Wyatt related the night's experience to Hulton and the doctor over
breakfast the next morning, and then the matter dropped, for there was
plenty to think about and do.
The Rajah had to be consulted about the forming of a couple of
well-drilled regiments of cavalry, as suggested by the general, and for
whose disciplining the two sergeants were on their way.
He took to the idea eagerly, and suggested that a beginning should be
made at once; and as the days went on the officers found that they had
volunteers enough for four regiments of well-mounted men; but there was
a difficulty in the way, for every one wanted to ride in the front rank,
and resented being called upon to ride behind his fellows.
But this was got over, and the drilling went on.
Dick was busy enough, and now he spent a good deal of spare time at the
palace with the Rajah, who would have had him twice as much if his
duties would have allowed it.
"I don't mean to let you go too often, Dick," said Wyatt. "The Rajah's
all right, but I've noticed some rather doubtful looks being cast at his
favourite."
"Meaning me?" said Dick.
"Meaning you. It's wonderful what a lot he thinks of you, poor fellow."
"Poor fellow?"
"Yes--so weak and ignorant. He doesn't know you as I do."
"No," said Dick dryly.
"I'm getting horribly jealous."
"You look it," said Dick frankly.
It was a week after the alarm, and, though there was not the slightest
trace to be found outside the old palace walls, a couple of sentries
were placed on duty on the roof every night, while for further safety an
extra sentry was stationed at the gates.
The whole of the officers now took the precaution of having loaded
pistols within reach, and a certain amount of nervousness, a feeling of
insecurity, slightly marred their sleep. But after six nights without
being disturbed, they began to grow more careless, and to feel that such
an adventure was not likely to occur again.
Being now much better, Hulton accepted an invitation from the Rajah for
him and the doctor to dine at the palace, where, for the first time,
Dick had the pleasure of seeing the queen-mother--a great favour, to be
duly appreciated.
The young officer was ushered into the queen's apartments by the Rajah
himself, and found her a handsome, graceful, stately lady of forty, who
spoke fair English and received him with grave dignity, if she felt the
condescension she was showing to the youth whom her son delighted to
honour, by offering him her hand to kiss, examining his countenance
searchingly the while.
She was not alone, for Dick's friend, the elderly Brahmin, was standing
by, ready to greet him with a smile; while a bevy of her highness's
ladies stood back, closely veiled, and all in simple white silk
costumes, affording a strange contrast to their mistress, who was
literally ablaze with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.
The interview was short, and the Rajah led his young English friend back
to where the others were waiting.
"I want my mother to know more of what the English are, Darrell," he
said. "I want her to like you, and as she comes to know you better, I
feel that her bitter prejudices will soften down, and she will begin to
like others."
He referred to this again and again in the course of the evening, and
spoke apologetically to Hulton and the doctor about the matter.
"You see," he said, "that it is a matter of time, and it was the utmost
that my mother would concede at first. After a time I hope she will
often meet you, too, as her friends."
The visit was short on account of the invalids, but it was made very
pleasant by the Rajah's courteous attentions; and on his return to
quarters, and having a chat with Wyatt, telling him all the proceedings
of the evening, and describing in particular his audience with the
Ranee, Dick was in the highest of spirits, giving it as his opinion that
the enmity was dying out fast.
"I believe the Brahmin councillor and the old Wazir mean to be the best
of friends now."
"Do you?" said Wyatt dryly.
"Yes, and you don't. But wait a bit. The Rajah will be asking you
again soon, and then you'll see how differently they'll behave."
"You seem to have been drinking of the Rajah's wine of forgetfulness, my
son," said Wyatt, "and when the wine's in the wit's out."
"Oh, is it?" said Dick. "Well, I must have a very small amount of wit,
then, for one little glass of that sweet sugar-and-watery stuff to have
driven it out. It's all light, I tell you; and the Wazir asked me how
soon the drill-officers, as he called them, would be here."
"And you couldn't tell him," said Wyatt.
"I said very soon."
"Then, now, let's go to bed."
"What a hurry you're in!"
"Yes, my son. While you were feasting your eyes on the Ranee's jewels,
and kissing her hand before feasting in a more worldly way with the
Rajah, I was slaving like a nigger, and I want to sleep."
"Yes, it does seem too bad to be going out like this and leaving you at
work. I thought about you ever so many times."
"Did you?" said Wyatt, smiling and looking less grim.
"I did, and wished you were there."
"That's right, old fellow. There, good-night; I want a long snooze."
"Good-night," said Dick in an injured tone. "You always do want to go
to sleep when I want to talk."
"Do I?" said Wyatt, laughing. "Well, perhaps so. A sleep will do you
good, though."
He went to his own room, and Dick undressed and was soon lying thinking.
"Phew! how hot it is!" he said to himself. "I'd give anything for a
breath of fresh air. The place is like an oven."
But the understanding was that the windows were to be kept shut, and he
had no wish for such another encounter as he had gone through before; so
he lay still, going over the incidents of the evening, thinking of the
Ranee and the wonderful jewels she wore, and of how young she looked to
be the Rajah's mother.
"I don't quite like her way," he said to himself. "It was just as if
she spoke civilly to me to please her son, and twice over there seemed
to be a look in her eyes as if she was jealous of his being so friendly
to me. But, phew! how hot it is! I must have some fresh air."
Then, taking into consideration that he was not at all drowsy, and that
it would be impossible to sleep in that torrid atmosphere, he slipped
out of bed and softly opened the window, breathed in the comparatively
cool air for a few minutes, and then lay down again, meaning to get up
after a time and close the window when the atmosphere of his chamber had
grown cooler.
The natural consequence occurred. The soft night air stole in, bringing
to him a delightful state of calm and restfulness, under whose action
the weary, feverish symptoms passed off, and before many minutes had
gone by he was sleeping deeply, a sleep full of the keenest enjoyment,
though how long he did not know: but conscience interfered and cut the
repose short, making him start up guiltily in full consciousness of
having done something wrong. Springing off his bed, he went to the
window, stood listening for a few minutes, and gazing up at the peaceful
sky, before carefully closing and fastening the casement.
"I wonder how long I've been asleep," he said to himself--"not a minute,
I'll be bound;" and, stretching himself out, he sighed, closed his eyes,
and went right off again, but only to start up in alarm the next moment,
as he thought.
"All right, Dick, lad; don't be scared."
"Oh, it's you," he said. "You shouldn't do that, Wyatt; it's startling
in the dark, and I might have snatched up a pistol and fired."
"Yes, you'd better!" said Wyatt, laughing softly. "I should like to
catch you at it. Why didn't you answer, then, when I knocked?"
"Did you knock?"
"Of course--over and over again. You do sleep."
"What's the matter? Aren't you well!"
"Oh, yes, I believe so; but I woke up suddenly. Haven't heard or seen
anything, have you?"
"No," said Dick; and he felt guilty again, feeling sure that his
brother-officer had heard him close the window.
"Then it must have been a dream. Guilty conscience needs no accuser."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"I'll make confession, old fellow," said Wyatt. "It was so awfully hot
in my room that I couldn't bear it any longer, and I got up and opened
the window, meaning to leave it for a few minutes while I lay down till
the room was cooler--for I couldn't, have gone to sleep like that, tired
as I was; and then I went off fast asleep."
"Oh!" ejaculated Dick.
"There, don't `Oh!' at a fellow. It was wrong, of course, and I
oughtn't to have done it, for I might have been sure that I should go to
sleep. But guilty conscience set me dreaming, and I dreamed that I was
seeing exactly what you saw that night."
"Wyatt!"
"Yes; it was all as real as could be, only there was no lightning. But
I seemed to dimly make out a nigger's legs kicking about at the top of
the window, and then getting to the side and coming down till he glided
over the sill on to the floor. Then I seemed to hear the sitting-room
door open, and heard him go through."
"How strange!" said Dick.
"Yes; just a repetition of your bit of experience, lad."
"But didn't you jump out of bed and follow?"
"Don't I tell you I was asleep? Of course it wasn't real. The peculiar
state of mind I was in, from going off instead of keeping awake to shut
the window when the room grew cool, set me dreaming it all, I suppose;
and, after what seemed to be a very long time, made me wake up in a
tremendous perspiration and spring off the bed to fasten the window."
"It's very queer," said Dick. "Now, do you know, I--"
"Yes, you told me," said Wyatt, interrupting him hastily; "only that
isn't all. I went back and sat on the edge of the charpoy, feeling
regularly puzzled. I was still half asleep, and there seemed to be no
doubt about my having dreamed it all, but I couldn't settle it all in my
mind, and before lying down I felt obliged to go across the room and see
if the door was shut."
"Yes," said Dick eagerly; "and of course it was?"
"No," said Wyatt; "it was open."
"You left it open when you went to bed for coolness."
"I could swear I did not," said Wyatt. "It stuck a little, warped by
the heat, and I remember perfectly lifting it to get it close."
Dick was silent.
"Now tell me this," continued Wyatt. "Was the sitting-room window shut
when we went to bed?"
"Yes: I'm sure of that," said Dick, "because I went and looked out, and
longed to leave it open."
"You shut it?"
"You saw me do it when we came to bed."
"I did. Well, I found it wide open."
"Ah!" cried Dick excitedly, "then it was not a dream. You saw it all in
your sleep. He came in at your window and went out by the sitting-room,
and the tulwar has gone."
"No," said Wyatt slowly: "the tulwar hangs where we put it, quite safe.
I thought that, and went to see before I woke you."
"How strange! Then it must have been a dream after all. One minute.
Is there any explanation of it? Could it have been the servants?"
"No; they are both fast asleep."
"Then what can it mean?" said Dick.
"I don't know, unless you've been walking in your sleep and opened the
windows."
_Bang_!
The sentry at the gate had fired his carbine.
_Bang_! and then _bang_! The alarm was taken up by the sentries on the
roof, and the two officers seized their weapons and, clad only, as they
were, in their silken pyjamas, ran down into the yard. The guard had
turned out, and all was hurry and excitement, for that soul-stirring cry
which sends a thrill through the stoutest when raised in the dead of
night brought Dick's heart to his mouth.
For the cry was, "Fire, fire!" and Wyatt exclaimed hoarsely, "Quick, my
lads--quick! the magazine!"