Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XXI.

  The silence was becoming oppressive, though only of a few moments'duration, when Fazil observed the Jogi twitch the sleeve of the Lalla'sgarment as a sign to begin. Though it had cost him a pang to think hehad no present hope of securing the robber, Toolsee Das, in truth,was pretty much at his ease. The position and rank of the King'ssecretary were unequivocal; who the other person might be, he could notconjecture--perhaps an assistant, perhaps a son--he might be either.There was something, certainly, in the look of those great black eyes,which was uncommon; but they gave no response to the Lalla's rapid butcurious investigation of them: they could not be fathomed at a glance.

  There was nothing in the demeanour of either of the persons before himto excite personal apprehension; and the Lalla was quite sure thatPahar Singh would not give him up, or the papers either, without anequivalent in money; and as he could not have Pahar Singh taken, it wasassuring to think that he need not be apprehended himself, for it wasquite certain that the robber would get more for the secret here thanif he and the papers had been conveyed to the Imperial camp. There, ashort questioning, and the executioner would be sure; and the Lallashuddered for an instant at the thought of what would have followed.Here, as one who could give information of the enemy, and who coulddisclose state counsels, to what might he not aspire? If the people andtheir language were barbarous in northern estimation, yet he had seenenough of the city to be satisfied of its beauty; and were not many ofthe northern people already settling among the Dekhanies?

  Such thoughts were flashing rapidly through the Lalla's mind--far morerapidly than we can write them--when he felt the sudden twitch wehave already mentioned: he joined his hands together, and began, in amincing accent, some of those courtly Persian phrases of complimentarywelcome, common to the Mahomedans of the north, and which we need notrepeat. The Secretary, however, was not in a mood to endure them.

  "Peace, Lallajee!" he said; "we are rougher people here than those fromwhom you have brought these idle compliments, and you can keep themtill you get back. Now to business--do not detain us."

  "Ah, yes. My lord desired to see some letters of which I spoke to him,"he replied; "some that I mentioned yesterday."

  "It is therefore that I have come, and it will be well if they can beproduced. You have higgled for them overmuch, good fellow," replied theSecretary, curtly.

  "Nay, if my lord regrets," said the Lalla, "there is no need to pressthe matter further. Baba!" he continued to the pretended Jogi, "thoucanst burn them in the fire there, only perhaps the King----"

  "Not so fast, good sir," said the Meerza, speaking more blandly. "Iremember all that has passed between us and that valiant gentlemanyonder," and he pointed to Maun Singh, "and I am willing to perform mypart of the bargain. And is this the Gooroo of whom ye spoke?"

  "Sir, it is," replied the Lalla. "A holy man--one unused to the waysof the world, and who travels from shrine to shrine in the performanceof sacred vows. Such were the Rishis; such are those from whom holyactions emanate; and such are the virtuous Jogis of the present day,of whom my Gooroo is a noble example. He, desiring the welfare ofthe Shah--may his splendour increase, and live for ever!--sent me toinform you, O fountain of eloquence and discretion! that they were inexistence----" Here the Jogi gave another twitch of interruption, and alook, with a low growl, which the Lalla well understood, and continued--

  "You see, noble sirs, he hath already suffered the interruption of hisdevotional abstraction, and is uneasy; for he never speaks unless tobless his disciples, or removes his eyes from the end of his nose: incontinuing which, and repeating to himself holy texts and spells ofwonderful power, he is pre-eminent in absorption of his faculties. Somy lord will excuse him, and will remember the condition attached tothe perusal of the papers."

  "The gold, the gold--the money first!" growled the Jogi. "My son, myvow, my vow!"

  "Noble sirs," continued the Lalla in a deprecatory whine to both, whichappeared perfectly natural, as he looked from one to the other, withhis hands joined, "you must pardon him; he is not a man of courts or ofthe world, but of temples, and holy shrines, and ascetic exercises; andsome time ago he made a vow to build a temple on a spot where he had anecstatic vision of heaven, and to dig a well, and feed five thousandBrahmuns, and to pass the remainder of his days in assisting poortravellers and in holy contemplation. A holy man, therefore, noblegentlemen, and he is anxious about the gold, not as filthy lucre, butfor the sake of the temple and the well."

  "Peace!" interrupted the Meerza. "What, in the name of the Shytan, arethe well and the temple to us? Let us get up and depart, Sahib," hesaid to his companion, "they have no papers; this is but a scheme toraise money. I like them not, my lord," he added in a whisper, "andbitterly do I regret having brought you here unarmed and unattended.May God and the Prophet take us safe hence!"

  The Lalla was not watching their faces in vain; he felt that he hadgone far enough; and a fresh scowl from Pahar Singh, which was not tobe mistaken: and his action, as he turned up a corner of the deerskinon which he sat, exhibiting a small red satin bag which might containpapers, assured the Lalla that he need not delay longer.

  "Nay, my lords, be not impatient," he said blandly. "When was--he,he!--business of importance ever well done in a hurry? Behold!" addedthe Lalla, taking up the bag, "here are the papers which the holyfather has kept safely for me beneath his deer's hide. Have I yourpermission to open them, Baba?"

  "Open, and be quick," was the short answer of the Jogi.

  "Simply then, noble sirs," continued the obsequious Lalla, taking somePersian letters out of the bag, "here they are; and if either of yeknow the handwriting, the signature, or the seals of Khan Mahomed,Wuzeer of Beejapoor, he will, Inshalla! be able to recognize them. Ido not know them myself, but that makes no difference; they are noforgeries. If you, my lord," he added to the Meerza, "know them, youwill find that your poor servant has spoken the truth. Look at themcarefully."

  The Meerza received the packet with trembling hands, but he saidfirmly, "Thou knowest the penalty thou hast incurred if these beforged; and if a slave like thee shouldst have dared to questionfalsely the honour of one so exalted as the Wuzeer, beware!"

  "I know--I know, O most exalted and worthy sir!" replied the Lalla,humbly but confidently shutting his eyes, folding his hands upon hisbreast, and bowing his head over them; "your worship told me beforeit would be death. But it will not be so. O no! In your poor slave'sdestiny is written favour and advancement at your hands, and hisplanets are in a fortunate conjunction."

  "I would hang him to the highest tree in Beejapoor, to the topmostbranch of the Goruk Imlee, to feed the crows and kites for a week. Whata rascal he is, Meah!" whispered Bulwunt.

  "Hush, and be ready! there is a life on every word," returned Fazil,hearing the King speak in Persian in an under-tone to the Meerza.

  "There is no escape from death," he said in a sad tone, "if thesepapers be not false."

  "True!" exclaimed the Jogi, abruptly, but whether it had reference tothe Lalla's speech or the King's, could not be certain. The King lookedat him suspiciously, but the man appeared once more to have relapsedinto abstraction.

  "O, that I know, worthy sir," returned the Lalla carelessly, "we mustall die in the end: we are all mortal: what saith Saadi?" and he quoteda verse from the Bostan. "I have no fear of them, noble gentlemen! Mayit please you to look at them first, and then determine about killingme afterwards. He, he, he!"

  "He does not tremble under those eyes," whispered Fazil to hiscompanion. "This must be true. God help them all!"

  "If there be faith in handwriting and seals," resumed the Lalla aftera pause, "I fear not. If these documents had not been so precious, whyshould the asylum of the world, my master, have kept them so carefullyin his own writing-case? The time is not come, O Meerza! but you willyet hear of a reward having been set upon your poor slave's head. Be itso; I claim the protection of Ali Adil Shah for the service I now dohim, Bismilla! Open the packet there, and say
whether I have death andinfamy before me, or life and honour in the King's service, for thereis more at stake in this matter than my lord knows of. Bismilla! openit."

  The Meerza held the packet irresolutely, as one who almost feared aknowledge of its contents, and looked for a moment to his companion----

  "Bismilla!" said the King, eagerly speaking in Persian, "open it; thissuspense is intolerable. Dost thou fear for Khan Mahomed? art thou hisfriend?"

  "By your head and eyes, by the King's salt, no," answered the other."For good or for evil, Bismilla! I open it,"--and he tore the coverhastily.

  The heart of Fazil Khan beat so hard in his bosom that its throbbingsseemed painfully audible to himself, and he almost fancied they must beheard by all inside; but he was still, as was also his companion.

  As the wax-cloth covers were withdrawn, there appeared several lettersin the bundle,--large, and the paper covered with gilding, such as aresent to persons of the most exalted rank only. Eagerly, most eagerly,did the practised eye of the Secretary run over each superscription,and each was narrowly scrutinized. One by one he passed them to theKing, and Fazil could see that, whatever they were, they caused thedeepest expression of interest in both their countenances. Suddenly theMeerza came to one which, having examined even more narrowly than theothers, he passed on, with a deep sigh, to the King.

  It was taken eagerly, and at once opened and read, while the Lallaturned from one to the other with an intense expression of curiosity,fear, and hope blended together, marked on his features.

  "Does that Jogi understand Persian, thinkest thou?" asked the King ofthe Lalla.

  "Not a word, I will answer for it with my head," returned the manconfidently. "How should he?"

  "And thyself?"

  "Surely, excellent sir; I have long served in the royal Dufter, elsehow should I have known what to take and what to leave?" He spoke nowin Persian, and the conversation continued in that language.

  "If there were more, why didst thou not take all, Lalla?" asked theMeerza.

  "All, Meerza Sahib? that the theft might be discovered before I hadtime to get away? Ah, no, good sir! A Mutsuddee may be a rogue, buthe should have discretion," and he quoted the Persian proverb to thateffect; "and to all appearance the royal desk still holds the samepacket which I made up with other papers, and sealed with the privatesignet as it was before. No; the theft is not suspected yet, unlessthat packet have been opened by the Emperor when I was missed----"

  "And thou knowest the contents of this letter, Lalla?" inquired theKing.

  "I could say them to you, for I have them by heart, noble sir; perhapsthey are somewhat remarkable, for when I read them, I thought Ali AdilShah would like to hear them, so I committed them to memory. I willeven repeat the letter to you if this worthy Meerza have no objection.I presume," he continued to the Secretary, "that your friend is in theKing's confidence as much as yourself."

  "Surely," was the reply. "I may say that he is more in it than I ammyself, else I had not brought him."

  "Enough," said the Lalla; "I am satisfied. Now, open the letter andcompare it with what I repeat. There is no Alkab."

  "True," said the King, "he has drawn a Mudd at the top."

  "Proceed after the Mudd, then," continued the Lalla, "the letter runsthus:--

  "_It has been the will of the all-powerful that the forces of my lord, the ruler of both worlds, should retire. Let not that trouble his heart. By the favour of the most merciful, matters will yet take a prosperous course for my lord's true interests. All here, with this poor suppliant for his bounty, are day and night labouring in his behalf: and already many, as by the endorsed list, with their adherents, have been gained_ _to the true cause. Others demur, but will repent; again, others are obstinate, and cannot be moved, but they are not many. A few months more, and when the season opens, the harvest will be ripe for the gathering. Then, there will be no turning back for my lord from this city; for its people, with this poor servant, rejoicing to escape tyranny, will at once turn to the asylum of the two worlds, and give my lord's fortunate footsteps a happy welcome. We are tired of the false religion; and as to the King, he is but yet a boy, and has neither power, knowledge, nor any friends: and are men of venerable age to submit tamely to his idle fancies? Surely not. He can be ultimately provided for. For the rest, my lord's promises are undeserved by the least of his servants, who is not fit to kiss his feet; but my lord can at least rely that his administration will be carried on entirely in his interest, and to his honour and glory. What need to write more? it would be beyond the bounds of respect. May the splendour of dominion and honour increase! The signature of Khan Mahomed, Wuzeer of Beejapoor._"

  "Ay, what need of more?" sighed the young King. "Enough here--enough toprove the man's treachery, the least deserved that ever the false worldsaw. Yet, Meerza, there are still many true to the King: there are somesuspected ones in the list that we know of," he continued, his eyerunning rapidly over it, "but Afzool Khan, and many of note, are nothere, and yet rumour has assailed them also."

  "Yes, they are intimates," said the Secretary, "but no more, I think."

  "Then I have won my reward and my life!" exclaimed the Lalla anxiously,in his own tongue.

  "Your life, surely," replied the Meerza; "but for the reward, weneed to make some further scrutiny into those papers ere that can bedisbursed: they must be compared with others in the King's possession.Therefore I will take them with me to-night, and if you will come tome--you know my house--early to-morrow, all will be arranged to yoursatisfaction."

  "But, my lord--noble sirs," cried the Lalla, in evident dread,"that was no part of the bargain. Did we not settle----" He couldnot, however, finish the sentence on account of a rude and decisiveinterruption.

  "I forbid it. I forbid one paper or one of you passing hence this nighttill the money is paid," said the Jogi, severely.

  "And who art thou?" demanded the Meerza, haughtily. "Peace! withdraw;this is no place for thee, or the like of thee."

  "Who am I?" retorted the ruffian. "Who am I? One who has the right, ashe has the power, to demand what he seeks." And as he spoke he snatchedfrom beneath the heap of ashes before him the heavy sword he had keptconcealed there, which flashed brightly in the firelight, and startedto his feet, as did also his follower. "Stir not!" he exclaimed to theKing and Secretary, who had been too much startled by the sudden actionto rise with the Jogi; "stir not, or ye die on the spot!" Drawinghimself up to his majestic height, Pahar Singh laughed scornfully. "Ha,ha, ha! a boy and a penman against me! Ha, ha, ha! put up thy weapon,Maun Singh, there is no need of it."

  "Who art thou?" demanded the King, rising notwithstanding the threat,and returning the glance as steadily as it was given.

  "It concerns thee not," answered Pahar Singh. "Pay me the moneypromised on those papers--ten thousand good rupees--on this spot, oryou pass not hence alive. Brother," he added to Maun Singh, "be ready.They have brought the money, and we must get it."

  It was a moment of intense anxiety to Fazil Khan and his companion. Aword--a sound from them, and the life of the young King was gone. Fazilcould see that, except a small dagger in each of their girdles, theKing and his Secretary were unarmed. To rush to them soon enough to beof use, was a thing impossible; they would be dead ere he could strikea blow. There was no absolute peril, however, as yet, and too much atstake to risk anything. Pahar Singh appeared to have no evil intention;but, if provoked, it was plain he might do violence, and would nothesitate to use his weapon if rescue were attempted.

  The King saw his danger. There was little avail in temporizing, and histhought and action were alike prompt. His own life and his friend'swere both at stake; and what did the money signify? Not a feather inthe balance. Could his attendants, whom he had left at a distance, evenhear of his danger, he must perish ere they could approach him.

  "Hold!" he cried, "whoever thou art, Jogi. If the Lalla says thou artto have the money, it will be given. Our bargain was with him."

  "And his with
me," returned the man. "Give it me;" and as he spoke headvanced close to the King.

  "Pay it to him--let him have it," cried the Lalla to the King, "andkeep back your men if you have any with you, else there will bebloodshed. He is desperate, noble sirs; do not provoke him."

  "I would do him no harm," said Pahar Singh to the Secretary, "but it isas well to be certain in case of treachery;" and he drew a small daggerfrom his girdle with his left hand, and held it in an attitude tostrike into the King. "Go, if the money is here; bring it quickly; butbeware of any attempt to rescue him, or you will cause his death. Youcould not reach me ere I had struck him down. Go then, Meerza Sahib,my friend Maun Singh will bring the bags: he is strong enough."

  "Go, friend," said the King, "do as he says. If the people askquestions, say I am safe, and will be with them presently."

  "And leave thee with him!" said the Meerza, anxiously. "I will notstir; there is peril, and my place is beside thee."

  "There is no peril if ye are true," said Pahar Singh; "much, if ye arefalse. Go!"

  "Go, friend, I will trust him; his object is money, not my poor life.Go! I am not afraid of him, nor he of me," said the King.

  "How noble he is!" whispered Fazil to his companion.

  Both would have given all they possessed to have been by the King'sside to have struck down the ruffian.

  "Ay, Meah, I would we were by his side," returned Bulwunt. "Who can hebe? Whoever he may be, he is indeed fearless; but he will not be harmedif they bring the money. Hush! they may speak again."

  The Meerza turned silently to go, and descended the step, accompaniedby Maun Singh.

  "Come," said the latter to the Lalla; "help to carry the bags, goodman; it will save me another journey. Come!"

  The Lalla followed, and the two remained standing face to face, theyoung King and the outlaw looking steadily at each other.

  "Afraid of thee?" said Pahar Singh in a low voice, and dropping thearm which had held the dagger uplifted. "Afraid of thee? No, proudboy: he who defied thy father's power at its greatest, hath little tofear from thine. Ali Adil Shah, thinkest thou that this poor disguisecould conceal thee? Yet thou art bold and true, and I rejoice that Ihave had proof of it, for men told me thou wert a coward--a boy of thezenana--only fit to herd with women. Now thou hast met the 'Lion of theHill' bravely," he continued, using the play on his own name, "and hewill turn from thee peacefully. Thy life hath been in my hand--nay, isnow in it were I to strike--but I give it to thee freely; promise memine in return, and swear by thy father's spirit that, once gone fromthis, thou wilt not turn back, nor suffer any one of thy retinue to doso."

  The King started as the man covertly declared his name, and thecovering fell from his face.

  "Thou Pahar Singh, the Lion of Allund?" he said.

  "Even so, monarch," returned the chief. "Ha! ha! The man whom thyslaves--cowards--tell thee they pursue. Aha! they dare not. Pahar Singhis monarch of his own wilds; no royal troops dare to come near them.But keep thine own counsel, and now listen. Thou mayst need me yet, andI may do thee good service. Two thousand good hearts and stout arms,such as thy money cannot hire, serve Pahar Singh. Swear to keep faithwith me, and I will be true. Hadst thou been a coward, and quailed atthe sight of this weapon, I should have been tempted to slay thee,Adil Khan, like a dog, for never yet did coward sit on the throneof Beejapoor. For what has happened, thou hast my respect. Enough!remember Pahar Singh, and in two days or less I will send thee moretidings, or come myself. Thou mayst kill the messenger, but he willnot tell of my hiding-place; and if harm come to him, I swear to thee,by the Lady of Tooljapoor, my Holy Mother, that I will take a life forevery hair of his head, and burn a hundred villages. Now, silence! Ihave spoken. Am I free to go, scathless as thou art? Thy hand upon it,monarch!"

  It was frankly given, and the rebel and outlaw, instead of taking itrudely, and as if prompted suddenly by a kindly feeling of reverencefor his King, bent his head gently, touched it with his forehead, andkissed it.

  "Thy hand has touched my lips--put it upon my head, and swear by thyfather not to harm me," he said, quickly.

  "I swear by my father not to harm thee, Pahar Singh: only be thouhenceforth faithful to thy King's salt," he replied, as he placed bothhis hands upon the outlaw's head.

  "Enough," returned Pahar Singh, removing them, pressing them again tohis forehead, and kissing them reverently; "I will be true to thy salt,O King; but speak to no one of me, and wait patiently till I come--Imay have news for thee. A fakeer's rags and a beggar's cry admit meeverywhere--'Ulla dilaya to leonga'[6]--by night or by day, whereverthou art, in durbar or zenana, whenever you hear it--admit me, or orderme to be confined, and send for me--I shall bawl loudly enough. If Icome not in two days, do not doubt me; but stir not in this matter tillI arrive--it may be very soon, I cannot say. Now cover thy face; theycome," and he resumed his former threatening attitude.

  The Meerza, with the two others, emerged from behind the temple almostas he spoke, and in a few moments had ascended the steps of theapartment. Maun Singh drew a heavy bag from beneath the scarf which wasround his shoulders; but the eye of the robber at once detected itssmall size.

  "Those are not rupees, Meerza; beware of treachery with me. I have notharmed him," he exclaimed.

  "No, it is gold, holy Baba. Behold!" and he opened the bag, and pouredthe contents carefully into a little heap on the floor near the fire."There is more than _he_ bargained for," he continued, pointing to theLalla, "but it does not matter; you are welcome to it, for the templeand the well."

  "Enough," returned Pahar Singh; "I am satisfied. Go, take your papers,and begone; molest me no more." And, sitting down on his deer's hide,he heaped up the gold coins carefully with his left hand, while hisright still held the sword.

  "And my reward, O Meerza Sahib!" cried the Lalla eagerly, as he and theKing turned to depart; "thou wilt not abandon me to him."

  "It is there with the rest," answered the Secretary; "Lallajee, helpyourself, we must begone."

  "Nay, but I want it not; only take me away--take me away. I fear him,"cried the man, in a piteous voice, and trembling violently.

  "Peace, fool," exclaimed Pahar Singh, rising and holding him backpowerfully. "Peace, I will settle with thee!"

  FOOTNOTE:

  [6] "If God give I will take."