CHAPTER VII
THE FIRST VICTIM
An ominous calm prevailed at Khanmulla during the week that followed theconviction of Ermsted's murderer and the disappearance of the Rajah. AllMarkestan seemed to be waiting with bated breath. But, save for thedeparture of the women from Kurrumpore, no sign was given by theGovernment of any expectation of a disturbance. The law was to take itscourse, and no official note had been made of the absence of the Rajah.He had always been sudden in his movements.
Everything went as usual at Kurrumpore, and no one's nerves seemed tofeel any strain. Even Tommy betrayed no hint of irritation. A newmanliness had come upon Tommy of late. He was keeping himself in handwith a steadiness which even Bertie Oakes could not ruffle and whichMajor Ralston openly approved. He had always known that Tommy had thestuff for great things in him.
A species of bickering friendship had sprung up between them, foundedupon their tacit belief in the honour of a man who had failed. Theyseldom mentioned his name, but the bond of sympathy remained, oddlytenacious and unassailable. Tommy strongly suspected, moreover, thatRalston knew Everard's whereabouts, and of this even Bernard wasignorant at that time. Ralston never boasted his knowledge, but theconviction had somehow taken hold of Tommy, and for this reason also hesought the surgeon's company as he had certainly never sought it before.
Ralston on his part was kind to the boy partly because he liked him andadmired his staunchness, and partly because his wife's unwillingdeparture had left him lonely. He and Major Burton for some reason werenot so friendly as of yore, and they no longer spent their evenings instrict seclusion with the chess-board. He took to walking back from theMess with Tommy, and encouraged the latter to drop in at his bungalowfor a smoke whenever he felt inclined. It was but a short distance fromThe Green Bungalow, and, as he was wont to remark, it was one degreemore cheerful for which consideration Tommy was profoundly grateful.Notwithstanding Bernard's kind and wholesome presence, there were timeswhen the atmosphere of The Green Bungalow was almost more than he couldbear. He was powerless to help, and the long drawn-out misery weighedupon him unendurably. He infinitely preferred smoking a silent pipe inRalston's company or messing about with him in his little surgery as hewas sometimes permitted to do.
On the evening before the day fixed for the execution at Khanmulla, theywere engaged in this fashion when the _khitmutgar_ entered with the newsthat a _sahib_ desired to speak to him.
"Oh, bother!" said Ralston crossly. "Who is it? Don't you know?"
The man hesitated, and it occurred to Tommy instantly that there was ahint of mystery in his manner. The _sahib_ had ridden through the junglefrom Khanmulla, he said. He gave no name.
"Confounded fool!" said Ralston. "No one but a born lunatic would do athing like that. Go and see what he wants like a good chap, Tommy! I'mbusy."
Tommy rose with alacrity. His curiosity was aroused. "Perhaps it'sMonck," he said.
"More likely Barnes," said Ralston. "Only I shouldn't have thought he'dbe such a fool. Keep your eyes skinned!" he added, as Tommy went to thedoor. "Don't get shot or stuck by anybody! If I'm really wanted, I'llcome."
Tommy grinned at the caution and departed. He had ceased to anticipateany serious trouble in the State, and nothing really exciting ever camehis way.
He went through the bungalow to the dining-room still half expecting tofind his brother-in-law awaiting him. But the moment he entered, he hada shock. A man in a rough tweed coat was sitting at the table in an odd,hunched attitude, almost as if he had fallen into the chair thatsupported him.
He turned his head a little at Tommy's entrance, but not so that thelight revealed his face. "Hullo!" he said. "That you, Ralston? I've gota bullet in my left shoulder. Do you mind getting it out?"
Tommy stopped dead. He felt as if his heart stopped also. Heknew--surely he knew--that voice! But it was not that of Everard orBarnes, or of any one he had ever expected to meet again on earth.
"What--what--" he gasped feebly, and went backwards against thedoor-post. "Am I drunk?" he questioned with himself.
The man in the chair turned more fully. "Why, it's Tommy!" he said.
The light smote full upon him now throwing up every detail of acountenance which, though handsome, had begun to show unmistakable signsof coarse and intemperate habits. He laughed as he met the boy's shockedeyes, but the laugh caught in his throat and turned to a strangled oath.Then he began to cough.
"Oh--my God!" said Tommy.
He turned then, horror urging him, and tore back to Ralston, as onepursued by devils. He burst in upon him headlong.
"For heaven's sake, come! That fellow--it's--it's----"
"Who?" said Ralston sharply.
"I don't know!" panted back Tommy. "I'm mad, I think. But come--forgoodness' sake--before he bleeds to death!"
Ralston came with a velocity which exceeded even Tommy's wild rush.Tommy marvelled at it later. He had not thought the phlegmatic andslow-moving Ralston had it in him. He himself was left well behind, andwhen he re-entered the dining-room Ralston was already bending over thehuddled figure that sprawled across the table.
"Come and lend a hand!" he ordered. "We must get him on the floor. Poordevil! He's got it pretty straight."
He had not seen the stricken man's face. He was too concerned with thewound to worry about any minor details for the moment.
Tommy helped him to the best of his ability, but he was trembling somuch that in a second Ralston swooped scathingly upon his weakness.
"Steady man! Pull yourself together! What on earth's the matter? Neverseen a little blood before? If you faint, I'll--I'll kick you! There!"
Tommy pulled himself together forthwith. He had never before submittedto being bullied by Ralston; but he submitted then, for speech wasbeyond him. They lowered the big frame between them, and at Ralston'scommand he supported it while the doctor made a swift examination of theinjury.
Then, while this was in progress, the wounded man recovered his sensesand forced a few husky words. "Hullo,--Ralston! Have they done me in?"
Ralston's eyes went to his face for the first time, shot a momentaryglance at Tommy, and returned to the matter in hand.
"Don't talk!" he said.
A few seconds later he got to his feet. "Keep him just as he is! I mustgo and fetch something. Don't let him speak!"
He was gone with the words, and Tommy, still feeling bewildered andrather sick, knelt in silence and waited for his return.
But almost immediately the husky voice spoke again. "Tommy--that you?"
Tommy felt himself begin to tremble again and put forth all his strengthto keep himself in hand. "Don't talk!" he said gruffly.
"I've--got to talk." The words came, forced by angry obstinacy. "It'sno--damnation--good. I'm done for--beaten on the straight. And that hellhound Monck--"
"Damn you! Be quiet!" said Tommy in a furious undertone.
"I won't be quiet. I'll have--my turn--such as it is. Where's Stella?Fetch Stella! I've a right to that anyway. She is--my lawful wife!"
"I can't fetch her," said Tommy.
"All right then. You can tell her--from me--that she's been duped--as Iwas. She's mine--not his. He came--with that cock-and-bull storyabout--the other woman. But she was dead--I've found out since. She wasdead--and he knew it. He faked up the tale--to suit himself. He wantedher--the damn skunk--wanted her--and cheated--cheated--to get her."
He stopped, checked by a terrible gurgle in the throat. Tommy, whitewith passion, broke fiercely into his gasping silence.
"It's a damned lie! Monck is a white man! He never did--a thing likethat!"
And then he too stopped in sheer horror at the devilish hatred thatgleamed in the rolling, bloodshot eyes.
A few dreadful seconds passed. Then Ralph Dacre gathered his ebbing lifein one last great effort of speech. "She is my wife. I hold the proof.If it hadn't been for this--I'd have taken her from him--to-night. Heruined me--and he robbed me. But I--I'll ruin him now. It's my turn. Heis not--her hus
band, and she--she'll scorn him after this--if I knowher. Consoled herself precious soon. Yes, women are like that. But theydon't forgive so easily. And she--is not--the forgiving sort--anyway.She'll never forgive him for tricking her--the hound! She'll neverforget that the child--her child--is a bastard. And--the Regiment--won'tforget either. He's down--and out."
He ceased to speak. Tommy's hands were clenched. If the man had been onhis feet, he would have struck him on the mouth. As it was, he couldonly kneel in impotence and listen to the amazing utterance that fellfrom the gasping lips.
He felt stunned into passivity. His anger had strangely sunk away,though he regarded the man he supported with such an intensity ofloathing that he marvelled at himself for continuing to endure thecontact. The astounding revelation had struck him like a blow betweenthe eyes. He felt numb, almost incapable of thought.
He heard Ralston returning and wondered what he could have been doing inthat interminable interval. Then, reluctant but horribly fascinated, hislook went back to the upturned, dreadful face. The malignancy had goneout of it. The eyes rolled no longer, but gazed with a great fixity atsomething that seemed to be infinitely far away. As Tommy looked, aterrible rattling breath went through the heavy, inert form. It seemedto rend body and soul asunder. There followed a brief palpitatingshudder, and the head on his arm sank sideways. A great stillnessfell....
Ralston knelt and freed him from his burden. "Get up!" he said.
Tommy obeyed though he felt more like collapsing. He leaned upon thetable and stared while Ralston laid the big frame flat and straight uponthe floor.
"Is he dead?" he asked in a whisper, as Ralston stood up.
"Yes," said Ralston.
"It wasn't my fault, was it?" said Tommy uneasily. "I couldn't stop himtalking."
"He'd have died anyhow," said Ralston. "It's a wonder he ever got hereif he was shot in the jungle as he must have been. Thatmeans--probably--that the brutes have started their games to-night. Oddif he should be the first victim!"
Tommy shuddered uncontrollably.
Ralston gripped his arm. "Don't be a fool now! Death is nothingextraordinary, after all. It's an experience we've all got to go throughsome time or other. It doesn't scare me. It won't you when you're a bitolder. As for this fellow, it's about the best thing that could happenfor everyone concerned. Just rememer that! Providence works pretty nearthe surface at times, and this is one of 'em. You won't believe me, Idaresay, but I never really felt that Ralph Dacre was dead--until thismoment."
He led Tommy from the room with the words. It was not his custom toexpress himself so freely, but he wanted to get that horror-strickenlook out of the boy's eyes. He talked to give him time.
"And now look here!" he said. "You've got to keep your head--for you'llwant it. I'll give you something to steady you, and after that you'll beon your own. You must cut back to The Green Bungalow and find BernardMonck and tell him just what has happened--no one else mind, untilyou've seen him. He's discreet enough. I'm going round to the Colonel.For if what I think has happened, those devils are ahead of us bytwenty-four hours, and we're not ready for 'em. They've probably cut thewires too. When you've done that, you report down at the barracks! Yoursister will probably have to be taken there for safety. And there may besome tough work before morning."
These last words of his had a magical effect upon Tommy. His eyessuddenly shone. Ralston had accomplished his purpose. Nevertheless, hetook him back to the surgery and made him swallow some _sal volatile_ inspite of protest.
"And now you won't be a fool, will you?" he said at parting. "I shouldbe sorry if you got shot to no purpose. Monck would be sorry too."
"Do you know where he is?" questioned Tommy point-blank.
"Yes." Blunt and uncompromising came Ralston's reply. "But I'm not goingto tell you, so don't you worry yourself! You stick to business, Tommy,and for heaven's sake don't go round and make a mush of it!"
"Stick to business yourself!" said Tommy rudely, suddenly awaking to thefact that he was being dictated to; then pulled up, faintly grinning."Sorry: I didn't mean that. You're a brick. Consider it unsaid!Good-bye!"
He held out his hand to Ralston who took it and thumped him on the backby way of acknowledgment.
"You're growing up," he remarked with approval, as Tommy went his way.