CHAPTER III
_Son of Power (Continued)_
They left the train at Sehora and struck out through rough country,following Dickson Sahib's directions. They camped in full jungle--wildbeast voices ringing through the night.
Next day they came into a valley like Eden, nourished by a small river.On its banks--near a mud-walled, grass-thatched village--Cadmandiscovered a devout man of great learning, who rested on the path of along pilgrimage. The devout man was approachable and spoke perfectEnglish; so they asked him about the land ahead.
"The Grass Jungle, sons? It is the place of secret ways. Only the veryinnocent of men-things dwell there; those not soiled by the wisdom ofevil. To the wise of the world, it is the place of plague and pestilenceand fear; and swift death by heat--and the shedding of blood. Past allelse--to such--it is the place of the shedding of blood."
He stopped a moment, musing; then in softer tones went on:
"The days are all still there. The creature-multitude sleeps in hiddenlairs--black and gold and brown and grey--all veiled in golden gloom.The little men-things go their ways, on their own man-paths, which theyonly know; remember this--they only know.
"When you go in, they will send boys with you from one village to thenext; but only in the early hours, or in the late hours of day. See thatyou do not persuade them otherwise. The full-day heat is called 'blight'because it robs men of their wits."
Skag scarcely breathed, till the Learned spoke again.
"At night--I speak who know--at night the earth rises up to the heavenson the voices of the wild and the ears of the gods are offended.Creatures go out on their own paths--as the men-things go on theirs byday. They rend and contend, they kill and are killed; but they do notcease till dawn."
The devout man's head sank low upon his breast and he was very still.
"It's romance, Skag," whispered Cadman, "but that's not saying it's ourromance. The man's off again in his abstractions; but I'm going to tryonce more."
Skag nodded.
Touching the wise man's foot with reverence and speaking in the form ofutmost respect, Cadman asked:
"Is it well that we go in? We search for one who sings as thesuper-human sing; we search for the sake of sick hearts--her heart andothers. Is it well?"
The eyes that lifted were not abstract; they were very deep and keen.Both the Americans felt winnowed before he spoke again.
"Ignorance is not good, but innocence is the supreme defence. If it isthe will of the beneficent gods that you find the unmothered woman ofgreat beauty in time, then it shall be so. But be patient. Move slowlythrough the little peoples, forgetting your search--I say forgetting yoursearch, as you go. Be kind; haste will not delay the sacrifice--kindnessmay. The way lies before you. Peace."
Cadman rose at once. They had been dismissed with a benediction; nothingfurther could be obtained. Otherwise Skag would have been aquestion-mark before that poor old man till morning.
"But he knows!"
The words seemed wrung out of Skag, as they sat apart.
"He does; there's no gamble about that. But if we challenge him, thechances are--he'll revoke that benediction!" Cadman speculatedwhimsically. "Then we'll have all the people against us--which is tosay, every prospect of success would go glimmering. No, there's nothingfor it but to go ahead, as fast as we can--slowly."
"But what do you suppose he meant by 'forgetting'?" Skag asked. "That wemustn't let the natives know we're looking for her?"
"I believe you've got it!" Cadman assented.
"Then I've forgotten!" Skag said with decision.
"I will have forgotten, by morning," Cadman answered.
They were on their way as soon as it was light enough to see theircompass. They slept at two villages; and early the third day came out ofsketchy mountains into full view of the great Grass Jungle itself. Inlong low waves, it billowed away from them to the dim rugged line ofVindha against the sky. It looked like massed plumes of feathers--allgolden-green.
That day they walked down toward it with few words. To Skag it wasperfectly natural enchantment--veiling the mystery of Dhoop Ki Dhil. Henever thought of it as a death-trap for himself.
Under the late afternoon sun, the rolling waves of golden-green took onan aspect of measureless distance; clean reaches, absolutely unbroken byanything save their own majestic undulations. The most innocentlandscape on earth, more enticing than the sand-desert--its softermystery breathed forth the faint searching perfume of growing things.Its undertone was well-being. Its overtone was peace.
"Do you suppose they're doing any harm to her, in there?" Cadman asked.
"No," Skag answered, but his face was grim as he spoke.
When they came into it, they found not grass but bamboo, twelve tosixteen feet high, standing root to root. They camped at a village inits edge; and before they slept, twenty lads were ready to lead them inthe man-paths, next morning.
The villages had not been visible from the mountain-side, being solidlydouble-thatched with bamboo. Garden and fruit-stuffs were underneath;and animals for milk and butter.
The people were semi-primitive. Physical degeneration was not found.Indeed their bodily perfection was extraordinary. In mind, they werelike children; happy and friendly, joyful to teach all they knew--joyfulto show all they had. The days rang with clean, childish laughter; butthere was no philosophy. There was no deep concern, no lasting grief, nohate.
"Skag, my son," said Cadman solemnly, "if a man really wants to departfrom sin--this is the place to come!"
By this time they had passed through several villages, campingunder double-thatch and inside heavy stockade guards. Being unableto release himself from the thrall of his life-quest, even whileevery element of his manhood was deep in the thrall of a "singingnautch-girl--undefamed--" Skag's trained ears had been extending hiseducation in what was the cult of cults to him. He had listened longerthan Cadman at night, to those voices of the wild by which the ears ofthe gods are offended.
Surely his secret consciousness--during those night-watches--had grappledwith the unknown ahead, reaching impatient fingers to find and save DhoopKi Dhil in time. But he let no flicker of that thought colour his answer.
"I don't know," he said dubiously, "if I'm not mistaken, I've heard somesinful language at night."
As they got further in, two names attracted their attention--spokentogether like one word--Dhoop Kichari-lal and Koob Soonder. Of courseKoob Soonder--Utterly Beautiful--they first thought could mean none otherthan the Bombay nautch-girl whom they sought--yet later they were tolearn the truth. But the last part of the first name--Kichari-lal--theydid not know. Yet no one would interpret it to them; the innocent peoplelooked frightened when they asked.
Still, the name recurred; and like following golden threads throughmeshes of green--all this life was gold and green--they became fascinatedby the tracing of it.
Then they heard of a man who "knew everything and was able to tell it."They found him strangely clothed in soft brown, surrounded by youngsters;and asked for all he knew about Dhoop Kichari-lal and Koob Soonder.(Their request would have been made in different form, if they hadrecognised his order at first glance.) He eyed them keenly, beforespeaking:
"Dhoop Kichari-lal? That is the name of a colour which the woman fromfar wears; she whom Jiwan Kawi loved and would have wed. And KoobSoonder--small sister of Jiwan Kawi--our strong young man who went away;she whose mother was taken by Fear when she was a babe, she who wasstricken by the blight when she began to run--she who was named for herperfect beauty, before the Grass Jungle had seen beauty more perfect--"
"Do you know all the story?" Cadman interrupted, with dry lips.
"All," said the man. "Am I not here to teach the little people with thetelling of tales? Jiwan Kawi was sent on the great adventure, to changeour silks for cotton cloths--which the people consider more desirable."(There was the hint of a tender smile on his lips, as he said the lastwords.) "Jiwan Kawi
was the most strong, the most beautiful of all ouryoung men when these same leaves were small, in the spring." He paused,seeming to forget them--his eyes on the leaves.
Then his manner changed, taking on a quality of austere impressiveness,as he continued:
"Jiwan Kawi returned from the great adventure; but a woman came afterhim--sunrise to sunset behind. She had followed him from the place ofthe multitudes, where all the people dwell together. He had seen herthere; he had loved her there; he had fled in fear from her beauty; hehad fled in distraction away back to his own place. Now--his joy showed,past telling. But she had come without a mother to give her in marriage;and marriage cannot be, otherwise.
"If it had not been for her so great beauty! Surely our women arebeautiful--as the gods know how to make common women. But when they sawher--they went back into their houses and covered their faces from thelight of her eyes.
"That was the calamity; for a woman must be given in marriage by theheart of a woman--sincere and unafraid. And there was not one withoutfear. Jiwan Kawi went out into the jungle that night; and he never cameback. Fear may have taken him."
The man looked away toward the horizon.
"Then she put on her body the one garment of hindu-widowhood, unadorned;but without marriage. She said, 'I will mourn for the children that havenot been--that are not--that cannot be.' The women heard the voice ofher mourning; and they forgot her too-great beauty, to serve hertoo-great pain--when it was late.
"They gave her the little Koob Soonder, to mother. Now it is that thechild, who has no wit and little reason, goes out into the place ofsacrifice to find Fear; and the woman in a widow's garment goes after, tofetch her back. Then the woman who mourns for unborn children, goes outinto the night-paths--as Jiwan Kawi went--and the little Koob Soonderfollows, to fetch her back.
"So they are going, always going out into the place of sacrifice--whereFear lives. Some day or some night--Fear will take them."
"What kind of fear?" Cadman asked, with a dry throat.
"Fear is name enough. There is none other."
The man's reply was spoken in conclusive tones. He sat as if oblivious,for several minutes. Then searching them both earnestly with haggardeyes, he spoke direct:
"Have you looked on Dhoop Ki Dhil, for whom you come so far? Have youheard her voice?"
Both the Americans shook their heads.
"Will you look on her in the paths of my understanding? Will you renderyourselves to know her in the currents of my blood?"
"We will," Cadman answered tensely.
The man lifted his face toward the night-sky, becoming perfectly stillbefore he spoke:
"She is the breath of the early spring-time, when the pulse of the earthawakes. She is the midnight moon of all summers, in all lands. The roseof daybreak is in her smile; the flames of sunset in her face.Lightnings of the monsoon break from her eyes; and she mothers themothers of men with their tenderness. Her body moves like flowing water;and she is the joy of all joy and the sorrow of all sorrow, in motion."
The man lifted his hand, as if to interrupt himself.
"The majesties of High Himalaya are in her voice; and distances ofstar-lit night."
He stopped, seeming to listen to something they could not hear.
"The tides of the seasons flow through the blood of common men," he wenton; "they carry the gold of delight away; and the rock-stuff of strength.Then men are old. It is not so with her. Bitter waters of grief havedrenched her, they have covered her as the deep covers the lands below;but her ascending flames of life consume them all. She rises like acreature made of jewels, to enlighten men against the snares of that samedeep from which she has come up--wearing splendours of loveliness forgarmenture.
"The people weep their tears for her pain; but she heals their hurts witha look. She restores their dead memories of youth to old men--theirmemories of dead loves. She restores the eyes of girlhood to the elderwomen, who have long been weary with yearning after dead littleones--after dead men. She has taught the little people who cannotthink--the child-hearted people--that Love-the-transcendent can never die!
"Dhoop Ki Dhil? She is youth, eternal! She is motherhood--the divinelotus of the world!"
Turning to face Cadman and Skag, the man said gently:
"The way lies before you. Go swiftly now. Peace."
And rising softly in the dead hush, he moved away.
Cadman sat long meditating, before he spoke at all; then it was likethinking aloud:
"A mystic brother of the Vindhas--one with the old man outside; notleaving these little semi-primitives alone--identifies himself withthem--that's good business!"
"Let's get on!" breathed Skag.
They made the utmost speed possible, till they came to the village thatstartled them. The childlike care-freedom was gone. Light-heartednesswas quenched. Apprehension took its place; low tones, no laughter--alook of helpless suffering like the large-eyed wonder in the face of agrieved child.
They asked about the next village.
"Fear lives there," they were told.
"What fear?" Cadman asked.
"Do you know the king of all serpents--he who comes over any wall, he whogoes through any thatch? He dwells there. He feeds upon the children ofmen and upon their creatures. He comes only to the edge, but he eats!"
The boy who told them this was so different from other boys they hadseen, that Cadman asked him direct:
"Who are you?"
"I am here under a master, doing a certain work in my novitiate," the boysaid simply.
"Will you take us there in the morning?" Cadman asked.
The boy looked at them intently, before he answered:
"It is just inside the nesting-place of all the serpents in the world;but Fear is their king. We who are here to serve, have no weapons; andwe cannot overcome malignant things with kindness. If you will deliverthe people from that serpent-king, by destroying his evil life, all thesnakes will go further back into the jungle. For many generations--ifthe gods will, for always--the innocent people will be safe. I will takeyou there, if you will kill him."
"We will try," Cadman said, not even turning to look at Skag.
They found the village in total paralysis of all natural activities. Itwas like a deadly pall. This was no new terror; it was olddevastation--bred into the bone of consciousness.
A little girl came near to watch Cadman, who was getting out his gun.She had never seen one before. He whispered to her--it seemed not rightto speak aloud in this place--and asked her where was Dhoop Ki Dhil. Thechild shook her head, but answered him:
"Wherever you will see the sun-melted red."
"What is that?" he wondered.
"That? That is the long-long, wide-wide cloth that covers all her body.It is made of so-thick silk" (she showed him six fingers), "that manytimes as thick as we know how to make."
"What is the name of the boy who led us here?" he asked next.
"We call him _Dhanah_ and many other names; but he is not a small boy, heis a man--very wise and sad."
At that moment they heard a voice like golden 'cellos and golden clarionsand golden viols--calling "Koob Soon-n-der, Koob Soon-n-der!" and the boycame past, running hard.
"Soon!" he shouted.
But Skag was at his heels and Cadman followed close, the shortfiring-piece in his hands.
The paths were narrow, the bamboo dense; the boy leaped into a curve andwas lost. They raced after him, till the path broadened at the top of anelevation. Pausing an instant to listen, they saw--directly in front ofthem a little way distant--a tall post; a dark post, seven or eight feetabove the bamboo tops, stiff and straight.
It held their eyes by its strange sheen. It began to lean stiffly towardone side--as if falling. It straightened and leaned the other way. Thenundulation crept into it, till the top-end followed the outline of adouble loop--like a figure-of-eight.
The snake had chained them this long. Skag recovered wi
th an inwardrevulsion that rent him. He plunged down the path, his facultiessurging--thought, feeling, realisation, volition--tearing him.
He met Dhanah carrying an utterly limp girl in his arms--the boy's facegone grey.
As Skag fled on past Dhanah, the whole story of Dhoop Ki Dhil was eatingin his brain like fire. She was somewhere in there ahead ofhim--somewhere near that monster snake.
The weaving of the serpent's head, looping in long reaches above thebamboo tops--looking over them, looking down into them, looking for itsprey--had frozen him to the marrow of his bones.
Dhoop Ki Dhil had come out into this blind maze to find and save theheat-blighted child from--that death. He knew what that death waslike--he had seen a big snake kill a goat once, in the circus, for food.. . . The frost in his bones bit deeper, because this was Dhoop KiDhil--the wonder-woman--who was in there, somewhere close to that snake.He heard the Bombay Doctor's tones again, as he ran; and the words of thebrown-robed mystic went like flame and acid through his blood.
. . . Why couldn't he hear Cadman? Cadman had the gun. But if hehimself could only reach her before the snake--if he could only-- And asoft blur of sun-melted red loomed ahead of him.
Dhoop Ki Dhil did not walk, she did not run; but her glide was almost asswift as Dhanah's flight.
When Skag met her face to face, he shivered with a shock ofrealisation--her ineffable beauty glowed like coals in a trance of someunearthly devotion. Her human mind was not there--an incomparable calmreigned in its stead.
"Come!" he urged strangely.
She moved with him, tilting her beautiful head to indicate somethingbehind.
He looked--the snake was coming through the long narrow path, coming on;huge undulations, touching the ground but coming through the air, withoutany look of haste. The path was plenty wide for it, there was plentytime for it--it was overtaking them as if they stood still.
Then, for one eternal moment, Skag knew fear. It wascold--long--metallic. It was invincible--without pity. He heard humanvoices and the sound of running water--in a dream. Near by, he heard alow sweet laugh. The eyes of fathomless splendour beside him were notlooking into his, but they were full of that love which transcends fear.And the birthright of Sanford Hantee rose up in him.
"That's right, come on!" he cried to her.
She looked up; and he followed her glance--one great undulation swayedabove them--surging in oozy motion--curving down; just higher than theirfaces--a broad flat head--thin lateral lips--stark lidless eyes.
Skag ran with his arm about Dhoop Ki Dhil's shoulders. He ran as fast ashe could--and still look up. He dared not loosen his eyes from thoseeyes of evil--he must hold them with what strength he had.
They were utterly patient--those eyes of unveiled malice; as if there hadnever been strength in the universe but that of sin--as if sin lookeddown for the first time on something different.
Skag was perfectly definite in his intention; he meant to hold the snakeif he could. Some of his training had been in the use of his eyes tocontrol animals under stress.
So he ran with his arm about Dhoop Ki Dhil's shoulders, the flame of hisvolitional power burning straight up into those pitiless, lidlesseyes--till he came into a sentiency that had no cognisance of time.
. . . The raw curse of wickedness and the bitter length of hate, beatdown upon him--out of the great snake's naked eyes. The deadly stench ofold corruption, poured down upon him--in the great snake's breath.
It challenged the manhood and womanhood of his humankind, with all thecrimes of violence they had ever done. Skag met it wistfully at first,with knowledges of loving-kindness; then a rising force that almostchoked him, of confidence in ultimate good.
. . . Cadman had found the right path at last. What he saw blottedeverything else out. Calling his reserves of control, he sighted withthe utmost care. His big-game bullet shattered the serpent's head. Itlaunched backward and Skag heard a heavy stroke on the ground, almostbefore he realised that the lidless eyes of ancient evil had disappearedfrom so near his face.
A mighty shout went up from the people, as the monster coils began tothresh living bamboo into pulp. No one saw the hands of the twoAmericans grip.
Then the majesties of High Himalaya and the distances of star-lit night,poured forth from Dhoop Ki Dhil's lifted lips.
Cadman and Skag followed her among the people going back to the village.Once she whirled with an inimitable movement, flinging her fingers towardSkag, in a gesture that seemed to focus the eyes of the whole world uponhim. (And in that instant, the American men could not have spoken aword--for the richness of her in their hearts.)
The light of intelligence flooded her face; her mind had returned to her,unmarred--a radiant scintillance.
"She is naming you 'Rana Jai' for the generations to come," Cadmaninterpreted. "She says no mortal man ever held the king of all serpentsfrom his stroke--ever delayed him from his chosen prey--this thing theyhave seen you do. It is your tradition for the future.
"She says I am your guardian, sent by the gods, to destroy theserpent--for your sake--so saving the people." Cadman finished huskily.
"But I didn't reach him, Cadman," Skag protested. "I didn't touchhim--inside!"
As they all came into the village enclosure, Dhoop Ki Dhil slipped into ahouse near by, saying that Dhanah thought the child slept too deeply--shewould care for her.
The people were beside themselves with joy. But presently Dhoop Ki Dhilcame out, looking straight up. Her hands were palm to palm, reachingslowly upward from her breast to their full stretch; there she gentlyopened them apart. A perfect hush fell on all.
"The child is gone," Cadman said, in an undertone.
Then the people began a low chant. It was not mourning. It was as if agreat multitude sang a great lullaby together.
"Boy, boy! This is a hard knock at our civilisation!"
Cadman was not aware that he had spoken. Skag shook his head.
"God! how I love it!" burst from him; and he had no shame of that love.
Little Koob Soonder's body--in heavy silks of gleaming blue--was laid ona bamboo pyre. Dhoop Ki Dhil tenderly sprinkled flower-petals andincense-oils over all, and lighted the four corners for the motherlessone, herself. Cadman and Skag watched the clean flames, till only silverashes were on the ground. And all the while the people sang their greatsoft lullaby, without tears or any sign of mourning.
Hours later, the voice of Dhoop Ki Dhil rose on the night--far away. Itseemed to compass the planet with its golden power and to descend fromthe empyrean of sound; further and further--transcending the voices ofthe wild--the very heart of love, the very soul of light. But they sawno more of her; and the people next morning made no reply to Cadman'snatural enquiry; no one would tell what had happened to Dhoop Ki Dhil.
All the way to the edge of the great Grass Jungle, where they had comein, a multitude went before and after--establishing the tradition oftheir deliverance. Finally Cadman asked the people why they spoke noword of Dhoop Ki Dhil, excepting as to things finished. The people bowedtheir heads and one answered for them all:
"It is finished. When we of the Grass Jungle mourn, we do not use words."
As they walked slowly into the open, listening to the voices of thechild-people, the name "Rana Jai" recurred often.
"I haven't heard what that word means yet," Skag said.
"Rana Jai?" Cadman repeated. "The exact translation is Prince ofVictory; but Dhoop Ki Dhil made her meaning clear--Son of Power; a greatdeal more."
After that, they had little to say. Certainly Cadman would never forgetthe length of time he had seen the looming head--less than two feet fromSkag's face--the incredible power that flamed up out of the young man'seyes. Certainly Skag was full of content as to the safety of the people.But all realisations were lost in a gnawing depression about Dhoop KiDhil.
When they came to Sehora, the station-man held out a letter in quaintlywritten English; it read:
&nb
sp; _From the wayside Dhoop Ki Dhil sends greetings to Son of Power, mostexalted; and to his guardian, most devoted._
_She pays votive offerings from this day, at sunrise and at sunset, forthose men--incense and oils and seed--to safety from all evil, andfulfillment of their so-great destiny._
_The gods, all-beneficent, have preserved him--Jiwan Kawi, the man ofmen! He met her in the night-paths; and he goes now with her--to her ownpeople. Jiwan Kawi, the man of men!_
_The Grass Jungles are in her heart, like dead rose-leaves; their perfumein her blood, is forever before the gods--remembering Son of Power andhis guardian._
_Dhoop Ki Dhil touches their holy feet._
The two Americans looked into each other's eyes, without words--theCalcutta-bound train was alongside.
"Remember, I'm responsible for you from now on, son!" Cadman said, as heloosed Skag's hand.