Some months passed quietly. Scindia more openly assumed supreme
power, imprisoned several leading men, and transferred their
jagheers to his own relations. Colonel Palmer had gone down to
Bombay on leave, his place being filled temporarily by Mr. Uhtoff.
Bajee was, as usual, playing a deep game. He desired to become
independent both of Scindia and Nana Furnuwees. The former, he
believed, must sooner or later return to his own dominions, and he
desired his aid to get rid of Nana; therefore it was against the
latter that his intrigues were, at present, directed. The minister
was still an object of affection to his people; who believed, as
before, in his goodness of character, and who put down every act of
oppression as being the work of Scindia.
Harry saw Nana frequently. There being no change in the position,
there was little talk of politics; and the minister generally
turned the conversation upon England, its power relatively to that
of France, the extent of its resources, the modes of life among the
population, and its methods of government.
"It all differs widely from ours," Nana said, after one of these
conversations, "and in most respects is better. The changes there
are made not by force, but by the will of the representatives of
the people, in their assembly. A minister defeated there retires at
once, and his chief opponent succeeds him. The army has no
determining voice in the conduct of affairs, but is wholly under
the orders of the minister who may happen to be in power. All this
seems strange to us but, undoubtedly, the system is far better for
the population. There is no bloodshed, no burning of villages, no
plundering, no confiscation of estates. It is a change in the
personnel of the government, but no change in the general course of
affairs.
"It is strange that your soldiers fight so well when, as you tell
me, they never carry arms until they enter the army; while ours are
trained from childhood in the use of weapons. And your enemies, the
French, is it the same with them?"
"It is the same, Nana, so far as their civil life is concerned; for
none carry weapons or are trained in their use. There is one wide
point of difference. The French have to go as soldiers when they
reach a certain age, however much they may dislike it; while with
us there is no compulsion, whatever, and men enlist in the army
just as they might take up any other trade. There is, however, a
body called the militia. This, like the army, consists of
volunteers; but is not liable for service abroad, and only goes out
for a short period of training, annually. However, by law, should
the supply of volunteers fall short, battalions can be kept at
their full strength by men chosen by ballot from the population.
But this is practically a dead letter, and I am told that the
ballot is never resorted to; though doubtless it would be, in the
case of a national emergency."
"Ah! It is pleasant to be a minister in your country, with no fear
of plots, of treachery, or assassination. Were I a younger man, I
should like to visit England and stay there for a time so that, on
my return, I could model some of our institutions upon yours.
"But no; I fear that that would be too much for the most powerful
minister to effect. The people are wedded to their old customs, and
would not change them for others, however much these might be for
their benefit. An order that none, save those in the army, should
carry arms would unite the whole people against those who issued
it."
It was on the last day of 1797 that Nana Furnuwees made a formal
visit to Scindia, in return for one the latter had paid him, a few
days before. Michel Filoze, a Neapolitan who commanded eight
battalions in Scindia's army, had given his word of honour as a
guarantee for the minister's safe return to his home. The European
officers in the service of the Indian princes bore a high
character, not only for their fidelity to those they served, but
also for their honour in all their dealings and, though Nana would
not have confided in an oath sworn by Scindia, he accepted that of
Filoze without hesitation.
On his arrival near Scindia's camp the traitor seized him and, with
his battalions, attacked his retinue, amounting to about a thousand
persons, among whom were many of his principal adherents. Some of
these were killed, all of them stripped of their robes and
ornaments. Parties of soldiers were immediately sent, by Ghatgay,
to plunder the house of Nana and those of all his adherents.
Harry was in his room when he heard a sudden outburst of firing
and, a minute or two later, Abdool ran in.
"Scindia's men are in the town, sahib! They are attacking the
houses of Nana's adherents. These are defending themselves as best
they can. There is a general panic, for it is believed that the
whole town will be looted."
"Get your things together, Abdool. I will change my dress for that
of a native soldier, and we will make for the Residency."
"Shall we ride, sahib?"
"No, we will leave the horses here. If we were to go on horseback,
we might be taken for Nana's adherents trying to make their escape,
and be shot down without any further question.
"I felt misgivings when I saw Nana going out; but it would have
come to the same thing, in the end, for if Scindia's whole army,
villainous as is the treachery, had advanced against the town, Nana
could have gathered no force to oppose them."
Three or four minutes later they started, Abdool carrying a bundle
containing Harry's disguises. They made their way through lanes,
where the people were all standing at their doors, talking
excitedly. Continuous firing was heard in the direction of the
better quarters, mingled with shouts and cries. No one questioned
them, all being too anxious as to their own safety to think of
anything else.
The Residency was half a mile from the town. There Mr. Uhtoff was
standing at his door, and the men of his escort were all under
arms. Harry had been in frequent communication with him, from the
time that he had taken Colonel Palmer's place. The Resident did
not, for the moment, recognize him in his new disguise but, when he
did so, he asked anxiously what was going on in the town.
"A strong body of Scindia's troops are there, attacking Nana's
adherents. I fear that the minister himself is a prisoner in their
camp."
"That is bad news, indeed. Nana told me, yesterday, that he
intended to visit Scindia, and had received a guarantee for his
safe return, from Filoze. I advised him not to go; but he said that
he could confide, implicitly, in the honour of a European officer.
I told him that the various European nations differed widely from
each other; and that, although I would accept the word of honour of
a British officer in Scindia's service, I would not take that of a
Neapolitan. However, he said, and said truly, that it was incumbent
on him to return Scindia's visit; and that if he did not do so it
would be treated as a slight and insult, and would serve as a
pretext for open war against him; and that, as he could but muster
three or four thousand men, the city must yield without resistance.
"I believe that this is the work of Bajee Rao, and of Ghatgay--two
scoundrels, of whom I prefer Ghatgay who, although a ruffian, is at
least a fearless one, while Bajee Rao is a monster of deceit. I
know that there have, of late, been several interviews between him
and Ghatgay; and I have not the least doubt that the whole affair
has been arranged between them with the hope, on Bajee's part, of
getting rid of Nana; and on Ghatgay's, of removing a sturdy
opponent of his future son-in-law, and of acquiring a large
quantity of loot by the plunder of Nana's adherents.
"You did well to come here for, if the work of plunder is once
begun, there is no saying how far it will spread. I shall ride, at
once, to see the Peishwa, and request an explanation of what has
occurred. There is that trooper's dress still lying ready for you,
if you would like to put it on. There is a spare horse in my
stable."
"Thank you, sir; I should like it very much;" and, rapidly changing
his dress, he was ready by the time the horses were brought round.
He then took his place among the troopers of the escort, and rode
to Bajee Rao's country palace, which was some three miles from the
town.
After seeing everything in train, the Peishwa had left Scindia's
camp before Nana's arrival there; and had summoned a dozen of the
latter's adherents, under the pretence that he desired to see them
on a matter of business. Wholly unsuspicious of treachery, they
rode out at once; and each, on his arrival, was seized and thrown
into a place of confinement.
The Resident learned this from a retainer of one of these nobles.
He had made his escape when his master was seized, and was riding
to carry the news to the British official; whose influence, he
thought, might suffice to save the captives' lives.
On arriving at the palace four of the troopers were ordered to
dismount--Harry being one of those selected--and, on demanding to
see the Peishwa the Resident was, after some little delay, ushered
into the audience chamber, where Bajee Rao was seated, with several
of his officers standing behind him. He received Mr. Uhtoff with a
show of great courtesy.
The latter, however, stood stiffly, and said:
"I have come, Your Highness, to request an explanation of what is
going on. The city of Poona is being treated like a town taken by
siege. The houses of a number of persons of distinction are being
attacked by Scindia's soldiery. Fighting is going on in the
streets, and the whole of the inhabitants are in a state of wild
alarm.
"But this is not all. Nana Furnuwees has, owing to his reliance
upon a solemn guarantee given for his safe return, been seized when
making a ceremonial visit to Scindia."
"You must surely be misinformed," the Peishwa said. "You will
readily believe that I am in perfect ignorance of such a
proceeding."
"I might believe it, Prince," Mr. Uhtoff said, coldly, "had I not
been aware that you and your officers have decoyed a number of
Nana's friends to this palace and, on their arrival, had them
suddenly arrested."
Bajee Rao, practised dissimulator as he was, flushed at this
unexpected accusation.
"I learned, sir," he said, after a pause, "that there was a plot
against my person, by Nana Furnuwees and his adherents; and I have
therefore taken what I considered the necessary step of placing
these in temporary confinement."
"It is a little strange, Your Highness, that the man who placed you
on the musnud should be conspiring to turn you from it. However,
what has been done has been done; and I cannot hope that any words
of mine will avail to persuade you to undo an act which will be
considered, throughout India, as one of the grossest treachery and
ingratitude. My duty is a simple one: namely, merely to report to
my Government the circumstances of the case."
The officers behind the Peishwa fingered the hilts of their swords,
and the four troopers involuntarily made a step forward, to support
the Resident. Bajee, however, made a sign to those behind him to
remain quiet; and the Resident, turning abruptly, and without
salutation to the Peishwa, left the hall, followed by his men.
They mounted as soon as they had left the palace, and rode back to
the Residency; Mr. Uhtoff keeping his place at their head, and
speaking no word until he dismounted, when he asked Harry to
accompany him to his room.
"This is a bad business, indeed, Mr. Lindsay. I cannot say that I
am surprised because, having studied Bajee Rao's character, I have
for some time been expecting that he would strike a blow at Nana.
Still, I acknowledge that it has come suddenly, and the whole
position of affairs has changed. Bajee has freed himself from Nana;
but he has only riveted Scindia's yoke more firmly on his
shoulders. Like most intriguers, he has overreached himself. He has
kept one object in view, and been blind to all else.
"His course should have been to support Nana against Scindia, and
thus to keep the balance of power in his own hands. He has only
succeeded in ridding himself of the one man who had the good of his
country at heart, and who was the only obstacle to Scindia's
ambition. The fool has ruined both himself and his country.
"I think, Mr. Lindsay, that the best plan will be for you to mount
at once, and ride down to Bombay. Your presence here, just now, can
be of no special utility; and it is most desirable that the
Government should have a full statement of the matter laid before
them, by one who has been present, and who has made himself fully
acquainted with the whole politics of the Deccan.
"It is better that you should not go into the town again. I will
send in for your horses, as soon as the tumult has subsided. We
have several spare animals here, and you and your servant can take
two of them. I will write to the Governor a report of my interview
with Bajee, and say that I have sent you down to give him all the
details of what has taken place; which will save the time that it
would take me to write a long report, and will be far more
convenient, inasmuch as you can answer any point that he is
desirous of ascertaining. I do not think that you can do better
than go in the disguise that you now have on; for a soldier to be
galloping fast is a common sight, but people would be astonished at
seeing either a Brahmin or a trader riding at full speed. I will
give orders for the horses to be saddled at once and, in the
meantime, you had best take a meal. You will have no chance of
getting one on the road, and I have no doubt that dinner is ready
for serving. I will tell the butler to give some food to your man,
at once."
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Abdool were on their way. Skirting
round Poona, they heard the rattle of musketry still being
maintained; and indeed, the fighting in the streets of the city
continued for twenty-four hours. By two in the morning, they halted
at the top of the Ghauts; partly to give the horses a rest, and
partly because it would have been very dangerous to attempt to make
the descent in the dark.
At daybreak they continued their journey, arriving at Bombay six
hours later. They rode straight for the Government House, where
Harry dismounted and, throwing the reins of his horse to Abdool,
told the attendant to inform the Governor that a messenger, from
the Resident at Poona, desired to see him. He was at once shown in.
"Why, it is Mr. Lindsay!" the Governor said, "though I should
scarce know you, in your paint and disguise. The matter on which
you come must be something urgent, or Mr. Uhtoff would not have
sent you down with it."
Harry handed over the despatch of which he was bearer and, as the
Governor ran his eye over it, his face became more and more grave,
as he gathered the news.
"This is serious, indeed," he said, "most serious. Now be pleased
to sit down, Mr. Lindsay, and furnish me with all the particulars
of the affair."
When Harry had finished, the Governor said:
"I imagine that you can have eaten nothing today, Mr. Lindsay. I am
about to take tiffin, and bid you do so with me. I shall at once
send to members of the Council and, by the time we have finished
our meal, they will no doubt be here."
"I shall be very glad to do so, sir, if you will allow me to go
into the dressing room, and put on my uniform. I should hardly like
to sit down to table in my present dress."
"Do so by all means, if you wish it; but you must remember that
your colour will not agree well with your dress."
"I will remove these caste marks, sir, and then I shall look only
as if I were somewhat severely tanned."
In ten minutes a servant knocked at the door, and said that
luncheon was ready. Harry was already dressed in his uniform, and
had removed the marks on his forehead; the dye, however, was as
dark as ever. He had, on leaving the Governor's room, sent a
servant down to fetch his wallet, and to tell Abdool that he was to
take the horses to the barracks.
The meal was an informal one. The Governor asked many questions,
and was pleased at the knowledge that Harry showed of all the
principal persons in Poona, and their character and ability.
"At the present moment," he said, "the information that you have
given me cannot be utilized; but it would be most valuable, were we
to get mixed up in the confusion of parties at Poona. I gather that
you consider Nana Furnuwees to be a great man."
"My opinion is not worth much, on that point, sir. I think that he
has, over and over again, shown great courage in extricating
himself from difficulties which appeared to be overwhelming. I
believe him to be a sincere patriot, and that he only desires to be
at the head of the administration of affairs that he may prevent
civil war from breaking out, and to thwart the ambition of the
great princes. His tastes are simple, his house is furnished
plainly, he cares nothing for the pleasures of the table; but he is
honest and, I believe, absolutely truthful--qualities which
certainly are possessed by very few men in the Deccan.
"I grant that he is not disposed to enter into any alliance with
the British. He has frequently told me that he admires them greatly
for their straightforwardness and truthfulness, as well as for
their bravery and their methods of government, both in the great
towns and in the districts in which they are masters; but he fears
that, were they to send an army to Poona on his behalf, or on that
of any of the other parties, it might end by their acquiring
control over the affairs of the country, and make them arbitrators
in all disputes."
"No doubt he is right, there," the Governor said, with a smile.
"However, at present we are certainly not likely to interfere in
the quarrels and intrigues beyond the Ghauts; nor do I see why we
should be brought into collision with the Mahrattas--at any rate,
until they have ceased to quarrel among themselves, and unite under
one master. In that case, they might make another effort to turn us
out.
"And now we will go into the room where the Council must be, by
this time, assembled."
This proved to be the case, and the Governor read to them the note
that he had received from Mr. Uhtoff; and then requested Harry to
repeat the details, as fully as he had already done. There was a
consensus of opinion as to the importance of the news.
"Come round again tomorrow morning, Mr. Lindsay," the Governor
said; "by that time I shall have fully thought the matter out."
"So you have been masquerading as a native again, Mr. Lindsay?" the
colonel said, when Harry called upon him.
"I can hardly consider it masquerading, as I merely resumed the
dress I wore for many years; and I certainly speak Mahratti vastly
better than I speak English for, although I improved a good deal
while I was here, I am conscious that, though my grammar may be
correct, my pronunciation differs a good deal from that of my
comrades."
"You speak English wonderfully well, considering that you learned
it from the natives," the colonel said. "At first, you spoke as a
native that had learned English; but a casual observer would not,
now, detect any accent that would lead him to suppose that you had
not been brought up in England.
"You will, of course, be at mess this evening?"
"I think it would be better that I should not do so, sir. In the
first place, I should have innumerable questions to answer; and in
the second, which is more important, anything that I said might be
heard by mess waiters. It is quite possible that some of these are
in the pay of Scindia, or Holkar, who keep themselves well informed
of all that goes on here; and were it known that an English officer
had come down in disguise, it would greatly increase the danger
when I return there."
"I have no doubt that you are right, Mr. Lindsay. Is there anything
new at Poona?"
"Yes, Colonel; and as it will be generally known in two or three
days, there can be no harm in my telling you. Scindia has made Nana
Furnuwees a prisoner, by an act of the grossest treachery. He has
killed almost all his principal adherents and, when I got away, his
troops were engaged in looting the town."
"That is grave news," the colonel said. "So long as Nana was in
power, it was certain that Scindia could not venture to take his
army, out of his own country for the purpose of attacking us; but
now that Nana is overthrown, and Scindia will be minister to the
Peishwa, we may expect troubles."
"Not at present. Scindia's army has, for months, been without pay.
He has no means of settling with them and, until he does so, they
certainly will not move."
"I do not think that would detain him long, Mr. Lindsay. He has
only to march them into other territories, with permission to
plunder, and they would be quite satisfied. He certainly can have
no liking for the Rajahs of Berar or Kolapoore, for both of them
assisted Nana to regain his power; and an attack upon them would,
at once, satisfy vengeance and put his troops in a good temper."
"But there is no doubt that the Peishwa will find it much more
irksome to be under Scindia's control than that of Nana. And were
Scindia to march away, he would at once organize an army, and buy
Holkar's aid, to render himself independent of Scindia."
"They are treacherous beggars, these Mahrattas," the colonel said.
"They are absolutely faithless, and would sell their fathers if
they could make anything by the transaction.
"Then you do not know yet whether you are to return?"
"No; I shall see the Governor again, tomorrow morning; and shall
then receive orders."
"I will have some dinner sent over to your quarters, from the mess.
Do not have too much light in the room, or your colour may be
noticed by the servant. I will let the officers know that you have
returned. No doubt many of them will come in for a chat with you.
As no one can overhear you, I do not think that any harm can be
done by it."
"I think not, Colonel."
"I will tell them," the colonel went on, "that you are on secret
service; that you will tell them as much as you can safely do, but
they must abstain from pressing you with questions. We all know
that you have been acting as assistant to Mr. Uhtoff, because it
was mentioned in orders that you had been detailed for that duty;
but they know no more than that, and will doubtless be surprised at
your colour. But you can very well say that, as you had an
important message to carry down, you thought it best to disguise
yourself."
"That will do excellently, Colonel; and I shall be very glad to
have a talk with my friends again."
After leaving the colonel, Harry went to his own room; where he
found Soyera, who had been fetched by Abdool.
"I am sorry to say that I am going away, almost directly, mother,"
he said; "but it cannot be helped."
"I do not expect you always to stay here, Harry. Now that you are
in the Company's service, you must, of course, do what you are
ordered. I am glad, indeed, to find that, although you have been
with them only a year, you are chosen for a post in which you can
gain credit, and attract the attention of the authorities here."
"It is all thanks to the pains that you took to prepare me for such
work.
"I don't expect to be away so long, this time. And indeed, now that
Nana Furnuwees is a prisoner, it does not seem to me that there can
be anything special to do, until some change takes place in the
situation, and Scindia either openly assumes supreme power, or
marches away with his army."
That evening, Harry's room was crowded with visitors. The news of
the treacherous arrest of Nana Furnuwees excited the liveliest
interest; and was received with very much regret, as Nana was
considered the only honest man of all the ministers of the native
princes, and to be friendly disposed towards the British; and all
saw that his fall might be followed by an important change in the
attitude of the Mahrattas.
Two days later, Harry returned to Poona. The next eighteen months
passed without any very prominent incidents. In order to furnish
Scindia with money to pay his troops, and to be in a position to
march away, Bajee Rao agreed that Ghatgay should, as Scindia's
minister, raise contributions in Poona. Accordingly, a rule of the
direst brutality and cruelty took place. The respectable
inhabitants--the merchants, traders, and men of good family--were
driven from their houses, tortured often to death, scourged, and
blown away from the mouths of cannon. No person was safe from his
persecution, and the poorest were forced to deliver up all their
little savings. The rich were stripped of everything, and
atrocities of all kinds were committed upon the hapless population.
Bajee Rao countenanced these things, and was now included in the
hatred felt for Ghatgay and Scindia. Troubles occurred between the
Peishwa and the Rajah of Satara, who refused to deliver up an agent
of Nana whom he had, at Bajee's request, seized. As Scindia's
troops refused to move, Purseram Bhow was released from captivity
and, raising an army, captured the city of Satara, and compelled
the fort to surrender; but when ordered by Bajee Rao to disband the
force that he had collected, he excused himself from doing so, on
the plea that he had no money to pay them, or to carry out the
promises that he had given them.
Scindia himself was not without troubles. In addition to the mutiny of
his troops, the three widows of his father who, instead of receiving
the treatment proper to their rank, had been neglected and were living
in poverty, sought an interview with him; and were seized by Ghatgay,
flogged, and barbarously treated. Their cause was taken up by the
Brahmins, who had held the principal offices under Scindia's father;
and it was at last settled that they should take up their residence at
Burrampoor, with a suitable establishment. Their escort, however, had
received private orders to carry them to the fortress of Ahmednuggur.
The news of this treachery spread, soon after they had left the
camp; and an officer in the interest of the Brahmins started, with
a troop of horse which he commanded, dispersed the escort, and
rescued the ladies. These he carried to the camp of Amrud Rao,
Bajee Rao's foster brother; who instantly afforded them protection
and, sallying out, attacked and defeated a party of their pursuers,
led by Ghatgay himself.
Five battalions of infantry were then sent by Scindia, but Amrud
attacked them boldly, and compelled them to retreat. Negotiations
were then opened, and Amrud, believing Scindia's promises, moved
his camp to the neighbourhood of Poona. But, during a Mahommedan
festival, he and his troops were suddenly attacked by a few
brigades of infantry; which dispersed them, slew great numbers, and
pillaged their camp.
Holkar now joined Amrud Rao, who had escaped from the massacre. The
Peishwa negotiated an alliance with the Nizam. Scindia sent envoys
to Tippoo, to ask for his assistance. Bajee Rao did the same, and
it looked as if a desperate war was about to break out.
All this time, Harry had been living quietly in the Residency,
performing his duties as assistant to Colonel Palmer, who had again
taken charge there. There was no occasion for him to resume his
disguises. The atrocities committed by Ghatgay, in Poona, were
apparent to all; and at present there seemed no possible
combination that could check the power of Scindia.
Colonel Palmer, however, had several interviews with Bajee Rao, and
entreated him to put a stop to the doings of Ghatgay; but the
latter declared that he was powerless to interfere, and treated
with contempt the warnings, of the colonel, that he was uniting the
whole population in hatred of him.
The rebellion under Amrud, and the adhesion of Holkar to it, seemed
to afford some hope that an end would come to the terrible state of
things prevailing; and Colonel Palmer became convinced that Scindia
was really anxious to return to his own dominions, where his
troops, so long deprived of their natural leaders, were in a state
of insubordination. If the Nana were but released from his prison
at Ahmednuggur, something might be done, he said. He might be able
to supply sufficient money to enable Scindia to leave; and the
alarm Nana's liberation would give, to Bajee, would compel him to
change his conduct, lest Nana should join Amrud and, with the
assent of the whole population, place him on the musnud.
"Nana is the only man who can restore peace to this unhappy
country," he said to Harry, "but I see no chance of Scindia
releasing a prisoner whom he could always use to terrify Bajee,
should the latter dare to defy his authority."
Harry thought the matter over that night and, at last, determined
to make an attempt to bring about his old friend's release. In the
morning he said to the Resident:
"I have been thinking over what you said last night, Colonel, and
with your permission I am resolved to make an attempt to bring
about Nana's release."
"But how on earth do you mean to proceed, Mr. Lindsay?"
"My plans are not quite made up yet, sir. In the first place, I
shall ask you to give me three weeks' leave so that, if I fail, you
can make it evident that you are not responsible for my
undertaking. In the next place, I shall endeavour to see Nana in
his prison, and ascertain from him whether he can pay a
considerable sum to Scindia for his release. If I find that he is
in a position to do so, I shall then--always, of course, in
disguise--endeavour to have a private interview with Scindia, and
to convince him that it is in every way to his interest to allow
Nana to ransom himself. He is, of course, perfectly well aware
that, in spite of Bajee's assurances of friendship, he is at heart
bitterly opposed to him; and that the return of Nana, with the
powers he before possessed, would neutralize the Peishwa's power."
"It would be an excellent thing, if that could be done," the colonel
said; "but it appears to me to be an absolute impossibility."
"I would rather not tell you how I intend to act, sir; so that, in
case of failure, you can disavow all knowledge of my proceedings."
"Well, since you are willing to undertake the risk, and
unquestionably the Bombay Government would see, with great
pleasure, Nana's return to power, I will throw no obstacle in your
way. You had better, to begin with, write me a formal request for a
month's leave to go down to Bombay. Is there anything else that I
can do, to aid your project?"
"Nothing, whatever; and I am much obliged to you for acceding to my
request. If for no other reason than that my success should have
the effect of releasing the inhabitants of Poona, from the horrible
tyranny to which they are exposed, I shall be willing to risk a
great deal to gain it.
"I shall not leave for a day or two, as I wish to think over all
the details of my plan, before I set about carrying it out."
Going into the city, Harry went to the spot where the proclamations
of Scindia were always affixed. These were of various kinds; such
as forbidding anyone carrying arms to be in the streets after
nightfall; and that every inhabitant should furnish an account of
his income, in order that taxation should be carefully distributed.
To these Scindia's seal was affixed.
One such order had been placed there that morning. A sentry marched
up and down in front of it, lest any insult should be offered to
the paper. Satisfied that this would suit his purpose, he called
Abdool to him, and explained what he wanted.
"It will not be till this evening, for I want, before that step is
taken, to collect a party of ten horsemen to ride with me to
Ahmednuggur and back. By this time you know a great many people in
the town and, if I were to pay them well, you should have no
difficulty in getting that number."
"I could do that in half an hour, sahib. There are a great number
of the disbanded soldiers of the Peishwa's army who are without
employment, and who would willingly undertake anything that would
bring them in a little money."
"Well, you can arrange with them, today. They must not attract
attention by going out together, but must meet at the village of
Wittulwarree."
The next morning, Harry went to the shop of a trader who was, he
knew, formerly employed by Nana, and purchased from him a suit such
as would be worn by an officer in Scindia's service. Then he wrote
out a document in Mahratti, giving an order to the governor of
Ahmednuggur to permit the bearer, Musawood Khan, to have a private
interview with Nana Furnuwees. This done, he told the resident that
he intended to leave that night.
Colonel Palmer asked no questions, but only said:
"Be careful, Mr. Lindsay, be careful; it is a desperate enterprise
that you are undertaking, and I should be sorry, indeed, if so
promising an officer should be lost to our service."
"I will be careful, I assure you. I have no wish to throw away my
life."
When evening came on, he went to his room, stained his skin from
head to foot, put on the caste marks, then dressed himself in the
clothes that he had that morning purchased and, at nine o'clock,
left the house quietly with Abdool. At that hour Poona would be
quiet, for the terror was so great that few people ventured into
the street after nightfall.
When they approached the house on which the proclamation was fixed,
they separated. Harry went quietly to the corner of the street, a
few yards from the spot where the soldier was marching up and down,
and listened intently, peeping out from behind the wall whenever
the sentry was walking in the other direction. Presently he heard a
smothered sound, and the dull thud of a falling body.
He ran out. Abdool had crawled up to the other end of the sentry's
beat, and taken his place in a doorway. The sentry came up to
within a couple of yards of him, and then turned. Abdool sprang out
and, with a bound, leapt upon the sentry's back and, with one hand,
grasped his musket.
Taken wholly by surprise, the sentry fell forward on his face,
Abdool still clinging to him. He pressed his knife against the
soldier's neck and said that, at the slightest cry, he would drive
it home. Half stunned by the fall, the soldier lay without moving.
[Illustration: Harry ran up to the proclamation and tore it down.]
Without the loss of a moment, Harry ran up to the proclamation and
tore it down, and then darted off again. Abdool, springing to his
feet, brought the butt end of the soldier's musket down on his
head; and then, satisfied that a minute or two must elapse before
the man would be recovered sufficiently to give the alarm, he too
ran off, and joined Harry at the point where they had separated.
"That was well managed, Abdool. Now we will walk quietly until we
are outside the town as, if we met some of Scindia's men, they
would question were we hurrying."
In a few minutes they were outside the city; and then, running at a
brisk pace, they reached the Residency. They were challenged by the
sentry but, on Harry giving his name, he was of course allowed to
pass.
He went quietly into his room and lighted a candle. Putting his
knife in the flame he heated it, and then carefully cut the seal
from the paper on which it was fixed, placed it on the order that
he had written and, again heating his knife, passed it along under
the paper, until the under part of the seal was sufficiently warmed
to adhere to it. He placed the order in an inner pocket, put a
brace of pistols into his sash, and buckled on a native sword that
he had bought that morning; then he went out again, and found that
Abdool had the horses in readiness, with two native saddles, with
embroidered housings such as was used by native officers; which he
had, by Harry's orders, purchased that morning in the bazaar.
They at once mounted, and started at a gallop for Wittulwarree.