I dared not go to the window now, for I knew I was right; and it was
impossible for me to be aware of how much I might be watched, while a
look might be sufficient, if exchanged between me and the bheestie, to
draw suspicion to him, and cause his immediate death.
So I kept away, hoping that he would take the blow he had received,
although accidentally given, as an answer to his communication.
But suppose the wrong man received the blow?
It did not matter, I thought. One told the other, and perhaps they were
confederates.
That was enough. Help was at hand. I had but to wait; and it was
evidently not some furtive kind of help--some attempt at an escape, but
a bold attack to be made on the place, and the message was to put me on
my guard.
I was in such a state of joyous excitement that I could hardly bear
myself. I wanted to laugh aloud at Dost's cleverness. Only the other
day playing the part of fakir, and completely deceiving me, when he
stood reviling, and now so transformed that I might have passed the
humble water-carrier a hundred times without having the slightest
suspicion as to his being genuine.
"He is not a fighting man," I thought, "but quite as brave in his way;
for nothing could be more daring than for him to march into the enemy's
camp with his life in his hand like this."
Then I began to wonder how long it would be before an attack was made
upon the town, and what Ny Deen would do. It would be a surprise--of
that I felt sure; for the rajah was completely satisfied of his safety--
at least, so he seemed, and ready to treat the British power as
completely broken.
Then, feeling that I must be perfectly calm and self-contained, and
being fully convinced that there might be an attack almost at any
moment, I began to wonder whether I could find some place to hide, in
case Ny Deen wanted to make me the sharer of his flight, for I had not
the slightest doubt about the result of an engagement.
"Yes," I said; "I must be cool, and not seem bubbling over with
delight." In fact, I felt just then so elated, partly by the news,
partly by the returning health beginning to course through my veins,
that I went straight to a mirror, to see if there was anything in my
countenance likely to betray my state of mind, and, as soon as I reached
it, I stood staring. Then I turned away, and went and sat down,
thinking that mine was a very uncomfortable position; for, if any of our
troops came rushing through the palace and saw me, looking in my present
dress, exactly like some Hindu chief, my chances of escape would be very
small.
"Why, they would bayonet me before I had time to explain; the fellows
don't wait for explanations," I said dismally. And I walked at once
into my sleeping-chamber, to see if the remains of my old uniform were
by any chance left, though I was certain that they were not.
And then a feeling of anger rose against Ny Deen. "It is all his
doing," I said. "He has been trying to make me look as much like a
Hindu as possible. I wonder that he did not want me to stain my skin!"
"No need," I muttered, after a glance at the mirror. "I'm sunburnt
enough to look like a Sikh." And a feeling of bitter resentment was
growing against him now, stronger than I had felt before, knowing as I
did that in spite of his kindness, and the friendly feeling he
professed, he was moved by the strong motive of making me his most
useful follower.