the boys objected to thisarrangement, and declared that each of them would hunt on his own hook.
"But suppose you should come across a tiger, for they have been found here,though I hardly think you will see one," said one of the officers. "Whatwould you do then?"
"Shoot him, of course," replied Scott. "What are our guns for?"
"But you may fire half a dozen balls into him without disabling the beast,"added Khayrat, the principal officer. "Tiger-hunting is dangerous sport,and you can't be too careful."
But the boys were very confident, and all of them were good shots; but theyhad never tried any hunting of this kind. Khayrat said there was plenty ofdeer in the vicinity, and they had better confine their attention to them.If they approached the foothill of the Vindya Mountains, which he pointedout to them, they might find tigers. With this warning, the "Big Four"separated, and struck into the jungle. Khayrat followed Louis, for he hadbeen informed that he was the most important person in the quartet. Adil,the other officer, kept near Scott, who appeared to be the most reckless ofthe four.
Felix was not attended by any one; but he had not gone more than a hundredyards before he saw a huge cobra directly in front of him, bestirringhimself as though he "meant business." The fellow stood up, and he lookedmad enough to chew up the hunter. But before he had time to discharge hispiece at the monster, for he looked as though he was six feet long, Felixheard a rustling in the bushes at his left, and a moment later adisturbance on his right.
"He saw a huge cobra directly in front of him."--Page 242.]
He looked in the direction of the noises, and saw two more cobras liftingtheir vicious heads into the air. These were more than he had bargainedfor; and, believing that discretion was the better part of valor, heclimbed a tree in which he saw a convenient resting-place. Between him andthe three snakes there was a small pool of water, half concealed by thebushes, and the reptiles had probably come there to dri
nk or to obtain forfood some of the amphibious creatures that lived there.
The enthusiastic sportsman had hardly begun to climb the tree before heheard a hissing behind him, and discovered another cobra. Two of the fourin sight were much smaller than the other two, and he could easily believehe had come upon a family of them. He got a position in the tree, and lostno time in attacking the enemy. He was a good shot, for he and Louis hadboth been thoroughly trained in a shooting-gallery in New York. He gave hisattention to the one nearest to him, and wondered he had not trodden uponhim as he came to the spot.
As this one stood up Felix could see the top of his head, and he decided touse his revolver first. He fired; and, as the reptile was not ten feet fromhim, so skilful a marksman could hardly help hitting him. He did hit him,and the ball passed through his head. He wriggled a moment, and thenstretched himself out at full length, dead.
One of the larger ones was within twenty-five feet of him, and he used hisrepeating rifle this time. He slipped a little in his perch as hedischarged the piece, and the ball went through the snake's body, which wasfuriously mad, hissed and shook himself. He held still a moment, and thenFelix fired again. The ball seemed to tear his head all to pieces, and hedropped down out of sight. He had to fire several times to kill the othertwo; for, as he expressed it, they "would not hold still."
But he had killed the four, and felt just as though he had settled thesnake question. Most of the natives, who are oftener the victims of thecobra than the white people, go about in the dark with naked feet, and itis not strange that they are bitten. He descended from the tree, and wentto examine the game he had brought down. Cutting some pliable sticks, hedragged the serpents together, and passed a withe around them behind thehood, and started back for the rendezvous where they were to take thecarriage. He was determined to convince Scott that he was not afraid ofsnakes.
He had already heard several shots, and realized that his companions hadfound game of some kind. He waited a full hour for them, when Louisreturned first, with a very handsome deer slung on a pole with Khayratcarrying the other end. Morris came in with a monkey, which the officerswould not have permitted him to kill if they had been near him. Scott camein last with only a couple of birds.
"Did ye's mate ony cobrys, Musther Scott?" asked Felix.
"Not a cobra; and I didn't want to meet any," replied Scott, disappointedat his luck.
"You's air afeered of the schnakes," rallied the Milesian.
"So are you, Flix. If you saw one you wouldn't stop running till you gotback to Baroda," returned the third officer of the ship.
"But I have seen four of them in my little walk, and I'm not doing anyrunning just now," said Felix triumphantly.
"Go 'way with you, Milesian, and don't tell any fish stories!" repliedScott, continuing to blackguard him while the servants were putting thedeer on the top of the wagon.
"Do you want to carry those snakes back to the palace?" asked Khayrat.
"What snakes?" asked Scott.
"I'll be most happy to introjuce you to four uv 'em I killed," added Felix;and Scott was convinced against his will, and the dead serpents were put onthe wagon.
In another hour they reached the palace, and the game was exhibited to awondering audience. The officers explained how so many of the cobrashappened to be together; but Felix had reached a correct conclusion before.Mrs. Blossom scolded him for not running away when he saw the first one;but he declared he had to prove that a boy with Kilkenny blood in his veinswas not afraid of snakes.