CHAPTER XVII.
The men on descending from the roof found all the ladies engaged inwriting, the Major having told them that there was a chance of theirletters being taken out. Scarce one looked up as they entered; theirthoughts at the moment were at home with those to whom they were writingwhat might well be their last farewells. Stifled sobs were heard in thequiet room; mournful letters were blurred with tears even from eyes thathad not before been dimmed since the siege began.
Isobel Hannay was the first to finish, for her letter to her mother wasbut a short one. As she closed it she looked up. Captain Forster wasstanding at the other side of the table with his eyes fixed on her,and he made a slight gesture to her that he wished to speak to her. Shehesitated a moment, and then rose and quietly left the room. A momentlater he joined her outside.
"Come outside," he said, "I must speak to you;" and together they wentout through the passage into the courtyard.
"Isobel," he began, "I need not tell you that I love you; till latelyI have not known how much, but I feel now that I could not live withoutyou."
"Why are you going away then, Captain Forster?" she asked quietly.
"I don't want to go alone," he said; "I cannot go alone--I want you togo with me. Your uncle would surely consent; it is the only chance ofsaving your life. We all know that it is next to hopeless that a forcesufficient to rescue us can be sent; there is just a chance, but that isall that can be said. We could be married at Allahabad. I would make forthat town instead of Lucknow if you will go with me, and I could leaveyou there in safety till these troubles are over; I am going to takeanother horse as well as my own, and two would be as likely to escape asone."
"Thank you for the offer, Captain Forster," she said coldly, "but Idecline it. My place is here with my uncle and the others."
"Why is it?" he asked passionately. "If you love me, your place issurely with me; and you do love me, Isobel, do you not? Surely I havenot been mistaken."
Isobel was silent for a moment.
"You were mistaken, Captain Forster," she said, after a pause. "You paidme attentions such as I had heard you paid to many others, and it waspleasant. That you were serious I did not think. I believed you weresimply flirting with me; that you meant no more by it than you had meantbefore; and being forewarned, and therefore having no fear that I shouldhurt myself more than you would, I entered into it in the same spirit.Where there was so much to be anxious about, it was a pleasure andrelief. Had I met you elsewhere, and under different circumstances, Ithink I should have come to love you. A girl almost without experienceand new to the world, as I am, could hardly have helped doing so,I think. Had I thought you were in earnest I should have acteddifferently; and if I have deceived you by my manner I am sorry; buteven had I loved you I would not have consented to do the thing you askme. You are going on duty. You are going in the hope of obtaining aidfor us. I should be simply escaping while others stay, and I shoulddespise myself for the action. Besides; I do not think that even in thatcase my uncle would have consented to my going with you."
"I am sure that he would," Forster broke in. "He would never be madenough to refuse you the chance of escape from such a fate as may nowawait you."
"We need not discuss the question," she said. "Even if I loved you, Iwould not go with you; and I do not love you."
"They have prejudiced you against me," he said angrily.
"They warned me, and they were right in doing so. Ask yourself if theywere not. Would you see a sister of yours running the risk of breakingher heart without warning her? Do not be angry," she went on, puttingher hand on his arm. "We have been good friends, Captain Forster, and Ilike you very much. We may never meet again; it is most likely we nevershall do so. I am grateful to you for the many pleasant hours you havegiven me. Let us part thus."
"Can you not give some hope that in the distance, when these troublesare over, should we both be spared, you may--"
"No, Captain Forster, I am sure it could never be so; if we ever meetagain, we will meet as we part now--as friends. And now I can stay nolonger; they will be missing me," and, turning, she entered the housebefore he could speak again.
It was some minutes before he followed her. He had not really thoughtthat she would go with him; perhaps he had hardly wished it, for onsuch an expedition a woman would necessarily add to the difficulty anddanger; but he had thought that she would have told him that his lovewas returned, and for perhaps the first time in his life he was seriousin his protestation of it.
"What does it matter?" he said at last, as he turned; "'tis ten thousandto one against our meeting again; if we do, I can take it up where itbreaks off now. She has acknowledged that she would have liked me if shehad been sure that I was in earnest. Next time I shall be so. She wasright. I was but amusing myself with her at first, and had no morethought of marrying her than I had of flying. But there, it is no usetalking about the future; the thing now is to get out of this trap. Ihave felt like a rat in a cage with a terrier watching me for the lastmonth, and long to be on horseback again, with the chance of making afight for my life. What a fool Bathurst was to throw away the chance!"
Bathurst, his work done, had looked into the hall where the others weregathered, and hearing that the Doctor was alone on watch had gone up tohim.
"I was just thinking, Bathurst," the Doctor said, as he joined him,"about that fight today. It seems to me that whatever comes of thisbusiness, you and I are not likely to be among those who go down whenthe place is taken."
"How is that, Doctor? Why is our chance better than the rest? I have nohope myself that any will be spared."
"I put my faith in the juggler, Bathurst. Has it not struck you that thefirst picture you saw has come true?"
"I have never given it a thought for weeks," Bathurst said; "certainlyI have not thought of it today. Yes, now you speak of it, it has cometrue. How strange! I put it aside as a clever trick--one that I couldnot understand any more than I did the others, but, knowing myself,it seemed beyond the bounds of possibility that it could come true.Anything but that I would have believed, but, as I told you, whatevermight happen in the future, I should not be found fighting desperatelyas I saw myself doing there. It is true that I did so, but it was only asort of a frenzy. I did not fire a shot, as Wilson may have told you.I strove like a man in a nightmare to break the spell that seemed torender me powerless to move, but when, for a moment, the firing ceased,a weight seemed to fall off me, and I was seized with a sort of passionto kill. I have no distinct remembrance of anything until it was allover. It was still the nightmare, but one of a different kind, and Iwas no more myself then than I was when I was lying helpless on thesandbags. Still, as you say, the picture was complete; at least, if MissHannay was standing up here."
"Yes, she rose to her feet in the excitement of the fight. I believe weall did so. The picture was true in all its details as you described itto me. And that being so, I believe that other picture, the one we sawtogether, you and I and Isobel Hannay in native disguises, will alsocome true."
Bathurst was silent for two or three minutes.
"It may be so, Doctor--Heaven only knows. I trust for your sake and hersit may be so, though I care but little about myself; but that picturewasn't a final one, and we don't know what may follow it."
"That is so, Bathurst. But I think that you and I, once fairly away indisguise, might be trusted to make our way down the country. You see,we have a complete confirmation of that juggler's powers. He showed me ascene in the past--a scene which had not been in my mind for years, andwas certainly not in my thoughts at the time. He showed you a scene inthe future, which, unlikely as it appeared, has actually taken place. Ibelieve he will be equally right in this other picture. You have heardthat Forster is going?"
"Yes; Wilson came down and told me while I was at work. Wilson seemedrather disgusted at his volunteering. I don't know that I am surprisedmyself, for, as I told you, I knew him at school, and he had no moralcourage, though plenty of physical. Stil
l, under the circumstances, Ishould not have thought he would have gone."
"You mean because of Miss Hannay, Bathurst?"
"Yes, that is what I mean."
"That sort of thing might weigh with you or me, Bathurst, but not withhim. He has loved and ridden away many times before this, but in thiscase, fortunately, I don't think he will leave an aching heart behindhim."
"You don't mean to say, Doctor, that you don't think she cares for him?"
"I have not asked her the question," the Doctor said dryly. "I dare sayshe likes him; in fact, I am ready to admit that there has been what youmay call a strong case of flirtation; but when a young woman isthrown with an uncommonly good looking man, who lays himself out to beagreeable to her, my experience is that a flirtation generally comesof it, especially when the young woman has no one else to make herselfagreeable to, and is, moreover, a little sore with the world in general.I own that at one time I was rather inclined to think that out of sheerperverseness the girl was going to make a fool of herself with that goodlooking scamp, but since we have been shut up here I have felt easy inmy mind about it. And now, if you will take my rifle for ten minutes,I will go down and get a cup of tea; I volunteered to take sentry work,but I didn't bargain for keeping it all night without relief. By theway, I told Forster of your offer of your horse, and I think he is goingto take it."
"He is welcome to it," Bathurst said carelessly; "it will be of no useto me."
"Now, look here," the Doctor said shortly; "just put Miss Hannay out ofyour head for the present, and attend to the business on hand. I do notthink there is much chance of their trying it on again tonight, but theymay do so, so please to keep a sharp lookout while I am below."
"I will be careful, Doctor," Bathurst said, with a laugh; but the Doctorhad so little faith in his watchfulness that as soon as he went below hesent up Wilson to share his guard.
At twelve o'clock the sandbags were removed sufficiently to allow ahorse to pass through, and Forster's and Bathurst's animals were ledout through the breach, their feet having been muffled with blankets toprevent their striking a stone and arousing the attention of the enemy'ssentinels. Once fairly out the mufflings were removed and Forster spranginto his saddle.
"Goodby, Major," he said; "I hope I may be back again in eight or ninedays with a squadron of cavalry."
"Goodby, Forster; I hope it may be so. May God protect you!"
The gap in the defenses was closed the instant the horses passedthrough, and the men stood in the breach of the wall listening asForster rode off. He went at a walk, but before he had gone fifty pacesthere was a sharp challenge, followed almost instantly by a rifle shot,then came the crack of a revolver and the rapid beat of galloping hoofs.Loud shouts were heard, and musket shots fired in rapid succession.
"They are not likely to have hit him in the dark," the Major said, ashe climbed back over the sandbags; "but they may hit his horses, whichwould be just as fatal."
Leaving two sentries--the one just outside the breach near the wall,the other on the sandbags--the rest of the party hurried up on theroof. Shots were still being fired, and there was a confused sound ofshouting; then a cavalry trumpet rang out sharply, and presently threeshots fired in quick succession came upon the air.
"That is the signal agreed on," the Major said: "he is safely beyondtheir lines. Now it is a question of riding; some of the cavalry will bein pursuit of him before many minutes are over."
Forster's adieus had been brief. He had busied himself up to the lastmoment in looking to the saddling of the two horses, and had only goneinto the house and said goodby to the ladies just when it was time tostart. He had said a few hopeful words as to the success of the mission,but it had evidently needed an effort for him to do so. He had noopportunity of speaking a word apart with Isobel, and he shook her handsilently when it came to her turn.
"I should not have given him credit for so much feeling," Mrs. Doolanwhispered to Isobel, as he went out; "he was really sorry to leave us,and I didn't think he was a man to be sorry for anything that didn'taffect himself. I think he had absolutely the grace to feel a littleashamed of leaving us."
"I don't think that is fair," Isobel said warmly, "when he is going awayto fetch assistance for us."
"He is deserting us as rats desert a sinking ship," Mrs. Doolan saidpositively; "and I am only surprised that he has the grace to feel alittle ashamed of the action. As for caring, there is only one person inthe world he cares for--himself. I was reading 'David Copperfield'just before we came in here, and Steerforth's character might have beensketched from Forster. He is a man without either heart or conscience;a man who would sacrifice everything to his own pleasures; and yet evenwhen one knows him to be what he is, one can hardly help liking him. Iwonder how it is, my dear, that scamps are generally more pleasant thangood men?"
"I never thought about it, Mrs. Doolan," Isobel said, roused to a smileby the earnestness with which Mrs. Doolan propounded the problem; "andcan give no reason except that we are attracted by natures the reverseof our own."
Mrs. Doolan laughed.
"So you think we are better than men, Isobel? I don't--not one bit. Weare cramped in our opportunities; but given equal opportunities I don'tthink there would be anything to choose between us. But we mustn't staytalking here any longer; we both go on duty in the sick ward at fouro'clock."
The enemy's batteries opened on the following morning more violentlythan before. More guns had been placed in position during the night, anda rain of missiles was poured upon the house. For the next six days theposition of the besieged became hourly worse. Several breaches had beenmade in the wall, and the shots now struck the house, and the inmatespassed the greater part of their time in the basement.
The heat was terrible, and, as the firing was kept up night andday, sleep was almost impossible. The number of the besiegers hadconsiderably increased, large numbers of the country people taking partin the siege, while a regiment of Sepoys from Cawnpore had taken theplace of the detachment of the 103d Bengal Infantry, of whom, indeed,but few now remained.
The garrison no longer held the courtyard. Several times masses of theenemy had surged up and poured through the breaches, but a large numberof hand grenades of various sizes had been constructed by the defenders,and the effects of these thrown down from the roof among the crowdedmasses were so terrible that the natives each time fell back. The horseshad all been turned out through the breach on the day after CaptainForster's departure, in order to save their lives. A plague of flieswas not the least of the defenders' troubles. After the repulse of theassaults the defenders went out at night and carried the bodies of thenatives who had fallen in the courtyard beyond the wall. Nevertheless,the odor of blood attracted such countless swarms of flies that theground was black with them, and they pervaded the house in legions.
The number of the defenders decreased daily. Six only were able now tocarry arms. Mr. Hunter, Captain Rintoul, and Richards had died of fever.Farquharson had been killed by a cannon ball; two civilians had beenbadly wounded; several of the children had succumbed; Amy Hunter hadbeen killed by a shell that passed through the sandbag protection of thegrating that gave light to the room in the basement used as a sickward. The other ladies were all utterly worn out with exhaustion,sleeplessness, and anxiety. Still there had been no word spoken ofsurrender. Had the men been alone they would have sallied out anddied fighting, but this would have left the women at the mercy of theassailants.
The work at the gallery had been discontinued for some time. It had beencarried upwards until a number of roots in the earth showed that theywere near the surface, and, as they believed, under a clump of bushesgrowing a hundred and fifty yards beyond the walls; but of late therehad been no talk of using this. Flight, which even at first had seemedalmost hopeless, was wholly beyond them in their present weakenedcondition.
On the last of these six days Major Hannay was severely wounded. Atnight the enemy's fire relaxed a little, and the ladies took advantageof it to go
up onto the terrace for air, while the men gathered for acouncil round the Major's bed.
"Well, Doctor, the end is pretty near," he said; "it is clear we cannothold out many hours longer. We must look the matter in the face now. Wehave agreed all along that when we could no longer resist we would offerto surrender on the terms that our lives should be spared, and that weshould be given safe conduct down the country, and that if those termswere refused we were to resist to the end, and then blow up the houseand all in it. I think the time has come for raising the white flag."
"I think so," the Doctor said: "we have done everything men could do.I have little hope that they will grant us terms of surrender; for fromthe native servants who have deserted us they must have a fair idea ofour condition. What do you think, Bathurst?"
"I think it probable there are divisions among them," he replied; "theTalookdars may have risen against us, but I do not think they can havethe same deadly enmity the Sepoys have shown. They must be heartily sickof this prolonged siege, and they have lost large numbers of their men.I should say they would be willing enough to give terms, but probablythey are overruled by the Sepoys, and perhaps by orders from Nana Sahib.I know several of them personally, and I think I could influence PorSing, who is certainly the most powerful of the Zemindars of thisneighborhood, and is probably looked upon as their natural leader; ifyou approve of it, Major, I will go out in disguise, and endeavor toobtain an interview with him. He is an honorable man; and if he willgive his guarantee for our safety, I would trust him. At any rate, I canbut try. If I do not return, you will know that I am dead, and that noterms can be obtained, and can then decide when to end it all."
"It is worth the attempt anyhow," the Major said. "I say nothing aboutthe danger you will run, for no danger can be greater than that whichhangs over us all now."
"Very well, Major, then I will do it at once, but you must not expect meback until tomorrow night. I can hardly hope to obtain an interview withPor Sing tonight."
"How will you go out, Bathurst?"
"I will go down at once and break in the roof of the gallery," he said;"we know they are close round the wall, and I could not hope to get outthrough any of the breaches."
"I suppose you are quite convinced that there is no hope of relief fromLucknow?"
"Quite convinced. I never had any real hope of it; but had there been aforce disposable, it would have started at once if Forster arrived therewith his message, and might have been here by this time."
"At any rate, we can wait no longer."
"Then we will begin at once," Bathurst said, and, taking a crowbar andpick from the place where the tools were kept, he lighted the lamp andwent along the gallery, accompanied by the Doctor, who carried two lightbamboo ladders.
"Do you think you will succeed, Bathurst?"
"I am pretty sure of it," he said confidently. "I believe I have afriend there."
"A friend!" the Doctor repeated in surprise.
"Yes; I am convinced that the juggler is there. Not once, but half adozen times during the last two nights when I have been on watch on theterrace, I have distinctly heard the words whispered in my ear, 'Meet meat your bungalow.' You may think I dozed off and was dreaming, but Iwas as wide awake then as I am now. I cannot say that I recognized thevoice, but the words were in the dialect he speaks. At any rate, as soonas I am out I shall make my way there, and shall wait there all nighton the chance of his coming. After what we know of the man's strangepowers, there seems nothing unreasonable to me in his being able toimpress upon my mind the fact that he wants to see me."
"I quite agree with you there, and his aid might be invaluable. You arenot the sort of man to have delusions, Bathurst, and I quite believewhat you say. I feel more hopeful now than I have done for some time."
An hour's hard work, and a hole was made through the soil, which was butthree feet thick. Bathurst climbed up the ladder and looked out.
"It is as we thought, Doctor; we are in the middle of that thicket. NowI will go and dress if you will keep guard here with your rifle."
At the end of the gallery a figure was standing; it was Isobel Hannay.
"I have heard you are going out again, Mr. Bathurst."
"Yes, I am going to see what I can do in the way of making terms forus."
"You may not come back again," she said nervously.
"That is, of course, possible, Miss Hannay, but I do not think the riskis greater than that run by those who stay here."
"I want to speak to you before you go," she said; "I have wanted tospeak so long, but you have never given me an opportunity. We may nevermeet again, and I must tell you how sorry I am--how sorry I have beenever since for what I said. I spoke as a foolish girl, but I know betternow. Have I not seen how calm you have been through all our troubles,how you have devoted yourself to us and the children, how you have keptup all our spirits, how cheerfully you have worked, and as our troubleincreased we have all come to look up to you and lean upon you. Do say,Mr. Bathurst, that you forgive me, and that if you return we can befriends as we were before."
"Certainly I forgive you if there is anything to forgive, Miss Hannay,"he said gravely. "Nothing that you or anyone can say can relieve me ofthe pain of knowing that I have been unable to take any active part inyour defense, that I have been forced to play the part of a woman ratherthan a man; but assuredly, if I return, I shall be glad to be again yourfriend, which, indeed. I have never ceased to be at heart."
Perhaps she expected something more, but it did not come. He spokecordially, but yet as one who felt that there was an impassible barrierbetween them. She stood irresolute for a moment, and then held out herhand. "Goodby, then," she said.
He held it a moment. "Goodby, Miss Hannay. May God keep you and guardyou."
Then gently he led her to the door, and they passed out together. Aquarter of an hour later he rejoined the Doctor, having brought with hima few short lengths of bamboo.
"I will put these across the hole when I get out," he said, "lay somesods over them, and cover them up with leaves, in case anyone shouldenter the bushes tomorrow. It is not likely, but it is as well to takethe precaution. One of you had better stay on guard until I come back.It would not do to trust any of the natives; those that remain are allutterly disheartened and broken down, and might take the opportunityof purchasing their lives by going out and informing the enemy of theopening into the gallery. They must already know of its existence fromthe men who have deserted. But, fortunately, I don't think any of themare aware of its exact direction; if they had been, we should have hadthem countermining before this."
Having carefully closed up the opening, Bathurst went to the edge of thebushes and listened. He could hear voices between him and the house,but all was quiet near at hand, and he began to move noiselessly alongthrough the garden. He had no great fear of meeting with anyone here.The natives had formed a cordon round the wall, and behind that therewould be no one on watch, and as the batteries were silent, all weredoubtless asleep there. In ten minutes he stood before the charredstumps that marked the site of his bungalow. As he did so, a figureadvanced to meet him.
"It is you, sahib. I was expecting you. I knew that you would come thisevening."
"I don't know how you knew it but I am heartily glad to see you."
"You want to see Por Sing? Come along with me and I will take you tohim; but there is no time to lose;" and without another word he walkedrapidly away, followed by Bathurst.
When they got into the open the latter could see that his companion wasdressed in an altogether different garb to that in which he had beforeseen him, being attired as a person of some rank and importance. Hestopped presently for Bathurst to come up with him.
"I have done what I could to prepare the way for you," he said. "OpenlyI could for certain reasons do nothing, but I have said enough to makehim feel uncomfortable about the future, and to render him anxious tofind a way of escape for himself if your people should ever again getthe mastery."
"H
ow are things going, Rujub? We have heard nothing for three weeks. Howis it at Cawnpore?"
"Cawnpore has been taken by the Nana. They surrendered on his solemnoath that all should be allowed to depart in safety. He broke his oath,and there are not ten of its defenders alive. The women are all incaptivity."
Bathurst groaned. He had hardly hoped that the handful of defenderscould have maintained themselves against such overpowering numbers, butthe certainty as to their fate was a heavy blow.
"And Lucknow?" he asked.
"The Residency holds out at present, but men say that it must soonfall."
"And what do you say?"
"I say nothing," the man said; "we cannot use our art in matters whichconcern ourselves."
"And Delhi?"
"There is a little force of whites in front of Delhi; there are tens ofthousands of Sepoys in the town, but as yet the whites have maintainedthemselves. The chiefs of the Punjaub have proved faithless to theircountry, and there the British rule is maintained."
"Thank God for that!" Bathurst exclaimed; "as long as the Punjaub holdsout the tables may be turned. And the other Presidencies?"
"Nothing as yet," Rujub said, in a tone of discontent.
"Then you are against us, Rujub?"
The man stopped.
"Sahib, I know not what I wish now. I have been brought up to hate thewhites. Two of my father's brothers were hung as Thugs, and my fathertaught me to hate the men who did it. For years I have worked quietlyagainst you, as have most of those of my craft. We have reason to hateyou. In the old times we were honored in the land--honored and feared;for even the great ones knew that we had powers such as no other menhave. But the whites treat us as if we were mere buffoons, who playfor their amusement; they make no distinction between the wanderingconjurer, with his tricks of dexterity, and the masters, who have powersthat have been handed down from father to son for thousands of years,who can communicate with each other though separated by the length ofIndia; who can, as you have seen, make men invisible; who can readthe past and the future. They see these things, and though they cannotexplain them, they persist in treating us all as if we were merejugglers.
"They prefer to deny the evidence of their own senses rather than admitthat we have powers such as they have not; and so, even in the eyes ofour own countrymen, we have lost our old standing and position, whilethe whites would bribe us with money to divulge the secrets in whichthey profess to disbelieve. No wonder that we hate you, and that welong for the return of the old days, when even princes were glad to askfavors at our hands. It is seldom that we show our powers now. Those whoaid us, and whose servants we are, are not to be insulted by the powersthey bestow upon us being used for the amusement of men who believe innothing.
"The Europeans who first came to India have left records of the strangethings they saw at the courts of the native princes. But such things areno longer done for the amusement of our white masters. Thus, then, foryears I have worked against you; and just as I saw that our work wassuccessful, just as all was prepared for the blow that was to sweep thewhite men out of India, you saved my daughter; then my work seemed tocome to an end. Would any of my countrymen, armed only with a whip, havethrown themselves in the way of a tiger to save a woman--a stranger--onealtogether beneath him in rank--one, as it were, dust beneath his feet?That I should be ready to give my life for yours was a matter of course;I should have been an ungrateful wretch otherwise. But this was notenough. At one blow the work I had devoted myself to for years wasbrought to nothing. Everything seemed to me new; and as I sat by mydaughter's bedside, when she lay sick with the fever, I had to think itall out again. Then I saw things in another light. I saw that, thoughthe white men were masterful and often hard, though they had littleregard for our customs, and viewed our beliefs as superstitious,and scoffed at the notion of there being powers of which they had noknowledge, yet that they were a great people. Other conquerors, manyof them, India has had, but none who have made it their first object tocare for the welfare of the people at large. The Feringhees have wrungnothing from the poor to be spent in pomp and display; they permit notyranny or ill doing; under them the poorest peasant tills his fields inpeace.
"I have been obliged to see all this, and I feel now that theirdestruction would be a frightful misfortune. We should be ruled by ournative lords; but as soon as the white man was gone the old quarrelswould break out, and the country would be red with blood. I did not seethis before, because I had only looked at it with the eyes of my owncaste; now I see it with the eyes of one whose daughter has been savedfrom a tiger by a white man. I cannot love those I have been taught tohate, but I can see the benefit their rule has given to India.
"But what can I do now? I am in the stream, and I must go with it. Iknow not what I wish or what I would do. Six months ago I felt certain.Now I doubt. It seemed to me that in a day the English Raj would beswept away. How could it be otherwise when the whole army that hadconquered India for them were against them? I knew they were brave, butwe have never lacked bravery. How could I tell that they would fight oneagainst a hundred?
"But come, let us go on. Por Sing is expecting you. I told him thatI knew that one from the garrison would come out to treat with himprivately tonight, and he is expecting you, though he does not know whomay come."
Ten minutes walking, and they approached a large tent surrounded byseveral smaller ones. A sentry challenged when they approached, buton Rujub giving his name, he at once resumed his walk up and down, andRujub, followed by Bathurst, advanced and entered the tent. The Zemindarwas seated on a divan smoking a hookah. Rujub bowed, but not with thedeep reverence of one approaching his superior.
"He is here," he said.
"Then you were not mistaken, Rujub?"
"How could I be when I knew?" Rujub said. "I have done what I said, andhave brought him straight to you. That was all I had to do with it; therest is for your highness."
"I would rather that you should be present," Por Sing said, as Rujubturned to withdraw.
"No," the latter replied; "in this matter it is for you to decide.I know not the Nana's wishes, and your highness must take theresponsibility. I have brought him to you rather than to the commanderof the Sepoys, because your authority should be the greater; it is youand the other Oude chiefs who have borne the weight of this siege, andit is only right that it is you who should decide the conditions ofsurrender. The Sepoys are not our masters, and it is well they arenot so; the Nana and the Oude chiefs have not taken up arms to freethemselves from the English Raj to be ruled over by the men who havebeen the servants of the English."
"That is so," the Zemindar said, stroking his beard; "well, I will talkwith this person."
Rujub left the tent. "You do not know me, Por Sing?" Bathurst said,stepping forward from the entrance where he had hitherto stood; "I amthe Sahib Bathurst."
"Is it so?" the Zemindar said, laying aside his pipe and rising to hisfeet; "none could come to me whom I would rather see. You have alwaysproved yourself a just officer, and I have no complaint against you. Wehave often broken bread together, and it has grieved me to know that youwere in yonder house. Do you come to me on your own account, or from thesahib who commands?"
"I come on my own account," Bathurst said; "when I come as a messengerfrom him, I must come openly. I. know you to be an honorable man, andthat I could say what I have to say to you and depart in safety. Iregard you as one who has been misled, and regret for your sake that youshould have been induced to take part with these mutineers against us.Believe me, chief, you have been terribly misled. You have been toldthat it needed but an effort to overthrow the British Raj. Those whotold you so lied. It might have seemed easy to destroy the handful ofEuropeans scattered throughout India, but you have not succeeded indoing it. Even had you done so, you would not have so much as begunthe work. There are but few white soldiers here. Why? Because Englandtrusted in the fidelity of her native troops, and thought it necessaryto keep only a handful of soldiers in India, but if
need be, for everysoldier now here she could send a hundred, and she will send a hundredif required to reconquer India. Already you may be sure that ships areon the sea laden with troops; and if you find it so hard to overcome thefew soldiers now here, what would you do against the great armies thatwill pour in ere long? Why, all the efforts of the Sepoys gatheredat Delhi are insufficient to defeat the four or five thousand Britishtroops who hold their posts outside the town, waiting only till thesuccor arrives from England to take a terrible vengeance. Woe be thento those who have taken part against us; still more to those whose handsare stained with British blood."
"It is too late now," the native said gloomily, "the die is cast; butsince I have seen how a score of men could defend that shattered houseagainst thousands, do you think I have not seen that I have been wrong?Who would have thought that men could do such a thing? But it is toolate now."
"It is not too late," Bathurst said; "it is too late, indeed, to undothe mischief that has been done, but not too late for you to secureyourself against some of the consequences. The English are just; andwhen they shall have stamped out this mutiny, as assuredly they will do,they will draw a distinction between mutinous soldiers who were falseto their salt, and native chiefs who fought, as they believed, for theindependence of their country. But one thing they will not forgive,whether in Sepoy or in prince, the murder of man, woman, or child incold blood: for that there will be no pardon.
"But it is not upon that ground that I came to appeal to you, but asa noble of Oude--a man who is a brave enemy, but who could never be abutcher. We have fought against each other fairly and evenly; the timehas come when we can fight no longer, and I demand of you, confidently,that, if we surrender, the lives of all within those walls shall berespected, and a safe conduct be granted them down the country. I knowthat such conditions were granted to the garrison at Cawnpore, and thatthey were shamelessly violated; for that act Nana Sahib will never beforgiven. He will be hunted down like a dog and hung when he is caught,just as if he had been the poorest peasant. But I have not so bad anopinion of the people of India as to believe them base enough to followsuch an example, and I am confident that if you grant us those terms,you will see that the conditions are observed."
"I have received orders from Nana Sahib to send all prisoners down tohim," Por Sing said, in a hesitating voice.
"You will never send down prisoners from here," Bathurst replied firmly."You may attack us again, and after the loss of the lives of scores moreof your followers you may be successful, but you will take no prisoners,for at the last moment we will blow the house and all in it into theair. Besides, who made Nana Sahib your master? He is not the lord ofOude; and though doubtless he dreams of sovereignty, it is a rope, nota throne, that awaits him. Why should you nobles of Oude obey the ordersof this peasant boy, though he was adopted by the Peishwa? The Peishwahimself was never your lord, and why should you obey this traitor, thisbutcher, this disgrace to India, when he orders you to hand over to himthe prisoners your sword has made?"
"That is true," Por Sing said gloomily; "but the Sepoys will not agreeto the terms."
"The Sepoys are not your masters," Bathurst said; "we do not surrenderto them, but to you. We place no confidence in their word, but we haveevery faith in the honor of the nobles of Oude. If you and your friendsgrant us the terms we ask, the Sepoys may clamor, but they will notventure to do more. Neither they nor Nana Sahib dare at this momentaffront the people of Oude.
"There are Sepoys round Lucknow, but it is the men of Oude who arereally pressing the siege. If you are firm, they will not dare to breakwith you on such a question as the lives of a score of Europeans. If youwill give me your word and your honor that all shall be spared, I willcome out in the morning with a flag of truce to treat with you. If not,we will defend ourselves to the last, and then blow ourselves into theair."
"And you think," Por Sing said doubtfully, "that if I agreed to this, itwould be taken into consideration should the British Raj be restored."
"I can promise you that it will," Bathurst said. "It will be properlyrepresented that it is to you that the defenders of Deennugghur, and thewomen and children with them, owe their lives, and you may be sure thatthis will go a very long way towards wiping out the part you have takenin the attack on the station. When the day of reckoning comes, theBritish Government will know as well how to reward those who renderedthem service in these days, as to punish those who have been our foes."
"I will do it," Por Sing said firmly. "Do not come out until theafternoon. In the morning I will talk with the other Zemindars, andbring them over to agree that there shall be no more bloodshed. There isnot one of us but is heartily sick of this business, and eager to put anend to it. Rujub may report what he likes to the Nana, I will do what isright."
After a hearty expression of thanks, Bathurst left the tent. Rujub wasawaiting him outside.
"You have succeeded?" he asked.
"Yes; he will guarantee the lives of all the garrison, but he seemed tobe afraid of what you might report to Nana Sahib."
"I am the Nana's agent here," Rujub said; "I have been working withhim for months. I would I could undo it all now. I was away when theysurrendered at Cawnpore. Had I not been, that massacre would never havetaken place, for I am one of the few who have influence with him. He isfully cognizant of my power, and fears it."
They made their way back without interruption to the clump of bushesnear the house.
"When shall I see you again?" Bathurst asked.
"I do not know," replied Rujub, "but be sure that I shall be at hand toaid you if possible should danger arise."