He crossed at once to my couch, and stood looking down at me, his
handsome, thoughtful face, with its dark eyes, being wonderfully
familiar, as he bent over me; and as he gazed, a smile crossed his lips,
and there was a look of sympathy in his countenance which was
unmistakable.
But there was no smile on mine, for as I met his eyes I saw in him, in
spite of his gallant bearing and gorgeous dress, the bloodthirsty
traitor and schemer who had risen against us and headed the mad savages
who had cut down my brother-officers and friends. He was the man, too,
who held me prisoner, and my resentment was growing when, in an
indistinct dreamy way, the scene in the desperate charge came back, and
those moments when, half-stunned by the bullet which had struck my
helmet, and of which I was not conscious then, I had been galloping away
surrounded by sowars, one of whom was about to cut me down, giving me a
second blow sufficient to destroy the little life left in me. And I saw
it clearly now; it was this man who bent over me--this chief, all
gorgeous in gold and gems, whose arm had been stretched out to save me,
and had undoubtedly brought me where I was, and had me carefully tended
back to life.
And with these thoughts filling my mind, I lay looking up at him angry,
and yet grateful, wondering, too, at the change from the slightly
clothed syce whom I had so often seen ill-used by his master, Barton;
and as he watched me, I shuddered slightly, for I seemed to know that he
had taken deadly vengeance upon my brother-officer in return for months
of harsh treatment, insult, and wrong.
We neither of us spoke, he evidently contenting himself with watching
me, and enjoying the surprise I felt at recognising him as the disguised
chief--the groom no longer, but as the powerful leader of a large native
force; I, in my weak state, fascinated by his peculiar smiling eyes,
that were one moment haughty and fierce and full of triumph, the next
beaming with friendliness.
At last he bent down on one knee, and as he did so his magnificently
jewelled tulwar fell forward naturally enough from the point of the
scabbard touching the carpet right between us, and he started as if the
sword between us had come as a strange portent to show that we were
enemies, always to be kept apart by the deadly blade.
I saw that he changed colour and hesitated, influenced by his
superstitious eastern nature and education; but the next moment he
laughed contemptuously, and unbuckled his jewelled belt, and threw it
and the sword two or three yards away, before going down on one knee by
my pillow, laying his hand upon my head and gazing intently in my eyes.
"Hah!" he ejaculated, speaking for the first time, and in excellent
English. "You are getting well fast now. You are weak, but you will
live and soon be well. I thought once you would die. You know me?" he
added, with a smile.
I spoke now for the first time, and my voice sounded feeble, I felt,
compared to his.
"Yes, I know you again, Ny Deen."