Harry Lindsay's duties were little more than nominal. The reports
sent in to him, by those in charge of the royal preserves, could
scarcely be considered as satisfactory; as they stated that, owing
to the fact that for years there had been no hunting there, the
tigers had greatly increased in number, and had thinned down the
stags and, indeed, in some cases had so destroyed other game that
they were driven to escape from the enclosures, and to ravage the
villages. But beyond receiving these reports, and riding over
occasionally to the preserves, Harry had little to do save to take
part in any court ceremonies and, when called upon to do so, to
accompany the Peishwa in his walks in the palace garden. He
therefore determined to learn to read and write in Mahratta and,
for two or three hours a day, a man of the weynsh, or mercantile
class, came in to teach him. So careful was Nana Furnuwees, in
preventing Scindia's adherents from approaching the prince, that
Harry had nothing whatever to report on this head.
One day, when Mahdoo Rao, who had taken a great liking to him, was
walking in the garden, chatting familiarly to him of his life in
the country, and his adventures with tigers and other wild beasts,
he said:
"Have you seen my cousin, Bajee Rao?"
"No, Your Highness, I have never seen him."
"You have heard of him, of course, and nothing but good."
"That is so, Prince. It seems that, both in sports and learning, he
is wonderfully well instructed."
"I should like to see him," the prince said. "I admire what I have
heard of him, greatly, and it is hard that he should be shut up in
prison; and yet he is scarcely more a prisoner than I am."
Harry was struck with dismay.
"But Your Highness is in no way a prisoner!"
"I am not shut up in a fortress," the young prince said, "but I am
no more my own master than Bajee Rao is. Nana Furnuwees treats me
as if I were a child. He is, I know, devoted to me; but that makes
it no more pleasant. I can go where I like, but it is always with
my retinue. I cannot choose my own friends."
"Your Highness will forgive me, if I say that it is for your own
safety, and for the peace of the country that your minister watches
over you so jealously; and doubtless he thinks that, having been
the chief adviser to your family, for so many years, having guarded
it so successfully from those who would have lessened your
authority, for the present it is of the greatest importance that he
should continue to guide the state."
"I am, at least, very glad that he allows me a companion of my own
age, to whom I can talk freely."
"On all subjects, Your Highness, excepting state matters. Nana
presented me because I was ignorant of the court, and knew nothing
whatever of intrigues, and was not likely to take any part in them.
Therefore, Your Highness, I pray you but to speak upon ordinary
matters; be assured I am your devoted servant, but the courtiers
would grow suspicious, were you to talk of state matters with me.
These things speedily become known, and I should fall under Nana's
displeasure."
"Perhaps you are right," the Peishwa admitted, in a tone of
melancholy. "No doubt, whatever passes in this house is known to my
minister; and indeed, it is his duty to make himself so acquainted.
Still, I feel it hard that I should not have one friend to whom I
can speak."
"The time will come, Prince, when you will be able to do so and,
doubtless, there will be at hand those who will dare to have your
confidence."
The prince was silent but, after this, he abstained from any
remarks to Harry concerning the state. He had, indeed, for some
time been in correspondence with Bajee Rao, who had gained the
confidence of one of those appointed to look after him and, though
there was nothing save expressions of friendship on the part of
both princes, Nana was furious when he found out, from his spies,
what was going on.
The news came as a shock to the minister. Nana had been the
greatest enemy of the house of Rugoba; and the discovery of this
correspondence, and the friendship between the two young men, so
threatened his authority that, after ordering that Bajee Rao and
his brothers should be more strictly confined than before, he
visited the Peishwa and upbraided him bitterly for having entered
upon a friendship with the head of a party which had harassed his
family, and had brought innumerable troubles on the state. Then he
sent a message to Harry, bidding him to come, at once.
"How is it, Puntojee," he said sternly, "that you have altogether
failed to justify the faith I put in you, and have already assisted
Mahdoo Rao to enter into relations with my enemy, Bajee Rao?"
Harry was thunderstruck at this sudden attack.
"My lord, you must have been misinformed. I know nothing of any
such correspondence and, if it really went on, I think the Peishwa
would have taken me into his confidence."
"Do you mean to say that Mahdoo has not spoken to you about his
cousin?"
"No, sir, I do not say so for, some four months ago, he spoke in
terms of admiration for Bajee Rao; but he did not pursue the
subject, and never afterwards alluded to it."
The minister looked at him fixedly.
"I believe you," he said. "You do not look like a double-faced man,
but as one who would tell the truth, whatever were the consequences.
Moreover, I felt that if you had known of Mahdoo Rao's intentions,
and had not reported them to me, you would, on receiving my message,
have endeavoured to make your escape. I have of course enquired, and
found that you spent your afternoon, as usual, with your scribe; and
that you afterwards rode out to Sufder's camp, and there talked for
half an hour, sitting outside the tent and conversing on ordinary
matters; and then you returned here to the palace. These proceedings
go far to assure me that you were ignorant of the discovery that had
been made, that a correspondence had been going on between Mahdoo and
Bajee. Still, I thought you might have known of the correspondence,
though not of the discovery; but now I am quite convinced that you
were altogether ignorant of what was going on."
The scene with Nana, and the knowledge that he had brought upon his
cousins even stricter confinement than before, acted most painfully
upon the mind of the young Peishwa, already embittered by the
restraint in which he was being held. He now shut himself up in his
room, and absolutely refused to leave it. His absence from the
durbars was put down to illness. Nana paid no great attention to
him, believing that the young prince would speedily recover
himself.
This, however, was not the case, for settled melancholy took
possession of him. On the 22nd of October he appeared at the
Duddera, a high ceremonial, went among his troops and, in the
evening, received his chiefs and the representatives from the great
rajahs but, three days later, he threw himself from a terrace in
front of his palace, broke two of his limbs, and so seriously
injured himself that he died, two days afterwards; having, almost
in his last breath, expressed to Nana his strong desire that Bajee
Rao should succeed him on the musnud.
The consternation of the minister was unbounded. It seemed that, by
this sudden and unexpected blow, the whole of his plans were
overthrown; and that not only his position, but his very life, was
in danger.
He sent for Harry, two hours after the Peishwa's death.
"Answer me frankly," he said. "Can I depend upon you, absolutely?
And have you had no communication of any kind from my enemies?"
"You can depend upon me, my lord. Everyone knows that you have
saved the state, a score of times; and will, I doubt not, do the
same again."
"I have the will," the minister said, gravely, "but whether I have
the power is another thing. I sent off a messenger to the general,
Purseram Bhow, bidding him gather as many troops as possible and
march hither; and I shall send letters to the Rajah of Nagpore, and
Scindia. Holkar, being in Poona, I have already seen and, as he has
always supported me against Rugoba, he is as anxious as I am as to
the succession.
"I shall now send you with a duplicate letter to Purseram Bhow for,
since the terrible accident to Mahdoo Rao, whom I loved dearly for
his amiable character, it is probable that the adherents of Bajee
Rao have been active; and that my every movement is watched, and
attempts may be made to stop any messengers that I may send out.
Take Sufder's troop with you. If you are stopped, fight your way
through, whatever their force. It is a matter of supreme importance
that this letter should reach the general."
"It shall reach him, my lord," Harry said, as he took it; "in five
minutes I shall be on my way."
Going to his room he changed his attire, mounted his horse, and
rode to Sufder's camp. The men were all ready, as Nana had sent an
order to Sufder to prepare instantly for a journey.
"So it is you, Puntojee!" the captain said, as he rode up; "the
orderly did not tell me whom I was to escort, nor our destination.
In which direction do we ride?"
"I am bearer of a letter to Purseram Bhow."
"Then I know the direction;" and, giving orders to his men, he rode
off at once by the side of Harry.
"This is a terrible business, Puntojee."
"I am greatly grieved, indeed, for no one could have been kinder to
me than Mahdoo Rao."
"Yes, yes," Sufder said; "that is all very well, but the serious
side of the matter is that, just as everything seemed settled, we
may be entering upon another civil war, more terrible than the
last. Of course, I am sorry for the young Peishwa; but I doubt
whether he was in any way fit to rule over the Mahrattas. Kindness
of heart goes for nothing with a people like ours; split up into
many factions, led by many chiefs, and ever ready for war. It needs
a strong, as well as an able man to hold in check all the parties
in the state.
"Scindia was the sort of man to rule us. He was strong in every
way, was troubled with no scruples, would strike down without mercy
any who opposed him. He took great care of his troops, and they
were always ready to follow him. That is the man we want on the
musnud; not a young prince, of whom we can only say that he was
kindly.
"And why did Nana choose you?"
"I am a second string to his bow. He sent off a messenger as soon
as he heard of Mahdoo Rao's accident but, fearing he might be
intercepted on the way, he has chosen me as being a person no one
would be likely to suspect of being his messenger, on so important
a matter."
"It is important, indeed, Puntojee. There is no saying what may be
the result of the Peishwa's death. There is no doubt that Scindia
and Holkar will, for once, be in complete accord with Nana
Furnuwees, and will combine in any plan to keep Rugoba's son from
succeeding; still, there are many of the friends of Rugoba who will
be ready to declare for his son and, moreover, there are the
stories that have been so widely circulated as to Bajee's personal
appearance, and his many accomplishments--these will gain for him a
great number of partisans."
The journey was performed without interruption. At one time, a body
of some fifty horsemen made their appearance on rising ground near
the road, but drew off when they saw how strong was the party and,
after a ride of sixty miles, they arrived at Purseram Bhow's camp.
Harry dismounted in front of the general's tent and, entering,
handed him the letter.
"What is your news?" the latter asked, before opening it.
"There is none, General, beyond what the letter, sent to you three
hours before I left, will have prepared you to hear. I only bear a
copy of that letter, in case the first should not have reached
you."
"It is well that the precaution was taken for, in truth, the
messenger has not arrived."
"It is possible that he may have been murdered on the way, sir; for
we saw a party of fifty horsemen on the road, whose intentions
seemed to be hostile, but as I had Sufder's troop of a hundred men
with me, they drew off."
"But what is the news, then, that is so important that steps are
taken to stop messengers that bear it?"
Harry related what had taken place, the old officer giving many
ejaculations of regret, and horror, at the news of Mahdoo Rao's
death.
"'Tis a terrible misfortune, indeed," he said, "and is like to
throw the whole country into disorder again."
He opened the despatch now, and glanced through it. He called some
of his officers, who were gathered near the tent, and ordered them
to cause the trumpets to be sounded for all the troops to be in
readiness to march, at once; leaving only a small body of infantry
to pack up the tents, and follow at a more leisurely pace with the
baggage.
An hour later two regiments of cavalry started, infantry men being
taken up behind the troopers and, late the next day, they arrived
at Poona. Scindia and the Rajah of Berar had also been sent for, in
haste and, as soon as they arrived, a council was held as to the
choice that should be made of a successor.
All were opposed to the selection of Bajee Rao; for he would have
been brought up by his mother, with the deepest enmity towards
those who had successfully combined against his father. It was
therefore proposed that the widow of Mahdoo Rao should adopt a son,
in whose name the government should be carried on.
It was not until two months had been spent in negotiations that the
matter was finally settled. One of Scindia's ministers, named
Balloba, alone opposed the course decided upon; and Bajee Rao
opened communications with him, and succeeded in winning him over
to his cause. Having done this he addressed Scindia; offering him a
very large addition to his territory, and payment of all his
expenses, if he would assist him to gain his rightful position. As
Balloba had great influence over the young Scindia, the offer was
accepted.
The arrangement was made so secretly that Nana Furnuwees had
received no intimation, whatever, of what was going on, until the
agreement had been concluded. Purseram Bhow was again summoned to
Poona and, with his usual energy, made a march of one hundred and
twenty miles in forty-eight hours.
The position was a difficult one, indeed. At one blow, the plans
that had been so carefully laid by Nana were shattered. Scindia,
who had but a month or two before formed one of the confederacy,
had now gone round to the side of Bajee Rao, who regarded the
minister as his greatest enemy. Holkar was not to be depended upon
and, in Poona, there were many adherents of the son of Rugoba. The
council held by Nana, Purseram, and two or three other great
officers was long and, at times, stormy; but it was finally agreed
that the sole way out of the perilous position, caused by Scindia's
desertion, was to anticipate him and to release Bajee Rao, and
declare him Peishwa.
Purseram started, at once, to the fort where the brothers were
confined. Harry, who was now deeply interested in the course of
events, was one of Nana's officers who accompanied Purseram. On
hearing the general's errand, the officer in command of the fort at
once sent for Bajee, his brother Chimnajee, and Amrud--who was the
adopted son of Rugoba, and who stood on an equal footing with
regard to the succession. Bajee Rao listened calmly to the
proposals made to him in Nana's name, asked several questions, and
demanded guarantees; but was evidently disposed to accept the
proposals, if assured that they were made in good faith.
Amrud strongly urged him to decline the offer; but Bajee, upon
Purseram taking the most solemn oath known to the Hindoos, in proof
of his sincerity, accepted the offer and, with his brother
Chimnajee, rode with Purseram to Poona; Amrud being left behind in
the fort, as Purseram considered that he would continue to exercise
his influence over Bajee in a direction hostile to Nana's interest.
As soon as the party arrived at the capital, an interview took
place between Bajee and Nana when, in the presence of many of the
great officers, both swore to forget all enmities and injuries, and
Bajee promised to retain Nana at the head of his administration.
That same evening, the minister sent for Harry.
"Puntojee," he said, "I have a commission for you. I know that you
are loyal to me, and that I can depend upon you. I wish you to go
at once to Scindia's camp, which is now on the bank of the
Godavery, and ascertain how he takes the news. Doubtless Balloba,
his prime minister, will be furious at finding that, instead of
Bajee becoming a mere creature of Scindia's, I have placed him on
the musnud, and retain my place as his chief minister. I can employ
you for this business better than most others, for the greater part
of my officers are personally known to those of Scindia, while you
have scarce been seen by them. I have also a high idea of your
shrewdness; and I have no doubt that you will, in some way, be able
to gain the information that I require--indeed, it will probably be
the public talk of the camp. If you should find an opportunity of
entering into negotiations, with any influential person in
Scindia's court, I authorize you to do so in my name; and to agree
to any reasonable demands that he may make, either for a payment in
money or in estates. Scindia's character is wholly unformed and,
though today he may be guided by Balloba, tomorrow he may lean on
someone else.
"You can go in any guise you think fit, either as a trooper or as a
camp follower. In either case, you had better take Sufder and
twenty men with you; and leave them in concealment within a few
miles of the camp so that, in case of necessity, you can join them;
and his men can act as messengers, and bring your reports to me."
As it was now a year since Harry had first gone to Poona, and he
had during that time worked diligently, he could now both read and
write the Mahratta language, and was thus able to send in written
reports; instead of being obliged to rely upon oral messages, which
might be misdelivered by those who carried them, or possibly
reported to others instead of to the minister; whereas reading and
writing were known to but few of the Mahrattas, outside the Brahmin
class.
Sufder expressed himself much pleased, when he heard that he was to
accompany Harry.
"I am sick of this life of inactivity," he said. "Why, we have had
no fighting for the past five years; and we shall forget how to use
our arms, unless there is something doing. I would willingly
accompany you into Scindia's camp, but I am far too well known
there to hope to escape observation. However, I will pick out
twenty of my best men so that, if there should be a skirmish, we
shall be able to hold our own. Of course, I shall choose men who
have good horses, for we may have to ride for it."
Harry himself was very well mounted, for Mahdoo Rao had given him
two excellent horses; and as he had, when out with Sufder's troop,
tried them against the best of those of the sowars, he felt sure
that he could trust to them, in case of having to ride for his
life. The trooper who looked after them had become much attached to
him, and he determined to take him with him into Scindia's camp,
one of Sufder's other men looking after the horses.
After a consultation with Sufder, he decided on adopting the
costume of a petty trader or pedlar carrying garments, scarfs, and
other articles used by soldiers. Of these he laid in a store and,
three hours after his interview with Nana, started with his escort;
the trooper leading his spare horse, on which his packs were
fastened, and his own man riding a country pony. The distance to
Scindia's camp was under a hundred miles, and they took three days
in accomplishing it. It was important that the horses should not be
knocked up, as their lives might depend upon their speed.
When within ten miles of their destination, they halted in a grove
near the Moola river. Here Harry changed his clothes, and assumed
those of a small merchant. Then he mounted the pony; a portion of
the packs was fastened behind him, and the rest carried by his
servant.
Scindia's camp lay around Toka, a town on the Godavery at the foot
of a range of hills. On arriving there he went to the field bazaar,
where a large number of booths, occupied by traders and country
peasants, were erected. The former principally sold arms, saddlery,
and garments; the latter, the produce of their own villages.
Choosing an unoccupied piece of ground, Harry erected a little
shelter tent; composed of a dark blanket thrown over a ridge pole,
supported by two others, giving a height of some four feet, in the
centre. The pony was picketed just behind this. In front of it a
portion of the wares was spread out, and Harry began the usual loud
exhortations, to passers by, to inspect them.
Having thus established himself, he left Wasil in charge,
explaining to him the prices that he was to ask for each of the
articles sold, and then started on a tour through the camp. Here
and there pausing to listen to the soldiers, he picked up scraps of
news; and learned that there was a general expectation that the
army would march, in a day or two, towards Poona--it being rumoured
that Scindia and his minister, Balloba, had been outwitted by Nana
Furnuwees; and that Balloba had made no secret of his anger, but
vowed vengeance against the man who had overthrown plans which, it
had been surely believed, would have resulted in Scindia's
obtaining supreme control over the Deccan.
Returning to his little tent, he wrote a letter to Nana, telling
him what he had gathered, and giving approximately the strength of
Scindia's force; adding that, from what he heard, the whole were
animated with the desire to avenge what they considered an insult
to their prince. This note he gave to Wasil, who at once started on
foot to join Sufder; who would forward it, by four troopers, to
Poona.
The next morning he returned and, after purchasing provisions from
the countrymen, and lighting a fire for cooking them, he assisted
Harry at his stall. The latter was standing up, exhibiting a
garment to a soldier, who was haggling with him over the price,
when a party of officers rode by. At their head was one whose dress
showed him to be a person of importance; and whom Harry at once
recognized as Balloba, having often noticed him during the
negotiations at Poona. As his eye fell upon Harry he checked his
horse for a moment, and beckoned to him to come to him.
"Come here, weynsh," he said, using the term generally applied to
the commercial caste.
[Illustration: Harry went up to him, and salaamed.]
Harry went up to him, and salaamed.
"How comes it," the minister asked, "that so fine a young fellow as
you are is content to be peddling goods through the country, when
so well fitted by nature for better things? You should be a
soldier, and a good one. For so young a man, I have never seen a
greater promise of strength.
"It seems to me that your face is not unknown to me. Where do you
come from?"
"From Jooneer, your excellency, where my people are cultivators
but, having no liking for that life, I learned the trade of a
shopkeeper, and obtained permission to travel to your camp, and to
try my fortune in disposing of some of my master's goods."
As Jooneer was but some sixty miles from Toka, the explanation was
natural enough and, as the former town lay near to the main road
from Scindia's dominions in Candeish, it afforded an explanation of
Balloba's partial recognition of his face.
"And as a merchant, you can read and write, I suppose?" the latter
went on.
"Yes, your highness, sufficiently well for my business."
"Well, think it over. You can scarcely find your present life more
suitable to your taste than that of a cultivator, and the army is
the proper place for a young fellow with spirit, and with strength
and muscles such as you have. If you like to enlist in my own
bodyguard, and your conduct be good, I will see that you have such
promotion as you deserve."
"Your excellency is kind, indeed," Harry said, humbly. "Before I
accept your kind offer, will you permit me to return to Jooneer to
account for my sales to my employer, and to obtain permission of my
father to accept your offer; which would indeed be greatly more to
my taste than the selling of goods."
"It is well," Balloba said, and then broke off:
"Ah! I know now why I remember your face. 'Tis the lightness of
your eyes, which are of a colour rarely seen; but somehow or other,
it appears to me that it was not at Jooneer, but at Poona, that I
noticed your face."
"I was at Poona, with my master, when your highness was there,"
Harry said.
"That accounts for it."
The minister touched his horse's flanks with his heel and rode on,
with a thoughtful look on his face. Harry at once joined Wasil.
"Quick, Wasil! There is no time to be lost. Throw the saddle on to
the pony, and make your way out of the camp, at once. Pitch all the
other things into the tent, and close it. If you leave them here,
it will seem strange. Balloba has seen me at Poona, and it is
likely enough that, as he thinks it over, he will remember that it
was in a dress altogether different from this. Go at once to
Sufder. If you get there before me, tell him to mount at once, and
ride fast to meet me."
Two minutes later, everything was prepared; and Wasil, mounting the
pony, rode off, while Harry moved away among the tents. In a quiet
spot, behind one of these, he threw off his upper garments and
stood in the ordinary undress of a Hindoo peasant, having nothing
on but a scanty loincloth. He had scarcely accomplished this when
he heard the trampling of horses; and saw, past the tent, four
troopers ride up to the spot he had just left.
"Where is the trader who keeps this tent?" one of them shouted. "He
is a spy, and we have orders to arrest him."
Harry waited to hear no more, but walked in the opposite direction;
taking care to maintain a leisurely stride, and to avoid all
appearance of haste. Then, going down to the road by the side of
which the bazaar was encamped, he mingled with the crowd there.
Presently, one of the troopers dashed up.
"Has anyone seen a man in the dress of a trader?" and he roughly
described the attire of which Harry had rid himself.
There was a general chorus of denial, from those standing round,
and the trooper again galloped on.
Harry continued his walk at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally
to look at articles exposed for sale, until he reached the end of
the bazaar. Then he made across the country. Trumpets were blowing
now in the camp, and he had no doubt that Balloba had ordered a
thorough search to be made for him. He did not quicken his pace,
however, until well out of sight; but then he broke into a swinging
trot, for he guessed that, when he was not found in the camp,
parties of cavalry would start to scour the country. He had gone
some four miles when, looking behind him, he saw about twenty
horsemen, far back along the road.
The country here was flat and open, with fields irrigated by canals
running from the Moola, and affording no opportunity for
concealment. Hitherto he had been running well within his powers;
but he now quickened his pace, and ran at full speed. He calculated
that Wasil would have at least half an hour's start of him; and
that, as he would urge the pony to the top of his speed, he would
by this time have joined Sufder; and he was sure that the latter
would not lose an instant before starting to meet him. He had
hesitated, for a moment, whether he should break into a quiet walk
and allow the troopers to overtake him, relying upon the alteration
of his costume; but he reflected that Balloba might have foreseen
that he would change his disguise, and have ordered the arrest of a
young man with curiously light eyes.
Harry had always attempted to conceal this feature, as far as
possible, by staining his eyelashes a deep black; but when he
looked up, the colour of his eyes could hardly fail to strike
anyone specially noticing them.
His constant exercise as a boy had given him great swiftness of
foot, and the year passed as a shikaree had added to his endurance
and speed and, divested of clothing as he was, he felt sure that
the horsemen, who were more than a mile in his rear when he first
caught sight of them, would not overtake him for some time. He was
running, as he knew, for life; for he was certain that, if caught,
Balloba would have him at once put to death as a spy. Although
hardy and of great endurance, the Mahratta horses, which were small
in size, were not accustomed to being put to the top of their speed
except for a short charge; and the five miles that they had
galloped already must have, to some extent, fatigued them.
After running at the top of his speed for about a mile, he looked
back. The party was still a long distance in his rear. Again he
pressed forward, but his exertions were telling upon him and,
before he had gone another half mile, the Mahrattas had approached
within little more than half that distance.
Far ahead he thought he could perceive a body of horsemen, but
these were nearly two miles away, and he would be overtaken before
they could reach him; therefore he turned suddenly off, and took to
one of the little banks dividing one irrigated field from another.
As soon as the horsemen reached the spot where he had left the
road, they too turned off; but Harry, who was now husbanding his
strength, saw a sudden confusion among them.
The little bank of earth on which he was running was but a foot
wide, and was softened by the water which soaked in from both
sides. It could bear his weight, well enough; but not that of a
mounted man. Only one or two had attempted to follow it, the others
had plunged into the field. Here their horses at once sank up to
the knees. Some endeavoured to force the animals on, others to
regain the road they had quitted. The two horsemen on the bank were
making better progress, but their horses' hoofs sank deeply in the
soft earth; and their pace, in spite of the exertions of the
riders, was but a slow one.
Harry turned when he came to the end of the field, and followed
another bank at right angles, and was therefore now running in the
right direction. He was more than keeping his lead from the
foremost of his pursuers Some of the others galloped along the
road, parallel to him, but ahead.
The horsemen he had first seen were now within a mile. On they
came, at the top of their speed; and the troopers on the road
halted, not knowing whether this body were friends or foes, while
those on the bank reined in their horses, and rode back to join
their comrades. Harry continued to run till he came to another bank
leading to the road and, following this, he arrived there just as
Sufder galloped up with his party, one of the troopers leading his
horse. They gave a shout of welcome, as he came up.
"I thought it must be you," Sufder said, "from the way you ran,
rather than from your attire. Shall we charge those fellows?"
"I think not," Harry said. "In the first place Scindia has not, as
yet, declared war against Nana and Bajee; in the second, there may
be more men coming on behind; therefore it will be best to leave
them alone though, if they attack us, we shall, of course, defend
ourselves."
"I think that is their intention, Puntojee. See, they have gathered
together! I suppose they daren't go back, and say that you have
escaped."
"Give me either your sword or spear."
The latter was part of the regular equipment of the Mahratta
horsemen. Sufder handed him his sword and, as the pursuers advanced
towards them at a canter which speedily became a gallop, he took
his place by the side of Sufder and, the latter giving the word,
the band dashed forward to meet their opponents.
The combat was a short one. Sufder's followers were all picked men,
and were better mounted than Scindia's troopers. These made special
efforts to get at Harry, but the latter's skill with the sword
enabled him to free himself from his most pressing opponents.
Sufder laid about him stoutly and, his men seconding him well, half
their opponents were speedily struck to the ground; and the rest,
turning their horses, fled at full speed. Sufder's men would have
followed, but he shouted to them to draw rein.
"Enough has been done, and well done," he said. "If Scindia means
war, nothing will be said about this fight; but if he does not,
complaints will doubtless be laid against us, and it is better that
we should be able to say that we fought only in self defence; and
that, when the attack ceased, we allowed them to ride off
unmolested, though we might easily enough have slain the whole of
them."
On arriving at the grove where the troop had halted, Harry at once
resumed his own clothes; for although in his early days he had been
accustomed to be slightly clad, he felt ill at ease riding almost
naked. Here, too, he found Wasil, who had ridden with such speed
that his pony was too much exhausted for him to ride back with the
rest. He received his master with the greatest joy, for he had
feared he would be captured before leaving the camp.
They continued their journey to Jooneer, where they halted for the
night. Sufder went to his house, and Harry rode out to the farm.