tired of looking out of these loopholes, and don't care how soon I am on
my way to Cashmere. How long will it be, do you think, before a message
can come from Ghoolab Singh?"
"If he is at Jummoo a messenger should be able to go and come in five or
six days, sahib; but it will probably be some little time before he can
get an interview with Ghoolab. This is the fifth day since we were
brought here; if we hear nothing to-morrow it will be either that he is
not there, or that the dacoit has demanded so large a sum for you that
he is unwilling to give it. Ghoolab is too fond of money to pay if he
can help it; and it is quite possible that when the messenger gets there
he will seize and torture him until he reveals the position of this
place, and will then send a force to capture you without the necessity
of paying for you. I wonder whether the dacoits have foreseen that
possibility. It is just the sort of thing that Ghoolab would delight
in."
"I hope he won't attempt anything of the sort," Percy said; "if the
dacoits find themselves surrounded and attacked here, they would likely
enough avenge themselves upon him by cutting our throats before his men
could force their way in."
"That is just what they would do, sahib; but as Ghoolab would foresee
the risk, it will, I hope, prevent him from carrying out that plan. He
will learn from the messenger that the place can hardly be taken by a
sudden surprise, and, therefore, he may think it better to pay the sum
demanded, provided it is not too large, to running the risk of losing
you altogether. He would not be ill-pleased to hear of your death, for
he would reckon that were you out of the way, sooner or later the
fortress and district would fall into his hands; but doubtless he would
rather have you, in order that he may drive a good bargain with the
colonel and get him to hand the place over in exchange for you."
"I hope my uncle will do nothing of the sort," Percy said.
Akram Chunder shook his head. "You are his son by adoption," he said,
"and to save your life he will give up the fortress."
"Well, I hope at any rate he will negotiate for some time, Akram, in
which case it will be hard if we don't manage to slip away somehow. I
wish we had our knives with us."
"What for, sahib? The stonework of the windows is solid, and it would
take us an immense time to enlarge one of the loopholes so that we could
slip through."
"I was not thinking of that; but if we had our knives we could get off
one of the back legs of the _charpoy_, so that its loss would not be
noticed, and cut it up into wedges, which we could drive in all round
the door if we heard a row going on outside. The door is a very strong
one, and if we could fasten it like that inside they might not be able
to break it open before Ghoolab's men could fight their way in."
"That is a good idea, sahib, and if we had knives we would carry it out,
but without them I don't see that we could do anything. We might move
the two _charpoys_ against the door, but half a dozen men pushing on the
other side would soon drive them out of the way."
"No, there is nothing to be done," Percy agreed; "and I do hope that
Ghoolab will quite see that in the event of his trying to take the
place, the dacoits will be pretty sure to finish me before his men can
get in."
That evening they unlashed the thin binding that held one of the beds
together, and each armed himself with one of the legs.
"It is not much of a weapon," Percy said, "but it is something anyhow,
and it would be a thousand times better to make a fight of it than to
stand still and have one's throat cut. We will take it by turns to keep
awake to-night, so as to hear if there is anything stirring."
The night, however, passed without any unusual sound being heard. Just
after daybreak they heard a shout.
"That is likely to be the messenger returning," Akram Chunder said. "If
it had been an enemy, they would have come in the dark."
"But they would not be able to find their way," Percy objected.
"They would make the messenger act as their guide, sahib; there would be
no difficulty about that. Besides if it had been an enemy, we should
have heard other shouts; the whole place would be in a turmoil. I have
no doubt that it is the messenger, and we shall presently hear what
Ghoolab says."
An hour passed, and then the door opened and the men brought in food.
"You are to eat this quickly," one said, speaking for the first time
since they had been imprisoned; "you have to mount and ride in a quarter
of an hour; and Goolam Tej bade me tell you that you had best eat a good
meal, for you have a long ride before you, and may not get another
before nightfall."
When, after eating a hearty meal, Percy and his follower mounted and
made off, escorted by twelve of the dacoits, they congratulated
themselves that they had escaped the danger they feared.
"I think that your life is quite safe now, sahib," Akram said.
"Whatever Ghoolab Singh may threaten, he will scarcely venture to do you
harm. He was always opposed to war with the English, knowing that they
would assuredly defeat the soldiers, and he is far-sighted enough to see
that ere long the Punjaub will belong to them. It is true that another
time the Sikhs might put a larger force in the field than that with
which they last fought; but so can the English, for had the war lasted
two weeks longer, the army that was coming up from Scinde would have
joined that which fought at Sobraon and would have well-nigh doubled its
strength. This being so, Ghoolab Singh, who has received the kingdom of
Cashmere at the hands of the English, would fear that, did he murder one
of your race, troubles would arise when the English became masters of
the Punjaub. In the case of your uncle he would have no scruples, for,
as all know, Englishmen who take service with native princes do so
without the consent of their government, and forfeit all right to their
protection. Besides, it will be represented that the colonel was in
fact a rebel against the durbar, since he held by force the government
of which he had been deprived by the orders of Runjeet Singh and his
ministers, and that his life was thereby forfeited. He may not know
that you have been serving as an officer in the English army; but you
must let him hear that, and that the governor-general himself has
promised you an appointment in the Company's service, and has taken
great interest in you, and that, should anything befall you, he will
assuredly punish whoever may be the author of the deed. I think that if
Ghoolab had known that, he would not have accepted the dacoits' offer.
Before, you were only a relative of a man with no friends save his own
soldiers, and had he executed you publicly as a rebel in the
market-place of Jummoo there would have been no one to gainsay him. But
now that you are known to the governor-general and the
commander-in-chief, he will see that he cannot act as he will without
drawing upon himself the anger of the English authorities, when the
colonel reports the fact to them."
"There is something in that, Akram, but not much. Were he asked to
explain why he had put one of English blood to death, he would simply
reply that he was the nephew of a man who had set the government of
Lahore at defiance, had maintained himself by arms, had inflicted heavy
losses on the force sent to place the lawful governor appointed by the
durbar in power; that the person executed had taken part in this act of
rebellion, and that his life was justly forfeited. As all this would be
in a way true, there could really be no answer to it, and the English
would certainly not embroil themselves with a powerful prince, with whom
they were anxious to keep on good terms, on such a matter. Still, if I
do see Ghoolab himself, I shall certainly make the most of the kind
expressions of Sir Henry Hardinge and the commander-in-chief when I left
them at Lahore. I should hardly think, however, that he will see me.
He would prefer being able to deny, without chance of contradiction,
that he knew anything at all about me."
"But in that case, sahib, how could he use you as the means of forcing
the colonel to give up the fortress and his governorship of the
district?"
"I should think that most likely he will send word to my uncle that he
has learned I have fallen into the hands of some dacoits, and that if my
uncle will surrender the fortress he will take measures to rescue me
from these men, who will otherwise put me to death."
"The colonel will never believe that," Akram said decidedly; "he will
guess at once that you are in the hands of Ghoolab."
"Very likely he will, Akram, but he won't be able to prove it, and
Ghoolab will know well enough that if he were to put me out of the way
my uncle could not accuse him of my death, as he would have no evidence
of my death to produce in support; and indeed, if Bhop Lal recovered and
took him the news of our being carried off, all he could say would be a
confirmation of Ghoolab's story, and would show that I had indeed been
carried off by a band of dacoits. It will most likely be known that
Goolam Tej's band were in the neighbourhood, and were doubtless the
party who attacked us."
Akram Chunder was silent. He could not gainsay Percy's argument, and it
seemed to him that Ghoolab Singh had indeed the game completely in his
hands.
"I am afraid it is as you say, sahib," he remarked after a while, "and
that we shall have, as we agreed, to slip out of their hands somehow. I
see no chance at present."
"Certainly not," Percy agreed; "we have no arms, and though they have
not tied us this time, they must be sure that we dare not try to escape,
surrounded as we are by them, for they would be able to shoot us down
before we had ridden ten yards. Moreover, the wood is too dense for us
to force our way through, and even if we got away at first, we should be
overtaken."
The road they were traversing was a mere track cut through the dense
forest, and it was with difficulty that they rode two abreast. Six of
the dacoits rode ahead of them, six behind, those immediately following
them having, as they observed when they mounted, their pistols in their
hands, in readiness to shoot at the first indication of an attempt to
escape.
"Do you think we are going towards Jummoo?" Percy asked after they had
ridden for some three hours.
"I cannot say for certain, sahib, but I think not. I feel sure that
Jummoo lies much to the right, and I believe that we shall come down
into the valley of Cashmere somewhere between that and Serinagur.
Winding about as we have been doing in the bottom of valleys, it is very
difficult to judge which way we are really going."
"I agree with you, Akram. I have been watching the way in which the sun
falls upon us, and as you say, though we have wound and turned a good
deal, I do not think we have ridden to the right as we should have done
had we been making for Jummoo. It does not make much difference whether
we are taken there or to Serinagur," Percy said; "the end of the journey
will be a prison in any case."
"There is no doubt about that, but I would rather they took us to
Serinagur, sahib. Ghoolab Singh has been years at Jummoo, and you may
be sure that in that time he has built new and strong prisons, from
which it would be very hard to escape. Serinagur is an old place, and
its prisons would not be like those of Jummoo, and ought to be much
easier to get out of; besides, being so much farther from the frontier,
they might not watch us so closely, thinking we should know it would be
next to impossible for men ignorant of the language to make their way
down the valley, however disguised."
[Illustration: PERCY AWAKES, TO FIND THAT THE GUARDS ARE VIGILANT]
Half an hour later they passed through a village, and as the forest
thinned as they approached it, and the path became broader, the dacoits
closed in on both sides of the prisoners and completely surrounded them.
The inhabitants fled into their houses as the troop rode through. No
halt was made, and they presently came upon a broad road, and following
this again began to mount. All day they travelled among very lofty
hills, but towards evening made a long and steep descent.
"I think I know that last pass we went through," Akram Chunder said; "I
believe we are now descending into the valley of Cashmere. If I am
right, this road will fall into it ten miles below Serinagur."
Shortly afterwards a halt was called, the dacoits turned their horses
loose to graze, and proceeded to light a fire to cook the food they had
brought with them. They gave the prisoners a share, but when the meal
was concluded tied them securely hand and foot and placed two guards
over them. These were relieved at short intervals, and one of the men
kept the fire burning briskly. Percy woke several times in the night,
and each time found the guard vigilant; and being convinced that there
was no possibility of an escape while in their charge, he at once went
off to sleep again.
In the morning their bonds were loosed, and they resumed their journey.
About mid-day they came down into a wide flat valley. A large river
meandered with many turns and windings down it, and smaller streams fell
into it at many points.
"Are those small rivers for the most part navigable?" Percy asked,
pointing to the silver threads among the bright green expanse of
vegetation.
"Yes, sahib, the rivers are the roads throughout the valley; it is by
them that the peasants take in their products to Serinagur. I do not
say they would carry a large barge, but small boats can make their way
along them right up to the foot of the hills."
"It must be a very rich country judging from the numbers of villages
scattered about."
"It is, sahib; with good government Cashmere would be a paradise. It is
never very hot or very cold; the air is soft and balmy, the soil is so
rich that everything grows in abundance with but little trouble to the
cultivator; he has but to gather his crops and pitch them into his boat,
and he can make his way to market without the necessity for horse or
bullock. But the government is bad, and has been so for long. Ghoolab
is a hard master, but no harder than its former rulers have been. The
people would be rich and contented indeed under such a rule as that of
the English, firm and just, for in addition to agriculture they have
many other means of earning their living, there are the shawl-weavers
and silver workers, and those who paint on lacquer, and every member of
the family can help to earn something.
"The mountains abound with game, and there is pasturage for countless
flocks and herds. The poets of India have always sung of Cashmere as
the fairest and most blest by nature of any spot south of the Hindoo
Koosh; and they have not spoken a bit too strongly. With good rulers it
would be that and much more. The fault is that the country is so fair,
the climate so balmy, and life so easy, that the people are too soft in
their habits to make good soldiers, and the country has therefore been
overrun countless times by more warlike races. At present the Sikhs are
masters, but their rule is likely to be even shorter than that of others
who have conquered it. When the English are lords of the Punjaub, they
will see how fair and how rich is this valley of Cashmere, and that they
have but to stretch out their hand to take it. It will be a blessed day
indeed for the people when they do so."
"I don't think they want further conquests, Akram; they would gladly
have left the Punjaub alone, but they were forced against their will
into annexing first the provinces beyond the Sutlej, now Jalindar, and
next time perhaps the rest of the country, but there can be no
aggressions from Cashmere."
"No, sahib, but the same necessity may arise here as elsewhere. The
English hate oppression, and if Ghoolab or his successors grind down the
people beyond a certain point, they will interfere. Moreover, Cashmere
is necessary to them. Through it runs the best road over the great
northern chain of mountains. It is, quite as much as Afghanistan, the
door of India, and round the valley at its northern end are troublesome
tribes, whom the rulers of Cashmere have never been able to keep in
order; the boundaries of China are not far away. A generation or two at
the outside and the English will be rulers at Serinagur I think, sahib.
What a blessing it would be to the country! In the first place, there
would be neither over-taxation nor oppression. All would live and till
their lands and work their loom, secure of enjoying their earnings in
peace. Money would flow into the country, for the sahibs would come in
great numbers from the plains, for health and for sport, and would spend
their money freely, and would buy our manufactures from the weavers and
silversmiths at first hand, while now they have to be sent down to
market at great expense, and in troublous times at great risk. There,
you see, sahib, we are taking the northern road; in two hours we shall
be at Serinagur."
"All the better, Akram; this is a lovely view, and I should be a long
time before I was tired of looking at it; but I am eager to see what
kind of a place we are going to be shut up in so as to judge our chance
of escape. I wish we could get hold of a couple of long knives and hide
them somewhere about us, before we reach the town;" for the clothes they
had worn when they were captured had been restored to them before
starting.
"One might persuade one of these fellows riding by us to part with his
knife, sahib; but our pockets are empty; at least mine are, and I don't
suppose they have left you any better provided."
"No, Akram, but I have twenty gold pieces wrapped up in flannel and
stowed away in a flap-pocket at the bottom of my holster. My uncle had
it made on the day I left him. He said that it might be useful to have
a small store of money there in case I ever fell among thieves; and it
is so contrived that even if anyone put his hand right down to the
bottom of the holster he would not suspect that there was a pocket
there, for the flap exactly fits it, and makes a sort of false bottom.
The money was stowed away there, and I have never thought of it since."
"It must be well hidden, sahib," Akram Chunder said with a laugh, "for I
have put the saddle on and off a hundred times, and put your pistols and
sometimes food into the holster, and never for a moment suspected that
there was money lying there. Are you sure that it hasn't been taken?"
Percy put his hand down into the holster.
"It is all right, Akram, I can feel the roll of flannel under the flap."
"Well, sahib, if you can get out four pieces it is hard if I don't
manage to get a couple of knives from this fellow next to me; as for the
rest, if we can but hide them about us they may prove the means of our
getting free from prison. Thinking it over, it seemed to me that our
greatest difficulty was that we had no means of bribing anyone."
Percy managed to get out four gold pieces, and passed them quietly to
his follower.
"Comrade," the latter said in a low voice to the dacoit riding beside
him, "you have two knives in your girdle, at what do you value them?"
The man looked keenly at his prisoner. Their clothing had been searched
with scrupulous care, and he felt sure that no hiding-place could have
been overlooked.
"It depends on who wanted to buy," he said cautiously.
"Suppose I wanted to buy."
"Then they would be worth two gold pieces each."
"That is beyond my means. I would not mind giving a gold piece for each
of them."
"Where are the pieces to come from?"
"That is my business; perhaps I have them hidden in my mouth or my ears,
or my hair."
"I dare not do it," the man said; "it might be noticed."
"Not if you managed it well," Akram said. "You might ride close up to
me when the road happens to be narrow, and pass them in a moment;
besides we are not thinking of escape now; but they may be useful to us
afterwards."
"It is too great a risk," the man repeated irresolutely.
"Well, I will give you three pieces for the two, though it is hard that
you should beggar me."
The man nodded, and presently Akram saw him shift the two knives to the
side of his girdle next to him. A short distance farther on he glanced
round at the two men riding behind. They were laughing and talking
together, and evidently paying but little attention to the prisoners. A
moment later he touched his horse's rein, and his knee rubbed against
Akram's. The latter passed three gold pieces into his hand, snatched
the knives from his girdle, and thrust them under his coat, and the
dacoit at once drew off to his former position. Riding close together,
Akram had no difficulty in passing one of the knives to Percy, who then
again opened the flap in the holster and took the money from its flannel
inclosure and handed seven pieces to Akram.
"Where do you mean to hide them?" he asked.
"In the folds of my waist-sash; that is the only place to put them at
present. Of course if they search us they will discover the money and
the knives, but they will be so sure that the dacoits have taken
everything from us that they may not think it worth while to do so. If
they once leave us in a room alone we can hide them away so that nothing
but a careful search will find them; but at present we must trust to
chance."
They were now approaching the town, which extends some two miles on
either side of the river Jelum, across which several bridges are thrown.
Percy was disappointed at the appearance of the place, which contained
no buildings of sufficient importance to tower above the rest. He was
most struck with the green appearance of the roofs. On remarking this
to Akram, the latter replied:
"They are gardens, sahib; the roofs are for the most part flat, and they
are overlaid with a deep covering of earth, which keeps the houses warm
in winter and cool in summer. The soil is planted with flowers, and
forms a terrace, where the family sit in the cool of the evening."
"That explains it. It is a pity the same thing is not done in other
towns; it looks wonderfully pretty."
The people they passed on the road were dressed somewhat differently to
those of India; the men wore large turbans and a great woollen vest with
wide sleeves; while the women were for the most part dressed in red
gowns, also with large loose sleeves. Bound the head was a red twisted
handkerchief, over which was thrown a white veil, which did not,
however, cover the face.
"Is the language at all like Punjaubi?" Percy asked.
"No, sahib, it differs altogether from all the Indian tongues, so far as
I have heard, and is therefore very difficult to be learned by the
natives of other parts."
Before reaching the town the horsemen turned off from the main road, and
making a wide detour so as to avoid it altogether, continued their
course along the foot of the hills on the left of the valley, and after
proceeding some two miles above the upper end of the city, mounted the
hill, and in half an hour reached a building standing at considerable
height above the valley.
"That is just as we expected, sahib. You see we have avoided the town,
and Ghoolab will, if questioned, be able to affirm that we have never
been brought there. None of the people we met on the road will have
noticed us, dressed as we are, in the middle of this band, whom they
will take to be the following of some sirdar."
"If that is to be our prison, Akram, it does not look anything like such
a difficult place to get out of as the dacoit's castle; but of course it
all depends on where they put us."
They stopped at the entrance to the building. They were evidently
expected, for an officer came out at once, followed by six armed men.
He addressed no questions to the dacoits, but simply nodded as they led
the two prisoners forward. Two of the men took the bridles of the
horses and led them inside the gates, which were then closed.