Athelstane Ford

  CHAPTER XIII

  _A NIGHT ADVENTURE_

  As soon as I had heard that name from Rupert's lips, all my hesitationwas at once overcome, as he no doubt foresaw would be the case.

  "Come," I said, springing upon my feet with an energy I had not feltfor some time, "let us be going, then."

  My fellow prisoners looked not a little astonished at this suddenchange in my resolution. However, they offered me their good wishesfor the journey, and Mr. Holwell in particular entrusted me with somemessages to Mr. Drake, in case I should succeed in penetrating to him.We had no certain information at this time as to the whereabouts ofthe English ships, but supposed them to be lying somewhere about themouth of the Hooghley. It was judged best that I should carry nowriting.

  We two then crept softly out of the hut, my cousin going first, and Ifollowing. There was no moon abroad, but a sufficiency of light wasafforded us by the extraordinary brilliancy of the stars, whichappear much bigger, as well as thicker in the sky, in these latitudesthan in England. At a short distance from the door of the shed I couldperceive the sentinel, seated with his back towards us, his handsresting on his matchlock.

  "This way," whispered Rupert in my ear. And turning in the oppositedirection from the sentry, he stooped down and ran along under theshadow of a high wall which bordered a winding road.

  The wall was about eight feet high, and enclosed a garden. Here andthere it was overhung by branches of trees, whose foliage I failed todistinguish in the darkness, but I once or twice thought I smelt thefragrance of lemons. Within the garden behind the wall we could hearthe tinkle of a fountain and a noise like the singing of some bird.

  "What is this place?" I asked in a whisper, as I ran along by Rupert'sside.

  "Hush!" he answered crossly. "We shall be overheard. This is theNabob's garden, where are the pavilions of his women."

  We ran on in silence for some little time longer, when we arrived atthe end of the garden, and plunged into a narrow and dark lane thatled out of the town. This passage we followed till we came out upon adeserted nook immediately under the walls of Moorshedabad, which werehere much damaged, and matted with ivy and other weeds.

  "Now," said Rupert, as he flung himself panting on the ground, in alittle grassy place, "we can talk over our plans without fear of beingdisturbed."

  I sat down beside him, inly marvelling at that great transformationwhich had so quickly converted us from deadly enemies seeking eachother's lives, into allies, if not friends. After all our hostilitiesagainst each other in Great Yarmouth, at Gheriah, and in Calcutta, wewere now in Moorshedabad, bound together by a common purpose, and thatpurpose concerned with her who had originally been the cause of ourenmity.

  I have often thought since that the change which took place in mycousin's behaviour about this time was due, not so much to any tardypricks of conscience, as to a sort of dizziness of mind, brought aboutby the spectacle of the prodigious crimes of Surajah Dowlah. His ownspirit, however bold and wicked, was daunted in the presence of thisbeing who, though so much younger in years, was so greatly superior inevil; so that he shrank back, like one brought suddenly to the edge ofa precipice. Perhaps he had a secret apprehension of his coming fate;at all events, it is certain that for a short time he manifested ahearty longing to return to the society of honest men.

  As soon as we were seated his first act was to pluck off the turban hewore on his head, and cast it to the ground.

  "Faugh!" he exclaimed. "What an intolerable thing to wear! If it werenot for their turbans and their abstinence, I declare Mahometanismwould suit me well enough."

  I gazed at him in horror.

  "Do you mean, Rupert, that you have really embraced that idolatroussect?" I demanded.

  "You need not look so scandalised, cousin," he retorted. "In the firstplace you are quite wrong to call it idolatrous, images of every kindbeing strictly forbidden by the Alcoran. In the second place it is avery decent, respectable religion, as religions go, and extremelyconvenient for seafaring men who sometimes need an excuse foroverhauling a Christian cargo."

  "Rupert Gurney," I replied sternly, "you have within the hour broughtme away out of prison, and for that I thank you. But I will neitherlisten to your blasphemous talk, nor suffer it, and rather thanconsent to do so I will go back to the place from which you took mebut now."

  "Fair and softly, young Athelstane," he answered grinning. "I see youare as fierce a Puritan as ever, and as I have lost the wish toquarrel with you I will endeavour to refrain from saying anythingoffensive to your delicacy. But do you, on your part, abstain fromflying into a passion at every word that does not happen to sound toyour liking; for patience is a virtue recommended, as I believe, byyour religion as well as mine, and it seems to me that your stock ofit is rather scant."

  I cannot say how deeply mortified I was by this rebuke, which, comingfrom one whose evil life I held in just detestation, wrought moreconviction in me than all the sermons I had heard from good Mr. PeterWalpole of Norwich, when I was a boy. I discovered, as though by aflash of light, how unchristian was the temper I had too often shownin my dealings, not only with my cousin, but with other persons, andfrom that moment I set an earnest watch on myself in this respect.

  Forcing myself to acknowledge my error at once, though much againstthe grain, I said--

  "I ask your pardon, Rupert, if I spoke harshly. But let us leave thesequestions, and come to the business in hand. What of Marian, and howdo you propose that we should effect her escape?"

  He looked at me surprised.

  "Why, Athelstane, my boy, give me your hand!" he exclaimed, in a morecordial tone than I had ever heard him use before. "Curse me if Idon't heartily wish we had never quarrelled!" I gave him my hand withsome reluctance, and he proceeded. "You saw that garden which wepassed on our way to this spot? The girl is detained a prisoner in oneof the Nabob's summer-houses which stand within it. I have found meansto corrupt one of the eunuchs who is a friend of mine, and anxious tostand well with the English. For I must tell you, Athelstane, that allis not working smoothly in the government here. Surajah Dowlah, by hisarrogance and violence, has made many enemies, among whom are his ownuncle, Meer Jaffier, and Roy Dullub, the most important of theGentoos. These men have a just apprehension of the vengeance which theEnglish may take for the late invasion of their settlements, andmoreover they stand in dread of the young Nabob's reckless temper,sometimes bordering on insanity. So that we have more friends than weknow of in the Court. This eunuch, then, as I was going to say, hasagreed to introduce me into the garden to-night, in about an hour'stime through a small postern in the wall of which he has the key. Heis going to conduct me to the summer-house where Marian is. There itmay be necessary to use force to overpower the eunuchs in charge ofthe place, but if we succeed in doing that, as I think there is littledoubt we shall, we have nothing to do but to carry her off and retireby the way we came. I have provided a safe retreat afterwards to thecoast."

  I fell in heartily with this scheme, which seemed to present atolerable chance of success. Rupert went on to explain to me the meansby which he hoped that we might afterwards be able to pass through thecountry without being stopped. He proposed that we should give it outthat we were a party of Mahometan pilgrims bound for the mouth of theriver, to take ship for Mecca; and he told me he had three horsesalready hired, with a driver, waiting for us in a certain place. Inorder that this scheme might be carried through it was necessary thatI should be disguised to pass for a Moor, like himself. He nowproduced from his bosom a brown pigment, such as he had already usedwith good enough success on his own complexion, and carefully stainedthe skin of my face, also my feet and hands.

  "Remember, above all," he said, while he was thus engaged, "if youwould be taken for a Mahometan, never to wash your hands withoutwashing your feet at the same time, for this custom is inveterate withthem, and is, I think, the principal point of difference between thetwo religions."

  When he had finished, I asked--

  "
And now what shall I do for a suitable dress?"

  For I was still clad in the garments of rough canvas which the Moorshad given to us on the morning after our release from the Black Hole.

  "By the Lord Harry, I don't know what you can do!" cried Rupert. "Ihad overlooked that part of it. Unless you were to cut down one ofthese black rascals in the dark, and exchange suits with him?"

  I declined to do what I thought would amount to committing a murder,although it were to be done upon an Indian; whereupon my cousinoffered to kill the man, if I would wear the clothes. At last weagreed to procure the dress by peaceful means, if that should bepossible, and set out on our return to the centre of the town.

  Sure enough we had not gone a great way when we met a man of the city,a Gentoo, wearing a loose woollen robe and white turban, which wethought would pass, and which he agreed very easily to part with forfive rupees. I offered him my canvas suit into the bargain, but thishe rejected with disdain, on account of his religion, and walked offfrom us stark naked, but for a loin-cloth.

  It was now time that we should repair to the meeting appointed by theeunuch. We found the postern without any difficulty, and as soon as mycousin had knocked twice in a peculiar manner the eunuch came andadmitted us. This eunuch appeared to be a very civil, worthy person,very different to most of his kind, whom I have found to be full ofspite and malice, and untrustworthy in all their dealings.

  As soon as we were entered in the garden the eunuch conducted usthrough an orchard and down a grove of persimmons, to where there wasa fountain, and close by it a square marble tank bordered by roses inwhite marble boxes. Here he left us for a moment, while he wentforward to examine the summer-house, if there were any one stirringwithin. While we were waiting I took an interest in gazing at theclear water of the tank, and picturing the scene when the Nabob'swomen came thither to bathe, as I heard was their daily custom.

  Presently the eunuch returned, and beckoned to us.

  "The Sahibs may go forward now," he said. "The cage is shut and thebirds are asleep."

  We followed him, and he brought us out upon an open space, and in themidst of it a small pavilion, like a temple, built in white stone ormarble, in two storeys, very elegantly, with small pillars before itand a dome above, the whole covered over with fantastical designs oftrees and flowers, curiously wrought in the stone.

  The door of the pavilion was closed. In the upper storey I saw severallattices open, but no lights.

  "What are we to do in the next place?" I asked of the eunuch.

  He gave me an expressive look out of his black eyes, and silentlydelivered to me a scymetar which he carried.

  "Let the Sahib knock, and when they who keep the door put forth theirheads, let the Sahib strike them off," he said, seeing me hesitate.

  It had been well for us, as it turned out, if I had done as he bid me,for the squeamishness which we feel about shedding blood is notunderstood amongst Indians, and they despise us for it. However,before I could say anything further, my cousin stepped up to the doorand knocked boldly.

  There was a commotion inside. I drew my scymetar, and Rupert did thesame. As soon as the door was unfastened from within, without waitingto parley, we flung ourselves through the opening, striking outblindly in the dark.

  Instantly there went up a howl for mercy, and the eunuchs inside--forthere were two of them, both well-armed--cast themselves down writhingon the floor, evidently in the expectation that they were immediatelyto be put to death. Rupert aimed a deadly blow at one of them, but I,like a fool, struck up his weapon.

  "Stay," I said, using the Gentoo language purposely that they mightunderstand, "it may save us trouble to spare their lives, on conditionthat they strictly obey our instructions."

  The wretches hearing this, instantly broke into all sorts ofgrovelling entreaties and oaths of fidelity. Quite disgusted by theirslavish cowardice, I said to them--

  "Hold your tongues! You have in this house a prisoner, anEnglishwoman, whom we have come to carry away. Let one of you go atonce and bring her here."

  The eunuch furthest in from the door immediately leaped to his feetand made off down the passage. But Rupert, who knew more about thesesort of creatures than I did at this time, strode after him, callingout--

  "Stay! I will go with you!"

  But the fellow, without turning his head, sprang up a narrow staircaseat the end, and darting into the first room he came to above, slammedthe door to, and had it fastened before Rupert could catch him up. Inanother moment we heard him yelling and squalling out of the windowfor assistance to come and take the murderers and ravishers that werebroken into the garden.

  My cousin came jumping down the stairs three steps at a time.

  "This comes of your cursed softness!" he growled out savagely. "Asthough it were not a Christian act to cut the throats of as many ofthese hell-hounds as possible!"

  He fetched a slash at the man who lay whining at our feet that nearlysevered his head from his trunk.

  "Now we must save ourselves if we can!" he muttered. And indeed it wastime. The screams of the eunuch overhead had brought the whole placeabout our ears. As we stepped out of the pavilion again, we saw lightsglittering through the trees all round us, and heard shouting and therunning of feet. Our friendly eunuch had taken to flight, and we wereleft to extricate ourselves as best we could.

  "We must not stay here or we shall be surrounded," cried Rupert."Which way is the gate?"

  I strove to recollect, and then, taking what I thought to be thedirection, we started off at a run.

  Instantly that fiend who had betrayed us, leaning further out of thewindow to discover which way we fled, redoubled his cries. Lookingback for a moment as we ran, I saw him pointing, and at the same timethere was a movement of one of the other lattices, and I caught aglimpse of a white face and two hands thrust out with a despairinggesture, and knew that Marian was aware of our enterprise and that wehad failed. Then the clamour on all sides grew louder, and men bearinglanterns and armed with swords and matchlocks burst out from the treesaround the pavilion, and ran hither and thither, some towards thebuilding, others searching for our track.

  We ran like deer, bending down so as not to be seen, and dodging inamong the trees and bushes. By this means we preserved ourselves fromimmediate capture, but soon missed our way, and found ourselveswandering about in the garden, stealing from one patch of cover toanother; while every now and then a party of our pursuers would gopast, so close that we could hear them speak, and see the sparks oflantern-light drip off the naked blades of their weapons as theythrust them into the bushes.

  After several close escapes of this kind, when we at last stumbled onthe postern, more by luck than skill, we found it barred and locked,and the key removed. Before we could decide what next to do, on asudden a party of four gigantic blacks burst out upon us, brandishingtheir weapons at our heads and calling on us, by all manner of filthynames, to surrender. I believe they expected us to prove an easy prey,but I was now grown desperate, and rushed so fiercely on him that camefirst and carried a lantern, that I fairly bore him to earth at thefirst shock. And when I looked round for another I found all three infull flight, one of them leaving his right hand behind, which Ruperthad managed to slice off at the wrist with the first blow. They ranfor their lives, shouting out that they had to do with two demons fromthe pit. Rupert, seeing the man I had struck down move, stepped overto him, quite cool, drew his blade across the poor wretch's throat,and wiped it on his turban. After this we lost no time in shifting ourground before the rest of the pursuers came up.

  With the chase so hot after us, it had become plain that we must betaken before long, unless we could hit upon some means of escapingfrom the garden. In this strait I bethought myself of the trees whoseboughs I had noticed from outside overhanging the wall, when we passedit earlier that night. I reminded Rupert of this, who exclaimedjoyfully--

  "Well done, cousin, I declare you have saved us now! I believe I canfind that part of the garden easily
enough, when it will be a simplematter to climb the trees and drop down on the other side of thewall."

  We set out at once, Rupert leading the way, and turning from side toside as we heard the Moors shouting after us. They now felt prettysure of our whereabouts, and began discharging their pieces where wewent, so that the balls tore the leaves off the trees all round us,but luckily without doing us any damage. We arrived at the wall, andseeing a tree suitable for our purpose, made for it, but just as wereached it one of those black rascals we had put to flight espied us.He raised the cry, and instantly we found ourselves surrounded by thewhole band, at least twenty of them rushing at us out of the dark, andall with the most murderous looks I have ever seen.

  I now gave up all for lost, and planting myself with my back againstthe tree prepared to sell my life dear. Not so Rupert, who was alreadyoff the ground, climbing like a cat up the smooth trunk. He was out ofsight among the branches directly, and in another minute would havebeen safely over the wall, when at a signal from their leader, about adozen of the Moors who had firearms discharged them all together intothe tree. I heard a groan and a sound of scrambling above, andpresently Rupert dropped, falling heavily straight on to the ground,where he lay quite still.

  When I saw what had happened, I abandoned all further thoughts ofresistance, and throwing away my weapon bade them do what they wouldwith me. Even then, so great was the awe we had struck into them, thatthey advanced slowly, narrowing their circle all round, till at lengththe foremost took courage to lay his hand on my shoulder. They thenled me away, jabbering the most horrid threats in my ear, while otherspicked up my unfortunate cousin, and carried him after, groaningmiserably.

  We were brought into a sort of guard-house, situated, as well as Icould judge, in the centre of the garden, and there kept till morning,to await the Nabob's pleasure. Poor Rupert, who had broken his leg,tossed and moaned till daybreak, but I was so much exhausted that Icould not keep awake, and fell into a sleep on the floor. In themorning, to my astonishment, I was offered some food, after which mycaptors dragged me pretty roughly into the palace. I said farewell tomy cousin, doubting greatly whether I should ever see him again.

  Surajah Dowlah, contrary to his custom, had me brought into him in hisprivate apartments, there being present besides only some of theminions and low buffoons he kept by him to amuse him. He rolled hisbloodshot eyes on me, as I was led in, looking as though he could havebit me, and played with a sharp, crooked knife which he had in hishand.

  After overwhelming me with a torrent of imprecations which I should beashamed to write down, he ordered me to tell him how I had got intohis garden. Being well assured that nothing could make my positionworse than it already was, and having some experience of the Nabob'scharacter by this time, I resolved on defying him. I thereforeanswered boldly--

  "I got into the garden by means which I have, and which I shall notdisclose. Your Highness may rest assured that you cannot keep me outof any place into which I choose to penetrate. Nevertheless Iintended no outrage on you. You hold prisoner a countrywoman of mine,whom I intended to deliver out of your hands; and let me warn yourHighness that whatever you may order to be done with me, the Englishwill never leave you in peace till you have set that woman free."

  I was scarce prepared for the effect which these words produced on theintoxicated youth. He rose half way from his seat, raging like afiend, then fell back again white and crouching, as if I had beenabout to deal him a blow, then passed into a fresh paroxysm of rage,and so from one state of mind to another in a way at once alarming andpitiful to behold.

  "Do you know in whose presence you stand, infidel?" he shrieked. "Doyou know that I am lord and Subhadar of Bengal, of Behar, and Orissa;and that I have a million men who would die at my bidding? I will haveyou torn piecemeal, I will have your eyes picked out with knives andyour flesh torn by hot pincers! I will plunge this knife into you, Iwill rip you up as I would a wild boar, I will strew your entrails onthe earth, I will give your heart to dogs to devour!"

  He went on in this terrifying manner till he was out of breath. Duringthe whole time I stood regarding him with a cool, undismayedexpression which, I believe, disconcerted him more than any words Icould have used. Then I said--

  "Surajah Dowlah, your words are the words of a boaster, who is boldonly when he sees his enemy before him disarmed. Beware of what youdo; you are walking in the dark! Do you believe the paltry handful ofEnglish whom you drove out of Calcutta count for anything in thestrength of our nation? If so, let me tell you there are men aboutyou, men who have your trust, who could teach you otherwise. You arebeing deceived if your spies have not already told you of the armamentwhich he whom you call Sabat Jung is already preparing to invade yourdominions, when every hair of an Englishman's head that you haveinjured will have to be reckoned for. And it will be well for you if,among all those who crouch before you, you find any to fight for youin that day."

  The servile crew that stood round the tyrant here began to cry out atme, and drown my voice. But I was satisfied with the impression I hadmade on the mind of their master. He listened, hanging his head, andcasting meaning glances at me, as if doubtful how far I had authorityfor what I said. Finally he ordered me to be kept under a strongguard, and I was conveyed back to the same prison I had escaped fromovernight.