"Of course, of course. It would be a rum sort of a tower that we
couldn't get to the top of, provided there are but a few holes and
crannies into which we can stick our toes and fingers. But, to my mind,
it will be as well to secure a few coils of rope, as it may be an easier
task to get up than to come down again--especially if we have got a
young lady with us."
"But if we were to be seen carrying the rope, suspicion of our intention
would be excited, and the rebels would take measures to counteract it,"
observed Reginald.
"Then we must not let them see it," answered Dick. "I would not mind
carrying a coil covered up in a piece of muslin, to look like a turban,
on the top of my head; and I dare say Mister Buxsoo and the nigger here
would do the same. And though I am pretty stout already, I would coil a
few more lengths round my waist; and if the natives were to find out by
chance what I had got about my body, they would only fancy that I was
doing a bit of penance like themselves. Keep up your heart, sir; and if
the young lady is shut up in the old tower, as you suppose, we'll
manage, by hook or by crook, to get her out."
We must now return to the temple in which Reginald and his party had
taken shelter a few nights before. The Brahmin Balkishen and his slave
were not the only occupants; and as soon as the travellers had gone,
another personage crept out of a small chamber in which he had been
hidden during the time of their stay, an interested spectator of their
proceedings. He was no other than Khan Cochut. Hearing of the rajah's
restoration to power, he was on his way back to Allahapoor with a
cunningly-devised tale, by means of which he hoped to be restored to
power. The astounding information, however, that he received from
Balkishen made him change his plans, and he resolved, at all events, to
defer his visit till a more convenient opportunity. The two worthies
were actually holding a discussion together, when they were interrupted
by the arrival of Reginald's party. Khan Cochut, though not very
scrupulous, hesitated about firing, although he might have done so from
his place of concealment, and have killed Reginald and Buxsoo, whom he
himself feared; but, on the other hand, he might have missed, and have
been caught and killed himself. Altogether, he came to the conclusion
that it would be more prudent to try and ingratiate himself with the
young rajah, till he could safely retire with the wealth he had
accumulated.
His plan had been to go boldly to the court, to assert that he had been
carried off by the orders of the rebel Mukund Bhim, and pretending to be
greatly surprised on hearing of the abduction of the ranee, to offer to
go in search of her. It was a hazardous scheme; but Khan Cochut was a
daring man, and had convinced himself that timid measures rarely meet
with success.
As soon as he had seen Reginald's party to a safe distance, he sat down
to a breakfast which Bikoo, Balkishen's slave, had prepared for him;
while the Brahmin, who would have considered himself defiled by eating
in company with his friend, sat down to a more frugal meal by himself.
After having washed his hands and said his prayers, the Brahmin rejoined
the khan,--who considered neither of such ceremonies necessary,--and the
two then discussed their plans for the future. Balkishen undertook to
follow Reginald's party, accompanied by Bikoo, and to prevent them by
every means in his power from reaching the place of Nuna's concealment,
should they by any wonderful chance discover it; while Khan Cochut came
to the final resolution of returning to Allahapoor, and carrying out his
original plan.
They were about to part, when they were startled by a loud roar, such as
had never before echoed amid the walls of the temple. The Brahmin
trembled and looked very yellow, for he could not be said to turn pale.
"It must be that abominable tigress which I thought had been killed," he
exclaimed. "No mortal beast could have escaped being dashed to pieces
from the height she fell. I always said she was a djinn; and this
convinces me of the fact."
"She must have a hard head and strong bones, at all events," observed
Khan Cochut. "For my part, I don't believe either in good or evil
spirits; and the simplest way of stopping her roaring will be to put a
bullet through her head."
"Not unless you wish to bring curses on your own head and on mine,"
exclaimed the Brahmin, becoming still more yellow.
Meanwhile the roars continued.
"The brute will attract the attention of the whole neighbourhood,"
exclaimed Khan Cochut. "As for bringing a curse on my head, I am very
ready to run that risk. Only let me get a fair shot and I will quickly
silence her."
"There must be some opening at the foot of the tower, or we should not
hear the sounds so plainly," observed the Brahmin, "I will send Bikoo to
try and find out. It would be more satisfactory to have him torn to
pieces than ourselves."
"There is wisdom in that remark," coolly observed Khan Cochut; and Bikoo
was forthwith despatched by his master to explore the place into which
the tigress had tumbled.
He went--though with no great alacrity--to obey the order he had
received, taking with him a long stick; not that it would have served
him much against the enraged tigress, but it was the only weapon he
possessed. The roars grew louder and louder as he advanced, till after
mounting a flight of steps he started back on finding himself face to
face with the tigress,--some iron bars, however, intervening. Faithful
was evidently in a furious rage. As she saw him she seized one of the
bars in her mouth, while she grasped the two next to it with her
powerful claws, working away to wrench them asunder. Bikoo attempted to
drive her back with his stick, but she utterly disregarded the blows
aimed at her, only stopping a moment to roar and snarl, her loud cries
drowning his voice as he shouted to Khan Cochut to come and shoot her--
which he might very easily have done. Already the bars were seen to
bend, the upper ends coming out of their sockets. Bikoo saw that in
another instant the tigress would be at liberty; so springing down the
steps with a very natural rapidity, fully expecting to be torn to pieces
should he not make haste, and shouting, "The tigress! The tigress is at
my heels!" he rushed into the presence of his master and Khan Cochut.
They, hearing his cries, judged that their safest course would be to
betake themselves to the upper chamber in which they had before been
concealed,--Bikoo following them without asking leave, and only wishing
that they would move somewhat faster. They had just climbed up by means
of some winding steps in the wall, when the tigress, with her mouth and
paws bloody from the exertions she had made, sprang into the courtyard
and looked around, with the apparent intention of taking vengeance on
the person who had so treacherously endeavoured to destroy her. As she
was gazing about, her eye fell on the long nose and sallow visage of
Khan Cochut, who was peering from his hiding-place through a slit in the
wall. She sprang up at him with a suddenness which made him draw back
with considerable rapidity, knocking over the grave Brahmin as he did
so, and sending him sprawling prostrate on the ground. Poor Faithful,
however, missed her aim, and fell backwards in a manner which did not at
all improve her already irritated temper. Up and down the courtyard she
rushed, looking out for an opening; and had not an iron-clamped door
stopped her she would probably have torn the whole party to pieces,
unless Khan Cochut had contrived to shoot her. Several times he poked
one of his pistols through the slit, but the Brahmin entreated him not
to fire. Whether or not Faithful suspected what he intended, she kept
at such a distance that he would, in all probability, have missed her
had he fired. At length, wearied with her exertions, she retired to the
end of the court, where she lay down in the shade, keeping her eye fixed
alternately on the slit in the wall and the door through which her enemy
had passed.
She had now completely turned the tables on them, for, as they had no
provisions, they must either die of starvation or surrender at
discretion. At length the Brahmin proposed sending Bikoo down, that,
while the tigress was tearing him to pieces, they might make their
escape. To this inhuman proposal the slave very naturally objected,
observing that the tigress must before long fall asleep, when they might
slip out, favoured by the darkness, and so make their escape,--he, as
being the most active, hoping, should the tigress awake, to get ahead of
them, and leave them to the fate his master so generously proposed for
him. Had Faithful suspected their intentions, she would probably have
allowed her captives to have made the attempt to carry them out, and
would have caught them all in succession.
As she lay in the shade, she began to meditate after her own fashion on
what had occurred; and suddenly recollecting her beloved master, she got
up and bounded towards the spot where she had last seen him. As she did
so she passed within range of Cochut's pistol. Notwithstanding the
Brahmin's prohibition, he fired. Though the ball missed her, she was
somewhat frightened by the report; and her mind being set on discovering
Reginald, she sprang through the gateway, and trotted off in the
direction her instinct told her he had taken, as she certainly did not
follow him either by sight or scent.