it. It needs but boiling water poured over it. I will have some this
evening. I am very fond of it too, but I am accustomed to drink it with
sugar and milk."
"We have sugar," the man said, "but milk will be difficult to obtain.
Our master never uses it with his tea."
"I shall get accustomed to it," Percy said, "though I am sure I sha'n't
like it so well at first. At what time do we move on again?"
"In about six hours, if it so pleases you. It is ten o'clock now, by
four the sun will have lost some of its power."
"How many hours' ride shall we have?"
"Three hours at a canter. We are doing but a short journey to-day, as
it is the first. After this we shall never be less than eight hours in
the saddle; that is, if it is not too much for you."
"Oh, it is not too much," Percy replied, "but I shall feel rather stiff
for the first day or two, after not having ridden for so many months;
but I certainly should be glad to travel as much as possible in the
evening."
"We can do that, sahib, for we shall have a moon for the next week."
"How many days will it take us altogether?"
"We are now but half a mile from Aliwal, where we shall cross the
Sutlej, and shall encamp to-night near Sultanpoor. As I told you, we are
to-day travelling as if going to Lahore. To-morrow we shall strike north
and shall camp near Adinanagar. The next morning we shall cross the
Ravee, and shall then turn to the north-west, pass by Kailapore and
Sealkote, cross the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, then ride north some forty
miles, where we shall strike the hills and reach our lord's district,
which extends some thirty miles either way among the hills. This is the
route by which I hope to travel, but if I hear of danger by the way we
shall of course strike off to the right or left as may be most
convenient. The journeys are from thirty to forty miles a day. Our
horses could, of course, go much farther, but we must regulate our speed
by that of the baggage animals. We shall be fully a week upon the road.
Coming down we did it in five days in order to be in time for your
arrival."
"Those eight trunks are not all filled with my things," Percy said with
a laugh. "You must not think I travel about with all that luggage.
Four of them are mine, the other four are filled with things my uncle
wrote to his agents at home to get for him and send out with me. I have
no idea what is in them."
"The baggage is nothing if we were travelling in peaceful times," the
Sikh said, "but at present the lighter one goes the less likelihood of
being meddled with. As it is, you will not know your boxes when we come
up with the baggage animals this evening. It would never have done to
be travelling through the Punjaub at present with boxes of English make;
they would be looted by the first party of soldiers who came across
them. I had them measured the evening you came to my tent, and
carpenters were at work all night to make boxes that would contain them.
Then the boxes would be sewn up in matting before the animals started
this morning, and marked with native marks to the address of a merchant
in Jummoo. The road for the first four days is the same as if we were
going there. Thus if the matting is cut, the native box will be seen
inside.
"The four men with them are dismounted, and their horses led by those
who came on here ahead of us. Jummoo was the safest place that we could
choose to address the packages to, for Ghoolab Singh is one of the most
powerful of our chiefs; the most powerful perhaps. He is brother of
Dhyan Singh, who was Runjeet Singh's chief counsellor, and uncle of
Heera Singh, who succeeded his father after his murder by Ajeet Singh.
He it is who is your uncle's principal enemy, as it is his son who
obtained the appointment of governor of the district. Baggage directed
to a merchant in Jummoo is therefore less likely to be interfered with
than if intended for another town, as complaints laid before Ghoolab by
an influential merchant might cause inquiries to be made and punishment
to be dealt out to those who have interfered with his goods in transit.
Ghoolab's name is still powerful, even with the soldiers, and his
influence among the leaders is quite sufficient to obtain some sort of
redress for injuries committed upon those wealthy enough to pay for his
protection."
"It seems a curious state of things to anyone coming straight from
England," Percy said, "where the law protects everyone, and where the
richest and most powerful dare not wrong the poorest peasant."
"That is good," the Sikh said thoughtfully, twirling his moustache, "but
in that case how can the rich obtain any advantage from their money?
How, indeed, can they become rich?"
"By the rents they obtain from those who cultivate their estates; from
mines and from money invested in public funds or companies."
"And what do they find for their retainers to do?"
"They have no retainers; that is, no armed retainers. Of course, they
have servants who do the service of their houses and look after the
stables and gardens and so on, but they do not carry arms themselves,
nor do any of their servants."
"But if they are wronged by a neighbour, what do they do then?"
"They simply go to the courts of law for redress, just as anyone else
would do. The cases are heard and the decisions given by the judges,
and the richest man has to obey them just the same as the poorest."
"It sounds very good," the Sikh said thoughtfully, "but it seems to me
that your country must be a very bad one for fighting men and those who
live by adventure."
"Those who want to fight can enter the army and fight the battles of
their country abroad, while those fond of adventure can go to sea or can
visit wild countries, or can go out to the colonies, where it is a hard,
rough life, but where an active man can acquire wealth."
"Now the sahib had better lie down and get a sleep till it is time to be
moving," Nand Chund said rising. "My men are all asleep already, it is
getting too hot even to talk."
*CHAPTER III.*
*AT THE CASTLE.*
For four days the journey was pursued without incident. They had brought
with them a sufficient store of provisions for the journey, and
travelled by by-paths, avoiding villages as much as possible, halting
for five or six hours in the middle of the day, and performing the
greater portion of the distance after sunset. Just as they had started
for their evening ride on the fifth day two horsemen overtook them and
reined up as they did so.
"We have missed our path," one said, "can you tell us how far it is to a
place where we can find shelter for the night?"
"Ten miles farther you will find yourselves in the main road, a mile
from Sealkote.
"If you are bound thither we shall be glad to ride with you for
protection," one said. "There are many parties of _budmashes_ about,
but they will hardly interfere with so strong and respectable a
company."
"We travel slowly," Nand Chund said, "and shall not reach Sealkote
to-night. When the beasts are tired we shall halt."
"We are in no hurry, and do not care whether we reach the town to-night
or to-morrow morning, therefore if you have no objection we will share
your bivouac. Far better to lose a few hours than to run the risk of
having our throats cut."
"As you will," Nand Chund said. "You are very welcome to stay with us,
if it so pleases you."
As they rode the strangers chatted with Nand Chund, Percy reining back
his horse and riding among the men. After travelling about five miles
Nand Chund ordered a halt, the baggage animals were unloaded, a tent
pitched, and two of his men began to prepare a meal, while the others
looked to the horses. The two strangers also dismounted and spoke for a
time together, then one said to the Sikh officer:
"You will think that we do not know our own minds, but we have concluded
that as the moon is bright and our horses fairly fresh we will push on
to Sealkote."
"It is for you to decide," Nand Chund said. "You are welcome to stay
with us, and free to ride on if you prefer it." After a few inquiries
about the way the two men mounted and rode on. As soon as the sound of
the horses' hoofs became faint Chund spoke to one of his men, who
immediately left the party and glided away to the right.
"I have sent him to watch them," Nand Chund said to Percy; "I warrant
they will halt before they are gone half a mile. My man will keep in
the fields till he gets near them, and will bring us word if they move
on."
"What do you suspect them to be?"
"I have no doubt they are enemies. They may have been on our track
since we started, or only for the last day's march, but they are
watching us no doubt."
"What makes you think so, Nand Chund?"
"Many things. It was unlikely that they would be upon this by-path
instead of on the main road. That they should offer to stop with us
when they were so well mounted, was singular, also their change of
intentions when they found that we were going to halt. Their
conversation too was not that of honest men."
"What did they talk about?"
"They said they were coming from Lahore, and talked of all the doings
there."
"What was the harm in that?" Percy asked in surprise.
"Only that it was natural when falling in with a party like ours that
they should have asked many questions. Whence we came, and whither were
we going? What merchandise we carried? Were we trading on our own
account, or were we carrying goods for some trader? How was it that I
had such a strong armed party with me? These are the questions honest
men would ask, but they spoke only of their own doings and asked no word
about ours. I have no doubt whatever that they know who I am and who
you are, and that all they really wanted to learn was where we intended
to stop. Now they are, I am certain, watching us, or probably one may
have ridden off to carry the news and fetch their band, while the other
remains to see that we do not move our camp."
"What are you going to do, Nand Chund?"
"I shall wait till Ruzam returns. If they should have ridden straight
on we shall move at once; if they both remain on watch, and it seems
that they are likely to do so till morning, I shall, when Ruzam returns,
go off with four of the men, and making a circuit come down upon them
from behind and despatch them. If one goes and the other remains on
watch, Ruzam can be trusted to give a good account of him before he
returns here."
"But it would be terrible to kill two men who have not actually harmed
us," Percy said, shocked at this his first experience of the customs of
the Punjaub.
"They have not done us much harm yet," Nand Chund said grimly; "but they
are endeavouring to draw us into an ambush, which will cost us our lives
and you your liberty, and perhaps our lord his fortress and his life.
Therefore I shall have no more hesitation in killing them than I should
in shooting a lurking tiger."
Three hours passed, and then Ruzam glided into the camp.
"What is your news, Ruzam?"
"They have just left," the man said; "I have been close to them all the
time listening to their talk. They have been watching you from a spot
half a mile away. They would have come up to hear what you were saying,
but neither would stay behind alone, saying what was true enough, that
we also might be watching them, and if they separated they might be
taken singly. For the same reason neither would stay while the other
rode forward. I could have shot one, but I could not have been sure of
killing the second before he rode off, and so thought it better to be
quiet. At last they concluded that you had really encamped for the
night, and that they could safely ride off with the news. It was
unfortunate that the moonlight was so bright, for it prevented my
crawling up close enough to attack them before they could mount."
"Did you hear what roads are likely to be beset?"
"No, they did not enter into particulars; but they said that they would
be sure to have you, as there would be parties on every road. It is the
young sahib they are anxious to capture; and the orders were strict that
he was to be taken unharmed, and that all the rest of us were to be
killed or taken prisoners."
"We will delay no longer," Nand Chund said. "We will leave the tent
standing and put some fresh wood on the fire. They can be at Sealkote in
an hour, and perhaps will return with a party without delay. Load up
the horses and let us be off. Did you hear them say where they have
come from, Ruzam?"
"Yes, sahib, there were six of them at Loodiana. They must have got
news from someone in the fortress of the object of our journey, they
arrived there on the day after you did. The morning we started one man
was sent off with the news while the others followed us, not together
but singly, so that every road we could take should be followed and our
steps traced. Each night one man has been despatched with the news of
our halting-places."
"You see, sahib," Nand Chund said to Percy, "I was not wrong in saying
that our ride would be a dangerous one, and truly so far our enemies
have been more than a match for us; now we must see if we cannot double
upon them."
As soon as the baggage was packed the party mounted, and to Percy's
surprise the officer led the way back along the road by which they had
come.
"It is of no use our going forward," he said. "Doubtless they will take
some little time in getting the members of the band, who are at
Sealkote, together and making a start--we can calculate on at least an
hour for that--but that only gives us three hours' start. They will, I
hope, make sure that we have continued our journey, and will ride on
fast so as to overtake us before daylight. We will go back for a mile
and then turn off across the fields by some country track, and we may
hope before we have travelled very far to hit upon another leading in
the direction we want to go. We shall have the moon for another five or
six hours, and after that we will travel by torchlight. We have brought
some torches with us. One will be enough to show us any ditches or
nullahs when we are proceeding across country, when we are on a road we
can do without it."
Two of the men dismounted, and giving their horses to their comrades
went on ahead searching for some track across the fields. After half an
hour's riding one was found, it was a mere pathway used by peasants, and
turning off on it the party followed it in single file.
"Would it not be better to leave the baggage behind us," Percy asked the
officer. "Then we could go on at a gallop. It would be a nuisance to
lose all the things, but that would be of no odds in comparison to our
lives."
"No, sahib, the colonel's boxes may be of importance. And at any rate,
it has not come to that yet. If we are attacked and have to ride for
it, of course we must leave them, for whatever may be in the boxes the
colonel sets your life at a much higher value. But I hope now we shall
outwit them. The road we were travelling will be known to them, and it
is along that they will be gathering, therefore we may well give them
the slip. We will cross the Chenab at daylight at Gazerabad, and cross
the Jhelum by boats a few miles below Jetalpore. They would be on the
watch for us there. Then I think we shall be safe till we get near the
colonel's fortress. That of course will be the most dangerous portion
of the journey, since they will know by whatever road we travel it is
for that point we are making. We will halt in a grove, and I shall send
two of the men off on horseback by different roads. We may calculate
that one of them at least will reach the fortress, and the colonel will
then send out a force sufficient to beat off any attack likely to be
made, for, as our strength is known, some thirty or forty men will have
been considered ample for the work."
"That seems a very good plan," Percy agreed. "I wonder that they should
dare to venture into my uncle's district, where, as you say, the people
are all favourable to him."
"There are many valleys and nullahs in which they could conceal
themselves; besides, much of the country is uncultivated, and they could
lie hid for a fortnight without much fear of being discovered if they
took provisions with them and encamped near water."
All night the journey continued. Percy was so sleepy that he several
times dozed off in his seat, and woke with a start, finding himself
reeling in the saddle. At times, however, he was obliged to pay
attention to their course, for it was often a mere track, that even the
men walking ahead had difficulty in following. There were deep nullahs
to be crossed, and once or twice wide water-courses, dry now, but
covered with stones and boulders. These were, as Nand Chund told him,
foaming torrents in the wet season, and at such times quite impassable.
Occasionally the track turned off in a direction quite different to that
they were following; and they then directed their course by the stars, a
man going ahead with a torch until they came again upon cultivated
ground and struck upon a path leading in the right direction.
The two rivers were crossed safely, and they then rode north for two
days.
Percy felt thankful indeed when, after pushing on all that last night,
Nand Chund, upon arriving at a clump of bushes, decided to halt just as
daylight was beginning to break in the east. The two best-mounted men
received their instructions, and at once rode on at a brisk pace, while
the rest entered the bushes and dismounted, the men with their long
knives clearing a space sufficiently large for the party. A fire was
lit and food cooked, then four men were placed on watch at the edge of
the thicket, and the rest threw themselves down to sleep. It seemed to
Percy that he had hardly closed his eyes, but he knew he must have slept
for some hours, from the heat of the sun blazing down upon him, when
Nand Chund put his hand on his shoulder and said:
"All is well, sahib. A party of horse are approaching, and I doubt not
that the colonel is with them."
Percy leapt to his feet and made his way to the edge of the thicket.
"They are our men," Nand Chund said; "they are riding in regular lines."
A minute or two later he added, "There is the colonel himself at their
head--the officer with the white horse-hair crest to his helmet."
Unless so informed Percy would have had no idea that the tall bearded
man in silk attire was an Englishman, until he leapt from his horse
beside him, exclaiming heartily, "Well, Percy, my boy, I am glad indeed
to see you safe and sound. I have been in a fidget about you for the
last week; for I have had news that bands of strange horsemen had been
seen on the roads, and there were reports that some of them had entered
my district, though where they had gone none knew. However, all is well
that ends well. I was delighted when two fellows rode into the fortress
this morning, within a few minutes of each other, with the news that you
had got thus far, and were hiding here till I came out to fetch you.
You may imagine we were not long in getting into the saddle. Well, this
has been a rough beginning, lad; but your troubles are at an end now.
You may be sure that there is no foe near at hand who will venture to
try conclusions with four hundred of the best troops in the Punjaub. I
hardly fancied that you would have come, Percy. I don't know when I have
been so pleased as when I received the letter from Mr. Fullarton at
Loodiana, saying that you had come out with him, and would probably be
there in a few days."
"I was very glad to come, uncle,--very. It did not take me five minutes
to decide about coming after I had read your letter."
"You are something like what I expected you to be, Percy, although not
altogether. I fancied that you would be more like what your father was
at your age. It seems but yesterday that we were boys together, though
it is so many years ago. But I don't see the likeness--I think you are
more like what I was. Your father, dear good fellow as he was, always
looked as if he had a stiff collar on. Even from a boy he was all for
method and order; and no doubt he was right enough, though I hated both.
Well, you may as well mount, and you can tell me about your voyage as we
ride back. You have done your work well, Nand Chund. I knew that I
could safely trust the boy in your charge. Have you been troubled by
the way?"
"Only once have we absolutely seen them, sahib;" and the officer gave
the colonel a short account of the incident of the pretended travellers.
"So they were at Loodiana the day after you arrived? Then someone must
have sent off word of the object of your mission as soon as you started.
We must find out these traitors, Nand Chund, and make an end of them.
However, we will talk that over afterwards."
By this time the horses had been led out from the thicket. The colonel
watched Percy critically as he mounted, and nodded approvingly as he
sprang into the saddle.
"That is right, lad; I see that you are at home on a horse. We shall
make a Sikh of you before long. How have you got on with him, Nand
Chund? You must have been quite in a fog, Percy, as to what was going
on. Your tongue must have had quite a holiday since you left Loodiana."
"The young sahib speaks Punjaubi very fairly, colonel, and we had no
difficulty in understanding each other."
"Speaks Punjaubi!" the colonel repeated. "You must be dreaming, Nand
Chund. How can the boy have learned the language. I suppose you mean
Hindustani--though how he could have picked that up in an English school
is more than I can understand. There was no such thing heard of when I
was a boy."
"It is Punjaubi he speaks, colonel, though he told me he could also make
himself understood in Hindustani," the officer said in the native
language.
"Nand Chund tells me that you can speak Punjaubi, Percy, but in truth I
can hardly believe him."
"I don't speak it very well yet, uncle, but I can get on with it. I
worked five or six hours a day on the voyage out with a Punjaubi servant
of Mr. Fullarton. I thought it would be of great use for me to know
something of the language when I arrived. As to the Hindustani, I have
had a master at school twice a week for more than a year before I
sailed."
"I am delighted, Percy. You must have worked hard indeed to speak as
fluently as you do, and it does you tremendous credit. I own I should
never have thought of spending my time on board ship learning a
language. You do take after your father more than me, after all; it is
just the sort of thing he would have done. Well, I am pleased,
boy,--very pleased. Mr. Fullarton spoke in very favourable terms about
you when he wrote. I wondered then how he should know anything about a
boy of your age who chanced to be a fellow-passenger, but thought it was
merely a bit of civility on his part, and meant nothing, I suppose he
heard from his servant that you were working up the language with him,
and so came to take an interest in you. Perhaps you sat near him at
table?"
"No, uncle; I took my meals with the second and third officers and the
midshipmen. The captain offered to put me there; it was so much nicer
than going among a lot of grown-up people, and of course it gave me a
great deal more time for work. But towards the end of the voyage I came
to know most of the passengers. Mr. Fullarton was the first to be kind
to me. He used very often to come forward to where I was working with
Ram Singh--that was the name of his servant,--and he would explain
things about the grammar that I could not understand and Ram Singh could
not tell me, for of course he didn't know anything about grammar."
"Well, you can ride, you can talk Punjaubi fairly, and you know
something of Hindustani. That is a capital beginning, Percy. Have you
any other accomplishments?"
"Nothing that I know of," Percy laughed, "except that on the way out I
practised pistol-shooting; and before we got to Calcutta there were not
many on board who shot much better. Mr. Fullarton made me practise from
the first, and told me that to shoot straight was one of the most
valuable accomplishments I could have in India."
"He was perfectly right," the colonel said heartily. "A quick eye and
hand with the pistol are invaluable, especially in a country like this,
where assassination is the most ordinary way of getting rid of an enemy.
My pistol has saved my life several times, and the fact that I am a dead
shot has no doubt saved me from many other such attempts. Even the most
desperate men hesitate at undertaking a job which involves certain
death; for even if they planted a dagger between my shoulders before I
had time to lay hands on the butt of a pistol, they would be lulled to a
certainty by my men. You must keep that up, lad, till you can hit an
egg swinging at the end of a string nine times out of ten at twelve
paces. It is very seldom that you want to use a pistol at a longer
range than that. Now, am I at all like what you expected me to be?"