CHAPTER I.
It would be difficult to find a fairer scene. Throughout the gardenslanterns of many shapes and devices threw their light down upon thepaths, which were marked out by lines of little lamps suspended on wiresa foot above the ground. In a treble row they encircled a large tank orpond and studded a little island in its center. Along the terraces werefestoons and arches of innumerable lamps, while behind was the Palace orCastle, for it was called either; the Oriental doors and windows and thetracery of its walls lit up below by the soft light, while the outlineof the upper part could scarce be made out. Eastern as the scene was,the actors were for the most part English. Although the crowd thatpromenaded the terrace was composed principally of men, of whom themajority were in uniform of one sort or another, the rest in eveningdress, there were many ladies among them.
At the end of one of the terraces a band of the 103d Bengal Infantrywas playing, and when they ceased a band of native musicians, at theopposite end of the terrace, took up the strains. Within, the palace wasbrilliantly lighted, and at the tables in one of the large apartmentsa few couples were still seated at supper. Among his guests movedthe Rajah, chatting in fluent English, laughing with the men, payingcompliments to the ladies, a thoroughly good fellow all round, as hisguests agreed. The affair had been a great success. There had first beena banquet to the officers and civilians at the neighboring station. Whenthis was over, the ladies began to arrive, and for their amusement therehad been a native nautch upon a grand scale, followed by a fine displayof fireworks, and then by supper, at which the Rajah had made a speechexpressive of his deep admiration and affection for the British. This hehad followed up by proposing the health of the ladies in flowery terms.Never was there a better fellow than the Rajah. He had English tastes,and often dined at one or other of the officers' messes. He was a goodshot, and could fairly hold his own at billiards. He had first rateEnglish horses in his stables, and his turnout was perfect in allrespects. He kept a few horses for the races, and was present at everyball and entertainment. At Bithoor he kept almost open house. There wasa billiard room and racquet courts, and once or twice a week there wereluncheon parties, at which from twelve to twenty officers were generallypresent. In all India there was no Rajah with more pronounced Englishtastes or greater affection for English people. The one regret of hislife, he often declared, was that his color and his religion preventedhis entertaining the hope of obtaining an English wife. All this, aseveryone said, was the more remarkable and praiseworthy, inasmuch as hehad good grounds of complaint against the British Government.
With the ladies he was an especial favorite; he was always ready to showthem courtesy. His carriages were at their service. He was ready togive his aid and assistance to every gathering. His private band playedfrequently on the promenade, and handsome presents of shawls and jewelrywere often made to those whom he held in highest favor. At present hewas talking to General Wheeler and some other officers.
"I warn you that I mean to win the cup at the races," he said; "I havejust bought the horse that swept the board on the Bombay side; I haveset my heart on winning the cup, and so secured this horse. I am readyto back it if any of you gentlemen are disposed to wager against it."
"All in good time, Rajah," one of the officers laughed; "we don't knowwhat will be entered against it yet, and we must wait to see what thebetting is, but I doubt whether we have anything that will beat theBombay crack on this side; I fancy you will have to lay odds on."
"We shall see," the Rajah said; "I have always been unlucky, but I meanto win this time."
"I don't think you take your losses much to heart, Rajah," GeneralWheeler said; "yet there is no doubt that your bets are generallysomewhat rash ones."
"I mean to make a coup this time. That is your word for a big thing,I think. The Government has treated me so badly I must try to takesomething out of the pockets of its officers."
"You do pretty well still," the General laughed; "after this splendidentertainment you have given us this evening you can hardly callyourself a poor man."
"I know I am rich. I have enough for my little pleasures--I do not knowthat I could wish for more--still no one is ever quite content."
By this time the party was breaking up, and for the next half hour theRajah was occupied in bidding goodby to his guests. When the last hadgone he turned and entered the palace, passed through the great halls,and, pushing aside a curtain, entered a small room. The walls and thecolumns were of white marble, inlaid with arabesque work of coloredstones. Four golden lamps hung from the ceiling, the floor was coveredwith costly carpets, and at one end ran a raised platform a foot inheight, piled with soft cushions. He took a turn or two up and down theroom, and then struck a silver bell. An attendant entered.
"Send Khoosheal and Imambux here."
Two minutes later the men entered. Imambux commanded the Rajah's troops,while Khoosheal was the master of his household.
"All has gone off well," the Rajah said; "I am pleased with you,Khoosheal. One more at most, and we shall have done with them. Little dothey think what their good friend Nana Sahib is preparing for them. Whata poor spirited creature they think me to kiss the hand that robbed me,to be friends with those who have deprived me of my rights! But the dayof reckoning is not far off, and then woe to them all! Have any of yourmessengers returned, Imambux?"
"Several have come in this evening, my lord; would you see them now, orwait till morning?"
"I will see them now; I will get the memory of these chattering men andthese women with their bare shoulders out of my mind. Send the men inone by one. I have no further occasion for you tonight; two are betterthan three when men talk of matters upon which an empire depends."
The two officers bowed and retired, and shortly afterwards the attendantdrew back the curtain again, and a native, in the rags of a mendicant,entered, and bowed till his forehead touched the carpet. Then heremained kneeling, with his arms crossed over his chest, and his headinclined in the attitude of the deepest humility.
"Where have you been?" the Rajah asked.
"My lord's slave has been for three weeks at Meerut. I have obeyedorders. I have distributed chupaties among the native regiments, withthe words, 'Watch, the time is coming,' and have then gone before Icould be questioned. Then, in another disguise, I have gone throughthe bazaar, and said in talk with many that the Sepoys were unclean andoutcast, for that they had bitten cartridges anointed with pig's fat,and that the Government had purposely greased the cartridges with thisfat in order that the caste of all the Sepoys should be destroyed. WhenI had set men talking about this I left; it will be sure to come to theSepoys' ears."
The Rajah nodded. "Come again tomorrow at noon; you will have yourreward then and further orders; but see that you keep silence; a singleword, and though you hid in the farthest corner of India you would notescape my vengeance."
Man after man entered. Some of them, like the first, were in mendicant'sattire, one or two were fakirs, one looked like a well to do merchant.With the exception of the last, all had a similar tale to tell; theyhad been visiting the various cantonments of the native army, everywheredistributing chupaties and whispering tales of the intention of theGovernment to destroy the caste of the Sepoys by greasing the cartridgeswith pig's fat. The man dressed like a trader was the last to enter.
"How goes it, Mukdoomee?"
"It is well, my lord; I have traversed all the districts where we dweltof old, before the Feringhee stamped us out and sent scores to death andhundreds to prison. Most of the latter whom death has spared are freenow, and with many of them have I talked. They are most of them old, andfew would take the road again, but scarce one but has trained up his sonor grandson to the work; not to practice it,--the hand of the whites wastoo heavy before, and the gains are not large enough to tempt men to runthe risk--but they teach them for the love of the art. To a worshiper ofthe goddess there is a joy in a cleverly contrived plan and in castingthe roomal round the neck of the victim, that can never die. Ofte
n inmy young days, when perhaps twelve of us were on the road in a party, wemade less than we could have done by labor, but none minded.
"We were sworn brothers; we were working for Kali, and so that we senther victims we cared little; and even after fifteen or twenty yearsspent in the Feringhee's prisons, we love it still; none hate the whiteman as we do; has he not destroyed our profession? We have two thingsto work for; first, for vengeance; second, for the certainty that if thewhite man's Raj were at an end, once again would the brotherhood followtheir profession, and reap booty for ourselves and victims forKali; for, assuredly, no native prince would dare to meddle with us.Therefore, upon every man who was once a Thug, and upon his sons andgrandsons, you may depend. I do not say that they would be useful forfighting, for we have never been fighters, but the stranglers will be ofuse. You can trust them with missions, and send them where you choose.From their fathers' lips they have learnt all about places and roads;they can decoy Feringhee travelers, the Company's servants or soldiers,into quiet places, and slay them. They can creep into compounds and intohouses, and choose their victims from the sleepers. You can trust them,Rajah, for they have learned to hate, and each in his way will, when thetimes comes, aid to stir up men to rise. The past had almost become adream, but I have roused it into life again, and upon the descendants ofthe stranglers throughout India you can count surely."
"You have not mentioned my name?" the Rajah said suddenly, lookingclosely at the man as he put the question.
"Assuredly not, your highness; I have simply said deliverance is athand; the hour foretold for the end of the Raj of the men from beyondthe sea will soon strike, and they will disappear from the land likefallen leaves; then will the glory of Kali return, then again will thebrotherhood take to the road and gather in victims. I can promise thatevery one of those whose fathers or grandfathers or other kin died bythe hand of the Feringhee, or suffered in his prisons, will do his shareof the good work, and be ready to obey to the death the orders whichwill reach him."
"It is good," the Rajah said; "you and your brethren will have a richharvest of victims, and the sacred cord need never be idle. Go; it iswell nigh morning, and I would sleep."
But not for some time did the Rajah close his eyes; his brain was busywith the schemes which he had long been maturing, but was only nowbeginning to put into action.
"It must succeed," he said to himself; "all through India the peoplewill take up arms when the Sepoys give the signal by rising againsttheir officers. The whites are wholly unsuspicious; they even believethat I, I whom they have robbed, am their friend. Fools! I hold them inthe hollow of my hand; they shall trust me to the last, and then I willcrush them. Not one shall escape me! Would I were as certain of all theother stations in India as I am of this. Oude, I know, will rise asone man; the Princes of Delhi I have sounded; they will be the leaders,though the old King will be the nominal head; but I shall pull thestrings, and as Peishwa, shall be an independent sovereign, and next indignity to the Emperor. Only nothing must be done until all is ready;not a movement must be made until I feel sure that every native regimentfrom Calcutta to the North is ready to rise."
And so, until the day had fully broken, the Rajah of Bithoor thoughtover his plans--the man who had a few hours before so sumptuouslyentertained the military and civilians of Cawnpore, and the man who wasuniversally regarded as the firm friend of the British and one of thebest fellows going.
The days and weeks passed on, messengers came and went, the storm wasslowing brewing; and yet to all men it seemed that India was never morecontented nor the outlook more tranquil and assured.