Chapter 10: In Disguise.
On the following evening, Dick appeared in the room where the otherswere sitting, in the dress Rajbullub had got for him, and which wassimilar to that of other peasants. The boys had already been told thathe was shortly going on a journey, and that it would be necessary forhim to travel in disguise, but had been warned that it was a matterthat was not to be spoken of, to anyone. The early respect, thatDick's strength and activity had inspired them with, had been muchshaken when they discovered that he was unable either to ride orshoot; but their father's narrative of his adventures, when scoutingwith Surajah, had completely reinstated him in their high opinion.
When he entered, however, they burst out laughing. The two ladiescould not help smiling, and Dick was not long before he joined in thelaugh against himself. He had felt uncomfortable enough when hestarted, in an almost similar dress, with Surajah, although there wasthen no one to criticise his appearance. But now, in the presence ofhis mother and aunt, he felt strangely uncomfortable.
"Never mind, Dick," his uncle said, encouragingly. "The boys wouldfeel just as uncomfortable as you do now, if they were dressed up inEuropean fashion. Now, while we are talking, make your first attemptat sitting on your heels."
Dick squatted down until his knees nearly touched his chest, and amoment later lost his balance and toppled over, amid a roar oflaughter. Next time, he balanced himself more carefully.
"That is right, Dick. You will get accustomed to it, in time. But youmust see, already, that there is a good deal more to be done than youthought of, before you can pass as a native. Remember, you must notonly be able to balance yourself while sitting still, but must be ableto use your hands--for cooking purposes, for example; for eating; orfor doing anything there may be to do--not only without losing yourbalance, but without showing that you are balancing yourself."
"It is much more difficult than I thought, Uncle. Of course, I havealways seen the natives squatting like this, but it seemed so naturalthat it never struck me it was difficult at all. I say, it isbeginning to hurt already. My shin bones are aching horribly."
"Yes; that is where the strain comes, my boy. But you have got tostick to it, until your muscles there, which have never been calledinto play in this way before, get accustomed to the work."
"I understand that, Uncle. It was just the same with my arms, when Ibegan to climb. But I can't stand this any longer. I can no more getup than I can fly;" and Dick rolled over on to his side.
Again and again he tried, after a short rest between each trial. As hegave it up, and limped stiffly to the divan, he said:
"I feel as if some one had been kicking me on the shins, until he hadnearly broken them, Mother. I have been kicked pretty badly severaltimes, in fights by rough fellows at home in Shadwell, but it neverhurt like this;" and he rubbed his aching legs ruefully.
"Well, Uncle, I am very much obliged to you for putting me up topractising this position. It seemed to me that it would be quite asimple thing, to walk along quietly, and to move my arms about as theydo; but I never thought of this.
"I wonder, Mother, you never told me that, above all things, I shouldhave to learn to squat on my heels for any time. It would not havebeen so difficult to learn it, five or six years ago, when I was notanything like so heavy as I am now."
"It never once occurred to me, Dick. I wish it had. I thought I hadforeseen every difficulty, but it never once came into my mind that,in order to pass as a native, you must be able to sit like one."
"Ah, well, I shall learn in time, Mother," Dick replied cheerfully."Every exercise is hard at first, but one soon gets accustomed to it."
Dick threw himself with his usual energy into his new work. Althoughof a morning, when he first woke, his shins caused him the most acutepain, he always spent half an hour in practice. Afterwards he wouldsit for some time, allowing the water from the tap at the side of thebath to flow upon the aching muscles. Then he would dress and, as soonas breakfast was over, go for a run in the garden. At first it was buta shamble, but gradually the terrible stiffness would wear off, and hewould return to the house comparatively well.
Of an evening the practice was longer, and was kept up until theaching pain became unendurable. At the end of four or five days, hewas scarcely able to walk at all, but after that time mattersimproved, and three weeks later he could preserve the attitude forhalf an hour at a time.
In other respects, his training had gone on uninterruptedly every day.He went out into the town, accompanied sometimes by Rajbullub,sometimes by Surajah, in the disguises of either a peasant, a soldier,or a trader; and learnt to walk, and carry himself, in accordance withhis dress. Before putting on these disguises, he painted himself witha solution that could easily be washed off, on his return to thepalace, where he now always wore a European dress.
"You cannot be too careful," the Rajah said. "There are, of course,Mohammedans here; and, for aught we know, some may act as agents orspies of Tippoo, just as the English have agents and spies in Mysore.Were one of them to send word that you had taken to Indian attire, andthat it was believed that you were about to undertake some mission orother, it would add considerably to your difficulties and dangers. Asit is, no one outside our own circle ever sees you about with me orthe boys, except in your European dress, and Rajbullub tells me that,in no single instance while you have been in disguise, has anysuspicion been excited, or question asked by the people of variousclasses with whom you and he converse in the streets."
Another month passed, and by this time Dick could, without any greatfatigue, squat on his heels for an hour at a time. As the date for hisdeparture drew near, his mother became more and more nervous andanxious.
"I shall never forgive myself, if you do not come back," she said oneday, when they were alone. "I cannot but feel that I have beenselfish, and that really, on the strength of a conviction which mostpeople would laugh at as whimsical and absurd, I am risking thesubstance for a shadow, and am imperilling the life of my only boy,upon the faint chance that he may find my husband. I know that evenyour uncle, although he has always been most kind about it, andassisted in every way in his power, has but little belief in thesuccess of your search; although, as he sees how bent I am upon it, hesays nothing that might dash my hopes.
"If evil comes of it, Dick, I shall never forgive myself. I shall feelthat I have sacrificed you to a sort of hallucination."
"I can only say, Mother," Dick replied, "that I came out here, andentered into your plans, only because I had the most implicit faiththat you were right. I should now continue it on my own account, evenif tomorrow you should be taken from me. Of course, I see plainlyenough that the chances are greatly against my ever hearing anythingof Father; but from what has taken place during the campaign, I haveseen that there must be many British captives still hidden away amongthe hill forts, and it is quite possible he may be among them. I donot even say that it is probable, but the chances are not so verygreatly against it; and even if I thought they were smaller--muchsmaller than I believe them to be--I should still consider it my dutyto go up and try and find him. So, even if it should happen that Inever come back again, you will not have yourself to blame, for it isnot you that are sending me, but I who am going of my free will; andindeed, I feel it so much my duty that, even were you to turn roundnow and ask me to stay, I should still think it right to undertakethis mission.
"But indeed, Mother, I see no great danger in it; in fact, scarcelyany danger at all--at any rate, unless I find Father. If I do so,there might certainly be risk in attempting to get him away; but this,if I am lucky enough in discovering him, will not weigh with me for aninstant. If I do not find him, it seems to me that the risk is a merenothing. Surajah and I will wander about, enlisting in the garrisonsof forts. Then, if we find there are no prisoners there, we shall takean early opportunity of getting away. In some places, no doubt, Ishall be able to learn from men of the garrison whether there areprisoners, without being forced to enter at all; for although in thegre
at forts, like Savandroog and Outradroog, it is considered soimportant the defences should be kept secret, that none of thegarrison are allowed to leave until they are discharged as too old forservice, there is no occasion for the same precaution in the case ofless important places. Thus, you see, we shall simply have to wanderabout, keeping our eyes and ears open, and finding out, either fromthe peasants or the soldiers themselves, whether there are anyprisoners there."
"I wish I could go with you, Dick. I used to think that, when the workof searching for your father had begun, I could wait patiently for theresult; but instead of that, I find myself even more anxious and morenervous than I was at Shadwell."
"I can quite understand, Mother, that it is very much more tryingwork, sitting here waiting, than it is to be actively engaged. Theonly thing is, that you must promise me not to trouble more than youcan help; for if I think of you as sitting here fretting about me, Ishall worry infinitely more than I otherwise should over anydifficulties we may have to encounter. You must remember that I shallhave Surajah with me. He is a capital companion, and will always beable to advise me upon native business. He is as plucky as a fellowcan be, and I can trust him to do anything, just as I would myself."
The preparations for departure now began in earnest. There was somediscussion as to the arms that were to be taken, but at last it wasdecided that, with safety, they could carry nothing beyond amatchlock, a pistol, and a sword each.
Great pains were taken in the selection of the matchlocks. In thearmoury were several weapons of high finish, with silver mountings,that had belonged to the Rajah's father and grandfather. These weretried against each other, and the two that were proved to be the mostaccurate were chosen. Dick found, indeed, that at distances up to ahundred yards, they were quite equal to the English rifle he hadbrought out. The silver mountings were taken off, and then the piecesdiffered in no way, in appearance, from those in general use among thepeasantry.
The pistols were chosen with equal care. The swords were of finelytempered steel, the blades being removed from their jewelled handles,for which were substituted rough handles of ordinary metal.
Ten gold pieces were sewn up underneath the iron bands encircling theleathern scabbard, as many under the bosses of their shields, and fivepieces in the soles of each of their shoes. In their waist sashes, theordinary receptacle of money, each carried a small bag with nativesilver coins.
At last all was ready and, an hour before daybreak, Dick took acheerful farewell of his mother, and a hearty one of his uncle, and,with Surajah, passed through the town and struck up into the hills.Each carried a bag slung over his shoulder, well filled withprovisions, a small water bottle, and, hung upon his matchlock, achange of clothing. In the folds of his turban, Dick had a packet ofthe powder used for making dye, so that he could, at any time, renewthe brown shade, when it began to fade out.
For a time but few words were spoken. Dick knew that, although hismother had borne up bravely till the last, she would break down assoon as he left her; and the thought that he might never see her againweighed heavily upon him. Surajah, on the contrary, was filled withelation at the prospect of adventures and dangers, and he was silentsimply because he felt that, for the present, his young lord was in nohumour for speech.
As soon as the sun rose, Dick shook off his depression. They were nowa considerable distance up the hillside. There was no path, for thepeople of Tripataly had no occasion to visit Mysore, and still lessdesire for a visit from the Mysoreans. Periodically, raids were madeupon the villages and plains by marauders from the hills, but thesewere mostly by the passes through the ghauts, thirty or forty milesleft or right from the little state which, nestling at the foot of thehills, for the most part escaped these visitations--which, now thatthe British had become possessed of the territories and the hills,had, it was hoped, finally ceased. Nevertheless, the people werealways prepared for such visits. Every cultivator had a pit in whichhe stored his harvest, except so much as was needed for his immediatewants. The pit was lined with mats, others were laid over the grain.Two feet of soil was then placed over the mats and, after the groundhad been ploughed, there was no indication of the existence of thehiding place.
The town itself was surrounded by a wall, of sufficient strength towithstand the attacks of any parties of marauders; and the custom ofkeeping a man on a watch tower was still maintained. At the foot ofthe tower stood a heavy gun, whose discharge would at once warn thepeasants for miles round of an enemy, calling those near to hasten tothe shelter of the town, while the men of the villages at a distancecould hurry, with their wives and families, to hiding places among thehills.
Dick and Surajah had no need of a path, for they were well acquaintedwith the ground, and had often wandered up, nearly to the crest of thehills, in pursuit of game. An hour before noon, they took their seatsunder a rock that shaded them from the sun's rays and, sitting down,partook of a hearty meal. There was no occasion for haste, and theyprepared for rest until the heat of the day was passed.
"We are fairly off now, Surajah," Dick said, as he stretched himselfout comfortably. "I have been thinking of this almost as long as I canremember, and can hardly believe that it has come to pass."
"I have thought of it but a short time, my lord."
"No, no, Surajah," Dick interrupted. "You know it was arranged that,from the first, you were to call me Purseram, for unless you getaccustomed to it, you will be calling me 'my lord' in the hearing ofothers."
"I had forgotten," Surajah replied with a smile, and then went on. "Itis but a short time since I was sure I was going with you, but I haveever hoped that the time would come when, instead of the dull work ofdrilling men and placing them on guard, I might have the opportunityof taking part in war and adventure, and indeed had thought of askingmy lord, your uncle, to permit me to go away for a while in one of theCompany's regiments, and there to learn my business. Since the Englishhave become masters, and there is no longer war between rajah andrajah, as there used to be in olden times, this is the only way that aman of spirit can gain distinction. But this adventure is far better,for there will be much danger, and need for caution as well ascourage."
Dick nodded.
"More for caution and coolness than for courage, I think, Surajah. Itwill only be in case we find my father, or if any grave suspicionfalls on us, that there will be need for courage. Once well intoMysore, I see but little chance of suspicion falling upon us. We haveagreed that we will first make for Seringapatam, avoiding as much aspossible all places on the way where inquiries whence we come may bemade of us. Once in the city, we shall be safe from such questions,and can travel thence where we will; and it will be hard if we do not,when there, manage to learn the places at which any prisoners theremay be are most likely to be kept.
"Besides, my father is as likely to be there as anywhere, for Tippoomay, since our army marched away, have ordered all prisoners to bebrought down from the hill forts to Seringapatam."
When the sun had lost its power, they proceeded on their way again.Their start had been timed so that, for the first week, they wouldhave moonlight; and would, therefore, be able to travel at night untilthey arrived at Seringapatam. It was considered that it was onlynecessary to do this for the first two or three nights as, after that,the tale that they were coming from a village near the frontier, andwere on their way to join Tippoo's army, would seem natural enough toany villagers who might question them.
They continued their course until nearly midnight, by which time theywere both completely fatigued, and, choosing a spot sheltered bybushes, lay down to sleep. It took another two days before they wereclear of the broken country, and the greater portion of this part ofthe journey they performed in daylight. Occasionally they saw, in thedistance, the small forts which guarded every road to the plateau. Tothese they always gave a very wide berth, as although, according tothe terms of peace, they should all have been evacuated, they mightstill be occupied by parties of Tippoo's troops.
Indeed, all the news
that had arrived, since the army left,represented Tippoo as making every effort to strengthen his army andfortresses, and to prepare for a renewal of the war.
Several times they saw bears, which abounded among the ghauts, andonce beheld two tigers crossing a nullah. They had, however, othermatters to think of, and neither the flesh nor the skins of the bearswould have been of any use to them. The work was severe, and they wereglad when at last they reached the level country. In some of the uppervalleys, opening on to this, they had seen small villages. Near one ofthese they had slept, and as in the morning they saw that theinhabitants were Hindoos, they fearlessly went out and talked withthem, in order to gain some information as to the position of theforts, and to learn whether any bodies of Tippoo's troops were likelyto be met with.
They found the people altogether ignorant on these matters. They weresimple peasants. Their whole thoughts were given to tilling theirland, and bringing in sufficient to live upon, and to satisfy thedemands of the tax gatherers when they visited them. They had littlecommunication with other villages, and knew nothing of what waspassing outside their own. They evinced no curiosity whateverconcerning their visitors, who bought from them some cakes of groundragee, which formed the chief article of their food.
The country through which they passed, on emerging from the hills, waslargely covered with bush and jungle, and was very thinly populated.It was an almost unbroken flat, save that here and there isolatedmasses of rock rose above it. These were extremely steep andinaccessible, and on their summits were the hill forts that formed soprominent a feature in the warfare of both Mysore and the Nizam'sdominions to the north. These forts were, for the most part,considered absolutely impregnable, but the last war with the Britishhad proved that they were not so, as several of the strongest had beencaptured, with comparatively slight loss.
Whenever they passed within a few miles of one of these hillfortresses, Dick looked at it with anxious eyes; for there, for aughthe knew, his father might be languishing.
After two days' walking across the plain, they felt that there was nolonger any necessity for concealment, except that it would be as wellto avoid an encounter with any troops. Although, therefore, theyavoided the principal roads, they kept along beaten paths, and did nothesitate to enter villages to buy food.
They no longer saw caste marks on the foreheads of the inhabitants.The Hindoos had been compelled by force to abandon their religion, allwho refused to do so being put to death at once. Dick and Surajahfound that their dialect differed much more from that of the countrybelow the ghauts than they had expected and, although they had nodifficulty in conversing with the peasants, they found that their ideathat they would be able to pass as natives of one of these villageswas an altogether erroneous one.
"This will never do, Surajah," Dick said, as they left one of thevillages. "We shall have to alter our story somehow, for the firstperson we meet, in Seringapatam, will see that we are not natives ofMysore. We must give out that we come from some village far down onthe ghauts--one of those which have been handed over to the English bythe new treaty. You know the country well enough there to be able toanswer any questions that may be asked. We must say that, desiring tobe soldiers, and hating the English raj, we have crossed the hills totake service of some sort in Mysore. This will be natural enough: andof course there are many Mohammedans down in the plains, especiallyamong the villages on the ghauts."
"I think that would be best, Purseram."
"There is one comfort," Dick went on. "It is evident that Tippoo ishated by all the Hindoos. He has forced them to change their religion,and we need have no fear of being betrayed by any of them, except frompressure, or from a desire to win Tippoo's goodwill."
"Yes, that might be the case with those who are fairly well off, butwould scarcely be so among the poorer classes. Besides, even they,were we living among them, would have no reason for suspecting ourstory. There seems no doubt, from what they say, that Tippoo ispreparing for war again, and I think that we shall do well, as soon aswe enter the city, to change our attire, or we might be forced intojoining the army, which would be the last thing we want. What I shoulddesire, above all things, is to get service of some kind in thePalace."
After six days' travel, they saw the walls of Seringapatam. Dick hadmade many inquiries, at the last halting place, as to the position ofthe fords on that side of the town; and learned that only thoseleading to the fort were guarded. The ford opposite the town wasfreely open to traffic, and could be crossed without question bycountry people, although a watch was kept to see that none of the verynumerous prisoners escaped by it.
It was here, therefore, that they crossed the river, the water beinglittle more than knee deep. No questions were asked by the guard asthey passed, their appearance differing in no way from that of thepeasants of the neighbourhood.
After a quarter of a mile's walk they entered the town. It was open,and undefended by a wall. The streets were wide, and laid out at rightangles. The shops, however, were poor, for the slightest appearance ofwealth sufficed to excite the cupidity of Tippoo or his agents, andthe possessor would be exposed to exorbitant demands, which, if notcomplied with, would have entailed first torture and then death.
The streets, however, presented a busy appearance. They were throngedwith soldiers. Battalions of recruits passed along, and it was evidentthat Tippoo was doing all in his power to raise the strength of hisarmy to its former level. They wandered about for some time, and atlast, in a small street, Dick went up to an old man whose face pleasedhim. He was standing at the door of his house.
"We desire to find a room where we can lodge for a time," he said."Can you direct us where we can obtain one?"
"You are not soldiers?" the old man asked.
"No. We desire to earn our living, but have not yet decided whether tojoin the army."
"You are from the plains?" the native said sharply, in their owndialect.
"That is so," Dick replied.
"And yet you are Mohammedans?"
"Every one is Mohammedan here."
"Ah! Because it is the choice of 'death or Mohammed.' How comes itthat two young men should voluntarily leave their homes to enter thistiger's den? You look honest youths. How come you here?"
"I trust that we are honest," Dick said. "We have assuredly notventured here without a reason, and that reason is a good one; butthis is not a city where one talks of such matters to a stranger inthe street, even though his face tells one that he can be trusted witha secret."
The old man was silent for a minute; then he said:
"Come in, my sons. You can, as you say, trust me. I have a room thatyou can occupy."
They followed him into the house, and he led them into a small room atthe back. It was poorly furnished, but was scrupulously clean. A panof lighted charcoal stood in one corner, and over this a pot of ricewas boiling.
"I bid you welcome," he said gravely.
And as the salutation was not one in use by the Mohammedans, Dick sawthat his idea that the old man was a Hindoo, who had been forced toabjure his religion, was a correct one. The old man motioned to themto take their seats on the divan.
"I do not ask for your confidence," he said, "but if you choose togive it to me, it will be sacred, and it may be that, poor as I am, Iam able to aid you. I will tell you at once that I am a native ofConjeveram and, of course, a Hindoo. I was settled as a trader atMysore, the old capital. But when, four years ago, the tyrantdestroyed that town, I, with over a hundred thousand of our religion,was forced to adopt Mohammedanism. I was of high caste and, like manyothers, would have preferred death to yielding, had it not been that Ihad a young daughter; and for her sake I lived, and moved here fromMysore.
"I gained nothing by my sin. I was one of the wealthiest traders inthe whole city, and I had been here but a month when Tippoo's soldiersburst in one day. My daughter was carried off to the Tiger's harem,and I was threatened with torture, unless I divulged the hiding placeof my money.
"It was use
less to resist. My wealth was now worthless to me, andwithout hesitation I complied with their demands; and all I had wasseized, save one small hoard, which was enough to keep me thus to theend of my days. My wants are few: a handful of rice or grain a day,and I am satisfied. I should have put an end to my life, were it notthat, according to our religion, the suicide is accursed; and,moreover, I would fain live to see the vengeance that must some dayfall upon the tyrant.
"After what I have said, it is for you to decide whether you think Ican be trusted with your secret, for I am sure it is for no slightreason that you have come to this accursed city."
Dick felt that he could safely speak, and that he would find in thisnative a very valuable ally. He therefore told his story withoutconcealment. Except that an exclamation of surprise broke from hislips, when Dick said that he was English, the old man listened withouta remark until he had finished.
"Your tale is indeed a strange one," he said, when he had heard thestory. "I had looked for something out of the ordinary, but assuredlyfor nothing so strange as this. Truly you English are a wonderfulpeople. It is marvellous that one should come, all the way from beyondthe black water, to seek for a father lost so many years ago. Methinksthat a blessing will surely alight upon such filial piety, and thatyou will find your father yet alive.
"Were it not for that, I should deem your search a useless one.Thousands of Englishmen have been massacred during the last ten years.Hundreds have died of disease and suffering. Many have been poisoned.Many officers have also been murdered, some of them here, but more inthe hill forts; for it was there they were generally sent, when theirdeaths were determined upon.
"Still, he may live. There are men who have been here as many years,and who yet survive."
"Then this is where the main body of the prisoners were kept?" Dickasked.
"Yes. All were brought here, native and English. Tens of thousands ofboys and youths, swept up by Tippoo's armies from the Malabar coastand the Carnatic, were brought up here and formed into battalions, andthese English prisoners were forced to drill them. It was but a poordrill. I have seen them drilling their recruits at Conjeveram, and thedifference between the quick sharp order there, and the listlesscommand here, was great indeed. Consequently, the Englishmen werepunished by being heavily ironed, and kept at starvation point for theslackness with which they obeyed the tyrant's orders. Sometimes theywere set to sweep the streets, sometimes they were beaten till theywell nigh expired under the lash. Often would they have died ofhunger, were it not that Tippoo's own troops took pity on them, andsupplied them from their store.
"Some of the boys, drummer boys, or ship's boys, or little ship'sofficers, were kept in the Palace and trained as singers and dancersfor Tippoo's amusement. Very many of the white prisoners were handedover to Tippoo by Admiral Sufferin. Though how a Christian could havebrought himself to hand over Christians to this tiger, I cannotimagine.
"Others were captured in forays, and there were, till lately, manysurvivors of the force that surrendered in Hyder's time. There arecertainly some in other towns, for it was the policy of Hyder, as itis of Tippoo, always to break up parties of prisoners. Many were sentto Bangalore, some to Burrampore, and very many to the fort ofChillembroom; but I heard that nearly all these died of famine anddisease very quickly.
"While Tippoo at times considers himself strong enough to fight theEnglish, and is said to aim at the conquest of all southern India, hehas yet a fear of Englishmen, and he thus separates his captives,lest, if they were together, they should plot against him and bringabout a rising. He knows that all the old Hindoo population areagainst him, and that even among the Mohammedans he is very unpopular.The Chelah battalions, who numbered twelve or fourteen thousand, madeup entirely of those he has dragged from their homes in districtsdevastated by him, would assuredly have joined against him, were therea prospect of success, just as they seized the opportunity to desertsix months ago, when the English attacked the camp across the river.
"Now, if you will tell me in what way I can best serve you, I will doso. In the first place, sturdy young peasants are wanted for the army,and assuredly you will not be here many days before you will findyourselves in the ranks, whether you like it or not; for Tippoo is inno way particular how he gets recruits."