My father counted out the money and handed it over to the Dullal; his
countenance brightened as he viewed it, and he made numberless salams
and protestations of thanks. "Now you must write a receipt for the
money," said my father.
"Surely," replied the fellow, taking a pen out of his turban, "if my
lord will give me paper and ink."
"Here they are," said I; "write."
He did so, gave me the paper, and tied the money up in a corner of
his dhotee, which he tucked into his waistband. "Have I permission to
depart?" he asked; "my lord knows the poor Dullal, and that he has
behaved honestly in this transaction. Whenever my lord returns to
Hyderabad, he can always hear of Mohun Das, if he inquires at the Char
Minar, and he will always be ready to exert himself in his patron's
service."
"Stay," said I; "I have somewhat to say to thee;" and I related to my
father the whole of the conversation I have just described.
"Is it so?" said he to the miserable being before him; "is it so?
speak, wretch! let me hear the truth from thy own lips; wouldst thou
have robbed me?"
But the creature he addressed was mute; he stood paralysed by fear and
conscious guilt, his eyes starting from his head, his mouth open, and
his blanched lips drawn tightly across his teeth. "Thou hast deserved
it," continued my father; "I read in that vile face of thine deeds of
robbery, of murder, of knavery and villany of every kind; thou must
die!"
"Ah, no, no! Die?--my lord is pleased to be facetious; what has his
poor slave done?" and he grinned a ghastly smile.
"Thou wouldst have robbed me," said my father, "when I trusted thee
with my whole substance; thou wouldst have left me to starve in a
strange land without compunction; thou hast robbed others, and cheated
thousands: say, art thou fit to live, to prey longer upon the world
thou hast already despoiled?"
He threw himself at my father's feet; he grasped his knees; he could
scarcely speak, and was fearfully convulsed and agitated by extreme
terror. "I am all that you say," he cried, "thief, murderer, and
villain; but oh! do not kill me. My lord's face is kind--I cannot
die--and my lord has no sword, and how will he kill me?" He had only
just perceived that we were both unarmed, and he made a sudden rush at
the door. "The Kotwal shall know of this," he cried; "people are not
to be terrified with impunity." The door was fastened; he gave several
desperate pulls and pushes at it; but I was at his back, and the fatal
handkerchief was over his head: he turned round and glared on me--the
next instant he was dead at my feet.
"There," cried my father exultingly, "judgment has overtaken him, and
the memory of his crimes will sleep with him for ever; we have done a
good deed."
"Yes," said I, "a good one indeed; he confessed himself to be a
murderer, robber, and knave--what more need you? and so young too for
this accumulation of crime!"
"Drag him in here," said my father, "I like not to look on him; and go
for the Luggaees; he must be buried at night in the small yard of the
house; I dare not have the body carried out in this crowded city."
"It shall be done," I replied; "but think what an escape we have had;
had you not told me to go with the wretch, we should have lost our
money."
"Yes, my son, and even had we got it, had you not suspected that five
per cent. was too much, I should certainly have paid the sum; but I saw
your drift, and I think took up the clue admirably. We have cheated the
knave both out of his money and his life."
"True," said I, "it has been a good adventure, and amusing withal;
besides it promises further advantage."
"From the rock and the Fakeer?"
"Yes; there will be good booty."
"Take care," said my father; "the band may be there, and they will give
you a warm reception."
"I will go and consult with Bhudrinath," said I; "the adventure will
just suit him and Surfuraz Khan; we will do nothing rashly."
Bhudrinath was at the serai waiting for me. "So, Meer Sahib," said he,
"you are still in the humour for a frolic; how many lives will satisfy
your worship to-night there is no lack of men in this abode of villany."
"I am in the humour," said I, "but not for what I intended; I have
better game in view."
"Ha!" said he, "so _you_ have been acting Sotha; and pray what may this
game be?"
"One that will require stout hearts, and maybe naked weapons," I
replied: "are you willing to accompany me?"
"To death," said Bhudrinath; "but I cannot for my life see what you are
driving at."
"Listen," I replied; and I related to him the whole history of the
Dullal.
"Cleverly done, very cleverly, indeed, my young jemadar," said he, when
my relation was ended; "no one could have managed it better from first
to last; the rascal deserved his fate; and now I suppose we must search
out these hidden treasures in the rock."
"Exactly," said I; "I would do so this very night if I knew how to go
about it properly."
"Let me see," said Bhudrinath musing; "we shall not want many men, six
or eight resolute fellows will be sufficient. You and I, Peer Khan,
Motee-ram, and four others, are ample; there is no use waiting for
Surfuraz Khan, he will not now be back before the morning. But how to
get intelligence of the place, and whether any of the rascals are there
at night?"
"Can no one personate a Fakeer?" said I; "a kulundur, anything will do.
He might go up now, as the spot is close by, and bring us news in an
hour or so."
"I have it!" cried Bhudrinath. "Here, some one call Shekhjee to me."
Shekhjee came. He was an old man, with a long beard; but he was an
able fellow, and a rare good hand with the handkerchief. "Shekhjee,"
said Bhudrinath, "sit down, I have something to say to you. You can
personate a Fakeer if necessary, can you not?"
"Certainly," replied the old fellow; "Moosulman or Hindoo, all kinds
are familiar to me. I know all their forms of speech, and have many of
their dresses."
"It is well," said Bhudrinath; "now listen. You must go and disguise
yourself this instant; we have an enterprise in view;" and he related
our proposed scheme and what had preceded it. "And now," continued
Bhudrinath, "you must be wary, and by dark you must return, and tell us
of the place, and if there are men there."
"Is the Fakeer who lives there a Hindoo or Moosulman?"
"I saw the impression of spread hands in whitewash on the rock, so he
must be a Moosulman," said I.
"Then I know how to act," cried the Thug. "Sahibs, I take my leave, and
will not fail you. I shall be with you by the time I am required."
"Will he manage it?" I asked of Bhudrinath. "Methinks it is a delicate
business."
"Never fear him," said Bhudrinath; "he is a most accomplished rogue and
is a capital hand at disguise, especially as a Fakeer, and once got us
considerable booty by enticing five Nanukshaee Fakeers among us who had
picked up a good deal of money, and were going to build a well with it.
Besides, he is as brave as a lion, and you have seen his other work."
As we were talking Surfuraz Khan came in. "Ours has been a good
business," he cried exultingly, "and there is good spoil. We have
killed all the men, and the plunder is coming in charge of our
fellows."
"That is so far good," said I; "but is there any ready money, or is it
all goods?"
"Both, Meer Sahib, both; but methinks you need not be so ready to ask,
when we have not seen your face ever since we have been in the city. We
might all have been taken and safely lodged in Puntoo Lall's huwélee
for all you knew of the matter. I do not like such conduct."
I was enraged at his speech, and was about making an angry reply when
Bhudrinath interfered. "Peace!" said he, "no brawls: it is disgraceful,
and only fit for drunkards and smokers of ganja; listen to me. Surfuraz
Khan, you are no boy, and ought not to let your anger have sway; listen
and hear what our young jemadar has been about, and I swear by Bhowanee
I think he will yet put us all to shame."
He then related all I had told him, on hearing which Surfuraz Khan's
angry feelings gave way in a moment; he rose and embraced me. "I was
wrong," said he, "and you must forgive me; and to prove that I am more
than ever your friend, I beg you to allow me a place in this adventure,
for, by Alla! it promises to be a strange one."
"Willingly," said I; "we thought you would not arrive in time, but now
you are come I would not on any account that you did not accompany us."
"So you have strangled the fellows you took out," said Bhudrinath. "Had
you any trouble?"
"None whatever," replied the Khan. "We took them out on the Masulipatam
road, and found a spot on the other side of Surroonuggur; we threw
the bodies into a well and returned by another road. Soobhan Alla!
this is a rare place, and we might remain here for years and have some
amusement every day. I think I shall stay here."
"You may do as you please about that," said I, "when we have shared the
spoil we have got. You will then be free, but I should be sorry to lose
you."
In such conversation we continued till it was dusk, and then assembling
the men we intended to take, eight in all, and seeing that our arms
were in good order, we waited in great anxiety for the return of our
emissary. At last he came. "There is no time to be lost," said he. "I
went up to the place and found the Fakeer. He is a fine sturdy young
fellow, and at first warned me to descend; but when I told him I was
hungry and weary, that I had just arrived from Hindostan, and did not
know where to lay my head, and begged for a crust of bread and water in
the name of the Twelve Imaums, he was pacified, and admitted me into
his cave, gave me some food and a hookah, and we sat carousing for some
time. I pulled out my opium-box and took a very little; seeing it he
begged for some, and has taken such a dose that he will not wake till
morning. I left him fast asleep."
"He shall never wake again," said I: "but did you observe the place?
Where can the plunder be hidden?"
"He lives in a cave, between two enormous rocks," said Shekhjee. "It
was nearly all in darkness, but I saw a corner at the back of it built
up with mud and stones, which he said was his sleeping-place, and I
suspect it is there that the plunder is concealed."
"Come then," said I; "there is not a moment to be lost; if we delay we
may chance to find the rest of the gang. This is just the hour at which
they are all out in the bazars, stealing what they can."
We all sallied out, and conducted by our guide, crept stealthily along
the foot of the rocks till we gained the narrow pathway by which we
were to ascend. We held a moment's conference in whispers, and bidding
five of the men stay below until we should tell them to ascend,
Bhudrinath, myself, and Surfuraz Khan crept up the narrow track to the
mouth of the cave, whither the old Thug had preceded us.
"He still sleeps," said he in a whisper; "but tread softly, lest you
wake him. He lies yonder, close by the lamp."
"Mind, he is mine," said I to Bhudrinath: "do you and Surfuraz Khan
hold him;" for as I looked on the powerful form before me, I felt this
precaution to be necessary. But he slept; how was I to throw the roomal
about his neck? Bhudrinath solved the difficulty; he gave the Fakeer a
smart blow with the flat of his sheathed sword upon the stomach, and
the fellow started up to a sitting posture.
"What is this? Thieves!" was all he could say; my handkerchief was
ready, and now it never failed me--he was dead in an instant.
"Now trim the lamp," said I to Bhudrinath. "Call up three of the men,
and let the others remain below to look out."
Bhudrinath tore a piece of rag off the clothes of the dead Fakeer,
which he twisted up into a thick wick and put into the oil vessel; its
strong glare lighted up the interior of the cave, and we saw everything
distinctly.
"Here is the wall which I spoke of," said Shekhjee, "and we had better
search behind it." We did so. There were piles of earthen jars in one
corner, which we at first supposed to contain grain or flour, and
indeed the first two we uncovered had rice and dal in them; the third
felt heavy.
"This has something in it beyond rice," said I; "examine it closely."
The mouth was stuffed with rags, but when they were removed we beheld
it filled with money--rupees and pice mixed together.
"This was not wise," said Bhudrinath; "the Shah Sahib ought not to have
mixed his copper and silver, the silver will be tarnished; but we can
clean it."
The next pot was the same: the last was the best; it was full of gold
and silver ornaments, rings, anklets, and armlets. We shuddered to see
that many of them were stained with blood. "The villains!" I exclaimed;
"that wretch then told the truth when he confessed himself to be a
murderer; the city is well rid of him. But we must not stand talking.
Do one of ye tie these things up and be ready for a start, while we
look out for further spoil."
But there was nothing else in this corner, no bales of cloth or other
articles as we had expected. We were looking about to find any other
place of concealment, and had nearly given up our search, when Surfuraz
Khan, who had gone outside, called to us. "Come here," he cried; "there
is a place here which looks suspicious."
We ran to the spot, and found the hole he had discovered to be between
two rocks; it was dark within, and a man could but just enter by
crawling upon his hands and knees. "Give me the light," said I; "I will
enter it if the devil were inside."
"Better the devil than any of this infernal gang," said Bhudrinath to
me as I entered.
I found no one, and the space within, which was so low that I could
scarcely stand upright, was filled with bundles. "Neither the devil nor
any of the gang are here," cried I to those outside, "so do some of you
come in quickly and see what I have found."
I set myself to work, as did also the others, to untie the different
bundles, and we were all busily employed. I had just opened one which
contained, as I thought, brass cooking-pots and water-vessels, and
was overjoyed to find some gold and others silver, when the alarm was
given from outside. We all got out as quickly as we could and inquired
the cause. "There are two men," said the scouts, "whom we have watched
come round the corner of the houses yonder and approach the bottom of
the rocks; they do not walk fast, and appear to be carrying loads of
something."
"Only two," said I, "then they are easily managed. Put out the light,
and conceal yourselves at the entrance of the cave; we must fall upon
them as they enter."
We had just taken our posts behind a rock which was close to the mouth,
our roomals ready, and two with their swords drawn, when one of the
fellows called out, "Ho! Sein! Sein! come down and help us up. Here we
are, laden like Pulla-wallas, and thou hast not even a light to show us
the way."
"Not a word," said I, "as you value your lives. Let them come."
"May his mother be defiled!" said the other fellow. "The beast is drunk
in his den and does not hear us. I will settle with him for this."
I suppose he stumbled and fell, for there was another series of
execrations at the Fakeer, the load, and the stones; but in a few
moments more they both reached the platform and threw down their
bundles, which clanked as they fell. "Where is this drunken rascal!"
said one, a tall fellow as big as the one we had killed. "No light for
us, and I warrant the brute has either smoked himself dead drunk or is
away at the Bhung-khana just when he is wanted."
The other sat down, apparently fairly tired and out of breath. "Go
inside," said he; "you will find the lamp and cruse of oil behind the
wall. I will not stir an inch."
The first speaker entered, cursing and abusing the Fakeer. Surfuraz
Khan and I rushed on him and despatched him; but the other, hearing
the scuffle, cried out and attempted to escape. He was not fated to do
so, however; his foot slipped, or he stumbled over one of the bundles
he had brought, and fell, and before he could rise had received his
death-wound by a cut in the neck from one of the men behind the rock,
who darted out upon him. "Enough of this work," said I; "we had better
be off; first, however, let us pay one more visit to the hole and get
what we can, and do one of you see what is in the bundles."
We again entered the hole, and each taking a bundle we got out. Those
the fellows had brought only contained cooking-pots and a few cloths,
so we left them behind, and made the best of our way to the serai
laden with our booty. I have forgotten to tell you, Sahib, how many
more proofs we discovered in that cave of the bloody trade of these
villains. Many of the bundles were of wearing apparel, and most of them
covered with blood; one that I opened was quite saturated, and as the
still wet gore stuck to my fingers, I dropped it with mingled disgust
and horror.