As I saw the two attendants waiting there, and by the light of a lamp
caught sight of a glittering uniform wonderfully like my ideas as given
to the rajah in conversation, I felt as if I must retreat and go back to
the other tent and announce my determination, but I had several thoughts
to combat now--shame and inclination among others, for I felt as if I
could go back to the rajah and argue with him again; and I tried to
convince myself that wearing the clothes spread out before me need make
no difference. I should no doubt be armed, and that would help me in my
escape; besides, he had promised me that I should go with him only as a
friend.
To sum up, I was compelled to own that resistance was out of the
question, and I had better appear before these people dressed in a way
worthy of a British officer than reduced to the slight, well-worn shirt
and trousers I had persisted in wearing all through my sojourn in the
tent.
"It's of no use," I muttered; "and I must make a virtue of necessity."
As I said this, I turned to Salaman, who eagerly began to hand me the
various articles of attire; and in spite of my determination to be calm
and stoical, I could not help feeling a glow of satisfaction as my eyes
lit upon Russia leather boots, with gold spurs, a handsomely braided and
corded tunic, helmet with handsome plume and puggaree of glittering
gold-embroidered muslin wound lightly round, after the fashion of a
slight turban.
And as I put on article after article, I began to marvel at the accuracy
of the fit until I felt that the rajah must have given instructions for
the clothes to be made exactly like the cut and torn uniform I had worn
when I was made prisoner.
I could not help it, for I was still a boy, and one of the youngest
officers in the Company's service: a warm glow of satisfaction ran
through me. I forgot the pain in my arm as I passed it through the
sleeve of the loose tunic, and buttoned it across my breast, which
seemed to swell as I drew myself up, feeling as if, in spite of the
Eastern cut of my uniform, I was an English officer once more.
I had turned to the second man, who was holding my gauntlet gloves and
helmet, when Salaman produced something I had not before seen, and I
flushed a little more with pleasure, for it was a magnificent
cartouch-box and cross-belt, which I felt must have belonged to the
rajah; and while I was hesitating about passing the belt over my head,
Salaman forestalled me, and then drew back as if to admire me. Then,
looking at me with a peculiar smile, he passed his hands behind a
purdah, and produced the gorgeously jewelled tulwar and sheath which the
rajah had offered me before.
I shrank from it, for it seemed like a bond to link me to the rajah's
service, but Salaman fastened the magnificent belt, and, for the life of
me, I could not refrain from drawing the flashing blade from its sheath,
and holding it quivering in my trembling hand, from which it sent a
thrill right to my heart.
"If it is a bond between us forced upon me," I thought, "this can cut us
apart;" and at this I thrust it back into its sheath, allowed Salaman to
alter the buckle a little, and then took the helmet and gloves, putting
both on, and involuntarily turning to see if there was a looking-glass.
Vanity? Well, perhaps so; but what lad of my years would not have done
the same?
But there was no glass. I had to be contented by seeing myself in
imagination with my attendants' eyes as they drew back and gazed at me
as proudly as if my appearance was entirely their work.
"Ah!" exclaimed Salaman. "Now my lord looks indeed my lord. Who could
call him sahib when he is like that?"
I winced at the man's flattery, and yet it was hardly that, and I
laughed to myself as I felt that it was the clothes they were admiring
and not the wearer.
"If the holy man could see my lord now," said Salaman, in a whisper,
lest his words should be heard in the next tent, "he would not dare to
curse again."
These words made me wince once more; and in imagination I saw poor Dost
in his ragged fakir's garb staring at me wildly in disappointment
because I was going away. Worse still, that busy imagination called up
the face of Brace, pointing scornfully at my gay unspecked attire, and
asking me whether it would not have been more honourable to have clung
to the torn and stained uniform which was mine by right.
But these musings were cut short by Salaman and his assistant drawing
back the curtains over the tent door and admitting a flood of light,
which half startled me, and I turned to Salaman, asking if one of the
tents was blazing.
"No, my lord; it is the light of the torches the men carry."
The next minute I entered the other tent, determined to carry myself
erect, and to be firm in spite of my ambiguous position; and before I
had taken a couple of steps forward in the well-lit scene of our last
conversation, the rajah rose quickly, scanned me from top to toe, and
then his eyes flashed with satisfaction as he strode to meet me with
extended hands.
"Hah!" he ejaculated; "my people will be proud of their lord's friend."
I was silent as I stood there, proud and pleased, and yet full of mental
pain, while he scanned me once more, and ended by buckling on his own
sword, placing his helmet upon his head, and offering me his hand as the
curtains were thrown back, and he led me forth into a blaze of light,
spread by at least a couple of hundred torches, which flashed from the
weapons of horse and foot, and poured on the gorgeous housings of the
three elephants, two of which stood near bearing the occupants of their
howdahs, while behind was the dense shadowy leafage of the trees,
throwing up the wonderful scene with its vivid play of colour, and then
looking black as night beneath the boughs.
A wild shout greeted us as we advanced slowly; and then, at a sign, the
huge elephant was led forward to go down upon its knees before its
master, who led me to its side.
"Go first, Gil," he said.
"No," I replied quietly; and I drew back for him to lead the way.
Another wild shout broke forth at this, and I saw that the rajah looked
pleased as he stepped lightly up; and as soon as he was in the howdah,
bent down and held out his hand.
"Don't forget your wound," he said, and I was glad to grasp his hand as
I mounted, and the next minute I was by his side.
Then for the moment, as I felt the huge elephant heave itself up, it was
like starting upon a tiger-hunt, but the likeness ceased directly, as,
preceded by about fifty horsemen, and a score of torch-bearers in their
front, and another score between the advance-guard and our elephant's
head, we moved out of the opening, the other two elephants following,
with torch-bearers on either side, and the rest of the horsemen of the
great escort taking their places as the glittering procession wound
among the trees, and then meandered toward the plain which I had so
often sadly watched, longing for strength and liberty.
The rajah was very silent for a time, and it struck me that he was
leaving me to my own thoughts, so that I might be impressed by the
martial spectacle, as I looked back from time to time at the wild
barbaric pageant, with the torches in a long train, lighting up the dark
faces of the rajah's followers, flashing from their arms, and sending
back a ruddy cloud of smoke which formed like a canopy above our heads.
It was impossible to keep down a feeling of proud exultation, and I
could not for the time being think of anything else but the night march
across what spread out like an endless plain, while the stars above us
spangled what looked like a vast dome of purple black.
I was used to the motion of an elephant, and, after my long inaction,
enjoyed the swaying of the howdah as the monster of his kind shuffled
along at a great rate, keeping the footmen at a sharp run, and the
horses at a gentle trot; and, as I listened to the jingle of the
accoutrements, I could not help wishing that I had been mounted on my
Arab, gripping the saddle between my knees, instead of being seated
there.
About this I asked myself what I should have done.
The only answer that would come was: clap my spurs to his sides, and
make him fly over the plain; and in imagination I saw myself tearing
over the wide space, pursued by a cloud of sowars and mounted chiefs.
And then I sighed, for I knew that escape would have been impossible,
and also that I was too weak even then to sit a horse for long.
"Tired, Gil?" said the rajah, as he heard my sigh.
"Yes," I said; "I suppose so. It is an exciting time, after being a
prisoner so long."
"Hardly a prisoner," he said, with a little laugh. "Only a wounded
man."
"Have we very far to go?" I asked.
"We shall be nearly two hours yet, but the people expect us; and after
we have passed through the forest that lies right before us, you will be
able to see the lights of the city. We are rather late."
There was another silence, broken at last by another inquiry from the
rajah as to my being weary.
"Shall I make them walk?" he said, showing his sympathy and
consideration.
"Oh no," I said in protest. "I am not so weary as that."
I forced myself to talk to him, and he seemed pleased, conversing
eagerly, sometimes in excellent English, and at others in Hindustani,
and so the time passed on, till I found by the darkness and the blotting
out of the stars that we were going along a forest path.
The ride had seemed peculiar before, now it was far more strange, from
peculiar shadows cast upon the tree trunks, and the various effects of
light and shade as the smoky torches played about us, and formed a long
line of light both in front and rear.
At last the excitement of the evening and the unwonted exercise in my
weak state began to tell, and I was very silent. The journey had now
lost its interest, the motion of the elephant became almost intolerable,
and I was beginning to feel that I would give anything to go to my couch
in the tent and lie down and sleep, when, just as I noticed that the
stars were out again overhead, the rajah suddenly exclaimed--
"There is your future home, Gil;" and, as I followed the direction of
his pointing hand, I saw a light glow in the distance as of a fire, out
of which a flash suddenly rose, and then ended in a burst of stars, the
tiny sparks showing that they were at a considerable distance yet.
"Signs of rejoicing," he said to me, with a smile.