DOWN'S STRATAGEM
Now the terrible thing that happened was one which Foster-father might
have expected, but for two things.
One was the sentry who walked up and down all night long below the high
second-story windows of the central room. He would be bound to see any
attempt to gain an entrance through them, even if they were wide enough
to admit the entry of a grown man, which they were not.
The other was the fact that he, Old Faithful, Meroo and Roy all slept in
the outer room, into which the only door opened, so that any intruder
would have to force an entrance over their bodies; for they slept with
drawn swords beside them.
So as the days passed on Foster-father's vigilance--though he knew that
cruel brother Kumran's agents were on the lookout for any opportunity of
kidnapping the Heir-to-Empire--slackened somewhat, especially when the
afternoons drew in, the fire in the big hall was made up, the quilts put
down and Baby Akbar, surrounded by his admiring circle, listened to
Roy's stories or tumbled about with his playmates, Tumbu, the dog, and
Down, the cat.
One day, however, Down did not appear until little Akbar was having his
supper, and then she came in a great hurry out of a small archway by the
big fireplace, which led to a sort of cupboard in the masonry, where
charcoal had been kept, gobbled up a plate of bread and milk, and
hurried in again as if she had to catch a train.
"She has had kittens," said Foster-mother; "I wonder if they are white
or black."
"Black!" sniffed Head-nurse. "What else could they be in that hole? Have
a care, woman! or the Heir-to-Empire will be blacking himself, too. The
archway is large enough for him to creep in, and Heaven only knows
whither it might lead."
"That is true," replied Foster-mother, alarmed, as she distracted the
child's attention.
But in a day or two his quick ear caught the sound of a feeble mewing
inside the arch, and, of course, he wanted to know what it was. So he
was told that kittens had to be kept quiet and that Down would be very
vexed if her kitten was disturbed; but that by-and-bye she would
doubtless bring it out for him to see, and then, of course, he could
play with it. Now, Baby Akbar was always a reasonable little fellow, so
he waited patiently; though every night when he went to bed and Down
came out for her supper, his little mouth would go down and he would
hold up his little hands and twiddle them round and say mournfully:
"Kitty not 'weady. Kitty not 'weady."
Now, one night there was a great festival in the palace, and the
Heir-to-Empire had to go and pay his respects, after the Indian manner
on feast days, to his aunt and uncle. Then, when he returned, they sent
him, after Indian wont, trays full of fruit and sugar-toffee made in the
shape of animals, and a few pieces of muslin and stuffs to make new
dresses for the party. In addition to this there was a trayful of
supper, which came afterward, when daylight had gone, with the Princess
Sultanum's best compliments. At least so said the man who brought it;
but he did not wait to be questioned, and disappeared so soon as Meroo
had taken the tray from him.
But it was full of the most delicious dainties, including a bowl of
sweet milk made with almonds and honey and rice meal for Baby Akbar.
Head-nurse, however, would not let him eat it. She was always afraid of
the little lad being poisoned, so Meroo always cooked with his own hands
everything the child ate. Therefore they gave it to Tumbu instead; for,
having been brought up by shepherds, he loved milk, and he licked his
lips after it and was soon sound asleep by the fire.
The lamb stewed with pistachio nuts and full of saffron looked, however,
so delicious that after Meroo had tasted it and pronounced it quite
safe, since all knew that saffron would not go with real poison, they
set to work and finished the platter.
They were all as jolly as could be afterward, though the heat of the
fire and their heavy supper made them sleepy; so Head-nurse, declaring
it was far too cold in the inner room, dragged her bed and
Foster-mother's close to the fire, the others retired to the outer room,
and before long they were all snoring away quite happily.
For if the supper had not truly been poisoned, it had been drugged.
Drugged with sleep-bringing drugs.
So, as the firelight flickered over the room faintly, it showed
Head-nurse's face and Foster-mother's face and even Tumbu's black muzzle
in a dead sleep that was almost unconsciousness. And in the outer room
Foster-father snored, and even Roy's keen, hawk-face lay like one dead.
Only Baby Akbar tossed and turned in his comfortable nest between his
two nurses.
Save for this, due to Head-nurse's precaution in not allowing the
Heir-to-Empire sweet milk for supper, all was as cruel brother Kumran's
agents had planned when they had sent the pretended messenger from the
palace with the platter of delicacies. Even the sentry below was
sleeping sound after his share of kid curry.
Thus, those who were on the roof waiting until the moon had set and they
could without fear of discovery lower the young lad, who was to steal
Baby Akbar, down to the window (through which, being slender, the thief
could slip easily), felt that their task was almost done.
But they reckoned without a great white fluff which after a time showed
itself at the entry to the charcoal bunker, yawning and stretching and
blinking its eyes. Head-nurse had been quite wrong in saying Down's
kitten must be black in that hole! Its mother, anyhow, was beautifully
white, perhaps because Down was a sensible cat and had only chosen the
charcoal bunker because she had found a lot of old straw and a blanket
tucked away in its farther corner. Besides, as she only had one kitten,
she could spend all her time in licking it and cleaning it with her
rough, red tongue, after the manner of cats. Anyhow, there it lay, right
out of reach of any one, a little bundle of white fluff, and Down was
just beginning to feel that there were other things in the world besides
kittens. For instance, was that scratching on the roof, think you, a
mouse? If so--? She passed to the fire. It was warm and nice; just the
very place for a kitten's first look at the world, and there were no
troublesome people about; not but what she was anxious to show her
kitten to Baby Akbar. But who knew if horrid Head-nurse might not try to
catch it? But Head-nurse was asleep. Down whisked her tail, disappeared
through the archway, and reappeared again gingerly, carrying the kitten
in her mouth. It sprawled in the firelight and mewed piteously. And
there was that scratching on the roof again ... really, kittens were a
bore when one wanted to mouse....
So far it is easy to follow Down's thoughts. What came next is more
difficult. No one can say whether the cat had _really_ any notion that
danger to her young master was abroad, or whether she only wanted to
show him her kitten, or whether she wanted it taken care of--for Persian
cats, if they kill a rat at night, have often been known to jump on
their master's bed and insist on his taking custody of their prize lest
it should somehow come to life again if they left it alone--only this
was certain, Baby Akbar woke with a rough, red tongue licking his nose,
and there, on the quilt, was Down beside the fluffiest, darlingest
little kitten that ever was!
He made a grab at it with his little fat hands. Whether this frightened
its anxious mother or whether Down really had a purpose in view, who can
say? Only this is sure: she was off the bed in a second, Miss Kitten in
her mouth. A minute afterward Baby Akbar was off it also with a little
crow of delight. But the drugged nurses did not stir; they were away in
the Land of Dreams. And hark! what was that curious noise outside the
window, as if something was slipping down the wall? Perhaps it was
_that_ that frightened Down once more; for just as Baby Akbar's hand
reached out to lay hold of the kitten, which she had set down by the
fire, Down snatched it up again and was off with it back to the
charcoal bunker, with Baby Akbar after her, his face full of solemn
resolve. He meant to play with that kitty.
And play with her he did. At least, after he disappeared down the
archway by the fireplace he did not come out again. Only Down reappeared
and seated herself at the entrance, her ears cocked, her eyes fixed on
the window.
For something very funny had happened there, which, though the flicker
of the fire had died down, she could see with her cat's eyes.
A lad had slipped in, carrying the end of a rope, to which was attached
a network bag. And now, since it was dark, he was striking a light. A
feeble little glimmer, but sufficient to show the two sleeping nurses
and the comfy little nest of quilts between them. But it was empty!
The boy seemed puzzled, and went into the inner room, only to return
without what he sought. Then he stole into the outer room, but came back
softly with a puzzled look on his face. Then he began to peer about him
on the floor, and in the corners, holding the feeble light in front of
him. Whereupon Down, apparently to satisfy herself that her kitten
really was safe in the corner of the charcoal bunker where she had left
it, retreated for a moment, so that as the searcher came round he saw
nothing but the low, round arch. The next he gave a stifled yell, for
something white that was all claws leaped right in his face, over he
went and out went his light.
"I look no more," he said, shivering as, after five minutes' hasty
retreat, he stood on the roof among those who had sent him down. "Let
some one else go; but I tell you the child is not there."
But one of the crafty, cruel men had sharp wits. "Could he have crept
into the charcoal bunker?" he suggested, and the faces round him lit up.
But the lad's remained sullen, as he wiped the blood from Down's
scratches.
"Mayhap," he said. "_But I go not near that cat again!_"
So, as no one else was small enough to slip through the narrow slits of
windows, the conspirators could only curse their bad luck.
Thus it came to pass that the hours passed by without further attempt at
baby-theft, while Foster-father snored and Head-nurse dreamed the most
heavenly dreams of wonderful court ceremonials, and all the others were
wrapped in the profoundest slumbers.
But they all woke at last, and once more there was the most terrible
hullabaloo until Foster-mother recollected the kitten in the charcoal
bunker. Whereupon every one in turn flattened themselves on the floor
and reached in, and Roy actually got his head and one shoulder in; but
no one could feel anything or find out how big it was or anything about
it. Whereupon the two women began mutual recriminations and the men
stood helpless, when suddenly Down appeared with the kitten in her
mouth, and Baby Akbar, who had evidently been comfortably asleep on the
blanket amid the straw, came crawling after his new pet.
"So far so good!" said Foster-father, who, noticing a fallen piece of
mortar at the window-sill, had been carefully examining certain signs
and scratches both without and within, "but if I be not much mistaken,
some one hath been through here this night. And that we were all drugged
ye must know if the inside of your mouths be like mine! So we have to
thank Heaven and the cat for an escape!"
And so they had, though it was a sore trial once more to the women to
have nothing but guesswork to go upon.
"I wish I knew," murmured poor Foster-mother mournfully, as she watched
Baby Akbar, and Down, and the kitten, and Tumbu, all playing together
before the fire.
But once more Baby Akbar was silent, and Down told nobody--unless it was
Tumbu. Perhaps he _did_ know, because he allowed Down's kitten to play
with his tail!