THE LAST RESORT.
Marian Hildreth committed a serious mistake in not making known the
strange occurrence of the night before. Had she told of it, the
history of the succeeding few days would have been wholly changed.
But the rest remained in ignorance, and the young lady herself never
dreamed of the true explanation.
The morning brought the awful shock of the death of George Harkins.
Father, mother and daughter wept and mourned him deeply, for he had
endeared himself to all by his nobility of nature.
"We will bury him," said Dr. Avery, when all were present, excepting
Luchman, who remained at his post.
"How can that be done?" asked the missionary.
"We will carry him in there," replied Avery, pointing to the smaller
apartment, occupied by Marian and her mother the night before. "What
more fitting tomb can be given to him? It was here he fell while
defending us, and here we will make his sepulcher. In a temple
consecrated to idolatry we place the body of a Christian, which will
give a sanctity to this infernal pile of stones that they never could
have possessed otherwise."
Accordingly it was so done. The stiffened form was borne within the
smaller chamber by the missionary and the surgeon, while the ladies,
in the solemn twilight of the temple, looked on with moist eyes and
swelling hearts.
It was laid tenderly upon the stone floor, and, kneeling at the head
of the body, the missionary offered to Heaven a touching and pathetic
prayer, while the faces of the rest were bent, and their hearts
throbbed in unison with the fervent petition of the good man.
Then they came forth and closed the door, which they hoped might
remain sealed until opened by the angel's trump on the resurrection
morn.
The duty to the dead, so far as it was capable of fulfillment, had
been done, and the living were confronted by the problem of their own
safety. Luchman, when questioned, told them to eat all they wanted,
if it took the last morsel of food, since the coming night was to be
the last spent in the ruins.
The native gave no explanation, but was so positive that the others
acted upon his counsel. None was particularly hungry, though all
partook, and the portion sent out to the guide was all that was left.
There was less need of food than of water. Only a little was drank
by each, but it drained the lota, and their thirst was aggravated
rather than satisfied.
Another long, hot, seemingly endless day broke upon them. The
flaming sun rose once more in the brassy sky, its rays glowing with a
fervor that made all nature gasp and pant.
Looking out from their refuge, the Ghoojurs were seen in the
distance, beyond rifle shot, but still vigilant Luchman went out of
the temple and climbed to the most elevated portion of the ruins, so
as to gain the best view. He spent some time among the limbs of the
twisted trees, and carefully scrutinized every part of the landscape.
On the one hand was the grove, and beyond that the jungle. In the
shade of the former, Wana Affghar and most of his ruffians were
waiting, while in the opposite direction, and distant only a couple
of hundred yards, was the gleam of a broad but muddy stream. Trees
were growing on its banks, and the current was seen only at intervals
through the interstices of the vegetation.
Had any one watched the brown countenance of the native he would have
noted that his gaze was fixed for a long time in the direction of the
stream. It was apparent that he felt that if any possible hope
remained to the fugitives it was there. The river was more friendly
than the jungle.
Such had been the belief of the guide during the preceding evening,
and he had made an effort, unknown to Avery, to extend his
reconnaissance to the water, but the Ghoojurs were there, as he
feared. They could not have failed to note how tempting it would be
to the fugitives, and they took care to guard it well.
No doubt they were still doing so, crouching among the tall grass
along the bank, and at the base of the overhanging trees, their black
eyes turned eagerly in the direction of the ruined temple, anxious
that the hated Feringhees should venture within their reach.
Luchman was convinced of another fact: if Wana Affghar had received
any re-enforcements, they did not number more than one half his
original force.
This was strange, since it would seem to have been impossible to
prevent the spreading of the news that a party of Europeans were shut
up in the old temple, thus bringing a continually increasing swarm to
the spot; but in some way or other, as Luchman believed, the brigand
chieftain had kept his secret, and the situation was the same now as
at the beginning.
Across the dark countenance passed an expression that told of bitter
hopelessness and desperation, as he slowly made his way down from his
perch and joined his friends below.
Under heaven their hopes were centered upon him. He was the
instrument that had brought them safely through many perils to this
point, and he alone was to lead them to safety, if such an
achievement was within the reach of human attainment.
The entire company gathered in the arched way, for after a night
spent in the close apartments they longed for the fresher air, which
could be secured only by running some risk from the stealthy shots of
their enemies, who might choose to expose their own lives in the
attempt to reach the Feringhees.
The refugees hoped, since the rainy season was not far off, that some
disturbance of the elements would bring a cloudy night, or one in
which the moon would be hidden to such an extent that it would give
some faint chance of success with their desperate venture.
A slight vapor in the west raised expectations, but it proved similar
to that which sometimes hovers over the burning wastes of the Sahara.
As the heat of the day intensified, it became thinner, and finally
vanished.
Late in the afternoon all were thrown into alarm by the appearance of
Wana Affghar to make a charge upon the temple. He galloped out at
full speed from the edge of the grove, followed by his horde of
ruffians, and rushed directly for the entrance way.
Mr. Hildreth and Dr. Avery cocked their guns, and awaited the moment
when their aim would be sure. Luchman placed his hand upon his
pistol, and stood like a bronze statue, his eyes fixed upon the
advancing brigands. The ladies withdrew beyond the reach of any
flying bullets.
But the demonstration amounted to nothing. When the leader had
brought his men to a certain point, their courage failed them, or the
chieftain changed his mind.
They stopped, talked violently for a few moments, and then melted
like the cloud in the western sky. They did not stay where they
were, but fell back until in the shelter of the trees again.
"A lame and impotent conclusion," remarked the surgeon, with a
scornful laugh; "their courage melted like snow in the sun."
Luchman believed that most of the Ghoojurs took part in the idle
display, though no doubt the guard remained by the river, so as to
meet any flight of the fugitives in that direction.
The result was accepted as evidence that the enemy would not make any
attack at all. Why should they do so, when they had but to wait a
brief while longer, and avoid all personal danger?
Meanwhile, the retreat of the ladies to the interior did not prove as
safe as was expected.
Naturally they paused near the door leading out from the arched
passage, watching and listening with anxious hearts. A slight noise
caused Marian to turn her head, when she saw the muzzle of a gun
pushed through one of the circular openings that admitted light into
the place. She and her parent stood in direct range. Catching the
arm of her mother, she drew her toward the frightful weapon. The two
were thus placed below its range, since the musket could not be
depressed enough to reach them.
The barrel was cautiously advanced until nearly its whole length was
visible. Had the ladies remained by the door, they would have seen
the murderous face of a fierce Ghoojur, as he wrinkled his brow in
the effort to pierce the twilight within.
He was still glaring like a beast of prey, when the sharp crack of a
pistol rang through the apartment, and with a rasping scream the
Ghoojur went over backward, his skull bored by a bullet from the
pistol of Luchman the guide.
The latter caught a faint sound just as the party retreated from the
front, and, suspecting something of the kind, he ran back just in
time to perforate the Asiatic, who had shoved his gun so far into the
interior that it dropped from his nerveless grasp as he went over
backward, and fell with a ringing sound upon the flinty floor below.
"God has sent us another weapon," was the cool remark of Luchman, who
strode across the apartment, picked up the gun, and walked outside
without another word.
When a quarter of an hour passed and brought no news from the front,
the ladies timidly ventured out again.
"All danger is ended for the present," said Mr. Hildreth; "they got
ready to charge, but changed their mind."
"Are they not likely to change it again?" asked his wife.
"Not to the extent of opening battle with us: why should they do so,
when they can attain the same end without the least risk to
themselves?"
At this moment Luchman straightened up, and, compressing his thin
lips, said,
"It is in vain, sahibs; it is death for us to stay here longer; the
lives of you all are worth more than the Star of India."
"The life of any one of us is worth more than that."
"Then, sahib, I shall go out and meet Wana Affghar face to face, and
offer to give him the diamond, if he will let us go."
"When will you do that?" asked the astonished Avery.
"Now, sahib; let all gather around me where we are not so close to
the entrance, and I will make known my plan."
The party quickly grouped themselves near Luchman, who made known his
extraordinary scheme.