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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0894626 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68330 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68330) diff --git a/old/68330-0.txt b/old/68330-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4c91222..0000000 --- a/old/68330-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11399 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Great White Hand, by James Edward -Muddock - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Great White Hand - Or the Tiger of Cawnpore A Story of Indian Mutiny - -Author: James Edward Muddock - -Release Date: June 16, 2022 [eBook #68330] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Sonya Schermann, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WHITE HAND *** - - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber’s note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -THE GREAT WHITE HAND - -OR - -THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE - - - - -THE -GREAT WHITE HAND -OR -THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE - - -A Story of the Indian Mutiny - -[Illustration: Text] - -By -J. E. MUDDOCK - -Author of - -“_Maid Marian and Robin Hood_;” “_The Dead Man’s Secret_;” “_Stories -Weird and Wonderful_;” “_Stormlight_;” “_For God and the Czar_;” -“_Only a Woman’s Heart_;” “_From the Bosom of the Deep_;” “_Basile the -Jester_;” “_Stripped of the Tinsel_;” “_The Star of Fortune_;” _&c._ - - -LONDON -Hutchinson _&_ Co. -34 Paternoster Row, E.C. -1896 - - - - -_To the Memory of_ - -_MY FATHER_ - - -_A true gentleman, brave, upright, faithful; who after many long years -of devotion to duty in India--and when on the eve of returning to his -native land--sank very suddenly to his eternal rest in March, 1861, and -sleeps “Till the day break,” in The Circular Road Cemetery, Calcutta, I -dedicate this book._ - - - - -CONTENTS - -Chap. Page - PREFACE ix - I. THE RISING OF THE STORM 1 - II. THE MYSTERY OF THE CHUPATTIES 13 - III. THE STORM BREAKS 23 - IV. THE PALACE OF THE MOGUL 36 - V. THE TREACHERY OF THE KING 48 - VI. HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE MAGAZINE 56 - VII. HAIDEE AND HER WRONGS 65 - VIII. A PERILOUS MISSION 74 - IX. HOPES AND FEARS 85 - X. A NARROW ESCAPE 97 - XI. STARTLING NEWS 108 - XII. WAKING DREAMS 120 - XIII. FOR LIBERTY AND LIFE 128 - XIV. THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE 135 - XV. AS ARMOUR IMPENETRABLE 146 - XVI. A DEADLY STRIFE 156 - XVII. FOR LIFE AND LOVE 164 - XVIII. WITH A LOVE THAT PASSETH UNDERSTANDING 172 - XIX. FROM CAPTIVITY TO CAPTIVITY 185 - XX. AS A BIRD IS ENSNARED 196 - XXI. THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER 205 - XXII. THE LION HEARTS 214 - XXIII. AS WITH AN ENCHANTER’S WAND 224 - XXIV. “SHIVA THE DESTROYER” 235 - XXV. THE LAST GRAND STRUGGLE 241 - XXVI. THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES SWINGS 248 - XXVII. WITH SWIFT STRIDES NEMESIS MOVES ON 256 - XXVIII. “THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE” 264 - XXIX. RETRIBUTION 274 - XXX. NEW HOPES 279 - XXXI. A DUEL TO THE DEATH 286 - XXXII. DELHI 297 - XXXIII. A TERRIBLE VOW 309 - XXXIV. A SURPRISE 318 - XXXV. NEW HOPES OF LIBERTY 326 - XXXVI. MOGHUL SINGH IS OUTWITTED 336 - XXXVII. HAIDEE Ō STAR 342 -XXXVIII. THE FALL OF DELHI 349 - - - - -PREFACE - - -In the year 1894, I published in two volumes a romance of the Indian -Mutiny, under the title of “The Star of Fortune.” A short prefatory -note intimated that it was my lot to be in India during the terrible -time of the Sepoy Rebellion. From this it may be inferred that I -not only wrote with feeling, but with some personal knowledge of my -subject. “The Star of Fortune” was exceedingly well received by the -public, and last year a cheaper edition was called for. That edition -has been extensively circulated throughout India and the Colonies. -The book on the whole was well reviewed, while my critics were good -enough to accord me praise, by no means stinted, for the portions which -dealt with the Mutiny proper. One London paper said it was “a very -fine picture narrative,” another spoke of it as “a spirited piece of -writing,” a third declared it was “written with spirit and vivacity,” -a fourth as being “really breathless in interest.” I could go on -multiplying quotations similar to the foregoing, but those I have given -will serve the purpose I have in view. - -On the other hand I was taken somewhat severely to task because the -opening portions of the tale dealt with Edinburgh, and about one-third -of the book was exhausted before India was reached. Whether or not -that was really a fault is not for me to say; it was certainly part -of my original plan, but I cannot be indifferent to the fact that a -consensus of opinion condemned it, and declared that the Mutiny was -far too interesting a subject to be mixed up with any love-making -scenes in Edinburgh or elsewhere other than in India. I was very -bluntly told that I ought to have plunged at once into _medias res_, -and that a story purporting to be a story of the Mutiny should deal -with the Mutiny only. The advice has not been lost upon me. I have -steadily kept it in view while writing the “Great White Hand,” and I -venture to express a hope that whatever shortcomings may be found in -the work, whatever sins of omission and commission I am guilty of, I -shall at least be credited with keeping strictly to the _locale_ and -incidents of the Great Rebellion, which, in my opinion, affords, and -will continue to afford for generations to come, a fund of the most -romantic material all ready to the novelist’s hand. If it should be -urged against me that the dramatic situations in which my characters -become involved are overstrained or improbable, I shall claim on the -authority of history that the thrilling times of the Revolt were rich -in situations so sensational, so dramatic, so tragic and pathetic, -that they put fiction into the shade. The bare ungarnished story of -the Rising is in itself one of the most sensational records the world -has ever known. Not even the Crusades, not even the wonderful defence -of Malta by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, against the infidel -Turk, present us with a more thrilling, romantic, and stirring panorama -of battle scenes and incidents than the Indian Mutiny. It was not a -struggle of the Cross against the Crescent, but of the Cross against -Vishnu, against Shiva, against Brahma. The “Phantom” King of Delhi, and -the “Tiger of Cawnpore,” both believed that the doom of Christianity -in India had knelled. But they were undeceived, and all that was -best, bravest, and noble in British men and women was brought to the -surface. Of course, in a work of this kind, history must necessarily be -used simply as a means to an end; therefore, while it is not claimed -for the story that it is a piece of reliable history in the guise of -fiction, it may truthfully be said it records certain stirring events -and incidents which are known to have taken place. These incidents and -events have been coloured and set with a due regard for the brilliant -and picturesque Orient, which forms the stage on which the dramatic -action is worked out. Those who knew India as I knew it in those -lurid and exciting days, will probably admit that there is scarcely -an incident introduced into my book but what _might_ have happened -during the enactment of the great tragedy. An air of _vraisemblance_ -represents true art in fiction, and when it becomes difficult for the -reader to tell where fiction begins and truth ends, it may be said -that the story-teller can go no further. If I should be fortunate in -establishing a claim to this praise, I shall be proud indeed; but -though I fail in that respect, I humbly venture to believe that “The -Great White Hand” will be found neither dull nor uninteresting. - -THE AUTHOR. - -LONDON, 1896. - - - - -THE GREAT WHITE HAND,[1] - -OR, - -THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE. - -_A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY._ - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE RISING OF THE STORM. - - -It is the ninth of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and -fifty-seven. The morning breaks lowering and stormy, a fitting prelude -to the great and tragic drama that is about to startle the world. It is -not yet four o’clock, and the sun is hardly above the horizon, but in -the fair Indian city of Meerut there is an unusual stir. The slanting -rays of the rising sun, as they fall through the rifts of hurrying -storm-clouds, gild the minarets and domes of the numerous mosques for -which the city is famed. The tall and graceful palms stand out in bold -relief against the sky, and from the cool greenery of their fan-like -leaves there issue the soft, peaceful notes of the ring-doves. Meerut, -at this time, is one of the most extensive military stations in our -Indian empire, and covers an area nearly five miles in circumference. -In the centre of the city is a great wall and esplanade, and along -this runs a deep nullah, which cuts the station into two separate -parallelograms; the one contains the European, and the other the Native -force. The European lines are in the northern quarter, the Artillery -barracks to the right, the Dragoons to the left, and the Rifles are -in the centre. Between the barracks of the two last rises, tall and -straight, the spire of the station church. It contrasts strangely -with the Oriental architecture which surrounds it. Farther northward -again stretches an extensive plain, which is used as a parade-ground. -Towards this plain, on the fateful ninth of May, eighteen hundred and -fifty-seven, streams of human beings are flowing. Crowds of natives, -from the low-caste Coolie to the pompous Baboo, hurry along, either on -foot or horseback. - -Presently, far and near, the _reveille_ is heard, and, in a little -while, long lines of troops, mounted and on foot, march towards the -plain. Then the clattering of horses’ hoofs, and the rumbling of guns, -add to the general commotion, and soon the plain is swarming with armed -men. Heavily-shotted field-guns are placed in position, and the drawn -sabres of the Dragoons flash in the sun’s rays, while on three sides of -the plain are bodies of troops armed with the new Enfield rifles, that -are ready, on the word being given, to belch forth fire, and send their -rotary messengers of death into the crowds of natives if the necessity -should arise. - -The cause of this great gathering is to see eighty-five native soldiers -converted into felons. On the 24th of April the 3rd Native Cavalry had -been drawn up for parade, and, when the order to load had been given, -these eighty-five had resolutely refused to bite their cartridges. For -this mutinous act they had been tried by a court-martial, composed of -English and native officers, and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment -with hard labour; and on this Saturday morning, the 9th of May, the -first part of the sentence--that of stripping them of their uniform in -the presence of all the regiments--is to take place. - -At a given signal the doomed eighty-five are brought forward under a -strong guard of Rifles and Carabineers. They still wear their uniform -and have their accoutrements. Colonel Carmichael Smyth, the Colonel -of their Brigade, steps forth, and, in a loud, clear voice, reads the -sentence. That over, their accoutrements are taken from them, and their -uniforms are stripped from their backs. Then the armourers and smiths -step forth with their shackles and their tools, and, in the presence of -a great concourse of their old comrades, the “eighty-five” stand with -the outward symbols of their black disgrace fastened upon them. - -With loud cries they lift up their arms, and implore the General to -have mercy upon them, and save them from ignominious doom. But the fiat -has gone forth, and they stand there manacled felons. Then, in the -agony of despair, they turn to their comrades and hurl reproaches at -them for quietly permitting such dire disgrace to fall upon them. There -is not a Sepoy or native civilian present but who gasps for breath as -he feels the rising indignation in his throat. But, in the presence of -the stern white soldiers, of the loaded guns, of the grooved rifles, -and the glittering sabres, they dare not strike. As the prisoners make -their appeal, there moves, swiftly, silently amongst the crowds of -natives, a tall, slim man--a Hindoo. His movements are snake-like; his -eyes glisten with a deadly fire. As he goes, he whispers-- - -“Courage, and wait!” - -The crowds commence to disperse. The felon “eighty-five” are marched to -the gaol, two miles from the cantonment, with only a native guard over -them. - -As the day wears on the storm passes away, and when the shades of -evening fall upon Meerut, all is quiet and peaceful. It is one of those -nights that may be described, but which few persons, who have never -been in hot countries, can realise. The air is stagnant. The stars seem -to quiver in a haze. Not a branch stirs, not a leaf rustles. Myriads -of fire-flies--Nature’s living jewels--dance about in bewildering -confusion. Occasionally the melancholy sounds of a tom-tom, varied -by the screech of a jackal, is heard. But with this exception, a -death-like silence seems to reign in the city. - -Seated on the verandah of a pretty bungalow in the European quarter, is -a young man--a civilian. His physique is that of a trained athlete. He -is handsome, too, with a mass of black hair falling over a prominent -forehead. His name is Walter Gordon; he is the son of a wealthy -merchant of Meerut, who had died very suddenly, and Walter had but -recently come out from England to take charge of his father’s business. -He is not alone now. His companion is a lady slightly his junior. She -is very pretty. A pure English face, with tender brown eyes, and soft, -moist lips. A wealth of rich brown hair is negligently held together -by two large gold pins of native workmanship. This young lady is the -betrothed of Walter Gordon. Her father (Mr. Meredith) had held a Civil -Service appointment in Meerut, but had died some two years before the -opening events of this story, leaving a widow and two daughters, Flora -and Emily. Emily had been recently married to an officer of one of the -regiments stationed in the city. Lieutenant Harper and Walter Gordon -were very old friends. They had been school-mates together, and they -both laid siege at one time to the hearts of the Misses Meredith. -Harper had been successful, and carried his prize off to his quarters, -but Walter had delayed his marriage, pending the settlement of some -legal difficulty in connection with property to which he was entitled. -That difficulty was now removed, and Walter had gone on this evening to -Mrs. Meredith’s bungalow to arrange for his marriage with Flora. - -“Flo, are you not glad that we are soon to be united?” he asks, as he -observes that she is silent, and makes no remark on the news he has -brought her. - -“Yes, love. You say that you wish our marriage to take place in a -month’s time. Would that it were to-morrow; ay, even to-night!” - -He looked at her in astonishment. - -“Flo, what do you mean?” - -“I mean that in a month’s time you and I may be separated.” - -“Separated?” he repeated. - -“Yes. Perhaps dead.” - -“Dead!” he echoed--his astonishment increasing at the strangeness of -her manner. - -“Ah, love,” she murmured, as she placed her arms around his neck, and -her head drooped upon his breast,--“strange as you are yet to the ways -of the country, you surely cannot be blind to signs which rise on every -side, that a storm is approaching.” - -“A storm. To what do you allude?” - -“To the discontented state of the natives, who are ripe for revolt. We -tremble upon the brink of a mine that may at any moment be sprung; and -what the consequences will be I shudder to think.” - -“These are but morbid fears, Flo,” he answered, as he caressed her. -“Believe me that our power is too strong, and too much dreaded by the -natives to allow any serious outbreak. The example we made of the -‘ighty-five’ on the parade this morning will strike terror to the -hearts of those who might have contemplated any rashness.” - -“There you are in error, Walter; what our troops did this morning has -only increased our danger manifold. There is not a Sepoy in all Meerut -to-night, but who is nursing in his breast feelings of the most deadly -hatred towards the English. The fire smoulders, and a breath will fan -it into flame. If the natives should rise, may God in His mercy pity -us.” - -“Tut, tut, my girl; you are alarming yourself with foolish fears, and -there is nothing at all to justify your apprehensions. The soldiers -dare not revolt, and if they did, we have such an overwhelming force -of British in the cantonment, that all the native regiments would be -speedily cut to pieces.” - -“The belief in our security is our danger,” she answered. “Remember I -know the country and the natives well. I have been in India from the -time I was a little child. Those who are in authority seem to me to -be wilfully blind to the signs which indicate coming mischief. For -some days past, a man, ostensibly a Fakeer, has been riding about the -city on an elephant, and visiting all the native quarters. I do not -believe that man to be what he professes to be. He is an agent moving -about from place to place, and stirring up the rankling hatred for the -British which is in the hearts of all his countrymen.” - -“This is a strange statement; and you speak as though you had authority -for what you say.” - -“I have authority.” - -“Ah! what do you mean?” he cried in an excited tone. - -“Oh, Walter, what I have to tell you I know will give you pain, but it -must be told. I have held it back until I feel that to keep it from you -longer would be unfair. You have in your service a sicar, a young man -who was brought up in an English school.” - -“You refer to Jewan Bukht. Well, what of him?” - -“He has confessed love for me!” - -“Confessed love for you!” Walter cried angrily, as he ground his teeth, -and tightened his arm around the waist of his beloved. “By Heaven, I -will horsewhip the scoundrel. But come, Flo, you are joking, and do not -wish me to seriously believe anything so absurd.” - -“Would that it were a joke! Jewan has been your trusted and -confidential clerk, and whenever you have had a message to send to me, -he has always brought it. Latterly he has grown unpleasantly familiar, -and on one occasion asked me to kiss him. On my showing anger at the -insult, he apologised, and promised not to offend again. A few days ago -he called, and appeared to me to be under the influence of _bang_. He -seized my hand, and fell upon his knees at my feet. He said that in a -little while the natives intended to rise in the name of the Prophet; -that every white person in Meerut would be massacred; but, if I would -consent to become his wife, he would save me and those belonging to me. -In disgust with the fellow for his impertinence, I called him a dog, -and threatened to inform you of his conduct. He became greatly enraged, -and said that I should be his by fair or foul means, and that you -should die by his hand.” - -“Why did you not tell me this before, Flo?” - -“Because I looked upon it at the time as the freak of a drunken man, -and I had no wish to give you unnecessary pain. But it was foolish of -me. I ought to have told you.” - -“When did this scene take place?” Walter asked, thoughtfully. - -“Three days ago. That is, last Wednesday.” - -“This is very strange, Flora. On that day the rascal asked me for leave -of absence till Monday, as he wished to visit a sick relation.” - -“Depend upon it, Walter, he will never return to you.” - -“Never return! You are really talking in riddles. What do you mean?” - -“I feel sure that there was truth in what the man told me, and his -leaving you on that day was part of the scheme. You may say I am -nervous, foolish, stupid, what you will, but I understand the natives -well. I know how treacherous they can be; and it is useless our trying -to cheat ourselves into a belief that they love us, because they don’t -do anything of the sort.” - -Walter laughed, as he pressed a kiss on the lips of his companion. - -“Look here, Flora, you are certainly low-spirited to-night, and have -got some strange fancies in your head. If you have any more of these -morbid imaginings, I shall have to place you under the care of Dr. -Macdonald. I have been very stupid to lend a serious hearing to your -fears for a single moment. I am sure you are wrong. Our power is too -great to be broken. The natives fear that power too much to do anything -rash. Ah! good-evening, Harper, old boy,” he exclaimed, springing from -his seat, as Lieutenant Harper and his wife entered the verandah. “I am -very glad you have come. Flo is suffering from a fit of nervousness, -and wants cheering up. Look here, Emily,” with a laugh, and turning to -Mrs. Harper, “just give your sister a shaking, and shake her into a -better frame of mind.” - -“Surely you young people have not been quarrelling,” Harper remarked, -as he threw himself into a seat, and offered his friend a cigar. - -“Oh dear no; but Flo has got an idea into her little head that the -natives are going to rise _en masse_, and massacre us all.” - -“By Jove, they will have tough work, then,” laughs the lieutenant. -“They had an example this morning of what we can do. If there had been -the slightest sign of insubordination on the parade, we should have -mowed them down with grape and canister.” - -“Don’t talk quite so loud, Master Charlie,” his wife remarked. “There -are two of the bearers at the end of the verandah, and they seem to be -listening.” - -“All the better, my dear. Nothing like impressing these black wretches -with a sense of our superiority. What say you, Walter?” - -“Well it depends a great deal upon what we consider ourselves superior -in.” - -“Superior in!” exclaimed his friend. “Surely you are not going to -estimate your countrymen so low as to suppose for a moment that we -could be inferior to the natives in any one respect.” - -“I am not quite clear on that point,” answered Gordon, thoughtfully. -“I think that the great error of the English has been in treating the -natives as if they were not possessed of common intelligence. Depend -upon it, it is a mistaken policy, which we shall some day rue.” - -“Nonsense, old fellow. You are a greenhorn yet in the country, and in -a very short time these sentimental ideas will be knocked out of you. -There is no doubt that the _canaille_ of India is bitter against us, -but the upper classes are loyal to the backbone--take Dhoondu Pdnt as -an example.” - -“You mean the man who is known as Nana Sahib of Bhitoor?” - -“Yes; he is the adopted son of the Peishwah Bajee Rao. Now, if any man -has cause to be dissatisfied with our rule it is the Nana, inasmuch -as we have resolutely refused to recognise his right to succession. -Moreover, he is a Mahratta by race, and a Brahmin by caste. Now, it -is well-known that in the heart of every Mahratta there is an innate -and hereditary hatred for the English, while the Brahmin religion -teaches its votaries to look upon the Feringhees as dogs and infidels -that, in the name of the Prophet, should be exterminated. And yet his -highness--by courtesy--is as loyal to us as a man can possibly be. -His balls and dinners given to his friends, the English, in and about -Cawnpore, are things to be remembered.” - -“But what proof have you that the Nana is not playing a well-studied -game; only biding his time to execute a well-planned _coup-d’état_, and -strike for his home and liberty?” - -Harper laughed loudly as he looked at his friend’s serious face; and as -he offered him a cheroot, exclaimed-- - -“Bosh! Look here, old fellow, don’t get such ideas as those into your -head, or you will never succeed in India. Here, Khitmudgar, brandy -pawnee lao.” Turning to the ladies, he said, “Flo, I think you have -been putting some strange ideas into Walter’s head, and I shall have -to take you to task. Why, my dear fellow, there is no more chance of -the natives rising here, than there is of Her Majesty’s Life Guards -revolting in London at the present moment. Come, what do you say to a -hand at whist? Em and I have two hours on our hands before we return to -quarters.” - -“Whist, by all means,” Walter answered. “Flo, will you order one of the -bearers to get the card-table ready in the drawing-room?” - -In a few minutes the four Europeans were apparently so absorbed in the -game, that all thought of danger was banished. A sleepy Coolie sat on -one side of the room, and with monotonous regularity pulled the cord of -the punkah, that, moving gracefully backwards and forwards, made a cool -and refreshing draught. Without all was silent. Only the drowsy whir of -the insects, and the sweetly mellow notes of the bul-bul rose on the -stagnant air. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] The Great White Hand (_Baṛā Safed Hāth_), a -saying current in India to describe the power of the English. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE MYSTERY OF THE CHUPATTIES. - - -As sleep fell upon the northern quarter of Meerut on that Saturday -night, there was an unusual stir in the native part. In the lines of -the native soldiery, in the populous bazaars, and in the surrounding -villages, a fatal signal was passing. Five fleet-footed Indians were -speeding from place to place; and as they went, they put into the hands -of the principal men a small cake. It was a chupatty; and, like the -fiery cross, it was the signal of a general rising. - -On the banks of the Goomtee there rose the lichen-covered wall of a -half-ruined temple. Hitherto, silence had reigned in its deserted -halls, and the lizard and the serpent had hunted undisturbed for prey -amongst the fallen shafts and broken capitals. But the grey ruin was -witness of a strange scene to-night. Hundreds of natives were pouring -in from all parts. At every entrance to the temple a guard was posted, -and admission could only be gained by giving a password. That was -“Chupatty.” But all comers knew the pass; none were turned away. -Rapidly the crowd swelled with soldiers and civilians, until every -available space was occupied. They perched on the broken walls, on the -fallen columns, on the moss-covered arches. Wherever a foot-hold could -be gained, there was a native. Here and there was suspended a native -lamp--a cotton-wick placed in cocoa-nut oil, contained in a cocoa-nut -shell. Seen in this dim light, the scene was striking and picturesque. -The dusky forms of the natives seemed to be everywhere--above, below, -around. The dark wall of the ruin appeared to be actually jewelled -with gleaming eyes, which, as they caught the fitful flare of the -lamp, flashed with hatred and revenge. A dull, confused sound only was -heard as the swarming natives conversed one with another in subdued -tones. Presently six distinct beats were given on a tom-tom. Then there -was a death-like silence, as there entered, by the main entrance, a -tall man, whose face was muffled with a puggeree. He was followed by -several other natives; and as they entered and took up their position -at one end of the ruins, salaams rose from a hundred throats. Then -the tall man threw back his puggeree, and exposed his features. They -were massive, firm, and of the true Mahratta cast. His skin was light -brown; his lips full and sensual, and his eyes small, restless, and -cunning. He was a powerfully-built man, with a full, flowing beard, his -age about thirty years. His bearing was proud and haughty; his dress -handsome, being that of a Mahratta prince. Round his neck was a massive -gold chain, and on his fingers sparkled numerous and costly jewels. -His head was encircled with a rich turban, ornamented in front with a -single large diamond. From a jewelled belt round his waist protruded -the inlaid handles of native pistols; and at his side was suspended -a tulwar. This was Dhoondu Pdnt, the Nana Sahib of Bhitoor. He was -attended by his war minister, Teeka Singh, and his confidential friend -and adviser, Azimoolah. The latter a short, slim man; but supple and -panther-like in his movements; his face had but one expression--that of -pitiless ferocity. In a few moments the Nana addressed the assembly. - -“Countrymen, I have ventured here to-night that I may, by my presence, -inspire you with courage and hope. We stand on the eve of great -events, and no man has the cause more at heart than I. We wait but -for one signal now to decide us in the course of action we are to -take. That signal is to come from Delhi. Our agents have been hard -at work for some days, and if the regiments there will join us, and -give us shelter if needed, all will be well. Though I must hurry back -to Bhitoor to-night, that it may not be known, until the proper hour -arrives, that I have shaken off allegiance to the hated Feringhees, I -shall be with you in spirit; and, in the name of the Prophet, I invoke -success on your arms. When you strike, remember that you strike for -your freedom, for your religion. Let the House of Timour be restored, -and the Imperial Dynasty of Delhi be revived in all its ancient glory -and splendour. Let our race of mighty kings be perpetuated, and the -great white hand of the hateful British be crushed and trampled into -the dust. We are a great people. We have been enchained, enslaved, and -robbed of our birthrights. Let us rise now as one man, and strike for -those sacred rights of which we have been deprived. Steel your hearts -against every feeling of pity. Let not the pale faces of either their -women or children raise one sympathetic feeling in your breasts. When -the opportunity arrives I will perform deeds that shall not only be -an example to you, but that shall make my name known throughout the -world, and the name of Nana Sahib shall be in every man’s mouth. Let -Hindoos and Mahomedans alike be stirred but by one impulse to slaughter -the Feringhees, man, woman, and child. The English are _luchar_ -(helpless). They sleep in fancied security, and dream not that their -doom is sealed. We have past injuries to avenge; we have future dangers -to guard against. Let our feelings declare themselves in characters of -fire. Let the firebrand tell these invaders of our soil that, from end -to end of India, we have common cause, and that we strike for liberty!” - -The Nana ceased speaking, and a murmur of applause ran through the -assembled multitude. - -“Jewan Bukht comes not, sahib,” said Azimoolah, after a pause. “I hope -his mission has not failed.” - -“The Prophet forbid,” answered the Nana. “His mission was fraught with -danger, and he may have been unexpectedly detained. When he departed on -Wednesday he said he should be back to-night, to bring to this meeting -the answer of Delhi.” - -“I hope he has not proved false?” Azimoolah remarked, his cold eyes -glittering like a snake’s. - -“False! No,” exclaimed the Nana. “I’ll answer for him with my life. He -is a useful man; he knows the ways of the English well, having been -brought up in one of their schools. No, no; Jewan is not false. He has -personal motives for being true to us, and he has much to gain. Ah! -I hear the sounds of horse’s hoofs in the distance. Let the word be -passed to the guard to be on the alert.” - -The ring of horse’s shoes could now be distinctly heard, as it -galloped furiously along the hard road. Nearer and nearer the sounds -came, and in a few minutes the tom-tom was beaten again as a signal -that someone of importance had arrived. Then in a little time a -man, hot and breathless, rushed into the presence of the Nana, and, -prostrating himself at his feet with a profound salaam, took from -his turban a small chupatty, and handed it to the Prince. On it was -inscribed, in Hindostanee characters, painted red, the following:-- - -“We fight for the King. - -“We fight for the restoration of the Mogul throne. - -“We fight for the Prophet.” - -“Allah be praised!” exclaimed Dhoondu, as he took the cake, and a -smile of triumph lighted up his cruel face. “Success attends us,” he -continued, addressing the multitude; “and the Imperial City is true to -herself. We will plant the rebel standard on the Palace of the Mogul, -and the House of Timour shall flourish once more. Jewan Bukht, thou -art faithful, and hast performed a brave deed; the Prophet will look -favourably upon thee.” - -Jewan was a young man with a singularly intelligent, and, for a native, -handsome face. He was a native of Meerut, and at an early age had been -left an orphan. An European lady had taken him under her care, and -sent him to an English school near Calcutta to be educated. When he -had reached the age of twenty his protectress died, and he returned -to Meerut a professing Christian, and speaking the English language -fluently. Since his return he had occupied the position of a head sicar -or clerk in Walter Gordon’s establishment. He had gained the esteem -and confidence of his master, and had, up to a quite recent period, -been in the habit of attending regularly the station church. But of -late his movements had become mysterious, and he had passed much of his -time in the native lines. - -“I thank you, great Prince,” said Jewan, in answer to Dhoondu. “I have -had a perilous journey, but I left no quarter in Delhi unvisited. Young -and old there are panting for the hour to arrive when they can arise -from their bondage. There is but a very small European force in the -city. Delhi once secured, we can hold it against all comers.” - -“And we will secure it,” added the Nana, significantly. “But come, -the night wears, and we must disperse; Teeka, and you, my faithful -Azimoolah, let us return with all speed to Bhitoor, and there await -for the signal. Cawnpore shall be ours, and we will there wipe out our -wrongs in English blood!” - -He wrapped his scarf around him so as to hide his pistols and tulwar, -and drawing his puggeree over his face, he passed out, attended by his -followers. At a little distance a native carriage was waiting, and into -this they sprang, and Meerut was speedily far behind. Then the crowd -of natives quietly left the ruined temple, and soon the roofless halls -were silent and deserted, and the slimy things that had sought shelter -from the trampling feet, in the nooks and crannies, timidly came forth -now, in search of prey, upon which they might feed so that they might -live in accordance with the instinct planted by a Divine hand. But the -hundreds of human beings who a little while before had held possession -of the temple had also gone forth in search of prey, thirsting for -blood--blood of the innocent and guilty alike--not that they might live -thereby, but to gratify a burning feeling of hatred and revenge. - -On the verandah of Mrs. Meredith’s bungalow stood Flora Meredith alone. -It was late, or rather early, for two o’clock had just sounded from the -neighbouring barracks. Flora had been vainly endeavouring to sleep, but -an undefined sense of dread had kept her awake, so that at last she -had risen from her couch and gone out on the verandah, glad to breathe -the cool morning air. Pensively she was gazing up to the stars, which -still shone clear and bright, although the first streaks of dawn were -struggling to the eastern sky. - -She was dreaming of the man she loved, of the man who had her heart in -his keeping, whose wife she was to be. She had an intuitive perception -that there was danger coming--that, to use an expressive Hindostanee -phrase, “there was something in the air.” But what did that something -portend, and where did the danger menace? were questions she asked -herself as she stood there--a picture of loveliness--in her loose robe, -and her beautiful hair flowing freely about her white shoulders. - -Unperceived by her, the figure of a dusky native was stealthily -stealing across the compound, keeping in the shadows of the trees and -shrubs, until he stood beneath the verandah. Then, with a noiseless -spring, he vaulted lightly over the railings, and stood beside the -dreaming girl. - -With a cry of alarm, Flora started from her reverie, and, turning -quickly round, beheld Jewan Bukht. - -“What do you do here?” she asked quickly, when she had recovered from -her surprise. - -“Hush!” he said, putting his finger to his lips. “Your life depends -upon silence. I have something to say to you.” - -She was a brave girl; but her heart sank now, for she knew that his -boldness arose from some terrible cause. Her presence of mind, however, -did not forsake her. To set this man at defiance would be to gain -nothing. She would endeavour to learn his motive for coming. - -“What is the meaning of this unceremonious intrusion at such an hour?” -she asked, when her first feeling of alarm had passed. - -“I came in the hope of seeing you as the day dawned,” he answered; -“but Fortune has favoured me, and, as if it were so decreed, you are -unexpectedly here alone, even while the night is young.” - -“Well, and what of that?” she asked hastily, as the man paused. - -“It is good,” he replied, “for I have much to say.” - -“But this is neither the time nor the place to say it,” she answered, -making a movement as if she were about to turn into the bungalow. - -Jewan caught her hand, and, with his glittering eyes fixed upon her -fair face, said-- - -“Miss Meredith, listen to me. But one thing could have induced me -to visit you, for if my countrymen knew it they might suspect me of -treachery, and slay me. But what will a man not do for love? Ah! do -not start; do not try to draw your hand away, as if I were something -loathsome. If my skin is dark, do not the same emotions and passions -stir my breast as those of the white man’s? Can my heart not throb with -feelings as tender as his who is your accepted husband? Miss Meredith, -I love you! In the name of all that is good, I ask you to become my -wife, according to the rights of your own Church. I will give you -devotion, I will be faithful to you, I will love you unto death. Could -a white man do more?” - -“Jewan Bukht, are you mad? Do you know what it is you ask? Am I to give -you all that is dear to me--to sever every tie that binds me to my kith -and kin, in order to become your wife? Never!” - -“Think well before you give a decisive answer,” he replied, still -retaining his hold of her hand. - -“I have already thought. You have my answer. Nothing can alter my -decision. Go away for a little while, and, believe me, this silly -infatuation of yours will speedily wear off.” - -“How little you know of the heart, to talk like that. Mine is no -infatuation, but a genuine love. Why should you despise it?” - -“I do not despise it. But I tell you I cannot, nor will not be your -wife.” - -“Again I ask you not to be rash in your answer. A great danger is -hovering over the station. In a little while a fire will be lighted -here that will extend throughout India. Your countrymen and women will -cry for pity to ears that will be deaf, and they will appeal to hearts -that will be as stone. I tell you, Miss Meredith, that ere the sun has -risen and set again, there shall be bloody deeds done in Meerut. Every -white person in this and in every city of India stands in deadly peril. -And when once the revolt has broken out, even the ‘Great White Hand,’ -all-powerful as it is, will not be able to stop it. Ere it be too late, -say that you will be mine, and I will save you--more, I will save those -belonging to you!” - -She looked at the kneeling man at her feet; her heart beat wildly, and -her breath came thick and fast. She knew that there was truth in what -he said, but how should she act? - -She could not give this man her love--she shuddered, indeed, with a -feeling of loathing, as she contemplated him. She released her hand -from his, and drew herself up proudly, scornfully. And as the first -flush of dawn, which was spreading over the heavens, caught her face, -she looked inexpressibly beautiful. - -“What you ask is impossible,” she said. “Love I could never give you, -and better to die than sacrifice myself. Your master, Mr. Walter -Gordon, is to be my husband. I will either be wedded to him or death. -This is my answer. It is unalterable. For the rest, I trust in that God -which you yourself have professed to worship.” - -The man rose to his feet now--proud, defiant. His lips wreathed with -scorn--his eyes glistened with a strange light. - -“I own no master,” he answered, “but the great Nana Sahib. I came here -as your friend; I leave as your enemy; you have treated me as you -would have done a dog; but let that pass. I offered you life, liberty, -security. You have scorned my offer. Let it be so. We shall meet again, -and, when next we meet, you will answer me differently. You shall -entreat where now you scorn. Farewell.” - -She would have stopped him, for she regretted that she had spoken as -she had, and wounded the man’s feelings. But it was too late; he had -leaped over the railings into the compound, and was quickly out of -sight. - -With a sigh, poor Flora turned from the verandah to seek her couch, for -she was weary and faint and sick with an instinctive feeling of some -coming calamity. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE STORM BREAKS. - - -The 10th of May was Sunday. It came in with fiery heat and glare, and -arid, dust-charged winds. The bells of the church pealed forth, as they -called the Christians to worship. - -“You do not seem well this morning, Flo,” said Walter Gordon, as he -assisted Miss Meredith into his buggy, with the intention of driving -her to the station church. - -“I am not at all well, Walter,” was her answer. “I have been restless -all night, and have slept but little.” - -“That is bad news, Flo. Suppose we have a drive out of Meerut, instead -of going to church?” - -“No, no. I prefer to attend the service this morning. I shall be better -by-and-bye.” - -As they drove along he noticed that she was nervous and agitated, and -he questioned her as to the cause; but, though she longed to tell -him all, her courage failed her, as she did not wish to give him -unnecessary alarm. Besides, after all, what Jewan had said might have -been but the boastful threat of a disappointed man--perhaps all would -be well. She consoled herself with this thought, and determined to tell -her lover at a later period. - -In the European barracks and in the various bungalows there was on this -particular morning a general desertion of native servants; but this -circumstance, strange to say, excited no suspicions, and so the day was -got through as usual. - -The afternoon drew to a close. The sun declined on the opposite bank -of the Goomtee, burnishing the stream with gold, and throwing into -dark relief the heavy masses of native boats. The great Mall was a -scene of gaiety, for the white glare of the day had departed, and the -dust-laden atmosphere was tempered with a refreshing breeze. The whole -European population seemed to be taking an airing. Strings of vehicles, -crowds of horsemen, gaily-dressed ladies, numberless natives, together -with the glowing river, the waving palms, the tall cocoa trees, and -the gilded domes of the numerous mosques, which rose grandly in the -background, made up a scene which for picturesqueness and beauty -could scarcely have been surpassed. It was a fair and smiling scene; -“white-robed peace seemed to have settled there, and spread her downy -wings.” - -Backwards and forwards went the natives. Hindoos and Brahmins, -high-caste and low-caste, mingling now indiscriminately. Could each of -the hearts that beat beneath those dusky skins have been read, could it -have been known how they were burning with hatred and loathing for the -Feringhees, many a white man would have shuddered, and, as he tightened -his grip on revolver or sword, he would have drawn the loved ones to -his breast, there to shield them with his life. - -Walter Gordon and Miss Meredith sat alone in the verandah, for Flora -had complained of feeling very unwell, and Walter decided that, -instead of going for the usual afternoon drive, it would be better to -remain quietly at home. - -They were suddenly surprised by observing a horseman come galloping -down the road. He drew rein opposite the compound, and, springing from -his saddle, hurried to the verandah. It was Lieutenant Harper. - -“Walter, a word with you,” he cried. “Do not be alarmed, Flo,” he -added, quickly, as he observed her cheeks blanch. - -She sprang to her feet quickly, and grasped his arm. - -“Tell me,” she cried, “what is the matter. I see by your manner that -there is danger. Where does it threaten?” - -“Do not be alarmed,” he repeated; “there is danger, but we may avert -it. I must not stay, though. I am bound on secret service to Delhi, and -I must reach that city before the day breaks. I am guilty of a great -dereliction of duty in calling here; but I could not leave without -seeing you. Walter, order your horse to be saddled, and accompany me as -far as the Delhi road. I want to talk to you.” - -“But Flora--how can I leave her?” Walter asked, in agitation. - -“Never mind me,” she answered. “Go; it may be to our benefit.” - -“Yes; it will be. I have some plans to arrange,” said Harper. - -In a few minutes Walter’s horse stood in the compound. - -“You have a case of revolvers?” Walter said to Flora. - -“Yes.” - -“Let me have one--quick.” He hurried in, and speedily loaded the -chambers of a Colt’s. Then thrusting the weapon into his belt, and -buttoning over his coat, he kissed Flora, and pressing her to his -heart, said--“Good-bye, darling, I shall not be long away. I know that -Harper has something of the utmost importance to say, or he would not -ask me to go.” - -“God protect you!” she murmured. “Until you return, my heart will be -full of fear.” - -In another moment the two men were galloping down the Mall, towards the -great road which led to Delhi, that city being forty miles from Meerut. - -“Walter,” said Harper, when they had got some distance away, “I did not -wish to alarm Flo, but there is an awful time coming for us. It is not -clear, yet, from what quarter the danger will arise. The Commandant -has, this afternoon, received some information, whether trustworthy -or not is not very clear. At anyrate, he attaches more than ordinary -importance to it, and I am the bearer of dispatches to Delhi. My -mission is one fraught with the greatest amount of personal danger, -and I may never return alive. But I am a soldier, and must do my duty. -To your care I consign my wife. When you get back, take Flo and her -mother up to my bungalow. You will be company for Emily, and be under -the protection of the troops in the barracks. If nothing serious occurs -to-night, the danger may be averted. I regret now that we treated -Flora’s fears with so much disregard. With a woman’s keener sense of -penetration, she saw farther ahead than we did.” - -“What, then, is the nature of the danger anticipated?” Walter asked. - -“A general revolt of the native soldiery, and a wholesale massacre,” -was the answer. - -“Great Heavens! Is that so?” exclaimed the other, as his heart almost -stood still at the bare thought of the horrors the words suggested. - -Then for some little time the horsemen galloped along without -exchanging a word. Each was busy with his own thoughts, which possibly -flew far away to peaceful England, whose Queen little dreamed that her -great Indian possessions were about to be all but wrested from her. The -great Delhi road was reached at last, and along this Walter accompanied -his friend for some miles. The slant shadows thrown by the evening sun -were slowly fading, and darkness was creeping up. The men drew rein at -last. - -“I will return now,” said Walter. - -“Do,” was the other’s answer. “Walter, give me your hand, old fellow. -Perhaps in this world we may never meet again. If I fall, be a brother -to my poor wife. If I should return, and you fall, Flo shall find a -brother in me. We all carry our lives in our hands. Let us sell them as -dearly as possible; and for every white man that falls let twenty black -ones bite the dust.” - -A sharp report rang out on the still air, and a bullet whizzed between -the men. - -“Great God!” cried Harper; “the storm has burst at last. Farewell.” - -He grasped his friend’s hand, and in another moment was speeding away -in the darkness. - -Walter glanced about to see from which point the danger threatened him. -Then he drew his revolver, and grasping it with the determination of an -Englishman who would only sell his life at a great cost, he set his -horse’s head back to Meerut. - -To return to Miss Meredith. Scarcely had Walter and her brother-in-law -gone than she threw herself into a chair and burst into tears. - -“What for missy weeping?” said a voice behind her. - -On looking up, she beheld an old and faithful ayah, named Zeemit Mehal, -who had been in her mother’s service for some time. - -“Ah, Zeemit,” she murmured, “I am so glad you are here. Mr. Gordon has -gone out with Lieutenant Harper, and I am very lonely and nervous. I -think I shall go up and see my sister; she will be dull now her husband -is away.” - -“No, missy, you must not go,” answered Zeemit firmly. - -“And why must I not, Zeemit?” - -“Because there is great danger coming to your countrymen and women; and -my love for you prompts me to save you.” - -She caught the old ayah by her skinny arm, and, in a voice choked with -emotion, said-- - -“What do you mean, Mehal? If there is danger, does it not threaten my -mamma and sister as well as me?” - -“Yes, but there is greater safety indoors; for every white man who -shows himself, there are a hundred bullets waiting to pierce his heart.” - -Flora uttered a scream, and she clutched the skinny arm tighter, as if -in that weak old woman she saw her only refuge. - -“Oh, Zeemit,” she cried, “if this is true, what will become of Walter?” - -“He is a brave man, miss, and may be able to get back here in safety. -At any rate, do not alarm yourself unnecessarily. I will not desert -you, and while I have life I will defend you. But in all things, miss, -be guided by me.” - -The alarm that an outbreak was expected had spread now throughout the -station, and it was determined not to hold service in the church, -although the congregation had gathered. And so the clergyman, -commending them to the care of Heaven, dismissed them with a blessing. - -As the people returned to their homes, there was a look of unwonted -anxiety on the pale, scared faces. Sounds and sights greeted them on -their way back that could not be misinterpreted. The unwonted rattling -of musketry on the Sabbath evening; the sound of the bugles from all -quarters, as they called to assembly; the hurrying to and fro of men -armed to the teeth, and the panic-struck looks of the unarmed, all told -of coming disaster. Presently columns of smoke rose up against the fast -darkening sky, then blood-red flames leapt into the air, and the lurid -glare soon spread the awful news, far and wide, that the native troops -in Meerut had revolted. - -The Third Bengal Artillery, whose comrades were languishing in gaol, -rushed from their lines towards the hospital, which had been turned -into a temporary prison for the “eighty-five,” whose only guard was -a small body of natives. This was one of the most inconceivable acts -of stupidity that occurred during the whole of the frightful mutiny. -And when it was too late, it became painfully evident that someone had -blundered. Who was responsible for the error? men asked of one another -as they hurried about in the first panic of alarm. But no one answered -the question, and through the weakness of the administration at that -critical period, hundreds of innocent lives paid the penalty. - -On went the half-maddened men of the Third, their cry now being “To the -rescue!” Some were in uniform, man and horse fully accoutred, some in -their stable dress, with only watering rein and horse cloth on their -chargers, but all armed to the teeth, and on the faces of all a grim, -resolute expression of ferocity. They reached the walls of the gaol; -not the slightest opposition was offered; the rescue began. Down they -tore the masonry around the cells; iron bars were wrenched away, and -used to batter in the gates. Then forth came the “eighty-five”; their -manacles were struck off, and the erst-while felons stood free men, -with the light of the incendiary fires beating upon their dusky faces. -Up behind their deliverers they mounted, and rode back to the lines, -their hearts thirsting for revenge. - -When they got to their quarters they were joined by the Eleventh Native -Regiment. Colonel Finnis, who commanded the Eleventh, strong in his -belief of the loyalty of his regiment, rode in amongst them. - -“Men of the Eleventh!” he cried, “be true to your Queen, and do not -disgrace your profession of arms by acts of violence and mutiny. -Whatever wrongs you have I pledge you, in the name of the Queen, that -they shall be redressed. Remember that we have helpless women and -children amongst us who look to you for protection. You are human, and -in your human hearts let the voice of pity obliterate your feelings of -bitterness. I, your colonel, command you to return peaceably to your -barracks, and I will protect you from all consequences of this act.” - -The answer was a report, and the colonel’s horse staggered and fell -beneath its rider. Another shot was fired; it went clean through the -colonel’s body. A volley followed--and Colonel Finnis fell dead, -completely riddled with bullets. - -Then, from every quarter of Meerut, rose heavy columns of smoke, that -were illuminated with many coloured flames. The sight was awful; the -rolling of the musketry, the crackling of the fires, the crashing -of falling timbers, the shrieks of the dying and the wounded, the -cry of defenceless women, the piteous neighing of the horses as they -were scorched to death in their stables, the yells, and shouts of the -rabble, made up a night of horrors, such as, in the history of the -world, has rarely been recorded. - -From every street, and corner, and hole, and alley--from the bazaars -and villages--poured forth streams of maddened natives, bent upon -murder and plunder. And “death to the Feringhees!” was the one cry -heard above all others. Like wild beasts from their lairs, seeking -whom they might devour, came the hordes; and as the European officers -rushed from their bungalows, they were shot down, and fell riddled with -bullets. - -Flora Meredith stood in the verandah of her bungalow like one turned to -stone. She was horror-stricken, and could not move. At the first alarm -her mother, maddened with despair, had rushed out into the compound, -and was shot through the heart; and there she lay now, her dead eyes -staring blankly up to the red sky. - -A man hurriedly crossed the compound. He sprang into the verandah, he -stood beside Flora, he passed his arm around her waist. It aroused -her to a sense of her awful position. She turned and confronted the -intruder. Her eyes fell upon Jewan Bukht. - -“You brute!” she cried, “how dare you take such a liberty?” - -He laughed, and tightened his hold, as she struggled to free herself. - -“I told you we should meet again,” he said, with withering irony. “It -is not yet too late; I can yet save you. Say you will marry me.” - -By a desperate effort she freed herself from his grasp, and, recoiling -away, exclaimed: - -“Never! I would rather die a hundred deaths.” - -He laughed again--a bitter, cunning laugh--and made a movement as if to -seize her. - -“Then you shall die,” he exclaimed, unsheathing a long, glittering -native dagger. - -He was intercepted by a woman--a native. It was Zeemit Mehal. - -“Stay, Jewan!” said Zeemit. “If you are rough with this pretty prize, -she may injure herself. She is a bonny bird, and should not ruffle her -plumage. She shall be yours. I give her to you.” - -“May God in heaven protect me!” murmured Flora, as, sinking on her -knees, she buried her face in her hands. - -“Hush!” whispered Zeemit, as she bent down, unperceived by Jewan, -“obey me in all things, and I will save you.” - -“Come, my pretty dove,” said Zeemit, aloud, as she took the hands of -Flora, and raised her to her feet, “life is sweet, and Jewan will be -good to you. Besides, our time has come. The Feringhees have ruled -us long enough. We triumph now, and resistance on your part will be -useless. You must go with Jewan.” - -“That is well said, Zeemit,” cried the man; “and I will give you jewels -enough to make you as rich as a Ranee for your service. I shall take -this white-faced woman to the Palace of the Mogul in Delhi.” - -“But you must not leave me behind!” exclaimed Zeemit in well-feigned -alarm. - -“Leave you behind--certainly not!” answered Jewan, with a laugh. “You -shall go and be keeper to my bird, and clip her wings if she wants to -fly. I have a buggy close at hand; we will go together. Stay here until -I bring it up.” - -He went out into the compound, and when he had gone Flora flung herself -at the feet of Zeemit. - -“Oh, Zeemit!” she cried, “by all that you hold dear--if you have -sister, mother, father, brother, nay, more, if you have a child--I -appeal to you, in their names, to save me!” - -“I will,” was the answer. “But you must go with this man; for to remain -here is certain death. If your lover has escaped, and he may have done -so, he will assuredly return. I will remain behind and wait, so that -if he comes I can warn him and apprise him of your whereabouts. Hush! -Jewan returns.” - -Flora was utterly bewildered. She could neither think nor act, only -yield herself blindly to the counselling of this old woman. - -The man had driven into the compound in a buggy. He sprang to the -ground. - -“Quick,” he cried, “there is no time to be lost.” - -“I have an old father, who lives on the other side of the nullah,” said -Zeemit; “I must visit him before I go.” - -“But I cannot wait for you; even our own lives are in danger by -remaining here,” observed Jewan angrily. - -“There is no occasion to wait,” was the answer. “When I have seen my -father I will hurry after you. I am an old woman, and no one will -molest me; I shall find means to reach Delhi almost as soon as you. -Come, my baby, put on your things,” she added, addressing Flora, who -followed the old woman into the bungalow. - -When Flora had secured a few relics and articles of value, and had -arrayed herself in a shawl and hat, she returned to the verandah. - -“You will come,” she whispered to the old woman; “and save him if -possible. Should I not see you in three days, and if this man insults -me, I will die by my own hand.” - -“I will save him and you if he lives,” was the answer. “Go.” - -Then the poor girl, bewildered by the rapid course of events, and -half-dazed by the danger that surrounded her, and scarcely able to -realise the fact that a few yards off her mother was lying stark -and white, mounted to the buggy, and sank down overpowered upon the -cushions. - -Jewan sprang up beside her, and, covering her up with a dark -horse-cloth, he lashed his horse into a gallop, and was soon speeding -out of Meerut. As the buggy reached the great Mall, it was passed by a -horse that was tearing along at a great pace. It carried a rider, an -Englishman. His head was bare, his hair was streaming in the wind, his -teeth were set, and in his hand he firmly held a revolver. He bent low, -until his face almost touched the neck of his horse, for now and again -shots were sent after him; but he seemed to bear a charmed life, and -never slackened pace for an instant, and soon he and the buggy were far -apart. - -The flying horseman was Walter Gordon. Breathless and begrimed, he -rushed into the compound of the Meredith bungalow, just in time to see -flames issuing from the windows. It had been fired by the incendiaries. -He would have entered the burning building, but a hand firmly grasped -his arm, and a voice whispered in his ear-- - -“Be silent as you value your life.” - -It was Zeemit Mehal. - -“Where is Miss Meredith?” he cried, in spite of the old woman’s warning. - -“She lives,” was the answer. “On your prudence depends her safety and -your own. Be guided by me, and wait. Tether your horse to yonder tree, -and follow me.” - -He did as she desired, for there was something in the woman’s tone that -gave him hope and confidence. Then at her bidding he crouched down -beneath a clump of bushes, and waited. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE PALACE OF THE MOGUL. - - -As that awful night of the 11th of May wore on, a drama was enacted -in the fair city of Meerut, that the most graphic pen would fail to -do justice to. For a time the mutineers held their own. They burned -and pillaged, they massacred and drank. In their mad fury nothing was -held sacred. Even their own temples and mosques fell a prey to the -incendiary firebrands. Innocent children were ruthlessly slaughtered; -helpless women were dismembered, and many a gallant officer rolled in -the dust without being able to fire a shot at his unseen and cowardly -foe. - -But soon the tide turned. The panic, which for a short time seemed to -have paralysed those in command, gave place to reaction. The Rifles and -the Dragoons were let loose. Desperate and terrible was the conflict, -but the “Great White Hand” was too powerful to be crushed by a howling -rabble. The gallant English soldiers warmed to their work. Their blood -fired as they thought of their cruelly-murdered wives and daughters, -and country-women. And so, with carbines and sabres they cut lines for -themselves through the crowded streets, until from thousands of throats -went up the warning cry-- - -“Gora-logue, aya” (the Europeans have come). Then out of the city of -Meerut, and on to the great high road that led to Delhi, went the -cowardly mutineers--a disorderly, beggarly, undisciplined rabble now. -The Dragoons followed some little distance, and made terrible havoc -among the flying crowds. But suddenly, and for some inexplicable -reason, the English soldiers were ordered to return. They did -reluctantly--sorrowfully. Nay, they were half-inclined to disobey that -order, for their blood was up, and they knew that they could have cut -that flying horde to pieces. Somebody had blundered again! But who? And -to the present day echo answers, Who? - -The men returned to their lines, and the rebels straggled on. Before -them was the Imperial City, with its gorgeous Palace, its stupendous -magazine and arsenal, its countless treasures, its almost impregnable -defences. It was a goal worth pressing forward to. Behind them was -a town of smouldering and blackened ruins, of slaughtered women and -children, and dauntless British soldiers burning to revenge the foul -murders, but who were held in check by the marvellous stupidity of -those in office. - -The Palace of the Mogul, in Delhi, was one that might have vied with -any similar building in the whole of India; it was a majestic pile, -worthy of the traditions that surrounded it, and the noble line of -kings who had dwelt beneath its roof, but who were now but a name, for -their ancient splendour had set never to rise again. - -In one of the stateliest rooms in the stately Palace sat the aged -King--a man upon whose brow the years had gathered thickly and set -their stamp. A long beard, white as the driven snow, reached to his -waist; his face was wrinkled and puckered, and his eyes dull and -bleared, but they were restless, and plainly told that within the -spirit was chafing. Around him was a brilliant retinue, and on each -side of the marble hall stood an armed guard. - -The King was seated on a raised dais, and was holding counsel with some -of his ministers. - -“Things work well,” he replied, in a low voice, to some remark that had -just been made by one of his courtiers. “Our sun is rising, and power -is coming back to us; we shall yet live to enjoy some of the glory -which made the reign of our predecessors so conspicuous before these -cursed Feringhees came and trampled on our power. Death to them!” - -He ground his teeth and clenched his emaciated hand, and his eyes -sparkled for a moment with a burning feeling of hatred. - -“Do not distress yourself, great lord,” said a tall and handsome woman, -whose massive bangles, flashing diamonds, and gold chain, bespoke her -one of the King’s favourites. “The power of these foreigners is great, -and better to submit to it than to rise only to fall again and be -crushed.” - -The King turned upon her, his whole frame quivering with wrath. - -“Peace, fool--beast!” he cried; “thy sympathies have ever been with the -hated race. Beneath thy breast there beats a traitorous heart. Have a -care. Bridle thy tongue, or thy head may pay the forfeit.” - -“I own no traitor’s heart, my lord and king,” the woman answered, as -she drew herself up proudly. - -“Peace, Haidee, I tell thee!” cried the monarch, in a voice husky with -passion; “we brook no insolence, and no answer. Thou art a slave. Know -thy place.” - -The eyes of Haidee burned and her lips quivered, while her bosom heaved -with suppressed emotion. - -“Take my life if it so pleases you, my lord, but to your face I say I -am no slave,” she answered. - -Haidee was as yet but in the first flush of womanhood; she had not -numbered more than two-and-twenty years. She was a native of Cashmere, -and of the true Cashmere type of beauty. Her form was perfect in -symmetry; her face a study. Her eyes were large and liquid, and fringed -with long silken lashes; her skin a delicate brown, almost cream -colour, and the cheeks tinged with pink, while down her back, reaching -below the knees, fell a wealth of the dark auburn hair peculiar to her -countrywomen; it was kept from her face by a small tiara studded with -diamonds, the points being many butterflies, composed of rubies and -pearls; her arms, beautifully proportioned and rounded, were bare to -the shoulders; and on the right arm up to the elbow were massive gold -jewelled bands. She was arrayed in all the gorgeousness of Eastern -costume--flowing silk studded with pearls, and looped up with massive -gold knots, was suspended from her shoulders; trousers of light blue -silk, and slippers of the same material, ornamented with small gold -fire-flies, completed a costume that was at once picturesque and -beautiful. Nature and art had combined to make Haidee a picture of -perfect beauty. - -Angered almost beyond control by her last remark, the King raised his -hand as a sign to one of the guards, to whom he was going to issue -orders to have her taken away; but, before he could speak, a messenger -entered hurriedly, and prostrating himself before the dais, waited for -the King’s pleasure. - -“What hast thou to communicate?” asked the monarch, as he resumed his -seat with difficulty. - -“An English officer, the bearer of despatches from Meerut, seeks -audience with your Majesty,” was the answer. - -“Ah!” exclaimed the King, as he nervously clutched the arms of the -chair with his withered hands. “An English officer, eh?--an English -dog, thou shouldst have said. Let him wait our pleasure then,” he added -angrily. - -“He is importunate, your Majesty, and says his business permits of no -delay.” - -“A palsy seize him, and the whole of his race!” answered the King. “But -we must not be premature. It were better, perhaps, to admit him.” - -With a low bow the man withdrew, returning in a short time in company -with Lieutenant Harper, whose ride from Meerut had been performed in an -incredibly short space of time, and on whose face the perspiration was -still wet, while his uniform was white with dust. - -“Your Majesty will pardon me for dispensing with all ceremony,” he -said, as he made a respectful salute to the King. “I have the honour -to be the bearer of most important despatches from the Commandant of -Meerut. Their contents are private, and intended for no other eyes but -yours.” - -As Harper spoke he handed a package of official documents to the King, -who in turn was about to hand them to his secretary, as he remarked-- - -“We will have them read to us at our leisure.” - -“Pardon me, but they must not leave your Majesty’s hands,” Harper said, -hurriedly. - -“Must not!” the King echoed, sternly. Then checking himself, he -said--“Well, well, you English are an impetuous race! We will comply -with your request. My spectacles, Zula. Let us see what these important -documents contain.” - -A native boy stepped forward, and presented to the King his spectacles -on a gold plate. - -Then, with nervous, trembling hands, he broke the seals of the packet, -and unfolding the long blue sheets of paper, he slowly perused them. As -he did so, there flitted across his face an almost perceptible smile of -triumph, and over the gold rims of his spectacles he darted a look full -of meaning to a powerful Sepoy who stood near. - -This man was an orderly of the guard, and his name Moghul Singh. He was -evidently in the King’s secret, for he seemed to understand the look, -and made a sign, with his right hand, to his comrades. - -Quickly as this was done, it did not escape the notice of Haidee, who -shifted her position, ostensibly to converse with a group of ladies, -but in reality to place herself nearer Harper. - -During the time that the King had spent in reading the documents, -Harper’s gaze had frequently wandered to the lovely form of Haidee, -and their eyes met, until every nerve in his body thrilled with the -electrical fire of her wondrous eyes. - -When the King had finished reading, he removed his spectacles and -handed them back to the bearer. And as he slowly folded up the paper he -remarked with an ill-concealed look of scorn-- - -“Your commandant fears that there is a conspiracy between the Meerut -troops and those of Delhi. It may be so, but we know nothing of it. -We have ever been faithful in our allegiance to your sovereign, and -these suspicions are unjust. But our agents shall lose no time in -ascertaining to what extent dissatisfaction exists in this our Imperial -City, and steps shall be taken to give the mutineers of Meerut, should -they come here, a warm reception. Moghul Singh,” he added, turning to -the orderly, “see this officer comfortably quartered until to-morrow, -when we will receive him again, and give him safe escort back, should -he desire it.” - -Harper made a salute, and prepared to go. The orderly also, in -acknowledgment of his commands, saluted, but in obedience to a sign -from the King he approached the dais, and the King, bending slightly -forward, whispered-- - -“The stone room, Singh.” - -Harper’s movement had brought him close to Haidee--so close that the -skirts of her garments touched him. - -He looked up. His eyes met hers; and in accents that were scarcely -audible, but which reached his ears, as they were intended to do, she -whispered-- - -“On your guard! Danger!” - -For a moment he was startled, but only for a moment. He comprehended in -an instant that he was in peril, and that this beautiful woman, for -some unknown reason, had given him friendly warning. - -As Harper followed his guide from the audience chamber he began to -suspect treachery; and knowing that the Commandant of the Palace Guard -was a Scotchman, by name Douglas, and also that there were an English -chaplain and several ladies in the Palace, he made a request to the -orderly that he might be conducted to the presence of his countrymen -and women. - -“The sahib’s wishes shall be obeyed,” the orderly answered, with -a military salute. But there was something in the man’s tone and -manner which caused Harper to mistrust him, and the young officer -instinctively moved his hand to the sword which hung at his side, and -which was clanking ominously on the marble pavement. - -Down long corridors, along numerous passages, through stately -apartments, Harper went, led by his guide. At length an open court-yard -was reached. On one side was a guard-room, at the door of which several -Sepoys were lounging. The orderly led the Englishman close to the -door, and as he did so he raised his hand and muttered something in -Hindoostanee. Then, quick as thought, two tall, powerful Sepoys sprang -upon Harper, and seized him in a grip of iron. - -“Scum, cowards,” he cried, as he realised in an instant that he was -the victim of a plot, and making a desperate struggle to free his -hand and draw his sword. But other Sepoys came to the assistance of -their comrades; the sword was taken away, his accoutrements and jacket -were torn from him; then he was raised up, carried for some little -distance, and forcibly thrown into a large apartment. Bewildered by the -suddenness of the movement, and half-stunned by the fall--for his head -had come in violent contact with the floor--Harper lay for some time -unable to move. - -When his senses fully returned, he stood up to examine the place -in which he had been suddenly imprisoned. It was a large, square -apartment, with walls of solid masonry, and a massive iron door, -that seemed to render all chance of escape hopeless. The only light -came from a narrow slit on one side of the room, near the roof. When -his eyes had become accustomed to the gloom, he made a more minute -inspection of the place. It was evidently a dungeon, for the walls were -damp and slimy, and the most repulsive reptiles were crawling about -the floor; while in the corners, and on every projecting angle, huge -tarantula spiders sat waiting for prey. - -In one corner of the room Harper noticed that there was a recess, and -in this recess was a small arched doorway. He tried the door. It was -made of iron, and as firm as the solid masonry in which it seemed to be -built. - -He was a brave man. He could have faced death unflinchingly in open -fight, but he sank into the apathy of despair as he realised that he -had been trapped into this place, from which escape seemed impossible, -to be murdered in cold blood when the rising took place; for he had -no doubt now that the appearance of the Meerut mutineers would be the -signal for a revolt in Delhi, and that when the time arrived every -European would be ruthlessly butchered. As he remembered the words -Haidee had uttered as he left the audience chamber, he reproached -himself for not having been more on the alert. - -“Fool that I was,” he cried, “to be thus taken off my guard! That woman -gave me warning, and yet I have failed to profit by it.” - -There was a small stone bench near where he was standing, and on to -this he sank, and pressing his hands to his head, he murmured-- - -“My poor wife, God bless her; we shall never meet again.” - -In a little time he grew calmer, and, rising from his seat, he once -more made an inspection of his prison. But the slimy stone walls and -the solid iron door seemed to mock all thought of escape, as they -certainly shut out every sound--at least no sound reached his ear. -The silence of death was around him. The awful suspense was almost -unendurable. He felt as if he should go mad, and he was half-tempted, -in those first moments of despair and chagrin, to dash his brains -out against the dripping wall. He paced the chamber in the agony of -despair. He threw himself on the stone seat again. And as the thought -of those he loved, and that he might never see them any more, flashed -through his brain, he felt as if he were really going mad. - -Suddenly, out of his confused ideas, out of the mental chaos to which -he had been well-nigh reduced, a question suggested itself to him, and -an image rose up before his view. - -It was the image of Haidee. The light of her eyes seemed to shine upon -him from out of the thick darkness. He saw the beauty of her form, -veiled in her costly, jewelled drapery, and her magnificent hair -floating around her. - -“Who is that strange beautiful woman?” was the question he asked, as in -his imagination he saw her stand before him. - -Then he followed it by another. - -“Why did she interest herself in me? I must surely be totally unknown -to her?” - -But the questions were more easily asked than answered. It was a -mystery of which he could scarcely hope at that moment to find the -solution. - -Exhausted with his long ride, and the great excitement under which he -had laboured, he sank into an uneasy doze. How long he had remained -thus he had no means of knowing; but he was suddenly startled by the -boom of a heavy gun, that seemed to shake his dungeon, solid as it was. - -He sprang to his feet. He thought he would hear wild shouts and the -clashing of arms. - -Boom! - -Again a gun gave tongue. It appeared to be directly overhead. - -Another and another quickly followed. His heart beat violently; a -clammy perspiration stood upon his brow; not from any craven fear, -but from the awful thought that murder and rapine were broken loose, -and he, young and active, with an arm powerful to wield a sword, was -imprisoned there, and utterly helpless as if he had been bound in iron -gyves. - -“Heaven above,” he cried, “is there no hope for me?” - -Scarcely had the words left his lips than he was made aware that a key -was being inserted in the lock of the small iron door in the recess. -He would have given much at that moment for a weapon. Even a stick he -would have been grateful for. But his arms were yet free. He had the -power of youth in them, and he was determined to make a bold effort, -to let at least one life go out with his own, and he resolved that the -first man who entered he would endeavour to strangle. - -He stood up in the recess, ready to spring forward. The key grated -harshly; the lock had evidently not been used for some time. Then there -was the sound of bolts being worked in their sockets. It was a moment -of awful suspense. Nay, it seemed an age to him, as he stood there -panting and waiting, with rapidly beating heart, for what might be -revealed. - -Presently the bolts yielded. The key was turned, and a long strip of -light illuminated the recess. - -“Hush, silence, for your life!” a soft voice whispered; and to his -astonished gaze there appeared the form of Haidee, who bore in her -hand a small lamp, and whose figure was clothed in the ordinary muslin -garments worn by the native peasant women. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE TREACHERY OF THE KING. - - -When the mutineers had got clear of Meerut, they straggled along the -great highway towards the Imperial City. They were a broken horde now; -some of them were mounted, some on foot, while the scum and villainy of -the bazaars followed in their wake. A mile or two in advance of them -was Jewan Bukht, with the captive Flora Meredith, who had remained in -a state of insensibility in the bottom of the buggy from the time of -leaving the bungalow. As his horse tore along, he occasionally glanced -backward, and smiled with satisfaction as he saw the flames of the -burning city leaping high in the air. The rays of the rising sun were -burnishing the domes and minarets of the Imperial City as he arrived on -the banks of the Jumna, which looked like liquid gold in the morning -light. - -He hurried across the bridge of boats to the Calcutta Gate, where a few -hours before Lieutenant Harper had entered. He was well known to the -guard at the gate, who greeted him with laughter and cheers. Flora had -recovered her senses, but was weary and ill; but as the horse’s hoofs -clattered on the stone pavement, she raised her head, and looked out. -When the Sepoys at the gate saw her, they set up a loud laugh, and -exclaimed, “Oh, oh, Jewan, thou hast done well!” - -Jewan did not answer, but drove straight on, until, crossing a broad -courtyard, he alighted at the door of a pile of buildings in the rear -of the Palace. He lifted Flora out, for she was too weak to rise. He -carried her into a luxurious apartment, and placed her upon a couch. -Scarcely had he done so than Moghul Singh, the orderly of the guard, -entered hurriedly. - -“Good greetings, Jewan,” he exclaimed. Then, noticing the pale form of -Miss Meredith, he laughed slyly, and added, “So, so; you have caught a -bird! By the Prophet, but she is a bonny one too!” - -Flora seemed to be quite unconscious of what was passing around her. -She had let her head fall upon the arms of the couch, and had buried -her face in her hands. - -“But what do you want here?” the orderly continued. “Know you not that -your presence is urgently required in Cawnpore?” - -“No, I did not know that,” Jewan answered, as a look of annoyance -crossed his face. “But whence got you this information?” - -“From Teeka Singh. He was here yesterday, and said you were to lose no -time in hurrying to the Nana. Nay, he expects you this very day.” - -“That is unfortunate,” Jewan remarked, biting his lips with vexation. - -Moghul laughed, and, pointing to Flora, said-- - -“You must choose between pleasure and duty.” - -“What do you mean?” exclaimed Jewan, angrily. - -“Mean,” retorted the other; “why, I mean that you must give up your -mistress to serve your master.” - -“No; I can retain the one and do the other. From the Nana I shall -derive wealth, greatness, position. It is worth some sacrifice to gain -them. But I have risked too much for this white-faced woman to let her -go now. I will take her to Cawnpore.” - -With a scream, Flora--who, though apparently unconscious, had heard the -conversation between the two men--flung herself at the feet of Jewan, -and, catching his hand between her own, cried-- - -“Oh, man, if you are not something less than human, do not take me -away. Do not take me to Cawnpore. Let me remain here. Nay, kill me, -rather than separate me for ever from those who are dear to me.” - -She crouched at his feet; she held his hand tightly, and looked up into -his face with such a look of sorrow, that it should have moved even a -savage animal. But the man only laughed coarsely, and, with a sneer on -his lips, said-- - -“Our power is returning. The white woman crouches at the feet of the -despised Indian.” - -“No, no; do not say despised,” she answered, her voice broken with -sobs. “You have ever experienced the greatest kindness from my -countrymen. Has not Mr. Gordon been a friend to you? Were you not -nursed and tended with love and gentleness by white friends? Let some -remembrance of all that has been done for you move your heart to pity -me; and, rather than take me away, strike me dead now at your feet, and -with my last breath I will bless you.” - -“Why do you remind me that I have been a slave?” he answered, his eyes -glowing with hatred. “Why do you utter a name in my ear that only -serves to turn my heart to stone. Walter Gordon is your lover. I offer -all that he can--love and faithfulness. You spurn me, and choose him. -I hate him. Do you hear? And do you think that, after having risked so -much to secure you, I shall let you escape? No; I’m for Cawnpore, and -you go with me.” - -She threw up her arms, and, with a pitiful cry, fell upon her face on -the floor. - -“The right stuff is in your nature, Jewan,” remarked the orderly, as he -assisted his comrade to lift the insensible Flora to the couch. - -“I am steel and iron,” was the answer; “that is, so far as these -Feringhees are concerned.” - -“That is good,” the other replied. “We must not know pity--we must be -deaf to all supplications. I have a prisoner. The King gave him into my -charge, and he shall die by my hand the moment the first batch of our -comrades enters Delhi from Meerut.” - -“Ah! is he an important one?” - -“He is an English officer!” - -“An English officer?” - -“Yes; from Meerut.” - -“Indeed. What is his name?” - -“Harper; and he wears the uniform of a lieutenant.” - -“Fate assists us,” Jewan answered. “I know the man. He is a friend of -Walter Gordon’s, and once counselled him to discharge me. Kill him, -kill him, Moghul! Or let me do it for you,” and, as the man spoke, a -demoniacal expression passed over his face. - -The devil, that had so long been kept down by the bonds of -civilisation, was rising now, and the ferocity of his nature was -asserting itself. All the examples that had been set him, all -the kindness that had been shown to him, and all the prayers of -Christianity that had been breathed into his ear, were blown to the -winds, and he was simply the Hindoo, burning with hatred for the white -man, and thirsting for his blood. - -“I can do all the killing that is to be done, myself,” Moghul answered. -“I am no chicken-heart. Besides, the King offers fifty rupees to every -one who shall slay a British officer. Hark!” he suddenly cried, as the -beat of a drum and the blast of a bugle were heard; “that is the signal -that our comrades have come.” - -He was about to hurry away, when Jewan stopped him. - -“Stay a minute,” he said, “I must leave for Cawnpore immediately, or -the road may be stopped by the English. Where shall I get a good horse -and conveyance?” - -“Go round to the Palace stables, and take your pick. But you must away -at once, or every gate will be closed, and you will be unable to pass -out. Farewell, the Prophet smile on you!” - -Moghul Singh hurried away, and Jewan was alone with the still -insensible girl. He looked at her with admiration, as she lay there, -ghastly pale and ill, but still beautiful. - -He bent over her, and, pressing his hot lips on her cold forehead, he -murmured-- - -“You are mine; and I thank the fate that placed you in my power! This -is a moment to have lived for.” - -He hurried away, having first taken the precaution to lock the door and -take the key with him. And, as he crossed the courtyard to the stables, -the boom of a heavy gun sounded, dull and ominous, on the morning air. - -The Meerut mutineers had reached the Jumna. They were swarming over -the bridge of boats, and clamouring beneath the windows of the Palace. - -Captain Douglas, who was then the Commandant of the Palace Guard, -instantly ordered the Calcutta Gate to be closed. - -This was done, and he sought the presence of the King, who, supporting -his tottering limbs with a staff, met him in the Hall of Audience. - -“Your Majesty,” cried Douglas, in an excited tone, “the Sepoys have -revolted!” - -“Have they so?” the King answered, with a cunning leer, his palsied -limbs shaking with joy that caused his heart to quicken its pulsations. - -“Have they so!” Douglas echoed, in astonishment. “Is that the only -answer your Majesty has to make?” - -“The only answer, Douglas. What can we do?” - -“Do!--blow them to pieces with our guns!” was the reply of the brave -Englishman. - -Through the open windows of the Palace came the cry of the insurgents-- - -“We have killed the English in Meerut. Long live the King of Delhi. -We have come to restore the Dynasty, to raise the House of Timour, to -fight for the Faith!” - -The King smiled with satisfaction, and Douglas, seeing the treachery of -the King, hurried away to join the other Europeans of the guard. - -The mutineers, finding the Calcutta Gate closed, rushed along the -road that runs between the Palace walls and the river, until they -reached the Ragghat Gate, which was instantly opened to them by the -Mohammedans, and the murderous crew clattered into the town, shouting -as they went-- - -“Glory to the Padishah, and death to the Feringhees!” - -Then ensued a scene that can scarcely be described. They murdered every -European they met; they set fire to every house, and then doubled -back to the Calcutta Gate. Here Captain Douglas, Commissioner Fraser, -and several other Englishmen, had stationed themselves. And, as the -troopers galloped up, Fraser seized a musket, and shot the foremost one -dead. - -A buggy, with a horse attached, was standing by, for Commissioner -Fraser had just driven up. He sprang into the vehicle, and, lashing the -horse into a gallop, made for the Lahore Gate, whilst Douglas jumped -into the ditch of the fort. - -He was severely injured by the fall, but he was sheltered from the -enemy’s fire. In a little while he was discovered by a soldier of his -guard, whom he had once befriended. This man lifted him on his back, -and carried him into the Palace, to a room where the English chaplain -and his two daughters were listening to the horrible tumult below. - -But soon it became known that the Europeans were there. Then a -demoniacal crew rushed up the stairs, and, breaking into the room, -massacred the little party with exultant ferocity. - -It was a brief and bloody murder, as horrible as any that stained the -walls of the Delhi Palace. - -Next the courtyards were turned into stables, the Hall of Audience into -a barrack-room; and the human fiends, tired with their long ride and -their murderous work, strewed straw on the marble floors, and lay down -to rest. - -When the first excitement had passed, Jewan Bukht prepared to take his -departure. He had secured one of the best horses and a light vehicle. - -When he returned to the room where he had left Flora, he found that she -had partly recovered, but was still dazed and bewildered. - -He had procured some food and wine, and these he offered to her. The -poor girl, faint from long fasting, ate a mouthful of the food. Then -Jewan poured out some wine, which she took almost mechanically. She -drained the glass. - -Jewan watched her eagerly, as she laid her head wearily back on the -couch. The wine was drugged. It soon took effect; and, in a few -moments, poor Flora was once more insensible. Then the wretch wrapped -her in a large cloak, and, lifting her in his arms, carried her to the -buggy. - -Just as he was about to apply the whip to the horse, Moghul Singh -rushed up, and, in an excited tone, cried-- - -“There is treachery somewhere. My bird has flown!” - -“What!--Harper?” Jewan asked. - -“Yes. He has escaped from the stone room, the strongest in the Palace. -But how he has got away is a mystery. Both doors were locked and -bolted. He has been liberated by some of our own people. But he shall -not escape me, for he cannot get outside of the Palace. Farewell; glory -to the Prophet!” the man cried, as he rushed away again. - -Jewan whipped his horse, and, waving his hand to several Sepoys who -were standing about, he quitted the Palace by the Calcutta Gate, and, -crossing the Jumna, reached the road that led to Lucknow, and giving -his horse the reins, Delhi was soon left far behind. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE MAGAZINE. - - -The great magazine of Delhi, with all its vast supplies of munitions of -war, was in the city, not far distant from the Palace. It was one of -the most important stores in Upper India. - -It was in charge of Lieutenant George Willoughby, of the Ordnance -Commissariat Department--a man whose dauntless bravery it would almost -be impossible to surpass. He had with him as comrades, Lieutenants -Forrest and Raynor, officers of the Bengal Artillery, and six other -Europeans. - -When the warning went forth that the mutineers were swarming into the -town, this little band of resolute Englishmen braced themselves to face -the tremendous odds which threatened them. - -“Comrades,” said Willoughby, as, mounting a gun, he addressed his -force, “this is an awful time, and an awful responsibility rests upon -our shoulders, for this great arsenal, with its enormous stores, will -be the first point made for by the mutineers. Shall we yield it to them -without a struggle?” - -“No, no!” was the united cry. - -“Good. Shall we defend it with our lives?” - -“Yes, yes!” - -“Good again. The odds pitted against us are incalculable. But we are -Englishmen. Duty and honour demand that these villains shall only reach -the stores over our dead bodies.” - -“Bravo! We will fight to the death!” - -“Nobly said. Not only will we fight to the death, but nothing that -this store-house contains shall fall into the hands of the cowardly -assassins.” - -“Hurrah!” was the answer. - -“From the magazine,” Willoughby continued, “we will lay a train of -powder, to that tree there in the compound. You, Scully, my brave -fellow, shall stand at the tree with a lighted port-fire in your hand, -and, when further defence is useless, you shall receive a signal from -me to fire the train, and then, ho! for death and glory. Let all the -outer gates be closed and barricaded. Load the six-pounder guns with -double charges of grape, and while we can move an arm let the cowardly -enemy be met with a reception that shall at least cause them to have -some respect for British pluck.” - -The answer from his comrades was a wild, ringing cheer, and each -man hurried to his task. The gates were closed and hasty barricades -improvised. The guns were dragged out and placed in position, and into -them grape and canister was crammed to the very muzzles. Then the door -of the powder-room was opened and the heads were knocked out of several -barrels, and the powder scattered about. From this a thick train was -laid to the withered trunk of an old mango-tree. Here Conductor Scully, -a young man, little more than a youth, but dauntless as a lion, was -stationed, port-fire in hand. And the brave Willoughby placed himself -in a conspicuous position, to issue orders, and assist in serving the -guns. It was a heroic deed--history has scarcely a parallel. Those -nine men, all in the flush of youth, setting themselves to oppose the -advance of a countless multitude, and vowing that sooner than yield one -grain of powder, or one pound of shot, they would bury themselves in -the ruins. - -When the preparations were complete, the brave band sat down to wait. -But they had not to wait long. The shrill sound of a bugle was heard, -together with a hammering at the principal gate. Willoughby sprang on -the wall. Below was Moghul Singh, accompanied by a number of troopers. - -“It is the King’s commands,” cried Moghul, when he saw the Englishman, -“that you surrender this magazine and all its stores into his keeping. -And, on condition of your so doing, he promises that your lives shall -be spared, and that you shall have safe escort out of the city.” - -“This is our answer,” exclaimed the noble Willoughby, his face beaming -with indignation. “If your vile and treacherous King desires this -arsenal he shall have it, but we will surrender it to him a heap of -smouldering ruins, together with our blackened bodies.” - -“That is an insolent reply,” Moghul remarked; “and I should advise you -to reconsider it.” - -“There can be no reconsideration. Our decision is unalterable. We can -die, but never surrender.” - -“But the King commands you.” - -“If the King were here in person to make the command, we would answer -him with a round of grape. But you are only a myrmidon of his, and so -we treat you with contempt.” - -“By the Prophet’s beard,” cried Moghul, shaking with rage, “if I were -near you I would make you eat your words, dog of an Englishman! But -since you do not recognise the authority of his Majesty, whose power -is now supreme, we will teach you a lesson. The reign of the cursed -Feringhees is at an end, and the Mussulman’s time has come!” - -The man turned his horse’s head and rode away, and Willoughby descended -from the wall. - -“Comrades!” he cried, “we have not a moment to lose. These black devils -will be down upon us directly in countless thousands. But they shall -only reach the top of our wall over the heaps of their own slain. We -are but nine, but for each one of our lives there shall fall hundreds -of these wretches, who are little less than demons.” - -Then, with an energy begotten by the nature of the situation, they -dragged out a number of guns, and placed them in a line so as to -command the gateway and the front wall. Scarcely was this arrangement -completed than the air was rent with the yells of the mutineers and -the rabble, as they swarmed down to the arsenal. They were met with -a terrific fire from the walls, delivered with all the coolness and -steadiness of a practice parade. And as the guns belched forth their -awful grape, scores of the on-coming horde bit the dust. - -This unexpected reception caused a momentary check to the advance of -the rabble. But it was but momentary, for the gaps were instantly -filled, and on the infuriated mob rushed again. Once more they reeled -and staggered, as from the walls came the messengers of death. Quickly -recovering, and infuriated beyond control with their unseen foe, they -raised a rallying cry-- - -“For the Prophet and the Faith! For the King and Liberty!” - -And then they came down like an impetuous torrent, leaving in their -wake a track of dead and dying, for round after round was delivered -from the arsenal with terrible effect. But the enemy was legion. As -thousands fell, there were thousands instantly to take their place, and -thousands more again to fill up every gap. - -Onward they pressed, yelling with fury, maddened with rage. Inside the -walls, the noble and devoted band stood unflinchingly at their post. -Grimed and blackened with smoke and powder, the brave Willoughby worked -with almost superhuman strength, carrying heavy cases of grape and bags -of powder; now serving this gun, now that; encouraging his comrades -with cheery words, and hurrahing as he saw how their well-directed fire -told upon the swarming enemy. - -At the foot of the blasted mango-tree stood the heroic Scully. His arms -were bare to the shoulders; his keen eyes were fixed upon his chief, -from whom they never shifted; his teeth were set, his lips compressed. -In his hand was a blazing port-fire, at his feet a heap of powder. But -for the flush upon his face, and the heaving of his massive chest, -he might have been taken for a stone statue representing the God of -Vengeance about to inflict a terrible retribution. - -It was an awful moment. It is hard to die at any time, but harder still -when in the full vigour of health and strength. A slight movement of -Scully’s arm, and the fire and powder would come in contact, and in an -instant there would be an awful ruin. But not a muscle of the man’s -frame quivered. He stood as firm and motionless as a rock. - -The sun was shining brilliantly on the gorgeous domes and minarets of -the great city. The great marble temple, the Jumna Musjid, which was -devoted to Mohammedan worship, and was one of the wonders of India, -gleamed grandly white in the shimmering light. But it was deserted now. -Not a soul trod its sacred precincts. The followers of Mahomet had -forgotten their religion, and, like starving tigers, were panting for -blood. - -Hour after hour passed, and still the noble “nine” kept the horde in -check, nerved by the hope that succour would come from Meerut. - -“Half the large number of troops in Meerut will be despatched after the -mutineers,” said Willoughby; “and they must be very near now.” - -Many an anxious glance did he cast towards the great high road, but -no troops gladdened his sight. The expected succour did not come. -Five hundred British soldiers at that moment could have cut the -howling rabble to pieces, and in all human probability have prevented -the further spread of the mutiny. And that number could easily have -been spared from Meerut; but they were not sent out. Why, has never -been known; but it was a fatal and cruel mistake; it is recorded in -characters of fire on the pages of history, to the eternal disgrace of -those who were responsible for the blunder. - -The defence of the magazine was stubborn. The mutineers were mad with -rage. They rallied to their war-cry of “Deen! Deen!” They pressed -forward like a resistless tide. They rent the air with their howling. -They discharged showers of musket-balls at the walls, which every -moment gave tongue, and sent forth volumes of death-dealing grape and -canister. But presently the fire began to slacken. The ammunition of -the besieged was getting short, and none of them could leave their -posts to descend into the magazine to get up fresh supplies. The sea of -human beings without poured on. They gained courage as the discharge -of the guns from the arsenal became less frequent. They pressed -forward yard by yard. They gained the walls, against which scores of -scaling-ladders were placed. Then the enemy streamed over, but the -brave defenders had backed to their line of guns, and for a time kept -the foe at bay, until even, as Willoughby had said it should be, the -mutineers were almost able to mount to the parapets by the piled-up -bodies of their slain. - -Still they poured on, in their mad confusion, shooting down their -comrades. The ammunition of the defenders was all expended now. The -lion-hearted Willoughby rushed to the bastion on the river face. One -more look--a long, anxious look--towards Meerut, but not a sign of -coming succour. Meerut had failed them! - -Willoughby returned to his guns. Half-a-dozen of them were still -loaded; but he saw that all hope had passed. Further defence was -useless. - -“Comrades,” he said, “you have fought nobly, and England shall ring -with your praises. We have defended our charge until defence is no -longer possible. We are beaten by multitudes, but we are not conquered, -and we do not know the meaning of the word surrender. When in happier -days peace shall once more dawn over this fair land of India, when men -shall recount the deeds done during this cruel day, may it be said that -we did our duty as soldiers, and that we died like brave men.” - -The natives were swarming down the walls now. They were inside the -arsenal. - -Willoughby and his friends discharged their last round, and dozens of -the enemy fell. Then the noble Commandant held up both his hands. It -was the signal agreed upon. Scully shifted his eyes from his leader; -then he cast one look around at the living mass that covered the walls -and bastions. He bent his arm; the port-fire and the powder came -together. Up leapt a great white flame. With a terrible hiss it rushed -along the ground, through a dark archway, where it was lost sight of -until it reached the open powder. Then there was a terrific shock. The -whole building seemed to be blown into the air. The very earth shook -with the awful convulsion. The air was filled with bright, lurid flame. -Dense volumes of smoke obscured the sun, and for miles around the -report was heard. - -The destruction was almost beyond comprehension, for there were -thousands of tons of powder stored in the magazine. Huge masses of -masonry were hurled high into the air. Ponderous guns were tossed -away as if they had been toys caught by a strong wind. The massive -walls rocked, tottered, and fell, burying hundreds of natives, while -hundreds more were blown through the air like wisps of straw. Death -was scattered through the ranks of the mutineers until they fell back -appalled. It was such a daring deed, so unexpected, so fearful in -its effects, so incalculably destructive, that it struck a nameless -terror to their recreant hearts; and, with the bodies of their comrades -falling in showers around them, they stood spellbound. - -Four of the little band of defenders escaped alive. One of these four -was a man named James Martin--a determined, fearless fellow, who, -during the five long hours of the defence, had worked like one endowed -with superhuman strength. When he saw Scully apply the torch to the -train, he sprang on to one of the bastions, and, dropping a distance of -nearly twenty feet, lay still until the awful blast of fire had passed -over. Then he crept along until he reached a heap of masonry that had -been blown down, and had fallen in such a way as to leave a large -hollow, a kind of cavern. Into this Martin crept, and worn out with -fatigue and excitement, he fell asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -HAIDEE AND HER WRONGS. - - -It is necessary here to go back to the moment when, to the astonished -gaze of Harper, the beautiful Haidee appeared in the cell in which the -lieutenant had been incarcerated. - -It seemed to him as if his senses were playing him false, and instead -of a living, breathing woman, he was looking at a vision--at an angel -of goodness--who had come to give him hope. But suddenly his thoughts -changed, as he beheld, by the light of her lamp, that in her girdle she -carried a long gleaming dagger, and her white fingers firmly grasped -the handle. Assassination, then, was her object? So he thought, but -dismissed the idea as soon as formed; for the face was too beautiful, -too soft, too womanly for a nature that could do murder. - -She stood for some moments in the doorway, in an attitude of listening, -as if she feared that she had been followed; and Harper noticed that a -small flight of stone steps led upward until they were lost in darkness. - -Presently she stepped into the cell, and gently closed the door. Then, -holding the light above her head, she surveyed the young officer. - -“I will not ask if you come here as a friend,” said Harper; “your -movements proclaim that, but I may, at least, ask why you come, and why -I, a stranger, should have aroused an interest in you?” - -“I come to save you,” she answered, in a voice that was clear and soft, -but bore traces of inward emotion. “In the Hall of Audience I tried -to warn you that you were in danger. I would have told you that they -intended to kill you if I had had the chance. They would have slain -you then, but they had been waiting for the appearance of the soldiers -from Meerut, for, until they came, it was not known whether the rising -there had succeeded or not. You were to fall with the rest of your -countrymen; but, at the risk of my own life, I come to save you.” - -“And why?” he asked, drawing nearer to her. - -“I am a woman,” she answered, while a deep flush spread over her face, -and her bosom heaved as if with some suppressed passion. - -He waited for her to continue, but she remained silent. - -“You are a woman, fair and beautiful,” he said; “and I am sure your -heart is kind and good.” - -“Heart!” she cried. “Ah! would that it had turned to stone. But it -throbs with passionate delight, and your words reach it until its -pulsations quicken, and I know, alas, that I am a woman!” - -She drooped her head, and Harper fancied that the long lashes of her -eyes were moist with tears. - -“You speak in sorrow as you speak in riddles,” he said. “If I can -soothe away the one, how gladly will I do so; but I must also ask you -to explain the other. You are an utter stranger to me, and I do not -even know your name.” - -“I have but one name; it is Haidee. Sorrow I have known; it has crushed -me. Why should my words be riddles to you? You are a man; I am a woman. -I have looked into your eyes, and I become your slave.” - -As she spoke she knelt at his feet, and bowed her head upon his hand. -He raised her gently. Her hair had fallen over her face; he brushed it -back. He took her hand--soft and warm--in his own, and said, gently-- - -“Haidee, you speak strangely, and I do not understand you.” - -“You do not understand!” she repeated. “Ah, your race is cold-blooded, -and stand on ceremony. In my country we are quick, impulsive, warm. -It is customary there for a maiden to go forth, when she has seen the -man she would love, and, laying her hand in his, say--‘Thou hast taken -captive my heart; at thy feet I lay it. Like the timid dove to its -mate, I come to thee. On thy breast I lay my head; thou shalt shield -me from the storm--thou shalt guard me from danger. Thy life shall be -my life--thy death my death; and for all time I will be thy faithful -and willing slave.’ Then will the man reply--‘If thou art true, I will -love thee; if thou art honest, I will keep thee; if thou hast wrongs, -I will redress them.’ And if she has wrongs, she will make answer and -say--‘I am true as thou art true; I am honest as thou art honest; and -thy slave’s wrongs need redressing.’” - -Harper was astonished, though he knew that she spoke in the innocence -of her heart and in all sincerity; and, however strange her confession -might seem to English ears, she was an Oriental, and but following a -custom of her country. - -As she stood before him with flashing eyes and heaving breast, he could -not help feeling impressed with her beauty and grace. - -“Grieved indeed should I be if I have inspired you with aught but -friendship,” he answered. “I dare not give you love; though I would, if -it were possible, redress your wrongs; but, alas, I am a prisoner!” - -“Dare not!” she echoed, turning her flashing eyes full upon him. “What -do I give you in return? Life. If I save you from death, have I not a -right to claim you? If you are a prisoner, I shall make you free; so -that you can avenge my wrongs.” - -“Haidee,” he cried, “you know not what you ask. Your beauty thrills me, -but I dare not own its sway. I burn to be your champion, but that must -not be at the expense of my honour.” - -“It is you who speak in riddles now,” she retorted, her voice quivering -with emotion. “If you remain here, in a very short time they will kill -you, for your enemies are thirsting for your blood. I save you and you -become mine, and have I not a right to claim your love?” - -“If the only conditions upon which you will set me free are that I -should give you my love, it were better that you left me here to die.” - -“No; it is not so. If you die, I will die with you. But why do you -spurn me? It is said that I am beautiful. Poets have sung of my beauty, -and kings have acknowledged it.” - -“I do not spurn you, Haidee. I feel the power of your beauty; the light -of your eyes thrills me, but my love is already given. I have a wife; -by all that is honourable and true I am bound to her, and therefore -could not love another.” - -Haidee uttered a cry of pain, and pressed her hand to her heart. - -“Alas! how my dreams fade,” she murmured, “and how wretched is my life.” - -“Say not so,” he answered, as he once more took her hand, and looked -into the beautiful eyes that were now flooded with tears. “Say not so. -You have youth, and happiness may yet come. Let me be your friend--you -shall be my sister. I will shield your life with mine, protect and -respect your honour, and endeavour to right you if you have been -wronged.” - -Again she fell at his feet, and, seizing his hand, smothered it with -kisses. - -“Light of my soul,” she murmured; “even as you say, so shall it be; and -though I may not own your love, I will be your willing and faithful -slave.” - -He raised her up, and said-- - -“Not slave, Haidee. In my country we have no slaves. But you shall be -my sister.” - -“Sister, then,” she answered sorrowfully. “I will lead you forth -from this prison that would have been your tomb. The stairs by which -I descended lead to a secret passage in connection with the upper -apartments of the Palace. I will guide you to a place of safety in an -outer building near the magazine, where you can remain for a time. -And I will inveigle one there whom you shall slay in the name of your -sister Haidee. Then we will escape from the city together, and I will -follow you until you are safe from all harm, and that being so, I will -die. I would slay this man myself, but if the hand of a Cashmere woman -spills blood, all her hopes of Paradise have gone, and the Houris would -curse her.” - -“But who is this man, and what wrong has he done you, Haidee?” - -“He is a creature of the King. His name is Moghul Singh, the man who -brought you here, who was to have accomplished your death; and the -wrong he has done me is irreparable. Four years ago I was the happiest -maiden in all Cashmere. In my father’s home peace reigned. He was but -a peasant, but was happy and contented. A brother and two daughters, -myself included, were his family. Proud and brave was my brother; and, -though but a peasant’s son, he was noble and free, scorning all that -was base, and loving honour better than his life. My sister had nothing -to recommend her beyond gentleness of manners. She had no beauty--I -had; that was my misfortune. But I knew it not then. I had given my -love to a youth whose race was noble. Others had sought me, princes had -knelt at my feet, but I rejected them all. Then this Moghul Singh came -to our valley. He was an agent of the King of Delhi, and his mission -was to take back the most beautiful maidens, that they might become -the King’s mistresses. He heard of me. The fame of my face had reached -him. Alas, that it should have been so! He sought me out; he tried to -dazzle me with tempting offers of gold and jewels. But these things -possessed no charms for me. He said that I should rank as a princess in -the King’s harem. But I turned a deaf ear. Then he tried to win me for -himself. I spurned him, spat at him, and called him dog. He swore by -his faith he would carry me away. I told my brother and my lover, and -they vowed to defend me. But Moghul Singh had powerful retainers. They -came in the dead of night, armed to the teeth, to my father’s house. -With the courage of lions did my brother and my lover fight. But, -overpowered by numbers, I saw them both go down, weltering in their -blood. At the feet of this Moghul Singh my sister then threw herself. -She prayed for pity. She implored him not to take me, the light of the -house, away. But the demon was pitiless. He drove a dagger into her -heart because she clung to him and impeded his way, and, with a laugh -of triumph, he bore me off, while my wretched father, overcome by the -terrible misfortune, sank down in raving madness. Into my heart there -came but one wish, one hope, one prayer. It was for vengeance. My own -hand could not strike the blow, for if it did, my hopes of Paradise -would for ever have gone. But I schooled myself to patience; to wait -until chance raised up a deliverer. I hate Moghul Singh with a hatred -that has no words. I loathe the King as a foul and loathsome thing. But -I showed nothing of this outwardly. I knew that there was more to be -gained by patience. I have been a witness to the plans that have been -in preparation for months for this mutiny. The Nana Sahib of Cawnpore -and the King of Delhi have frequently met in secret, and their agents -have been sent to every town and village in India. And on the Koran -they have sworn that the blood of the Feringhees should flow like -water. I have waited patiently through all this plotting, for I said -to myself, ‘Out of this a deliverer and avenger will come for me.’ My -prayer was heard at last, and you came. Just before your arrival the -King had been holding a counsel, in which the ‘rising’ was the chief -topic. It was my good fortune to be present. When I looked upon you I -said, in my heart, this shall be the righter of my wrongs. I knew that -the moment you entered your fate was sealed, unless you were saved by -a miracle. But I determined that I would save you. I heard the King -give an order to Moghul Singh to consign you to the ‘stone room.’ It -is the private prison of the Palace, and only those are brought here -who are cast for immediate death. But I knew the secret passage leading -to it. By the gift of a large amount of jewels to one of Moghul’s men, -I procured a key of the door, and I am here to open it to you and set -you free. In the garb of a peasant I am safe from molestation. I know -the Palace and the city well, and I will save you. But in return, I -must exact a promise that you will avenge me. And though you may not -love poor Haidee, she will command your respect and friendship by her -patience and fidelity.” - -She ceased speaking, and waited in breathless anxiety for his answer. -More than once during her recital had her eyes been suffused with -tears, her lip had quivered with emotion; and he had caught the spirit -which had moved her, until he felt her wrongs to be his wrongs, and -that it was his duty to avenge them. He laid both his hands upon her -shoulders and looked full into her beautiful face--his own aglow, his -eyes flashing, his nerves thrilling. - -“Haidee, you have made me your slave. I will avenge you.” - -Boom! - -The report of a heavy gun seemed to shake the building. - -“Come,” she said, taking his hand, “we have no time to lose. The gun -announces that the mutineers are in sight. When the hoofs of the -foremost trooper’s horse ring upon the bridge across the Jumna, the -death-knell of the British in Delhi will be sounded.” She drew the -dagger from her girdle and handed it to him. “Take this weapon. It -will do until you get a better. The blade is poisoned, and if you but -scratch the skin with it, death will speedily ensue. Come, quick; a key -grates in the other door.” - -He seized the dagger and thrust it into his belt, for the sounds of -a key being inserted in the lock told that the enemy was at hand. -Haidee blew out the light and seized his hand, leading him through the -doorway. Scarcely had they got on to the steps, and closed and locked -the door, than the other one was opened. Then they heard the voice of -Moghul Singh cry, “Death to the Feringhee, in the name of the Prophet!” -In a moment his voice changed, and he uttered an imprecation as he -discovered that the man he had come to slay was no longer there, but -had escaped. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A PERILOUS MISSION. - - -For many hours did Walter Gordon remain in his hiding-place behind the -clump of trees, in company with the faithful ayah, Zeemit Mehal. He -watched with sickened heart the flames wreathe themselves around the -pretty bungalow, where he had known so many happy hours, until, in a -little while, a heap of smouldering and blackened ruins was all that -marked the spot where had once stood the peaceful home of his beloved. -Many times did he narrowly escape being discovered by the howling -demons, as they rushed about in frenzied excitement. His horse, used -to scenes of commotion, remained quietly grazing where it had been -tethered. Out on the compound, with the red flames flushing the white -face, as if in mockery, was the dead body of Mrs. Meredith. It was an -awful sight, and Walter would have jeopardised his life to have gone -out and placed the body in some spot where it might remain until a -chance of burial presented itself. But Mehal restrained him. - -“To expose yourself is to court instant death,” she said. “Be quiet.” - -Presently a gang of ruffians entered the compound, led by a well-known -butcher of the town, named Mezza Korash. The man had long been -notorious for his undisguised hatred for the British, and had on -several occasions been imprisoned for robbery, and for offering insult -to Her Majesty’s subjects. Their object was plunder, and some of -the gang entered the smoking ruins of the bungalow in search of any -valuables that might have escaped the flames. - -As Mezza reached the spot where poor Mrs. Meredith was lying he -suddenly stopped, and, spurning the corpse with his foot, burst into a -coarse laugh. - -“Ah, ah, comrades! look at this dog’s flesh,” he cried. “It was my hand -that slew her. I was the first to fire a shot, and that shot was into -the heart of this Feringhee woman. Glory to the Prophet, and death to -the British!” - -He hurried away, followed by his brutal companions, whose laughter made -the night hideous. - -As Gordon heard the words of the self-confessed murderer, his blood -boiled; and if Zeemit had not forcibly held him back, he would have -rushed out. But when the cowardly crew had gone away, he said-- - -“Zeemit, summary retribution must be meted out to that villain, and -mine shall be the hand to strike him down. If he escapes me, I shall -never be able to look Miss Meredith in the face again.” - -“But what would you do?” asked the woman, in alarm. - -“Drag him from his den, and shoot him like a dog.” - -“But surely you will not throw your life away for a worthless purpose?” - -“To bring down just punishment on the head of a double-dyed murderer -is not a worthless purpose. I know the man well. His shop is in the -bazaar, near the Nullah. At all hazards I go. If I return alive, I -shall come back to Lieutenant Harper’s bungalow, in the lines. You -hurry there without delay.” - -As Mehal saw that further opposition to the will of the “fiery -Englishman” would be useless, she allowed him to go forth. He loosed -his horse from the tree, and sprang into the saddle; and, drawing his -revolver, gripped it firmly in his hand. The city was comparatively -quiet as he rode out of the compound. The lurid flames from the burning -bungalows were paling before the dawning light of day. Dead bodies of -natives were lying about the streets, where they had fallen before the -resistless charge of the British soldiers, who, in obedience to the -bugle-call, were straggling back to their barracks. - -Gordon rode hurriedly forward, never drawing rein until he reached the -bazaar. The ruffians of the gaols and the Goojur villages were slinking -back to their homes with the coming of the morning light. The sudden -presence of this dauntless white man appalled them; their cowardly -natures caused them to crouch away like whipped curs, for it was only -when banded together in large numbers that anything like courage -animated their craven hearts. - -With lips compressed, brows knit, and chest thrown back, Walter -threaded his way through the tortuous streets of the bazaar until he -reached the shop of the butcher, Mezza Korash, who, wearied with the -night’s work, had thrown himself down on a matting before his door. - -Without a moment’s hesitation Gordon jumped from his horse, and, -seizing the murderer--who was a little thin man--in his powerful grip, -he threw him, almost before he could realise his position, across his -horse’s neck, and, springing up behind, galloped away amidst the shouts -of the astonished natives, a few of whom sent random shots after the -flying horseman, but without effect. - -Mezza struggled frantically to free himself from his captor; but he was -like a pigmy in the hands of a Goliath. Gordon had twisted his hand -in the man’s body-cloth, and held him in a vice-like grasp. When he -reached the Mall he met a body of artillerymen, who were returning from -the Delhi road, after having chased the mutineers for some miles. - -“I have captured a murderer,” cried Gordon, as he hurried up. “His -hands are yet red with the blood of his victim. Shooting were too good -for such a cur. A rope, men--a rope!” - -When the cowardly Mezza heard this he whined for mercy, begging that -he might be shot instead of hanged; for death by the rope precludes a -Mohammedan from all hope of heaven. But his prayer was unheeded. A rope -was speedily produced, and thrown over the limb of a banyan tree; a -running noose was placed round the neck of the villain Mezza, who rent -the air with his howls. A dozen hands grasped the slack of the rope, -and instantly the coward’s body was dangling in the morning breeze. It -was a summary act of vengeance, as daring as it was just.[2] - -Walter rode back to the barracks in company with the men, who were -enthusiastic in their praise of Gordon’s bold deed. When he reached -Harper’s bungalow, he was shocked to hear that Mrs. Harper was very ill. - -“If I fall, you will be a brother to my wife?” were the last words of -his friend, as he parted from him the previous night on the Delhi road. - -And, with these words ringing in his ears, he sought the presence of -Mrs. Harper. She was deathly pale, and terribly ill, but she sprang -towards him, and clutched his hand. - -“God be praised, Walter, that you have come!” she cried. “But my -husband, my sister, my mother--where are they?” - -“You must not distress yourself like this,” he answered evasively, and -trying to lead her back to the couch. - -“Do not keep the news, however bad it is, from me. Better to know the -worst at once, than suffer the nameless agony of suspense, when the -fate of one’s dearest relatives is in question. My husband--what of -him?” - -“When I parted from him last night, I left him in perfect health. I -have no doubt he would reach Delhi in safety.” - -“Bless you for that news! And my sister--what of her?” - -Gordon grew pale; strong man as he was, the tears gathered in his eyes, -into his throat came a sensation as if a ball had suddenly been placed -there, and was choking him; for his love for Flora Meredith was as -strong as it was honourable. - -And as he thought of what her fate might be, his emotion overpowered -him. - -“You do not answer,” cried Mrs. Harper, excitedly, as she noticed the -red fade from his face, and a pallor spread over it. “Does she live? -Speak, I conjure you.” - -“She lives,” he answered, sorrowfully. - -“Lives! and yet she is not with you!” Mrs. Harper almost shrieked, as a -terrible thought flitted through her brain. - -“Do not excite yourself, Emily, I beg, for you are endangering your -life. Your sister lives, but has been abducted by Jewan Bukht.” - -With a cry of despair, Mrs. Harper fell upon her knees on the floor. -Gordon raised her gently, and carried her to the couch. He then -procured smelling-salts and water. - -“You are better now,” he remarked, as he saw the ashen paleness give -place to a faint flush. - -“Yes, yes. I can bear the worst. Go on; my, my poor mother--does she -live?” - -“Alas, no! A quick and merciful death has spared her all misery.” - -Mrs. Harper bowed her head upon her hands and wept. - -The weight of sorrow that had so suddenly fallen upon her young head -was almost unbearable, and the frail thread of life threatened to snap. - -She grew calmer presently. She brushed away her tears and stood up -before him. - -“At such an awful time as this,” she said, “the dead are to be envied. -I cannot hope that my poor husband and I will ever meet again. He went -to Delhi. He is a soldier--a brave one--and will do his duty. But -behind him are the mutineers. When they reach the Imperial City, few, -if any, white men will escape the carnage that will ensue after their -arrival. But even if he should be fortunate enough to come safely -through the chances of war, my end is near. I have not been well for a -long time. The terribly hot season of this awful climate has fearfully -enervated me; and it had been arranged between my husband and me that I -was to return to Europe. But it is all over now. This shock is too much -for an already shattered constitution to bear, and in a very short time -my sorrows will end, and I shall join my mother. Give me your hands, -Walter; the other one as well. Look into my eyes, brother--for so I -may call you--and listen to my words, as the words of a dying woman. -My sister is in robust health; she is young and beautiful. She is your -betrothed. She would, in a short time, have been your wife. Her honour, -which is dearer to her than life, is imperilled. Let your mission be to -save her--if that is possible. With your eyes looking into mine--with -both your hands placed in mine--promise me, I, who stand on the very -verge of the grave, that you will rescue my sister, or perish in the -attempt. Remember she is your affianced wife, and her honour is yours.” - -“I need no such reminder,” he answered with closed teeth; “my course is -clear--my mind made up. In a few hours, whatever the hazards--whatever -the peril--I shall be on the road to Delhi, and I will save your -sister, or perish in the attempt!” - -“Some good angel will surely hear your words,” Emily replied, “and -will write them in the book where the deeds of brave men are recorded, -and a just Heaven will reward your efforts.” - -She had spoken as if she had been inspired, but the great effort had -exhausted her, and she sank back upon the couch, pallid and trembling. - -And Gordon knew too well that in the Indian climate such extreme -prostration was an almost certain sign of coming death. - -A few hours had served to bring about terrible changes in each of their -lives; and what the end might be, no man could tell. But he braced -himself up to do his duty, and mentally vowed never to cease his search -for the lost Flora while he had reason to believe that she lived, and -while health and strength were his. - -“You must remain very quiet now, and get rest,” he said, as he placed -a pillow under the head of Mrs. Harper. “Your sister’s ayah, Zeemit -Mehal, promised to meet me here; I must go and seek her, and arrange my -plans with her; for she has promised to go with me.” - -“That is good,” Emily murmured; “if this woman remains faithful, her -services will be invaluable.” - -“I will answer for her fidelity. She might have betrayed me into the -hands of her savage countrymen, but she has been true.” - -Walter soon found Zeemit. She was waiting for him in the verandah of -the bungalow. She had brought with her some powder for staining the -skin, and a native dress--that of a religious mendicant. - -“With this disguise,” she said, “you may penetrate into any part -of India, free from molestation. This staff, carried by none but -religious pilgrims, will be a passport of safety.” - -“This idea is excellent,” he answered; “but there is one great -difficulty which seems to me to be insurmountable. I have but a very -slight knowledge of the language of the country, and this will betray -me.” - -“Yes, it would, if you let it be known.” - -“But how am I to avoid letting it be known?” - -“You must be dumb.” - -“Dumb?” - -“Yes, loss of speech and hearing must be the afflictions under which -you suffer. This will ensure you sympathy. I shall be your aged mother -conducting you to our sacred shrines. So long as your disguise is not -penetrated, no one will dare to offer us harm.” - -“This arrangement is capital, Zeemit, and no reward will be too great -for you to demand if my mission is successful.” - -The powder was made into a paste, and with the assistance of Mehal, -Gordon proceeded to stain the skin until it appeared of the dark -copper colour peculiar to the Bengalees. His black hair and eyes -were favourable to the disguise, and when he had donned the native -cloth, and fastened on a pair of sandals, it would have been a keen -penetration indeed that would have recognised the Englishman in the -garb of the Hindoo pilgrim. To test the completeness of his disguise, -he presented himself before Mrs. Harper, who immediately asked him in -Hindoostanee what he meant by intruding on her privacy. And not until -he spoke did she recognise him. - -“This is a splendid device,” she said, when Walter had made known the -old woman’s plan; “and if you are discreet you may yet save poor Flora. -Let me see Zeemit and personally thank her.” - -When the old ayah entered, Mrs. Harper took her hand and kissed her. - -“You are a faithful creature, Zeemit, and my brave countryman shall -reward you amply.” - -“I need no reward, mem-sahib; I wish only to rescue missy, whom I love. -For has she not always been good and kind to poor old Zeemit? And -Zeemit is grateful, and will save her if she can.” - -Mrs. Harper shook the woman’s hands heartily. - -“There is no time to lose,” she said, addressing Gordon. “May Heaven -watch over you. We shall never meet again. I feel sure of that, for I -am so very, very ill. But if you see my husband, tell him that the last -words the lips of his poor wife uttered were his name, and a prayer for -his safety and happiness.” - -As Gordon looked into the speaker’s face, he felt the full force of -what she said, for death seemed to have already settled upon her; and -the enervating nature of the climate precluded all hope when once the -fearful prostration had seized one. He knew that, and yet it was very -awful to think that he must speak the last words that ever he would -have a chance of speaking to her in this world. But it was a time for -action, not useless regret. However poignant the grief for the dying -or the dead might be, the safety of the healthful and the living was a -matter calling for the first consideration. - -His parting with Mrs. Harper was affecting in the extreme, and he was -glad to hurry away. When he had secured a pair of loaded revolvers -beneath his clothes, he took his staff, and uttering a final adieu, -left the apartment in company with Zeemit. - -As the two walked through the city, and gained the great high-road, -none of the many hundred natives they passed suspected they were -anything but what they seemed to be--a decrepid old woman, and an -afflicted, half-witted beggar son, hurrying away to pursue their -calling in some more peaceful district. And not a few pice were tossed -to them by those who had pity for the beggars, but none for the -Christians. - -The sun was pouring down his fiery beams; the Goomtee was rippling on -like a stream of living fire; the air was heavy with dust, and all -things were hushed to silence by the great heat, as Walter Gordon -started upon his perilous mission, acting his part as if to the manner -born, for a great purpose nerved him, and there is not much a true and -brave man will not do for the woman he loves. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] The incident here related actually occurred. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -HOPES AND FEARS. - - -Haidee led Lieutenant Harper up the flight of stone steps, and then -along a dimly lighted passage that appeared to be built between the -walls. On reaching the end of this passage another door presented -itself, but his beautiful guide took a key from her girdle and unlocked -it. Another flight of steps were descended, and then not a single gleam -of light could be seen. Haidee caught his hand and led him along. It -was a tortuous way, but she was well acquainted with it. Presently -a faint glimmering light was discernible, and, as they drew nearer, -Harper perceived that it came from a small window let in a door. More -steps had to be ascended to reach this door, which opened to Haidee’s -key, and in an instant the lieutenant’s eyes were dazzled with a bright -burst of sunshine. - -A broad walk, running between an avenue of noble banyan trees, was -before them. Except the noise of the moving branches, as they swayed in -a light breeze, not a sound broke the stillness. - -“This is the King’s private ground,” said Haidee, in a whisper. “It is -here he walks with his agents, and his favourite wives, free from all -intrusion. Once across this ground, and we are safe. But caution is -necessary.” - -She closed the door behind her, and, motioning Harper to follow, -cautiously led the way, keeping as much as possible in the shadow of -the banyans. The avenue was passed through without adventure, and a -large iron gate, let into a stone wall, reached. Haidee produced the -key, and inserting it in the lock, gave access to a sort of plantation. -She peered cautiously out to see that the way was clear, and, motioning -Harper to follow, closed the gate again. - -After a short walk, they arrived at a small ruined building. It stood -on an eminence, and commanded a view of the surrounding country. It -had formerly been used as a temple, but was now fallen into decay, and -was overrun with luxuriant vegetation. A small flight of slippery, -moss-covered steps led to the doorway. - -“This will be a place of safety,” said Haidee, as she pushed open the -door, that creaked on its rusty hinges as if uttering a complaint. - -It was a circular building, and contained one room below that was in -a tolerable state of preservation. A broken idol lay upon the floor, -where it had tumbled from a niche in the wall, and some stone benches -still remained. Above this was another room, reached by a stairway -built in the thickness of the wall. From this room a look-out was -obtained, and Harper saw that the building was within half-a-mile of -the magazine, of which it commanded an uninterrupted view. The roof was -entirely gone, but the broad leaves of some palms which grew on the -hill had spread themselves over the walls in such a manner as to form a -screen from the scorching rays of the sun. - -“You are safe for a time,” said Haidee, as she stood facing the man -she had delivered from death, and presented to his gaze a combination -of beauty, grace, and resolution, until his heart beat quicker, and he -felt as if he could fall upon his knees at her feet and pour out his -thanks in passionate language. “This was formerly a private temple, and -here Moghul Singh has often come to pray to the god of his faith. One -night the diamond eyes of the idol which lies on the floor below, were -stolen, and the King ordered the temple to be closed, and never more -used. It is shunned now--nobody ever comes here. It is to this place -that I would draw Moghul Singh, that you may slay him--slay him like a -dog in the place that is cursed, and leave his carrion as food for the -foul things that creep and crawl.” - -She spoke passionately. The fire in her eyes burnt brilliantly, and she -drew her breath quickly. She was no longer the mild, gentle woman, but -looked like a fury panting for revenge. Harper noticed this, and said, -soothingly: - -“Don’t agitate yourself, Haidee. Have patience, and your day will dawn.” - -In an instant she had changed. The love-light came into her eyes again, -and the stern expression of her face softened. - -“Ah, forgive me,” she murmured, taking his hand and drooping her head; -“my wrongs are great, my desire for vengeance uncontrollable. But to -you, my lord, my master, I would be gentle as the dove. Could I but see -this villain writhing in the throes of death, I should watch him with -joy in my heart, and when he was dead, I should feel that my mission -was ended, and henceforth it was poor Haidee’s duty to be only your -loving slave.” - -“Not slave, Haidee, but sister; though you should remember that you -are a woman, and this terrible feeling which you are nursing is not -good--it is unwomanly. Leave this wretch to the retribution that is -sure, sooner or later, to overtake him.” - -She let his hand fall, and recoiled with a cry of mingled pain and -rage, and was the fury again. - -“Would you play me false, now that I have saved you? Is it not out of -my very womanhood that my desire for vengeance comes? Does not the -mad cry of my father still ring in my ears? Does not the blood of my -murdered sister, and brother, and lover, cry aloud for vengeance? Let -my heart turn to steel, let my own blood become a burning poison that -shall gall and canker me night and day if I allow my slaughtered kin to -go unavenged. You have promised to right my wrongs--you dare not break -that promise. Your life is mine, since I gave it back to you. I snatch -you from the jaws of death--have I not a right to demand something in -return? Remember that in my veins runs the hot blood of an Eastern -woman; my country people are not as yours are. We can melt with love, -or rise to a passion of wrath which you English people know nothing of.” - -Her stern energy startled Harper. It was like the sudden bursting of a -thunder-cloud, where, a moment before, all was serenity. Yet even in -her passion she looked beautiful, if dangerous; and her nature, strange -as it was, aroused in the young officer a feeling of enthusiastic -admiration. - -“You mistake me, Haidee,” he said, softly. “I acknowledge freely that -to you I owe my escape from a cruel end, and therefore you have a right -to demand any service from me that is not absolutely dishonourable; -and such service I will freely render. You said, a little while ago, -when you first entered my prison, that you were a woman. I may answer -you now in similar language, and say I am a man. And in my heart lives -all that feeling which it would be impossible not to feel for a lovely -and much-wronged lady.” - -His words touched the springs of her nature, and her long lashes -dripped with tears. In an instant she was on her knees at his feet, and -her soft and burning cheek was laid against his hand. - -“Oh, forgive me, if I have hurt you; but Haidee’s sorrows are great. -I know now that your heart is true, and your hand strong to strike in -cause of sullied honour. You thrill me with your words, and my pulse -throbs for you alone.” - -They were suddenly startled by the cry of a multitude, and the sullen -boom of the guns. Harper rushed to the window, and exclaimed-- - -“The insurgents have attacked the magazine.” - -“There is no time to lose,” she answered, rising quickly to her feet; -“I must away, and return to you as soon as possible with weapons and -food. You must not stir from here unless you wish to sacrifice your -life. I shall seek out Moghul Singh. I shall tell him that I have you -here, where I have enticed you on the pretext of saving your life, -having discovered you affecting your escape through the King’s grounds. -He will come. As soon as he enters, you will strike him down; but leave -enough life in him that he may hear from my lips that Haidee avenges -the cruel death of her kindred. Farewell until we meet again.” - -“Stay a moment, Haidee. How many Europeans are in charge of that -magazine?” - -“I know not; but they are few in number.” - -“Heaven protect them. Would that I could render them my poor -assistance. That, however, is impossible. But promise me one thing, -Haidee. Let it be a promise as sacred as that I have given to you. -Wherever and whenever you can render succour to my countrymen or women, -you will do so; and you will, if you have it in your power, rescue any -of them from death?” - -“I promise you by my hopes of paradise.” - -She pressed her moist lips to his hand, and with a light step, hurried -away. - -It was a strange position for Harper to be placed in, but he was as -powerless as a reed that is swayed in the storm-wind. His breath came -thick and fast, and his heart beat violently as he watched the heaving -sea of black humanity surge against the walls of the magazine, only to -be driven back again by the storm of fire. He knew that the defenders -were few, for it had long been a standing complaint that the great and -valuable arsenal of Delhi had such a weak European guard. But he little -dreamt that the number was as low as nine. He panted to be behind those -walls, to exert the strength of his youth and the energy of his nature -in helping to defend the treasures of his country and the lives of his -countrymen who were battling so heroically against such tremendous -odds. But he could only wait and watch. To have gone forth into that -savage crowd would have been like casting a boat into a maelström; he -would have been torn to pieces. - -The roar of the guns, as they belched forth their iron hail, was -deafening, while the disappointed cry of the insurgents rose like the -howling of a hurricane. Hour after hour he watched there, but the time -seemed short, for he was fascinated. Now his hopes rose high, and he -felt as if it was almost impossible to suppress a cheer as he saw the -craven multitude beaten back before the fire of the defenders. Then his -hopes would sink again as the walls were reached by the raging sea. -Presently his heart almost stood still, as the guns of the magazine -were silenced, and he saw the natives swarm over the walls. - -“They have conquered,” he thought. - -But the thought was scarcely formed, when the air became darkened. Even -at the distance he was, it seemed as if a mighty whirlwind was sweeping -over. He saw the stupendous sheet of fire leap into the air, and he -knew that the arsenal had been blown up. The terrific shock shook the -ground, and some of the crumbling masonry of his retreat tottered -and fell with a crash. He buried his face in his hands to hide the -awfulness of the scene, and an unutterable sorrow took possession of -him, for he could not hope that any one of the noble defenders could -escape from that fiery storm. - -Slowly the time passed now, as he sat on a fallen stone and thought -over the fortunes of war, and of the strange chance that had placed him -in the position to be a witness of that terrible drama. Soldier he was, -it was true, and though he yearned to be up and doing, how could he -hope to prevail against a multitude? He felt that he was a victim to -circumstances which it would be as useless for him to try and control -as it would be to attempt to stay the wind. If he wished to live he -must yield himself unconditionally to his fate. Those were the only -terms, for what others could he make? - -Two faces came before him. - -They were those of Haidee and his wife. He could not serve them both. -He must be false to one and true to the other. Haidee meant life; his -wife--death. For without Haidee’s assistance he felt convinced that -there was not the remotest possibility of escape. But would it not be -better to die, conscious of having done his duty, rather than live to -dishonour? - -He grew bewildered with the conflicting emotions that tortured him, -and, overcome with weariness, slept. When he awoke the day was -declining. Down sank the sun, and night closed in quickly on the short -Indian twilight. Alas! he thought how many a blackened corpse, a few -hours before full of hope and energy--how many an agonised heart, that -had beaten that morning with happiness and joy, did the curtain of the -night cover? - -Slowly and wearily the time passed, and Haidee came not. From all parts -of the city lurid flames from incendiary fires were reddening the sky, -and sounds of musketry and drums reached him. The unequal fight was -still being carried on somewhere. Could he, bird-like, have hovered -o’er the city, he would have seen sights that would have appalled -the stoutest heart. In one of the strongest houses the Europeans and -Eurasians from the Daraogung, or English quarter, had barricaded -themselves--a little band selling their lives as dearly as possible. -But all was fruitless. The barricades were carried and the people -slaughtered. In the Flag-Staff Tower, on the Delhi Ridge, the women -and children were gathered for protection, while a few officers and -men, from the cantonment, were trying to keep off the black demons, in -the hope that succour would come from Meerut, but it never came. Later -on these helpless women and children were to escape, but only to meet -with subsequent massacre at the hands of the brutal mutineers. Again -a little body of white people, women and children, a few soldiers, -officers and men, were gathered at the main guard of the Palace, -holding their ground for a little while, with the fierceness of lions -at bay. The European troops stationed in the cantonment when the mutiny -broke out in Delhi, could have been counted by dozens, and these few -dozens were scattered on this awful night. There was an embrasure in -the bastion that skirted the court-yard of the main guard. Through -the embrasure egress was obtained. Beneath, at a distance of thirty -feet, was a dry ditch. By dropping into this ditch, crossing over, -and descending the opposite scarp, the slope and the glacis could be -mounted. Beyond was some jungle that offered cover to the fugitives. -When defence was no longer possible, these brave officers and men -made ropes of their clothing and lowered the women and children into -the ditch, dropping themselves afterwards--many falling never to rise -again, killed and maimed by the tremendous drop. And those who did -escape dragged the weak ones up the slopes, and into the jungle. But it -was only a prolongation of the agony, for the murderers reached them -ultimately. All these things, and others that pen can never write, nor -tongue tell, would Harper have seen, had he been, as I say, suspended, -bird-like, in the air. - -But though he could not see, every shot, every cry, told him, in -language not to be misinterpreted, that an awful carnage was going on. -And the nameless horror of such knowledge, such suspense, made him wish -that he were dead. - -Slowly the weary night passed on,--still Haidee came not. Had she -deserted him, or had she fallen? were questions he asked. - -To the first he soon framed an answer. He would not believe she had -proved false. - -As the night grew old, the guns ceased, the fires died out, the cries -were hushed, and stillness fell upon all things. There was no light, -neither moon nor stars. He could see nothing. But occasionally he -heard a lizard dart out to seize its prey, or the squeal of a rat as -it was caught in the jaws of a snake, and he thought that--mystery of -mysteries--even amongst the lowest order of created things, there was -endless war, there was bitter pain, there was cruel death. Why should -such things be? - -Amongst the overhanging palms and the surrounding foliage, the flying -foxes, huge bats, and grey-owls flapped their wings and gibbered and -hooted, like evil spirits gloating over the harvest of blood and the -awful work of the reaper Death. - -The man’s soul was heavy, his breast was tortured with pain. The -darkness, and solitude, and suspense, were all but unendurable. He felt -as if he was going mad. Why did not Haidee come? Over and over again -he was strongly tempted to trust himself to the darkness of the night -and endeavour to find his way out of the city. But, alas! he was soon -convinced of the utter hopelessness of such a course. Besides, he could -not desert this woman, until he was sure she would not return. His -manhood rebelled against that. - -He strained his eyes in all directions, but nothing met his gaze. -The darkness was impenetrable. Worn out with his long watching, and -fasting, and excitement, nature once more asserted her supremacy, and -he fell asleep. - -How long he slept he knew not, but he was suddenly startled by the -sound of footsteps. She comes at last, he thought. The first faint -streaks of dawn were in the sky, and they enabled him to make out -closely surrounding objects. His heart palpitated, and his face burned. -The sounds had died away again, and there was silence unbroken. He -listened, and listened, and listened until the strain became painful. -It was but a few minutes’ pause, but it seemed almost like hours. Then -footsteps again, and whispering voices beneath. One was a woman’s, -Haidee’s, he believed. But whose was the other? Had the time come for -him to do the deed he had promised her to do? Had she brought Moghul -Singh? He held his breath. He could hear the hard beating of his own -heart. However brave a man may be, a sense of unknown and undefinable -danger produces a feeling akin to fear. And this is increased when -he is situated as Harper was. He drew the dagger from his belt, and -held it firmly. It was a formidable weapon, and, in the hands of a -determined man, at close quarters, there would have been little chance -for an antagonist escaping its poisoned point. - -The footsteps drew nearer. Two people were ascending the stairs--a -woman and a man; the difference in the tread betrayed that. They -reached the top. Two persons stood in the room--one was a woman and one -a man. The woman was Haidee; but, in the dim light, Harper saw that the -man was not Moghul Singh. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -A NARROW ESCAPE. - - -When Walter Gordon and Zeemit Mehal had got clear of Meerut, and fairly -on the great highway, they turned into a paddy (rice) field, where -there was a small bamboo hut. Into this they crept, for the heat of the -sun was so terrific, and walking was almost impossible. Suffering from -extreme fatigue, Walter threw himself into a heap of straw, and thought -over the terrible events of the last two hours, and as he remembered -that Flora Meredith was in the hands of the enemy, he felt distracted, -and inclined to continue his journey without a moment’s delay. But, -however strong his energy, his physical powers were not equal to it, -for even the natives themselves felt prostrated by the intense heat of -the Indian summer. And yet it was awful to have to remain there while -she who was dearer to him than life itself was surrounded with deadly -peril. - -He wondered what had become of his friend Harper. Had he escaped death? -and if so, would he be able to return to Meerut to comfort his dying -wife? for Walter had no doubt in his own mind that Mrs. Harper was -stricken down never more to rise. Even if he were fortunate enough -to discover his friend and his affianced, he would have sorry news -to convey to them. But it was the time of sorry news. Nay, it was -but the very commencement of a long period, during which there would -be no other news but that of suffering, of sorrow, and death. The -storm had indeed burst, with a fury undreamt of--unparalleled; and -through the darkness scarcely one gleam of hope shone. From mouth to -mouth, amongst the natives, the terrible words had passed--“Death to -the beef-devouring, swine-eating Feringhees!” They were truly awful -words, well calculated to inflame the minds of the black races, who had -for years been taught by their leaders and their priests to cherish -in their hearts an undying hatred for the British; to look upon the -Great White Hand as a hard and grinding one, that should be crushed -into the dust, and its power for ever destroyed. The dogs of war had -been slipped, and Havoc and Destruction stalked hand in hand through -the land. And though the “lightning posts” might flash the news to -the great towns, it was doubtful if succour could be sent in time to -prevent the spread of the awful desolation. - -As these and similar thoughts flitted through the restless brain of -Walter Gordon, he realised that the position of himself and his friends -called for the most decisive action. In a few brief hours his own -little circle had been broken. His friend Harper had gone, and, in all -probability, would be one of the early victims. That friend’s wife was -drawing near the end of her earthly troubles. Mrs. Meredith was already -dead, and what the fate of Flora might be he shuddered to contemplate. -This latter thought distracted him, and he seemed to be suddenly -endowed with superhuman strength. - -“I must go!” he exclaimed, springing to his feet. “Zeemit, Zeemit, do -you hear?” for the old woman had fallen asleep. “Zeemit, I say, let us -continue our journey. This inaction is maddening, and it were better to -dare the sun’s rays than fall a victim to one’s own thoughts.” - -Zeemit started from her slumber. His excited looks and tone for a -moment bewildered her. But she speedily grasped the purport of his -words. - -“Sahib, sahib!” she cried, “you will betray yourself if you have not -more discretion. Remember you are supposed to be dumb, and the moment -you use your voice the very walls may have ears to catch your words.” - -“But, Zeemit, I cannot endure to remain here, knowing the awful peril -in which Miss Flora stands; and that the slightest delay on my part may -be fatal to her.” - -“If you would be of service, sahib, you must reserve your strength. To -attempt to continue the journey under this noon-day heat, would be to -court your own destruction. Rest and have patience.” - -“You reason well, Zeemit, but how can I have patience under such -circumstances? Succour must reach Miss Meredith immediately if she is -to be saved.” - -“But you cannot quicken the wind or chain the lightning, sahib, nor -can you cool the sun’s rays. These things must be endured. When night -closes in, and the fresh breezes blow, then is your time for action. -But you must have caution. If you speak, let your words be uttered in -whispers, for there is danger in the very air.” - -Suddenly she uttered a suppressed cry of alarm. Her eyes had been -fixed on a small window at the end of the hut, which was covered with -a bamboo flap; but this flap had been broken away on one side, and -through the opening a face was grinning. It was withdrawn the moment -its owner was aware that it had been discovered. - -“Sahib, we are betrayed!” she exclaimed, as she hurried to the door in -time to see a Coolie moving quickly away. - -Gordon followed her, and, drawing one of his revolvers, levelled it at -the retreating figure of the native, and fired. But the shot missed its -mark, and, with the fleetness of a deer, the man sped away, and was -soon beyond range. - -“This is unfortunate, Zeemit,” said Walter, as he restored the revolver -to his belt. - -“It is even as I say,” answered Mehal; “there is danger in the very -air. That Coolie, no doubt, lives in this hut. He was returning here, -when he heard your voice. He will quickly spread the news, and we shall -be followed. There is no time to be lost. We stand in imminent danger; -and, at all hazards now, must quit the place. Remember, from this -moment, you are dumb.” - -Gordon felt the full force of the old woman’s words, but he made no -answer, though he mentally blamed himself for his indiscretion. But the -mischief was done, and there was no helping it now. - -He silently followed his companion, and they went out into the glare -of the sun. The heat was still terrific, for it was only a little past -mid-day. For a time, Walter kept bravely on, but his strength soon -began to fail him. - -Even old Indians never thought of walking at such times, and he, a -new-comer, was not yet inured to the climate. A feeling of oppression -seized him, and he could scarcely resist the desire to lie down by the -road-side. But, encouraged by Mehal, and buoyed up with the thought -that every mile brought him nearer to Delhi, where he hoped to meet -the object of his search, he struggled bravely on. The dusty road, -treeless and shelterless, seemed to quiver in the heat. His mouth was -parched with thirst, and his limbs tottered beneath him. But, with the -resolution of despair, he kept up for yet a little while longer. - -“Zeemit,” he said at last, “I can go no farther; I am sinking.” - -“No, no; you must not stop here, or you will die. See; look ahead! -To the left there, there is a clump of jungle. In that jungle is a -dawk-house, where the palanquin bearers rest when travelling backwards -and forwards. It is but half-a-mile, and you will there find shelter, -for it is almost sure to be deserted now. Come, sahib. Courage!” - -Thus cheered by his faithful companion, he struggled on, his eyes -almost blinded with the glare, his brain in a whirl, his limbs -trembling as if he had been stricken with an ague. Had he not been a -strong man, he would have fallen by the wayside, and then death must -have speedily ensued. But he held up. The welcome goal was reached at -last, and he tottered in. - -The place was one of the small, square, flat-roofed, stuccoed bungalows -to be found on the high roads in all parts of India at that period. -They were generally erected at the Government expense, and were used -as shelters for travellers, and as places where change of horses could -be had for the mail-dawks. It was two storeys high, and contained four -rooms, with a circular stairway at one corner leading to the upper -storey and the roof. At the back of the bungalow was a compound and -a stable, and beyond a patch of jungle. Round the building ran the -indispensable verandah; and a small doorway, screened by a portico, -gave entrance to the house. - -Utterly exhausted, Gordon struggled into one of the lower rooms. It -contained a cane-bottom lounge fixed to the wall; on to this he threw -himself; and in a very few minutes nature succumbed, and he was asleep. - -Zeemit did not follow him, for two Coolies were lying on a -bamboo-matting in the verandah, and they rose up as the travellers -reached the house. - -“Peace be with you, countrymen,” said the old woman, addressing them. -“Sorrow is mine, for my poor son is stricken with illness, and we have -far to go.” - -“Where are you journeying to, mother?” asked one of the men, when he -had returned Zeemit’s greeting. - -“Alas, my son, where should we journey to but to that great city where -the King dwells, and where we hope to find rest and plenty.” - -“Allah guide you!” the man answered. “The Moghul will be restored, the -Feringhees will be exterminated, and our race will be raised to power -again. But come you from Meerut?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then you know the latest news. Are the Europeans going to follow our -friends to Delhi?” - -“No. They have, to a man, returned to Meerut.” - -“Allah be praised!” cried the Coolie, springing to his feet. “That -is news indeed. I and my companion then will accompany you to Delhi, -and we will serve these foreigners no more. Fearing that the Europeans -would follow our friends out of Meerut, we have remained at our posts -here, dreading to be overtaken. But the news you bring is good, and -we will seek better fortune than is to be gained by attending to the -Feringhee travellers who stop here.” - -“When my son is refreshed, we will continue our journey in company,” -answered Zeemit, as she passed into the house; and the two Coolies -coiled themselves upon their matting again. - -The unexpected meeting with these two men was a source of trouble to -her; for if their suspicions should be aroused, the object of the -journey might be frustrated. Moreover, she feared that the man she had -seen at the hut in the paddy field would give pursuit as soon as he -had armed himself, and got some of his comrades to join him; for he -would know that the Englishman could not go very far, and could soon be -overtaken. She looked at Gordon; he was steeped in a death-like sleep, -and even if she had been inclined, she could not have aroused him until -rest had somewhat restored him. - -She made a survey of the house. The windows were only guarded with -jalousies, which offered no protection; so that, if the place should be -attacked, escape would be almost impossible. - -Some hours passed, and nothing occurred to justify her suspicions. Many -an anxious glance did she cast back to the white road along which they -had travelled. - -The cool breeze was commencing to blow, the sun was declining, and -she began to hope that the danger she feared would be averted. With -the departing heat of day the Coolies aroused themselves from their -lethargy, and commenced to cook their evening meal of curry and rice. -Zeemit also lit a fire of charcoal, and taking some rice from her -waist-cloth, and begging a small fish from the Coolies, she made some -supper in a lotah, or brass dish, and commenced to eat, having set -aside a portion for Gordon, who still slept. As the shadows lengthened -and the twilight came on, she was startled by seeing, far away down -the road, in the direction from whence they had come, a cloud of dust -arise. She knew in a moment that it was a signal of danger; that it -was caused by a body of natives. In a few minutes this was confirmed. -About two dozen men, as near as she could judge, were coming up, three -or four of them being on horseback. They could have but one object, -she thought, and that was pursuit of the Englishman, unless they were -a band of fugitives flying to Delhi; but that did not seem probable, -since, if it had been so, they would have been accompanied by women. - -She hurried into the house. Gordon was still sleeping. She shook him; -he turned over, and groaned. She shook him again, but he did not wake. -There was not a moment to lose, for she could now hear faintly the ring -of the advancing horses’ hoofs, as they rattled along the road. She -grasped Gordon tightly in her arms, and, by a great effort of strength, -dragged him off the lounge on to the floor. It had the desired effect, -and he awoke. At this moment one of the Coolies entered. He had -observed the advancing body, and exclaimed-- - -“We shall have goodly company on our way to Delhi.” - -Gordon had raised himself on his elbow, and being dazed with the heavy -sleep, and not realising his position, cried out in English-- - -“What does this mean? Who has thrown me down?” - -The Coolie stood like one who had been suddenly transformed to stone. -Then, with a cry, he bounded out of the room exclaiming-- - -“A Feringhee in disguise, and a treacherous country-woman. Death to -them.” - -“We are lost,” Zeemit murmured, still shaking Gordon. - -But he needed no further shaking; that warning cry had aroused him into -full activity again, and he sprang to his feet. And though he did not -comprehend the full extent of the danger, he realised that his disguise -had been penetrated. - -The body of natives were quite close now. The Coolies were flying down -the road to meet them; and Zeemit heard the foremost horseman ask if -they had seen a Feringhee in disguise. Then the answer was given--“Yes, -yes; he is here.” - -She seized Gordon by the arm, and fairly dragged him towards the door. - -“Come,” she said; “the roof is our only place of safety.” - -They hurried out of the door and gained the small round tower, common -to Indian bungalows, and which contained the winding flight of steps -used by the Bheestee Wallas, or water-carriers. By these steps the -roof was gained. The entrance from this tower on to the roof was by -a very narrow doorway. The door was of stout teak. On the roof were -some bamboo poles. He seized one of these, and used it as a lever -to dislodge a portion of the brick parapet. The _débris_ he piled up -against the small door, thus forming a most effectual barricade. He had -two breech-loading revolvers and ample ammunition, and he did not doubt -he would be able to hold his own for a considerable time. - -“Do you know how to load these pistols, Zeemit?” he asked. - -“Yes,” she answered, with sadness in her tone, for she knew that they -must be levelled at her own countrymen. But love for her English -mistress was strong in her heart, and it overcame all scruples. - -Gordon glanced over the parapet. The crowd, numbering eighteen or -nineteen, and several of them armed with guns, were close now. He was -determined not to be the first to fire. - -“What do you seek?” he cried, as the natives swarmed into the verandah. - -“Death to the Feringhee,” was the only answer; and with a wild cry -they sought the tower and rushed up the stairs, but they were unable -to force the door. Down they went again, yelling and howling like -infuriated demons, and they fired a volley at the roof--the bullets -sending the cement flying in all directions, but otherwise doing no -harm. Gordon no longer hesitated in the course to pursue, but levelling -his revolver, fired the six shots in rapid succession, and with such -good aim that five men rolled over. It was an unexpected reception, and -the survivors were furious--some firing wildly at the roof, and others -rushing off in search of combustibles wherewith to burn down the house. -Gordon had little chance of picking any of them off now, for, taking -warning by the fate of their comrades, they sheltered under the portico -and behind trees. - -It was almost too dark to see; night was closing in fast. Gordon -recognised that his position was critical in the extreme, and, unless -he could escape, death was certain. He peered over the parapet on all -sides. At the back were the stables, and the roof was about ten feet -from the parapet. It was the only chance. A yell of delight at this -moment greeted him, and he could discern some of the natives rushing -towards the house with a long ladder, which they had discovered in the -compound. - -He hesitated for a moment. If he remained on the roof he could keep -his assailants at bay as long as the ammunition held out; but if he -should be discovered when on the ground, all hope would be gone. His -mind, however, was soon made up, as he saw other natives bearing heaps -of wood and undergrowth, with the intention of burning him out. There -was no time to be lost. If once they lighted that fire, its glare -would discover to them his whereabouts. He must take advantage of the -darkness. He speedily made known his plan to Zeemit. She acquiesced -immediately, and, getting over the parapet, dropped lightly on to the -roof. Gordon followed, just as the ladder was reared against the other -side of the house. - -From the roof of the stable to the ground the descent was easy, and in -a few minutes Gordon and his faithful companion had gained the jungle. -As they did so, they heard the cry of rage which their foes gave vent -to as they reached the roof and found that those whom they sought had -flown. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -STARTLING NEWS. - - -The man who appeared in the ruined temple, in company with Haidee, -and to the astonishment of Lieutenant Harper, was no other than James -Martin, who had escaped the terrific explosion of the magazine. But for -his dress he might have been taken for a native, as his face was black -with smoke and powder. - -“I am fulfilling my promise,” said Haidee, “and I have rescued this -man, your countryman. You may be of service to each other.” - -“We meet under strange circumstances,” Harper said, as he held out his -hand to Martin, “but I am none the less thankful. We both stand in -imminent peril, and our lives may not be worth many hours’ purchase; -but two determined Britishers are a match for an army of these cowardly -wretches.” - -“That is so,” answered Martin. “But I do not think my time has come -yet, seeing that I have escaped from twenty deaths already. I was one -of the defenders of the magazine until our lion-hearted commander -ordered it to be blown up. I managed to escape the fiery storm, and -crept into a cavernous hollow formed by a mass of fallen masonry. I -must have been there some hours, for, when I awoke from a sound sleep, -I was ravenously hungry, and, at all hazards, determined to creep out -of my hole and seek for food. It was quite dark, and I groped about -amongst the ruins until I reached the road leading to the Palace. I -walked for some distance, until a voice asked where I was going to. -The voice belonged to this woman, who had just emerged from one of the -private gates leading to the Palace grounds. At first I thought she was -an enemy, and I drew my revolver, which I had been fortunate enough to -retain, although it was unloaded. Still, an unloaded weapon, I thought, -was quite enough for a woman. ‘Who are you?’ I asked, ‘and why do you -stop my way?’ ‘I am a friend, and I wish to save you,’ she answered. I -could not be mistaken in those tones, I thought. They were too gentle, -too kind, to belong to an enemy. And so, returning my weapon to my -belt, I extended my hand to her, and said, ‘I trust myself entirely -to you; lead me where you like.’ ‘I will lead you to safety, and to a -countryman of yours, who is dear to me,’ she answered. And here I am.” - -Haidee had remained silent during Martin’s speech. Her head was bent -and her arms folded. Harper crossed to where she stood, and took her -hands. The scarlet flush of morn was in the sky, and as it tinged her -beautiful face, he saw that her brows were knit, and her teeth set, as -if in anger. - -“Haidee,” he said gently, “words cannot thank you for what you have -done; I am already heavily indebted to you. How can I discharge that -debt?” - -“I need no thanks,” she answered. “Haidee is true to her promise; but -my heart is heavy, for he who should have come with me now is gone.” - -“Do you refer to Moghul Singh?” asked Harper, in some astonishment, -and not without a slight feeling of pleasure. For, though Singh was a -double-dyed traitor, Harper did not like the thought of having to act -the part of a private assassin. - -“To whom else should I refer?” - -“How comes it then that he has gone?” - -“He has gone by order of the King.” - -“Ah! is that so? Where has he gone to?” Harper queried in alarm, for -the thought occurred to him that the man had departed to convey the -signal for a rising in some other place. - -“He has gone to Cawnpore.” - -“To Cawnpore!” - -“Yes, and for Haidee’s sake you must follow him.” - -“Nay, that cannot be,” Harper answered, with ill-concealed alarm. - -“Cannot be--cannot be!” she repeated, in astonishment, and drawing -herself up until their eyes met. “Are my wrongs, then, so soon -forgotten?” - -“Not so, Haidee; but you forget that I am a soldier. My first duty is -to my Queen and country, and that duty must not be neglected in my -desire to redress private wrongs. I bear for you all the feeling a man -of honour should have for an injured woman; but I cannot--dare not--go -to Cawnpore.” - -“Cannot--dare not!” she echoed, in astonishment, letting his hands -fall; “and is ‘dare not’ part of a soldier’s creed? Sits there a craven -fear in your heart?” - -“No,” he cried, his face burning at the suggestion. “For I have none; -but I hold that my honour should be the paramount consideration. I can -die, but I cannot sacrifice that which is dearer than life to a true -soldier--honour.” - -“You wrong me,” she answered passionately. “I have made no such -request; but I have saved your life--I have given you liberty. You have -my heart; I ask but one service in return.” - -“And that service I would have rendered if Moghul Singh had been here, -for he is a traitor, and an enemy to my race and country. Moreover, I -have a personal wrong to settle, because he betrayed me, subjected me -to gross indignity, and would have slain me. But for a time he escapes -retribution. I cannot follow him. The moment I stand outside of these -city walls a free man again, I must hurry back to my regiment. Failing -to do that, I should be branded as a deserter.” - -“I comprehend now,” she cried, throwing herself at his feet. “I had -forgotten that, and you must forgive me. Never more can happiness be -mine. Into the dust I bow my head, for the light of my eyes will go -with you. Poor Haidee will set you free. When night closes in again -she will lead you and your countryman clear of the city; then we must -part--never, never to meet again.” - -He raised her up gently, and passed his arm soothingly around her -waist, for she was terribly agitated, and shook like a wind-tossed reed. - -“Do not say that we shall never meet again, Haidee. Chance may bring me -back here, and if I escape the many deaths which encompass a soldier at -a time like this, we shall meet. But even though I may not come to you, -you can at least come to me.” - -“Haidee would gladly live in the light of your eyes; but if I can hold -no place in your heart, we must part for ever.” - -Harper struggled with his feelings. He was on the horns of a dilemma, -and the way out of the difficulty did not seem straight. His arm was -still around Haidee. He felt her warm breath on his cheek, and heard -the throbbing of her heart. Her upturned eyes were full of an ineffable -expression of love, of trust, of hope--hope in him. How could he wither -that hope--misplace that trust? How could he leave her in the city at -the mercy of the treacherous King? As he thought of these things, he -wished that she had never opened his prison door, but had left him -to meet death alone. For cold, indeed, would have been his nature, -and stony his heart, if he had not felt the influence of her great -beauty. To look into her face was to feel sorely tempted to cast his -fortunes on the hazard of the die, and sacrifice all for this woman’s -sake. But the inward voice of conscience kept him back. Wife, country, -honour, were in the scale, and they must have weight against all other -considerations. “No,” he thought, “rather than I would be branded with -the name of traitor, I will walk boldly forth into the heart of the -city, and bare my breast to the insurgents’ bullets.” - -A deep sigh from Haidee called him back to a sense of his position. - -He led her to the stone seat, and said kindly-- - -“Why do you sigh? I know it is the language of the heart, when the -heart is sad; but, have hope; brighter days may be dawning, and in your -own lovely valleys you may yet know happiness and peace.” - -She turned upon him almost fiercely, and her eyes flashed with passion. - -“Do you mock me? Why do you speak to me of peace and happiness? Would -you tear the panther from its young, and tell it to pine not? Would -you torture the sightless by stories of the beautiful flowers, of the -glittering stars, of the bright sun? Would you bid the dove be gay when -its mate was killed? If you would not do these things, why bid my heart -rejoice when it is sad? why talk to me of peace, when peace is for ever -flown? But why should I speak of my wrongs? Even now, Moghul Singh is -on his way to Cawnpore, to bring back one of your own countrywomen.” - -“To bring back one of my countrywomen!” cried Harper in astonishment. -“What do you mean?” - -“Yesterday, there came from Meerut, a man by the name of Jewan Bukht. -He brought with him, as captive, an Englishwoman--young and beautiful.” - -Harper’s nerves thrilled as the thought flashed through his brain that -this Englishwoman could be no other than Miss Meredith; for Walter -Gordon had told him what he had learnt from Flora with reference to -Jewan Bukht. He almost feared to ask the question that rose to his -lips, and not without a struggle did he do so. - -“Her name--did you learn her name--Haidee?” - -“No.” - -“What was Bukht’s object in bringing her here?” - -“He is in the pay of Nana Sahib, but is also an agent for the King. He -thought to remain here, in the Palace, where he has relations; but, on -arrival, an imperative order was waiting him, that he was instantly -to depart for Cawnpore: and he lost no time in hurrying away. When he -had gone, the King heard of Jewan’s captive, and of her beauty, and -he commanded Singh to follow, with a band of retainers, and bring -the woman back. Long before Singh can overtake him, Bukht will have -arrived in Cawnpore; and when Singh gets there, it is doubtful if he -can return, owing to the vigilance of the English.” - -When Haidee had finished her revelations, Harper entertained no doubt -that Jewan Bukht’s unfortunate captive was Flora Meredith, and that -being so, the first question that suggested itself to him was, whether -he was not justified in attempting her rescue. - -“Haidee!” he said, “from what you state, I have every reason to believe -that the lady carried off by Jewan is a relation of mine, and that it -is my duty to follow her.” - -“Your duty to follow her?” Haidee repeated mournfully. “When I spoke -of your following the craven-hearted Moghul Singh, you replied that -it could not be, and yet this man is an enemy to your race, and has -slaughtered with exultant ferocity many of your countrymen! But now you -proclaim your readiness to throw to the wind all those scruples which -applied to him in favour of the woman! You speak in parables, and poor -Haidee in her ignorance understands you not. Only her heart tells her -this: she holds but little place in your thoughts.” - -“Ah, Haidee, how you wrong me! Your reproaches are undeserved. However -great the number of my faults, ingratitude is certainly not one of -them. How can I forget the services you have rendered to me? how forget -the great wrongs that you yourself have suffered? But the laws of -our two nations are different. Society in my country is governed by -a code of rules, that no man must depart from who would not have his -reputation blasted. I hold a commission in the service of my Queen. -Would you have me sully my name by an act that I could never justify to -my superiors?” - -“To what do you refer?” she asked with startling energy. “Sooner than -I would counsel you to dishonour, sooner than I would bring shame upon -you, this little weapon should be stained with my own heart’s blood!” - -As she spoke she drew quickly, from the folds of her dress, a small, -glittering stiletto, and held it aloft, so that the glow of the -now rising sun made red its gleaming blade. Fearing that she meant -mischief, Martin, who had been a silent witness of the scene, darted -forward and caught her hand. She turned upon him with a look of sorrow, -and said-- - -“Do not fear. The women of my country hold honour as dear as those of -your own. I said the weapon should find my heart sooner than I would -bring shame on the head of your countryman, and that I will never do.” - -Martin released his hold and drew back respectfully, for there was -something so touchingly sorrowful in her tone, and yet so majestic, -that both her listeners were deeply impressed. - -“Yours is a noble nature,” said Harper. “It is that of a true woman’s, -and it is the differences in our nationalities only that cause us to -misunderstand each other.” - -“Why should there be any misunderstanding? A Cashmere woman never -forgets a kindness, she never forgives an injury; and there is one -wrong, which, when once inflicted upon her, only the death of the -wronger can atone for. Were I back amongst my own people, those of -them in whose veins runs my family’s blood would band themselves -together to avenge me, and they would never rest until they had tracked -down and smitten the foul reptile who found me as a lily, fair and -bright, who plucked me with a ruthless hand, who befouled me, and -robbed me of treasures that have no price, and then flung me away, a -broken, friendless woman.” - -“You can never say with truth,” answered Harper, “that you are -friendless while the life-blood warms my veins. By everything that I -hold dear, I pledge myself to use every endeavour to protect you, and -set you right again.” - -His words were like magic to her. They touched her and sank to those -hidden springs whence flowed gentleness, love, and truth. As she stood -there before him, the very embodiment of womanly grace and beauty, it -would have been hard indeed for a stranger to have imagined that in her -breast rankled one feeling of hatred. How could he stay the invisible -electric fire which passed from him to her, and from her to him, and -drew both together, even as the needle is drawn to the magnet? Human -nature is the same now as it was when time began, as it will be until -time ends. Each of these two beings felt the influence of the other. -She was taken captive, bound with chains that galled not, and filled -with the ineffable sense of adoration for one who had suddenly risen -before her as a worldly god, from whom she would draw hope, peace, -happiness, and life, and that being so, she was willing to bow down -and yield herself as his slave. And he, deeply sensible to her great -beauty, and pitying her for her sorrows, felt like a knight of old -would have done, whose watchword was “Chivalry,”--that he must champion -her for the all-sufficient reason that she was a woman, defenceless and -alone. - -Whatever scruples he might have entertained at first, he felt now that -he was justified in using every endeavour to rescue Flora Meredith, and -that he would be serving his country loyally in following Moghul Singh -with a view of bringing him to justice. - -“Haidee,” he said, after a pause, “I will go to Cawnpore.” - -“That is bravely spoken,” she answered, her face beaming with a look of -joy; “and you may be able to render good service there by putting your -countrymen on their guard? for I know that the Nana Sahib but waits a -fitting opportunity to give the signal for a rising.” - -“But are you not wrong in supposing that the Nana Sahib is false? -He has ever proved himself a courteous and kindly gentleman to the -English, and I am impressed with the idea that at the present moment -Cawnpore is a safe refuge.” - -“Dismiss all such ideas,” she answered, with energy. “Do you judge -the nature of a leopard by the beauty of his spots? I tell you, that -in all the Indian jungles there stalks not a tiger whose instincts -are more savage, or whose thirst for blood is more intense, than this -smooth-faced, smiling Nana Sahib. Ever since the return of his agent, -Azimoolah, from England, whose mission to your Queen failed, the Nana -has cherished in his heart an undying hatred for your race. Often has -he visited this city in disguise to confer with the King, and for years -they have been organising this revolt. I tell you that Nana Sahib is a -demon, capable of performing deeds that the world would shudder at.” - -“This is strange and startling news, Haidee,” cried Harper, in -astonishment, “and doubly justifies my journey to Cawnpore. The -division is commanded by one of the Company’s Generals, Sir Hugh -Wheeler, and I shall consider it my duty to apprise him of the -treacherous nature of the Nana. I appeal to you, comrade,” he said, -turning to Martin, “and shall be glad of your advice.” - -Martin was a man of few words. He had proved his reticence by -refraining from taking any part in the conversation between Haidee and -Harper. - -“Go,” was the monosyllabic answer. - -“Good. And you?” - -“I will, when once outside of these walls, make my way to Meerut.” - -“Excellent idea,” cried Harper, as a new thought struck him. “You -can not only report me, but render me a personal service. My wife is -stationed there; visit her, and inform her of my safety.” - -“I will make that a duty. But what is your name?” - -“Charles Harper, lieutenant in the Queen’s ---- regiment. And yours?” - -“James Martin, late engineer in the Delhi Arsenal, now a homeless, -penniless waif, saved from an appalling storm of fire, but everything I -possessed in the world lost through the destruction of the magazine.” - -“But you yourself saved for some good end, Mr. Martin,” Harper replied, -as he took his hand and shook it warmly. - -“Saved so far,” joined in Haidee; “but there are terrible risks yet to -run before you are safe. When darkness has fallen I will endeavour to -guide you clear of the city--till then, farewell. I must hurry away -now, or I may be missed.” - -She caught the hand of Harper and pressed it to her lips, and, bidding -Martin adieu, was soon speeding through the avenue of banyan trees -towards the Palace, and the two men were left to discuss the situation -alone. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -WAKING DREAMS. - - -To Harper and Martin it was weary waiting through that long day. They -dozed occasionally, but suspense and anxiety kept them from enjoying -any lengthened or sound sleep. - -Occasionally sounds of firing, and yells of riotous mobs reached them, -but nothing to indicate that an action was being sustained in the city. - -In fact, with the massacre of the Europeans, and the destruction of -the magazine, there was nothing for the mutineers to do but to quarrel -amongst themselves and to bury their dead. - -The city was in their hands. Its almost exhaustless treasures, its -priceless works of art, its fabulous wealth, were all at the disposal -of the murderous mob. - -And never, in the annals of history, was city sacked with such ruthless -vandalism, or such ferocious barbarity. Some of the most beautiful -buildings were levelled to the ground from sheer wantonness. Costly -fabrics were brought out and trampled in the dust, and the streets ran -red with wine. - -All the gates were closed, the guards were set. And for a time the -hypocritical and treacherous old King believed that his power was -supreme, and that the English were verily driven out of India. - -But he did not look beyond the walls of his city. Had he and his hordes -of murderers cared to have turned their eyes towards the horizon of the -future, they might have seen the mailed hand of the English conqueror, -which, although it could be warded off for a little while, would -ultimately come down with crushing effect on the black races. - -Perhaps they did see this, and, knowing that their power was -short-lived, they made the most of it. - -As the day waned, Harper and his companion began to gaze anxiously in -the direction of the avenue, along which they expected Haidee to come. - -The narrow limits of their hiding-place, and the enforced confinement, -were irksome in the extreme, and they were both willing to run many -risks for the sake of gaining their liberty. - -“That is a strange woman,” said Martin, as he sat on a stone, and gazed -thoughtfully up to the waving palm boughs. - -“Who?” asked Harper abruptly, for he had been engaged in cogitations, -but Haidee had formed no part of them. - -“Who? why, Haidee,” was the equally abrupt answer. - -“In what way do you consider she is strange?” Harper queried, somewhat -pointedly. - -“Well, it is not often an Oriental woman will risk her life for a -foreigner, as she is doing for you.” - -“But she has personal interests to serve in so doing.” - -“Possibly; but they are of secondary consideration.” - -“Indeed?” - -“Yes. There is a feeling in her breast stronger and more powerful than -her hatred for the King or Moghul Singh.” - -“What feeling is that?” - -“Love.” - -“Love! For whom?” - -“For you.” - -“Well, I must confess that she plainly told me so,” laughed Harper; -“but I thought very little about the matter, although at the time I was -rather astonished.” - -“I can understand that. But, however lightly you may treat the matter, -it is a very serious affair with her.” - -“But what authority, my friend, have you for speaking so definitely?” - -“The authority of personal experience. I spent some years in Cashmere, -attached to the corps of a surveying expedition. The women there are -full of romantic notions. They live in a land that is poetry itself. -They talk in poetry. They draw it in with every breath they take. -Their idiosyncrasies are peculiar to themselves, for I never found the -same characteristics in any other nation’s women. They are strangely -impetuous, strong in their attachments, true to their promises. And the -one theme which seems to be the burden of their lives is love.” - -“And a very pretty theme too,” Harper remarked. - -“When once they have placed their affections,” Martin went on, without -seeming to notice the interruption, “they are true to the death. -And if the object dies, it is seldom a Cashmere woman loves again. -But when they do, the passion springs up, or rather, is instantly -re-awakened. There are some people who affect to sneer at what is -called ‘love at first sight.’ Well, I don’t pretend to understand much -about the mysterious laws of affinity, but the women of Cashmere are -highly-charged electrical machines. The latent power may lie dormant -for a long time, until the proper contact is made--then there is a -flash immediately; and, from that moment, their hearts thrill, and -throb, and yearn for the being who has set the power in motion.” - -“But you don’t mean to say that I have aroused such a feeling in -Haidee’s breast?” - -“I do mean to say so.” - -“Poor girl!” sighed Harper, “that is most unfortunate for her.” - -“She is worthy of your sympathy, as she is of your love.” - -“But you forget that I have a wife.” - -“No, I do not forget that. I mean, that if you were free, she is a -worthy object.” - -“But even if I were single, I could not marry this woman.” - -“Could not; why not?” - -“What! marry a Cashmere woman?” - -“Yes; is there anything so _outré_ in that? You would not be the first -Englishman who has done such a thing. Why, I have known Britishers mate -with North American Indian women before now.” - -“True; but still the idea of Haidee being my wife is such a novel one -that I cannot realise it.” - -“The heart is a riddle; and human affections are governed by no fixed -laws.” - -“But really, Martin, we are discussing this matter to no purpose. -If Haidee entertains any such passion as that you speak of, it is -unfortunate.” - -“It is, indeed, unfortunate for her, because if her love is -unreciprocated she will languish and die.” - -“What do you mean?” asked Harper sharply, and with a touch of -indignation. “Surely you would not counsel me to be dishonourable to my -wife?” - -“God forbid. You misjudge me if you think so. I speak pityingly of -Haidee. It is no fault of yours if she has made you the star that must -henceforth be her only light. What I have told you are facts, and you -may live to prove them so!” - -Harper did not reply. His companion’s words had set him pondering. -There was silence between the two men, as if they had exhausted the -subject, and none other suggested itself to them. The short twilight -had faded over the land, the dark robe of night had fallen. It was -moonless, even the stars were few, for the queen of night appeared in -sullen humour. There were heavy masses of clouds drifting through the -heavens, and fitful gusts of wind seemed to presage a storm. The boughs -of the overhanging palms rustled savagely, and the child-like cry of -the flying foxes sounded weirdly. There was that in the air which told -that nature meant war. And sitting there with the many strange sounds -around them, and only the glimmer of the stars to relieve the otherwise -perfect darkness, what wonder that these two men should dream even as -they watched and waited. - -Martin had bowed his head in his hands again. Possibly his nerves had -not recovered from the shock of the awful fiery storm that had swept -over his head but a short time before; and he felt, even as he had -said, that he was a waif. Like unto the lonely mariner who rises to the -surface after his ship has gone down into the depths beneath him, and -as he gazes mournfully around, he sees nothing but the wild waters, -which in their savage cruelty had beaten the lives out of friends and -companions, but left him, his destiny not being yet completed--left him -for some strange purpose. - -Harper was gazing upward--upward to where those jewels of the night -glittered. He had fixed his eye upon one brighter than the rest. -Martin’s words seemed to ring in his ears--“It is no fault of yours if -she has made you the star that must henceforth be her only light.” And -that star appeared to him, not as a star, but as Haidee’s face, with -its many changing expressions. Her eyes, wonderful in their shifting -lights, seemed to burn into his very soul. And a deep and true pity for -this beautiful woman took possession of him; poets have said that “pity -is akin to love.” If no barrier had stood between him and her, what -course would he have pursued? was a question that suggested itself to -him. Martin had spoken of the mysterious laws of affinity; they were -problems too abstruse to be dwelt upon then. But Harper knew that they -existed; he felt that they did. How could he alter them? Could he stay -the motes from dancing in the sunbeam? He might shut out the beam, but -the motes would still be there. So with this woman; though he might fly -from her to the farthest ends of the earth, her haunting presence would -still be with him. He _knew_ that; but why should it be so? He dare not -answer the question; for when an answer would have shaped itself in his -brain, there came up another face and stood between him and Haidee’s. -It was his wife’s face. He saw it as it appeared on the night when -he left Meerut on his journey to Delhi--full of sorrow, anxiety, and -terror on his account; and he remembered how she clung to him, hung -around his neck, and would not let him go until--remembering she was a -soldier’s wife--she released him with a blessing, and bade him go where -duty called. And as he remembered this he put up a silent prayer to the -Great Reader of the secrets of all hearts that he might be strengthened -in his purpose, and never swerve from the narrow way of duty and honour. - -The dreams of the dreamers were broken. The visionary was displaced -by the reality, and Haidee stood before them. She had come up so -stealthily that they had not heard her approach. Nor would they have -been conscious that she was there if she had not spoken, for the -darkness revealed nothing, and even the stars were getting fewer as the -clouds gathered. - -“Are you ready?” she asked, in a low tone. - -“Yes, yes,” they both answered, springing from their seats, and waking -once more to a sense of their true position. - -“Take this,” she said, as she handed Harper a large cloak to hide -his white shirt, for it will be remembered that his uniform had been -stripped from him. “And here is a weapon--the best I could procure.” -She placed in his hand a horse-pistol and some cartridges. “Let us go; -but remember that the keenest vigilance is needed. The enemy is legion, -and death threatens us at every step.” - -Harper wrapped the cloak round him, and, loading the pistol, thrust it -into his belt. - -“I am ready,” he said. - -She drew close to him. She took his hand, and bringing her face near to -his, murmured-- - -“Haidee lives or dies for you.” - -The silent trio went out into the darkness of the night. Heavy -rain-drops were beginning to patter down. The wind was gaining the -strength of a hurricane. Then the curtain of the sky seemed to be -suddenly rent by a jagged streak of blue flame, that leapt from horizon -to horizon, and was followed by a crashing peal of thunder that -reverberated with startling distinctness. - -“Fortune is kind,” whispered Haidee; “and the storm will favour our -escape.” - -Scarcely had the words left her lips than a shrill cry of alarm sounded -close to their ears, and Harper suddenly found himself held in a -vice-like grip. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -FOR LIBERTY AND LIFE. - - -The cry of alarm that startled the fugitives came from a powerful -Sepoy, and it was his arms that encircled Harper. - -“Traitorous wretch!” said the man, addressing Haidee; “you shall die -for this. I saw you leave the Palace, and, suspecting treachery, -followed you.” And again the man gave tongue, with a view of calling up -his comrades. - -He had evidently miscalculated the odds arrayed against him. Martin was -a few yards in front, but realising the position in an instant, sprang -back to the assistance of his companion. Then ensued a fierce struggle. -The man was a herculean fellow, and retained his hold of Harper. Martin -was also powerful, but he could not get a grip of the Sepoy, who rolled -over and over with the officer, all the while giving vent to loud cries. - -“We are lost, we are lost, unless that man’s cry is stopped!” Haidee -moaned, wringing her hands distractedly; then getting near to Martin, -she whispered-- - -“In your comrade’s belt is a dagger; get it--quick.” - -The Sepoy heard these words, and tightened his grasp, if that were -possible, on Harper’s arms, and rolled over and over with him, crying -the while with a stentorian voice. - -Not a moment was to be lost. There was no time for false sentiment or -considerations of mercy. Martin, urged to desperation, flung himself on -the struggling men, and getting his hand on the throat of the Sepoy, -pressed his fingers into the windpipe, while with the other hand he -sought for Harper’s belt. He felt the dagger. He drew it out with some -difficulty. He got on his knees, his left hand on the fellow’s throat. -As the three struggled, the Sepoy’s back came uppermost. - -It was Martin’s chance. He raised his hand, the next moment the dagger -was buried between the shoulders of the native, who, with a gurgling -cry, released his grip, and Harper was free. - -As he rose to his feet, breathless with the struggle, Haidee seized -his hand, and kissing it with frantic delight, whispered--“The Houris -are good. The light of my eyes is not darkened. You live. Life of my -life. Come, we may yet escape.” She made known her thanks to Martin by -a pressure of the hand. - -Another brilliant flash of lightning showed them the stilled form of -the Sepoy. A deafening crash of thunder followed, and the rain came -down in a perfect deluge. - -The storm was a friend indeed, and a friend in need. It no doubt -prevented the cry of the now dead man from reaching those for whom it -was intended, as, in such a downpour, no one would be from under a -shelter who could avoid it. - -The howling of the wind, and the heavy rattle of the rain, drowned the -noise of their footsteps. - -Drenched with the rain, her long hair streaming in the wind, Haidee -sped along, followed by the two men. She led them down the avenue of -banyans, and then turning off into a patch of jungle, struck into a -narrow path. The lightning played about the trees--the rain rattled -with a metallic sound on the foliage--heaven’s artillery thundered with -deafening peals. - -Presently she came to a small gateway. She had the key; the lock -yielded. - -“There is a guard stationed close to here,” she whispered: “we must be -wary.” - -They passed through the gateway. The gate was closed. They were in a -large, open, treeless space. Across this they sped. The lightning was -against them here, for it rendered them visible to any eyes that might -be watching. - -But the beating rain and the drifting wind befriended them. The open -space was crossed in safety. - -“We are clear of the Palace grounds,” Haidee said, as she led the way -down a narrow passage; and in a few minutes they had gained the walls -of the city. - -“We must stop here,” whispered the guide, as she drew Harper and Martin -into the shadow of a buttress. “A few yards farther on is a gate, but -we can only hope to get through it by stratagem. I am unknown to the -guard. This dress will not betray me. I will tell them that I live on -the other side of the river, and that I have been detained in the city. -I will beg of them to let me out. You must creep up in the shadow of -this wall, ready to rush out in case I succeed. The signal for you to -do so shall be a whistle.” She displayed a small silver whistle as she -spoke, which hung around her neck by a gold chain. - -She walked out boldly now, and was followed by the two men, who, -however, crept along stealthily in the shadow of the wall. They stopped -as they saw that she had reached the gate. They heard the challenge -given, and answered by Haidee. In a few minutes a flash of lightning -revealed the presence of two Sepoys only. Haidee was parleying with -them. At first they did not seem inclined to let her go. They bandied -coarse jokes with her, and one of them tried to kiss her. There was -an inner and an outer gate. In the former was a door that was already -opened. Through this the two soldiers and Haidee passed, and were lost -sight of by the watchers, who waited in anxious suspense. Then they -commenced to creep nearer to the gateway, until they stood in the very -shadow of the arch; but they could hear nothing but the wind and rain, -and the occasional thunder. The moments hung heavily now. Could Haidee -have failed? they asked themselves. Scarcely so, for she would have -re-appeared by this time. As the two men stood close together, each -might have heard the beating of the other’s heart. It was a terrible -moment. They knew that their lives hung upon a thread, and that if -this devoted woman failed, nothing could save them. Still they did not -lose hope, though the suspense was almost unendurable. Each grasped -his pistol firmly, to be used as a club if occasion required. The -termination of what had verily seemed an hour to them, but in reality -only five minutes, brought the welcome signal--the whistle was blown. - -“You first, Harper,” said Martin. - -They darted from their hiding-place and rushed through the door; a -Sepoy tried to bar the passage, but was felled by a blow from Harper’s -pistol; in another moment they were outside the walls--Haidee was -waiting for them. - -“Speed!” she cried, leading the way. - -The alarm was already being spread. A deep-toned gong, that could -be heard even above the howling wind, was warning the sentries that -something had happened. - -From gate to gate, from guard to guard, the signal passed, and soon -a hundred torches were flaring in the wind; there were confusion and -commotion, and much rushing to and fro, but nobody exactly seemed to -know what it was all about, only that someone had escaped. A few shots -were fired--why, was a mystery--and even a big gun vomited forth a -volume of flame and sent a round shot whizzing through space, only -to fall harmlessly in a far-off paddy-field. In the meantime the -fugitives, favoured by the darkness and the wind, sped along, keeping -under the shadow of the wall, until the bridge of boats was passed. - -“We cannot cross the bridge,” said Haidee, “for on the other side there -is a piquet stationed.” - -“How, then, shall we gain the opposite bank?” asked Harper. - -“By swimming,” she answered. - -When they had proceeded about a quarter of a mile farther, Haidee -stopped. - -“This is a good part; the river is narrow here, but the current is -strong.” - -“But will it not be dangerous for you to trust yourself to the stream?” -Martin remarked, as he divested himself of his jacket. - -“Dangerous? No,” she answered; “I am an excellent swimmer.” - -She unwound a long silken sash from her waist, and, tying one end round -her body and the other round Harper, she said-- - -“I am ready. Swim against the current as much as possible, and you will -gain a bend almost opposite to us.” - -Martin walked to the water’s edge, and, quietly slipping in, struck out -boldly. Haidee and Harper followed, and as they floated out into the -stream she whispered-- - -“We are bound together. Where you go I go; we cannot separate.” - -It was hard work breasting that rapid current, but the swimmers swam -well, and the bank was gained. Emerging, somewhat exhausted, and with -the muddy waters of the Jumna dripping from them, they stood for some -minutes to recover their breath. - -Haidee was the first to speak. - -“We are safe so far,” she said. “Before us lies the Meerut road. The -way to Cawnpore is to the left.” - -“Then I suppose we must part,” Martin observed. - -“Yes,” she answered. “You have but thirty miles to go; travel as far as -possible during the night, and in the morning you will be safe.” - -Martin took her hand. - -“You are as brave as beautiful, and I am too poor in words to thank -you. But in my heart I have a silent gratitude that time can never wear -away.” - -“God speed you,” joined in Harper. “Tell my wife that you left me well -and hopeful. Bid her wait patiently for my coming.” - -“You may depend upon me.” - -Martin shook the hands of his friends, and, turning away, was soon lost -in the darkness. - -When his retreating footsteps had died out, Haidee grasped Harper’s -hand, for he stood musingly, his thoughts preceding his friend to -Meerut; he felt not a little sad as he pictured his wife waiting and -weeping for him, and he wondered if he would ever see her again. - -“Come,” said Haidee softly. “Come,” she repeated, as he did not seem to -notice her at first, “time flies, and we are surrounded with danger.” - -He turned towards her with a sigh. - -“Why do you sigh?” she asked. - -“I scarcely know.” - -“Is it for one who is absent?” - -“Perhaps so.” - -_She_ sighed now, inaudibly, and she pressed her hand on her heart; but -he did not notice the movement. - -“Cawnpore is distant,” she said, in a low tone, “and the night is -already far spent. Let us go.” - -And so they went on, side by side, into the darkness, on to the unknown -future. And the wind moaned around them like a warning voice, and beat -in their faces as if it would drive them back. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE.[3] - - -For many years, up to eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, Cawnpore had -been one of the greatest Indian military stations. In the palmy days -of the Honourable East India Company all the officers invariably spent -some period of their service there. As a consequence, there were wealth -and beauty and fashion to be found in the British quarters; there were -luxury and ease, and their concomitants, profligacy and vice--and yet -withal it was perhaps neither better nor worse than all great military -centres--while for rollicking gaiety and “life” it stood at the head, -even Calcutta being behind it in this respect. But when the mutiny -broke out, Cawnpore’s sun was declining,--not but what it was still -a station of importance, but the coming end of the “Company’s” power -had brought about many changes in this as well as in most other Indian -cities. - -It was an irregularly built place, some eight miles in extent. Squalor -and wealth seemed to fraternise; for in many parts the lordly mansion -raised its head beside some tumble-down, reeking native den. There was -no pretension to anything like mathematical precision in the streets. -They had been laid out in the most promiscuous manner. In fact, it -might not inaptly be said that if you wanted to construct a Cawnpore -such as it was at the time of our story, you must take a big plain with -lots of cocoa-palms about, and a broad river running through it. Then -get many hundreds of bamboo and mud huts; a few marble palaces, some -temples with gilded minarets, a few big public buildings, a hospital -or two, a gaol, and a quantity of miscellaneous structures, such as an -arsenal, barracks, etc., shake them all up together, and toss them out -on the plain, and there you have your Cawnpore. - -To be accurate in the description, which is necessary to the better -understanding and interest of this history, the city is built on the -banks of the Ganges. The British lines were on the southern bank, and -in the centre of the cantonment, and leading from a point opposite -the city, was a bridge of boats to the Lucknow road on the other -bank. Lying between the roads to Bhitoor and Delhi were many of the -principal civilians’ houses. Beyond the lines were the gaol, the -treasury, and churches; while squeezed up in the north-west corner -was the magazine. In the centre, between the city and the river, were -the assembly-rooms--made notorious by subsequent events--a theatre, -a church, and the telegraph office. The place was well provided with -entertainments. There were splendid shops, and they were well stocked -with goods of every description, from almost every country in the -world. Western civilisation and Indian primitiveness were linked. - -In this terrible “57” Cawnpore was commanded by a General of Division, -Sir Hugh Wheeler, who resided there with the Division staff. But -although there was an immense strength of native soldiery, not a -single European regiment was garrisoned in the place, the only white -troops being about fifty men of her Majesty’s Eighty-fourth and a -few Madras Fusiliers. Sir Hugh was a gallant officer, who had served -the “Company” long and honourably, and was covered with scars and -glory. But the sands of life were running low, for upwards of seventy -summers and winters had passed over his head. A short time before, -the only regiment that had been stationed in Cawnpore for a long time -had been sent to Lucknow. This was the Thirty-second Queen’s. But -they left behind them all the _impedimenta_, in the shape of wives, -children, and invalids; and the awful responsibility of protecting -these helpless beings devolved upon the time-worn veteran. Some -little distance out on the Bhitoor road, there stood a magnificent -dwelling, a veritable palace, with numberless outbuildings, courtyards, -and retainers’ quarters. It was the home of the Rajah of Bhitoor, -Dundoo Pant, otherwise Nana Sahib. His wealth at this time was almost -boundless. He had troops of horses, and elephants, and quite a regiment -of private soldiers. Many a time had his roof rang with the hearty -laughter of English ladies and gentlemen. He was the trusted friend -of the Feringhees, was this Mahratta prince. They loaded him with -wealth, with favours, with honour, did all but one thing--recognise -his right to succession. And their refusal to do this transformed the -man, who, although a courteous gentleman outwardly, was a tyrant in -his home life, and this failure to gratify his ambition turned his -heart to flint, and developed in him the sanguinary nature of the -tiger, without the tiger’s honesty. Well indeed had he concealed his -disappointment since “52,” when Azimoolah, who had gone to England to -plead the prince’s cause, returned to report his failure. To speak of -Azimoolah as a tiger would be a libel on the so-called royal brute. He -might fittingly be described as representing in disposition the fiends -of the nether world, whose mission is to destroy all good, to develop -all evil, to drag down the souls of human beings to perdition. He was -the bad tool of a bad master, if he did not absolutely lead that master -to some extent. Allied to the twain was Teeka Singh, soubahdar of the -Second Cavalry. The trio were as cowardly a set of villains as ever -made common cause in a bad case. - -Between the King of Delhi and the Nana there had been numberless -communications and frequent interviews, spreading over a period of some -years. The imbecile puppet of Delhi fondly imagined that he could be a -king in power as well as name, and he looked to Nana of Bhitoor as a -man who could help him to gain this end. Actuated by similar motives, -Nana Sahib fraternised with the King for the sake of the influence he -would command. But between the two men there was an intense hatred and -jealousy. Each hoped to make the other a tool. It was the old fable of -the monkey and the cat realised over again. Both wanted the nuts, but -each feared to burn his fingers. In one thing they were unanimous--they -hated the English. They writhed under the power of the Great White -Hand, and wished to subdue it. But although the King betrayed this so -that he incurred the mistrust of the English, the Nana was a perfect -master in the art of dissembling, and all that was passing in his mind -was a sealed book to his white friends. - -When the revolt broke out in Meerut, old Sir Hugh Wheeler fondly -believed that the storm could not possibly spread to Cawnpore. -But as the days wore on, signs were manifested that caused the -General considerable uneasiness. Some of the native soldiers became -insubordinate and insolent. Still he felt no great alarm, for in an -emergency he had his trusted and respected friend the Rajah to fly -to for assistance. The General, iron-willed and dauntless himself, -showed no outward signs of mistrust. He had passed his life amongst -the natives. He loved them with a love equalling a father’s. He -respected their traditions, honoured their institutions, venerated -their antiquity; and while the storm, distant as yet, was desolating -other parts of the fair land, he betrayed no doubts about the fidelity -of his troops. Morning after morning he rode fearlessly amongst them, -his genial face and cheery voice being seen and heard in all quarters. -But as the mutterings of the storm grew louder and more threatening, -anxiety for the hundreds of helpless people on his hands filled him. -He could no longer shut his eyes to the fact that there was danger--a -terrible danger--in the air. It was his duty to use every endeavour to -guard against it, and he felt that the time had come to appeal to his -friend the Rajah. - -He rode over to the Bhitoor Palace, and was received by the Nana with -studied courtesy and respect. - -“I have come to solicit aid from your Highness,” the old General -began, as he seated himself on a luxurious lounge in what was known as -the “Room of Light,” so called from its princely magnificence. The roof -was vaulted, and, in a cerulean ground, jewels, to represent stars, -were inserted, and, by a peculiar arrangement, a soft, violet light was -thrown over them, so that they scintillated with dazzling brightness. -The walls were hung with the most gorgeous coloured and richest silks -from Indian looms. The senses were gratified with mingled perfumes, -which arose from dozens of hidden censers. The most exquisite marble -statues were arranged about with the utmost taste. Mechanical birds -poured forth melodious floods of song. The sound of splashing water, -as it fell gently into basins of purest Carrara marble, rose dreamily -on the air. Soft and plaintive music, from unseen sources, floated and -flowed around. The floor was covered with cloth of spotless silver; a -profusion of most costly and rare furs were scattered about. Articles -of vertu, priceless china, gilded time-pieces, gorgeous flowers, and -magnificent fruits were there to add to the bewilderment of richness -and beauty. While over all, through delicately-tinted violet and -crimson glass, there streamed a mellow light, the effect of which was -the very _acmé_ of perfection. It was verily a bower of dreams, a fairy -boudoir. A confused medley of colour, of beauty, and sweet sounds, that -was absolutely intoxicating and bewildering.[4] - -It was here that the Rajah, attired in all the gorgeousness of a -wealthy Mahratta prince, and attended by a brilliant suite, received -Sir Hugh Wheeler. - -“My services are at your command, General,” was the Nana’s soft answer. -But his dusky cheeks burned with the joy that animated his cruel heart -as he thought that his day-star was rising; that the stream of time -was bringing him his revenge; that the great nation which had been the -arbiter of others’ fate, had become a suppliant for its own. “In what -way can I render you assistance?” he asked after a pause. - -“Your Highness is aware,” the General answered, “that there rests upon -my shoulders a very grave responsibility, and I may be pardoned if I -confess to some anxiety for the safety of the large number of women and -children who are under my care.” - -“But what is the danger you apprehend, General?” and the Nana laughed -loudly, coarsely, and it might have been gloatingly; for he stood -there, in that paradise of beauty, a spirit of evil, and in his soul -there was but one feeling--it was the feeling of revenge. His heart -throbbed revenge; in his ears a voice cried revenge. It was his only -music, night and day it went on ceaselessly; he listened to it; he -bowed down and worshipped before the god of destruction and cruelty. -For years he had prayed for the gratification of but one desire--the -desire to have these Feringhees in his power; and the answer to that -prayer was coming now. Neither wealth nor the luxury that wealth -could purchase could give him one jot of the pleasure that he would -experience in seeing the streets of Cawnpore knee-deep in English -blood. He felt himself capable of performing deeds that a Robespierre, -a Danton, a Marat, ay, even a Nero himself, would have shuddered at, -for the barbarities of the Roman tyrant were the inventions of a brain -that beyond doubt was deeply tainted with insanity. But no such excuse -as this could ever be pleaded for the Rajah of Bhitoor. It would be -impossible for the pen of fiction to make this man’s nature blacker -than it was; he was a human problem, beyond the hope of human solution; -one of those monstrosities that occasionally start up in the world of -men to appal us with their awfulness, and seemingly to substantiate the -old belief that in the garb of humanity fiends of darkness dwell upon -the earth. And yet, with a wonderful power of self-control, he betrayed -nothing of what he felt. - -“Objectionable as it is for me to have to think so,” answered the -General to the Nana’s question, “there is a fire smouldering in the -breasts of the native regiments here stationed; they have caught the -taint which is in the air, and a passing breath may fan the fire into a -blaze, or the most trivial circumstance develop the disease. After what -has been done at Meerut and Delhi, we know to what length the Demon of -Discord can go when once it breaks loose!” - -“I think you are alarming yourself unnecessarily, General; but, since -you desire it, pray tell me in what way my services can be utilised?” - -“Firstly, then, I must ask you to post a strong body of your retainers, -with a couple of guns, at the Newab-gung. This place commands the -treasury and the magazine, both exposed places, and the first places -that will be attacked in case of a revolt.” - -“You English look well after your money stores, Sir Hugh,” jocularly -remarked Azimoolah, who had been examining a large portfolio of -water-colour drawings of English “beauty spots.” And as he stepped -forward a few paces, he rubbed his hands, and his face was contorted -with a sardonic smile. I say contorted, for it was a singular -characteristic of this man that he could not laugh; the hearty -cachinnation of honest men became in this one a mere contortion of -the facial muscles; and his eyes, cold and snake-like, glittered with -a deadly light. “I noted, as the result of close observation when -in England,” he continued, “that this same money was a very much -worshipped god; and those who had it were flattered and fawned upon, -and those who had it not were the despised and rejected.” - -“But is that not a principle unfortunately common to every people?” Sir -Hugh remarked. - -“Possibly; but I think nowhere is it so conspicuous as in England. -And, after all, I think that there is a good deal of emptiness in the -boasted freedom of the English; for the poor are slaves in all but -name, and the task-masters of Southern America are not more grinding -or exacting than are your English lords and capitalists. The dogs and -horses of your wealthy squires are housed and fed infinitely better -than are your poor.” - -“I think you are prejudiced against my nation,” said the General. - -“Possibly so,” was the pointed answer, “and, perhaps, not without -cause; for I found that the English are much given to preaching what -they never think of practising; and the boasted liberality of John -Bull is a pleasant fiction, like many more of the virtues of that much -vaunted personage.” - -“But to return to the subject of our conversation,” joined in the Nana, -as if fearing that Azimoolah’s feelings would betray him into some -indiscretion; and so he was anxious to put an end to the discussion. -“You wish me to place a guard over your arsenal and treasury?” - -“That is my desire,” said Wheeler. - -“Good; orders shall at once be given for two hundred of my retainers to -march to the Newab-gung. That point being settled satisfactorily, what -is your next request, General?” - -“That you will hold your troops in instant readiness to join my little -body of men, and suppress the insurrection, should it unfortunately -break out.” - -“That also shall be complied with,” smiled the Nana. “Anything further -to request?” - -“I think not; but I cannot allow the opportunity to pass without -thanking your Highness for your ready acquiescence to my wishes, and in -the name of my country I further tender you thanks for your devotion -and loyalty.” - -The Nana smiled again and bowed, and Azimoolah adjusted his gold -eye-glasses, and pretended to be busy in his examination of the -portfolio; but into his face came back the expression of ferocious joy, -and it was with difficulty he suppressed an audible chuckle. - -The business upon which he had come being ended, the General took his -departure. - -“Inflated fool!” muttered the Rajah, when his guest had gone. “Loyalty -and devotion forsooth! Umph! bitterness and hatred methinks.” - -“The brow of your Highness is clouded,” said Azimoolah fawningly, as -he closed the portfolio and came forward. - -“Clouded?” laughed the Nana; “no, no, Azi, clouds sit not there. It is -joy. Joy, my faithful. Ah, ah, ah, ah! Clouds, indeed! By our sacred -writings, I should be unworthy of my sire if I allowed a cloud to -darken the joy I feel. Ah, ah, ah! the confidence of these English is -amazing. They think they can put their heads into the lion’s jaw with -impunity. Well, well, let them do it. The lion knows when to close his -jaws at the right moment.” - -“Say rather, your Highness, that the tiger, having scented quarry, -knows how to track it to the death with downy tread, and spring as -light as air.” - -“Aptly said, Azi, and so it shall be. They shall say I _am_ the tiger -before I’ve done. Come,” linking his arm in Azimoolah’s, “let us -walk in the grounds. Order the dance for to-night, and let there be -a display of fireworks. By the beard of Mahomet, we will make merry. -‘With downy tread, and spring as light as air.’ Ah, ah, ah! So it shall -be.” - -The mechanical birds were warbling sweetly, and unseen censers were -making the air balmy with delicious perfume, the silken curtains -rustled pleasantly, the falling water plashed musically. There was -peace and beauty around, above, below; but in the hearts of these two -men, as they went out, laughing sardonically, there was the deadly -poison of human hatred, and no shadow of the Great White Hand disturbed -them in the hour of their supposed triumph. Indeed the Nana believed -that the power of the British in India was fast waning, never to be -restored. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[3] Nana Sahib was first referred to as “The Tiger of Cawnpore” by the -_Times_. - -[4] This is no exaggerated description. The room was exactly as -described. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -AS ARMOUR IMPENETRABLE. - - -At the end of a block of buildings attached to the Rajah of Bhitoor’s -Palace was a lofty, square tower, rising to the height of sixty feet, -and crowned with a gilded cupola. It was a massive stone structure, -and contained many apartments, used as the lodgings of the Nana’s -retainers. From the basement to the roof there straggled, in wild -profusion, a tough rope-like Indian parasite, a species of ivy, with -reddish leaves. The beauty of the whole building was materially -enhanced by this plat, that insinuated itself into every crevice, and -twined gracefully round every angle. It was a conspicuous mark in the -landscape, was this ivy-covered tower. It asserted its presence over -all other erections; it rose up with a sort of braggadocio air, like -unto a tall bully, and as if it said, “I am here. Who is as great as I?” - -It had been witness to many a strange scene. If its time-stained stones -could have spoken, many and curious would have been the tales they -would have had to tell. - -Quarrels deadly and bloody had taken place beneath its roof. There, -too, had the Indian maid listened to the voice of the charmer. -English officers had made it their quarters in the balmy days of the -H.E.I.C., and its walls had given back the echo of the shouts of many a -Bacchanalian revel. Life and death, laughter and tears, storm and calm, -had it seen. But it was doomed to witness one scene yet such as it had -never witnessed before. - -In the topmost room of all, up next to the stars, and from the windows -of which one looked from a dizzy height on to the roofs of many -buildings that rose on all sides, and away over the city to the plains -and the broken jungles, and followed the course of the “sacred Gunga,” -that, like a silver thread, ran tortuously through the landscape, sat a -maid, an English lady. It was Flora Meredith. It was the night of the -day upon which Sir Hugh Wheeler had had an interview with Nana Sahib, -and she was watching the fireworks that were being let off in the -Palace grounds. That is, if one might be said to be watching who looked -but saw not; whose eyes, while fixed _there_, were looking beyond, -from the past--the happy, bright, and sunny past--to the future, the -unknown, the dark, the awful future. - -Her face was pale, and it seemed as if years had passed over her head -since we last saw her, instead of brief, but terrible, days. - -The rush of events, the sudden changes, the magical transformations, -as it were, of those days, had literally bewildered her, and what she -did see she saw through a kind of mental haze. Her mother dead, her -lover gone, her home destroyed, and she herself forcibly kept away from -kith and kin! Surely these things were enough to make sick the boldest -heart, and to daze the strongest brain. The journey from Delhi had -been a hurried one. The drug administered to her by Jewan Bukht had -been merciful in its effects, since it had deprived her of the power -of thought for a long time; and since Jewan had conveyed her to this -place she had only seen him once. Her wants had been attended to by an -old woman--a hag in appearance, a thing of evil in disposition. Her -name was Wanna Ranu. She was little, and ancient, and bent; her skin -was shrivelled, like unto old parchment; her nose was hooked, her chin -beaked. She had long, bony arms, that were encircled with many brass -rings; brass bands were fastened round her ankles, and large brass -rings were pendant from her ears. She was one of the strange characters -to be found in almost every Indian city. Her hatred for the Feringhee -was undying. She had drawn it in with her mother’s milk. A hanger-on -at the Palace, an unrecognised waif, a casteless outcast, living -literally, it might be said, on the crumbs that fell from the rich -man’s table, if grains of rice could be so designated. - -When Jewan Bukht had arrived at the Bhitoor Palace, he was at first at -a loss where to convey Flora to, and into whose charge to give her. He -could not let it be known that he had brought an Englishwoman with him, -and he dare not neglect the business of his master, the Nana Sahib, -by whom he was employed as the bearer of secret messages, and to stir -up the smouldering fires of insubordination in the native regiments. -When, in his mad infatuation for the white girl, he had decided to -carry her away, he had not counted upon the costs of so doing, nor the -difficulties that would beset him. But, being so far advanced, he could -not turn back; he must make the best of circumstances. It was night -when he reached the Palace. Flora was ill and semi-unconscious, and -as he stood deliberating what course to pursue with reference to her, -Wanna Ranu crossed his path. He knew the woman from previous visits -to Cawnpore, and he immediately secured her as a custodian for his -captive. For although she hated the white people she loved pice more; -and pice would enable her to obtain ghee, a luxury to such as she that -was worth doing much for. - -She knew the Palace well, particularly the tower. She was aware that -the upper part of this Palace was untenanted; that the doors were -strong, the locks good. And when Jewan had queried the possibility of -Flora escaping, the hag had grinned maliciously, and exclaimed-- - -“Escape? No, no, my son; unless she has wings and can fly.” - -And so to this room Flora was taken, and the witch-like janitor was -bound in promises such as the most depraved Indian will respect, to -guard her well and secretly. - -Flora sat alone, gazing, as has been said, vacantly out into the night. -Wanna had left her for a little while to cook her evening meal. - -The poor girl’s heart was heavy. It was as if a hand, cold and hard, -was gripping it and squeezing out its life. She had been plunged -with cruel suddenness into moral gloom; but the last thing in life -to leave a person is hope; and although the brightness of this star -had diminished to a feeble ray, it yet shone in her darkness and gave -her courage. She trusted in the Giver of Life for a way out of her -tribulation. She prayed, silently, fervently, to Him to shield her -with His mighty arm; to beat down her enemies, to raise up a deliverer, -to break the bonds that ensnared her. And yet withal it was weary -waiting, and what wonder that her soul was heavily charged. - -She remembered the promise of Zeemit Mehal, and she knew that if Walter -Gordon lived, he would follow her. If they went to Delhi, she thought, -Zeemit would soon learn of Jewan’s departure, and Walter would still -follow, if that was possible, even as the faithful Evangeline followed -Gabriel. - -There was comfort in that thought, at least. It might be but a sorry -reed to lean upon, but will not a man in his extremest need clutch even -at a straw? And so this poor, suffering woman took hope of heart even -at this, remote though the probabilities were of its fulfilment. - -The only light in her apartment was a small, swinging cocoa-nut lamp. -It was like her hope, faint, and barely did it make the darkness more -than visible. But its melancholy and flickering rays served, at least, -to reveal to her the cheerlessness of her apartment. The only furniture -was a native wooden bedstead, covered with matting; a bench fixed to -the wall to serve as a table, and two massive, wooden chairs. The walls -themselves were plasterless, for the plaster had fallen away with damp -and age; and the only decoration, if worthy of the name, was a large -native drawing of a hideous idol. It had a dozen arms on each side, -and in each hand it held a sort of club. Flora’s eyes had wandered to -this picture: she had gazed at it, until somehow it took shape in her -thoughts as the “Retributive God” that would arise with its piercing -eyes to discover, and its many hands to smite down the cruel and -relentless enemy of her country, and the slayer of her kindred. She -felt sure that the horrid mutiny could not go on for long. The Great -White Hand was mighty in its strength. There were British soldiers who -had never yet been conquered; would they not speedily come and destroy -the foe, whose triumph could be but short-lived? - -Her meditations were suddenly interrupted by the opening of the door, -and turning her eyes in that direction, she uttered an involuntary cry -of alarm, as they fell upon the dusky form of Jewan Bukht. - -“Why do you cry as if a cobra had stung you?” he asked, angrily. - -“A cobra would be more welcome than you!” she answered with a shudder; -“for it kills only through an instinct of self-preservation, and does -not wilfully torture its victims.” - -“Umph, you are complimentary,” as he locked the door, and moved near to -the shrinking girl. “I have not tortured you.” - -“Your very presence is torture to me.” - -“Indeed! If your heart and mine were taken from our bodies, and laid -side by side, would there be any perceptible difference in their -construction? Why, then, should my presence torture you, since my heart -is similar to your own? It is because my skin is dark. Were it of the -same sickly hue as your own, you would have no scruples.” - -“Your words are false,” she answered, quivering with indignation. “An -honourable woman, when once she has given her love, is true to death.” - -The man sneered scornfully, as he seated himself in one of the chairs. - -“Why should I not gain your love? I made an honourable proposal to you. -I offered to marry you. You rejected that offer. Why?” - -“How can you ask such a question? You are well aware that I was the -affianced wife of Mr. Gordon.” - -Jewan’s brows contracted, and he ground his teeth, and clutched at the -air with his hands, by reason of the passion which moved him. - -“If I had a cobra’s poison,” he answered, after a pause, “I would spit -it at you every time you mention that name. Between you and him lies -a gulf that can never be bridged. You looked your last upon him the -evening he left you in Meerut. Even supposing that he still lives, -which is doubtful, seeing that a hundred bullets waited for him alone -by my orders, he could never rescue you, because I have everywhere -spies and tools who would hack him to pieces on a look from me.” - -Flora staggered a little, and her face grew pallid; she grasped at the -chair with her right hand, and the left she pressed hard against her -breast, as if trying to still the throbbing of her wildly beating heart. - -The man jumped up and caught her in his arms, for she seemed as if -about to fall. His face came close to hers, his hot breath was on her -cheek, his glittering eyes looked into hers, and seemed to chill her. -She struggled and writhed, but was powerless to free herself from his -strong grasp. - -“You are mine!” he almost hissed. “You are mine,” he repeated with -ferocious glee. “You are mine!” he reiterated for the third time, -as he tightened his arm around her waist. “There are moments in our -lives when we feel that we have attained something that were worth -whatever years in the future may be reserved for us. Such a moment do -I experience now; and, for the sake of a victory like this, I could -almost die.” - -It was an unequal strife. It was muscle, as opposed to virtue and -womanly indignation. He might still further tighten his arm until he -had squeezed the breath from her body. He might torture her with his -words until her heart cracked, and she became a stiffened corpse in -his arms; but where would be the triumph? He might as well have tried -to grasp a soap bubble and retain its prismatic glory, as to penetrate -the invulnerable armour of virtue and honesty in which this woman was -shielded. - -She drew herself back from him as far as she could. She kept him -off with her outstretched arms, and, with an energy that positively -startled him for the time, she exclaimed-- - -“Jewan Bukht, life is a precious thing; we cling to it while there is -the faintest glimmer of hope. But sooner than be yours--sooner than be -false to the vows made to Walter Gordon--my finger nails shall tear -open the veins and let my life flow away. If I had twenty lives, I -would yield every one, sooner than be yours even in thought.” - -Her determined air made him wince--her words stung him; and coward and -craven that he was, he felt strongly tempted to put forth his man’s -strength and dash her to the earth. He felt that he was beaten, and -though he might kill the body he could not bend her will. He still -retained his hold of her. Her hands were still on his shoulders, and -she was keeping him off; but by a sudden twist he freed himself, and -suddenly pressed her close to his breast. - -“You see how thoroughly you are mine,” he said, exultantly. - -Her answer was a piercing scream, again and again renewed, as she -struggled to free herself. - -He had not counted upon this. It was a woman’s weapon, and served her -in this case. He was fearful that her cries might be heard, and draw -attention to his prisoner. He was puzzled for a moment how to act. She -still screamed, and he dragged her towards the bed with the intention -of trying to smother her cries. He was frustrated, however, by a -knocking at the door. A pause. Flora heard the knock, and uttered a -piercing shriek. The rapping was repeated. He literally threw her from -him, so that she reeled and fell to the floor. - -“You infernal fool!” he hissed, “I will take your life inch by inch -sooner than you shall escape me.” - -He inserted the key in the lock, and threw open the door. - -Wanna Ranu entered. She grinned unpleasantly and twisted her scraggy -hands one about the other. - -“The white-faced cat yells,” she said; “why do you not gag her?” - -Wanna was not alone; there entered with her another woman--a native. It -was Zeemit Mehal. - -With a cry of joy, Flora sprang to her feet, and, darting forward, -threw her arms round Zeemit’s neck, exclaiming-- - -“Oh, Zeemit, save me! save me!” - -But Zeemit shook her off, as it seemed, savagely; and with an Indian -grunt of contempt, said-- - -“As well might you appeal to the stones. Zeemit knows no pity for the -Feringhee woman.” - -With a wail of pain, wrung from a heart filled almost to bursting, -Flora sank to the floor; and Jewan’s joy found vent in loud laughter. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -A DEADLY STRIFE. - - -“Your arrival is well-timed,” said Jewan, turning to Zeemit. - -“I see that it is so,” she answered. “I soon discovered in Delhi that -you had left, and I determined to follow you, for poor old Zeemit is -alone in the world now. I was lucky in meeting with Wanna. Some years -ago I was in Cawnpore, and I knew her then. When she learnt that I had -followed you, she lost no time in conducting me here.” - -“I am glad of it,” said Jewan. “My prize will be safely kept now. Guard -her well, Zeemit; and you, Wanna, if you value your life, look to her! -You understand? She has dared to defy me, and I swear to subdue her!” - -He crossed the room to where Flora still trembled, and crouched upon -the floor. He stooped over, and said, with bitterness-- - -“I leave you now. Business calls me hence, but I shall return to-night, -and then we will see who conquers.” - -He passed out of the room, and Wanna locked the door after him. It -was an inexpressible relief to Flora when he had gone. But when she -raised her head, and her eyes fell upon Wanna’s face, she shuddered. -It was a face scarcely human in its expression of hate. She turned to -Zeemit--she had given her hope in Meerut--why had she failed her now? -She could read little or nothing in the dusky features. Her heart sank, -for the glimmering ray that had supported her hitherto seemed to fade -entirely. - -“Come,” said Wanna, spurning the trembling girl with her foot, “here -is food for you; I suppose I must keep life in you until Jewan has -sucked your sweetness. What he can see in you I know not. It is a mad -infatuation, and he will get the better of it; but if I had my way -I would torture you. I would spoil your beauty--I would pluck your -eyes out--I would lop off a limb from your body every day--I would -burn you with hot irons. Ah, ah, ah! it would be sport! Eh, Zeemit, -what say you? We have been ground as corn in a mill by these accursed -Feringhees; and now that our day has come, have we not a right to be -glad?” - -She hummed the air of an Indian ditty, and fairly danced about the room -with fiendish glee. - -“Oh, woman!” moaned the unhappy Flora, “if you are not altogether -inhuman, have pity, and kill me.” - -“Ugh, bah, pish! pity indeed,” cried Wanna, moving about backwards and -forwards in that restless and strange manner peculiar to caged, wild -animals. “Have we ever had pity from your countrymen? Have you not -crushed us into the earth?--subdued us with fire and sword? And now -that our power is coming back we know well how to retaliate.” - -As she spoke she spat upon the floor twice, and made a sort of hissing -sound with her lips.[5] - -“Why do you not get up?” asked Zeemit, in a tone that contrasted -strangely with the savageness and cruelty of Wanna. - -The ray brightened again for Flora. She caught comfort from that voice; -but when she looked into the face she saw nothing to justify the -inference she had drawn. The kindliness displayed in Zeemit’s voice did -not escape Wanna, who turned sharply upon her country-woman and cried-- - -“How is this? You speak to the white-faced cat as if she were your pet -dove, instead of an enemy.” - -“Scarcely an enemy, Wanna. Her only crime seems to be that she is a -Feringhee.” - -“She is a beast.” - -“She is a woman, and I feel as a woman should do for her.” - -Zeemit’s words were to Flora like water to the parched earth. They gave -her hope, they gave her joy; she drank them in with avidity, and gained -strength. She rose up and would have clung around the neck of her ayah, -had not the attitude of Wanna appalled her. - -The hag stood facing Zeemit. The bangles on her legs and arms chinked -as she shook with passion. She was clawing the air, and almost foaming -at the mouth. She struggled to speak, but her passion well-nigh choked -her. Words came at last. - -“You sympathise with this Feringhee woman. I see through you--you are -an enemy to us, a friend to her. But, if you thought to liberate her, -you have set up a trap into which you yourself have blindly walked. I -go for Jewan.” - -She made a movement towards the door. To let her go would frustrate -every plan. Zeemit knew that it was no time for reflection. It was -woman to woman--age to age; for on both the years pressed heavily. With -a lithe and agile spring she fastened upon Wanna, who, with the sudden -instinct of self-preservation and the ferocity of the jungle cat, -twisted her bony fingers round and dug her nails deep into the flesh of -the other’s arms. - -It was a strange scene. From the wall the picture of the idol seemed to -grin hideously. Speechless with terror, poor Flora stood wringing her -hands. The two women, panting with the first shock of attack, glared at -each other, and over all there fell the weird, flickering light of the -swinging cocoa-lamp. - -As in all Indian buildings of this kind, there was a long window in -the room opening on to a verandah. The jalousies were thrown back. The -stars in the heavens were shining, and from below came up the sounds of -the voices of the natives, who were beating their tom-toms and making -merry. - -Miss Meredith moved to this verandah. She peered over. She could see -groups of people below. Her first impulse was to call for assistance, -but in an instant she was convinced of the madness of such a -proceeding. On the issue of the struggle her life depended. She might -go free if Zeemit conquered--die if the triumph was Wanna’s. - -“Give me the key of that door,” demanded Zeemit, when she had recovered -breath enough for speech. - -“Never while my heart beats,” answered the other. - -“Then I will take it from you when your heart has done beating,” said -Zeemit. - -Mehal was slightly the taller of the two women, and her arms were -longer. In this respect she, perhaps, had an advantage. - -The women struggled furiously. Now they were locked in a deadly -embrace, now parted, only to spring together again with increased -ferocity. Never did wild animals grip and tear, and hiss, and struggle -more savagely than did these two women. But the springs which moved -them both to action were of a totally different nature. A kindly desire -to render assistance to one in distress was Mehal’s motive--a deadly -hatred for the Englishwoman was the other’s. - -They dragged each other round the room; they panted with the -extraordinary exertion which each made to gain the victory; their -muslin garments were encrimsoned with blood and rent to shreds. Now -they dashed against the stone walls, then reeled and tottered to the -floor, writhing in the agony of the terrible grip which each had of -the other. Rising again, covered with dust and blood, and their limbs -locked together like snakes--their faces contorted with pain and -passion, and their breath coming thick and fast. - -It was an awful moment for Flora. She would have rendered assistance -to Mehal, but that was impracticable, as she found, for Wanna twisted -herself about so rapidly as to frustrate the attempts which Flora made -to grasp her. - -It was truly a struggle for life; for, ere it ceased, one of the -strugglers must die. They knew that, and so they fought with the -desperate energy which nerves a human being when dear life is at stake. - -The efforts of Wanna were growing gradually weaker. Mehal had worked -one of her hands up to the other’s throat, and she was pressing her -thumb and fingers together, until Wanna’s eyes started. - -The hag knew now that only by a desperate effort could she free -herself, and save her life. But even if that were impossible, she was -determined that her antagonist should not live to enjoy her triumph. - -She put forth what little strength remained in her withered frame. It -was an upleaping of the dying fire again, and for a moment the battle -raged fiercer than ever. They spun round, and reeled, and staggered. - -The end was coming. Wanna felt that. With an almost superhuman effort, -she managed to drag her foe to the verandah, and, with a quick and -sudden movement, drew the key from her girdle, and, uttering a cry -of ferocious joy, was about to hurl it over the railings. But a -counter-movement of Mehal’s broke the force of the jerk, and the key -fell on the extreme edge. - -Flora darted forward, but she could not pass the combatants. - -Wanna saw that her chance had gone. But nerving herself for one final -struggle, she dragged Mehal round. They lost their balance--they fell -to the floor--they rolled against the wooden railings, which, old and -rotten with age, broke down with a crash. Away went the key into -space. The two women were on the extreme edge of the verandah! - -Flora rushed forward once more. She made a frantic clutch at their -garments, with a view of dragging them back. - -It was too late! - -Death let fall his spear, and took the stakes. The fighters rolled -over, and Flora stood petrified with horror, still holding in her hands -some remnants of blood-stained garments. - -The wind moaned amongst the ivy on the walls. In its wailing she seemed -to hear a prophetic voice that told her the struggle she had been an -unwilling witness to between the two women, but represented the greater -struggle between two races that had just commenced; and, before it -could end, the soil of India should be drenched with blood. - -The night wind moaned. It sounded in her ears like a requiem for her -slaughtered friends. It seemed like an agonised cry of pain, wrung from -hearts suffering almost more than mortal sorrow. - -The night wind moaned--a dirge-like moan, that told that the Angel of -Peace had been beaten, broken-winged, into the dust; and through the -Orient land were stalking the grim demons, War and Woe. - -The night wind spoke. It told her that the catastrophe she had just -witnessed destroyed every hope of escape she might have had, for with -Zeemit her best friend had gone. - -She heard Jewan Bukht’s voice in the wind--a voice malignant and cruel. - -“I will return to-night, and then we will see who conquers!” - -Those were his parting words. As the wind repeated them to her, it -called her back to a sense of her awful danger. Her almost stilled -heart sprang into life again. It throbbed with the wildness of fear and -horror at what the consequences might be if he returned. - -She could foil him yet; in her hands she held her own life. An effort -of will, and she could snap the “silver thread” and break the “golden -bowl.” Three paces forward, and a plunge down into the dark depth, -whence had rolled the bodies of Zeemit and Wanna. - -Were it not better to die than to live to shame and misery? - -When all hope has fled, when everything that can make life endurable -has gone, has not the time come to die? She thought this. And the -moaning wind answered her, and said “Yes.” - -A plunge, a rapid descent, a terrific shock, and then the end. - -She looked up to the silent stars. They seemed to look down pityingly -on her. Mentally her gaze wandered beyond the stars, to the plains -of peace, to the White Throne of Mercy and Justice, and she put up a -prayer for forgiveness. - -Be still, wild heart! cease, oh, throbbing brain! death is merciful. - -She took a step forward--she closed her eyes--she threw up her arms; -and, bending her body, she was about to take the fatal leap, when a -voice reached her. - -Not of the wind this time, but a human voice, that cried for help, that -told of pain. - -She went down on her knees. She peered over the broken verandah into -the darkness. She could see nothing. The voice had ceased, and there -was silence again, save that the “ivy rustled and the wind moaned.” - -FOOTNOTE: - -[5] When the Hindoos wish to express a thorough loathing and contempt -for anything, they spit upon the ground, and make a peculiar movement -with the lips. During the mutiny, and for long afterwards, it was -common for the native servants in the European houses, when ordered to -do anything, to spit upon the ground when they thought their masters -were not looking. The language put into the mouth of Wanna, and the -ferocity depicted, are by no means an exaggeration. In fact, words -would almost fail to accurately express the inhuman hatred for the -English, which the natives--men and women--took every opportunity of -displaying during the revolt. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -FOR LIFE AND LOVE. - - -The cry that came up out of the darkness, and stayed Flora Meredith -in the very act of self murder, was uttered by one who had been -miraculously saved from an awful death. - -For some minutes Flora continued to strain her eyes before she could -make anything out. Then she became conscious that the figure of a woman -was lying on a verandah about fifteen feet below, and which projected -considerably beyond the lines of the upper one on which Flora stood. -That it was one of the women who had rolled over, Miss Meredith had no -doubt; but which one was a question difficult to answer. But presently -the cry was repeated. Flora fancied she detected Mehal’s voice, but -could not be certain. Everything was quiet below in the grounds, for -the hour was late, and nobody was about. She bent over the verandah as -far as possible, and, in a low tone, called-- - -“Mehal--Zeemit--Zeemit.” - -She waited with palpitating heart for any reply, for on that reply it -might truly be said her life hung. But the reply did not come--only a -half-stifled moan telling of acute suffering. - -Again she called--a little louder, this time; again she waited in -expectancy, to be disappointed once more. She rose to her feet, and -considered what was best to be done. There was little time to lose, -little time for thought. - -Hope rose again. If she could manage to reach the lower balcony, she -might be saved. But how was that to be accomplished? Even if she had -been in possession of a rope, she doubted her ability either to make it -fast, or, having succeeded in that, to lower herself down; for easy as -such a thing seems to the uninitiated, it is practically a task fraught -with the utmost danger, and requiring an exertion of physical strength -severe for a man, and ten times more so for a woman. But though she had -possessed the acrobatic skill to have performed the feat, the rope was -not there, nor was there anything in the room that would have answered -as a substitute. What, then, was to be done? - -She stood irresolute, almost distracted by the painful tensity to which -her mental powers were stretched. But as she stood, hovering, as it -were, between life and death, the rustling creepers whispered to her-- - -“Here is a way down.” - -As the idea flashed upon her, she could have cried out with joy. - -She moved to the end of the verandah. The great rope-like stems were -twined and twisted together, and spread out in all directions. She -looked at her hands, delicate and soft, and mentally asked herself if -she had strength of arm and wrist sufficient for the task. - -Fear lends strength, as it gives wings, and even a woman, situated as -Flora was, will perform deeds that, under ordinary circumstances, -would seem impossible. - -It was the sole chance, and she must avail herself of it. She hesitated -no longer; but mounting the railing of the verandah, grasped firmly a -thick stem of the ivy, and swung herself over. - -It was an awful moment. The failure of the power of the arms, the -slightest giddiness, and a fall of fifty feet would close the book of -life for ever. But after the first nervous dread had passed, she found -that the descent was far easier than she had imagined. - -The rough angles of the walls, and the thick ivy, gave her tolerable -foothold. But now and again her weight dragged the stems from their -hold of the wall, and she would slip down a little way with a jerk that -sent the blood back upon her heart with a rush. - -It was hard work; it was a struggle for life--a life that, a few -minutes ago, she would have sacrificed, for then all hope seemed to -have gone. But since then the star had risen a little once more, by -reason of the pain-wrung cry of a human sufferer. - -She struggled with desperate energy to save that life. Lower and lower -she went. It seemed as if she would never reach the goal. - -The ivy ripped and gave way, painfully straining and jerking her arms, -and the rough stones lacerated and tore her hands. But there was no -giving up until she reached the wished-for point. - -She clung desperately--she struggled bravely, and the reward came -at last--she was abreast of the lower verandah! She got a foothold, -then clutched the railing, and, in a few moments, stood on the floor, -breathless and exhausted, but safe so far. - -The figure of the prostrate woman was a few feet off. She moved to -her, bent down, turned her over, and then uttered a silent prayer of -thankfulness, as she recognised the well-known features of her faithful -ayah. - -But it was evident that Zeemit was wounded grievously. She was -unconscious, and lay in a pool of blood, which flowed from a deep wound -in the forehead. In her descent she had struck her head on the railing -of the verandah; but this probably saved her life, as it caused her to -roll inward, instead of outward. - -Flora endeavoured to staunch the blood. She chafed the hands, and -raised the body to a sitting posture. Her efforts were at length -rewarded, for consciousness slowly returned to the old woman. It was -some time before she could realise her exact position. But, as the -truth dawned upon her, she grasped the hand of Flora, and cried-- - -“Allah be praised, missy, you are still safe!” - -“We both live,” answered Flora; “but we both stand in deadly peril. How -are we to save ourselves?” - -“You must not think of me. You must endeavour to get free of this -place, and save your own life.” - -“And leave you here!” cried Flora; “never!” - -“You are a brave girl, and Zeemit thanks you; but you must go. Wanna -is, no doubt, dead. If she fell to the ground, which seems probable, -it would have been impossible to have survived such a fall. Dead -people tell no tales; therefore we have nothing to fear from her. -I feel that I cannot rise. For me to go with you would but impede -your flight. Leave me. I shall be discovered. I shall tell Jewan -that Wanna intended to set you free, tempted by a heavy bribe you -offered. I endeavoured to prevent her--we struggled, and fell over the -verandah--and then all is blank to me. This will give me an opportunity -of rendering you still further assistance, because, however angry Jewan -may be, he would scarcely dare to offer me violence.” - -“It is much against my will to have to leave you here, Zeemit, and I -can scarcely reconcile myself to such a course.” - -“But it is the only chance there is for me to render you aid. Besides, -there is one below who waits anxiously for you.” - -“Ah! tell me, tell me, where he is?” cried Flora, the opportunity -occurring for the first time to speak of him since Zeemit’s appearance. - -“He was safe when I left him,” answered the old woman. “Soon after -leaving Meerut we were attacked in a bungalow, where we had sought -shelter; but we managed to escape, and continue our journey to -Delhi. We gained entrance to the city, and I soon learned from some -of the Palace servants that Jewan had gone to Cawnpore. We lost no -time in following him, and we arrived here last night. In yonder -clump of trees,”--as the old woman spoke, she slightly raised her -head, and pointed with her finger across the compound--“is a disused -bullock-shed. There, on a heap of straw, you will find Mr. Gordon. He -was to remain secreted until I had learned tidings of you. He was weary -and footsore, and sleeping soundly when I came away.” - -“But how am I to reach there unobserved?” asked Flora, scarcely able to -restrain her impatience. - -“I think that will be comparatively easy. Go through the room here -till you gain the landing, then down the stairs until you come to the -entrance-hall. The night is dark, and you may easily make your way to -the bullock-shed. Once there, you and Mr. Gordon must lose no time in -hurrying to the protection of the English quarters; but, if possible, -fly from Cawnpore without delay, for there is an awful time coming for -the place. The native troops are pledged to rise, and the Nana Sahib is -thirsting for revenge.” - -“God help us all out of our tribulation,” murmured Flora. “I will -endeavour to carry out your directions, Zeemit, but be sure that you -join us. It is against my will to leave you here, but we must bow to -the circumstances that we cannot alter.” - -“Go--go,” murmured Mehal; “I am old, and you are young. Join your -lover, and seek safety in flight. I have no doubt we shall meet again; -but be discreet. Jewan is wary, and the moment he discovers your -escape, he will use every endeavour to recapture you.” - -“Farewell, Zeemit,” said Flora, as she stooped and kissed the old -woman, “we part in sorrow, but I trust when next we meet, it will be -under happier circumstances. You have been miraculously preserved from -death, and no doubt it is for some wise purpose. When we reach our -English friends, I shall lose no time in sending for you.” - -A hurried shake of the hands, a few final whispered words of parting, -and Zeemit Mehal was left wounded and sick, lying alone under the -stars; and Flora Meredith, like a timid hare, was descending the stairs. - -On the various landings the natives were lying about asleep, a custom -common to the servants in India, who coil themselves up anywhere. With -noiseless tread, and rapidly beating heart, the fugitive picked her way -amongst the sleepers, turning pale with alarm, as one moved here, and -another groaned there, almost entirely holding her breath, lest even -the act of breathing should awaken those whom she had such cause to -dread. But after nearly half-an-hour of the most painful and intense -anxiety, she stood at the main entrance of the building. - -Day was commencing to break; there was sufficient light in the sky -to enable her to see across the compound. Not a soul was in sight. -Without a moment’s delay, she sped towards the clump of trees. The -bullock-shed indicated by Zeemit was soon reached. It was a very -dilapidated structure, built of bamboo and mud. She entered through the -doorway, and advanced cautiously for some paces; then listened, for -there was scarcely sufficient light in the hut to distinguish anything -plainly. The sound of heavy breathing fell upon her ears. It came from -the extreme end, where she could make out a heap of straw. She went a -little farther, and stood again. - -“Walter!” she called softly; “Walter!” she repeated, a little louder. - -But there was no reply. The sleeper slept, and the heavy breathing was -her only answer. She went nearer. The rustling of her own dress alarmed -her, for her nerves were unstrung. - -“Walter!” she whispered again, as she reached the straw. Still no -reply. “He is worn and weary, and he sleeps heavily,” she murmured to -herself. - -The light had considerably increased, for the day breaks in India as -suddenly as the night closes in. She was close to the sleeping form. -She stooped down until she knelt on the straw. She stretched forward -to waken the sleeper, but instinctively drew back as she noticed the -muslin garments of a native. She rose to her feet again, advanced a -little, bent down and peered into the face, the dusky face of, as she -thought, a Hindoo. She had come expecting to find her lover--in his -place was a native. She uttered an involuntary cry of alarm, and, -turning round, sped quickly away. - -The cry penetrated to the sleeper’s brain. He turned uneasily, then -assumed a sitting posture, and, as Walter Gordon rubbed his eyes, he -muttered-- - -“Bless my life, how soundly I have been sleeping. I could have sworn, -though, I heard a woman’s cry. It must have been fancy.” - -He stretched himself out once more on the straw; for many weary miles -had he travelled, without being able to obtain a moment’s rest, and -nature was thoroughly exhausted. - -“Poor Flo,” he thought, as sleep commenced to steal over him again, “I -hope she will come soon. Zeemit is a faithful creature, and I have no -doubt will succeed. God grant it.” - -Walter Gordon slept once more, and she for whom he sighed was speeding -from him on the wings of terror, into the very jaws of death. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -WITH A LOVE THAT PASSETH UNDERSTANDING. - - -The signs of dissatisfaction which had alarmed General Wheeler for the -safety of his community gradually increased. The smothered fire was -gaining strength. It muttered and rumbled, and gave evidence that a -tremendous outbreak was imminent. - -Sir Hugh was loath to believe in the infidelity of his troops, and -hesitated about taking steps for self-protection. But there were those -about him who had less of the optimist in their natures than he, and -who were loud in their condemnation of his supineness. They urged him -in every possible manner to take instant steps to place the cantonments -in a state of defence, until he could no longer turn a deaf ear to -their entreaties. - -But though he had been slow to take this step, it must not be assumed -that Sir Hugh Wheeler was unmindful of the awful responsibility that -rested upon his shoulders. His was as brave a heart as ever beat in -human breast, but out of his very bravery arose the danger to those -under his charge. - -He knew the character of the natives well. He knew that they writhed -under a sense of supposed wrong, and that the slightest touch will -cause an open wound to smart. He was, therefore, fearful of letting -them see that the English mistrusted them. He acted upon the old -principle that confidence begets confidence. Moreover, he had firm -faith in Nana Sahib. He knew that as a native the Rajah had infinitely -greater power over the native mind than an European could possibly have -had. - -Sir Hugh’s confidence, too, seemed fully justified, for the Nana had -readily complied with the request made to him, and had posted two -hundred of his troops at the Newab-gung. This was a slightly elevated -position, and fully commanded the arsenal and treasury. - -A couple of guns on the spot, served by determined and faithful -soldiers, could have kept a regiment at bay; but the fact of the Nana’s -assassins--for no other term is applicable to them--being placed there -was the very irony of fate. Into their hands had been given a wealthy -treasury, and a well-stocked arsenal. All they had to do when the right -moment came was to walk into these places, and slay the English with -their own weapons. - -Listening at last--though reluctantly--to the entreaties of his people -General Wheeler looked about for the best means of securing his -position; and it occurred to him, in the emergency, that the only way -of defending the precious lives of the Christians was by throwing up -some defensive works, within which he might gather his people, so that -with their guns they could keep the enemy at bay. - -He selected a spot for this purpose about six miles down the river to -the south-east, not far from the Sepoys’ huts, and about a mile from -the banks of the river. He was guided in this choice, to a great -extent, by the fact that on the spot were two long hospital barracks -that would make good quarters for the people. One of the buildings was -a substantial structure built wholly of masonry; but the other had a -heavy thatched roof. - -Here, again, the cruel hand of Fate seemed to be, for a time, against -the English, for to the circumstance of the thatched roof some of -the most awful suffering endured by the besieged was due, as will be -hereafter shown. Both buildings were single-storied, and verandahs ran -all round them; they stood in an open and perfectly flat compound. -In the centre of the compound was a well, the only place from which -supplies of water could be drawn; and as will be disclosed in the -subsequent unfoldings of the story, this well was the scene of almost -unparalleled heroic deeds. - -Having selected his place, Sir Hugh began to entrench it, and supply it -with a stock of provisions capable of feeding his people for several -weeks. - -The so-called fortifications were paltry in the extreme, for the means -were not at hand to render them worthy the name. The earth-works were -only four feet high, and were not even proof against bullets at the -crest. The apertures for the artillery exposed both guns and gunners; -whilst, on all sides, adjacent buildings offered splendid cover for the -enemy. The excessive heat and dryness of the weather had rendered the -ground so hard that it could only be turned with the greatest amount -of difficulty, and by patient labour; and when it was dug it was so -friable that the cohesion necessary for solidity could not be attained. - -The month of May wore on; the expected mutiny did not occur. June -came in, and Sir Hugh then felt confident that all danger had passed; -and Lucknow being threatened, the General sent to the relief of the -neighbouring station a portion of his own little company of soldiers. - -As these white troops crossed the bridge of boats, and set their faces -towards Lucknow, the natives fairly shook with suppressed laughter as -they thought what fools the English were. And at this very time, Jewan -Bukht and other agents of the Nana were visiting the bazaars and the -native lines, and fanning the smouldering fire to flame. - -Towards the latter end of May, there entered Cawnpore by the pontoon -bridge, two strangers. It was the close of a more than usually sultry -day, and the travellers, who were on foot, were dust-stained and worn. - -These travellers were Lieutenant Harper and Haidee. They had come from -Delhi--a long weary march; and along their line of route they had -experienced the greatest difficulty in procuring necessary food and -rest. - -Nerved by the one all-powerful motive, Haidee had kept up, and -exhibited extraordinary powers of endurance. When her companion sank -exhausted from heat and thirst, this brave and beautiful woman watched -over him, encouraged him, and gave him hope. Her gentle hand wiped his -brow, her soft bosom pillowed his head. Her love for him grew stronger -each day. To lie at his feet, to pillow his head, to watch him when -he slept, was joy inexpressible to her. And yet during this journey -she never by a single word betrayed aught of the strong passion which -filled her heart; but every action, every deed proclaimed it. - -On his part he tried to think of her only as one who had befriended -him, and to whom it was his duty to offer such protection as lay in -his power. But on the road from Delhi he proved the weaker vessel of -the two, for the awful heat, aided by the want of proper rest and -sustenance, sorely tired him. She, on the other hand, inured from -birth to the heat, and strengthened by her great love for him, kept up -when he faltered, and exhibited, comparatively speaking, but little -weariness. - -Hers was the devotion of a true woman; it was self-sacrificing, -all-absorbing, undying. Truly she had made him her star that gave -her only light. She had no selfish thought, except such selfishness -as is begotten by true love--for all love is selfish; it is its very -nature to be so. And yet this faithfulness made the man sad. He felt -that he could not return her love, however much he might admire -her. However much he might feel grateful, however great his worship -for her nobleness of nature might be, he must shut his eyes to her -charms, close his senses to her silent outpourings of love, for he was -another’s, and to that one he must be true, or feel that for evermore -the honour which was so very dear to him was sullied, and time could -never wipe out the stain again. - -Often as he dragged his weary steps along, with the loving Haidee by -his side, he mentally asked himself if he was not pursuing a phantom -that was luring him to unknown danger. Had he done right in setting his -face towards Cawnpore, and could he justify the course he had taken by -any amount of logical reasoning? He was striving to do his duty. If he -failed, it would be through error of judgment, and not through want of -heart. - -As the two travellers stood upon the Cawnpore bank of the river Ganges, -Harper gave vent to a sigh of relief. But Haidee seemed to be pressed -with a weight of sorrow. - -“You do not seem well, Haidee,” Harper remarked casually, as he -observed the depressed look of his companion. “Your eyes are dull, and -your cheek is pale. What is the cause?” - -She looked at him almost reproachfully, and her only answer was a -long-drawn sigh. - -“What is the matter with you?” he asked again, with a good deal of -indifference in his tone; for, to confess the truth, his thoughts were -far away. He was racked with doubts and fears, and half-regretted that -he had yielded consent to come to Cawnpore, instead of returning to his -quarters at Meerut. - -Her eyes glowed, and her face and neck crimsoned, as she struggled to -conceal the emotion which almost choked her, and which his words had -caused. Her sensitive nature was wounded by his indifference, and she -shrank away, as it were, like a startled fawn. - -“Why do you sting me?” she exclaimed, when she could speak. - -“Sting you, Haidee! What do you mean?” as he turned upon her quickly, -and coming back again to a sense of his true position. - -“Why do you ask me what is the matter, in a tone that betrays too -plainly that you take no interest in the question?” - -“Nay, Haidee, there you wrong me.” - -“Sooner would I wrong myself than you; but your words remain with -Haidee while your heart is far away.” - -“My heart is divided, Haidee, and I give you all of it that I dare. You -are my friend. Every sacrifice I can make I will make for you, if it is -necessary. I will protect you with my life. I cannot do more.” - -“Ah!” she sighed; “and yet you can ask me what it is that makes me -sad? There is sorrow at my heart; sorrow at the thought our journey is -ended, and you and I must probably part never to meet again. That is -what is the matter with me.” - -“Forgive me, Haidee, if I have hurt you by my seeming thoughtlessness. -I assure you I had no intention of doing so. And though our journey -is for the present ended, do not say we shall part for ever. You have -grown precious to me as a noble, generous, devoted woman; and I vow, by -all that I hold sacred, that I will endeavour never to lose sight of -you as long as I live.” - -She trembled with a nameless, pleasurable emotion; her nerves vibrated -like unto the strings of a harp that are swept with a strong wind; for -this man’s words were music to her. “I will endeavour not to lose sight -of you as long as I live.” Had he not spoken them? And they sank to the -deeper depths of her nature. They were like an elixir of life, given to -one whose strength was ebbing away. She yearned for sympathy, and this -man gave it to her. Her soul cried out for kindredship, and it found -it in him. What wonder then that she should be taken captive?--that -beat for beat her heart should answer his? It is given to human beings -to feel the burning rapture of love, but not to solve its mystery; for -it is a mystery as strange as the Sphinx of old; as unsolvable as the -cosmical problems which have puzzled philosophers of all ages. - -She loved him. Every look, every action, every tone betrayed that she -loved him with a true woman’s pure love. If it had sprung up suddenly, -it was none the less genuine or strong. She would have been content -to follow him, even if he, like the fabled “Wandering Jew,” had been -doomed to go on and on, restlessly and for evermore. Still would she -have followed, living in his shadow, drawing her very life from his -look and voice, sorrowing when he sorrowed, laughing when he laughed. -Nay, more; she would have taken upon herself all the pains, however -fearful, he might have had to endure. She would have rendered that last -and greatest sacrifice that one human being can make for another--she -would have laid down her life to save his. - -It was a grand love, this love of hers--not the sickly sentiment of a -wayward girl, but the strong, powerful, absorbing passion of a woman; a -love as heroic as any that Homer ever sang of, or that moved the Roman -women of old to follow the youths to the battle-fields, and die when -they died. - -Harper was a stranger in Cawnpore, but he knew that the numerical -strength of the garrison was ridiculously low, and, knowing this, -his heart sank as he observed unmistakable signs of coming mischief. -During the journey he had been astonished at the large number of -mounted natives he had met speeding along to and from Delhi, and he -had no doubt that these men were spies and agents, passing backwards -and forwards with news; so that he was not surprised when he found -that information of his coming had preceded him to Cawnpore; and as -he passed through the streets he was frequently met with the ironical -question, put by some insolent native, “Holloa! how fares it with the -English in Delhi?” - -His companion, too, was also subjected to considerable attention. -Her appearance belied the idea that she belonged to the lower order, -although she was dressed in the commonest of native dresses; but there -was an air of refinement and bearing about her totally out of keeping -with her costume. This did not escape the keen scrutiny of hundreds of -eyes, and many were the ominous whispers that fell upon the ears of -Harper, and he frequently detected the words--“She is from the Palace. -She is one of the King’s slaves.” - -He lost no time in proceeding to the English quarters; he found them -deserted; and he soon ascertained that the Europeans were congregated -with General Wheeler behind the earth-works. This place was some -distance from where he then was, and both he and Haidee were greatly -exhausted. But food and shelter were not to be had, so he set his face -boldly towards the fortifications. - -It was quite dark now; even the stars were obscured. The travellers -held on their way; no words passed between them, for each was occupied -with his and her thoughts. They drew near to their destination; they -could see the lights in the barrack windows, but they had yet about -a quarter of a mile to go. The road was through some clustering -trees, and past a number of straggling native huts; these places all -seemed deserted--at least, none of the natives showed themselves. In -a little while Harper stopped suddenly, and drawing Haidee to him, -whispered--“I believe that we are being followed. I am certain that I -have discerned figures moving quickly about, as if dodging us. Do not -be alarmed,” as he passed his arm round her and drew his pistol. “We -have not far to go, and if we can reach the barracks we shall be safe. -See,” he exclaimed, in a low tone, and pointing to a small mound upon -which grew two or three palms, “I am convinced that there are some men -there moving about suspiciously. Do you not see them?” - -“Yes, yes,” she murmured, clinging to him--not from fear for herself, -but rather as a mother would cling to her child when she knows that -danger threatened it. “Let us proceed cautiously.” - -They went on for a few yards, until they were nearly abreast of the -mound; then Harper stopped again, and he placed himself before Haidee, -for a sound had come to him that was terribly ominous. He had heard the -sharp “click, click,” of a rifle. His soldier’s ear detected it in a -moment. - -“Crouch down, Haidee. Crouch down. They are going to fire,” he said, -quickly. - -But the words had scarcely left his lips when there rang out on the -still night air a startling report, and a tongue of fire darted from -the clump of trees. Then instantly another report, and another tongue. -It was certain that two rifles had been fired, and one of the bullets -had found its billet. Harper tossed up his arms, and, with a gurgling -gasp, sank to the ground. With a shrill scream Haidee threw herself -beside him. She passed her arm round his neck; she bent over and kissed -him frantically. - -“Oh, my beloved!” she moaned, “speak to me. Do not die! Do not leave -Haidee alone in the world! Oh, ye Houris of goodness!” she prayed, as -she turned her eyes up to heaven, “ye who observe human sorrow from the -gates of Paradise, pity me, and spare this mortal.” - -Perhaps her prayer was heard--perhaps some pitying angel did carry it -up, and lay it before the throne of mercy. - -The wounded man heard it, and he managed to clutch her hand, and press -it to the left side of his breast. The blood was gushing out--his warm -blood--and it flowed over her hand and arm. In an instant she had bared -his breast; and, tearing off her muslin skirt, she stanched the wound. -He could not speak, but a faint pressure of the hand gave her hope. - -“My beloved, live--live!” she murmured. “Oh, for some assistance! But -you must not lie here; it were death to do so. Oh, that I had a man’s -strength but for a brief half-hour.” - -She had passed her arm still further under his neck, and, getting -a firm hold with her other hand round the lower part of his body, -she raised him up. She staggered beneath the load for a moment, but -planting her feet firmly, and drawing a deep breath, she started -forward, bearing the almost lifeless body of the man for whom she had -risked so much. Her burden called for the utmost physical strength to -support; but what will love not do? She struggled along, resting now -and again, but never putting down her precious load, never for a moment -shifting his position, and trying to avoid the slightest jerk, for she -was fearful of the wound bursting out afresh, and she knew that to let -that precious life-current flow was to let the life, so dear to her, -drift away. - -Harper was quite unconscious now. His arms hung down powerless. It -almost seemed to her that he was already dead; and she grew cold with -fear as she thought every moment she would find the beloved form -stiffening in her arms. - -Word-painting would fail to adequately depict the woman’s feelings as -she staggered along in the darkness. The welcome lights were before -her eyes--would she reach them? Even if the life was not already gone -out of the body she bore so tenderly in her arms, a few minutes’ -delay might prove fatal. Never did shipwrecked mariner, floating on -a solitary plank in the midst of a wild ocean, turn his eyes more -eagerly, imploringly, prayerfully, to the distant sail, as she turned -hers towards those lights. Her heart throbbed wildly, her brain -burned, her muscles quivered with the great exertion; but she would -not be conquered. Love was her motive-power; it kept her up, it lent -her strength, it braced her nerves. And she would have defended the -helpless being in her arms, even as a tigress would defend its wounded -young. - -On--step after step--yard after yard--nearer and nearer the goal. - -“Who goes there? Stand and answer.” - -It was the challenge of an outlying English sentry. - -She uttered a cry of joy, for the man was within a few paces of her. - -Never did words sound more welcome in human ear than did that challenge -to the devoted Haidee. - -“A friend,” she answered quickly, in English. “Help me!--quick--I bear -a wounded officer in my arms.” - -The man gave vent to an expression of profound surprise as he hurried -forward to meet her. In a moment he had raised the alarm. The signal -flew from post to post. A few minutes only passed, but it seemed an -age. Then she saw a body of men advancing with lanterns. Gently and -tenderly they took the insensible form of Harper from Haidee. She -walked beside him, or rather staggered, for nature was thoroughly -exhausted, and only strength of will kept her up. - -The guard was passed, and the barrack was reached. Harper was laid upon -a mattress on the floor, and two doctors were speedily bending over -him; and while one administered a powerful stimulant, the other made a -critical examination of the wound. - -Haidee’s eyes wandered from the one face to the other. She noted every -expression, she tried to read the thoughts of the doctors, but she did -not worry them with useless questioning. But when the examination was -completed and lint had been applied to the wound, she grasped the arm -of the nearest medical man, and whispered-- - -“Tell me truly--will he live?” - -“It is possible,” the doctor answered tenderly. - -Hope shone again, and, with the words still ringing in her ears, she -sank down beside the wounded man, and in an instant was steeped in a -death-like sleep. - -Then loving hands--women’s hands--raised her tenderly and bore her to a -couch, and the doctors proceeded to make a more minute examination of -their patient’s condition. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -FROM CAPTIVITY TO CAPTIVITY. - - -In one of the outbuildings attached to the Rajah of Bhitoor’s dwelling, -four natives are seated. It is night. From a smoke-blackened beam, a -long, rusty chain swings. Attached to this is one of the primitive -cocoa-nut lamps, the sickly light from which scarcely does more than -make the darkness visible. At one end of the apartment is a charcoal -fire, on which a brass lotah, filled with boiling rice, hisses. The men -are sitting, Indian fashion, upon their haunches; they smoke in turns a -hubble-bubble, which they pass from one to another. - -It is a weirdly picturesque scene. The blackened mud walls of the -building have a funereal aspect, heightened by the swinging lamp as at -the door of a tomb. - -But the four dusky figures seated round the fire, and reddened by the -glow from the charcoal, slightly relieve the sombreness. They would -not inaptly represent spirits of evil, holding counsel at the entrance -to Tartarus. Their eyes are bleared by the opium they smoke, and, as -they converse, the shifting expression of their faces betrays that -there is joy at their hearts. But it is not a good joy. It is rather a -gloating as they think of the sorrow and suffering of those whom they -are pleased to consider their enemies. They are--or so they like to -believe--self-constituted avengers of their country’s wrongs, and they -would, if it were in their power, write “Death” across the “Book of -Life” of every one indiscriminately, whose misfortune it was to have a -white skin. - -To destroy the power of the Great White Hand--in other words, to -exterminate the British--is the souls’ desire of these men, as it is -possibly of every, or nearly every, native in India on this eventful -night. - -As it is given to man to love, so it is given to man to hate, and -the hate of the human heart is beyond human understanding; it has no -parallel in anything that draws the breath of life. The savage animals -of the forest may rend and tear, but in their nature there can be none -of the deadly poison of resentment and hatred which a man can cherish. - -But in the hearts of these four men there is that which predominates -even over the hatred. There is lust, there is the greed of gain, and -the cringing, fawning servility which ignoble natures ever display -towards those higher in the social scale than themselves, and upon whom -the goddess of wealth has showered her favours lavishly. Two of the -men we have seen before--they are Moghul Singh and Jewan Bukht. The -other two are retainers of the King of Delhi. An hour ago, when Jewan -had come down from Miss Meredith’s chamber up in the tower, he was -surprised, not to say annoyed, to find Moghul Singh waiting for him. - -When the first greetings were passed, Jewan invited his visitor to this -place, although he did not know the errand upon which he had come. But -there was that in Singh’s manner and laugh which told Jewan that Flora -Meredith was in some way, if not the sole cause of Moghul’s visit to -Cawnpore. And this idea was very soon to be confirmed; for as the men -gathered round the fire, and the hubble-bubble had been filled and -passed, Jewan ventured to inquire the nature of his visitor’s business. - -Singh laughed, or rather grinned, and his eyes sparkled maliciously as -the question was put. - -“To take back the Feringhee woman of yours, Jewan,” was the answer, an -unpleasant one enough to Jewan; for, apart from the risks he had run on -her account, he bore some sort of feeling for her; certainly not love, -because that is a holy passion, and so, for the want of a better word, -it must be called an infatuation. Well, bearing this feeling, being -dazed by her beauty, and above all, having a strong desire to subdue -her will, he could not reconcile himself to the thought of parting with -her, nor was he altogether prepared to do so. - -“If that is the only object that has brought you here, methinks you -will go back again empty handed,” he replied. - -Moghul grinned again--grinned with the self-assurance of a man who -knows that he holds the winning trump card, that he can play at any -moment to the discomfiture of his opponent. - -“I think not so, Jewan, my faithful one. Come, fill the pipe again; it -need not be put out, even if you do not like my errand. Ah, ah, ah! -By my faith, one would think by the look on your face that you had -been called upon to disgorge a lac of rupees, instead of to give up -possession of a woman that can only cause you a world of trouble.” - -“I am not so sure of that. At any rate, having caged the bird, I mean -to keep her. She shall pipe for me alone.” - -“Oh, oh!--ah, ah! Pass the pipe; this smoke is comforting. You mean to -keep her, eh? By the Prophet’s beard, Master Jewan, they are big words. -Blow the charcoal, Hadjee,” turning to one of his companions, “that -rice does not boil fast enough, and it is not good to laugh much on -an empty stomach. You mean to keep her? Ah, ah! That is a good joke. -Methinks you will need a strong cage then, and a good keeper.” - -“I have both.” - -“Have you so? But you forget, my friend, that bars may be broken and -keepers bribed.” - -“Neither of which you will dare to do.” - -“And why, my faithful Jewan?” - -“For two reasons.” - -“And they are--” - -“That I would denounce you sooner than you should have her, and kill -you if you attempted to take her.” - -“Oh, oh! Jewan Bukht, the good days that are coming for us are making -you bold indeed. Have a care, my youth. I have performed some deeds of -daring in my time, and brook not insolence from one who has passed his -days in scribbling for the English dogs.” - -“You will find that I can wield something more formidable than a pen -if you taunt me,” returned Jewan, the passion glow rising in his dusky -face. - -“May be so,” answered Moghul sarcastically; “but in spite of your -threats I tell you I shall take this woman back.” - -“You speak authoritatively. By what right will you take her back?” - -“By the King’s command. Ah, ah, ah!--oh, oh! There I have you, Jewan.” - -Jewan’s brows contracted, for he felt that he was beaten, and dare not -disobey that command. - -“Come, come,” continued the other; “don’t look as if a jungle cat had -bitten you. After all, you are not called upon to give up much, and you -cannot afford to quarrel with the King. He heard of this woman almost -directly after you left, and he despatched me instantly to bring her -back. So give me the key of your cage, and let me get the work done, -for I don’t like these jobs. Besides, I am anxious to get back to -Delhi, for there are rare times there now, and rupees are plentiful.” - -“Well, as there is no help for it,” said Jewan, “I suppose I must. But -I should like to have broken this woman’s spirit, for she has defied -me.” - -“Pshaw! there is higher game to fly at than that. Besides, there are -good times dawning for Cawnpore, and you will come in for a share of -the spoil. But let us have our supper, for I am hungered.” - -Hadjee had already turned the rice on to a large brass dish, and added -to it the indispensable mess of curry, and having procured some water -from a neighbouring well, the four men seated themselves round the -rice, and commenced to eat. - -When the meal was ended, Moghul rose. - -At the same moment, a tall, powerful, and savage-looking man entered; -his name was Haffe Beg, and he was employed by Jewan Bukht, on behalf -of Nana Sahib, as a spy. - -Jewan rose as the man entered. - -“Ah, Haffe! what news? You have been absent for some days.” - -“Yes,” answered the man gruffly; “I have had business.” - -“Important, I suppose, since it has detained you?” said Jewan. - -“Yes; word was brought to me a few days ago that a woman and an -Englishman were travelling from Delhi towards Cawnpore.” - -“Indeed!” cried Moghul Singh; “who were they?” - -“I don’t know; but evidently fugitives, and of importance. The woman -came from the Palace; she was a Cashmere woman, I believe. The man was -an English officer.” - -Moghul Singh’s brow contracted, and he bit his lip. “My prisoner -Harper, by the beard of Allah!” he exclaimed, wrathfully, “and the -woman Haidee, or may my eyes never see daylight again. I have long -suspected her of treachery. But they do not live _now_!” he added, -significantly. - -The man grinned as he replied-- - -“I am not certain.” - -“Not certain!” repeated Bukht, angrily. “By the Prophet! rupee of thy -master’s shall never again find its way to thy pouch if you failed.” - -“You do not mean to say they escaped?” added Moghul menacingly. - -“Keep your threats for your slaves,” answered Beg, with a defiant -air. “As soon as I heard that these people were on the road, I set -out to meet them; but they evidently did not follow the main road. -I learned that they had entered the city. I returned. They made for -the English quarters, and from there to the defences at the barracks. -No opportunity presented itself until they were near the English -guard; for the night was dark. But, as soon as I could, I sent two -bullets after them, with as true an aim as was possible under the -circumstances.” - -“And you hit your mark, of course?” chimed in Moghul and Bukht together. - -“One, at least, fell,” answered Beg; “but afraid that the report of the -gun had alarmed the sentries, I retired. Later on I sought the spot; -the bodies were not there, but there was a pool of blood. Whether the -English, guided by the report, had come out and carried the bodies -away, or whether only one of the two fell and the survivor carried the -other off, I don’t know; but I believe one of my bullets for certain -found the woman’s heart.” - -“If that is so, I can forgive you for your bungling,” Moghul remarked -between his set teeth. “I would not let her escape for a lac of rupees.” - -“I think you may console yourself, then,” said Beg. “I was guided by -her white dress, and I feel sure she fell.” - -“So far that is satisfactory, but take further steps to learn,” replied -Moghul. Then, turning to Bukht, he said-- - -“I cannot waste more time--I must go.” - -“How do you travel?” asked Bukht, moving towards the door. - -“By gharry. It stands there in the compound, and I have a pair of -splendid horses, provided for the return journey by the Nana’s head -syce (groom).” - -Bukht led the way, followed by Moghul and the other men. The building -in which they had been sitting was about a hundred yards from the -tower. As Jewan reached the foot of the tower he stumbled over -something. It was a woman. He stooped down and looked in her face, then -uttered a cry of surprise. The face was Wanna Ranu’s. But the woman was -stone dead, and there was scarcely a whole bone in her emaciated body. - -“This smacks of treason!” Jewan exclaimed, as he hurried to the door of -the tower. - -He had soon gained the top storey. He had a key of the door of the room -in which he had imprisoned Flora. As he entered he gave vent to an -imprecation, for she whom he sought was not there. He hurried to the -balcony. The broken railings told the tale. - -“There has been foul play!” he said, as he turned hurriedly to Moghul, -who stood with a look of consternation on his face; for he could not -hope to make the King believe that the girl had escaped, and, if he -returned without her, he knew he would fall into disgrace. - -At this moment there came up a cry from Zeemit Mehal--purposely -uttered, for she had heard Jewan’s voice. - -“That cry comes from Mehal,” he said, “or I am much mistaken. We shall -soon know how the girl has escaped.” - -He hurried down, followed by the others. - -“What is the meaning of this?” he asked, as he bent over the wounded -Zeemit. - -“Alas! it means that I have well-nigh lost my life in your cause. But -Wanna, where is she?” she suddenly exclaimed, for she was anxious to -know whether her foe lived, and had told Jewan anything. - -“The hag is dead,” he answered; “she lies almost pounded to a jelly at -the foot of the tower.” - -“That is good,” Zeemit cried, with unfeigned joy. “She deserved it--she -deserved it. Tempted by a heavy bribe offered by the girl, she was -going to set her free; but I interfered to prevent it. We struggled, -and both fell over.” - -“But the girl--where is she?” - -“Alas, she must have escaped! but I have no recollection of anything -after I fell.” - -Jewan bit his lip. He felt that he was foiled, and it galled him almost -beyond endurance. - -“How long is it since you saw her?” asked Moghul of Jewan. - -“Scarcely two hours.” - -“Then she cannot be far off; and we will find her if she has not got to -the English quarters.” - -“Thou art a faithful servant,” said Jewan to Zeemit; “and shall have -attention and ample reward. But you must wait until I return, for we -shall have to recapture this woman.” - -As they went away Mehal smiled with satisfaction, in spite of the pain -she was enduring; for she scarcely doubted that Flora had by this time -discovered Walter Gordon, and the two were safe within the British -lines. But fate had willed it otherwise. The men scarcely reached the -compound, when the first thing that met their gaze was the bewildered -Flora, flying unconsciously from the devoted lover who had perilled -his life to save her. - -A stranger to the place, and almost blinded with terror, she was -rushing frantically about to endeavour to find a way out of the grounds -into the city. But her chance had passed. With a diabolical cry of -glee, Jewan rushed forward, followed by Singh. - -Miss Meredith knew that she was pursued, though she was too confused to -tell by whom. She darted away in the direction of some buildings that -seemed to offer her a chance of hiding; but she was deceived. On she -sped again, followed closely by the cowardly ruffians. She knew not -where she was going to, she scarcely cared, so long as she could escape -them. She would have thrown herself into a well, or dashed her brains -out against a wall, if either had been at hand. - -The grounds were extensive, and, to an uninitiated person, little -better than a maze. The farther she went, the more hopelessly confused -she became. Now darting here, now there, until with a wail of pain she -fell upon the grass in a swoon. Nature was merciful, and came to her -relief. - -It might have seemed better had she fallen dead. But, in the mysterious -workings of Providence, it was not so ordained. Her destiny was not -fulfilled--her book of life not yet completed, so that the Angel of -Death could write “Finis” on the last page. She must live to the end, -whatever of sorrow, whatever of agony was in reserve for her. - -“We’ve run the cat down,” said Moghul, as, breathless, he stooped over -the prostrate girl, and lifted her in his strong arms. - -Jewan laughed--laughed joyously, ferociously; he would gladly yield her -up to the King twenty times over, rather than she should escape. In a -few minutes they had placed her in the gharry, which was driven through -a private entrance, and was soon on the other side of the Ganges, and -speeding along the road to Delhi. - -Within a hundred yards of where the unfortunate Flora had fallen, -Walter Gordon slept soundly, and when the sound of the wheels of the -departing vehicle had died out, the silence of the night remained -unbroken. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -AS A BIRD IS ENSNARED. - - -As the sounds of the wheels died away, Jewan Bukht half-regretted -that he had given his consent for Flora to go with Moghul Singh. He -blamed himself now for being so indiscreet as to take her to Delhi in -the first instance; but there was no help for it. He had lost her, -he believed, beyond all hope of recovery; and if he wished to retain -his position, he was bound to acknowledge the supremacy of the King. -He knew that. And so, consoling himself as best he could, he turned -towards the tower, with the intention of rendering some aid to Zeemit -Mehal. - -He found that the old woman had managed to drag herself into the room. -She was terribly shaken, and weakened from loss of blood, but it was -evident that she yet had a good deal of vitality left in her frame. - -“How fares it now?” he asked, as he entered. - -“Better,” she answered. “Strength is returning to me. But what of the -Englishwoman?” she added eagerly. - -Jewan laughed. - -“She is safe. The bird thought to escape me, but her wings were not -strong enough. We brought her down again; and I warrant she will be -caged securely enough now.” - -Mehal groaned with sorrow. - -“What is the matter?” asked Bukht, quickly taking the exclamation as an -expression of sympathy. - -“My wound pains me,” she answered. - -“Or have you sympathy with the Feringhee woman?” asked Bukht, eyeing -the other suspiciously. - -“Sympathy forsooth!--no. Have I not risked my life in your service? Why -then suspect me of sympathy? But after what I have suffered, I regret -that you have lost possession of her.” - -“You do not regret it more than I; but it was the King’s command, and I -could not disobey.” - -“But how did the King know that she was here?” - -“Some meddling fool, I suppose, in Delhi, informed him.” - -“That is bad. You cannot hope to regain her?” - -“No.” - -“Without she was to escape.” - -“Escape! What do you mean?” - -“You are dull. Supposing she were to escape, and you to re-capture her.” - -“But how should she escape.” - -“If bars and bolts were withdrawn, and doors and gates thrown open, why -could she not walk out?” - -“I do not understand you.” - -“Supposing somebody was near her, who would offer her liberty.” - -“But who dare do this in defiance of the King?” - -“I.” - -“You!” - -“Yes.” - -“So, so,” Jewan muttered musingly. “I think I gather your meaning now. -And yet I am not quite clear what you would propose to do, after she -had escaped.” - -“The plan is simple. I go to Delhi. I seek out this woman. I pretend to -be touched with some feeling of pity. I offer to aid her in escaping. -She accepts that offer. She walks out of one trap into another. Once -free from Delhi, she can be re-captured by you, and secretly conveyed -away, so that the King shall no more find her.” - -“I like your plan,” Jewan added, after a pause; “but there is danger in -it.” - -“Danger! How so?” - -“If the King were to get to know that I had had a hand in this, it -would be my ruin.” - -“But how would he get to know? I should not tell him, and the Feringhee -woman could not.” - -“True. If I can depend upon you, the plan might work.” - -“If you can! Why can you not? Have I not proved myself faithful?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then why these suspicions? They are unjust.” - -“Because there is so much danger in the plan that extreme caution is -needed.” - -“I do not blame you for being cautious; but since you have been to so -much trouble, and risked so much to gain this prize, it is worth some -effort to try and retain her.” - -“That is so,” said Jewan, for he saw that the plan was quite possible, -and the chances of once more getting Flora into his power was too -strong a temptation to be resisted. “I think you reason well,” he -continued; “and if you are cautious, we may succeed. At any rate, let -us make the attempt. If you are true to me, I will pay you five hundred -rupees the moment this woman is once more mine; but if you play me -false, your life shall be forfeited.” - -“You need not threaten. I have served you well; I will serve you -better. Get me assistance, so that my hurt may be attended to; and, -when I have regained a little strength, I start for Delhi. Time shall -prove how well I will serve you.” - -This was said significantly, but Jewan failed to catch its meaning. - -The old woman felt that she was leading him into a pitfall, and she -could scarcely restrain the pleasure she experienced. Her love for -Flora was unmistakable, and it was a fact strangely at variance with -the demoniacal-like hatred exhibited by the majority of the natives, -that, during the mutiny, the truest friends to the whites were the -ayahs or nurses. It is certain that many of these women--and there was -one in every house in India, where there were children or ladies--paid -for their fidelity with their lives. - -“You know the reward and the penalty which attaches to your errand,” -Jewan remarked. “Death or riches. I depend upon you, and you shall -go. To-morrow we will confer further on the subject. For the present, -good-night.” - -When he had gone, Mehal gave utterance to a sigh of relief. She had -made up her mind either to save Flora, or die in the attempt. She -had no doubt that if she could but get near Miss Meredith--and this -she knew would not be difficult--some plan of escape might be easily -arranged, and the young Englishwoman could be restored to the arms of -Walter Gordon. As Mehal thought of him, she felt inclined to seek him -at once, and make known her plans. But she must wait until somebody had -attended to her. She had not to wait long. - -Jewan’s first act was to have the mangled corpse of Wanna Ranu -conveyed away, and it was soon floating towards the sea on the bosom -of the Ganges. Then he sought out a native doctor, and despatched -him to render aid to the wounded Mehal. Her wound was dressed, and a -restorative administered; and in a little while she sank into a deep -sleep. - -In the meantime, Walter Gordon, refreshed and strengthened by his long -rest, had awoke, and ventured to look out from his hiding-place. He -knew that many hours had passed since he had entered, and he began to -grow exceedingly anxious about the success of Mehal’s plans. She had -promised, if possible, to bring Flora to him. - -The reader is already aware how that plan had failed; but little did -Walter dream that the woman for whom he would willingly have died to -serve had been near him, and fled away in alarm, as she observed his -disguise. - -It will be remembered that on leaving Meerut he had adopted the garb of -a religious mendicant, and so complete was this disguise that no wonder -Miss Meredith had been deceived. And it had not occurred to Mehal to -tell Flora that her lover would be found dressed as a native. Thus by -an omission, apparently trifling in itself, the troubles of the lovers -had been complicated, and the two were separated probably never to meet -again. - -As morning commenced to break, Zeemit Mehal awoke, considerably -strengthened by the medicine she had taken, and the sleep she had -secured. Her first thoughts were of Walter. She must endeavour to see -him and to arrange some plans for their future guidance. - -With difficulty she arose, for she was very ill, and the loss of blood -had been great. Having assured herself that all was quiet, and that -there was no one stirring, she commenced to descend, and soon gained -the compound. This she quickly crossed, and stood in the shed where -Walter waited, burning with anxiety and suspense almost unbearable. -In the uncertain light, he did not recognise for some moments who his -visitor was; but as soon as he discovered it was Mehal, he sprang -towards her, and in a voice, rendered tremulous by his excessive -anxiety, cried-- - -“What of Miss Meredith--where is she?” - -“Hush!” Mehal answered, clutching his arm and leaning upon him, for she -was terribly weak. - -Then for the first time, Walter noticed the bandage round the old -woman’s head, and that something was the matter. His heart sank within -him, for Mehal’s appearance in such a plight augured a disaster--so he -thought--that might annihilate his hopes. - -“What is the meaning of this?” he asked eagerly, as he led the woman to -the heap of straw. - -“Our plans have miscarried,” she said, as she seated herself with -difficulty, and the pain from her wound caused her to utter an -involuntary groan. - -The strong man staggered as the words were uttered, for it sounded like -the death-knell of Flora. In an instant he remembered the promise he -had made to Mrs. Harper the night before he had left Meerut. “I will -either save Flora, or perish in the attempt.” That promise should be -fulfilled one way or the other. He mentally pledged himself again to -that. - -When he had recovered from the first effects of the startling news, he -said-- - -“But how is it the plans have miscarried? and where is Miss Meredith?” - -“I liberated her. She must have been near you.” - -Gordon uttered a cry of agony, and pressed his hand to his head, as -there flashed through his brain the remembrance of the cry which had -startled him in his sleep, and which he believed to be a delusion, -but he now knew was a reality. He moaned, fairly moaned, with the -unutterable sense of sickness which was at his heart, as he realised -that, by some accident, Flora had been near, without discovering him. - -“Tell me all,” he said, when he was able to speak. - -Mehal related the circumstances of her struggle with Wanna, of Flora’s -descent to the balcony, of her starting off for the shed, and the other -particulars which have already been chronicled. - -“Answer me one question,” Walter gasped, for his breath came so thick -and fast that he could scarcely speak. “Did you tell Miss Meredith of -my disguise?” - -“No; it did not occur to me to do so.” - -“I see it now clear enough,” he continued. “She has been here. The -voice I heard was hers. She did not recognise me in this disguise, and -fled.” - -“I think there can be no doubt that these are the true facts,” Mehal -remarked. “And it must have been on leaving the shed that she was -recaptured.” - -Walter was bowed with grief. He felt that incalculable misery had been -brought upon all by one of the merest chances imaginable. - -Flora might have been saved; but in the very moment of her extremest -peril he had been sleeping; and to that circumstance was due the -fact that she was again lost to him. It was a terrible reflection. -But useless wailings could avail nothing; action--prompt action--was -required. - -“Zeemit,” he cried, “at all hazards I will follow Miss Meredith. To -rescue her is the mission of my life. I must accomplish it or perish!” - -“Were you to follow her, you would most certainly perish. It would be -a useless sacrifice of your life, and you would not be able to render -her the slightest aid. At a time like this, when the power of your -countrymen is set at defiance, and anarchy prevails, stratagem only can -succeed. To that we must resort!” - -“But what do you propose?” he exclaimed, interrupting her in his -eagerness. - -“I propose to follow her myself. I, and I alone, can save her now.” - -“But what shall I do?” he asked, scarcely able to restrain his -impatience. - -“You must remain quiet. I go to Delhi ostensibly on Jewan Bukht’s -behalf. I have told him that I shall endeavour to liberate Miss -Meredith, so that she may again fall into his hands. Your presence -would endanger my plans, and you would run the risk of being detected. -Make your way to the English defences in this town. I will find means -of communicating with you in a few days; and, should I succeed in -setting the lady free, we will instantly proceed to Meerut, where you -can rejoin us, or we will come on here.” - -“I am in your hands, Mehal; I will be guided by you. But remember, if I -do not hear from you in about a week I shall endeavour to make my way -to Delhi, whatever the consequences may be. To remain inactive when her -honour and safety are imperilled, would be a living death. Therefore I -will face any danger, so that I can feel that I am doing something in -her behalf.” - -“You can best aid her by doing what I suggest. On reaching Delhi, if I -find it practicable to set her free, I will return here immediately to -let you know; the rest must depend upon circumstances. Jewan will be -able to get me a conveyance back to Delhi, so that I will soon be with -Miss Meredith once again. I cannot remain longer with you, for if Jewan -should miss me all our plans would be frustrated, and he would kill me.” - -Walter saw the necessity of strictly complying with the old woman’s -wishes. He recognised that in her rested every hope of future -happiness. It was a slender reed, but the only one upon which he could -lean. - -Mehal gave him some hurried directions as to the road to take to reach -the English quarters, and then hastened away; and he was left standing -alone, as the rising sun was commencing to throw down his fiery beams. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER. - - -As Walter Gordon and Zeemit Mehal arranged their plans, and then -separated in the hope of speedily meeting again, they little dreamt -of the mine upon which they stood. The woman was as ignorant of the -true state of Cawnpore as Walter himself. She had no idea that all was -ready for the revolt, and that in a few hours all the horrors of the -mutiny would be visited upon the devoted heads of the little handful of -English in the city. But the ways of Providence are mysterious. From a -human point of view, all things might have been ordered differently; -but it was ordained otherwise--ordained for some special purpose that -the cups of sorrow of some of the people in the city was to be filled -to overflowing ere relief came; and to this Walter Gordon was to be -no exception. When Zeemit had disappeared, he left the shed which had -for the time given him shelter and security, and with heavy heart he -set his face towards the British quarters. He had little difficulty -in finding his way on to the high road. And though he was frequently -accosted by the passing natives, he made motions to all that he was -dumb; he was thus enabled to pass on unmolested; but as he went, he -gathered scraps of information, which left him no doubt that the -troops were on the eve of rising. - -When he reached the outlying sentries of the British defences, he was -stopped; but he speedily made known his nationality to the man who -challenged him, and was allowed to pass on. - -He lost no time in seeking out Sir Hugh Wheeler, and soon related his -story to the General, who was no less pained than he was astonished. - -“I think the old woman has counselled you well,” Sir Hugh remarked -as Walter finished. “You could not hope to bring this English lady -out of Delhi yourself, and Mehal may succeed. At any rate, it is your -only chance. Last night a wounded officer and a native woman, who have -escaped from the Imperial City, were brought in here. The officer, who -is from Meerut, had been shot within a mile or two of this place.” - -“Indeed!” exclaimed Gordon, in astonishment, as the idea occurred to -him that the English officer from Meerut could be no other than his -friend Harper. “Do you know the officer’s name?” - -“Harper, I believe; a lieutenant in the Queen’s ---- regiment.” - -“This is strange, indeed. The lieutenant is an old friend of mine, and -with your permission I will see him immediately.” - -“Do so by all means. I had an interview with him this morning, and -though he is very ill, he was enabled to inform me that he had been -sent to Delhi on special service, that he had there been made a -prisoner, but effected his escape through the assistance rendered him -by a Cashmere lady, who is here with him. I am anxious that he should -be forwarded on to his regiment at Meerut without loss of time; but the -doctor says it would be dangerous to move him for some days.” - -In a few minutes Walter Gordon stood by the bedside of his friend -Harper, who had fallen into a troubled sleep. At the head was seated -the faithful Haidee, and she was applying iced water to the forehead of -the patient. - -Gordon soon made himself known to her, and she briefly told him the -history of his friend since they had parted--a space of time brief -enough in itself, but filled with suffering and sorrow for them all. - -Harper was deathly pale, his eyes were sunken; he had been severely -wounded. The ball had entered the left breast, glanced along one of -the ribs, narrowly escaping the heart, and ultimately lodged beneath -the shoulder-blade. No vital organ had been touched; but there was -considerable inflammation, and the doctors were not without anxiety for -the condition of their patient. They had not yet extracted the ball, -owing to his weakened state. - -Haidee watched every change of countenance, noted every beat of his -pulse, for she scarcely ever moved her fingers from his wrist. It was -certain that, if loving care could save him, his life would not be -sacrificed. - -Gordon was anxious to know who Haidee was; but he did not like to -question her, and she did not volunteer the information. He was afraid -to think evil of his friend, and yet he was at a loss to account for -Haidee’s presence. - -Presently Harper turned uneasily on the bed, then he opened his eyes -and stared at Gordon, who put out his hand to shake that of his friend. -But Harper only stared--there was no recognition--the light of reason -was for a time out of his eyes, and he was delirious. - -The little band of defenders were now thrown into commotion by the -arrival of a messenger who brought word that the rising had commenced, -that the gaol had been thrown open, and the treasury was being sacked. - -The news was too true. The hour of the Nana’s triumph had arrived. He -had given the word, and his followers at the Newab-gung had broken -open the gaol and set the prisoners free. Then they cleared out the -magazine, and a wealth of heavy artillery and ammunition fell into -their hands. - -The spoil from the treasury was heaped upon elephants and carts, and -the infuriated soldiery, feeling themselves unfettered at last, cried-- - -“Forward to the Imperial City!” - -They, like the Meerut mutineers, expected great things from the -restored sovereignty; upon the restoration of the Mogul throne they -placed all their hopes. - -But this was not the case with Nana Sahib, nor the wily Azimoolah. -The centralisation of the rebellion was to place the power in one -pair of hands. The Nana craved for power, and he had no intention of -recognising the authority of the King, to whom he would have to be -subordinate. That, however, formed no part of his programme. But, for -a time, the Sepoy leaders declared their intention of going to Delhi, -and they made one short march on the road as far as a place called -Kullianpore. Here, with all their elephants ladened with the English -treasure, their artillery, and heaps of ammunition, they halted. The -Nana had accompanied them thus far. He knew that by humouring their -first impulse he might bend them to his will. His craft and cunning -were truly remarkable. - -“Comrades,” he cried, as he commenced to harangue them, “we make common -cause. And I ask you, would you be slaves? If you go to Delhi your -necks must bear the King’s yoke. Remember all that I have done--all -that I have sacrificed to give you liberty. From these English I drew -wealth, but I have forfeited all in order that you may be free. Why -should you go to the Imperial City? If you concentrate yourselves at -any given point, it is certain that the Feringhees will mass their -forces against that point and crush you. It is by spreading ourselves -over a large area that our hopes of success lie. The British have not -troops enough to attack all our strongholds. Again I say, what can -Delhi offer you more than I can? Have we not a fair city here? - -“The power of the English in Europe is declining; they are weak in -India; the vast breadth of country over which the faithful followers -of the Prophet are asserting their independence is stripped of troops. -What then have we to fear? Remain here and recognise my rule. Restore -the Peishwahship, and I promise you wealth, freedom, honour and glory.” - -The voice of the charmer prevailed. The leaders wavered in their -determination. They conferred one with another, then up they spoke, -almost as one man, and answered the Nana Sahib-- - -“We go back--we devote our lives to your service--we will do your -bidding.” - -The Mahratta smiled. He saw that the game was in his own hands, and -that his ambition and malice might be gratified at one blow. Here were -four disciplined native regiments--together with his Bhitoor retainers, -who numbered alone nearly one thousand, and were all trained soldiers, -some hundreds of guns, heaps of ammunition, and abundance of treasure. -With such a force, what might he not do? - -His familiar demon, Azimoolah, rubbed his hands with ferocious joy as -he heard the answer of the men. Formerly a common servant in the house -of an Englishman, Azimoolah had been raised to position by the Nana, to -whom he had ever been a ready tool and a cringing slave. He had gone -to England to plead his worthless master’s cause; he had made love to -English ladies; he had been _fêted_ and lionised by the hospitable -English, who loaded him with favours and presents. But he returned -to his country with a deadly hatred in his heart for those who had -befriended him. - -In addition to this astute Mahomedan and cunning devil, the Nana had in -his company Tantia Topee, who had been his playfellow in former days, -and was now his counsellor and guide. - -There were also Bala Rao and Baba Bhut, his brothers; the Rao Sahib, -his nephew, and Teeka Singh--a combination of cowardly and pitiless -villains. - -And so the elephants’ and horses’ heads were turned round again, the -artillery trains were got in motion, and at the head of his powerful -army the Nana Sahib--the ruthless Tiger of Cawnpore--marched back -to the city. He felt that he was supreme master of the situation. He -knew that opposed to him were a little handful of English only, that -he could crush--or, at least, he believed so; but he did not consider -the hearts of steel that beat in the breasts of those few British, who -would have conquered even his legions of black demons if they had not -been made the victims of a cruel plot. - -With swelling pride the Nana rode into the town, his long lines of -troops in the rear, his guns lumbering over the dusty roads, and -singing a “song of death” with their trundling wheels. He dubbed -his army at once the “Army of the Peishwah,” and commenced to make -promotions, Teeka Singh being placed in command of the cavalry, with -the rank of general. Azimoolah was war secretary and counsellor, and -Tantia Topee became keeper of the treasure. - -When this first business had been arranged to their own satisfaction, -the army sat down close to the British defences. Long a subject of the -English, Nana Sahib now felt that he was their master; and a pitiless, -grinding, exacting, awful master he was to prove. - -As he viewed the paltry fortifications which had been thrown up by -General Wheeler, and then let his eyes wander to his own heavy guns, he -smiled a grim smile of satisfaction. - -“What think you of our chances of success, Azimoolah?” - -“I have been examining the place through my telescope for the last -half-hour,” answered Azimoolah. “I have some difficulty in discovering -their works, even now. But I think that after two hours’ battering with -our guns, I shall need a microscope to find them.” - -“Sarcastic, as usual, Azi. But don’t you think that we had better let -these miserable people go?” - -“Go--go where?” cried the crafty knave, turning upon his master -suddenly. - -“Escape,” the Nana answered pointedly. - -“Escape?” echoed the other, in astonishment. “Surely your Highness will -not signal the commencement of your reign by an act of namby-pamby -weakness. Escape, forsooth! Turn every gun you’ve got upon them, and -blow them to that hell they are so fond of preaching about!” - -“You do not gather my meaning, Azi,” the Nana replied, as he viewed the -defences through a jewelled opera-glass. “I meant, let them escape from -one trap, to fall into another. We could have them cut to pieces when -they had got some miles from Cawnpore, and _we_ should escape blame.” - -“Oh, oh, your Highness--pardon my hastiness. You are an able prince. -I could not imagine that you were going to spoil your nature by any -stupid, sentimental notions; still, I do not approve of your Highness’s -scheme. We should miss too much sport. And why need we concern -ourselves about the blame? Let us commence the fun without further -delay.” - -The Nana laughed heartily, as he replied-- - -“You are somewhat hasty, my friend. Impetuosity is not good. There is -refinement in killing, as in all other things. The _acmé_ of torture -is suspense. We will torture these British people, Azi. I shall -send, however, a message to Wheeler, that I am going to attack his -entrenchments.” - -“But why should your Highness even take this trouble?” - -“Because we will so far recognise the usages of war as to announce our -intention to commence the siege.” - -In accordance with this determination, a messenger was despatched to -the aged General, who did everything that man could do to make the best -of his position. Darkness had fallen. It gave the brave hearts behind -those mud walls a short respite, but with the return of light the -booming of a gun told that the enemy had commenced operations. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -THE LION HEARTS. - - -With the booming of that gun, as the terrible day dawned on Cawnpore, -there commenced a siege that, for horror and misery, has never been -exceeded in the history of the world. - -It was the month of June. The heat was terrific. The cloudless sky was -like a canopy of fire. What little wind there was came like the blast -from a glowing furnace. The tubes of the guns grew so hot in the sun’s -rays that it was impossible to touch them with the hand. Behind the -entrenchments were a heroic band of men--a mere handful--and with them -nearly two hundred women and children. - -It was for the sake of these dear ones that every man braced himself up -to fight against those fearful odds, until he fell dead at his post. -Not a craven heart beat in any breast there. Every person knew that the -case was hopeless--that to hold out was but to prolong the agony. But -“surrender” was a word no one would breathe. - -For days and days went on the awful siege. The defenders, weary, -overworked and starving, laboured, with the might of giants, in the -trenches. The clothes rotted from their backs, and the grime from -the guns caked hard and black upon their faces and hands. But, with -dauntless courage, they served the guns, and this always under a -tremendous fire, from which they were barely screened. - -Where all were heroes, comparisons would be invidious indeed, and yet -there were some whose names are indelibly written upon the scroll of -fame, for the conspicuous manner in which they displayed their heroism. - -Captain Moore was one of these. He was wounded at the very commencement -of the siege--his arm was broken. But it could not break his spirit! He -went about with the fractured limb in a sling. No toil seemed to weary -him--no danger could daunt him. Day and night he laboured; encouraging -the women, cheering the children. Now serving a gun--now heading a -desperate sortie against the enemy. As a companion with him was Captain -Jenkins of the 2nd Cavalry. He held the outposts beyond the trenches. -Over and over again did the enemy try to dislodge him, but failed each -time. At length a treacherous Sepoy, who had been feigning death, -raised his gun and fired. The jawbone of the brave Jenkins was smashed, -and he died an agonising death. - -One day a red-hot shot from the enemy’s battery blew up a tumbrel -and set fire to the woodwork of the carriage. A large quantity -of ammunition was stored close by. If this caught fire the whole -place, and every soul in it, would meet with instant destruction. It -seemed as if nothing but a miracle could save them, for there was no -water--nothing to extinguish the flames. But the miracle suddenly -appeared in the person of a young hero; his name was Delafosse. A -deadly stream of eighteen-pound shot was poured upon the spot by the -besiegers, but, unmoved by this, Delafosse flung himself upon the -ground beneath the blazing wood, which he tore off with his hands, and -then stifled out the fire with dry earth. Such a cheer rose from the -throats of the British at this heroic deed, that it must have sent -terror to the hearts of the cruel and cowardly enemy. - -Then upon a projection of the barrack wall there was perched young -Stirling, known as the “dead-shot,” from his unerring aim. Day after -day he sat on his perch and picked off single Sepoys. And the list -would be incomplete without mention of the brave Scotchman, Jervis; he -was an engineer. He was out in the open compound one day, and with the -indomitable pride of race, refused to run from a black fellow, so he -fell shot through the heart. - -If midst our tears we sing a pæan in honour of these hero-martyrs, the -wives and daughters of the fighting men of Cawnpore must go down to -posterity as an example of all that women should be--noble, patient, -uncomplaining. - -Poets have sung how the women of old turned their hair into -bow-strings, that their men might fight the enemy. Those Cawnpore women -would have done the same, if it had been needed. And they did do an -equivalent. When the canister could not be rammed home, owing to the -damage done to the guns by the enemy’s fire, these noble women took off -their stockings. These were filled with the contents of the shot-cases, -and it is probably the only time that such cartridges were used. - -The days lengthened into weeks, but still these lion hearts could not -be quelled. Sadly reduced were their ranks by death; for what the -enemy’s fire failed to do, privations and sickness completed. - -One of the greatest wants felt was that of water. The small quantity in -store when the siege began was soon exhausted, and the only supply to -be obtained was from a small well that stood in the open compound. The -cruel enemy knew this, and they kept guns pointed, and special marksmen -for that particular spot. To go for water was to go to almost certain -death. And yet every morning men were found who volunteered for the -awful work, until around the well there grew up a pile of dead, where -they were obliged to be left, for there was nowhere to bury them. - -At last came one of the heaviest blows that had fallen upon the -garrison. The barrack with the thatched roof was burnt down; it had -enjoyed an immunity from this long-expected disaster, but the fatal -shot came one day that set it on fire. How the fiendish hearts of the -coward mutineers beat with joy as they saw the flames leap into the -air! It was a terrible disaster for the noble defenders, as many of the -women and children had to lie upon the bare ground without any shelter -from the dews by night or the sun by day. - -Matters had grown desperate enough now. The food was all but done; -the well was all but dry. The air was poisoned by the unburied dead. -Sickness and disease were hourly thinning the number of the wretched -people; and yet there was not a man there, not a woman, nay, not even a -child, who would have consented to dishonourable surrender. - -During the progress of the siege, there was one who was not able -to render much, if any, assistance. This was Lieutenant Harper, who -recovered but slowly from the effects of his wound; the want of -proper nourishment and other necessaries retarded his progress to -convalescence. Haidee watched over him, nursed him with untiring care, -and gradually brought him from the very brink of the grave. When he -gained strength, he felt that the time had come to render what poor -assistance he could. How best could that be done? was a question he -put to Haidee and Gordon, who had been amongst the most prominent -defenders. After some reflection Haidee answered-- - -“If you could reach the outside world, and procure succour, we might -all be saved.” - -It was an unselfish suggestion. She knew that it was a forlorn hope; -but it held out a faint hope for the little garrison. Harper jumped at -it. It was desperate service indeed. To safely get beyond the lines -of the investing army seemed almost out of the region of possibility; -but there was yet a chance, however small, and if he could but reach -Meerut, help might be procured, and the little remnant of the brave -defenders saved. - -It was agreed unanimously that he should go, and a dark night favoured -his departure. Walter Gordon would readily have gone, but he felt that -his strength could be utilised to better advantage in helping the -besieged. He had suffered agonies of mind as he thought of what the -fate of Flora Meredith might be. He hoped and prayed in his own mind -that a merciful death had long since ended her sufferings. - -The hour came for Harper to depart; it was a solemn moment. Each felt -that as they grasped hands. - -“Walter,” said Harper, “the last time we parted was at the very -commencement of this horrible mutiny. I little thought then that we -should meet again; but we part now, and the chances of our seeing each -other any more on this earth are remote indeed. Though, if I should -survive, and can render aid to Flora Meredith, if she lives, it shall -be done. But before I go, I exact a solemn promise from you, that while -life is in your body you will protect Haidee, and if you should both -manage to escape, you will never lose sight of her.” - -“I give the promise, old fellow. God bless you,” was Walter’s answer, -in a voice that was choked with emotion. - -Harper turned from his friend to bid farewell to Haidee. How can that -parting be described? There was no passionate wailing--no useless -tears. She was a true woman, and however powerful her love might be, -she knew that it was a duty to sacrifice all personal feelings where -so many lives were at stake. She hung around his neck for a few brief -moments; she pressed a kiss of pure love upon his lips, and then -released him. In both their hearts there was that nameless feeling of -ineffable sorrow that has no interpretation. - -“Light of my eyes, joy of my soul, go,” she said. “Into the dust Haidee -will bow her head, for happiness can never more be hers.” One more -pressure of the hand, one more meeting of the lips, and Harper crouched -down, and was making his way across the compound. - -It was midnight, and the night was dark. The enemy’s fire had almost -ceased; and as the crouching form disappeared, many were the fervent -prayers uttered on Harper’s behalf, that he would succeed in his -mission. - -The morning came, and then the night again, and the next morning, -and so on for several mornings, the defenders holding out bravely. -Meanwhile the Nana Sahib was chafing with rage. He had not counted -upon such a stubborn resistance. The indomitable pluck of these -English was something that passed his comprehension. It irritated him -beyond measure. The city over which he wished to rule was in a state -of turmoil through it. His army was being shattered. Some of his best -Sepoy officers had been killed by the fire from the defences; and, to -make matters worse, cholera had broken out amongst the troops, and -raged violently. Driven to desperation, he held counsel with his staff. - -“What can we do to subdue this people?” he asked of Azimoolah. - -“Nothing to subdue them,” was the answer. And for the first time in his -life, perhaps, Azimoolah spoke the truth. - -“What shall we do to crush them, then?” the Nana went on; “I would -hack them to mince-meat, if I could get near enough, but that seems -impossible.” - -“Scarcely so impossible as your Highness seems to imagine,” made answer -Azimoolah, as his face glowed with the inhuman cruelty that stirred his -heart. - -“How shall we reach them?” was the angry question of his master. - -“By stratagem.” - -“Ah, that is good! But how?” - -“These people are reduced to extremity. They have many women and -children with them; for their sakes they will be glad to accept terms. -Let us proclaim a truce, and offer, as a condition of their laying down -their arms, to convey them by water to Allahabad.” - -The Nana laughed as he observed-- - -“You are an excellent counsellor, Azi, and I like your scheme; but -having got them out, what then?” - -He asked this question with a great deal of significance; for although -a diabolical thought was shaping itself in his brain, his recreant -heart dare not give it words. And so he waited for his tool to make the -suggestion. - -“Having got them out, I think the rest is easy, your Highness.” - -“Well, well,” the other cried, impatiently, as Azimoolah seemed to -dwell too long upon his words. - -“We will provide them with carriage down to the river. There we will -have a fleet of large, thatched-roof boats. On board of these boats the -English people, who have given you so much trouble, shall embark.” - -“Well, go on--I follow,” said the Nana, as Azimoolah paused again. -“Having got them on board, what then?” - -“We will slaughter them, your Highness--man, woman, and child. Not one -shall live to tell the tale. On each side of the river we will have -heavy guns posted, and our troops shall line the banks. A mouse would -not be able to escape.” - -“Good! I leave all to you,” was the Nana’s only answer. But his tone of -voice betrayed the joy he felt. - -Azimoolah retired to his tent, and, calling for writing materials and -pen, with his own hand he wrote the following missive in English:-- - -“_To the subjects of Her Majesty Queen Victoria: All those who are in -no way connected with the acts of Lord Dalhousie, and are willing to -lay down their arms, shall receive a safe passage to Allahabad._” - -The next morning an armistice was proclaimed, and Azimoolah, -accompanied by two Sepoys, presented himself before the entrenchments. - -This temporary cessation of hostilities was a great relief to the -starving and worn-out garrison. They were prepared to listen to any -terms that did not propose dishonourable surrender. General Wheeler -called up two captains and the postmaster, and gave them full powers to -go out and treat with the emissaries of the Nana. - -Azimoolah proposed surrender, without the customary honours of war. -But this the officers would not entertain for a single instant, and -demanded that the British should march out with their arms and sixty -rounds of ammunition in the pouch of every man. The Nana was to afford -them safe escort to the river, provide carriages for the women and -children, and provisions of flour, sheep, and goats for the voyage to -Allahabad. - -These proposals were written on a sheet of paper and given to -Azimoolah, who returned to his lines; while the officers went back to -their entrenchments. - -As they made known the terms they had submitted, there was rejoicing -in the little garrison. The women cheered up as they thought that an -end was coming to their sufferings and sorrow. - -So it was; but a different end to what they contemplated. It had been -an awful time during the siege. Human comprehension can scarcely -realise the full measure of the suffering endured by the devoted band. -It possibly stands without a parallel in the world’s horrors begotten -by war. - -For some hours the people waited in anxious suspense; their hearts beat -high, and the wan cheeks flushed as the sounds of a bugle fell upon -their ears. - -A horseman had arrived from the rebel camp, and brought word that the -terms had been agreed to, and the garrison was to remove that night. -But General Wheeler flatly refused to do this, saying that he could not -get his people ready until morning. - -“Let it be so,” said the Nana, when the message was brought; “we can -afford to give them a few hours.” - -In the rebel camp there was great rejoicing; quantities of drink were -consumed; and there was gambling and singing throughout the long dark -hours. - -In the entrenchments there was peace; silence reigned, broken -occasionally by the audible prayer from some grateful heart as it -uttered its thanks to the Christian’s God for the relief He had brought -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -AS WITH AN ENCHANTER’S WAND. - - -During the terrible night--a night full of hope for the starving, -miserable people in the Cawnpore entrenchments--the little garrison -were busy making preparation for their departure on the morrow. -That is, such preparations as they could make, which, for the most -part, consisted of gathering together the trifling remnants of their -treasures. Here, a treasured portrait was carefully stowed away; there, -a lock of hair cut by loving hands from the head of some dear one, -whose earthly troubles were ended, was wrapped up and placed between -the leaves of a well-worn Bible, so that it might serve in future time -as a sorrowful memento of that awful siege. - -Through those dreary hours of darkness there was one who sat apart from -his companions; he was weary and jaded, but sleep refused to visit -him. This was Walter Gordon. As he sat there, with his head bowed on -his hands, it would have been almost impossible to have detected the -European in the guise of the native, for he still wore the costume in -which he had left Meerut. And the disguise was rendered more perfect by -long exposure of the sun, and by smoke and grime from the powder which -seemed to have literally been burnt into the skin. - -An unutterable grief appeared to be pressing him down; for his thoughts -wandered to one whom he dare not hope could be alive and well. The plan -arranged by Zeemit Mehal for Miss Meredith’s rescue had, so far as he -was able to judge, resulted in nothing, because however successful she -might have been, the investing enemy had prevented any news reaching -him from the outside world; and even if Zeemit had been able to get -Flora free from Delhi, he knew that, without assistance, speedy -recapture must result. - -During the long weeks that he had been shut up in the entrenchments, -the excitement of the siege had prevented his thoughts from dwelling -too closely upon his troubles. But now that that excitement was over, -and the reaction set in, he felt an anguish of mind and body that -almost threatened to upset his reason. The promise of the coming -release gave him no pleasurable feeling. His business was ruined; the -fate of the woman who was to have been his wife unknown; nearly all his -friends killed; and he, lonely and broken-hearted, a wreck compared to -what he was a few bright happy weeks ago. As the memory of that night -in Meerut, when Flora Meredith had warned him of the coming danger, -rose up before him, he felt that it would be a relief if any one of the -enemy’s shot would but come and cut his thread of life. He had allowed -her warning to pass unheeded; nay, had absolutely laughed it to scorn, -as the emanation of one who was morbid and out of sorts. He might have -saved her then, have saved his possessions, and all belonging to him -and her. But he remained inactive. He allowed the precious moments to -glide by, until the storm burst in all its fury, and escape from its -consequences was impossible. - -He gave up all thoughts of ever seeing his friend Harper again. It was -true that sufficient time had not elapsed for the succour to arrive, -even if he had managed to live through the thousand dangers he would -have to face. But it was such a forlorn hope, that Gordon felt it was -a fallacy to cherish any expectation of again seeing him. Life, as -viewed through the medium which then presented itself, seemed to have -practically ended for him. If he reached Allahabad, it would be but -as a storm-tossed waif, thrown up, as it were, by a raging sea that -had washed away all that was dear and precious, leaving him lonely and -broken-hearted, to curse the unlucky chance that had saved him. - -These were his melancholy reflections. After all he had endured, it was -scarcely matter for wonder that they should be gloomy and tinged with -morbidness. - -There are moments sometimes in a person’s existence when life seems -full of nameless horrors--when death is viewed in the light of a loving -friend who brings peace and rest. - -Such a moment as this was Walter’s experience. His cup of sorrow -was full; it was overflowing, but then, when the tide has reached -its highest flood, it commences to recede. Night was nearly passed. -The fairy-like glamour which precedes the coming dawn, especially -in India, was over the land. It was like a flush on the face of -nature--surrounding objects were commencing to assert their presence. -The outlines of trees and buildings could be faintly discerned, -standing out against the roseate-flushed sky. - -With the departing darkness and coming light, a faint glimmer of hope -appeared upon the path of Walter Gordon; he began to think that things -might not be so bad after all; and then his senses were suddenly -and unexpectedly soothed by the melody of a bird. For weeks the roar -of the guns had scared all the feathered songsters away; but the -cessation of the din for the last twenty-four hours had induced a -stray bul-bul--that gem of the Indian feather tribe--to alight on the -branches of a blackened and shot-shattered tree which stood some little -distance away. - -Perhaps the tiny singer had wandered from its tribe, and, missing the -rich foliage which the storm of fire had destroyed over an extensive -area, it was uttering a lament; for there was ruin, desolation, and -decaying mortality around--the work of man’s hand; and the song of the -bird might have been a song of sorrow. Who can tell? But as it sat -there a mere speck on the leafless and blackened tree, and trilled its -beautiful and mellow notes that sounded clear and soft on the still -morning air, the soul of Walter Gordon was touched. - -The wand of the enchanter, in the shape of the piping bul-bul, had -changed the scene. From the fierce glare and the strife-torn land of -India, he was suddenly transported to his native shores. He saw the -peaceful valleys of smiling England--he heard the clanking of the -wheels of industry as they brought bread to toiling millions, and sent -forth their produce to all the corners of the earth. He saw the happy -homes where the laughter of merry children made light the hearts of -their parents. He saw that land with all its beauty--a land free from -the deadly strife of contending armies; and, as the vision passed -before him, hope sprang up again strong and bright with the dawning -day. The little bul-bul’s notes had been to him like a draught of an -elixir that can banish the sickness of the heart, and lift up the -human soul from darkness into light. - -The bird’s notes ceased, but another sound fell upon his ear. It was -a long-drawn sigh of a woman. It was Haidee. She had been sleeping on -a sheepskin some few yards away from where Gordon was sitting. As he -turned his eyes to where her form reposed, he remembered the promise he -had made to Harper with reference to this woman. During the few days -that had elapsed since his friend’s departure, he had tended to Haidee -with the loving solicitude of a brother. He had told her of all his -troubles, and how by a most singular chance Flora had been separated -from him again, and conveyed back to Delhi. - -And he felt now, as he turned to Haidee, that for his friend’s sake--a -friend he looked upon as dead--it was his sacred duty to protect her -until he could place her out of the reach of danger. - -He knew but little about her, for Harper had volunteered no information -beyond the fact that she was from the King’s Palace, and to her he owed -his life. It was sufficient for him to know that this was the case--to -feel for her in Harper’s behalf all the anxiety and tenderness which -was due to her sex. - -He had speedily discovered that she was possessed of a true woman’s -nature, and that she entertained a strong love for his friend. But he -looked upon it purely as a Platonic feeling, for he had too much faith -in Harper’s integrity to think that he would have encouraged any other. - -“You have slept soundly, Haidee,” he remarked, as he observed that she -opened her eyes. - -“I have had a dreamful sleep,” she made answer, as she sat up, and -pushed back her beautiful hair, tarnished somewhat, and tangled with -smoke and dust, but beautiful still. Her face, too, was a little worn, -and a look of anxious care sat upon it; but the shocks and jars of the -last few weeks had affected her much less than it had her companions in -sorrow. - -“I trust that at least they have been pleasant dreams,” Gordon -answered, as he shook Haidee’s hand; for she had risen and moved to -where he was sitting. - -“Alas, no! I dreamt that your friend Harper was lying cold and -dead--that he had died for the want of help and care, and I was not -there to administer comfort to him.” - -“But you know, Haidee, we say that dreams always go by the contrary,” -Gordon answered, trying to force a smile; but it was but a melancholy -attempt, for he knew that his words belied the thoughts of his heart. - -“Perhaps so,” she said, sighing heavily. “Fortune has favoured him so -far that she might still continue to smile upon him. But then he was -weak from his illness, and the risks he would have to run before he -could get clear of this city were numerous and great.” - -“True; but we will not despair. We have all stood in deadly peril, -and yet we live; and this dawning day brings us relief from our -tribulation.” - -“I am not so sure of that,” she answered, hurriedly. - -“What do you mean, Haidee? Has not the Nana promised us safe escort to -Allahabad?” - -“He has promised--yes.” - -“Your words have a ring of doubt in them, as though you had no faith in -the Nana’s promise.” - -“I have no faith. I fear treachery.” - -“Your fear is surely a groundless one, then. The capitulation has been -put into black and white; and however bad the Nana Sahib may be, he is -bound to recognise those usages of war common to every civilisation.” - -“I tell you I have strange forebodings of evil. I believe the man’s -nature to be cruel enough for anything.” - -“Hush! Haidee! Do not let your words reach the ears of our -fellow-sufferers, or they will only cause unnecessary alarm.” - -“I have no desire to be a prophet of evil, but I believe it would have -been better to have held out until every ounce of powder had gone -rather than have trusted to the mercy of the Nana Sahib. However, your -people shall go, and as they depart I will waft my good wishes after -them.” - -“Waft your good wishes after them! Really, Haidee, you are talking -strangely, and as if you did not intend to go.” - -“I do not intend to go.” - -“Why?” he asked, quite unable to conceal his astonishment. - -“Because for me to go would be to go to certain death. Even if I -escaped recognition by the Nana--which would be almost impossible, for -he knows me well, having often seen me at the Palace--my nationality -would condemn me; there would scarcely be a native whose arm would not -be raised to strike me down.” - -“But the protection which Nana Sahib is bound to afford to us, in -accordance with the terms of treaty, must likewise be extended to you.” - -“I tell you, you do not know these men. In my case they would be bound -by no terms. They would say that I had been treacherous to the King, -and, not being a British subject, my life was forfeited. Not that I -fear death. But for the sake of him who is dearer far to me than life, -I must try and live, that I may serve his friends--if that is possible.” - -“But do you know, Haidee, that he placed you in my care; and if I allow -you to remain behind, I shall be guilty of breaking the promise I made -to him, that I would never lose sight of you as long as I lived.” - -“My mind is made up, Mr. Gordon; I shall remain behind.” - -“Then, at all hazards, I remain too.” - -“I am glad of that.” - -“But what do you propose doing?” - -“Returning to Delhi.” - -“Returning to Delhi?” - -“Yes. You told me that the lady who was to be your wife had been -conveyed back to that city.” - -“I did.” - -“Then what I have done once I may be able to do again.” - -Gordon’s heart quickened its beating. Haidee’s word opened out new -prospects that he had not before thought of. At any rate, however -slender might be the reed, he clutched at it with desperate energy. -What might not a determined woman and a man actuated by love -accomplish? Still, whatever her scheme might be, it was as yet to him -misty and undefined. - -“My plan is this,” she continued, after a pause. “We must conceal -ourselves somewhere about the entrenchments until night falls again. -The disguise which has served you in such good stead so far will serve -you still further, if you are discreet, and do not use your voice. -Under cover of the darkness we can escape from this place, and retrace -our steps to Delhi. I do not think we shall experience any difficulty -in gaining entrance to the city. Once there, I have plenty of friends -who will give us aid and shelter so long as they do not penetrate your -disguise. We shall soon be able to learn news of Miss Meredith and -Zeemit Mehal, and if we cannot render them assistance at once, we can -wait near them, until an opportunity occurs.” - -“I like your plan,” Gordon answered, thoughtfully. “It seems to me to -be full of promise. At any rate, if the scheme appeared more chimerical -than it really does, I should be inclined to follow it out, so long -as there was even a shadowy chance of succeeding in my mission. I owe -my presence here to a strange chance. Once released, and I am free to -follow her who has been so cruelly separated from me. In your hands, -then, I place myself, Haidee. And I am sure, for the sake of our mutual -friend, whether he be living or dead, that you will do all that a brave -and noble woman can do.” - -“Living or dead,” she sighed, as if his words had sunk deep into her -soul. “Yes, living or dead, I devote my life to serving him, or those -belonging to him.” - -“Our faiths may differ, Haidee,” Gordon answered; “but rest assured -there is an Almighty Power that will bless your efforts and reward your -devotion.” - -She turned her large, truthful eyes full upon the speaker, and replied -in a low tone-- - -“Yes, the Christian’s God is good, and some day I will seek to know -more about Him.” - -It soon spread through the little garrison that Gordon and Haidee -had determined to remain behind. No opposition was offered to this -determination. They both were free agents, and at liberty to act upon -their own responsibility; but not a few of the people looked upon it as -a foolhardy step, and thought that they were running unnecessary risk. - -As the sun sprang up in the heavens--for in the Indian climate it -may truly be said to spring up--the sounds of a bugle broke upon the -morning air; it was the signal for the sentries to come in, and for -the garrison to arouse. The sounds of that bugle revivified the hopes -that had all but died in the poor crushed hearts. As the weary people -gathered themselves together, those notes were like the kindly voice -of a friend calling them to rest, and telling them that their trials -were over. Alas! they little dreamt that it sounded their death-knell. -If some pitying angel had but whispered to them never to stir beyond -the mud walls of their defences, what soul-wrung anguish they might -have been spared; but it is written that man shall suffer. The doom of -those poor creatures was not yet fulfilled, and they must go forth. -Again the bugle sounded; this time for the march. Then the barriers -were withdrawn, and forth from the defences they had so heroically held -went the people. A tattered and torn British ensign, nailed to a bamboo -staff, was carried at the head of the procession. The black demons, -who swarmed around in thousands, might insult that flag, they might -spit upon it, trample it into the dust, but they could never quell the -dauntless courage of the lion hearts who owned its sway. The ragged -flag flaunted proudly in the breeze, and the ragged crew, each of their -pouches filled with sixty rounds of ammunition, and bearing on their -shoulders their guns with fixed bayonets that flashed in the sunlight, -straggled on. Haidee and Gordon had concealed themselves in an -outbuilding--it was simply a heap of ruined brickwork, for it had been -battered to pieces with the enemy’s grape; but the fact of its being in -ruins was in their favour, as they were less likely to be discovered by -intruders. In about half an hour the last of the garrison had departed, -and the entrenchments were left to silence and the dead. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -“SHIVA THE DESTROYER.” - - -Close to the Suttee Choura Ghaut, the place at which the garrison were -to embark, there rose a Hindoo temple; it was known as the Hurdes, or -the Fisherman’s Temple. It stood upon the banks of the Ganges, and -its shadows darkened the water. Many a religious festival had been -held within its walls, and many a pious Hindoo fisherman had come from -afar, that he might fall down before the god it enshrined, and invoke -a blessing upon himself and his calling. But on the morning that the -English people went forth from their defences, it was devoted to a far -different purpose. - -Enthroned on a “chaboutree,” or platform, of the temple, sat Tantia -Topee. He had been commissioned by Nana Sahib to carry out the -hellish work. Near him were Azimoolah, and Teeka Singh, and they were -surrounded with numerous dependants. From their position, they were -enabled to command an uninterrupted view of the river, through the open -doors and windows. At the proper time the fatal signal was to be given -in that temple by Tantia Topee. The signal was to be the blast of a -bugle. - -But all unmindful of the awful danger, the garrison went on--women, -and children, and men, who had survived the horrors of those awful -weeks--gaunt, and ghastly, their garments hanging in shreds, and -scarcely covering their emaciated bodies, enfeebled by want, their -bones almost protruding through their skins, some wounded, and bearing -upon them the indelible marks of the battle. - -In the hearts of most was a glimmering of a peaceful future. - -Here a little child carried in its arms a broken and smoke-blackened -doll; there a woman huddled to her breast some household treasure that -had been saved from the great wreck; but they were a pitiable crowd. -The beautiful had left their beauty; the young had left their youth in -the battered barracks; and even the faces of the children were pinched -and wizened, showing how fearful had been the suffering during those -dark weeks. - -The wounded were carried mostly in palkees (palanquins); the women -and children were in rough native carts, a few rode on elephants; and -the able-bodied men marched. But the attempt at martial array was but -a mockery--they were soldiers only in spirit. Outwardly they were -starving tatterdemalions. - -The grim old warrior, General Wheeler, was accompanied by his wife and -daughters. He was worn and broken spirited--for the capitulation had -crushed his heart. In spite of the starvation which stared him in the -face, in spite of the hordes of rebels arrayed against them, and in -spite of the sickness and misery which were upon them, the poor old -man was reluctant to surrender, for he still hoped for succour from -outside. But his officers had forced it upon him, for the sake of the -unhappy women and children. - -It was but a mile down to the Ghaut, but it was a long, long weary -journey. The place of embarkation was reached at last, and the weary -eyes of the people saw the fleet of boats that they hoped were to -convey them to safety. They were common country eight-oared boats, -known as “budgerows.” They were unwieldy things, with heavy thatched -roofs, so that they resembled, from a distance, stacks of hay. It -was the close of an unusually dry season, and the water was at its -shallowest--the mud and sand-banks being far above the water in many -places. The banks of the river were lined with natives, who had turned -out in thousands to see the humiliated English. There were thousands of -soldiers there too--horse, foot, and artillery. The troopers sat with -their horses’ heads turned towards the river, and seemed impatient for -the sport to commence. - -Such a deep-laid plot, such a diabolical act of treachery, the world -had surely never known before. Not even the imagination of Danté could -have conceived blacker-hearted demons to have peopled his “Inferno” -with, than those surging crowds of natives. Those floating budgerows -were not to be arks of safety, but human slaughter-houses. - -Slowly the people embarked, and, as they did so, there floated out -into the stream a small wooden idol: it represented the Hindoo god -Shiva--Shiva the Destroyer. As it was pushed out into the stream, every -native who saw it smiled, for he knew too well what it signified. - -General Wheeler remained till the last. He had been riding in a -palanquin, and as he put his head out, a scimitar flashed in the -air, and the brave veteran rolled into the water a corpse. Almost at -the same moment Tantia Topee raised his hand in the temple, and the -notes of a bugle rose clear and distinct. Then the foul design became -apparent, and the unhappy people knew that they had been lured into a -death-trap. From every conceivable point on both sides of the river, -there belched forth fire, and grape and musket balls were poured into -the doomed passengers; in a little while the thatch of the budgerows -burst into flame, for in every roof hot cinders had been previously -inserted. Men leapt overboard, and strove to push the vessels out into -the stream, but the majority of the boats remained immovable. The -conflagration spread; the sick and wounded were burnt to death. The -stronger women took to the water with their children in their arms, but -they were shot down or sabred by the troopers, who rode in after them. - -In a large and elegant tent on the cantonment plain, the fiend and -tiger, Nana Sahib, paced uneasily. He heard the booming of the guns, -the rattle of the musketry, and occasionally the dying shriek of an -unhappy woman was borne upon his ear. He knew that Shiva the Destroyer -was doing his hellish work. Perhaps as he paced up and down, there -came into his black heart a pang of remorse, or, more probably, a -thrill of fear; for in his solitude he might have seen a vision of -the Great White Hand that was to smite him into the dust. Or perhaps -there stole over him a sense that there was a destroyer mightier even -than Shiva--even the Supreme God of the Christians, who would exact a -terrible retribution for his unutterable crimes. - -It is certain that as Dundoo Pant paced his tent, he was ill at ease. -He was haunted by the ghosts of his victims, even as was that bloody -tyrant of infamous memory, Richard the Third, the night before -Bosworth. - -“Ah! What do you want?” cried the guilty Nana, as a messenger suddenly -entered the tent--so suddenly that the conscience of Dundoo caused his -heart to leap into his mouth. - -“The work speeds well, your Highness,” said the man, kneeling before -his master; “but these Feringhees are fighting to the death.” - -“Go back with all haste to Tantia Topee, and say that, as he values -his own life, not another woman or child is to be slaughtered; but let -every man with a white face be hacked to pieces. Mark me well. _Not an -Englishman is to be spared!_ Tell Azimoolah to see to all this.” - -The messenger withdrew, and the tiger ground his teeth and resumed his -walk. - -Down at the Ghaut the work was truly speeding well, but when the -Nana’s message arrived it stopped as far as the women were concerned; -and about one hundred and thirty women and children--some fearfully -wounded, others half drowned and dripping with the slime of the -Ganges--were carried back in captivity to Cawnpore. - -Thirty-nine boats had been destroyed; but there was one that got into -the fairway of the stream, and down on the dark bosom of the waters -it drifted, a lonely waif. There were no boatmen, there were no oars, -there was no rudder, but there were hearts of steel on board; heroes -who would die, ay, suffer death a hundred times before they would -surrender. That solitary boat contained about eighty men--such men -that, if they had had a fair chance, not all the legions of the -accursed Nana could have conquered them. Slowly it drifted on between -the banks. Hissing shot and burning arrows were discharged at it in -showers, but it seemed almost as if it had been surrounded with a -charm, for it drifted on unscathed. Next a blazing budgerow was sent -after it, but that failed to harm it, and its occupants, slender -as was the chance, began to think that they would escape. But as -the sun commenced to decline, and burnish the river with his golden -rays, a boat, filled with about sixty men, was sent in pursuit, with -orders from Tantia Topee to slaughter every Englishman. The lonely -boat grounded on a sand-bank. Hope sank again. On came the would-be -destroyers, and their boat stuck on the same bank. Then occurred a last -grand burst of courage--courage even in death, and which is always so -conspicuous in British heroism. On the bows of the pursuer there stood -up a tall, powerful Sepoy, and, in a loud voice, cried: - -“In the name of the Nana Sahib, I call upon you to surrender.” - -He might as well have called upon the winds to stay their course, or -the tides to cease to flow. Surrender forsooth! And to the Nana Sahib, -the insatiable Tiger of Cawnpore, whose name, and name of all his race, -will descend to posterity covered with infamy, and who will be held up -to execration and scorn until time shall be no more! - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE LAST GRAND STRUGGLE. - - -That call to surrender was answered in a manner that literally -paralysed the pursuing sixty. - -Forth from the Englishmen’s boat a little party of officers and men -went. They were exhausted, famishing, sick, and wounded, but they would -not wait to be attacked by such a demoniacal crew. Wading up to their -knees in the water that covered the sand-bank, and all armed to the -teeth, they made for the other boat, and fell upon the natives with -such fury that not half-a-dozen escaped to tell the tale; and even -those few only saved their lives by plunging into the deep water, and -swimming ashore. - -It was a glorious victory, but the last for the hero-martyrs of -Cawnpore. - -They got on board the enemy’s boat, and found it contained good stores -of ammunition, which they conveyed to their own boat, but there was -not a scrap of food. They lay down, utterly worn out; and, as darkness -gathered, sleep fell upon them. - -It was the last sleep for many. Some never woke again, but passed to -eternity. Those who survived awoke with the first glimmer of morn. -Then despair seized upon them. In the dark hours of night the rising -waters had drifted their boat into a creek, where they were speedily -discovered by the pitiless enemy. - -It was a narrow creek running inland for about two hundred yards. On -each side the natives gathered in hundreds, and they poured in a deadly -shower of musket-balls. - -Lying at the bottom of the boat was an officer who had hitherto been -in command, but he was wounded unto death now. Both his arms were -shattered; but, without betraying the slightest pain, he issued his -orders. - -“Comrades,” he cried, “we belong to a race that never waits to be -smitten. Let these merciless bloodhounds see that even in death we know -how to smite our enemies.” - -No second bidding was needed. Fourteen men and officers--the only -unwounded ones in the boat--sprang ashore, and, with a wild cheer, -charged the surging multitude. The terrified crowd fell back. Such -courage appalled them; they were unused to it; they could not -comprehend it. The brave fourteen hacked out a path, then rushed back -again. Alas! the boat had drifted out into the stream once more, and -the fourteen were left upon the pitiless land, while their doomed -comrades floated down the pitiless river. - -At some little distance rose the towers of a Hindoo temple. The eyes -of the leader of the fourteen saw this. He raised a cheer and rushed -towards it, followed by his comrades. They gained the temple, pursued -by a howling rabble; but with fixed bayonets they held the doorway. On -poured the dusky wretches, but they could not break down that wall of -steel. The black and bleeding corpses piled up and formed a rampart, -and from behind this barricade of human flesh the little band delivered -a galling fire. There was some putrid water in the temple, but this -the people drank with avidity, for they were choking. It gave them new -strength, and they loaded and fired without ceasing. Hundreds of the -enemy fell, and back there sped a messenger to the Nana with word that -the remnant of the broken army could not be conquered. - -He raved when he heard the news. This defiance and gallantry galled him -beyond measure; he felt that though he had “scotched the snake he had -not killed it,” and he began to realise that, powerful as he was, he -was still far from being powerful enough to crush his valiant foe. - -“A thousand curses on them!” he cried, when his agent delivered the -message. “Go back to your leader, and tell him to burn these Feringhees -out, and for every white man that escapes I will have a hundred black -ones executed.” - -Back went the man, and soon around the walls of the temple there were -piled heaps of dried leaves and faggots. The brand was applied. Up -leapt the devouring flame; but there was a strong wind, and it blew -the flames and smoke away. Then a new device was put in practice; the -enemy filled bags with powder and threw them on the flames, until the -building rocked and tottered. There was nothing left now for the brave -fourteen but flight. Bracing themselves up, and shoulder to shoulder, -they fired a volley into the astonished foe; then, with a cheer, they -charged with the bayonet. It was a short, but awful struggle. One half -their number went down, never to rise again; seven reached the river; -there they plunged into the stream. As they came up after the dive, -two of the number were shot through the head, and the water was dyed -with their blood; a third made for a spit of land, but, as soon as he -landed, he was clubbed to death with the butt ends of muskets. But four -still survived. They were sturdy swimmers; they seemed to bear charmed -lives; the bullets fell in showers around; the rabble on the shores -yelled with disappointed rage. But the swimmers swam on--The rapid -current was friendly to them. They were saved! “Honour the brave!” - -When the roll of heroes is called, surely amongst those who have died -in England’s cause, and for England’s honour, the names of those -valiant fourteen should stand at the head of the list. Never since the -days of old Rome, when “the bridge was kept by the gallant three,” have -there been heroes more worthy of a nation’s honour than that little -band of fighting men who held the temple on the banks of the Ganges, -and cut their way through a pitiless multitude who were thirsting for -their blood. No Englishman will ever be able to read the record without -the profoundest emotions of pity and pride. - -When the Nana heard of the escape of the four, he tore his hair in -rage; but he could still have his revenge. For news arrived immediately -after, that the boat which had drifted away had been recaptured. -Ordering a horse to be saddled, he galloped down to the Ghaut, to join -Azimoolah and Tantia Topee. And the three waited to gloat their eyes -upon the wretched victims in the boat. There were a few women and -children, and about a score of men; they were all sick and wounded, but -they were driven ashore. The men were butchered on the spot; but the -women and children were reserved for a second death. - -As Dundoo Pant viewed these helpless people he laughed loudly. It was -some satisfaction to feel that they were in his power, and that a -word or a look from him would bring about their instant destruction. -What the real desire of his own heart was at that moment can only be -known to the Great Reader of human secrets. But at his elbow, his evil -genius, his familiar fiend, stalked, and, with the characteristic grin, -murmured-- - -“We are in luck’s way, your Highness; and these prizes will afford us -further amusement.” - -“In what way, Azi?” - -“We can torture them.” - -“Ah, ah, ah! You are a grim joker, Azi. I would torture them--I would -burn them with hot iron--I would flay them, but these cursed English -seem almost indifferent to physical pain. We must torture their minds, -Azimoolah--break their hearts. We must invent some means of making them -feel how thoroughly they are humbled.” - -“The invention will not be difficult, your Highness. Set them to grind -corn!” - -“Ah! that is a good idea.” - -“They will know well that it is a symbol of the uttermost degradation. -In their own biblical records they will remember that it is stated that -the sign of bondage in Eastern lands was for the women to be compelled -to grind corn with the hand-mills.” - -“It shall be as you suggest,” answered the Nana, thoughtfully. - -“And when they have, through these means, been impressed with a sense -of our power and their own thorough humiliation, then consummate your -victory.” - -“How, Azi?” - -“By slaughtering them.” - -“Hush, Azi--we will discuss that matter later on. For the present let -them be conveyed to the Beebee-Ghur and carefully guarded.” - -The Beebee-Ghur was a small house situated between the native city and -the river. It had originally been built by a European for his native -mistress, but for some years had been occupied by a humble native -scrivener. It was a small, ill-ventilated place, with but wretched -accommodation. The walls were blackened with smoke, and the furniture -of the place consisted of a few rough deal chairs and tables. But -into this place were crowded over two hundred women and children. -Left there, without any certainty as to the fate for which they had -been reserved, they felt all the agony of horrid suspense, and they -shuddered as they thought what that fate might be. Madness seized some, -and a merciful death speedily ended the sufferings of a few others. - -When Nana Sahib and Azimoolah had seen their captives safely guarded, -and some of the most delicate and refined ladies seated on the ground, -grinding corn, they turned their horses’ heads towards the Bhitoor -Palace. - -“This has been an exciting day, your Highness,” Azimoolah remarked. - -“Yes,” was the monosyllabic, and somewhat sullen answer. - -“Why does your face wear a frown?” asked Azimoolah. “Your star has -risen, and in its resplendent light you should be all smiles and mirth.” - -“So I will try to be, Azi--so I will try to be,” and, laughing with a -low hollow laugh, Nana Sahib put spurs to his horse, and sped towards -his Palace, as if already he saw the brilliancy of that star darkening -by a rising shadow--the shadow of a grim, retributive Nemesis. - -Perhaps his mental ears did catch the sounds of the coming conqueror’s -drums, and the roar of his guns; and his mental eyes see regiments of -unconquerable British soldiers, exacting a terrible vengeance, and -he himself, forsaken by his people, driven forth, a beggar outcast, -wandering on and on, through trackless jungles, without a pillow -for his head or roof to shelter him, and on his forehead a brand -more terrible than that which ever branded the brow of Cain--flying -forever from his pursuers; a guilty, conscience-stricken, blackened -and despised wretch--too abject a coward to die, and yet suffering the -agonies of a living death. - -Whatever of these things he might have dreamed, he gave no utterance -to his thoughts, but galloped on to his Palace, and issued orders that -that night should be a night of revel. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES SWINGS. - - -The day following the slaughter at the Ghaut was a great day for Nana -Sahib, for he was to be publicly proclaimed Peishwah, and his power in -that part of the country was to be acknowledged supreme. The dream of -years was fulfilled at last. He stood at the foot of the throne; he -had but to mount the steps, and men would bow down before him as their -ruler. Power, greatness, wealth--all were in his grasp. His foe lay -crushed in the dust--his ambition and revenge were gratified; and in -the pomp and glitter of the gorgeous pageant of that day, the voice of -conscience was perhaps for a time stilled. - -And truly the pageant was a gorgeous one--a spectacle that even, in -their wildest imaginings, the authors of the “Arabian Nights” could not -have dreamed of. Scarcely had the sun fully risen before the Palace at -Bhitoor was in a state of commotion. All night long, thousands of hands -had been at work preparing for the great show, and nothing was wanting -to render it complete. - -At a given signal the procession, which was to march through the town, -and some of the outlying villages, commenced to form. First came five -hundred stalwart natives, walking six abreast. On their heads were -turbans of cloth of gold, and on their breasts were glittering vests of -steel. Every man carried on his shoulder a drawn sabre, that flashed -in the sun’s rays. The front row carried the Nana’s standard, which -was trimmed with real and massive gold fringe. These men were followed -by five hundred boys, dressed in white muslin. Each boy carried a pair -of silver-plated cymbals, and the very air was rent with the clashing. -Then came a body of singers, singing a song of triumph, each singer -being dressed in a costly robe. They were followed by two hundred -camels, their necks hung with silver bells, while their trappings -were cloth of gold. On the back of each camel sat a boy dressed in -raiment of pure white, and carrying in his hands a small disc of highly -polished steel, which was turned so as to catch the sun’s rays and -throw the light far ahead--on tree, and road, and building. This was to -symbolise the Nana’s power. - -Next in order was a body-guard of the Nana’s retainers, numbering -altogether a thousand men, clad in burnished armour, and carrying in -their hands long spears, decorated with golden tassels. Following this -guard came a band of musicians with brass instruments, and playing a -martial air which they had learnt under English tutors. Then there -were fifty elephants, three abreast. The forehead of each beast was -decorated with a large jewelled star composed of pure silver: their -bodies were covered with cloth of gold, fringed with massive bullion -lace. On the head of each elephant sat a gaudily-dressed native driver: -each man held a long polished brass trumpet, and every now and then, on -a given signal, the trumpets were blown in unison. - -After these men was another body of armour-clad men, who formed a -hollow square, two deep. In the centre of the square walked, with -majestic step, a huge, spotless white elephant: its breast was guarded -with a massive shield of pure gold, and on its forehead was a large -star of brilliants; on its back it bore a costly houdah, made of blue -satin, supported by golden rods, the satin being trimmed with gold and -jewels. Beneath this houdah was seated Dundoo Pant, the Nana Sahib. -His head was bare, for the ceremony of marking him with the mark -of sovereignty in accordance with Eastern custom, and known as the -“sacrament of the forehead mark,” had yet to be performed. He was clad -in a robe of pure gold cloth, ornamented with rubies and sapphires. -Round his neck he wore a massive collar composed of diamonds. - -Over the elephant’s back was thrown a rich scarlet cloak, with gold -tassels; and on its tusks were many gold rings. The Nana was seated -cross-legged. In front of him was a superb coronet of gold, studded -with diamonds: this, with a jewelled sword, rested on a scarlet cushion. - -Behind this elephant, and in the centre of another square of -armour-clad men, were fifty high Brahmin priests, clad in white and -with their faces painted, and between them was a small and beautiful -Brahmin bull. Its hoofs were encased in gold, and its body was -literally covered with jewels. - -Next came two hundred Nautch girls, dressed in scarlet garments. Each -girl bore a small palm leaf, and these leaves were waved backwards -and forwards with rhythmical regularity. Next to these was another -elephant, gaudily trapped and decorated; and beneath a magnificent -houdah of silk were seated some of the principal females of Dundoo’s -household. - -Following in order was another band of music. Then came Teeka Singh, -Azimoolah, Tantia Topee, Bala Rao, and other members of the suite. They -were all mounted on handsome charges, and bore at their sides jewelled -swords, while fixed to their heels were golden spurs. They were -escorted by a strong body-guard of picked troops. These were succeeded -by files of men carrying silken banners. Then a hundred boys, bearing -long poles, attached to which were silver bells, and five hundred girls -clad in garments of cloth of gold. Every girl carried before her a -jewelled vase, that was filled with the most exquisite flowers. Behind -the girls were two thousand troopers--the flower of Dundoo’s army--and -all mounted on superb horses; and last of all was a grand display -of artillery. There were guns of every description, which had been -plundered from the English arsenal. - -It was, in truth, a gorgeous show, well calculated to daze the hordes -of illiterate natives who crowded every thoroughfare, with its pomp -and importance. Dundoo and his wily admirers had learnt the secret of -the importance of outward show, if the masses are to be impressed, and -they used their knowledge to advantage. The procession moved slowly -forward--a long array of glitter and glare, of noise and bewildering -richness. - -Literally hundreds of thousands of natives had gathered; they swarmed -on every conceivable spot from whence a view could be obtained. On the -housetops, in the trees, on the walls, the huts--every place where a -foothold offered itself were Nana’s future subjects to be seen. They -rent the air with their cries of welcome; they sang songs of victory, -and howled out execrations against the Feringhees. - -Through every street and road where it was possible for the procession -to pass, it went. The white elephant, with its costly silken houdah, -beneath which was the Tiger of Cawnpore, towered above all--a -conspicuous and central figure. - -Soon after mid-day the show returned to the Bhitoor Palace, where -preparations had been made on a grand scale for the ceremony of the -forehead mark, or the crowning of the Peishwah. In one of the largest -halls a stately throne had been erected, and on this Nana Sahib took -his seat. - -Then there was borne into the hall, on men’s shoulders, a platform -covered with cloth of gold. The platform was railed round with -golden railings, and in the centre stood a Brahmin bull, covered -with jewels and held by gold chains. Following the bull came a large -number of priests, carrying small brass idols, and chafing-dishes -containing fire. The bull was placed in the centre of the hall, and the -chafing-dishes and idols ranged round it. An aged priest stepped up to -the head of the animal, and, after making many mystic symbols, he held -up a gigantic sword, and cried out in a loud voice-- - -“The enemies of Brahma shall be smitten to the death.” - -Then a gong was sounded, and the whole of the vast assemblage fell -upon their knees, and bowing their heads to the ground, worshipped the -bull. This ceremony being ended, the chief priest advanced to the Nana, -bearing in his hand a dish of pure gold. From this dish he took a small -wafer, and while his colleagues muttered a low, monotonous chant, and a -hundred tom-toms were beaten, he pressed the wafer on the forehead of -the Nana, reciting a Brahmin prayer the while. He next took a chaplet -of gold, and placed it on Dundoo’s head. - -Then the Palace seemed to be shaken to its foundation as the artillery -thundered out its recognition of the new ruler. - -The imposing ceremony being ended, and Dundoo having been duly -proclaimed Peishwah, the courtiers and servile cringers crowded round -the throne to congratulate their chief. Conspicuous amongst these were -Azimoolah, Tantia Topee, Teeka Singh, and the brothers of the Nana. - -It was a proud moment for Azimoolah. He had played a deep and skilful -game, and won. The stakes were large, but not all the newly-acquired -power of the Nana Sahib would be sufficient to keep them from the -destroying Nemesis who was coming on with gigantic strides. - -Until far into the morning the festivities were kept up. There were -torch-light processions, there were grand illuminations, and tremendous -bursts of fireworks, accompanied by the hoarse roar of artillery. But -all things come to an end, and the enthusiasm of Dundoo Pant’s new -subjects, like their fireworks, soon burnt itself out, and there was -silence, save for the croaking frogs, the shrill piping cicala, and the -under-hum of tens of thousands of insects. - -In a small room of the Palace, Nana Sahib had sought his couch, after -the exciting day’s work. He was weary and worn, and there was a -troubled look in his face. His newly-acquired crown did not seem to sit -easily. It was stained too indelibly with English blood. Long he tossed -about before he sank into an uneasy doze; then in a little while great -beads of perspiration stood upon his face. His chest heaved, he clawed -the air with his hands, he bit his lip until the blood flowed. The Nana -Sahib was dreaming a dream; and this was his dream. - -He saw a hand--a white hand--small at first, but it gradually grew, and -grew, and grew, until it assumed gigantic proportions. It stretched out -its massive and claw-like fingers towards Dundoo, who fled in terror -away. But that awful hand followed. In every finger were set hundreds -of glittering eyes; they glared at him until they burned into his very -soul. He still fled, but the hand grew larger, until it gradually bent -its fingers, and tore out his heart. And yet he lived, and the shadow -of the phantom hand was over him. It tortured him with unutterable -torture. It dragged him away from all kith and kin. Then it opened a -massive curtain, and showed him far, far down the Stream of Time. On -its ever-flowing tide he saw himself, a battered wreck, drifting to the -regions of immortal torture; and millions of scraggy fingers pointed at -him in derision, and millions of voices cursed his name. - -He awoke from this horrid dream--awoke with his heart almost standing -still, and a cold and clammy perspiration bedewing his body. He sprang -up with a cry of alarm, for everything in the vision had seemed -so real. But when he had gathered his scattered senses, he smiled -sardonically and muttered-- - -“Pshaw! What a fool I am to let a dream so alarm me. Am I not rich, -powerful, invincible? What, then, is there to fear? These Feringhees -are crushed--crushed beyond all power to rise again. I am supreme; who -is there dare dispute my will?” - -A man suddenly entered the chamber. In the light of the breaking day, -the Nana saw that it was Azimoolah. - -“What is the meaning of this, Azi?” he asked hurriedly. “Has anything -occurred to alarm you, for there is a look of fear upon your face?” - -“I might make a similar remark with a good deal of truth, your -Highness,” answered the other with a forced laugh. - -“Do not waste time in foolish recrimination, Azimoolah. What brings you -here?” - -“Bad news.” - -“Ah! Is that so?” - -“Yes. Some of our spies have just come in, and brought word that -General Havelock is marching on Cawnpore.” - -“Is that all?” exclaimed the Nana, with a laugh. “Your news is not so -gloomy as I anticipated. We are powerful in troops and guns; we will -wipe these saucy foreigners off the face of the earth. Await my coming -below, Azi.” - -Azimoolah made a slight inclination of the head, and retired towards -the door. - -“Azi,” the Nana called, busying himself in adjusting some costly rings -that sparkled on his fat fingers. His familiar turned back. “Azimoolah, -are the--dear me! There is a diamond gone out of that ring. Where can -I have lost it, I wonder? Let me see, what was I going to observe? -Oh--_are the women and children at the Beebee-Ghur safely guarded?_” - -“I selected the guard myself, your Highness! so that I will vouch for -its efficiency.” - -“That is good. I will join you shortly, Azi. You may retire.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -WITH SWIFT STRIDES NEMESIS MOVES ON. - - -In spite of the indifference which Nana Sahib assumed to the news -brought him by Azimoolah, he felt considerable alarm. He had heard -of the powers of General Havelock. He knew that he was a dauntless -and war-worn soldier, who did not understand the meaning of the word -“defeat!” But he derived some consolation from the knowledge he -possessed that the numerical strength of the English could be but as -one to twenty against his own troops. - -As he descended to hold audience with his staff, he smiled bitterly, -and muttered-- - -“I am immensely strong in troops, I have powerful artillery, and if -these fail to check the advance of these cursed English, I have yet one -more card to fall back upon. I can still have revenge upon their women -and children; and if the white soldiers should reach Cawnpore, they -shall find the city a ruin, and its streets running with English blood. -Shiva the Destroyer guides me, and victory shall yet be mine.” - -On reaching his counsel-hall he found his officers were excited and -alarmed. Fresh spies had come in with the confirmation of the first -report: that Havelock was making desperate efforts by means of forced -marches to reach Cawnpore. The Nana held hurried conversation with his -advisers. His hopes of a few minutes before gave place to despair as -he thought of the possibility of his newly-acquired power being wrested -from him, and as the remembrance of the dream he had dreamed during the -night flashed through his brain, he trembled, and his trepidation was -noticed by his staff. - -“Your Highness is not well this morning,” observed Azimoolah; -“yesterday’s excitement has disturbed you?” - -“I am well enough,” the Nana answered sharply; “but it seems as if I -was to have no freedom from the annoyance of these English. I was in -hopes that we had set our foot firmly down upon them--that they were -hopelessly crushed. But it seems now that, Hydra-like, no sooner is one -head destroyed than another springs up.” - -“Then we must keep on destroying them until they are all exterminated. -Even the heads of the fabled monster were limited; and by constantly -destroying the English their power must come to an end.” - -“You do not counsel well!” cried the Nana irritably. “The power of the -English, it appears to me, is like the ocean, which you might go on -draining, drop by drop, until the end of time, and then there would be -no appreciable diminution.” - -Azimoolah smiled scornfully, and in his secret heart he felt some -contempt for his master. - -“Your notions are exaggerated,” he answered coolly, “and your fears -with respect to the unlimited power of these British groundless. They -are headstrong--impetuous--rash. They are rushing blindly on to their -fate. My spies inform me that they are weak both in guns and men. We -can bring an overwhelming force against them, and literally annihilate -them. Meanwhile, the revolt spreads well; every city in India is -asserting its independence of these foreigners, and so mighty shall -we become that if every man in England were sent against us, we could -defy them. I tell you the power of England is waning, if not already -destroyed. The White Hand stiffens in the coldness of death.” - -A thoughtful expression spread itself over the Nana’s face. Azimoolah’s -words sank deep. Whenever he faltered and doubted himself this familiar -was at hand to give him new hope. Bloodthirsty and revengeful as he -was, he was, after all, but a puppet, and would have been powerless to -have moved if others had not pulled the strings. - -“I think you are right--I think you are right,” he said, “and we will -contest the advance of these Feringhees. Let no time be lost in getting -our troops in motion; and let it be proclaimed far and near that a lac -of rupees shall be the reward to him who first captures Havelock, and -brings him in living or dead.” - -“The rupees were better in our treasury, your Highness,” answered -Azimoolah. “Havelock shall fall without any such rash expenditure. His -miserable force will be cut to pieces in the first encounter with our -troops!” - -In a little while Cawnpore was once more in a wild state of commotion. -Far and near was heard the sound of the bugle as it called to arms. The -artillery rumbled along, and thousands of trained troops were sent out -to oppose the advance of the English. Bala Rao, the Nana’s brother, was -placed in command of one division, and he was the first to march. - -As the afternoon wore on, a messenger, breathless and travel-stained, -arrived at the Palace, and sought an interview with the Nana. This was -no other than Jewan Bukht. He had been out for some days, by command of -his master, visiting all the villages within twenty miles of Cawnpore, -proclaiming the power of Dundoo, and inciting the natives to rise and -massacre the Europeans. It was evident Jewan Bukht brought news of -importance, for his face bore a look of anxiety, if not alarm. - -Jewan had to wait some time before the Nana consented to see him; for -the monster was passing his time with the females of his household, -and trying to still the voice of conscience by draughts of strong -drink. When he did present himself before his agent he was flushed and -excited, and his eyes were bloodshot. - -“How now, Jewan?” he cried. “Why do you come at such an inopportune -moment to disturb my peace?” - -“I bring bad news, your Highness.” - -“Curses on the bad news!” Dundoo thundered, as he turned furiously and -faced Bukht, who started away in alarm. “Twice to-day have those words -sounded in my ears. Am I never to know security? am I never to have -peace?” - -He paced up and down, fretting with rage. His arms were behind his -back, and he played nervously with the jewellery on his fat fingers. - -Jewan waited for some minutes before he spoke. He knew it was better to -let the Nana’s temper cool, for it was evident that he was excited with -drink, and at such times his savage nature was capable of any atrocity. - -“I regret, your Highness,” Jewan said at last, “that I, your servant, -should be so unfortunate as to incur your displeasure for having -faithfully performed my duty.” - -“There, there, excuse me,” answered Dundoo, as he stopped in his walk. -“I am irritable, and allowance must be made for me. Things do not work -as smoothly as they ought, and it appears to me that every one who -seeks me has bad news to tell.” - -“That is rather their misfortune than their fault,” was the answer. - -“Yes, yes; you are right. I will try in future to be less hasty. But -now tell me what is the news you bring.” - -“General Havelock is making rapid marches upon Cawnpore.” - -“Pshaw! That is old news. Have you none other but that?” - -“Yes. A body of troops, under Major Renaud, is making desperate efforts -to effect a junction with Havelock.” - -“Ah! That is bad. What is Havelock’s strength?” - -“I do not know exactly. His army is small, but is composed of some -of the best of English troops; and he has a regiment of bare-legged -soldiers.” - -“You mean Highlanders!” exclaimed the Nana, as he ground his teeth. -“May the Prophet confound them, for they are invincible. They seem to -draw fresh life from every blast of their unearthly pipes, and they -fight like devils.” - -“Still they may be conquered by numbers; and we have numbers, your -Highness.” - -“True, true; and we will send legions against them to stop their -advance. But how about Renaud? What is his strength?” - -“He is at the head of the Madras Fusiliers, but their number is not -great.” - -“The Madras Fusiliers!” echoed the Nana, while a look of fear passed -across his face, for he knew that this regiment was celebrated -throughout India. It was evident that some of the best troops were -coming against him. His own troops only mustered about ten thousand -strong, horse and foot, and when he had spoken of hurling legions -against the advancing foe his mind was running upon the hundreds of -thousands of natives who peopled the city and the villages. But what -could the untrained hordes do against the very flower of England’s -Indian army? It seemed to him now as if the dream was to be realised, -and that the meshes were tightening around him. He paced up and down -again, his eyes bent upon the ground. - -“Your Highness is troubled,” Jewan observed. - -“I am troubled, for I see that unless the march of these British is -checked they will very soon be in our city.” - -“But we must check them.” - -“Must, forsooth, is easily said. But how are we to check them?” - -“We have troops and guns. Our troops can fight, and our guns can speak.” - -“And yet I do not feel secure, Jewan. We are not strong enough. But -go now; I will confer with my officers. See me again. In the meantime -stir up the people; let them go out in their thousands and harass the -English.” - -Jewan bowed, and had retired to the door when the Nana called him back. - -“Stay, Jewan; a thought strikes me. Delhi is full of Sepoys.” - -“It is, your Highness,” was the answer, as a new hope sprang to life in -Jewan’s breast. - -“Do you think the King would lend me aid?” - -“I think it is to his interest to do so.” - -“You are right. You shall go to Delhi, Jewan.” - -Jewan’s heart beat wildly. He had longed to return to Delhi in the -hope that he might again be able to secure Flora Meredith. Delhi was -suggestive to him of luxury, of wealth, of idleness. He, in common with -all his countrymen, turned his eyes to the Imperial City as the central -pivot of the rebellion. Its strength was so enormous that it might -defy the united power of England’s army. The desire to once more have -Flora in his possession was so strong that he had often been strongly -tempted to renounce allegiance to the Nana and fly to Delhi, but he -had resisted the temptation, for he dreaded the power of Dundoo, whose -confidential agent he had been, and he knew that if he incurred the -displeasure of the revengeful Mahratta his life would never be safe -from the Nana’s spies, who were everywhere. But now the very thing he -had yearned for was likely to come to pass. From his knowledge of the -King, he did not believe in his heart that the required aid would be -given; but it was no business of his--at least, so he thought--to tell -Nana Sahib this. Moreover, there was another reason which made him -anxious to get away, and if his feelings had been truly analysed it -might have been found that this reason was the stronger of the two--it -was one of personal safety. He believed--though he did not from motives -of policy express the belief--that the advancing English would soon cut -their way into Cawnpore, and if that should be the case, and Nana’s -power overthrown, his subjects would have to take care of themselves. -There was an uneasy feeling in Jewan’s throat as he pictured himself -swinging at the end of a rope from a banyan-tree. - -“And what will be the purport of my errand, your Highness?” he asked, -scarcely able to conceal his delight. - -“You shall hasten to Delhi with all speed, and convey to his Majesty a -true statement of the danger that threatens me. You can tell him--and -you know what an admirable diplomatist you are--you can tell him that -my strength does not exceed five thousand, and that the English are -coming down with a force double that strength. Solicit, in my name, -one or two regiments. Let every available vehicle and horse be pressed -into service, and let these reinforcements be sent on with all possible -speed, to join my troops, and beat back Havelock. If the King will do -this, my position will be secured.” - -“I think we need not have a doubt about it, your Highness. His Majesty -will do it.” - -“I hope so, Jewan--I hope so. Lose no time, but depart at once.” - -Jewan did not require a second bidding. He could ill conceal the smile -of joy that played around his lips, as he took his leave to make -preparations for his journey. - -Having provided himself with a horse and buggy, and armed himself -with a revolver, he drove out of Cawnpore as the shades of night were -gathering. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -“THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE.” - - -While Nana Sahib was thus neglecting no plan that could, as he thought, -add to his security, the Nemesis was coming on. - -It was well known to the English that Lucknow and Cawnpore were in -imminent peril; and knowing, further, that General Wheeler was hampered -with a large number of women and children, it was determined to make -the most strenuous efforts to relieve Cawnpore. - -With this object in view, General Havelock placed himself at the head -of a body of gallant troops, including a regiment of Highlanders. With -his little army he marched out of Allahabad. He knew how desperate were -the odds against him--he knew that every mile of ground would have to -be contested; but the grand old soldier was also aware that, if his -troops were few, their hearts were brave, and he had perfect faith in -his own ability to lead them to victory. - -At the same time, Major Renaud, in command of the Madras Fusiliers, -who had performed prodigies of valour, was pushing up the river with -the view of effecting a junction with Havelock. By forced marches -the General made rapid progress, not a day passing but what he had a -skirmish with the enemy. These skirmishes were not worthy the name of -battle, since they were waged mostly by the native rabble; but they -served to harass and annoy the British. - -In a little while he fell in with Renaud, and the reinforcement was -doubly welcome; for many of his own troops had fallen sick through -the intense heat and the heavy marches, but there was no rest to be -had. The brave old warrior knew that every hour delayed served but to -increase the awful peril of those whom he was hastening to relieve. - -Futtehpore was reached, and here a desperate battle was fought between -Havelock and the Nana’s troops, who had been sent out to meet him. - -Confident of victory, the Sepoys had taken their stand at this place, -and, with taunts and bragging, presented a most powerful front to the -jaded and worn British soldiers. But Havelock knew his men; he knew -his strength. He let loose his little army. The fight was long and -bloody, but it ended in unmistakable victory for the General. It was -the first decisive blow that had been struck at the enemy in that part -of the country. Little time could be devoted to rest after the battle. -Every man burned to be on the road again. They were warming to their -work. Long forced marches were made, until a small river, called the -Pandoo-Muddee, was reached. This river was some little distance to the -south of Cawnpore, and here Bala Rao was stationed with a number of -Sepoys to oppose the English crossing the bridge. - -Havelock’s soldiers were worn out. The men were staggering beneath -their load. Some of them slept as they stood, others dropped by the -wayside. But if any incentive were wanted, it came now in the shape of -the news that Cawnpore had capitulated, and the brave garrison had been -foully slaughtered. - -The news was brought by the General’s spies; and as he made it known, -in a few sorrowful words, to his troops, want of rest was no more -thought of. The strong sprang to their feet, and breathed silent vows -of vengeance, while the sick and the weak wept because they were not -able to join their comrades in wreaking retribution on the cruel enemy. - -The bridge across the river was a small and narrow one. Bala Rao had -arrived too late to destroy it, but he had got his guns into position -to sweep it, so that it seemed impossible that a passage could be made -across it. He stood, with his cowardly followers, taunting the fagged -white men to cross. He dared them to come. He called them dogs. - -“Soldiers and comrades,” cried Havelock, “we _must_ cross that bridge.” - -Shrill and clear rang out the bugle notes as they sounded the advance. -They must have struck terror to the black foe. With lips compressed, -with bayonets down at the charge, shoulder to shoulder, went the -dauntless few under a merciless storm of iron hail. The passage was -short, but many a brave fellow fell never to rise again. The Cawnpore -side of the river was gained; and then with a ringing cheer the British -“went at it.” What could stand against such a charge? The enemy was -scattered; he fled in wild disorder, leaving his guns behind him. - -The fight over, men fell down on the spot where they stood, and went to -sleep, too tired and jaded even to think of the evening meal. - -A few hours afterwards, Nana Sahib, anxious and restless, was pacing -his hall; he was waiting for news of “the battle of the bridge.” -Though Havelock had succeeded in reaching that point, he could not -conceive it possible that he could cross. He had ordered Bala to blow -up the bridge, and to make a firm stand. He was waiting now to hear -that this had been accomplished, when Bala Rao staggered in. He was -covered with blood, which had flowed from a terrible wound in the -shoulder. - -“They have crossed the bridge, and we are defeated,” he gasped, as he -fell fainting into a chair. - -Nana Sahib literally foamed with rage when he heard these ominous -words. The dream was being realised, and the mighty fingers of the -White Hand were closing upon him. - -“Ten thousand curses upon them!” he muttered. “But I yet hold a card, -and will play it.” - -He rang a bell violently; a servant appeared. - -“Send Tantia Topee and Azimoolah here.” - -In a few minutes these two persons stood in his presence. - -“_I want the Beebee-Ghur cleared of every woman and child. And -stay--there is a well close by--it has long been useless--let it be -filled up with rubbish. Do not mistake my orders._ EVERY WOMAN AND -EVERY CHILD _must leave._” - -“I understand, your Highness,” answered Azimoolah, with a hideous -smile. “Your tenants are not profitable, and you have use for the -house. The women and children shall _all_ be sent home.” - - * * * * * * * - -In a few hours’ time the Beebee-Ghur was deserted and silent, and the -useless well had indeed been filled up. - -Then, placing himself at the head of five thousand troops, Nana Sahib -marched forth to oppose the further advance of Havelock. - -“We shall conquer yet,” he murmured, as, armed to the teeth, he rode -side by side with his counsellors. - -They succeeded in reaching a village close to where Havelock was -resting; it was naturally a strong position. Here they posted a number -of very heavy guns, and the most experienced and ablest gunners were -selected to serve them. - -They opened fire with deadly effect upon the worn British soldiers. - -“Comrades, those guns must be charged,” were Havelock’s words. “Who -will take the post of honour?” - -In answer to the question, the Highlanders, under the command of -Colonel Hamilton, rushed to the front. There was not a single man who -was not eager to play his part in the deadly work; but the Highlanders -were the first to answer, and they claimed precedent. They were to -lead the charge. Setting aside for a moment all discipline, a stalwart -fellow stepped from the ranks, and holding up a card on which a thistle -was worked in a woman’s hair, while around it was a true lover’s knot, -he shouted in a stentorian voice-- - -“For ‘Auld Reekie,’ boys, and the bonnie lasses we’ve left behind.” - -He was answered with a wild cheer, and cries of “Well done, Sandy!” - -Every heart of those kilted soldiers thrilled as the shrill sounds of -the pibroch arose from the bagpipes in the rear. Each man felt that he -had a personal wrong to wipe out, the death of a murdered friend to -revenge. - -Every man set his teeth, and clutched his rifle, as he held it at the -charge, with a grip of nervous desperation. - -The guns of the enemy were still roaring fierce defiance, and hurling -death right and left. - -Forward went the brave Highlanders with a ringing cheer, their -bayonets flashing in the sunlight; and, though the enemy were strongly -posted behind those awful guns, they were appalled as they beheld the -bare-legged soldiers rushing on like an impetuous torrent. The bayonet -charge of British troops was what no Sepoy had ever yet been able to -stand. The rebels wavered, then gave way, and fled. The guns were in -the hands of the Highlanders. “Auld Reekie” had been well remembered, -but poor Sandy was lying with his dead eyes staring up to the quivering -sky, and the little love-token lying over his stilled heart. - -The troops fell back in orderly array. But at the same moment a -howitzer, that had hitherto been masked, opened fire with fearful -effect. This gun was posted in a hollow--a sort of natural trench--on -some rising ground. Had it been served by any other than Sepoys, it -might have kept half-a-dozen regiments at bay. - -“Soldiers,” cried General Havelock again, “we must silence that noisy -gun. Its impudent tongue disturbs the neighbourhood!” - -Forth bounded the Highlanders again. An inspiriting cheer, a resistless -rush, the gun was captured; and, as the foe fled, the howitzer was -turned upon them. - -But the battle was not yet ended. The rebels, in great force still, -held the village, and new batteries were brought into action, and -poured a murderous fire upon the British lines. A little body of -volunteer cavalry, that had been held in reserve, now came forward. It -was composed entirely of British officers, and their number was only -eighteen. Eighteen against thousands of the enemy, who were sheltered -behind walls and trees! - -As these heroes were preparing to go into action, there was one of -their comrades who, stricken with deadly cholera, was lying in the -ambulance. This was Captain Beatson. He cried out that he would not be -left behind, but that he would go into the heat of the battle with his -brothers. He could not sit his horse, for he was dying fast. But no -persuasion could induce him to miss the chance of taking part in the -act of retribution. Go he would; so a tumbrel was procured, and he was -carried into action, clutching his sword with his enfeebled hands. - -The signal was given. Away went the dauntless few. Shot and shell -poured around them, but could not stay their impetuous rush. Right into -the very midst of the enemy they rode. They did terrible execution; and -in a very short time had cleared the village. - -As the noble Beatson was brought in, he heard the cries of victory; -and, as his life was passing away, he raised his sword, gave a faint -cheer, and, with a smile upon his face, fell back dead. - -Baffled and beaten, the Sepoys fled. They appeared to be in full -retreat upon Cawnpore. To the Peishwah all seemed lost. It was the -crisis of his fate, and he was determined to make one desperate effort -more to turn the tide. - -He was arrayed in the most costly and imposing garments. He wore a -robe of cloth of gold, and his waist was encircled with a zone of pure -gold, set with brilliants. Pendant from this was a massive tulwar, -also jewelled, and round his head was an embroidered turban, that was -literally ablaze with diamonds. - -He knew the effect of gaud and glitter upon the native mind, and so, -putting spurs to his charger, he got ahead of his troops, and then -faced them, and bade them halt. - -“Why do you fly?” he cried, flashing his tulwar in the sun. “Are you -not men, and your pursuers dogs? Do men fly from dogs? Shame on you! -Remember our cause, and for what we fight--Liberty! Will you throw this -away, and become slaves again? Turn, and face the enemy, who is weak -and worn. We can hold this road to the cantonment. Let a battery of -guns be planted. The enemy must not, and shall not, enter Cawnpore. An -hour ago, I despatched messengers back to the city, and reinforcements -are already coming up.” - -“We will stand!” was the answer from hundreds of throats. - -The battery was planted right on the road that led into the cantonment, -and in about half an hour fresh troops came pouring out. They came down -with a terrible clatter, and amid the clashing of cymbals and the roll -of drums. As they got into position, Nana Sahib rode along the lines. - -“Taunt them, boys--taunt them! Dare them from their shelter, and then -blow them to atoms!” - -And, in response to this, the native band ironically struck up “Cheer, -Boys, Cheer.” - -It was a taunt of the right sort. It reached the ears of the English; -and, tired and worn out as they were, it gave them fresh vigour. - -The grey-haired veteran, Havelock, rode forth before his troops. - -“Soldiers,” he cried, “the enemy is bearding us; let us teach them a -lasting lesson!” - -The infantry rushed into line; their impatience could scarcely be -restrained. The noble Highlanders, looking fresh and inspirited, as if -they had only just come into action, again struggled to take the lead. - -It was an awful moment, for they must ride right upon the death-dealing -battery, which was planted in the centre of the road, and was belching -forth storms of grape and twenty-four pounders with astonishing -rapidity. But not a man quailed. - -“Cheer, Boys, Cheer,” still sounded in their ears, when the word of -command was given to “charge.” Away they went with that mad rush which -nothing could withstand. Right on to the muzzles of the guns they sped, -the General’s aide-de-camp, his noble son, Harry, leading the way. The -battery was carried; the enemy was shattered, and fled in confusion; -and as their own guns were turned upon them, and a terrific fire -opened, the English band struck up “Cheer, Boys, Cheer.” - -Night fell--the British bivouacked two miles from Cawnpore. They were -too weary to need a pillow, and their throats were so parched that they -were glad to drink some putrid water from a neighbouring ditch. - -On the following morning, as they were getting under arms, some of -the General’s spies came in. They brought an awful tale--it ran like -a shudder along the lines. Strong men bowed their heads and wept. And -they knew now that, in spite of their forced marches, in spite of the -terrible battles they had fought, in spite of their grand heroism, they -knew _they were too late to save--they could only avenge_. And there -was not a man there who did not make a mental vow to have a terrible -vengeance. - -When the first burst of grief was over, the troops moved forward -to occupy the cantonment. As they neared it they saw an immense, -balloon-shaped cloud arise, and then the earth was shaken with a -fearful explosion. The retreating enemy had blown up the magazine. - -Soon the British flag was once more floating over the blood-stained -city; the bagpipes and the bands filled the air with pæans of victory; -the sword of Damocles had fallen. The Great White Hand had gripped the -fiendish heart of the Nana, and his power was no more. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -RETRIBUTION. - - -After that great battle of Cawnpore, the baffled Nana fled. He -understood that his dream had come true, and his very hair stood erect -with fear. But he was a coward--a treacherous, sneaking cur, who -feared to die; and he dare not seek the common native mode of avoiding -disgrace, and kill himself. He fled towards Bhitoor, attended by half a -dozen of his guards. - -As he galloped through the streets of Cawnpore, his horse flecked with -foam, and he himself stained with perspiration and dust, he was met by -a band of criers, who were clashing cymbals, and proclaiming, by order -of Azimoolah, that the Feringhees had been exterminated. - -As Dundoo heard this, it sounded like a horrid mockery, for he knew how -false it was. He knew now that if all the hosts of swarming India had -been gathered in one mighty army, they would still have been powerless -to exterminate the Feringhees. - -He felt that his power was destroyed. Failure, defeat, ruin, had -followed with rapid strides on the glittering pageant which had marked -his restoration to the Peishwahship. Deserted by his followers, his -wealth gone, he was but a flying outcast. His one thought was to get -away from the pursuing Englishmen. His terror-stricken mind pictured a -vast band of avengers on his track. - -He reached his Palace. Its splendour had gone, his very menials -reproached him for his failure. As he entered the magnificent “Room of -Light,” he was met by Azimoolah. - -The Sybaritic knave had been luxuriating amidst all the wealth and -splendour of this gorgeous apartment, while the Nana’s army was being -hacked to pieces by the avenging Feringhees. - -As the fear-stricken fugitive entered, the mechanical birds were -warbling their cheerful notes, and a large Swiss musical-box was -playing, with the accompaniment of drums and bells, “See the Conquering -Hero comes.” It was the very irony of fate. It seemed as if it had been -done purposely to mock him. - -He strode over to the magnificently carved table upon which the box -stood, and, drawing his tulwar, dealt the instrument a terrific blow, -that almost severed it in halves; then he sank on to a couch, and -burying his face in his hands, rocked himself, and moaned. - -“Your Highness is troubled,” Azimoolah remarked softly, his composure -not in the least disturbed by the Nana’s display of fury. “Why should -you give way like this?” he continued, as he received no reply to his -first remark. “Despair is unworthy of a prince. All is not yet lost. -Rouse yourself, show a dauntless mien, and we will yet beat these -English back.” - -The Nana started from the couch, his face livid with passion, so that -Azimoolah shrank back in alarm, for cruel natures are always cowardly, -and it was coward matched to coward. - -“Curse you for mocking me!” the Nana cried, raising both his hands -above his head. “Curse you for luring me to destruction! May you rot -living! May you wander a nameless outcast--without shelter, without -home, fearing every bush, trembling at every rustle of a leaf, and with -every man’s hand against your life. If I had not listened to you I -should not have fallen. Curse you again! May every hope of Paradise be -shut out for you.” - -He fell into his seat again, overpowered by the exertion this outburst -had caused him. - -Azimoolah was a little disconcerted, but he tried not to show it. -With one hand on the handle of a jewelled dagger, that was hidden -in the folds of his dress, and his other hand playing with a lace -handkerchief, he crossed quietly to where the Nana was seated, and said -with withering sarcasm-- - -“Your Highness is a little out of sorts, and my presence is not -required; but I may be permitted to remind your Highness that ‘curses, -like chickens, return to roost.’” - -With a smile of scorn upon his lips he passed out of the room, and the -fallen Mahratta was alone. - -In a little time, instincts of self-preservation caused the Nana to -start up, and resolve upon some plan of escape. He knew what would be -expected from him by his people. Having been defeated, he must retrieve -his honour by dying; but, as before stated, he was too great a coward -for that. He was wily enough, however, to see that it offered him means -of escape. There were two or three of his followers that he could yet -depend upon, and these he summoned to his presence, and made known a -plan that suggested itself to him. - -This plan was, that it was to be given out that he was preparing -himself for self-immolation. He was to consign himself to the sacred -waters of the Ganges. There was to be a signal displayed in the -darkness of the night, at the precise moment when he took his suicidal -immersion. This signal was to be a red light hoisted at a given spot. - -Soon the news was spread far and wide, taken up by thousands of -tongues, and carried through the bazaars and the city, for miles -around, that Nana Sahib was going to kill himself; and some of the -Brahmin priests, who were still true to his cause, went through -religious ceremonies, in which they prayed for the immortal welfare of -the erstwhile Prince. - -But he had no thought of dying. As darkness closed in he gathered the -women of his household together, and hurried to the Ganges. There a -small boat was waiting him. In this he embarked, and ascended towards -Futtehgurh, and at a favourable spot emerged on the Oude side of the -river and fled; perhaps with the voice of the Furies--who are said to -avenge foul crimes--ringing in his ears. - -At the moment that he disembarked, the red light was hoisted. Thousands -of eyes had been watching for it; but no prayer floated upward for -the man who was supposed to have drowned himself. Those eyes had been -watching for another purpose, and when the red light appeared, a -howling crew rushed towards the Bhitoor Palace. In a little time its -magnificent halls and rooms were swarming with the rabble, who fought -and killed each other for possession of the valuables. Everything was -plundered. Not a yard of carpet, not a single curtain was left; even -the marble pavement was torn up. And when the morning came, the Bhitoor -Palace was a wreck inside. - -As the sun rose, a large number of English soldiers were sent down from -the cantonment to Bhitoor to search for the Nana. But they were too -late--the bird had fled. They found nothing but the bare building. Some -guns were brought up, and the muzzles turned towards the walls. The -building was battered down. The Palace was entirely destroyed, and ere -the sun set again, the last home of the Peishwah was a ruin.[6] - -FOOTNOTE: - -[6] It is needless perhaps to remind the reader that Nana Sahib, the -Tiger of Cawnpore, was never captured, nor is it known how he met his -end. It is supposed that he fled into the vast and miasmatic jungle, -known as the Terai, where, deserted by his followers, broken-hearted -and despised, he died a miserable death. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -NEW HOPES. - - -To follow the fortune of two of the characters who have played -conspicuous parts in this history, it is necessary to go back to the -night of the day upon which General Wheeler vacated the Cawnpore -entrenchments. - -Walter Gordon and Haidee, as previously stated, sought concealment -in the ruins of an outbuilding that had been battered to pieces by -the enemy’s shot. Here they managed to escape the vigilance of the -marauders who swarmed in the defences after the English had gone. It -was true that there was nothing worth plundering, but all that was -movable in the shape of old iron and ammunition was carried off. - -Soon after the departure of the defenders, Haidee and Gordon were -startled by the booming of a gun, and almost before the echo had died -away, another followed, and another, until the firing became general. -Walter’s heart almost stood still, for the sound told but too plainly -that Haidee’s fears had been realised. - -As she heard the guns, she looked at her companion, and as her eyes -filled with tears, she murmured-- - -“Your poor country people are being slaughtered.” - -“Alas! I am afraid it is so,” he answered; “may God pity them.” - -After a time the firing grew desultory, but it continued for hours, -until Gordon became sick, as in his mind’s eye he pictured the awful -work that was being carried on. And as he remembered by what a strange -chance he had been prevented from accompanying the unfortunate people, -he could not help thinking that a kind destiny had preserved him, and -that happiness might come. And yet to think of happiness then seemed -almost as great a mockery to him as the mirage of a beautiful lake does -to the travellers dying of thirst in the arid desert. - -How could he hope for happiness? Deadly peril yet surrounded him. -If his hiding-place should be discovered he and his companion would -immediately fall a sacrifice to the yelling demons who were prowling -about thirsting for blood. And even if he escaped from them, how could -the hundred dangers that would encompass him be avoided? No wonder that -as he reflected upon these things, he sank almost into the very apathy -of despair. Haidee noticed the look of gloom that had settled on him. - -“Why are you so downcast?” she asked in a whisper. - -“I cannot help being so, Haidee. Our prospects seem so hopeless. And, -after all, our preservation may only be a prolongation of our agony.” - -“You should not speak like that. We live, and with life there is always -hope.” - -“True; but the hope cherished in extremity is more often than not a -delusion.” - -“It may be so, but it is better not to think so, for our prospects are -gloomy enough, truly so for me, for I am but a wanderer, without either -home or friends.” - -“Not without friends, Haidee, while I and Lieutenant Harper live.” - -At the name of Harper, she averted her face, that the speaker might not -see the emotion his words caused her. - -“But the fate of your friend is uncertain,” she said, after some little -silence. “He may be dead, and if so, life has no charm for me.” - -“He may be dead, as you say, and he may not. There were chances in his -favour; but even supposing that he escaped, he would lose no time in -making his way to Meerut, and there he would join his wife.” - -Gordon hazarded this remark, and as he did so, he watched his -companion’s face. He could scarcely help making it, for he longed to -know if Haidee was aware that Harper was married. But he did not like -to ask the question plainly. She hung her head and sighed, but made no -answer. - -Gordon was disappointed. He waited for some minutes, then felt that -he was justified in putting an end to all doubt upon the subject. -For while he would not believe that his friend had wilfully deceived -Haidee, he thought it probable that Harper might have deemed it -advisable to withhold the information, as his life had entirely -depended on this woman. And yet he was reluctant to believe that, for -it seemed to suggest that Harper in that case would have been guilty -of deceiving her, and he was not sure that even in such extremity the -end would justify the means--where the means meant the breaking of a -woman’s heart. And that woman, too, the very perfection of womanhood. - -“Did you know that Lieutenant Harper was married?” he asked kindly, -watching her closely as he spoke. - -But the only indication she gave that she felt the force of his -question was an almost imperceptible trembling of the lips. She turned -her eyes upon him as she answered-- - -“I am aware of it. Your friend is too honourable to deceive -me;”--Gordon breathed freely again;--“but though I knew this, and -know that the laws of your country allow a man to have but one wife, -there are no laws in any country which prevent a man having any number -of friends. I would have been a friend to him, to his wife, to his -friends, so that I might sometimes have looked upon his face, and have -listened to his voice. Alas! if he is dead, will not my sun have gone -down, and only the gloom of night will remain for me.” - -“Let me cheer you now, Haidee, for it is you who are downcast and -despairing. Take comfort. Harper may still be living, and the future -may have boundless happiness in store for you.” - -“Forgive me for this momentary weakness,” she replied. “I do not -despair. While you live I have much to live for, for you are his -friend, and if I can succeed in restoring to you your lost love, shall -I not have much cause for rejoicing?” - -“You are a noble, self-sacrificing woman, Haidee, and your reward will -come.” - -“I hope so; but let us turn our attention to effecting an escape from -this place. Why did you not try to secure a weapon, for you may have to -defend your life?” - -“And yours,” he added quickly, for she never seemed to think of -herself. - -Her words reminded him for the first time that he was totally unarmed, -and carrying their lives in their hands as they did he knew that a -weapon was indispensable. He reproached himself for having been so -forgetful as not to have secured one before the garrison had marched -out; but reproaches were useless; that he knew, and he thought it -possible the error might yet be repaired. - -“Perhaps it is not yet too late to get one,” he said. - -“We will try,” she answered. “I will go and search amongst the -defences; we may find something that will be of service.” - -“No, you must not go. Let that job be mine.” - -“We can both go,” she replied. “Four eyes are better than two, for one -pair can watch for danger, while the other searches.” - -“Thoughtful again, Haidee. We will both go; but first let me -reconnoitre, to see if the coast is clear.” - -Cramped and stiffened by the crouching posture he had been compelled -to sustain, he crept from his hiding-place, so as to command a view of -the ground. He could see nobody. He listened, but no sounds broke the -stillness, excepting now and again the exultant yelling of the natives, -as it was borne to his ears by a light breeze. - -The firing had ceased, for the deadly work at the Ghaut was completed, -and the day was declining. - -“I think we may venture forth, Haidee,” he said, after having assured -himself as far as possible that there was nobody in sight. - -They both went out from the place of concealment, and, while Haidee -took up a position behind a large gun from which she could command an -extensive view, and give timely warning of the approach of any of the -enemy, Gordon commenced to search amongst the heaps of old rubbish that -were scattered around. - -It was a melancholy task, for at every step there were ghastly -evidences of the fearful nature of the struggle that had been carried -on so heroically by the defenders. Here was a fragment of an exploded -shell, there an officer’s epaulette; a portion of a sword blade red -with blood, a baby’s shoe also ensanguined, a bent bayonet, a woman’s -dress, colourless and ragged, and what was more ghastly and horrible -still, there was the corpse of a little baby. It had died that morning; -its mother had been dead some days. In its dead hands it still held a -broken doll, and on its pretty dead face a smile still lingered. Gordon -picked up the ragged dress, and reverently laid it over the little -sleeper. - -Continuing his search, he came upon a canvas bag. It contained some -salt beef and some biscuits. They had evidently been put up by one of -the garrison for the journey, but in the hurry of departure had been -forgotten. It was a very welcome find to Gordon, for the pangs of -hunger were making themselves painfully unpleasant both in him and his -companion. The bag had a string or lanyard attached to it, so that he -was enabled to sling it round his shoulder. - -He next entered the portion of the barrack that had been occupied by -the men. Here there seemed to be nothing but ruin and rubbish. Worn-out -blankets, a few old beds, some broken cups, and various other articles -were strewn about. Amongst these he searched, and in one corner of the -room, hidden beneath a straw mattress, he found a case containing an -American revolver, and with it a leather bag filled with cartridges. He -could scarcely repress a cry of joy as he made this discovery; it was -the very weapon of all others likely to be most useful. The revolver -was in good order, and he proceeded to load it, and, this completed, he -hurried to Haidee. She was, of course, delighted with his good fortune. -As it was yet too early to leave, they went back to their hiding-place -and partook of some of the biscuits and beef. - -About two hours afterwards they crept from the ruins. The night was -quite dark. Tom-toms were being beaten in all directions, and fireworks -were constantly ascending. The natives were making merry and holding -high revel in honour of the victory--that is, massacre--for this was -the only victory they had ever gained. Haidee and Gordon made their -way stealthily along, avoiding the huts and houses, and keeping in the -shadow of the trees. They reached the bridge without molestation, but -as they crossed the river they were frequently eyed with suspicion by -the natives who were lounging about, several of whom addressed Haidee, -but she replying in their language, and saying that her companion was -dumb, the Delhi road was reached, and so far they were safe. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -A DUEL TO THE DEATH. - - -Behind them was Cawnpore, a city red with the blood of slaughtered -innocence, a city filled with cowardly assassins, who, in their -supposed triumph, made night hideous with their drunken shouts. Before -them was Delhi and the unknown future. Walter Gordon and Haidee -travelled along in silence; both were occupied with their own thoughts. -He was racked with many conflicting emotions; hopes and fears struggled -in his breast. One moment he was inclined to think that he was going -upon a very wild goose chase, the next his steps could not move fast -enough to satisfy his craving desire to be at the end of the journey. -More than a month since Flora Meredith had been carried over that very -road, a captive, to the city of the King. What had befallen her during -that month? Was it possible for her sensitive nature to have borne up -against the shocks and trials to which she had been exposed? Even if -she lived and was still confined in Delhi, which was an immense place, -how could he hope to find her? Would it not be very much like looking -for the proverbial needle in the bottle of hay? But assuming that he -should be fortunate enough to discover her whereabouts, would it be -possible for him to rescue her? It was true that Zeemit Mehal had gone -in search of her, and Zeemit was faithful, and a native; but she was -also old and ill, and might have died long ago. - -As he thus reasoned with himself, it seemed to him that his journey, -after all, was a little Quixotic, and it might be better, now that he -was free, to make his way to Meerut, and there endeavour to raise a -little corps to proceed to the Imperial City, and attempt a rescue by -force, should Flora still be living. - -He suggested this to Haidee, and gave her his reasons for coming to -that conclusion, but she only laughed, for to her the plan seemed so -absurd. - -“If I had no other thought but of myself,” she answered, “I should -counsel you to speed at once to Meerut, for is it not to Meerut that -Harper has gone? But even if you were to go there, what force that -you could raise would be powerful enough to enter the walled city of -the Mogul? Delhi is the great stronghold. It is to that place that -the tide of revolution flows. And it will need all the power of your -mighty nation to wrest it from the grasp of the insurgents. What we -have to do, we must accomplish by stratagem and stealth. By these means -we shall effect more than if we hammered at the Imperial doors with -half-a-dozen regiments behind us to enforce our demands. I do not doubt -but what we shall be able to get entrance into the city, and that being -so, we shall have gained a most important step. Though I know that, -by going back, I am walking into the very jaws of the lion, I have no -fear, so that I can serve you, who are the friend of the man who is -my life. Once in Delhi, we shall be comparatively safe; I have some -country people there who heartily hate the King, and who will gladly -give us shelter and concealment. The fact of an English lady having -been brought in will be too notorious not to be widely known, and we -shall speedily gain some information. For the rest, we must trust to -chance.” - -Gordon felt the full force of this woman’s reasoning. He derived hope -and strength from her words. She appeared to him in the light of a good -spirit, who was all powerful to lead him to success, and to guard him -from danger. - -There was something in her very presence that inspired him. Endurance, -trust, unselfishness, devotion to the cause of others--these were the -qualities that made her mind as beautiful as her face. And Gordon no -longer wondered why his friend Harper should have felt an all-absorbing -interest in her. - -Many a man had sacrificed home, friends, interests, and honour for the -sake of something far less ennobling than was presented in the mental -and physical beauty of this woman. And yet she had all the elements of -human weakness, though they were softened by those higher qualities of -the mind which were so conspicuous. - -“You are a wise counsellor, as you are a true friend, Haidee,” was -Gordon’s answer; “and I cheerfully acknowledge the superiority of your -reasoning as well as the clearness of your judgment.” - -“You rate poor Haidee too high,” she murmured softly; “she only tries -to humbly do her duty.” - -Gordon made no further remark; he knew that no other words were needed, -and so they walked on. - -It was weary travelling along that dark and silent road--silent save -for the myriad insects which in the Indian climate make night musical. -For many hours the travellers kept their way, until, as the morning -light stole upon the heavens, they halted, weary and worn, before a -traveller’s rest. - -It was a small, thatched bungalow, with the usual verandah running -round it. - -“This place invites us to recruit our strength with sleep,” Gordon -said. “Do you think it will be safe to remain here, Haidee?” - -“I think so; certainly safer than seeking rest in a jungle. There are -signs, too, of intense heat and a coming storm. We shall be secure from -it in this place, and we can remain until darkness again favours us.” - -They entered the building. - -There were two tolerably large rooms, which were bisected by a passage -that ran right through to a small compound. This compound was fenced -round, poultry having evidently been kept in it. On one side of the -compound was the indispensable adjunct to all Indian buildings--namely, -a cook-house. In India the food is almost invariably cooked over -charcoal. The charcoal is burnt in a hole in the ground; and as there -are no chimneys, the place in time becomes black and grimed with the -smoke. The outbuilding, in this instance, was a very small erection -composed of mud plastered over bamboo sticks. There was a door, and a -small square hole for a window. On the other side of the compound, and -directly opposite the cooking-place, was a little tank, and on the very -edge grew three or four cocoa-nut trees. - -The place was distant from Cawnpore only about ten miles, for the -travellers had made but slow progress during the night. - -When they had partaken of a frugal meal, it was arranged that one -should keep watch while the other slept, and Gordon insisted that -Haidee should be the first to seek repose. She protested at first, but -he pressed her; for it was evident that she was fagged and worn-out, -and only kept up by strength of will. She yielded to his entreaties, -and very soon was locked in sound sleep. - -As she had predicted, the day came in with a sultriness that was almost -unbearable. The sun was obscured by heavy banks of cloud, but the -dust-laden wind blew like the fiery blast from a furnace. - -It was weary work enough watching, and Gordon had the utmost difficulty -in preventing himself from being overcome by sleep, for nature was -thoroughly exhausted; but he knew that danger menaced, and if he -yielded to the desire for rest, he and his companion might both be -murdered before they were able to utter a cry. - -The day was growing old when Haidee awoke, thoroughly recruited by -many hours of most refreshing slumber. The clouds in the sky were -increasing, and it was evident a storm was brewing. - -“I have slept long,” she said; “you should have aroused me before.” - -“No,” he answered; “that would have been cruelty. I have yet several -hours to rest before we can start upon our journey; for we must not -leave this shelter until the storm has passed.” - -He laid himself down, and in a very few minutes was sound asleep. - -Haidee kept a faithful watch. Hour after hour passed. Darkness came -on--darkness unrelieved by the glimmer of a single star. Presently -heavy drops of rain commenced to patter down; then a blinding and -jagged streak of blue lightning leapt across the black sky, and a -deafening crash of thunder followed. Gordon woke with a start, alarmed -for a moment, not realising what the noise was. - -“Haidee, Haidee--where are you?” he called. - -“Here,” she answered, as she groped her way to where he stood, and laid -her hand upon him. “I saw that this storm was coming,” she continued, -“but it is rather in our favour, for it will lay the dust and cool the -air. Ah! What is that?” she suddenly exclaimed, as she grasped his -hand. “Do you not hear something?” - -“No, nothing but the rain.” - -“There is something more than that--the sound of horse’s hoofs. Do you -not hear it?” - -He listened for a minute, and then answered-- - -“Yes.” - -“Come to the door,” she said, still holding his hand. - -He did as she desired, and they both listened. - -“I hear wheels, too,” she whispered. “Somebody is driving along the -road. We must conceal ourselves.” - -“Where?” he asked. - -She considered for a moment, and then answered-- - -“In the cook-house. You will be able to defend us there, with your -revolver, against great odds. But if I mistake not, this is a buggy -that is advancing, and so cannot contain more than two or three people. -They are evidently making for this place to seek shelter from the -storm. Come, let us go.” - -They hurried to the cook-house. The door closed with a wooden latch, -and Gordon managed to secure this from being opened from the outside by -means of a piece of stick. - -The sound of the wheels drew nearer and nearer, and in a few minutes -the vehicle drew up at the door, and a man sprang to the ground. - -“There is only one person,” Gordon whispered. - -“There may be more behind,” she answered. - -“We must not stir.” - -They heard the man unharness the horse and lead it to the shelter of a -small shed used as stable, at one end of the house. The storm now broke -furiously. The lightning and the thunder were terrific, and the rain -came down--as it does come down in India--in a perfect deluge. The man -went into the bungalow, and for four hours Gordon and Haidee waited in -terrible suspense for the coming day. Several times Gordon wanted to go -out and face the stranger, but Haidee restrained him. - -“Wait,” she said, “until you can see with whom you have to deal. There -may possibly be more than one person, and they are sure to be armed. -Besides, they, or he, will depart when day breaks.” - -Gradually the storm died away. The lightning flashed less frequently, -the thunder growled at long intervals, the rain became a pattering -shower, then a drizzle, and at last ceased. Darkness fled before the -dawn, and the soft light of a new day spread over the land. The air was -delightfully cool, and the birds sang merrily, as if thankful for the -health-giving storm. - -The stranger, who had been sleeping in the room previously occupied by -Gordon and Haidee, awoke with the break of day, and going to his buggy, -he procured a small brass lotah and some food; then he crossed the -compound to the cook-house and tried the door, but found it fastened. -He tried it again; put his shoulder to it; still it did not yield. - -“That is strange,” he muttered, in Hindoostanee. “It seems to be -fastened on the inside.” - -“By heavens--I have heard that voice before?” Gordon whispered -excitedly to Haidee. “There is only one man, and, at all hazards, I -will see who it is.” - -He undid the fastening carefully, and opened the door, having first -drawn his revolver. The stranger had crossed over to the tank, and was -stooping down, filling his brass vessel with water. The door made a -slight noise on being opened. The stranger, whose senses were quickened -by being constantly on the alert for danger, sprang up, dropping his -dish, which sank in the water, and with a rapid movement of his arm, he -drew a revolver. - -As Gordon saw who the man was, his surprise overcame his caution, and -he exclaimed-- - -“I thought I was not mistaken, Haidee--it is the villain, Jewan Bukht!” - -It was Jewan; he was on his way to Delhi, to seek reinforcements -in the name of Nana Sahib. Master and servant had met. Master and -servant were face to face, and one of them must die. Jewan recognised -his old master’s voice in an instant, and, with the instinct of -self-preservation, which is ever uppermost in the human mind, he sprang -behind the cocoa-nut trees, and covered the door of the cook-house with -his revolver. - -In his uncontrollable excitement, consequent on this unexpected and -strange meeting, Gordon exposed himself to the aim of his foe. Jewan -fired, but his aim was high, and his bullet went crashing through the -roof of the little building. Bukht was looking out to see if his shot -had taken effect, when Gordon seized the opportunity, and fired; but -the bullet only struck the tree. - -It was certain that one of the men must fall, for neither could leave -his shelter without exposing himself to the fire of the other. - -“Walter Gordon, you shall not escape me!” Jewan cried tauntingly. “I -have friends, who will be coming along the road soon, and they shall -burn you out.” - -“Villain and traitor!” Gordon answered; “you have professed -Christianity, and worshipped in the Christian faith; and I tell you -that that God, whose name you have often invoked, will guide my bullet, -and recognise the justice of my cause.” - -A part of Jewan’s shoulder was exposed, and Gordon fired again--but -again missed--the bullet passing a little too high, and grazing the -bark of the tree. He was ordinarily a good shot, but his nerves were -unsteady now with excitement, and he could not take proper aim. - -“Ah, ah, ah!” laughed Jewan as he returned the fire. “Your bullets need -guiding, I think.” - -Gordon was inclined to go out and openly attack his enemy, but Haidee -would not permit it. - -“That would be madness,” she said in alarm, “and a needless sacrifice -of your life.” - -“What, then, is to be done?” he asked. “If the fellow should be -reinforced, we shall be doomed. Is it not better to make a bold stroke -for our lives?” - -“If the bold stroke is to expose yourself, I say no. The moment you go -out, the man’s bullet will end your career. We must resort to a ruse to -try and draw him from his cover.” - -“That is a good idea; but what do you propose?” - -Some pieces of bamboo were lying in the corner; she secured one of -these, and then said-- - -“Give me your turban.” - -He having done as she desired, she wound the muslin round the stick, so -as to, in some measure, resemble Gordon’s head. - -“Go to the window,” she said, “and fire a shot. This will attract -Jewan’s attention to that spot, and while you get back to the door -again I will show the turban.” - -Gordon saw the plan was a good one. He crept to the window, and fired -at Jewan’s tree, then ran back to the door, as Haidee raised the stick. - -Bukht peeped cautiously from behind his shelter. He saw what he -supposed was Gordon’s head, and, taking deliberate aim, fired. There -were two simultaneous reports--two bullets sped past each other. One -crashed harmlessly through the mud wall of the cook-house, the other -crashed fearfully through the brain of Jewan Bukht, who, without a cry, -without a moan, threw up his arms, and fell forward into the tank a -corpse. It was a just retribution, and his career of crime was ended. - -Gordon could not help drawing a sigh of pity as he saw his old servant -fall, and yet he felt that the man’s fate was merited. - -“We had better not remain here,” Haidee said, “for the firing may have -reached other ears, and we shall have our foes down upon us in numbers. -Let us conceal ourselves in the jungle until darkness again sets in.” - -Gordon went out, untethered the horse, and set it free, so that it -might forage for itself. He would have utilised it and the buggy, but -he knew that that would be running unnecessary risk. He searched -the vehicle, and found a large bag filled with rupees. These he -appropriated as spoils of war, thinking they might be useful as bribes. -There was also a quantity of provisions, which were very welcome. -Having secured these things, and made a hearty meal, he and his -companion struck into the jungle, there to wait until darkness should -again befriend them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -DELHI. - - -Delhi, where centred all the hopes of the mutineers, was one of the -largest and most beautiful cities in Upper India. If its walls had -been properly guarded it would have been almost impregnable. One side -of the city rested upon the Jumna, and the other side formed a mighty -mass of fortifications. Stately mosques and minarets were everywhere to -be seen. The Jumna Musjid, a triumph of Oriental architecture, and the -magnificent pile of the Royal Palace, imparted to the place an aspect -of regal splendour. It was here that for centuries a long line of kings -had held arbitrary sway. Here, before the advent of Clive, the great -Mogul rulers had dazzled the country with their pomp and splendour, and -with irresistible might and power had awed their subjects into slavish -subjection. - -The city lay in a vast hollow, that was interjected and cut up by -ravines and patches of jungle; while here and there, outside of -the walls, stately mansions had been erected by Europeans. These -houses glimmering whitely in the sun, and fringed with graceful -palms, lent a charm to the landscape that could scarcely have been -surpassed. Entrance to the city was gained by various gates, that were -formidable in their strength, as well as noble and beautiful in their -architecture. - -It was to Delhi that the stream of rebels flowed almost unceasingly, -until behind its frowning walls there was gathered a mighty Sepoy army, -as well as a countless multitude of rascals from all parts. On the -ridges on two sides, a mere handful of British had sat down waiting for -reinforcements and a siege train to begin operations and attack the -dastardly enemy in his stronghold. England’s security in India depended -upon the fall of the Imperial City; and yet the available force arrayed -against it was ridiculously small. - -It was as if a pigmy had set itself up to conquer a stupendous giant; -for truly Delhi was a giant at that time. From its walls countless -heavy guns kept up an incessant fire of shot and shell on the besieging -army, which could only feebly reply. - -The saucy rebels laughed when they saw how feeble their enemy was. -Sorties from the city were almost of hourly occurrence, and the English -were harassed and taunted almost beyond endurance. But they waited, -assuming the defensive at first, for they knew that their time would -come. - -Inside of the city it was little better than a pandemonium. The worst -passions of humanity were running riot; the most savage and horrible -instincts of the natives had been aroused, and they gave unchecked -vent to their feelings; the beautiful Palace had become a barrack; the -courtyards were turned into stables, and some of the noble apartments -were occupied by the Sepoys, who gambled and drank, fought, quarrelled, -and killed each other, and made the place hideous with their demoniacal -revelry. The imbecile King, the grey-haired puppet, was powerless -to stay this. He was like one who had invoked to his aid a terrible -agency, that having once been set free, was beyond his control. But he -believed himself mighty, and that belief gave him pleasure. He chuckled -and grinned whenever accounts were brought to him, that so many English -had been killed in the sorties. - -“Make our guns speak! make our guns speak!” was his favourite -expression to his creatures. “Send showers of shot and shell into the -English positions. Give them no rest. Do not stop until you have blown -these hated Feringhees from the face of the earth.” - -But though the guns did indeed speak, though they sent forth their -missions of death in thousands, there were still no signs of the “hated -Feringhees” being blown from the face of the earth--on the contrary, -they held their ground. They did more, they descended into the hollow, -and attacked the enemy at his own gates, and often against fearful -odds beat back the forces that came out against them. But these little -successes gave the King no alarm. - -He believed it was impossible for the foreigners to get inside the -city, and so he gave himself up to indolence and luxury. He had one -little trouble though--a trifling one perhaps, but it caused him to -chafe. This was the obstinacy of two women--Englishwomen. One of these -was Flora Meredith. - -When Flora arrived in the city after being brought from Cawnpore by -Moghul Singh, she was at once conveyed to the Palace, and confined in a -small room. At first she gave herself up to almost maddening despair, -and if the means had been at hand she might have been strongly tempted -to put an end to her existence. A few days after arrival she was -conducted to the presence of the King. He was alone in a luxuriously -furnished ante-room that led from the “Hall of Audience.” Moghul Singh, -who had been her guard, retired, and the King and Flora were face to -face. She was the first to speak. - -“Your Majesty has sent for me,” she said. “What are your wishes, and -why am I detained here a prisoner?” - -“I have sent for you that I may gaze upon your beauty,” he answered. - -“Peace, old man!” she exclaimed with warmth. “With your grey hairs -there should at least be wisdom. I am but a girl; and though you may -hate my race, my youth and sex should protect me from insult, and -insure me pity from you.” - -“Tut, tut, child; you talk foolishly. It is your very youth that -constitutes your charm. But it has ever been the fatal mistake of -your countrywomen to despise us; because our skins are of a different -colour. Times have changed. We are the conquerors now, and the -erst-while slaves become the masters. Your proud race shall bend and -bow to us now. We will set our feet upon your necks.” - -“And is it to tell me this that you have sent for me?” asked Flora, in -an impatient tone. - -“No, no,” mumbled the King. “I said it was to gaze upon your beauty.” - -“Shame upon you!” she cried. “If that is your only purpose, I command -you to let me go.” - -“Command, eh? Such a word becomes you not, my child. We do not allow -ourselves to be commanded. Your life is in my power. If I but raise my -finger, you would die. Have a care--have a care, girl.” - -“If but the raising of your finger can do so much, I implore you, in -the name of all you worship, to raise it and release me. Nay, doom me -to the worst of deaths, so that you will only end my misery.” - -“No; your time has not yet come. We will reserve you for another -purpose.” - -“Ah! what do you mean?” cried Flora, as she pressed her hand to her -temples to still their throbbing. - -The King smiled, and rubbed his palsied hands together. - -“You may be useful,” he answered. “We will keep you as a hostage; and -though our age precludes the likelihood of our gaining your favour, we -have sons, and one of them shall try his hand at breaking your proud -spirit. He has succeeded before now with your countrywomen, and I tell -thee, girl, he will succeed with you.” - -Flora shuddered. She inwardly prayed that she might be stricken with a -merciful death upon the spot on which she stood, for she knew that she -could expect no pity from her foes; and yet she cried-- - -“Oh, man, let your heart thrill with one touch of sympathy for me. I -am a woman, helpless and alone; let that fact appeal to your manhood. -Spare me. Let me go free. Do one good act, and rest assured it will -bring its own reward.” - -“Bah!” exclaimed the King angrily, “you people are too much given to -preaching. But I am deaf to your appeals; I am steeled against your -entreaties. I tell you my son shall make you his slave.” - -“Never!” cried Flora, drawing herself up, while her face was scarlet -with indignation. “I defy you. You can but kill me, and it were better -to suffer death twenty times than become the plaything for you or -yours.” - -“We shall see, we shall see,” chuckled the King. “We have already one -of your countrywomen here; she was more fiery than you at first, but we -tamed her, and now she is as obedient as a well-trained dog. She is our -tool--we use her. She shall take you in hand. Ho, Moghul!” - -Moghul Singh appeared in obedience to the King’s call. - -“Moghul, this woman is defiant.” - -“Is she so, your Majesty?” - -“Yes; and we must humble her. Where is Zula? Let her be conducted into -our presence.” - -Moghul bowed and withdrew. - -“Zula is a name we have given to an Englishwoman who is in our care,” -the King continued. “She was like you at first, but we soon cured her. -She is useful now. She whiles away our idle hours with her songs and -music; she sits at our feet, and we fondle her as we should our pet -dog; but, like the dog, we make her know her place.” - -Moghul Singh returned, and led into the room a young English girl. She -was scarcely more than two-and-twenty, but her face bore traces of -awful sorrow. A sweet face it was, but its beauty was marred with the -expression of care and a look of premature age. She was attired in a -long robe of light blue silk, embroidered with gold, and down her back -fell a wealth of unfettered hair. She looked at Flora in astonishment -as she entered, but turned instantly to the King, and making a low bow, -said-- - -“What is your Majesty’s pleasure?” - -“Here is a countrywoman of yours, Zula; she sets us at defiance. You -must teach her to respect us, to yield to our will. She may listen to -you, though she will not listen to us.” - -“She is foolish, your Majesty, and her pride must be broken.” - -“Well said, Zula. Her pride _shall_ be broken,” remarked the King. - -Flora turned with amazement to Zula. To hear one of her own race talk -like that seemed almost too horrible to be real. She could scarcely -believe the evidence of her own senses; but she managed to find tongue -at last. - -“Are you mad, woman?” she asked, “or have you forgotten that you -represent a great and honourable nation?” - -“Neither,” was the scornful answer. “But however great our nation, his -Majesty here represents a greater and a mightier still. The weak should -yield to the strong. I yield, as you must.” - -“Never!” was the passionate exclamation of Flora. “Rather than yield to -such an imbecile dotard as that, I would suffer any torture that the -ingenuity of man could invent.” - -“Pshaw!--your words are idle,” answered Zula. “I once thought as you -do, but I think differently now. I sympathise with his Majesty and -his cause. He has been graciously pleased to smile upon me, and I -thank him. Take my advice. Kiss the King’s hand, as a sign of your -submission, and give yourself up to a life of luxury and ease.” - -“To a life of infamy, you should say,” replied Flora. “But if you are -dead to every sense of honour and right--if you are so abandoned as -to have forgotten your womanhood, do not counsel me to follow in your -footsteps. I repeat that I will die first.” - -“I repeat that you won’t,” said Zula, with sarcasm. “If I have not lost -my powers of persuasion, I will undertake to change your views in less -than an hour.” - -“Well said, Zula--well said,” cried the King. “You shall test your -powers. Take this woman to your own apartment, and report in an hour’s -time what progress you have made. Moghul, Zula will retire.” - -Moghul Singh, who had been waiting outside of the door, entered. He -understood the King. - -“Come,” he said to Flora. “It is the King’s command.” - -Anxious to get away from the hateful presence of the King, Flora -allowed herself to be led out by Moghul, who was followed by Zula. He -conducted her through a long corridor, until a room was reached. Then -he turned to Zula. - -“I give her into your charge,” he said. “Remember, you are responsible -for her.” - -“Never fear but what I will render a good account of her,” Zula -answered laughingly. “Come, madam,” turning to Flora, “and let me see -if I cannot alter some of your exalted notions. What I am you must be, -either by force or persuasion; and, believe me, it will be far better -for you to yield to the latter.” - -It was a luxurious apartment. Splendid mirrors adorned the walls, and -costly silken curtains hung at the windows. Marble statuary peeped from -clusters of magnificent flowers and ferns, and some choice water-colour -drawings by English artists were suspended on the walls by gold cords. -A harp stood at one end of the room. There was also a grand-piano, -while a guitar was lying on an ottoman. Tastefully arranged in various -corners of the room were gilded stands, and on these stands were cages -of gorgeously-plumaged birds, that made the air melodious with their -songs. - -“This is my prison,” said Zula, as Flora threw herself on to a couch, -and burst into tears. “Here his Majesty visits me, and I am happy--oh, -so happy. Tral, lal, la, la, la.” - -She sat down at the piano, and with light and rapid fingers ran over -the keys; and then, in a sweet, well-modulated voice, sang-- - - - “My heart was a garden - Where fresh leaves grew; - Flowers there were many, - And weeds a few; - Cold winds blew, - And the frosts came thither; - For flowers will wither, - And weeds renew! - - “Whither, oh! whither - Have fled away - The dreams and hopes - Of my early day? - Ruined and grey - Are the towers I builded; - And the beams that gilded-- - Ah! where are they?” - - -As she finished the last line, she jumped from her seat, and, throwing -the music carelessly on one side, laughed loudly. - -“Moghul, you need not remain,” she said, addressing Singh, who lingered -in the doorway. “I have an hour in which to convert this weeping -beauty--and I will convert her, never fear. Convey my respectful -salaams to his Majesty, Moghul, and ask him if he will deign to honour -me with his presence at the end of that time, to see what progress I -have made.” - -Moghul withdrew, and as he closed the door, he turned the key in the -lock. - -Flora was still sitting on the couch, with her face buried in her hands. - -Zula sprang to the door, and listened for a minute; then she hurried -across the room, and seized Flora’s wrist. - -“Why do you weep, woman?” she asked, in a hurried and low tone. - -Flora looked up in astonishment, struck with the sudden change in the -manner of her companion. - -“Who are you?” she asked, “and what are you doing here?” - -“I am a wretched, miserable, broken-hearted woman,” answered Zula. - -“Ah! is that so?” cried Flora; “then you do but act your part?” - -“That is all. I arrived in Delhi but a few short months ago from -Calcutta. I came with my husband, who was in business here. He had gone -to Calcutta to make me his wife. We were married and happy, and came -here. I saw that husband butchered before my eyes, when this awful -mutiny broke out in Delhi. But I was spared and brought to the Palace. -I made the King believe that he had won my love. It was in the hope -that an opportunity would occur for me to avenge my husband’s cruel -murder, and rid India of a monster. I have here a small stiletto, and I -have made a vow to plunge it into the heart of the King. I have won his -confidence; he believes me to be true to him. Hitherto, he has seldom -been alone when he has visited me, but he is becoming less cautious, -and I pray Heaven that I may have the strength and courage to execute -my purpose.” - -“Oh, my poor sister in misfortune!” cried Flora, as she threw her arms -round Zula’s neck, “this is very, very terrible. No doubt this monster -of iniquity is deserving of such a fate, but will it not be better to -leave him to the retribution that will speedily overtake him, and let -us try and effect our escape to the British lines?” - -“Escape is impossible,” Zula answered; “our enemies have become too -wary. I have given up every hope, except the one that I, a weak, -dishonoured, miserable woman, may be able to strike the imbecile King -down. If it had not been for this hope I would have ended my own life -long ago. If the King were dead, his army would become demoralised, and -Delhi would fall. But while he lives, I fear the city will never be -reduced, and thousands of brave English soldiers must be sacrificed in -the futile attempt to gain an entrance. Therefore, I feel that it is a -duty I owe to my country!” - -“Alas! Zula, you speak truly, however fearful it may be to have to -cherish such a feeling; but the atrocities committed since the mutiny -broke out have been enough to unsex us, and turn even our women’s -hearts to steel.” - -“You would say so, if you had seen the sights that I have seen. My -blood curdles, and I shudder as I think of them!” - -She paused, for the key was being turned in the lock. - -Flora sank on to the couch again as the door opened. On the threshold -appeared the King, Moghul Singh, and several Sepoys. - -“So, you she-dog,” the King hissed, addressing Zula, “you would have my -life, would you? Thanks to the fidelity of Moghul, who has overheard -your plot, that trouble will be saved you. The Prophet is good, and -watches over the faithful. I shall live, and _you_ shall die.” - -He made a motion with his hand, and four Sepoys entered and seized the -unfortunate Zula. Flora screamed and fainted, but, beyond a deadly -paleness, the doomed woman betrayed no signs of emotion. - -“Treacherous wretch,” continued the King, “I little believed that you -were playing a double part. I have been blinded by your deceitful ways.” - -“Miserable dotard!” answered Zula scornfully; “if I had but seen you -dead at my feet, I could have died happily.” - -“Take her away, Moghul--instant death!” - -The unhappy Zula was dragged out of the room, and the King, having -glanced at Flora, locked the door, and, putting the key in his girdle, -walked away. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -A TERRIBLE VOW. - - -When Flora found herself alone, she gave way to bitter despair. It -seemed as if fate was mocking her. She was hopeless. No sooner had she -found a friend in the unhappy Zula, than that friend was snatched away -to suffer a cruel death. - -“Why should she die, and I be spared?” the poor girl moaned, as she -rocked herself backwards and forwards under the influence of the mental -torture she was enduring. “Oh, that I could lie down here and end my -wretched life! Why do I live? Why am I spared? It is not that I fear -to meet death. Life has a thousand terrors for me, but death has none. -Friends, home, happiness, all gone--all gone, and yet I am preserved, -for what end, for what end? It is a mystery that I cannot hope to -fathom. I will try to be patient--to have faith in the goodness of -Heaven. But I am weak, and in my human blindness Heaven seems unjust, -and the burden of my cross is more than I can bear.” - -She sank down on her knees by the side of the couch, and, burying her -face in her hands, wept and prayed. She was suffering the very extreme -of mental torture. Not a ray of hope shone out of the gloom into which -she was plunged. - -“Oh, for a friendly hand and a soothing voice!” she murmured; but -neither was there. She was alone, and however awful the sorrow might -be, she must endure it. - -There are times when it really seems as if Heaven was unmindful of our -sufferings, and with only human hearts and brains to endure, we appear -to have more than human sorrow thrust upon us. We cry aloud for help, -but it comes not; we pray for death, but it is withheld; we totter -beneath our burden, and yet it is not lightened. - -Flora Meredith experienced something of this--whichever way she turned -her eyes she saw no help, only darkness and sorrow, and she almost -impiously believed that the Christian’s God had forsaken her. It was -scarcely to be wondered at that she should feel like this; for she had -been borne like a reed on the current of swift-flowing events, and -though she had prayed for help, no help had come. - -In a little while she rose from her kneeling position at the couch, -and made an inspection of the apartment. She scarcely knew why, though -perhaps in her breast was some half-formed hope that a way of escape -might present itself. At one end of the room was a carved archway, -and before this archway hung a massive velvet curtain. She drew this -curtain on one side, and there was revealed a small and exquisitely -furnished boudoir. A long window, before which was a half-drawn amber -silk curtain, stood open, and a verandah was visible. - -Flora could scarcely suppress a cry of joy as she noticed this, and, -darting forward, she found that from the verandah a flight of steps -led to a portion of the ramparts. It was a small, gravelled terrace, -evidently used as a private walk. Scarcely conscious of what she -was doing, she hurried down the steps. There was a refreshing breeze -stirring, and it seemed to her that she was once more breathing the air -of liberty. - -She gazed over the fortified wall. There was a perpendicular depth of -at least sixty feet, so that all chance of escape that way was shut -off. She hurried along the terrace to an angle in the building, and -then her heart sank, for she was confronted with a Sepoy, who was on -guard. - -The man, however, took no notice of her. She turned back to the other -end of the terrace, and again stood face to face with a Sepoy sentry. -She once more turned in despair. Escape that way was impossible. As she -reached the centre of the terrace, she was startled to see the old King -standing on the verandah, gazing at her. Seeing that she observed him, -he descended the steps and approached her. - -“We are glad to see you here,” he said, as he twisted his withered -hands one about the other. “Too close confinement might cause your -health to suffer. We allowed Zula to walk here, and we shall accord you -the same privilege. It will be your private ground, and you need not -fear intrusion. Our sentries are keen-eyed and vigilant. No one could -pass them, and no one could come up that wall without the certainty -of being mangled into an unrecognisable mass.” As he said this, his -weazened face was puckered with a smile, and he fixed his bleared -eyes upon the pale face of the trembling girl. “We know how to reward -fidelity, and how to punish treachery,” he went on. “See,” pointing -below, “see that group of men. They carry a burden. It is the body of -Zula. I have ordered them to cast her carrion out on the plain, as -food for the vultures and jackals.” - -Flora shuddered as she turned her eyes to the spot indicated, and saw -some men carrying a body. In a few minutes they threw it on the ground, -and Flora could discern that one of the rascals caught hold of the long -hair of the victim, and dragged the corpse by it for some distance. -Then the body was left, and the men returned. - -“This is a dastardly deed,” Flora exclaimed, as she turned fiercely -upon the King, and feeling that, had she been possessed of a weapon, -she could, without any compunction, have slain the grey-headed monster -of iniquity, who stood before her smiling in triumph. - -“Not a dastardly deed,” he answered, “but a summary act of justice. -That woman confessed to you her intention to take my life, if -opportunity presented itself; but, the Prophet be praised, we overheard -the creature proclaim her purpose, and we were enabled to mete out a -fitting punishment. Heaven is merciful. Glory be to the Prophet!” - -Flora felt a thorough loathing for this imbecile hypocrite. But she -realised that she was in his power, and that to set him at defiance -could be productive of no good. Hard as it was to have to dissemble, it -gave her the only hope of ultimate escape. And now that her first great -outburst of grief had passed, there came back a desire for life. - -“Your Majesty is severe,” she answered. - -“It is necessary to be so when we are surrounded with enemies. It -is hard to distinguish friends from foes now, and we must make our -position secure. But say, are we to look upon you as an enemy or -friend?” - -“I am only a helpless, defenceless woman, and should make but a puny -enemy, indeed, against your Majesty’s might and power.” - -“That is true. You reason well. But you speak mere words. Your heart -thinks otherwise. No matter. We confess our hatred for the whole -Feringhee race, and yet we do not wish to war with women. You are a -woman and a captive. Kings from time immemorial have turned their -captive women to account; we will use you. You shall be numbered -amongst our favourite slaves. You shall occasionally enliven our spare -moments, and when you cease to charm me--Well, no matter; much depends -upon yourself. If you are obedient, your life will be one of ease and -luxury.” - -“I understand your Majesty well,” Flora answered, her face reddening -with indignation, and her heart almost bursting with grief, which she -struggled to conceal. “I will endeavour to be obedient. Slaves have no -choice. But am I to enjoy no more liberty than is afforded by these -confined limits?” - -“No. You have luxurious apartments, and you are free to exercise upon -the terrace whenever you wish. That is all the liberty we can allow -you.” - -Flora sighed, but she saw that it was better to accept her fate with -resignation, and wait patiently for what the future might bring. - -“Your Majesty is in power,” she answered, “and I acknowledge your -power--more I cannot do.” - -The King smiled, and laid his emaciated hand on her head, but she -instinctively shrank away. - -“You are sensible,” he said. “We came here to know your mind, and we -are glad to find you so submissive. For the present farewell. We shall -visit you again by and by.” - -He ascended the steps of the verandah, and as he did so, he mumbled-- - -“She-dog of a hated race, we have humbled you, and we will humble you -still more, and then give your carrion to the birds of the air.” - -Flora felt relieved when the King had disappeared. His presence was -hateful to her. She knew he was the very embodiment of deceit and -treachery; and all the loathing and contempt that an honourable woman -could feel for such a being she felt for him. - -The hours passed wearily enough. It was true her apartments were well -stocked with a miscellaneous collection of books and music, but she -could not concentrate her thoughts upon these things. Her eyes wandered -longingly to the English positions, where she could just discern the -white tents of her country’s soldiers; and she wondered whether the -city would fall, and if it did, whether she would live to see it fall. - -She was very lonely. She paced restlessly up and down the terrace, -but when either end was reached, she was confronted with the grim -sentry. She peered over the wall, and could see lying on the plain what -appeared like a little mound, but which she knew was the dead body of -the unfortunate Zula. - -As she thought of the ghastly crime her blood almost curdled, and she -prayed in her heart that Heaven would bring speedy retribution on those -who had been guilty of the foul murder. - -Perhaps the prayer was heard, for, some hours later, in the quiet hours -of night, there crept down from the ridge a little body of English -troops. They were on a reconnoitring expedition, and their object was -to examine some of the gates of the city, with a view of reporting upon -the practicability of blowing them open. - -As these soldiers made their way cautiously along, one of the number -suddenly stumbled over something--the something was Zula’s body. The -poor face was horribly distorted, and round the neck, deeply imbedded -in the flesh, was a portion of a silken cord, showing how her death had -been accomplished. - -“Comrades,” said the soldier, when he had recovered from his surprise, -“here is the body of a murdered Englishwoman. The black demons have -placed her outside here as if to mock us.” - -As the men crowded round, they gave vent to muttered threats. The -officer in charge of the company stepped forward, and said-- - -“Soldiers, ours is a war against men, not women. But these inhuman -brutes slaughter our countrywomen in cold blood, and out of pure -wantonness. Such deeds as these must be revenged.” - -“Ay, and so they shall,” exclaimed a dozen voices. - -“Vows are scarcely needed,” continued the officer, “and yet let us make -a vow to avenge this poor woman’s murder, stranger though she was to -us.” - -As he spoke, he drew his sword from its scabbard, and, stooping down, -proceeded to sever the beautiful hair from the head of Zula. When he -had finished his task, he held a heavy bunch of hair in his hand. This -he separated into equal lots, and, giving a lot to each soldier, said-- - -“Men, take your caps off. Hold your portion of hair over the body, and -say after me--‘By all that is sacred on earth, and by all that is holy -in Heaven, I swear most solemnly, that if I live I will have as many -lives for this woman’s murder as I now hold hairs in my hand; and I -further swear to count every hair, and to preserve the lot until I have -fulfilled my vow.’” - -Each man repeated the oath with his teeth set, and with an earnestness -that was startling. Then the tresses of hair were stowed carefully -away, to be counted at leisure. - -The body of Zula was lifted tenderly up and carried to a little clump -of bushes, where a rough grave was hastily dug; and the murdered lady -was laid to rest. Scarcely was the mournful duty completed, when the -officer cried-- - -“On your guard, men--we are surprised!” - -The movements of the Englishmen had been observed from the city, and -a large number of Sepoys were instantly sent out to attack them. They -came on at the “double quick.” - -The Englishmen fixed their bayonets, and dropping on their knees behind -the bushes, which afforded them excellent shelter, waited patiently. - -When the enemy was within fifty yards, the British officer stood up, -and, waving his sword, cried-- - -“Remember your oath, men--fire!” - -For every bullet that went forth from the muzzles of those rifles a -native tottered to the ground. The survivors staggered for a moment, -but quickly recovering themselves, came on again. But the deadly -Enfields were quickly loaded, as if they were all worked by one piece -of intricate mechanism, and another volley strewed the ground with dead -and dying Sepoys. - -“Load quickly, men. Another volley, and then charge,” cried the officer. - -The Sepoys, exasperated by the terrible effects of the fire from their -hidden foe, were coming on with a rush, but again they reeled and -staggered, as the rifles belched forth fire and lead from the bushes. - -“Up and charge, men, and remember your oath,” cried the officer once -more. - -Each man sprang to his feet, and then, with a ringing cheer, the little -body charged the enemy. - -It was a short and desperate struggle. The Sepoys were completely -surprised. They offered but a feeble resistance. The oath of the -English soldiers was indeed remembered, and though the number of -lives taken was not equal to the number of hairs, the retribution was -terrible. The deadly bayonet did its work, until the few surviving -Sepoys, stricken with fear, turned and fled back to the city. The -English followed right up to the gate, bayoneting many of the cowards -in the back as they ran. - -“We can return now,” said the officer, as he collected his men, not one -of whom was missing; “we have had a good night’s work.” - -Flora Meredith witnessed the fight from the terrace. She could not make -out things very distinctly, but she gathered that the Sepoys had been -beaten, and had she known that the very men who had murdered Zula, by -order of the King, were amongst the number who were lying out on the -plain, pierced by English bayonets, she might have felt that her prayer -to Heaven for retribution had, indeed, been heard. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -A SURPRISE. - - -For a few days Flora was kept in comparative solitude. She did not -see the old King, and Moghul Singh only visited her once a day. She -recognised that all chance of escape was hopeless, unless something -little short of a miracle occurred to favour her. She could not -lower herself over that perpendicular wall. She could not pass the -vigilant sentries on the terrace, and the door of her chamber was -kept constantly locked, so that she could not go out that way. But if -either, or all of these impediments had not existed it would still -have been next to impossible to have escaped from the city. As she -thought of this she suffered agony of mind that cannot be described. -To concentrate her thoughts upon any of the luxuries which surrounded -her was out of the question. There was a rare and costly library of -books in her room. There were a grand-piano, a harp, and other musical -instruments. There were gorgeous birds, and beautiful flowers, but all -these things palled upon her senses. How could she enjoy them? Shut -off as she was from everything she held dear in the world, she pined -until her cheeks grew pale and her eyes lost their brightness. This -did not escape the notice of Singh, and he began to think that this -Englishwoman, who had put him to so much trouble, was going to die. - -“Why do you sit moping all day?” he said one morning, on taking her a -basket of mangoes. - -“Why, indeed!” she answered. “Could you expect me to be cheerful -and gay when you have brought so much misery upon me? Besides, this -captivity is unendurable.” - -“I don’t know why it should be. But you belong to a dissatisfied race. -Your people always want to be masters, and if they can’t get their -wishes they commence to whine. The fact is, if you sit brooding in this -way all day you will die.” - -“I hope so,” she cried suddenly, and with an animation that slightly -startled him. “I hope so,” she repeated. “I have prayed fervently to -Heaven that I may die. If it will only quicken the coming of that -event, I will bless you if you will curtail even the limits of the -limited space I have. Confine me to the floor of my room. Shut out -the light and air. Do what you like, so that you will but end my -sufferings. I can assure you I am not afraid to meet death.” - -But though Miss Meredith spoke the sentiments of her mind, those -sentiments were not to be gratified. The King did not intend that she -should be sacrificed yet. He had another object in view. So Moghul -Singh answered-- - -“These views are morbid ones. You are melancholy. I will try and obtain -you a little more freedom.” - -“You need not; that would be but mockery,” she cried. - -But Moghul only laughed as he withdrew. He at once sought the King his -master, and represented that he was likely to lose his captive if he -kept her in too close confinement. - -“Then let her out a bit--let her out a bit,” mumbled the puppet -monarch. “Let her have the freedom of our private garden. Her walk -there will be circumscribed, and escape will be impossible, as the -grounds are well guarded by our sentries. And stay, Moghul”--as the man -was about to depart--“let it be distinctly understood, however, that -should this Feringhee woman escape by any means from the grounds, every -sentry then on duty shall suffer instant death.” - -“Your Majesty’s orders shall be obeyed,” Moghul answered, as he bowed -and withdrew. - -When this concession on the part of the King was made known to Flora, -she refused to avail herself of it, saying it would be but the torture -of Tantalus. And she preferred to die quickly, to lingering long -in hopeless agony. Moghul Singh, however, managed to overrule her -objections after some difficulty, and Flora consented to walk in the -garden. - -Though this garden was comparatively small, being only about two acres -in extent, the first hour spent there revived the drooping spirits of -the poor girl. The ground had been planned, and laid out under the -superintendence of an English landscape gardener. And with the aid -of the tropical trees and plants which he found ready to his hand, -he had turned the place into a perfect paradise. Palms and cocoas -threw a grateful shade over almost every part. Gorgeous flower-beds, -arranged in a novel style, and beautiful sweeps of emerald green sward, -presented a magnificent picture, while the other senses were lulled -by the delicious fragrance of the orange and citron trees, and the -gem-like birds that flitted about in thousands and filled the air with -melody. Flora very soon felt grateful for this increased freedom, and -a desire for life came back. Day after day as she strolled about she -endeavoured to find out if any means of escape presented themselves. -But, alas! She was hemmed in on all sides. Steep banks, crowned with -hedges, formed the boundary of the grounds, and at various points, on -the summit of the banks, Sepoy sentries were stationed. These fellows -often eyed the young Englishwoman with jealous and revengeful feelings, -and they wondered amongst themselves why the King wished to keep such -a “white-faced doll.” Not a few of them would have liked to turn their -muskets on her and shoot her down. - -But Flora knew nothing of the demoniacal feelings which stirred the -breasts of these men. Her walks were always companionless, excepting -when occasionally Moghul Singh forced his hateful presence upon her. -This man grew more and more familiar in his conversation. And it was -evident that it was not solely on the King’s account that he paid her -so much attention, and guarded her so jealously. On the contrary, he -looked with contemptuous pity on the imbecile representative of the -House of Timour. But to him he owed his position, and to oppose his -wishes was to court his own downfall. Yet, notwithstanding the risk, he -daily allowed himself to be tempted from his allegiance by the pale, -but beautiful, face of the Englishwoman. His passion got the better of -his judgment, and he ventured at last to make advances to her on his -own behalf. - -“You look better since I obtained permission from his Majesty for you -to use the garden,” he said one day as he conveyed some flowers to her -room. - -“I am better,” she answered. “Increased freedom has made my existence -slightly less painful; but still life seems little better than a -mockery.” - -“That is because you are morbid. Life has plenty of enjoyment if you -like to extract it.” - -“How,” she cried, “how am I--a wretched prisoner in the hands of my -country’s enemies, and separated from friends and relations--to extract -enjoyment from such a miserable existence as mine?” - -“Pshaw,” he answered. “You would sacrifice yourself to no purpose. Why -not adapt yourself to circumstances? Your people are fond of talking -about the ‘philosophy of resignation.’ Why don’t you act up to it now? -You are a captive. You cannot alter that condition. You are reserved -for the King’s plaything. That may not afford you much pleasure to -contemplate. Moreover, I may tell you this--his Majesty intends in a -few days to hand you over to one of his sons, and you will be conveyed -away from here.” - -Flora started with alarm as she heard this, and her face blanched. - -“Never,” she cried; “I will throw myself over that parapet before I -will suffer such an indignity.” - -Moghul smiled. - -“That would be madness indeed,” he said. “If the idea of becoming the -property of the King’s son is so distasteful to your feelings, you may -avoid it in a more pleasant way than by mangling that beautiful figure -of yours by such a nasty fall.” - -“How?” she queried eagerly. - -“By escaping.” - -“Escaping!” she echoed as she stared at the man in astonishment. - -“Yes.” - -“Are you mocking me? Or has your heart been softened by some pity for -my miserable condition?” - -“I am not mocking you.” - -“Then do you offer me escape?” - -“Yes.” - -“On what conditions?” she asked, agitated with hopes and fears. - -He smiled again, and drew closer to her. - -“You are eager,” he replied. “The conditions are simple.” - -“Name them then, if they are not dishonourable.” - -“Bah! such a term is inadmissible to one in your position.” - -“I think I gather something of your meaning,” she exclaimed, in alarm. - -“My meaning should not be hard to understand. I offer you freedom if -you will consent to go with me to my house, which is on the other side -of the city.” - -She recoiled from him with horror--with loathing. The blush of -indignation dyed her face to the very roots of her hair. - -“You are a villain,” she cried when she could speak, for the base -proposal literally deprived her of breath. “A double-dyed, treacherous -villain. I am an Englishwoman, and would suffer a thousand deaths -sooner than yield to such an unmanly coward. Go away and leave me. Do -not torture me with your loathsome presence any more. And I warn you -that I will inform the King of your treachery.” - -It was the man’s turn to be alarmed now. If she carried out her threat -he knew what the consequences would be, for the King was merciless. - -“You are a fool!” he said, with an attempt to seem indifferent; “I did -but play with you. Were you to inform the King, your position would -not improve. For if he believed you, which is doubtful, he would take -you away instantly, and your next keeper might not be as lenient as I -am.” - -Flora saw the force of this argument, and thought it was better to -endure what she was enduring than to take a leap in the dark and in all -probability increase her woes. - -“Although you deserve it, I have no desire to bring harm upon you,” she -replied; “but relieve me of your presence. Go away, I beseech you.” - -“I do as you request,” was his answer; “but the next time we meet you -may be in a better frame of mind. Think over it. You would find me a -better master than the King’s son.” - -When Flora was alone she wept very bitterly. The trials she was going -through almost threatened to affect her reason. Every channel of hope -seemed shut against her. Day after day she heard with a sickening -sensation at the heart the roar of the guns, as besieged and besiegers -were struggling for the mastery. She knew that outside the English -troops were making desperate efforts to reduce the city. But with such -a full force it almost seemed like a waste of time. Her rooms and the -terrace before them were situated in a part of the building not exposed -to the besiegers’ fire, but she was often startled by the bursting of a -shell in close proximity to her quarters, or the scream of a round shot -as it hurtled through the air. She grew despondent when she saw how -fruitless were the efforts of the troops outside, and how those inside -laughed them to scorn. - -When she had relieved her overburdened soul with a passionate outburst -of grief she grew calmer. It was drawing towards the close of day, -when, availing herself of her privilege, she sought the garden. She was -faint and weak, and was glad of the fragrance and the cool air. - -At the further end of the garden, away from the Palace, was a small -summer-house, a sort of bower embosomed amongst some mango and orange -trees, and covered all over with roses. It was quite sheltered from the -heat of the sun, and formed a cool and quiet retreat. And here Flora -had spent many hours, grateful for the undisturbed solitude. It was -furnished with a couch, a few chairs and a table, some pictures and -books. - -Feeling unequal to walking about, she entered this place, and taking -up a book, reclined on the couch and tried to read. But her mind was -too confused to allow her to concentrate her thoughts. A mass of -things rushed through her brain, until she became bewildered with the -conflicting emotions which agitated her. - -In a little while she realised that something was moving under the -couch. Her first thought was that it was a snake, and she held her -breath in alarm, but in a few moments she uttered a half-suppressed -cry, as a voice close to her whispered-- - -“Hush! Silence, for your life.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -NEW HOPES OF LIBERTY. - - -The cry that Flora Meredith half gave vent to was not a cry of alarm, -but joy; for a head had gradually protruded from under the couch, until -the face was revealed--and the face was Zeemit Mehal’s. - -“Hush, for your life!” the old woman repeated, as she revealed her -presence to the astonished girl. - -But, in spite of the warning, Flora seized the hands of the faithful -Zeemit, and, as her heart beat violently, she whispered-- - -“God bless you, Zeemit. Your presence is new life to me.” - -The woman rose very cautiously, and peered through the jalousies. Then -she listened intently for a few moments--they almost seemed like hours -to Flora, for she was burning with impatience for an explanation. - -“My presence here, should it be discovered, would be death to us both,” -Zeemit whispered at last. - -“But what is your object?” was Flora’s anxious query. - -“To try and save you.” - -“God be thanked.” - -“The difficulties are so great, though, that I am afraid to hold out -much hope. I have been in the city for some days, and have made various -attempts to get into the Palace, but failed. By mingling with the -soldiers in the courtyards, however, I learnt that you were in the -habit of walking here. I determined at all hazards to try and reach -you. I succeeded last night in escaping the vigilance of the sentries -and getting into the grounds. Here I have remained since, until my old -bones are sore, and I faint for the want of food.” - -“You are a faithful, noble, generous creature,” was Flora’s answer. -“The only reward I can give you now is my grateful thanks. But tell me, -Zeemit, what are your plans?” - -“Alas, I have none. I am like a fly that has got into a spider’s web. -I don’t see how I am to get out. I was determined to come if that were -possible, and here I am. But the way I came, you could never go back. I -had to mount stone walls, and scramble over high hedges.” - -“Oh, I would do all that,” said Flora anxiously. “Only lead the way, -and I will follow.” - -“That will never do, baba. You would be missed, and before we could get -outside of the Palace grounds, re-captured, and then death would be -certain.” - -“Alas, what shall become of us, then?” moaned poor Flora. “I have -suffered so terribly that I feel I cannot endure it much longer.” - -She then recounted to Zeemit all that had passed since they parted, and -concluded with informing her of Moghul Singh’s proposal. - -“Ah! that is good,” answered Zeemit, as she heard this. - -“How is it good?” asked the astonished Flora. - -“Because it presents a way of escape. Once clear of the Palace, and -there is hope. There is none while you remain here. At any moment the -King, exasperated by the desperate fighting of the English outside, -might take it into his head to order you instant death. You must go -with Moghul Singh.” - -“Go with Moghul Singh!” - -“Yes.” - -“You do not make yourself very clear, Zeemit. Where is the advantage to -be gained by running from one danger into another?” - -“You go from a greater to a lesser danger.” - -“But you would not counsel me to sell myself to this man?” - -“By the ‘Sacred River,’ no.” - -“What is your scheme, then?” - -Zeemit pondered for a little while before she answered. - -“I know Moghul Singh’s house. He keeps three or four of his mistresses -there. Escape from the place would be comparatively easy.” - -“Yes, yes; go on,” said Flora excitedly, as Zeemit paused again. - -“If he conveyed you there these women would favour your escape, because -they would be very jealous of you. And if they let you go, they would -think that, as a Feringhee woman, you would soon be slaughtered in the -city. I could take you from there, and conceal you somewhere until a -chance presented itself to get outside.” - -“Your plan seems a good one, Zeemit; and a new hope springs up. But -tell me, before you left Cawnpore, did you see Mr. Gordon?” - -“Yes.” - -“And what became of him?” - -“I advised him to go into the defences, and promised to communicate -with him in the event of being able to set you free. But communication -is impracticable now. We must wait.” - -“And do you think he still lives, Zeemit?” - -“At a time like this it is hard to answer such a question. A thousand -dangers beset us all.” - -“But he was alive and well when you left him?” Flora asked with a sigh. - -“Yes, and hopeful.” - -“Now tell me, Zeemit, what do you propose that I should do?” - -“Tell Moghul Singh that you have reconsidered your decision, and that -you will go with him.” - -“Yes, yes, and what then?” - -“I will be near Singh’s house. I do not anticipate any difficulty in -your being able to escape from there, and we can fly together.” - -“I will do it,” was Flora’s answer. - -“And I give you this caution: you must do everything you possibly can -to lead Moghul to believe that you are sincere, or he might suspect -something.” - -“It shall be as you suggest, Zeemit, however repulsive the task may be.” - -“The only thing repulsive about it is that you will have to practise -a little deception. That cannot be avoided if you wish to save your -life. But it is time that you went away now, for it is growing dark. -Farewell, missy baba. If our plans do not miscarry, we shall meet again -soon.” - -Flora pressed the hand of the faithful old ayah, and with hope once -more strong in her breast, she hurried to the Palace, while Zeemit -crept under the couch again to wait until darkness would enable her to -retrace her steps. - -The following day dawned; but Moghul Singh did not appear. Another day -and another night passed, and yet Moghul did not come. Flora began to -despair again. He had never kept away before. She had fears now that -the man, dreading that she would carry out her threat of informing the -King, had fled from the Palace. And if so, her very last hope would -be gone. The suspense was awful. The only attendant she had had since -she had been confined in the Palace was an old woman who was dumb, or -professed to be. At any rate, no word ever escaped her lips in Flora’s -presence. She performed her duty sullenly, and with manifest disdain -for the Feringhee woman, so that no information could be expected from -her. - -Thus a week passed--a week of most awful, agonising suspense. The guns -roared with increased vigour. In fact, they were scarcely ever silent -now, for desultory firing was kept up during the night. The siege was -being prosecuted with energy, as the English siege-train had arrived. -Flora was enabled to see from her promenade on the terrace that the -defenders were concentrating their guns at those points which commanded -the English positions. She saw also that great damage had been done -to various parts of the building, and one of the gates, of which she -had a full view, was very much battered, and was being barricaded with -massive beams of wood and heaps of gravel. - -She feared from these signs that Zeemit’s fears might be realised with -reference to the King, and she was in momentary dread of seeing him or -some of his myrmidons enter her rooms to drag her out to the slaughter. -However, for several days she enjoyed a total immunity from any -intrusion, with the exception of her sullen attendant, from whom she -could derive no spark of information. - -At length one morning her suspense was ended, for Moghul Singh himself -reappeared. She almost welcomed him with a cry of joy, for in him her -hopes of ultimate escape now centred. - -“You have been long absent,” she said, in a tone that surprised him. - -“Yes, I have been upon a journey. But if that absence had been -prolonged, it would have pleased you better, no doubt.” - -“No, it would not,” she answered truthfully. - -“Ah! What mean you?” - -“I mean that I have missed you,” she replied, with equal truth. - -“Missed me! Why so?” he cried, unable to conceal his astonishment. - -“Because I have been very lonely without you. You were kind and -thoughtful.” - -“And yet the last time I was here you repulsed me.” - -“I did.” - -“And yet you seem to welcome me now.” - -“I do.” - -“Explain yourself, for this is a mystery.” - -“I was hasty the last time you were here. I have regretted that -hastiness since. I have been so lonely, so miserable.” - -A smile of satisfaction stole over Moghul’s face as he replied, - -“I thought you would come to your senses. You Englishwomen are as -fickle-minded as the wind is restless. But why have you regretted it?” - -“You made me an offer when you were here before.” - -“I did.” - -“Does that offer still hold good?” - -“Oh, oh--there is something in the air. What does this mean?” - -“It means that if you are still of the same mind, I will accept your -offer and will go with you.” - -“So you have thought better of your decision, then. But why this -change?” - -“That question is scarcely needed. I am very wretched. I prefer to -place myself under your care than to remain longer a prisoner here; and -if you will take me away I will go with you.” - -The man smiled inwardly with satisfaction. It was a triumph he had -not calculated upon, and he was surprised and gratified. No suspicion -crossed his mind, because he considered it would be impossible for a -white person to escape from the city. Whatever control was exercised -over the troops and other people about the Palace, the mobs in the -city were lawless and revengeful, and to be an European was, in their -eyes, a crime punishable with instant and cruel death. He, therefore, -felt that when once he had got her outside of the Palace she would be -thoroughly in his power, and to return to the Palace would be a feat -no less difficult of accomplishment than to get outside of the walls. -He fairly chuckled as he thought of this, and his coarse features -displayed the satisfaction he felt. - -The loathing that Flora had for him was so great that it was only with -great difficulty she could prevent herself from showing it. But she -knew that in him lay her last hope, and if he failed, then all was lost -indeed. - -“You have more sense than I thought you had,” he answered. “Come, give -me your hand;”--she did as he desired;--“it is a nice soft hand, and -looks very white in my black one, doesn’t it? You have fully made up -your mind to go with me, then?” - -“Yes.” - -“That is good. Your flight must be provided for. The King must think -you have escaped by yourself.” - -“How will you manage that?” - -“That is easy. Let me see now, what is the best plan? I have it. I will -procure a rope, and make one end fast to the verandah, and let the -other fall over the parapet of the terrace.” - -“That is a good idea,” she answered. - -“Yes, it will avert all suspicion from me.” - -“When will you take me?” - -“To-night.” - -“At what time?” - -“Late. I hold the keys of certain doors and gates, and I shall have the -passwords, so that we shall not have much difficulty in getting out. -Once clear of the Palace, a buggy shall be in waiting, and all will be -well.” - -“I shall be ready for you,” she answered, as she withdrew her hand. - -She felt thankful when she was alone again, for the part she had played -had taxed all her faculties to keep up. But the hours passed wearily -enough now. She alternated between hope and fear. Every sound startled -her. She watched the hands of the clock with feverish eyes. The hours -seemed to go by leaden-footed. Ten, eleven, twelve struck, still Moghul -had not come. She almost despaired. But the hour of one had barely -chimed when the key was turned in the lock of the door. The door -opened, and Moghul Singh appeared. In his hand he carried a coil of -rope and a large dark-coloured shawl. - -“I am true to my promise, you see,” he said, as he handed her the -shawl. “You must conceal yourself in this as much as possible.” - -She took the shawl and enveloped herself in it, while Moghul went out -on to the terrace, and having made one end of the rope fast to the -railings of the verandah, he lowered the other over. - -“The sentries will have to answer for that,” he remarked, with a grin, -as he returned to the room. “Are you ready?” - -“Yes.” - -“Come then.” - -With palpitating heart and trembling limbs she followed him. He led the -way down silent corridors and dark passages, past sleeping Sepoys and -drunken servants, he moving quickly and noiselessly, she following like -a shadow, but feeling sick and ill, and with a terrible sense of fear -pressing upon her. - -The open air was reached at last; the night breeze blew refreshingly -cool upon her fevered face. - -“We must be cautious here,” he whispered. - -It was a large courtyard they had to cross, but nothing seemed to be -stirring but themselves. He opened a gate with a key which he took from -his pocket, and then they stood in a private road. Down this road he -led her for some distance till a small strip of jungle was reached. -Here in the shadow of the trees a buggy and horse were standing. A -native boy was holding the horse’s head. Moghul helped Flora into the -vehicle; when she was seated he drew his tulwar, and approaching the -boy, who still held the reins, he almost severed his head from his -body; then, springing into the buggy, he cried--“Dead men tell no -tales.” - -The deed was so sudden, that there was scarcely time for reflection, -but Flora almost fainted with horror as she witnessed it. - -Moghul whipped the horse. It started off at a gallop, and very soon the -Palace was left far in the rear. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -MOGHUL SINGH IS OUTWITTED. - - -The house to which Moghul Singh took Flora Meredith was about four -miles from the Palace, and on the opposite side of Delhi. It was -simply an ordinary bungalow, built for the most part of bamboo. It -was in a dilapidated condition, and situated in the native quarter. -At this place Moghul had three or four of his native mistresses. It -was quite a common thing in India for men in Singh’s position to keep -up such establishments. In fact it was looked upon rather as a social -distinction. - -The place wore a most melancholy aspect when Flora arrived. The -indispensable cocoa-nut lamp gave forth a faint glimmer that enabled -a person, when the eyes became accustomed to it, to distinguish the -squalor and filth; for the native dwellings, as a rule, were but one -remove from pig-sties. In this room were ranged wooden benches, and on -the benches were stretched the forms of several Hindoo women. - -The air was fœtid with the smell of chunam and the opium and common -tobacco smoked by the natives of both sexes, in the hubble-bubble, or -hookah, of the country. - -Flora experienced an indescribable feeling of alarm, while despair -seized her again. In the Palace she certainly had comfort. There was -none here. Moreover, she saw that she was thoroughly in Singh’s power. -In her anxiety to escape she had not thought of that; but now that the -danger stared her in the face, she shrank with horror. She yearned for -Zeemit. Where was she now? If she failed, everything was lost. Not that -Flora doubted her. The old woman had proved her devotion in a hundred -ways. But then the difficulties and dangers were so numerous. Besides, -many days had elapsed since Zeemit had parted from her in the Palace -garden, and during that time she might have thought that the scheme -had failed, and had given up watching at the bungalow. As Moghul Singh -handed his captive down from the buggy, she cast anxious glances about. -But there were only darkness and silence around; nothing could be -heard, nothing seen, only the dark mass of building, and the melancholy -light of the lamp. - -As she mounted the two or three steps that led to the verandah, and -stood upon the threshold of the doorway, she tottered with the sense -of horror with which she contemplated the consequences of remaining. -She felt that she dare not enter, that she would sooner rush to certain -death in the open city, than pass one hour beneath the roof of that -tomb-like place. - -“What is the matter?” the man asked sharply as he saw that she faltered. - -“I am faint,” she answered. “The heat has overcome me.” - -“Oh, nonsense,” was his surly reply. “Come, follow me.” - -He tried to take her hand, but she held it back. She felt such an -unutterable loathing for the villain that it was almost impossible to -avoid showing it. The cold-blooded deed that he had been guilty of in -decapitating the boy made her shudder. - -It was true she had seen horrors enough during the mutiny to have -hardened her senses to some extent. But this tragedy had been -committed in such a diabolical manner, and before her eyes, that it -sickened her; and yet she had ridden side by side with the guilty -miscreant for some miles. She had had an impression, although it had -not been so understood, that on the moment of her arrival she would -find Zeemit Mehal waiting, and that the woman would have matured some -plan that would have enabled them to effect an immediate escape. -But Zeemit was not to be seen. It was an awful moment for Flora. -Words would fail to depict the agony of mind and body she endured. -She reproached herself for leaving the Palace. She felt that if she -had been in possession of a weapon, she could without the slightest -compunction have slain the villain who stood beside her. She was -suffering the extreme of despair--passing through that stage when all -faith even in Heaven is for the time lost. Misfortune had come upon her -so suddenly, and pursued her so relentlessly since, that she mentally -asked herself why she and her people should have been made the subjects -of so much persecution. - -Moghul Singh grew impatient when he saw that Flora did not comply with -his demand and follow him. - -“Why don’t you come?” he exclaimed angrily. “The time is passing -quickly, and I must return to the Palace before daylight.” - -“I cannot,” she answered. “The atmosphere is stifling, and I am ill.” - -The man scowled. He felt that he was thwarted, and it irritated him. -He seized her hand roughly and would have dragged her in, but she -remonstrated. - -“Why are you so cruel?” she asked. “Did I not come with you of my own -free will? Surely you are not so dead to every feeling of pity, but -what you can have some consideration for me now that I am ill?” - -Her argument was effective. He released her hand, and drew back apace. - -“What do you wish me to do?” he demanded. - -“Procure me a chair, and let me remain outside on the verandah a little -while. The cool air will no doubt revive me.” - -With a gruff assent to her request, he turned into the bungalow, to -procure the seat, and Flora stood alone. In those few moments a dozen -things suggested themselves to her. She would rush wildly away. By -that course she would probably be shot down, or, escaping that risk, -she might be able to reach the river, or canal, and there she would -end her misery, for she seemed to be abandoned by all. But great as -had been her experience of Zeemit’s fidelity, she did not know what a -depth of devotion there was in the old woman’s nature. For days she -had loitered about the bungalow, waiting patiently and anxiously for -the Feringhee lady, to whose cause she had devoted herself, in spite -of the many temptations that were offered to a native to fling off all -restraint for a time, and live a brief, riotous, and idle life. She had -watched the bungalow with ceaseless watching, creeping at night into -the shadow of the verandah, where she would lie coiled up, snatching -a few hours of rest, but always ready to start up on the alert at the -sound of wheels. She herself had almost given up all hope of Flora’s -escape. She had begun to think that the plan had miscarried, and was -resolving upon a scheme to pay another visit to the imprisoned lady in -the Palace. But her vigilance and patience were rewarded at last. She -heard the approach of the buggy, she saw Flora arrive, she heard the -conversation that passed, so that, when Miss Meredith had sunk to the -lowest depth of despair, when all seemed dark and hopeless, and she -felt inclined to doubt the goodness of Heaven, succour was at hand. - -As she stood alone in the brief space that elapsed during Moghul’s -absence, Zeemit was by her side. Flora was used to surprises now; but -as she heard the familiar voice, although it was but the faintest -whisper, of her faithful ayah, she could scarcely refrain from uttering -a cry. But the feeling of thankfulness that filled her heart found -expression in a silent “Thank God!” uttered under her breath. - -There was no time for words. Action was needed. Zeemit was equal to the -occasion. The buggy and horse still stood before the door. She seized -Flora’s hand, and rushed to the vehicle. Terror lent them both strength -and quickness. In an instant they had sprung to the seat. Zeemit caught -up the reins, and bringing the whip down upon the horse’s neck, started -the animal into a furious gallop, just as Moghul came from the house -with a chair in his hand. The whole affair took place in absolutely -less time than it has taken to pen these lines. - -Moghul realised at once that his bird had flown, and as he dropped -the chair with an imprecation, he hastily drew a revolver, and fired -it after the retreating vehicle. But the bullet sped harmlessly away, -though the report broke upon the stillness with startling distinctness, -and in a few minutes, dozens of natives had rushed from their huts to -discover the cause of alarm. - -“A horse--a horse,” cried Moghul. “A hundred rupees for a horse. There -is a Feringhee woman escaping from the city in yonder buggy.” - -A horse was speedily produced. Moghul sprang on to its back, and, -followed by a yelling pack of demons, set off in pursuit of the escaped -prisoner. But a good start had been given to the fugitives. The sounds -of the rattling wheels and the horse’s hoofs did not reach the ears -of the pursuers, who tore madly along, while Zeemit, who was well -acquainted with the city and its suburbs, guided the animal down a -by-road that led through a jungle. After travelling for some miles, she -pulled up. - -“We must alight here,” she said, “and abandon the horse and buggy, or -we shall be traced.” - -Flora sprang from the ground, and the two women hurried along on foot. -Zeemit led the way. She knew every inch of the ground. She kept her -companion up by holding out hopes of ultimate safety. - -As daylight was struggling in, a muddy creek was reached. It was a -lonely spot--overgrown with tall reeds and rank grass, and the haunt -of numberless reptiles. Half-hidden amongst the rushes was a large, -broken, and decaying budgerow, lying high and dry on a mud-bank. - -“This place offers us safety and shelter for a time,” Zeemit observed. -“I discovered it after leaving the Palace grounds.” - -She assisted Flora to get into the old boat. She collected a quantity -of rushes and dried grass to form a bed. These she spread upon the -floor of the budgerow, and then the two women, thoroughly exhausted, -threw themselves down, and fell into a sound sleep. At the same moment -Moghul Singh was returning to the Palace after his fruitless search, -vowing vengeance against Flora, and determining to send out men to -recapture her, on the pain of death if they failed. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -HAIDEE Ō STAR. - - -We must for the time being leave the fortunes of Flora Meredith and -Zeemit to follow those of some of the other characters who have figured -prominently in this story. - -When Haidee and Walter Gordon left the traveller’s rest, where the duel -had taken place, they pursued their journey without further adventure, -until they reached the neighbourhood of Delhi. Here the greatest -caution had to be exercised, for thousands of natives, flushed with -success and maddened with drink, were prowling about, committing the -most diabolical outrages on every one they met. - -Three or four attempts were made by Haidee and her companion to gain -entrance to the city, but each attempt failed. On the last occasion -success was nearly achieved, when a Sepoy, who had been in the King’s -service for some years, recognised Haidee. An alarm was instantly -raised, and Gordon had to defend himself and companion against fearful -odds. He was fortunate enough to secure a sword from the body of a man -whom he had shot, and with this weapon--in the use of which he was well -skilled--he was enabled to cut his way out. - -After this encounter it was evident that any further attempt to -enter the city would only result in disaster; and so the travellers -determined to make their way over to the British lines. Here they were -well received, and the history of their adventures listened to with -intense interest. - -Gordon’s failure to get into the city caused him much sorrow. He -remembered the promise he had made to Mrs. Harper that he would either -rescue her sister or perish in the attempt. - -Although he had repeatedly been near doing the latter, the former -seemed very far from being accomplished. - -He made the most desperate efforts to obtain some information of -her--he sought, but always without success; and at length he began to -despair of ever meeting her again. - -He grew desperate. He joined his countrymen in night attacks; he went -down with little bands of men to examine the gates and walls of the -city; and, although he saw hundreds of his comrades fall around him, -he lived. He appeared almost to bear a charmed life--neither sword -nor bullet reached him; and his splendid constitution enabled him to -withstand the deadly heat--and the still more deadly malaria, which -committed fearful havoc amongst the British. - -The siege promised to be a protracted one. The English were few in -number; their guns were small, their ammunition limited; and yet, with -these drawbacks to contend against, there were some most brilliant -passages of arms and deeds of daring performed before Delhi, deeds -that, although they have never been chronicled, entitle the actors in -them to be placed on England’s grand list of heroes. - -Weeks wore on. The force of the besiegers was getting weaker, and -their ammunition was all but expended. Reinforcements and a powerful -siege-train were daily expected, but still they came not. There was -much sickness in the camp, and the whole energies of the healthy were -taxed to the utmost to minister to the wants of and amuse the sick. - -In this duty there was one who stood out with individual distinctness. -This was Haidee, whose exertions on behalf of those who were not -able to help themselves were extraordinary. She flitted through the -hospital at all hours. She comforted the sick; she soothed the dying; -she helped the strong. No wonder that she won the love and good wishes -of everyone. The heart of many a man in the camp fluttered when in her -presence; and officers and men vied with each other in paying her the -greatest attention. Her beauty--her romantic history--her devotion, -won upon all. More than one officer, whose heart and hand were free, -ventured to woo her; but she turned a deaf ear to everybody. - -There was one for whom she pined--where was he? Night and day she -thought of him. He was, indeed, her star--her only light. She was -silent and patient; she uttered no complaint. She was content to wait -for what the future might bring. That future seemed at present dark -and uncertain, but she did not mourn. She wasted no time in useless -repining; she was hopeful. Her reward came at last. - -One morning the camp heard with unspeakable joy notes of music. They -were the welcome strains of a soul-inspiriting march played by an -English band. The reinforcements had arrived. Coming up from the -Grand Trunk Road the long lines could be seen. The white helmets and -flashing bayonets of British troops marching to the assistance of their -comrades, and pledged to reduce the stronghold of the saucy enemy. - -As the fresh troops marched in, the reception accorded them was -enthusiastic in the extreme. The excitement was immense. Such cheering, -such shaking of hands, such greetings. - -As the newly-arrived officers were moving towards the quarters assigned -to them, a man suddenly rushed out of a tent, and seizing the hands of -one of the officers, exclaimed, in an excited tone-- - -“God bless you, old fellow! This is an unexpected pleasure.” - -The man was Walter Gordon, the officer was Lieutenant Harper. The -friends had met once again--met upon the battlefield. - -Their last meeting had been sad, their last parting still more sad. -But, as they greeted each other now, each had an instinctive feeling -that, after having escaped so many dangers, they met now only to part -again when happier times had dawned. - -When Gordon could drag his friend away, he commenced to ply him with -questions; but Harper interrupted him with an impatient gesture, and -unable longer to restrain his feeling, exclaimed-- - -“Before I answer a single question, tell me if Haidee lives?” - -Walter smiled at his friend’s eagerness as he answered-- - -“Haidee lives.” - -“And is she well?” - -“Yes.” - -“Do you know where she is?” - -“Yes.” - -“Where?” - -“Here.” - -“This is joyful news.” - -“I am glad to hear you say so, Harper.” - -“Why?” - -“Because she is one of the most faithful and best of women. She has a -small tent to herself, for she is the idol of the camp. Come, follow -me.” - -Gordon pointed out Haidee’s dwelling to his friend, and then he left -him; for he did not consider that he had any right to intrude himself -upon their meeting. - -Harper advanced cautiously to the door of the tent. Haidee was -reclining on an Indian mat; her eyes were closed, but she was not -sleeping. She was dreaming a day-dream, in which Harper figured. - -“Haidee,” he called softly. “Haidee,” he repeated. - -She started to her feet like a startled fawn. She recognised the voice. -With a cry of joy she sprang forward--her arms closed around his neck; -and, as her head was pillowed on his breast, she murmured-- - -“Your slave is thankful and happy.” - -“Not slave, Haidee,” he answered, as he pushed back the beautiful hair -and kissed her forehead, “but wife.” - -“Ah! what do you mean? Is this a dream--or am I awake?” - -“You are awake, Haidee; and I repeat the words--you shall be my wife.” - -“But where is she of whom you spoke before--your--your other wife?” - -“She is dead, Haidee,” Harper answered sorrowfully. - -“Poor thing,” Haidee murmured, in a tone of such genuine sympathy that -Harper felt that she was one of the best and most perfect of women. - -“Yes, she is dead,” Harper continued. “When I left Cawnpore, I managed -to get clear of the place without any adventure. I made my way direct -to Meerut. I found my poor wife at the very point of death. She was -only just able to recognise me before she died. I was bowed down with -sorrow then. I heard of the massacre of Cawnpore, and concluded that -you would share the fate of the other unhappy ladies. When my regiment -was ordered to join the reinforcements for Delhi I was delighted; for -active service, with the risk of ending a life that had been darkened -with sorrow, was what I craved for. Little did I dream of meeting you. -Fate has been kind to us. To you I owe my life; and, if I am still -preserved till the end of this war, I may honourably ask you to be my -wife--for I am yours.” - -“Ah, what happiness,” she sighed, as she clung closer to him. - - * * * * * * * - -The siege was now prosecuted with increased vigour. The British -became exasperated at the stubborn defence of the enemy, and the -most desperate efforts were made to reduce the city. Day and night a -ceaseless stream of shot and shell was poured in, until breaches in the -walls gaped, and many of the gates were battered. But as fast as these -breaches were made, they were repaired again by the defenders, and it -became evident that the place could only be reduced by storming. Every -one was anxious for this; the patience of the troops had been sorely -tried, and men burned to wreak vengeance on the recreant cowards who -had sought shelter behind the walls, and now held out with desperate -energy, knowing it was the last frail chance they had to preserve -their miserable lives. But though the order to storm was so ardently -desired, it seemed to be unnecessarily delayed, and the patience of -both men and officers was taxed to the utmost. - -But the order came at last. It was issued at night. It was a bright -starlight night, but moonless. The firing was kept up incessantly. The -roar of the batteries, the clear abrupt reports of the shells, the -flashes of the rockets and fireballs, made up a striking and impressive -scene. But as ten o’clock was announced, every battery ceased by -preconcerted signal, and the order flew through the camp that the -assault was to take place at three in the morning. Then a solemn and -ominous silence fell upon the camp. Worn and weary men threw themselves -down to snatch a brief rest; but many were the anxious eyes that -were turned to the doomed city with its white mosques and prominent -buildings sharply defined against the purple night-sky. For months it -had defied the power of the Great White Hand; but the hour had come, -unless the Hand had lost its power and cunning, when the rebellious -city was at last to be humbled and crushed into the dust. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -THE FALL OF DELHI. - - -As the batteries ceased, the stillness that fell upon the camp was -startling by comparison. It made men’s hearts beat faster, for they -knew what it presaged; and though many would be cold in death before -the sun rose again, everyone was cheerful and eager. - -The whole force of the camp was divided into four assaulting columns -and a reserve. The first was to storm a breach that had been made at -the Cashmere bastion; the second, a breach in the water bastion; the -third was to blow open the Cashmere Gate; and the fourth was to enter -by the Lahore Gate, while the reserve was to follow up in the wake of -the first three columns, and throw in supports when necessary. - -As the hour of three approached, there was great activity in the camp. -The men were overjoyed at the long-hoped-for chance of being able to -smite the enemy behind his own walls. - -There was one in the camp, however, whose heart was sad. This was -Haidee. Harper had crept over to her tent, to say a few parting -words, and the two stood together at the doorway, with the light of a -watch-fire gleaming redly upon them. Each felt that the probabilities -were they were parting for ever. Harper was bound upon “desperate -service,” and the dangers were so many and great that the chances of -escape from them were remote. But in spite of this, he tried to be -cheerful. Duty called him, and he obeyed the call as a soldier should. -His regrets were for this woman, to whom he owed his life, who had -“made him her star, which was her only light,” and if the star should -be extinguished in the “sea of blood” that was shortly to flow, her -lifetime henceforth would be one long night. For she stood alone, as it -were, in the world. Friends, kindred, home, all gone; and if he fell, -who would protect her? As Harper thought of these things, he could not -help a feeling of grief that for a time unmanned him. Haidee noticed -this, and said-- - -“Why are you downcast this morning? It is sad to part, when that -parting may be for ever; but go to your duty cheerfully, and have good -hopes for the future.” - -“It is not of myself I think, Haidee, but of you. If I fall, what will -become of you?” - -“Ah! if you fall, poor Haidee will be bowed into the dust. I have been -so happy since you have been here. To be near you, to see your face, -compensates me for the many years of bitterness I have known.” Then, -after a pause, “But come; these repinings are foolish. We are not -going out to meet our troubles; let them come to us. It is a soldier’s -duty to fight for his country when called upon, and he should not be -unmanned by a woman’s useless wailing. Your heart is bold, and your arm -is strong. Glory and victory will be yours.” - -“God bless you, Haidee! You give me the inspiration of courage and -hope. You are a noble woman, and your devotion is worthy of the highest -honours that could be bestowed upon you. You liberated me from the -city we are now going to attack; and when I was wounded and senseless -outside Cawnpore, your arms, strengthened by love, bore me to a place -of safety. Twice, then, have you saved my life; and, if it is preserved -through the conflict that is now about to commence, I will henceforth -devote it to you. But in the event of my falling, I have taken steps -that will ensure your heroic deeds being known to my country, and you -will meet with a well-merited reward.” - -“Talk not of reward from your country. The only reward I ask for is -yourself--if one so humble as I dare ask for so much; and if I get not -that, I am content to sink into oblivion, and wait for the end.” - -“You are not humble, Haidee. You are noble, generous, true, and -devoted; and if I am spared, I shall feel proud of the honour of being -able to call you wife.” - -“Wife,” she murmured, “wife to you; ah! what happiness!” - -Shrilly on the morning air rose the bugle call. Its warning notes told -the lovers that they must speak their last words of farewell. - -“That is the signal for me to go,” Harper said, as he drew the -beautiful form of Haidee to his breast. “On your lips I seal -my respect, my thanks, my love. In the struggle my arm will be -strengthened as I think of you; my eye will be quickened as it -remembers your beautiful face, and let us hope that our love will be a -charm to shield me from the enemy’s bullets.” - -“Take this,” she answered, as she handed him a little packet, which, on -opening, he found contained a card, upon which was worked, in her own -hair, a beautiful device; it was a true lover’s knot, surrounded with -a laurel wreath, and underneath were the words, “Duty, Honour, Love.” -“Let that be your charm, my well beloved, for in those three words -there is magic to a good soldier.” - -A warm embrace, a passionate kiss, a faltering adieu, and the lovers -parted. In a few minutes Harper had placed himself at the head of his -company, amongst whom was his friend Walter Gordon, who had volunteered -for the day. - -The watch-fires were burning low. It was the dark hour before the dawn, -and the sky was inky black. Softly the bugles sounded. How many a soul -did they call to death! But no one thought of that. There was the -hurrying tread of thousands of feet. There was the rumbling of guns as -they were moved down into position to cover the advance of the troops. -There were the clanking of arms and the fervently uttered “God speeds!” -by those who, through sickness or other cause, were unable to leave. - -Again the bugles sounded the advance. Soon the camp was silent, and the -little army was winding down the valley. And as daylight spread over -the face of heaven, the storming commenced. Undeterred by the deadly -streams of bullets and shot that were poured out, heroic bands of men -advanced to the gates, each man carrying in his arms a bag of powder, -which was laid down at the gates, with the coolness and intrepidity -which so astonished the natives during the mutiny. From this duty few -of the dauntless soldiers escaped alive. But nothing could deter the -hearts of steel that, in the face of death and slaughter, piled the -bags against the massive gates. - -Presently, even above the roar of the artillery, was heard the sound -of the awful explosions that announced the successful accomplishment -of the hazardous task. Before the clouds had cleared away, the bugles -sounded the advance, and through the shattered gateways the victorious -army poured, and soon the tread of the English troops resounded in the -deserted halls and corridors of the palace of the Mogul. - -We must draw a veil over the awful carnage, fierce reprisals, and -almost unparalleled slaughter that ensued. The British had to fight -their way into the city inch by inch, and several days elapsed before -they had entirely defeated the enemy. The grey-haired miscreant, who -had thought himself a king, was made a prisoner. His infamous sons were -shot like dogs, and their bodies cast into the river.[7] - -The “Great White Hand” was triumphant; it had crushed the “House -of Timour” into the dust; it had broken and destroyed the power of -England’s enemies, and had vindicated the outraged honour of the -British nation. _Animo non astutiâ._ - - * * * * * * * - -Amongst the English officers who were wounded during the assault was -Lieutenant Harper. He received a terrible sword cut on his left arm -from a Sepoy who was feigning death. He slew his enemy, and then -binding up his gashed arm in his scarf, he continued to courageously -lead his men, until, through loss of blood, he fainted. He was -then placed in the ambulance and carried back to the English camp -on the Ridge. When the wound had been dressed, and he recovered -consciousness, almost the first face his eyes met was Haidee’s. His -life had been spared, and her thankfulness found vent in an eloquent -silence, passing the eloquence of words. - - * * * * * * * - -When the heat of the struggle was over, and the British were complete -masters of the city, Walter Gordon, who had fought with the courage of -a lion, and escaped without a scratch, commenced his search for her for -whom he had endured so much. His inquiries failed to elicit any further -information than that an English lady had been held captive in the -Palace, and that she had escaped. When he heard the news he despaired -of ever seeing her again. But one night, while sitting sorrowfully in -his quarters at the Palace, he was informed that a native woman wished -to see him. - -The woman was Zeemit Mehal. - -“What of Miss Meredith?” he cried, as soon as he recognised his visitor. - -“She is well, and waits for you,” was the answer. “Follow me and you -shall see her.” - -“Thank God!” Walter murmured, as he rose and followed his guide. - -“You had better procure a conveyance,” she said, when they reached the -courtyard. - -There was no difficulty in this. Buggies and horses were numerous, and -in a few minutes Gordon was driving along rapidly under the guidance of -the faithful Mehal, who directed him to the lonely creek where she and -Miss Meredith had lived for weeks on board of the wrecked budgerow. - -Why describe the meeting of Walter and Flora? It was of that kind that -words would fail to do justice to it. Each felt that, in a large -measure, the joy of those blissful moments compensated for all the -months of toil, the agony of mind, bodily suffering, and the cruel -separation that had been endured. The awful trials they had gone -through had left their mark upon the faces of each. But they were -fervently thankful for the mercy of Heaven which had spared their -lives, and as Walter pressed Flora to his breast he felt that he had -kept his vow to her sister, who had been spared all those months -of agony and suffering during which so many bright hopes had been -shattered for ever, and so many hearts broken. - - * * * * * * * - -About a week after the fall of Delhi, Lieutenant Harper was informed -that he had been mentioned in despatches, and recommended for -promotion. He had sufficiently recovered to be able to walk about. -Haidee had been his untiring nurse. Her loving hands ministered to his -every want. She had watched over him, and nursed him back to life. One -morning, as day was breaking, he said-- - -“Haidee, I want you to come with me for a short drive; there is a -tragedy to be enacted.” - -She obeyed him without question, and he drove her to a plain about -three miles off. There was a great gathering of English troops, who -were drawn up in a square of three sides. In the centre of the square -were ten guns, their muzzles pointing to the blank side. Lashed with -their backs to the guns were ten men--rebels, traitors, murderers. -Harper led Haidee along the square until they were almost before the -guns. - -“See,” he said, “do you know that man?” - -The one he pointed to was the first in the row. He was a tall, -powerful fellow. His teeth were set, and his face wore a defiant look. - -“Yes,” she answered firmly. - -As she spoke, the man’s eyes met hers. He recognised her, and an -expression of ferocious hatred crossed his face. The man was Moghul -Singh. - -“Will you remain here and see justice done, and your vengeance -satisfied?” Harper asked of her. - -“No,” she replied. - -He led her away, but they had not got very far before the earth -trembled with a violent shock. They both turned. The drums were -beating, the British flags were waving, the air was filled with smoke -and riven limbs. - -“You are revenged, Haidee,” Harper whispered. - -“Yes,” she answered. “Let us go.” - - * * * * * * * - -In one of the most beautiful of Devonshire villages, Lieutenant-Colonel -Harper, now retired from the service, dwells with his wife and family. -The beautiful Haidee, thoroughly Anglicised, in the character of Mrs. -Harper, is the pride of the county for miles around. She is loved, -respected, and honoured. - -Gordon and his wife still reside in India; he is one of the wealthiest -merchants in Calcutta. Their faithful and honoured servant, Zeemit -Mehal, after some years of ease and comfort in the service of the -master and mistress she had served so well, passed away. She died in -the Christian faith, and was buried at Chowringhee, where a handsome -marble monument records her virtues and services. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[7] The story of how Hodson shot the King’s sons is too well known to -need repetition here. The act has been condemned, but those who are -acquainted with the facts know that if the sons had not been shot the -mob would have rescued them. - - -THE END. - - -_Printed by Cowan & Co., Limited, Perth._ - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT WHITE HAND *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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E. Muddock. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - - p { margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; - } - - p.bold {text-align: center; font-weight: bold;} - p.bold2 {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;} - - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; - } - h1 span, h2 span { display: block; text-align: center; } - #id1 { font-size: smaller } - - - hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; - } - - hr.smler { - width: 5%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 47.5%; - margin-right: 47.5%; - clear: both; - } - - body{margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - } - - table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; text-align: right;} - - .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - text-indent: 0px; - } /* page numbers */ - - .center {text-align: center;} - .smaller {font-size: smaller;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - .mynote { background-color: #DDE; color: black; padding: .5em; margin-left: 20%; - margin-right: 20%; } /* colored box for notes at beginning of file */ - .space-above {margin-top: 3em;} - .right {text-align: right;} - .left {text-align: left;} - - .poem {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - .poem br {display: none;} - .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - .poem div {margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .poem div.i1 {margin-left: 1em;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<div lang='en' xml:lang='en'> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of <span lang='' xml:lang=''>The Great White Hand</span>, by James Edward Muddock</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: <span lang='' xml:lang=''>The Great White Hand</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'><span lang='' xml:lang=''>Or the Tiger of Cawnpore A Story of Indian Mutiny</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: James Edward Muddock</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 16, 2022 [eBook #68330]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Sonya Schermann, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='' xml:lang=''>THE GREAT WHITE HAND</span> ***</div> - -<div class="mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber’s Note:<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="title page" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE GREAT WHITE HAND</h1> - -<p class="bold">OR</p> - -<p class="bold2">THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">THE<br />GREAT WHITE HAND</p> - -<p class="bold">OR</p> - -<p class="bold2">THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE</p> - -<p class="bold">A Story of the Indian Mutiny</p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/text.jpg" alt="text" /></div> - -<p class="bold space-above">By</p> - -<p class="bold2">J. E. MUDDOCK</p> - -<p class="bold">Author of<br />“<i>Maid Marian and Robin Hood</i>;” “<i>The Dead Man’s Secret</i>;” “<i>Stories Weird<br /> -and Wonderful</i>;” “<i>Stormlight</i>;” “<i>For God and the Czar</i>;” “<i>Only a<br /> -Woman’s Heart</i>;” “<i>From the Bosom of the Deep</i>;” “<i>Basile the<br /> -Jester</i>;” “<i>Stripped of the Tinsel</i>;” “<i>The Star of Fortune</i>;” <i>&c.</i></p> - -<p class="bold space-above">LONDON<br />Hutchinson <i>&</i> Co.<br />34 Paternoster Row, E.C.<br />1896</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center"><i>To the Memory of</i></p> - -<p class="center"><i>MY FATHER</i></p> - -<p class="center"><i>A true gentleman, brave, upright, faithful; who after many long<br />years -of devotion to duty in India—and when on the eve of<br />returning to his -native land—sank very suddenly to his<br />eternal rest in March, 1861, and -sleeps “Till the<br />day break,” in The Circular Road Cemetery,<br />Calcutta, I -dedicate this book.</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/line.jpg" alt="line" /></div> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smaller">Chap. </span></td> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">Page</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">PREFACE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_ix">ix</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>I. </td> - <td class="left">THE RISING OF THE STORM</td> - <td><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>II. </td> - <td class="left">THE MYSTERY OF THE CHUPATTIES</td> - <td><a href="#Page_13">13</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>III. </td> - <td class="left">THE STORM BREAKS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_23">23</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>IV. </td> - <td class="left">THE PALACE OF THE MOGUL</td> - <td><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>V. </td> - <td class="left">THE TREACHERY OF THE KING</td> - <td><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VI. </td> - <td class="left">HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE MAGAZINE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VII. </td> - <td class="left">HAIDEE AND HER WRONGS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VIII. </td> - <td class="left">A PERILOUS MISSION</td> - <td><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>IX. </td> - <td class="left">HOPES AND FEARS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>X. </td> - <td class="left">A NARROW ESCAPE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XI. </td> - <td class="left">STARTLING NEWS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XII. </td> - <td class="left">WAKING DREAMS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_120">120</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIII. </td> - <td class="left">FOR LIBERTY AND LIFE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIV. </td> - <td class="left">THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XV. </td> - <td class="left">AS ARMOUR IMPENETRABLE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVI. </td> - <td class="left">A DEADLY STRIFE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_156">156</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVII. </td> - <td class="left">FOR LIFE AND LOVE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_164">164</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVIII. </td> - <td class="left">WITH A LOVE THAT PASSETH UNDERSTANDING</td> - <td><a href="#Page_172">172</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIX. </td> - <td class="left">FROM CAPTIVITY TO CAPTIVITY</td> - <td><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XX. </td> - <td class="left">AS A BIRD IS ENSNARED</td> - <td><a href="#Page_196">196</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXI. </td> - <td class="left">THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER</td> - <td><a href="#Page_205">205</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXII. </td> - <td class="left">THE LION HEARTS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_214">214</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXIII. </td> - <td class="left">AS WITH AN ENCHANTER’S WAND</td> - <td><a href="#Page_224">224</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span>XXIV. </td> - <td class="left">“SHIVA THE DESTROYER”</td> - <td><a href="#Page_235">235</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXV. </td> - <td class="left">THE LAST GRAND STRUGGLE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_241">241</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVI. </td> - <td class="left">THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES SWINGS</td> - <td><a href="#Page_248">248</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVII. </td> - <td class="left">WITH SWIFT STRIDES NEMESIS MOVES ON</td> - <td><a href="#Page_256">256</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVIII. </td> - <td class="left">“THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE”</td> - <td><a href="#Page_264">264</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXIX. </td> - <td class="left">RETRIBUTION</td> - <td><a href="#Page_274">274</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXX. </td> - <td class="left">NEW HOPES</td> - <td><a href="#Page_279">279</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXI. </td> - <td class="left">A DUEL TO THE DEATH</td> - <td><a href="#Page_286">286</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXII. </td> - <td class="left">DELHI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_297">297</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXIII. </td> - <td class="left">A TERRIBLE VOW</td> - <td><a href="#Page_309">309</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXIV. </td> - <td class="left">A SURPRISE</td> - <td><a href="#Page_318">318</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXV. </td> - <td class="left">NEW HOPES OF LIBERTY</td> - <td><a href="#Page_326">326</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVI. </td> - <td class="left">MOGHUL SINGH IS OUTWITTED</td> - <td><a href="#Page_336">336</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVII. </td> - <td class="left">HAIDEE Ō STAR</td> - <td><a href="#Page_342">342</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVIII. </td> - <td class="left">THE FALL OF DELHI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_349">349</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span></p> - -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p>In the year 1894, I published in two volumes a romance of the Indian -Mutiny, under the title of “The Star of Fortune.” A short prefatory -note intimated that it was my lot to be in India during the terrible -time of the Sepoy Rebellion. From this it may be inferred that I -not only wrote with feeling, but with some personal knowledge of my -subject. “The Star of Fortune” was exceedingly well received by the -public, and last year a cheaper edition was called for. That edition -has been extensively circulated throughout India and the Colonies. -The book on the whole was well reviewed, while my critics were good -enough to accord me praise, by no means stinted, for the portions which -dealt with the Mutiny proper. One London paper said it was “a very -fine picture narrative,” another spoke of it as “a spirited piece of -writing,” a third declared it was “written with spirit and vivacity,” -a fourth as being “really breathless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> in interest.” I could go on -multiplying quotations similar to the foregoing, but those I have given -will serve the purpose I have in view.</p> - -<p>On the other hand I was taken somewhat severely to task because the -opening portions of the tale dealt with Edinburgh, and about one-third -of the book was exhausted before India was reached. Whether or not -that was really a fault is not for me to say; it was certainly part -of my original plan, but I cannot be indifferent to the fact that a -consensus of opinion condemned it, and declared that the Mutiny was -far too interesting a subject to be mixed up with any love-making -scenes in Edinburgh or elsewhere other than in India. I was very -bluntly told that I ought to have plunged at once into <i>medias res</i>, -and that a story purporting to be a story of the Mutiny should deal -with the Mutiny only. The advice has not been lost upon me. I have -steadily kept it in view while writing the “Great White Hand,” and I -venture to express a hope that whatever shortcomings may be found in -the work, whatever sins of omission and commission I am guilty of, I -shall at least be credited with keeping strictly to the <i>locale</i> and -incidents of the Great Rebellion, which, in my opinion, affords, and -will continue to afford for generations to come, a fund of the most -romantic material all ready to the novelist’s hand. If it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span> should be -urged against me that the dramatic situations in which my characters -become involved are overstrained or improbable, I shall claim on the -authority of history that the thrilling times of the Revolt were rich -in situations so sensational, so dramatic, so tragic and pathetic, -that they put fiction into the shade. The bare ungarnished story of -the Rising is in itself one of the most sensational records the world -has ever known. Not even the Crusades, not even the wonderful defence -of Malta by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, against the infidel -Turk, present us with a more thrilling, romantic, and stirring panorama -of battle scenes and incidents than the Indian Mutiny. It was not a -struggle of the Cross against the Crescent, but of the Cross against -Vishnu, against Shiva, against Brahma. The “Phantom” King of Delhi, and -the “Tiger of Cawnpore,” both believed that the doom of Christianity -in India had knelled. But they were undeceived, and all that was -best, bravest, and noble in British men and women was brought to the -surface. Of course, in a work of this kind, history must necessarily be -used simply as a means to an end; therefore, while it is not claimed -for the story that it is a piece of reliable history in the guise of -fiction, it may truthfully be said it records certain stirring events -and incidents which are known to have taken place. These incidents and -events have been coloured and set with a due<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> regard for the brilliant -and picturesque Orient, which forms the stage on which the dramatic -action is worked out. Those who knew India as I knew it in those -lurid and exciting days, will probably admit that there is scarcely -an incident introduced into my book but what <i>might</i> have happened -during the enactment of the great tragedy. An air of <i>vraisemblance</i> -represents true art in fiction, and when it becomes difficult for the -reader to tell where fiction begins and truth ends, it may be said -that the story-teller can go no further. If I should be fortunate in -establishing a claim to this praise, I shall be proud indeed; but -though I fail in that respect, I humbly venture to believe that “The -Great White Hand” will be found neither dull nor uninteresting.</p> - -<p class="right">THE AUTHOR.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">London</span>, 1896.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">THE GREAT WHITE HAND,<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1">[1]</a></p> - -<p class="bold">OR,</p> - -<p class="bold">THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE.</p> - -<p class="bold"><i>A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY.</i></p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/line.jpg" alt="line" /></div> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER I.</span> <span class="smaller">THE RISING OF THE STORM.</span></h2> - -<p>It is the ninth of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and -fifty-seven. The morning breaks lowering and stormy, a fitting prelude -to the great and tragic drama that is about to startle the world. It is -not yet four o’clock, and the sun is hardly above the horizon, but in -the fair Indian city of Meerut there is an unusual stir. The slanting -rays of the rising sun, as they fall through the rifts of hurrying -storm-clouds, gild the minarets and domes of the numerous mosques for -which the city is famed. The tall and graceful palms stand out in bold -relief against the sky, and from the cool greenery of their fan-like -leaves there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> issue the soft, peaceful notes of the ring-doves. Meerut, -at this time, is one of the most extensive military stations in our -Indian empire, and covers an area nearly five miles in circumference. -In the centre of the city is a great wall and esplanade, and along -this runs a deep nullah, which cuts the station into two separate -parallelograms; the one contains the European, and the other the Native -force. The European lines are in the northern quarter, the Artillery -barracks to the right, the Dragoons to the left, and the Rifles are -in the centre. Between the barracks of the two last rises, tall and -straight, the spire of the station church. It contrasts strangely -with the Oriental architecture which surrounds it. Farther northward -again stretches an extensive plain, which is used as a parade-ground. -Towards this plain, on the fateful ninth of May, eighteen hundred and -fifty-seven, streams of human beings are flowing. Crowds of natives, -from the low-caste Coolie to the pompous Baboo, hurry along, either on -foot or horseback.</p> - -<p>Presently, far and near, the <i>reveille</i> is heard, and, in a little -while, long lines of troops, mounted and on foot, march towards the -plain. Then the clattering of horses’ hoofs, and the rumbling of guns, -add to the general commotion, and soon the plain is swarming with armed -men. Heavily-shotted field-guns are placed in position, and the drawn -sabres of the Dragoons flash in the sun’s rays, while on three sides of -the plain are bodies of troops armed with the new Enfield rifles, that -are ready, on the word being given, to belch forth fire, and send their -rotary messengers of death into the crowds of natives if the necessity -should arise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p>The cause of this great gathering is to see eighty-five native soldiers -converted into felons. On the 24th of April the 3rd Native Cavalry had -been drawn up for parade, and, when the order to load had been given, -these eighty-five had resolutely refused to bite their cartridges. For -this mutinous act they had been tried by a court-martial, composed of -English and native officers, and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment -with hard labour; and on this Saturday morning, the 9th of May, the -first part of the sentence—that of stripping them of their uniform in -the presence of all the regiments—is to take place.</p> - -<p>At a given signal the doomed eighty-five are brought forward under a -strong guard of Rifles and Carabineers. They still wear their uniform -and have their accoutrements. Colonel Carmichael Smyth, the Colonel -of their Brigade, steps forth, and, in a loud, clear voice, reads the -sentence. That over, their accoutrements are taken from them, and their -uniforms are stripped from their backs. Then the armourers and smiths -step forth with their shackles and their tools, and, in the presence of -a great concourse of their old comrades, the “eighty-five” stand with -the outward symbols of their black disgrace fastened upon them.</p> - -<p>With loud cries they lift up their arms, and implore the General to -have mercy upon them, and save them from ignominious doom. But the fiat -has gone forth, and they stand there manacled felons. Then, in the -agony of despair, they turn to their comrades and hurl reproaches at -them for quietly permitting such dire disgrace to fall upon them. There -is not a Sepoy or native civilian present but who gasps for breath as -he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> feels the rising indignation in his throat. But, in the presence of -the stern white soldiers, of the loaded guns, of the grooved rifles, -and the glittering sabres, they dare not strike. As the prisoners make -their appeal, there moves, swiftly, silently amongst the crowds of -natives, a tall, slim man—a Hindoo. His movements are snake-like; his -eyes glisten with a deadly fire. As he goes, he whispers—</p> - -<p>“Courage, and wait!”</p> - -<p>The crowds commence to disperse. The felon “eighty-five” are marched to -the gaol, two miles from the cantonment, with only a native guard over -them.</p> - -<p>As the day wears on the storm passes away, and when the shades of -evening fall upon Meerut, all is quiet and peaceful. It is one of those -nights that may be described, but which few persons, who have never -been in hot countries, can realise. The air is stagnant. The stars seem -to quiver in a haze. Not a branch stirs, not a leaf rustles. Myriads -of fire-flies—Nature’s living jewels—dance about in bewildering -confusion. Occasionally the melancholy sounds of a tom-tom, varied -by the screech of a jackal, is heard. But with this exception, a -death-like silence seems to reign in the city.</p> - -<p>Seated on the verandah of a pretty bungalow in the European quarter, is -a young man—a civilian. His physique is that of a trained athlete. He -is handsome, too, with a mass of black hair falling over a prominent -forehead. His name is Walter Gordon; he is the son of a wealthy -merchant of Meerut, who had died very suddenly, and Walter had but -recently come out from England to take charge of his father’s business. -He is not alone now. His companion is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> lady slightly his junior. She -is very pretty. A pure English face, with tender brown eyes, and soft, -moist lips. A wealth of rich brown hair is negligently held together -by two large gold pins of native workmanship. This young lady is the -betrothed of Walter Gordon. Her father (Mr. Meredith) had held a Civil -Service appointment in Meerut, but had died some two years before the -opening events of this story, leaving a widow and two daughters, Flora -and Emily. Emily had been recently married to an officer of one of the -regiments stationed in the city. Lieutenant Harper and Walter Gordon -were very old friends. They had been school-mates together, and they -both laid siege at one time to the hearts of the Misses Meredith. -Harper had been successful, and carried his prize off to his quarters, -but Walter had delayed his marriage, pending the settlement of some -legal difficulty in connection with property to which he was entitled. -That difficulty was now removed, and Walter had gone on this evening to -Mrs. Meredith’s bungalow to arrange for his marriage with Flora.</p> - -<p>“Flo, are you not glad that we are soon to be united?” he asks, as he -observes that she is silent, and makes no remark on the news he has -brought her.</p> - -<p>“Yes, love. You say that you wish our marriage to take place in a -month’s time. Would that it were to-morrow; ay, even to-night!”</p> - -<p>He looked at her in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Flo, what do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“I mean that in a month’s time you and I may be separated.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Separated?” he repeated.</p> - -<p>“Yes. Perhaps dead.”</p> - -<p>“Dead!” he echoed—his astonishment increasing at the strangeness of -her manner.</p> - -<p>“Ah, love,” she murmured, as she placed her arms around his neck, and -her head drooped upon his breast,—“strange as you are yet to the ways -of the country, you surely cannot be blind to signs which rise on every -side, that a storm is approaching.”</p> - -<p>“A storm. To what do you allude?”</p> - -<p>“To the discontented state of the natives, who are ripe for revolt. We -tremble upon the brink of a mine that may at any moment be sprung; and -what the consequences will be I shudder to think.”</p> - -<p>“These are but morbid fears, Flo,” he answered, as he caressed her. -“Believe me that our power is too strong, and too much dreaded by the -natives to allow any serious outbreak. The example we made of the -‘ighty-five’ on the parade this morning will strike terror to the -hearts of those who might have contemplated any rashness.”</p> - -<p>“There you are in error, Walter; what our troops did this morning has -only increased our danger manifold. There is not a Sepoy in all Meerut -to-night, but who is nursing in his breast feelings of the most deadly -hatred towards the English. The fire smoulders, and a breath will fan -it into flame. If the natives should rise, may God in His mercy pity -us.”</p> - -<p>“Tut, tut, my girl; you are alarming yourself with foolish fears, and -there is nothing at all to justify your apprehensions. The soldiers -dare not revolt, and if they did, we have such an overwhelming force<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -of British in the cantonment, that all the native regiments would be -speedily cut to pieces.”</p> - -<p>“The belief in our security is our danger,” she answered. “Remember I -know the country and the natives well. I have been in India from the -time I was a little child. Those who are in authority seem to me to -be wilfully blind to the signs which indicate coming mischief. For -some days past, a man, ostensibly a Fakeer, has been riding about the -city on an elephant, and visiting all the native quarters. I do not -believe that man to be what he professes to be. He is an agent moving -about from place to place, and stirring up the rankling hatred for the -British which is in the hearts of all his countrymen.”</p> - -<p>“This is a strange statement; and you speak as though you had authority -for what you say.”</p> - -<p>“I have authority.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! what do you mean?” he cried in an excited tone.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Walter, what I have to tell you I know will give you pain, but it -must be told. I have held it back until I feel that to keep it from you -longer would be unfair. You have in your service a sicar, a young man -who was brought up in an English school.”</p> - -<p>“You refer to Jewan Bukht. Well, what of him?”</p> - -<p>“He has confessed love for me!”</p> - -<p>“Confessed love for you!” Walter cried angrily, as he ground his teeth, -and tightened his arm around the waist of his beloved. “By Heaven, I -will horsewhip the scoundrel. But come, Flo, you are joking, and do not -wish me to seriously believe anything so absurd.”</p> - -<p>“Would that it were a joke! Jewan has been your<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> trusted and -confidential clerk, and whenever you have had a message to send to me, -he has always brought it. Latterly he has grown unpleasantly familiar, -and on one occasion asked me to kiss him. On my showing anger at the -insult, he apologised, and promised not to offend again. A few days ago -he called, and appeared to me to be under the influence of <i>bang</i>. He -seized my hand, and fell upon his knees at my feet. He said that in a -little while the natives intended to rise in the name of the Prophet; -that every white person in Meerut would be massacred; but, if I would -consent to become his wife, he would save me and those belonging to me. -In disgust with the fellow for his impertinence, I called him a dog, -and threatened to inform you of his conduct. He became greatly enraged, -and said that I should be his by fair or foul means, and that you -should die by his hand.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you not tell me this before, Flo?”</p> - -<p>“Because I looked upon it at the time as the freak of a drunken man, -and I had no wish to give you unnecessary pain. But it was foolish of -me. I ought to have told you.”</p> - -<p>“When did this scene take place?” Walter asked, thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Three days ago. That is, last Wednesday.”</p> - -<p>“This is very strange, Flora. On that day the rascal asked me for leave -of absence till Monday, as he wished to visit a sick relation.”</p> - -<p>“Depend upon it, Walter, he will never return to you.”</p> - -<p>“Never return! You are really talking in riddles. What do you mean?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I feel sure that there was truth in what the man told me, and his -leaving you on that day was part of the scheme. You may say I am -nervous, foolish, stupid, what you will, but I understand the natives -well. I know how treacherous they can be; and it is useless our trying -to cheat ourselves into a belief that they love us, because they don’t -do anything of the sort.”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed, as he pressed a kiss on the lips of his companion.</p> - -<p>“Look here, Flora, you are certainly low-spirited to-night, and have -got some strange fancies in your head. If you have any more of these -morbid imaginings, I shall have to place you under the care of Dr. -Macdonald. I have been very stupid to lend a serious hearing to your -fears for a single moment. I am sure you are wrong. Our power is too -great to be broken. The natives fear that power too much to do anything -rash. Ah! good-evening, Harper, old boy,” he exclaimed, springing from -his seat, as Lieutenant Harper and his wife entered the verandah. “I am -very glad you have come. Flo is suffering from a fit of nervousness, -and wants cheering up. Look here, Emily,” with a laugh, and turning to -Mrs. Harper, “just give your sister a shaking, and shake her into a -better frame of mind.”</p> - -<p>“Surely you young people have not been quarrelling,” Harper remarked, -as he threw himself into a seat, and offered his friend a cigar.</p> - -<p>“Oh dear no; but Flo has got an idea into her little head that the -natives are going to rise <i>en masse</i>, and massacre us all.”</p> - -<p>“By Jove, they will have tough work, then,” laughs the lieutenant. -“They had an example this morning of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> what we can do. If there had been -the slightest sign of insubordination on the parade, we should have -mowed them down with grape and canister.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t talk quite so loud, Master Charlie,” his wife remarked. “There -are two of the bearers at the end of the verandah, and they seem to be -listening.”</p> - -<p>“All the better, my dear. Nothing like impressing these black wretches -with a sense of our superiority. What say you, Walter?”</p> - -<p>“Well it depends a great deal upon what we consider ourselves superior -in.”</p> - -<p>“Superior in!” exclaimed his friend. “Surely you are not going to -estimate your countrymen so low as to suppose for a moment that we -could be inferior to the natives in any one respect.”</p> - -<p>“I am not quite clear on that point,” answered Gordon, thoughtfully. -“I think that the great error of the English has been in treating the -natives as if they were not possessed of common intelligence. Depend -upon it, it is a mistaken policy, which we shall some day rue.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense, old fellow. You are a greenhorn yet in the country, and in -a very short time these sentimental ideas will be knocked out of you. -There is no doubt that the <i>canaille</i> of India is bitter against us, -but the upper classes are loyal to the backbone—take Dhoondu Pdnt as -an example.”</p> - -<p>“You mean the man who is known as Nana Sahib of Bhitoor?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; he is the adopted son of the Peishwah Bajee Rao. Now, if any man -has cause to be dissatisfied with our rule it is the Nana, inasmuch -as we have resolutely refused to recognise his right to <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>succession. -Moreover, he is a Mahratta by race, and a Brahmin by caste. Now, it -is well-known that in the heart of every Mahratta there is an innate -and hereditary hatred for the English, while the Brahmin religion -teaches its votaries to look upon the Feringhees as dogs and infidels -that, in the name of the Prophet, should be exterminated. And yet his -highness—by courtesy—is as loyal to us as a man can possibly be. -His balls and dinners given to his friends, the English, in and about -Cawnpore, are things to be remembered.”</p> - -<p>“But what proof have you that the Nana is not playing a well-studied -game; only biding his time to execute a well-planned <i>coup-d’état</i>, and -strike for his home and liberty?”</p> - -<p>Harper laughed loudly as he looked at his friend’s serious face; and as -he offered him a cheroot, exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“Bosh! Look here, old fellow, don’t get such ideas as those into your -head, or you will never succeed in India. Here, Khitmudgar, brandy -pawnee lao.” Turning to the ladies, he said, “Flo, I think you have -been putting some strange ideas into Walter’s head, and I shall have -to take you to task. Why, my dear fellow, there is no more chance of -the natives rising here, than there is of Her Majesty’s Life Guards -revolting in London at the present moment. Come, what do you say to a -hand at whist? Em and I have two hours on our hands before we return to -quarters.”</p> - -<p>“Whist, by all means,” Walter answered. “Flo, will you order one of the -bearers to get the card-table ready in the drawing-room?”</p> - -<p>In a few minutes the four Europeans were <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>apparently so absorbed in the -game, that all thought of danger was banished. A sleepy Coolie sat on -one side of the room, and with monotonous regularity pulled the cord of -the punkah, that, moving gracefully backwards and forwards, made a cool -and refreshing draught. Without all was silent. Only the drowsy whir of -the insects, and the sweetly mellow notes of the bul-bul rose on the -stagnant air.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1">[1]</a> The Great White Hand (<i>Baṛā Safed Hāth</i>), a -saying current in India to describe the power of the English.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER II.</span> <span class="smaller">THE MYSTERY OF THE CHUPATTIES.</span></h2> - -<p>As sleep fell upon the northern quarter of Meerut on that Saturday -night, there was an unusual stir in the native part. In the lines of -the native soldiery, in the populous bazaars, and in the surrounding -villages, a fatal signal was passing. Five fleet-footed Indians were -speeding from place to place; and as they went, they put into the hands -of the principal men a small cake. It was a chupatty; and, like the -fiery cross, it was the signal of a general rising.</p> - -<p>On the banks of the Goomtee there rose the lichen-covered wall of a -half-ruined temple. Hitherto, silence had reigned in its deserted -halls, and the lizard and the serpent had hunted undisturbed for prey -amongst the fallen shafts and broken capitals. But the grey ruin was -witness of a strange scene to-night. Hundreds of natives were pouring -in from all parts. At every entrance to the temple a guard was posted, -and admission could only be gained by giving a password. That was -“Chupatty.” But all comers knew the pass; none were turned away. -Rapidly the crowd swelled with soldiers and civilians, until every -available space was occupied. They perched on the broken walls, on the -fallen columns, on the moss-covered arches. Wherever a foot-hold could -be gained, there was a native. Here and there was <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>suspended a native -lamp—a cotton-wick placed in cocoa-nut oil, contained in a cocoa-nut -shell. Seen in this dim light, the scene was striking and picturesque. -The dusky forms of the natives seemed to be everywhere—above, below, -around. The dark wall of the ruin appeared to be actually jewelled -with gleaming eyes, which, as they caught the fitful flare of the -lamp, flashed with hatred and revenge. A dull, confused sound only was -heard as the swarming natives conversed one with another in subdued -tones. Presently six distinct beats were given on a tom-tom. Then there -was a death-like silence, as there entered, by the main entrance, a -tall man, whose face was muffled with a puggeree. He was followed by -several other natives; and as they entered and took up their position -at one end of the ruins, salaams rose from a hundred throats. Then -the tall man threw back his puggeree, and exposed his features. They -were massive, firm, and of the true Mahratta cast. His skin was light -brown; his lips full and sensual, and his eyes small, restless, and -cunning. He was a powerfully-built man, with a full, flowing beard, his -age about thirty years. His bearing was proud and haughty; his dress -handsome, being that of a Mahratta prince. Round his neck was a massive -gold chain, and on his fingers sparkled numerous and costly jewels. -His head was encircled with a rich turban, ornamented in front with a -single large diamond. From a jewelled belt round his waist protruded -the inlaid handles of native pistols; and at his side was suspended -a tulwar. This was Dhoondu Pdnt, the Nana Sahib of Bhitoor. He was -attended by his war minister, Teeka Singh, and his confidential friend<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> -and adviser, Azimoolah. The latter a short, slim man; but supple and -panther-like in his movements; his face had but one expression—that of -pitiless ferocity. In a few moments the Nana addressed the assembly.</p> - -<p>“Countrymen, I have ventured here to-night that I may, by my presence, -inspire you with courage and hope. We stand on the eve of great -events, and no man has the cause more at heart than I. We wait but -for one signal now to decide us in the course of action we are to -take. That signal is to come from Delhi. Our agents have been hard -at work for some days, and if the regiments there will join us, and -give us shelter if needed, all will be well. Though I must hurry back -to Bhitoor to-night, that it may not be known, until the proper hour -arrives, that I have shaken off allegiance to the hated Feringhees, I -shall be with you in spirit; and, in the name of the Prophet, I invoke -success on your arms. When you strike, remember that you strike for -your freedom, for your religion. Let the House of Timour be restored, -and the Imperial Dynasty of Delhi be revived in all its ancient glory -and splendour. Let our race of mighty kings be perpetuated, and the -great white hand of the hateful British be crushed and trampled into -the dust. We are a great people. We have been enchained, enslaved, and -robbed of our birthrights. Let us rise now as one man, and strike for -those sacred rights of which we have been deprived. Steel your hearts -against every feeling of pity. Let not the pale faces of either their -women or children raise one sympathetic feeling in your breasts. When -the opportunity arrives I will perform deeds that shall not only be -an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> example to you, but that shall make my name known throughout the -world, and the name of Nana Sahib shall be in every man’s mouth. Let -Hindoos and Mahomedans alike be stirred but by one impulse to slaughter -the Feringhees, man, woman, and child. The English are <i>luchar</i> -(helpless). They sleep in fancied security, and dream not that their -doom is sealed. We have past injuries to avenge; we have future dangers -to guard against. Let our feelings declare themselves in characters of -fire. Let the firebrand tell these invaders of our soil that, from end -to end of India, we have common cause, and that we strike for liberty!”</p> - -<p>The Nana ceased speaking, and a murmur of applause ran through the -assembled multitude.</p> - -<p>“Jewan Bukht comes not, sahib,” said Azimoolah, after a pause. “I hope -his mission has not failed.”</p> - -<p>“The Prophet forbid,” answered the Nana. “His mission was fraught with -danger, and he may have been unexpectedly detained. When he departed on -Wednesday he said he should be back to-night, to bring to this meeting -the answer of Delhi.”</p> - -<p>“I hope he has not proved false?” Azimoolah remarked, his cold eyes -glittering like a snake’s.</p> - -<p>“False! No,” exclaimed the Nana. “I’ll answer for him with my life. He -is a useful man; he knows the ways of the English well, having been -brought up in one of their schools. No, no; Jewan is not false. He has -personal motives for being true to us, and he has much to gain. Ah! -I hear the sounds of horse’s hoofs in the distance. Let the word be -passed to the guard to be on the alert.”</p> - -<p>The ring of horse’s shoes could now be distinctly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> heard, as it -galloped furiously along the hard road. Nearer and nearer the sounds -came, and in a few minutes the tom-tom was beaten again as a signal -that someone of importance had arrived. Then in a little time a -man, hot and breathless, rushed into the presence of the Nana, and, -prostrating himself at his feet with a profound salaam, took from -his turban a small chupatty, and handed it to the Prince. On it was -inscribed, in Hindostanee characters, painted red, the following:—</p> - -<p>“We fight for the King.</p> - -<p>“We fight for the restoration of the Mogul throne.</p> - -<p>“We fight for the Prophet.”</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised!” exclaimed Dhoondu, as he took the cake, and a -smile of triumph lighted up his cruel face. “Success attends us,” he -continued, addressing the multitude; “and the Imperial City is true to -herself. We will plant the rebel standard on the Palace of the Mogul, -and the House of Timour shall flourish once more. Jewan Bukht, thou -art faithful, and hast performed a brave deed; the Prophet will look -favourably upon thee.”</p> - -<p>Jewan was a young man with a singularly intelligent, and, for a native, -handsome face. He was a native of Meerut, and at an early age had been -left an orphan. An European lady had taken him under her care, and -sent him to an English school near Calcutta to be educated. When he -had reached the age of twenty his protectress died, and he returned -to Meerut a professing Christian, and speaking the English language -fluently. Since his return he had occupied the position of a head sicar -or clerk in Walter Gordon’s establishment. He had gained the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> esteem -and confidence of his master, and had, up to a quite recent period, -been in the habit of attending regularly the station church. But of -late his movements had become mysterious, and he had passed much of his -time in the native lines.</p> - -<p>“I thank you, great Prince,” said Jewan, in answer to Dhoondu. “I have -had a perilous journey, but I left no quarter in Delhi unvisited. Young -and old there are panting for the hour to arrive when they can arise -from their bondage. There is but a very small European force in the -city. Delhi once secured, we can hold it against all comers.”</p> - -<p>“And we will secure it,” added the Nana, significantly. “But come, -the night wears, and we must disperse; Teeka, and you, my faithful -Azimoolah, let us return with all speed to Bhitoor, and there await -for the signal. Cawnpore shall be ours, and we will there wipe out our -wrongs in English blood!”</p> - -<p>He wrapped his scarf around him so as to hide his pistols and tulwar, -and drawing his puggeree over his face, he passed out, attended by his -followers. At a little distance a native carriage was waiting, and into -this they sprang, and Meerut was speedily far behind. Then the crowd -of natives quietly left the ruined temple, and soon the roofless halls -were silent and deserted, and the slimy things that had sought shelter -from the trampling feet, in the nooks and crannies, timidly came forth -now, in search of prey, upon which they might feed so that they might -live in accordance with the instinct planted by a Divine hand. But the -hundreds of human beings who a little while before had held possession -of the temple had also gone forth in search of prey, thirsting for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> -blood—blood of the innocent and guilty alike—not that they might live -thereby, but to gratify a burning feeling of hatred and revenge.</p> - -<p>On the verandah of Mrs. Meredith’s bungalow stood Flora Meredith alone. -It was late, or rather early, for two o’clock had just sounded from the -neighbouring barracks. Flora had been vainly endeavouring to sleep, but -an undefined sense of dread had kept her awake, so that at last she -had risen from her couch and gone out on the verandah, glad to breathe -the cool morning air. Pensively she was gazing up to the stars, which -still shone clear and bright, although the first streaks of dawn were -struggling to the eastern sky.</p> - -<p>She was dreaming of the man she loved, of the man who had her heart in -his keeping, whose wife she was to be. She had an intuitive perception -that there was danger coming—that, to use an expressive Hindostanee -phrase, “there was something in the air.” But what did that something -portend, and where did the danger menace? were questions she asked -herself as she stood there—a picture of loveliness—in her loose robe, -and her beautiful hair flowing freely about her white shoulders.</p> - -<p>Unperceived by her, the figure of a dusky native was stealthily -stealing across the compound, keeping in the shadows of the trees and -shrubs, until he stood beneath the verandah. Then, with a noiseless -spring, he vaulted lightly over the railings, and stood beside the -dreaming girl.</p> - -<p>With a cry of alarm, Flora started from her reverie, and, turning -quickly round, beheld Jewan Bukht.</p> - -<p>“What do you do here?” she asked quickly, when she had recovered from -her surprise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Hush!” he said, putting his finger to his lips. “Your life depends -upon silence. I have something to say to you.”</p> - -<p>She was a brave girl; but her heart sank now, for she knew that his -boldness arose from some terrible cause. Her presence of mind, however, -did not forsake her. To set this man at defiance would be to gain -nothing. She would endeavour to learn his motive for coming.</p> - -<p>“What is the meaning of this unceremonious intrusion at such an hour?” -she asked, when her first feeling of alarm had passed.</p> - -<p>“I came in the hope of seeing you as the day dawned,” he answered; -“but Fortune has favoured me, and, as if it were so decreed, you are -unexpectedly here alone, even while the night is young.”</p> - -<p>“Well, and what of that?” she asked hastily, as the man paused.</p> - -<p>“It is good,” he replied, “for I have much to say.”</p> - -<p>“But this is neither the time nor the place to say it,” she answered, -making a movement as if she were about to turn into the bungalow.</p> - -<p>Jewan caught her hand, and, with his glittering eyes fixed upon her -fair face, said—</p> - -<p>“Miss Meredith, listen to me. But one thing could have induced me -to visit you, for if my countrymen knew it they might suspect me of -treachery, and slay me. But what will a man not do for love? Ah! do -not start; do not try to draw your hand away, as if I were something -loathsome. If my skin is dark, do not the same emotions and passions -stir my breast as those of the white man’s? Can my heart not throb with -feelings as tender as his who is your accepted husband? Miss Meredith, -I love you! In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> the name of all that is good, I ask you to become my -wife, according to the rights of your own Church. I will give you -devotion, I will be faithful to you, I will love you unto death. Could -a white man do more?”</p> - -<p>“Jewan Bukht, are you mad? Do you know what it is you ask? Am I to give -you all that is dear to me—to sever every tie that binds me to my kith -and kin, in order to become your wife? Never!”</p> - -<p>“Think well before you give a decisive answer,” he replied, still -retaining his hold of her hand.</p> - -<p>“I have already thought. You have my answer. Nothing can alter my -decision. Go away for a little while, and, believe me, this silly -infatuation of yours will speedily wear off.”</p> - -<p>“How little you know of the heart, to talk like that. Mine is no -infatuation, but a genuine love. Why should you despise it?”</p> - -<p>“I do not despise it. But I tell you I cannot, nor will not be your -wife.”</p> - -<p>“Again I ask you not to be rash in your answer. A great danger is -hovering over the station. In a little while a fire will be lighted -here that will extend throughout India. Your countrymen and women will -cry for pity to ears that will be deaf, and they will appeal to hearts -that will be as stone. I tell you, Miss Meredith, that ere the sun has -risen and set again, there shall be bloody deeds done in Meerut. Every -white person in this and in every city of India stands in deadly peril. -And when once the revolt has broken out, even the ‘Great White Hand,’ -all-powerful as it is, will not be able to stop it. Ere it be too late, -say that you will be mine, and I will save you—more, I will save those -belonging to you!”</p> - -<p>She looked at the kneeling man at her feet; her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> heart beat wildly, and -her breath came thick and fast. She knew that there was truth in what -he said, but how should she act?</p> - -<p>She could not give this man her love—she shuddered, indeed, with a -feeling of loathing, as she contemplated him. She released her hand -from his, and drew herself up proudly, scornfully. And as the first -flush of dawn, which was spreading over the heavens, caught her face, -she looked inexpressibly beautiful.</p> - -<p>“What you ask is impossible,” she said. “Love I could never give you, -and better to die than sacrifice myself. Your master, Mr. Walter -Gordon, is to be my husband. I will either be wedded to him or death. -This is my answer. It is unalterable. For the rest, I trust in that God -which you yourself have professed to worship.”</p> - -<p>The man rose to his feet now—proud, defiant. His lips wreathed with -scorn—his eyes glistened with a strange light.</p> - -<p>“I own no master,” he answered, “but the great Nana Sahib. I came here -as your friend; I leave as your enemy; you have treated me as you -would have done a dog; but let that pass. I offered you life, liberty, -security. You have scorned my offer. Let it be so. We shall meet again, -and, when next we meet, you will answer me differently. You shall -entreat where now you scorn. Farewell.”</p> - -<p>She would have stopped him, for she regretted that she had spoken as -she had, and wounded the man’s feelings. But it was too late; he had -leaped over the railings into the compound, and was quickly out of -sight.</p> - -<p>With a sigh, poor Flora turned from the verandah to seek her couch, for -she was weary and faint and sick with an instinctive feeling of some -coming calamity.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER III.</span> <span class="smaller">THE STORM BREAKS.</span></h2> - -<p>The 10th of May was Sunday. It came in with fiery heat and glare, and -arid, dust-charged winds. The bells of the church pealed forth, as they -called the Christians to worship.</p> - -<p>“You do not seem well this morning, Flo,” said Walter Gordon, as he -assisted Miss Meredith into his buggy, with the intention of driving -her to the station church.</p> - -<p>“I am not at all well, Walter,” was her answer. “I have been restless -all night, and have slept but little.”</p> - -<p>“That is bad news, Flo. Suppose we have a drive out of Meerut, instead -of going to church?”</p> - -<p>“No, no. I prefer to attend the service this morning. I shall be better -by-and-bye.”</p> - -<p>As they drove along he noticed that she was nervous and agitated, and -he questioned her as to the cause; but, though she longed to tell -him all, her courage failed her, as she did not wish to give him -unnecessary alarm. Besides, after all, what Jewan had said might have -been but the boastful threat of a disappointed man—perhaps all would -be well. She consoled herself with this thought, and determined to tell -her lover at a later period.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the European barracks and in the various bungalows there was on this -particular morning a general desertion of native servants; but this -circumstance, strange to say, excited no suspicions, and so the day was -got through as usual.</p> - -<p>The afternoon drew to a close. The sun declined on the opposite bank -of the Goomtee, burnishing the stream with gold, and throwing into -dark relief the heavy masses of native boats. The great Mall was a -scene of gaiety, for the white glare of the day had departed, and the -dust-laden atmosphere was tempered with a refreshing breeze. The whole -European population seemed to be taking an airing. Strings of vehicles, -crowds of horsemen, gaily-dressed ladies, numberless natives, together -with the glowing river, the waving palms, the tall cocoa trees, and -the gilded domes of the numerous mosques, which rose grandly in the -background, made up a scene which for picturesqueness and beauty -could scarcely have been surpassed. It was a fair and smiling scene; -“white-robed peace seemed to have settled there, and spread her downy -wings.”</p> - -<p>Backwards and forwards went the natives. Hindoos and Brahmins, -high-caste and low-caste, mingling now indiscriminately. Could each of -the hearts that beat beneath those dusky skins have been read, could it -have been known how they were burning with hatred and loathing for the -Feringhees, many a white man would have shuddered, and, as he tightened -his grip on revolver or sword, he would have drawn the loved ones to -his breast, there to shield them with his life.</p> - -<p>Walter Gordon and Miss Meredith sat alone in the verandah, for Flora -had complained of feeling very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> unwell, and Walter decided that, -instead of going for the usual afternoon drive, it would be better to -remain quietly at home.</p> - -<p>They were suddenly surprised by observing a horseman come galloping -down the road. He drew rein opposite the compound, and, springing from -his saddle, hurried to the verandah. It was Lieutenant Harper.</p> - -<p>“Walter, a word with you,” he cried. “Do not be alarmed, Flo,” he -added, quickly, as he observed her cheeks blanch.</p> - -<p>She sprang to her feet quickly, and grasped his arm.</p> - -<p>“Tell me,” she cried, “what is the matter. I see by your manner that -there is danger. Where does it threaten?”</p> - -<p>“Do not be alarmed,” he repeated; “there is danger, but we may avert -it. I must not stay, though. I am bound on secret service to Delhi, and -I must reach that city before the day breaks. I am guilty of a great -dereliction of duty in calling here; but I could not leave without -seeing you. Walter, order your horse to be saddled, and accompany me as -far as the Delhi road. I want to talk to you.”</p> - -<p>“But Flora—how can I leave her?” Walter asked, in agitation.</p> - -<p>“Never mind me,” she answered. “Go; it may be to our benefit.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; it will be. I have some plans to arrange,” said Harper.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes Walter’s horse stood in the compound.</p> - -<p>“You have a case of revolvers?” Walter said to Flora.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Let me have one—quick.” He hurried in, and speedily loaded the -chambers of a Colt’s. Then thrusting the weapon into his belt, and -buttoning over his coat, he kissed Flora, and pressing her to his -heart, said—“Good-bye, darling, I shall not be long away. I know that -Harper has something of the utmost importance to say, or he would not -ask me to go.”</p> - -<p>“God protect you!” she murmured. “Until you return, my heart will be -full of fear.”</p> - -<p>In another moment the two men were galloping down the Mall, towards the -great road which led to Delhi, that city being forty miles from Meerut.</p> - -<p>“Walter,” said Harper, when they had got some distance away, “I did not -wish to alarm Flo, but there is an awful time coming for us. It is not -clear, yet, from what quarter the danger will arise. The Commandant -has, this afternoon, received some information, whether trustworthy -or not is not very clear. At anyrate, he attaches more than ordinary -importance to it, and I am the bearer of dispatches to Delhi. My -mission is one fraught with the greatest amount of personal danger, -and I may never return alive. But I am a soldier, and must do my duty. -To your care I consign my wife. When you get back, take Flo and her -mother up to my bungalow. You will be company for Emily, and be under -the protection of the troops in the barracks. If nothing serious occurs -to-night, the danger may be averted. I regret now that we treated -Flora’s fears with so much disregard. With a woman’s keener sense of -penetration, she saw farther ahead than we did.”</p> - -<p>“What, then, is the nature of the danger anticipated?” Walter asked.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> - -<p>“A general revolt of the native soldiery, and a wholesale massacre,” -was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Great Heavens! Is that so?” exclaimed the other, as his heart almost -stood still at the bare thought of the horrors the words suggested.</p> - -<p>Then for some little time the horsemen galloped along without -exchanging a word. Each was busy with his own thoughts, which possibly -flew far away to peaceful England, whose Queen little dreamed that her -great Indian possessions were about to be all but wrested from her. The -great Delhi road was reached at last, and along this Walter accompanied -his friend for some miles. The slant shadows thrown by the evening sun -were slowly fading, and darkness was creeping up. The men drew rein at -last.</p> - -<p>“I will return now,” said Walter.</p> - -<p>“Do,” was the other’s answer. “Walter, give me your hand, old fellow. -Perhaps in this world we may never meet again. If I fall, be a brother -to my poor wife. If I should return, and you fall, Flo shall find a -brother in me. We all carry our lives in our hands. Let us sell them as -dearly as possible; and for every white man that falls let twenty black -ones bite the dust.”</p> - -<p>A sharp report rang out on the still air, and a bullet whizzed between -the men.</p> - -<p>“Great God!” cried Harper; “the storm has burst at last. Farewell.”</p> - -<p>He grasped his friend’s hand, and in another moment was speeding away -in the darkness.</p> - -<p>Walter glanced about to see from which point the danger threatened him. -Then he drew his revolver, and grasping it with the determination of an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>Englishman who would only sell his life at a great cost, he set his -horse’s head back to Meerut.</p> - -<p>To return to Miss Meredith. Scarcely had Walter and her brother-in-law -gone than she threw herself into a chair and burst into tears.</p> - -<p>“What for missy weeping?” said a voice behind her.</p> - -<p>On looking up, she beheld an old and faithful ayah, named Zeemit Mehal, -who had been in her mother’s service for some time.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Zeemit,” she murmured, “I am so glad you are here. Mr. Gordon has -gone out with Lieutenant Harper, and I am very lonely and nervous. I -think I shall go up and see my sister; she will be dull now her husband -is away.”</p> - -<p>“No, missy, you must not go,” answered Zeemit firmly.</p> - -<p>“And why must I not, Zeemit?”</p> - -<p>“Because there is great danger coming to your countrymen and women; and -my love for you prompts me to save you.”</p> - -<p>She caught the old ayah by her skinny arm, and, in a voice choked with -emotion, said—</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, Mehal? If there is danger, does it not threaten my -mamma and sister as well as me?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but there is greater safety indoors; for every white man who -shows himself, there are a hundred bullets waiting to pierce his heart.”</p> - -<p>Flora uttered a scream, and she clutched the skinny arm tighter, as if -in that weak old woman she saw her only refuge.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Zeemit,” she cried, “if this is true, what will become of Walter?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He is a brave man, miss, and may be able to get back here in safety. -At any rate, do not alarm yourself unnecessarily. I will not desert -you, and while I have life I will defend you. But in all things, miss, -be guided by me.”</p> - -<p>The alarm that an outbreak was expected had spread now throughout the -station, and it was determined not to hold service in the church, -although the congregation had gathered. And so the clergyman, -commending them to the care of Heaven, dismissed them with a blessing.</p> - -<p>As the people returned to their homes, there was a look of unwonted -anxiety on the pale, scared faces. Sounds and sights greeted them on -their way back that could not be misinterpreted. The unwonted rattling -of musketry on the Sabbath evening; the sound of the bugles from all -quarters, as they called to assembly; the hurrying to and fro of men -armed to the teeth, and the panic-struck looks of the unarmed, all told -of coming disaster. Presently columns of smoke rose up against the fast -darkening sky, then blood-red flames leapt into the air, and the lurid -glare soon spread the awful news, far and wide, that the native troops -in Meerut had revolted.</p> - -<p>The Third Bengal Artillery, whose comrades were languishing in gaol, -rushed from their lines towards the hospital, which had been turned -into a temporary prison for the “eighty-five,” whose only guard was -a small body of natives. This was one of the most inconceivable acts -of stupidity that occurred during the whole of the frightful mutiny. -And when it was too late, it became painfully evident that someone had -blundered. Who was responsible for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> error? men asked of one another -as they hurried about in the first panic of alarm. But no one answered -the question, and through the weakness of the administration at that -critical period, hundreds of innocent lives paid the penalty.</p> - -<p>On went the half-maddened men of the Third, their cry now being “To the -rescue!” Some were in uniform, man and horse fully accoutred, some in -their stable dress, with only watering rein and horse cloth on their -chargers, but all armed to the teeth, and on the faces of all a grim, -resolute expression of ferocity. They reached the walls of the gaol; -not the slightest opposition was offered; the rescue began. Down they -tore the masonry around the cells; iron bars were wrenched away, and -used to batter in the gates. Then forth came the “eighty-five”; their -manacles were struck off, and the erst-while felons stood free men, -with the light of the incendiary fires beating upon their dusky faces. -Up behind their deliverers they mounted, and rode back to the lines, -their hearts thirsting for revenge.</p> - -<p>When they got to their quarters they were joined by the Eleventh Native -Regiment. Colonel Finnis, who commanded the Eleventh, strong in his -belief of the loyalty of his regiment, rode in amongst them.</p> - -<p>“Men of the Eleventh!” he cried, “be true to your Queen, and do not -disgrace your profession of arms by acts of violence and mutiny. -Whatever wrongs you have I pledge you, in the name of the Queen, that -they shall be redressed. Remember that we have helpless women and -children amongst us who look to you for protection. You are human, and -in your human hearts let the voice of pity obliterate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> your feelings of -bitterness. I, your colonel, command you to return peaceably to your -barracks, and I will protect you from all consequences of this act.”</p> - -<p>The answer was a report, and the colonel’s horse staggered and fell -beneath its rider. Another shot was fired; it went clean through the -colonel’s body. A volley followed—and Colonel Finnis fell dead, -completely riddled with bullets.</p> - -<p>Then, from every quarter of Meerut, rose heavy columns of smoke, that -were illuminated with many coloured flames. The sight was awful; the -rolling of the musketry, the crackling of the fires, the crashing -of falling timbers, the shrieks of the dying and the wounded, the -cry of defenceless women, the piteous neighing of the horses as they -were scorched to death in their stables, the yells, and shouts of the -rabble, made up a night of horrors, such as, in the history of the -world, has rarely been recorded.</p> - -<p>From every street, and corner, and hole, and alley—from the bazaars -and villages—poured forth streams of maddened natives, bent upon -murder and plunder. And “death to the Feringhees!” was the one cry -heard above all others. Like wild beasts from their lairs, seeking -whom they might devour, came the hordes; and as the European officers -rushed from their bungalows, they were shot down, and fell riddled with -bullets.</p> - -<p>Flora Meredith stood in the verandah of her bungalow like one turned to -stone. She was horror-stricken, and could not move. At the first alarm -her mother, maddened with despair, had rushed out into the compound, -and was shot through the heart; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> there she lay now, her dead eyes -staring blankly up to the red sky.</p> - -<p>A man hurriedly crossed the compound. He sprang into the verandah, he -stood beside Flora, he passed his arm around her waist. It aroused -her to a sense of her awful position. She turned and confronted the -intruder. Her eyes fell upon Jewan Bukht.</p> - -<p>“You brute!” she cried, “how dare you take such a liberty?”</p> - -<p>He laughed, and tightened his hold, as she struggled to free herself.</p> - -<p>“I told you we should meet again,” he said, with withering irony. “It -is not yet too late; I can yet save you. Say you will marry me.”</p> - -<p>By a desperate effort she freed herself from his grasp, and, recoiling -away, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Never! I would rather die a hundred deaths.”</p> - -<p>He laughed again—a bitter, cunning laugh—and made a movement as if to -seize her.</p> - -<p>“Then you shall die,” he exclaimed, unsheathing a long, glittering -native dagger.</p> - -<p>He was intercepted by a woman—a native. It was Zeemit Mehal.</p> - -<p>“Stay, Jewan!” said Zeemit. “If you are rough with this pretty prize, -she may injure herself. She is a bonny bird, and should not ruffle her -plumage. She shall be yours. I give her to you.”</p> - -<p>“May God in heaven protect me!” murmured Flora, as, sinking on her -knees, she buried her face in her hands.</p> - -<p>“Hush!” whispered Zeemit, as she bent down, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>unperceived by Jewan, -“obey me in all things, and I will save you.”</p> - -<p>“Come, my pretty dove,” said Zeemit, aloud, as she took the hands of -Flora, and raised her to her feet, “life is sweet, and Jewan will be -good to you. Besides, our time has come. The Feringhees have ruled -us long enough. We triumph now, and resistance on your part will be -useless. You must go with Jewan.”</p> - -<p>“That is well said, Zeemit,” cried the man; “and I will give you jewels -enough to make you as rich as a Ranee for your service. I shall take -this white-faced woman to the Palace of the Mogul in Delhi.”</p> - -<p>“But you must not leave me behind!” exclaimed Zeemit in well-feigned -alarm.</p> - -<p>“Leave you behind—certainly not!” answered Jewan, with a laugh. “You -shall go and be keeper to my bird, and clip her wings if she wants to -fly. I have a buggy close at hand; we will go together. Stay here until -I bring it up.”</p> - -<p>He went out into the compound, and when he had gone Flora flung herself -at the feet of Zeemit.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Zeemit!” she cried, “by all that you hold dear—if you have -sister, mother, father, brother, nay, more, if you have a child—I -appeal to you, in their names, to save me!”</p> - -<p>“I will,” was the answer. “But you must go with this man; for to remain -here is certain death. If your lover has escaped, and he may have done -so, he will assuredly return. I will remain behind and wait, so that -if he comes I can warn him and apprise him of your whereabouts. Hush! -Jewan returns.”</p> - -<p>Flora was utterly bewildered. She could neither<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> think nor act, only -yield herself blindly to the counselling of this old woman.</p> - -<p>The man had driven into the compound in a buggy. He sprang to the -ground.</p> - -<p>“Quick,” he cried, “there is no time to be lost.”</p> - -<p>“I have an old father, who lives on the other side of the nullah,” said -Zeemit; “I must visit him before I go.”</p> - -<p>“But I cannot wait for you; even our own lives are in danger by -remaining here,” observed Jewan angrily.</p> - -<p>“There is no occasion to wait,” was the answer. “When I have seen my -father I will hurry after you. I am an old woman, and no one will -molest me; I shall find means to reach Delhi almost as soon as you. -Come, my baby, put on your things,” she added, addressing Flora, who -followed the old woman into the bungalow.</p> - -<p>When Flora had secured a few relics and articles of value, and had -arrayed herself in a shawl and hat, she returned to the verandah.</p> - -<p>“You will come,” she whispered to the old woman; “and save him if -possible. Should I not see you in three days, and if this man insults -me, I will die by my own hand.”</p> - -<p>“I will save him and you if he lives,” was the answer. “Go.”</p> - -<p>Then the poor girl, bewildered by the rapid course of events, and -half-dazed by the danger that surrounded her, and scarcely able to -realise the fact that a few yards off her mother was lying stark -and white, mounted to the buggy, and sank down overpowered upon the -cushions.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jewan sprang up beside her, and, covering her up with a dark -horse-cloth, he lashed his horse into a gallop, and was soon speeding -out of Meerut. As the buggy reached the great Mall, it was passed by a -horse that was tearing along at a great pace. It carried a rider, an -Englishman. His head was bare, his hair was streaming in the wind, his -teeth were set, and in his hand he firmly held a revolver. He bent low, -until his face almost touched the neck of his horse, for now and again -shots were sent after him; but he seemed to bear a charmed life, and -never slackened pace for an instant, and soon he and the buggy were far -apart.</p> - -<p>The flying horseman was Walter Gordon. Breathless and begrimed, he -rushed into the compound of the Meredith bungalow, just in time to see -flames issuing from the windows. It had been fired by the incendiaries. -He would have entered the burning building, but a hand firmly grasped -his arm, and a voice whispered in his ear—</p> - -<p>“Be silent as you value your life.”</p> - -<p>It was Zeemit Mehal.</p> - -<p>“Where is Miss Meredith?” he cried, in spite of the old woman’s warning.</p> - -<p>“She lives,” was the answer. “On your prudence depends her safety and -your own. Be guided by me, and wait. Tether your horse to yonder tree, -and follow me.”</p> - -<p>He did as she desired, for there was something in the woman’s tone that -gave him hope and confidence. Then at her bidding he crouched down -beneath a clump of bushes, and waited.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE PALACE OF THE MOGUL.</span></h2> - -<p>As that awful night of the 11th of May wore on, a drama was enacted -in the fair city of Meerut, that the most graphic pen would fail to -do justice to. For a time the mutineers held their own. They burned -and pillaged, they massacred and drank. In their mad fury nothing was -held sacred. Even their own temples and mosques fell a prey to the -incendiary firebrands. Innocent children were ruthlessly slaughtered; -helpless women were dismembered, and many a gallant officer rolled in -the dust without being able to fire a shot at his unseen and cowardly -foe.</p> - -<p>But soon the tide turned. The panic, which for a short time seemed to -have paralysed those in command, gave place to reaction. The Rifles and -the Dragoons were let loose. Desperate and terrible was the conflict, -but the “Great White Hand” was too powerful to be crushed by a howling -rabble. The gallant English soldiers warmed to their work. Their blood -fired as they thought of their cruelly-murdered wives and daughters, -and country-women. And so, with carbines and sabres they cut lines for -themselves through the crowded streets, until from thousands of throats -went up the warning cry—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Gora-logue, aya” (the Europeans have come). Then out of the city of -Meerut, and on to the great high road that led to Delhi, went the -cowardly mutineers—a disorderly, beggarly, undisciplined rabble now. -The Dragoons followed some little distance, and made terrible havoc -among the flying crowds. But suddenly, and for some inexplicable -reason, the English soldiers were ordered to return. They did -reluctantly—sorrowfully. Nay, they were half-inclined to disobey that -order, for their blood was up, and they knew that they could have cut -that flying horde to pieces. Somebody had blundered again! But who? And -to the present day echo answers, Who?</p> - -<p>The men returned to their lines, and the rebels straggled on. Before -them was the Imperial City, with its gorgeous Palace, its stupendous -magazine and arsenal, its countless treasures, its almost impregnable -defences. It was a goal worth pressing forward to. Behind them was -a town of smouldering and blackened ruins, of slaughtered women and -children, and dauntless British soldiers burning to revenge the foul -murders, but who were held in check by the marvellous stupidity of -those in office.</p> - -<p>The Palace of the Mogul, in Delhi, was one that might have vied with -any similar building in the whole of India; it was a majestic pile, -worthy of the traditions that surrounded it, and the noble line of -kings who had dwelt beneath its roof, but who were now but a name, for -their ancient splendour had set never to rise again.</p> - -<p>In one of the stateliest rooms in the stately Palace<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> sat the aged -King—a man upon whose brow the years had gathered thickly and set -their stamp. A long beard, white as the driven snow, reached to his -waist; his face was wrinkled and puckered, and his eyes dull and -bleared, but they were restless, and plainly told that within the -spirit was chafing. Around him was a brilliant retinue, and on each -side of the marble hall stood an armed guard.</p> - -<p>The King was seated on a raised dais, and was holding counsel with some -of his ministers.</p> - -<p>“Things work well,” he replied, in a low voice, to some remark that had -just been made by one of his courtiers. “Our sun is rising, and power -is coming back to us; we shall yet live to enjoy some of the glory -which made the reign of our predecessors so conspicuous before these -cursed Feringhees came and trampled on our power. Death to them!”</p> - -<p>He ground his teeth and clenched his emaciated hand, and his eyes -sparkled for a moment with a burning feeling of hatred.</p> - -<p>“Do not distress yourself, great lord,” said a tall and handsome woman, -whose massive bangles, flashing diamonds, and gold chain, bespoke her -one of the King’s favourites. “The power of these foreigners is great, -and better to submit to it than to rise only to fall again and be -crushed.”</p> - -<p>The King turned upon her, his whole frame quivering with wrath.</p> - -<p>“Peace, fool—beast!” he cried; “thy sympathies have ever been with the -hated race. Beneath thy breast there beats a traitorous heart. Have a -care. Bridle thy tongue, or thy head may pay the forfeit.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I own no traitor’s heart, my lord and king,” the woman answered, as -she drew herself up proudly.</p> - -<p>“Peace, Haidee, I tell thee!” cried the monarch, in a voice husky with -passion; “we brook no insolence, and no answer. Thou art a slave. Know -thy place.”</p> - -<p>The eyes of Haidee burned and her lips quivered, while her bosom heaved -with suppressed emotion.</p> - -<p>“Take my life if it so pleases you, my lord, but to your face I say I -am no slave,” she answered.</p> - -<p>Haidee was as yet but in the first flush of womanhood; she had not -numbered more than two-and-twenty years. She was a native of Cashmere, -and of the true Cashmere type of beauty. Her form was perfect in -symmetry; her face a study. Her eyes were large and liquid, and fringed -with long silken lashes; her skin a delicate brown, almost cream -colour, and the cheeks tinged with pink, while down her back, reaching -below the knees, fell a wealth of the dark auburn hair peculiar to her -countrywomen; it was kept from her face by a small tiara studded with -diamonds, the points being many butterflies, composed of rubies and -pearls; her arms, beautifully proportioned and rounded, were bare to -the shoulders; and on the right arm up to the elbow were massive gold -jewelled bands. She was arrayed in all the gorgeousness of Eastern -costume—flowing silk studded with pearls, and looped up with massive -gold knots, was suspended from her shoulders; trousers of light blue -silk, and slippers of the same material, ornamented with small gold -fire-flies, completed a costume that was at once picturesque and -beautiful. Nature and art had combined to make Haidee a picture of -perfect beauty.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> - -<p>Angered almost beyond control by her last remark, the King raised his -hand as a sign to one of the guards, to whom he was going to issue -orders to have her taken away; but, before he could speak, a messenger -entered hurriedly, and prostrating himself before the dais, waited for -the King’s pleasure.</p> - -<p>“What hast thou to communicate?” asked the monarch, as he resumed his -seat with difficulty.</p> - -<p>“An English officer, the bearer of despatches from Meerut, seeks -audience with your Majesty,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Ah!” exclaimed the King, as he nervously clutched the arms of the -chair with his withered hands. “An English officer, eh?—an English -dog, thou shouldst have said. Let him wait our pleasure then,” he added -angrily.</p> - -<p>“He is importunate, your Majesty, and says his business permits of no -delay.”</p> - -<p>“A palsy seize him, and the whole of his race!” answered the King. “But -we must not be premature. It were better, perhaps, to admit him.”</p> - -<p>With a low bow the man withdrew, returning in a short time in company -with Lieutenant Harper, whose ride from Meerut had been performed in an -incredibly short space of time, and on whose face the perspiration was -still wet, while his uniform was white with dust.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty will pardon me for dispensing with all ceremony,” he -said, as he made a respectful salute to the King. “I have the honour -to be the bearer of most important despatches from the Commandant of -Meerut. Their contents are private, and intended for no other eyes but -yours.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p> - -<p>As Harper spoke he handed a package of official documents to the King, -who in turn was about to hand them to his secretary, as he remarked—</p> - -<p>“We will have them read to us at our leisure.”</p> - -<p>“Pardon me, but they must not leave your Majesty’s hands,” Harper said, -hurriedly.</p> - -<p>“Must not!” the King echoed, sternly. Then checking himself, he -said—“Well, well, you English are an impetuous race! We will comply -with your request. My spectacles, Zula. Let us see what these important -documents contain.”</p> - -<p>A native boy stepped forward, and presented to the King his spectacles -on a gold plate.</p> - -<p>Then, with nervous, trembling hands, he broke the seals of the packet, -and unfolding the long blue sheets of paper, he slowly perused them. As -he did so, there flitted across his face an almost perceptible smile of -triumph, and over the gold rims of his spectacles he darted a look full -of meaning to a powerful Sepoy who stood near.</p> - -<p>This man was an orderly of the guard, and his name Moghul Singh. He was -evidently in the King’s secret, for he seemed to understand the look, -and made a sign, with his right hand, to his comrades.</p> - -<p>Quickly as this was done, it did not escape the notice of Haidee, who -shifted her position, ostensibly to converse with a group of ladies, -but in reality to place herself nearer Harper.</p> - -<p>During the time that the King had spent in reading the documents, -Harper’s gaze had frequently wandered to the lovely form of Haidee, -and their eyes met, until every nerve in his body thrilled with the -electrical fire of her wondrous eyes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> - -<p>When the King had finished reading, he removed his spectacles and -handed them back to the bearer. And as he slowly folded up the paper he -remarked with an ill-concealed look of scorn—</p> - -<p>“Your commandant fears that there is a conspiracy between the Meerut -troops and those of Delhi. It may be so, but we know nothing of it. -We have ever been faithful in our allegiance to your sovereign, and -these suspicions are unjust. But our agents shall lose no time in -ascertaining to what extent dissatisfaction exists in this our Imperial -City, and steps shall be taken to give the mutineers of Meerut, should -they come here, a warm reception. Moghul Singh,” he added, turning to -the orderly, “see this officer comfortably quartered until to-morrow, -when we will receive him again, and give him safe escort back, should -he desire it.”</p> - -<p>Harper made a salute, and prepared to go. The orderly also, in -acknowledgment of his commands, saluted, but in obedience to a sign -from the King he approached the dais, and the King, bending slightly -forward, whispered—</p> - -<p>“The stone room, Singh.”</p> - -<p>Harper’s movement had brought him close to Haidee—so close that the -skirts of her garments touched him.</p> - -<p>He looked up. His eyes met hers; and in accents that were scarcely -audible, but which reached his ears, as they were intended to do, she -whispered—</p> - -<p>“On your guard! Danger!”</p> - -<p>For a moment he was startled, but only for a moment. He comprehended in -an instant that he was in peril, and that this beautiful woman, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> -some unknown reason, had given him friendly warning.</p> - -<p>As Harper followed his guide from the audience chamber he began to -suspect treachery; and knowing that the Commandant of the Palace Guard -was a Scotchman, by name Douglas, and also that there were an English -chaplain and several ladies in the Palace, he made a request to the -orderly that he might be conducted to the presence of his countrymen -and women.</p> - -<p>“The sahib’s wishes shall be obeyed,” the orderly answered, with -a military salute. But there was something in the man’s tone and -manner which caused Harper to mistrust him, and the young officer -instinctively moved his hand to the sword which hung at his side, and -which was clanking ominously on the marble pavement.</p> - -<p>Down long corridors, along numerous passages, through stately -apartments, Harper went, led by his guide. At length an open court-yard -was reached. On one side was a guard-room, at the door of which several -Sepoys were lounging. The orderly led the Englishman close to the -door, and as he did so he raised his hand and muttered something in -Hindoostanee. Then, quick as thought, two tall, powerful Sepoys sprang -upon Harper, and seized him in a grip of iron.</p> - -<p>“Scum, cowards,” he cried, as he realised in an instant that he was -the victim of a plot, and making a desperate struggle to free his -hand and draw his sword. But other Sepoys came to the assistance of -their comrades; the sword was taken away, his accoutrements and jacket -were torn from him; then he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> was raised up, carried for some little -distance, and forcibly thrown into a large apartment. Bewildered by the -suddenness of the movement, and half-stunned by the fall—for his head -had come in violent contact with the floor—Harper lay for some time -unable to move.</p> - -<p>When his senses fully returned, he stood up to examine the place -in which he had been suddenly imprisoned. It was a large, square -apartment, with walls of solid masonry, and a massive iron door, -that seemed to render all chance of escape hopeless. The only light -came from a narrow slit on one side of the room, near the roof. When -his eyes had become accustomed to the gloom, he made a more minute -inspection of the place. It was evidently a dungeon, for the walls were -damp and slimy, and the most repulsive reptiles were crawling about -the floor; while in the corners, and on every projecting angle, huge -tarantula spiders sat waiting for prey.</p> - -<p>In one corner of the room Harper noticed that there was a recess, and -in this recess was a small arched doorway. He tried the door. It was -made of iron, and as firm as the solid masonry in which it seemed to be -built.</p> - -<p>He was a brave man. He could have faced death unflinchingly in open -fight, but he sank into the apathy of despair as he realised that he -had been trapped into this place, from which escape seemed impossible, -to be murdered in cold blood when the rising took place; for he had -no doubt now that the appearance of the Meerut mutineers would be the -signal for a revolt in Delhi, and that when the time arrived every -European would be ruthlessly butchered.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> As he remembered the words -Haidee had uttered as he left the audience chamber, he reproached -himself for not having been more on the alert.</p> - -<p>“Fool that I was,” he cried, “to be thus taken off my guard! That woman -gave me warning, and yet I have failed to profit by it.”</p> - -<p>There was a small stone bench near where he was standing, and on to -this he sank, and pressing his hands to his head, he murmured—</p> - -<p>“My poor wife, God bless her; we shall never meet again.”</p> - -<p>In a little time he grew calmer, and, rising from his seat, he once -more made an inspection of his prison. But the slimy stone walls and -the solid iron door seemed to mock all thought of escape, as they -certainly shut out every sound—at least no sound reached his ear. -The silence of death was around him. The awful suspense was almost -unendurable. He felt as if he should go mad, and he was half-tempted, -in those first moments of despair and chagrin, to dash his brains -out against the dripping wall. He paced the chamber in the agony of -despair. He threw himself on the stone seat again. And as the thought -of those he loved, and that he might never see them any more, flashed -through his brain, he felt as if he were really going mad.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, out of his confused ideas, out of the mental chaos to which -he had been well-nigh reduced, a question suggested itself to him, and -an image rose up before his view.</p> - -<p>It was the image of Haidee. The light of her eyes seemed to shine upon -him from out of the thick darkness. He saw the beauty of her form, -veiled in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> costly, jewelled drapery, and her magnificent hair -floating around her.</p> - -<p>“Who is that strange beautiful woman?” was the question he asked, as in -his imagination he saw her stand before him.</p> - -<p>Then he followed it by another.</p> - -<p>“Why did she interest herself in me? I must surely be totally unknown -to her?”</p> - -<p>But the questions were more easily asked than answered. It was a -mystery of which he could scarcely hope at that moment to find the -solution.</p> - -<p>Exhausted with his long ride, and the great excitement under which he -had laboured, he sank into an uneasy doze. How long he had remained -thus he had no means of knowing; but he was suddenly startled by the -boom of a heavy gun, that seemed to shake his dungeon, solid as it was.</p> - -<p>He sprang to his feet. He thought he would hear wild shouts and the -clashing of arms.</p> - -<p>Boom!</p> - -<p>Again a gun gave tongue. It appeared to be directly overhead.</p> - -<p>Another and another quickly followed. His heart beat violently; a -clammy perspiration stood upon his brow; not from any craven fear, -but from the awful thought that murder and rapine were broken loose, -and he, young and active, with an arm powerful to wield a sword, was -imprisoned there, and utterly helpless as if he had been bound in iron -gyves.</p> - -<p>“Heaven above,” he cried, “is there no hope for me?”</p> - -<p>Scarcely had the words left his lips than he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> made aware that a key -was being inserted in the lock of the small iron door in the recess. -He would have given much at that moment for a weapon. Even a stick he -would have been grateful for. But his arms were yet free. He had the -power of youth in them, and he was determined to make a bold effort, -to let at least one life go out with his own, and he resolved that the -first man who entered he would endeavour to strangle.</p> - -<p>He stood up in the recess, ready to spring forward. The key grated -harshly; the lock had evidently not been used for some time. Then there -was the sound of bolts being worked in their sockets. It was a moment -of awful suspense. Nay, it seemed an age to him, as he stood there -panting and waiting, with rapidly beating heart, for what might be -revealed.</p> - -<p>Presently the bolts yielded. The key was turned, and a long strip of -light illuminated the recess.</p> - -<p>“Hush, silence, for your life!” a soft voice whispered; and to his -astonished gaze there appeared the form of Haidee, who bore in her -hand a small lamp, and whose figure was clothed in the ordinary muslin -garments worn by the native peasant women.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER V.</span> <span class="smaller">THE TREACHERY OF THE KING.</span></h2> - -<p>When the mutineers had got clear of Meerut, they straggled along the -great highway towards the Imperial City. They were a broken horde now; -some of them were mounted, some on foot, while the scum and villainy of -the bazaars followed in their wake. A mile or two in advance of them -was Jewan Bukht, with the captive Flora Meredith, who had remained in -a state of insensibility in the bottom of the buggy from the time of -leaving the bungalow. As his horse tore along, he occasionally glanced -backward, and smiled with satisfaction as he saw the flames of the -burning city leaping high in the air. The rays of the rising sun were -burnishing the domes and minarets of the Imperial City as he arrived on -the banks of the Jumna, which looked like liquid gold in the morning -light.</p> - -<p>He hurried across the bridge of boats to the Calcutta Gate, where a few -hours before Lieutenant Harper had entered. He was well known to the -guard at the gate, who greeted him with laughter and cheers. Flora had -recovered her senses, but was weary and ill; but as the horse’s hoofs -clattered on the stone pavement, she raised her head, and looked out. -When the Sepoys at the gate saw her, they set<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> up a loud laugh, and -exclaimed, “Oh, oh, Jewan, thou hast done well!”</p> - -<p>Jewan did not answer, but drove straight on, until, crossing a broad -courtyard, he alighted at the door of a pile of buildings in the rear -of the Palace. He lifted Flora out, for she was too weak to rise. He -carried her into a luxurious apartment, and placed her upon a couch. -Scarcely had he done so than Moghul Singh, the orderly of the guard, -entered hurriedly.</p> - -<p>“Good greetings, Jewan,” he exclaimed. Then, noticing the pale form of -Miss Meredith, he laughed slyly, and added, “So, so; you have caught a -bird! By the Prophet, but she is a bonny one too!”</p> - -<p>Flora seemed to be quite unconscious of what was passing around her. -She had let her head fall upon the arms of the couch, and had buried -her face in her hands.</p> - -<p>“But what do you want here?” the orderly continued. “Know you not that -your presence is urgently required in Cawnpore?”</p> - -<p>“No, I did not know that,” Jewan answered, as a look of annoyance -crossed his face. “But whence got you this information?”</p> - -<p>“From Teeka Singh. He was here yesterday, and said you were to lose no -time in hurrying to the Nana. Nay, he expects you this very day.”</p> - -<p>“That is unfortunate,” Jewan remarked, biting his lips with vexation.</p> - -<p>Moghul laughed, and, pointing to Flora, said—</p> - -<p>“You must choose between pleasure and duty.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” exclaimed Jewan, angrily.</p> - -<p>“Mean,” retorted the other; “why, I mean that you must give up your -mistress to serve your master.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No; I can retain the one and do the other. From the Nana I shall -derive wealth, greatness, position. It is worth some sacrifice to gain -them. But I have risked too much for this white-faced woman to let her -go now. I will take her to Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>With a scream, Flora—who, though apparently unconscious, had heard the -conversation between the two men—flung herself at the feet of Jewan, -and, catching his hand between her own, cried—</p> - -<p>“Oh, man, if you are not something less than human, do not take me -away. Do not take me to Cawnpore. Let me remain here. Nay, kill me, -rather than separate me for ever from those who are dear to me.”</p> - -<p>She crouched at his feet; she held his hand tightly, and looked up into -his face with such a look of sorrow, that it should have moved even a -savage animal. But the man only laughed coarsely, and, with a sneer on -his lips, said—</p> - -<p>“Our power is returning. The white woman crouches at the feet of the -despised Indian.”</p> - -<p>“No, no; do not say despised,” she answered, her voice broken with -sobs. “You have ever experienced the greatest kindness from my -countrymen. Has not Mr. Gordon been a friend to you? Were you not -nursed and tended with love and gentleness by white friends? Let some -remembrance of all that has been done for you move your heart to pity -me; and, rather than take me away, strike me dead now at your feet, and -with my last breath I will bless you.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you remind me that I have been a slave?” he answered, his eyes -glowing with hatred. “Why do you utter a name in my ear that only -serves to turn my heart to stone. Walter Gordon is your lover.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> I offer -all that he can—love and faithfulness. You spurn me, and choose him. -I hate him. Do you hear? And do you think that, after having risked so -much to secure you, I shall let you escape? No; I’m for Cawnpore, and -you go with me.”</p> - -<p>She threw up her arms, and, with a pitiful cry, fell upon her face on -the floor.</p> - -<p>“The right stuff is in your nature, Jewan,” remarked the orderly, as he -assisted his comrade to lift the insensible Flora to the couch.</p> - -<p>“I am steel and iron,” was the answer; “that is, so far as these -Feringhees are concerned.”</p> - -<p>“That is good,” the other replied. “We must not know pity—we must be -deaf to all supplications. I have a prisoner. The King gave him into my -charge, and he shall die by my hand the moment the first batch of our -comrades enters Delhi from Meerut.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! is he an important one?”</p> - -<p>“He is an English officer!”</p> - -<p>“An English officer?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; from Meerut.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed. What is his name?”</p> - -<p>“Harper; and he wears the uniform of a lieutenant.”</p> - -<p>“Fate assists us,” Jewan answered. “I know the man. He is a friend of -Walter Gordon’s, and once counselled him to discharge me. Kill him, -kill him, Moghul! Or let me do it for you,” and, as the man spoke, a -demoniacal expression passed over his face.</p> - -<p>The devil, that had so long been kept down by the bonds of -civilisation, was rising now, and the ferocity of his nature was -asserting itself. All the examples that had been set him, all -the kindness that had been shown to him, and all the prayers of -Christianity that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> had been breathed into his ear, were blown to the -winds, and he was simply the Hindoo, burning with hatred for the white -man, and thirsting for his blood.</p> - -<p>“I can do all the killing that is to be done, myself,” Moghul answered. -“I am no chicken-heart. Besides, the King offers fifty rupees to every -one who shall slay a British officer. Hark!” he suddenly cried, as the -beat of a drum and the blast of a bugle were heard; “that is the signal -that our comrades have come.”</p> - -<p>He was about to hurry away, when Jewan stopped him.</p> - -<p>“Stay a minute,” he said, “I must leave for Cawnpore immediately, or -the road may be stopped by the English. Where shall I get a good horse -and conveyance?”</p> - -<p>“Go round to the Palace stables, and take your pick. But you must away -at once, or every gate will be closed, and you will be unable to pass -out. Farewell, the Prophet smile on you!”</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh hurried away, and Jewan was alone with the still -insensible girl. He looked at her with admiration, as she lay there, -ghastly pale and ill, but still beautiful.</p> - -<p>He bent over her, and, pressing his hot lips on her cold forehead, he -murmured—</p> - -<p>“You are mine; and I thank the fate that placed you in my power! This -is a moment to have lived for.”</p> - -<p>He hurried away, having first taken the precaution to lock the door and -take the key with him. And, as he crossed the courtyard to the stables, -the boom of a heavy gun sounded, dull and ominous, on the morning air.</p> - -<p>The Meerut mutineers had reached the Jumna.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> They were swarming over -the bridge of boats, and clamouring beneath the windows of the Palace.</p> - -<p>Captain Douglas, who was then the Commandant of the Palace Guard, -instantly ordered the Calcutta Gate to be closed.</p> - -<p>This was done, and he sought the presence of the King, who, supporting -his tottering limbs with a staff, met him in the Hall of Audience.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty,” cried Douglas, in an excited tone, “the Sepoys have -revolted!”</p> - -<p>“Have they so?” the King answered, with a cunning leer, his palsied -limbs shaking with joy that caused his heart to quicken its pulsations.</p> - -<p>“Have they so!” Douglas echoed, in astonishment. “Is that the only -answer your Majesty has to make?”</p> - -<p>“The only answer, Douglas. What can we do?”</p> - -<p>“Do!—blow them to pieces with our guns!” was the reply of the brave -Englishman.</p> - -<p>Through the open windows of the Palace came the cry of the insurgents—</p> - -<p>“We have killed the English in Meerut. Long live the King of Delhi. -We have come to restore the Dynasty, to raise the House of Timour, to -fight for the Faith!”</p> - -<p>The King smiled with satisfaction, and Douglas, seeing the treachery of -the King, hurried away to join the other Europeans of the guard.</p> - -<p>The mutineers, finding the Calcutta Gate closed, rushed along the -road that runs between the Palace walls and the river, until they -reached the Ragghat Gate, which was instantly opened to them by the -Mohammedans, and the murderous crew clattered into the town, shouting -as they went—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Glory to the Padishah, and death to the Feringhees!”</p> - -<p>Then ensued a scene that can scarcely be described. They murdered every -European they met; they set fire to every house, and then doubled -back to the Calcutta Gate. Here Captain Douglas, Commissioner Fraser, -and several other Englishmen, had stationed themselves. And, as the -troopers galloped up, Fraser seized a musket, and shot the foremost one -dead.</p> - -<p>A buggy, with a horse attached, was standing by, for Commissioner -Fraser had just driven up. He sprang into the vehicle, and, lashing the -horse into a gallop, made for the Lahore Gate, whilst Douglas jumped -into the ditch of the fort.</p> - -<p>He was severely injured by the fall, but he was sheltered from the -enemy’s fire. In a little while he was discovered by a soldier of his -guard, whom he had once befriended. This man lifted him on his back, -and carried him into the Palace, to a room where the English chaplain -and his two daughters were listening to the horrible tumult below.</p> - -<p>But soon it became known that the Europeans were there. Then a -demoniacal crew rushed up the stairs, and, breaking into the room, -massacred the little party with exultant ferocity.</p> - -<p>It was a brief and bloody murder, as horrible as any that stained the -walls of the Delhi Palace.</p> - -<p>Next the courtyards were turned into stables, the Hall of Audience into -a barrack-room; and the human fiends, tired with their long ride and -their murderous work, strewed straw on the marble floors, and lay down -to rest.</p> - -<p>When the first excitement had passed, Jewan<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> Bukht prepared to take his -departure. He had secured one of the best horses and a light vehicle.</p> - -<p>When he returned to the room where he had left Flora, he found that she -had partly recovered, but was still dazed and bewildered.</p> - -<p>He had procured some food and wine, and these he offered to her. The -poor girl, faint from long fasting, ate a mouthful of the food. Then -Jewan poured out some wine, which she took almost mechanically. She -drained the glass.</p> - -<p>Jewan watched her eagerly, as she laid her head wearily back on the -couch. The wine was drugged. It soon took effect; and, in a few -moments, poor Flora was once more insensible. Then the wretch wrapped -her in a large cloak, and, lifting her in his arms, carried her to the -buggy.</p> - -<p>Just as he was about to apply the whip to the horse, Moghul Singh -rushed up, and, in an excited tone, cried—</p> - -<p>“There is treachery somewhere. My bird has flown!”</p> - -<p>“What!—Harper?” Jewan asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes. He has escaped from the stone room, the strongest in the Palace. -But how he has got away is a mystery. Both doors were locked and -bolted. He has been liberated by some of our own people. But he shall -not escape me, for he cannot get outside of the Palace. Farewell; glory -to the Prophet!” the man cried, as he rushed away again.</p> - -<p>Jewan whipped his horse, and, waving his hand to several Sepoys who -were standing about, he quitted the Palace by the Calcutta Gate, and, -crossing the Jumna, reached the road that led to Lucknow, and giving -his horse the reins, Delhi was soon left far behind.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VI.</span> <span class="smaller">HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE MAGAZINE.</span></h2> - -<p>The great magazine of Delhi, with all its vast supplies of munitions of -war, was in the city, not far distant from the Palace. It was one of -the most important stores in Upper India.</p> - -<p>It was in charge of Lieutenant George Willoughby, of the Ordnance -Commissariat Department—a man whose dauntless bravery it would almost -be impossible to surpass. He had with him as comrades, Lieutenants -Forrest and Raynor, officers of the Bengal Artillery, and six other -Europeans.</p> - -<p>When the warning went forth that the mutineers were swarming into the -town, this little band of resolute Englishmen braced themselves to face -the tremendous odds which threatened them.</p> - -<p>“Comrades,” said Willoughby, as, mounting a gun, he addressed his -force, “this is an awful time, and an awful responsibility rests upon -our shoulders, for this great arsenal, with its enormous stores, will -be the first point made for by the mutineers. Shall we yield it to them -without a struggle?”</p> - -<p>“No, no!” was the united cry.</p> - -<p>“Good. Shall we defend it with our lives?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes!”</p> - -<p>“Good again. The odds pitted against us are <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span>incalculable. But we are -Englishmen. Duty and honour demand that these villains shall only reach -the stores over our dead bodies.”</p> - -<p>“Bravo! We will fight to the death!”</p> - -<p>“Nobly said. Not only will we fight to the death, but nothing that -this store-house contains shall fall into the hands of the cowardly -assassins.”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“From the magazine,” Willoughby continued, “we will lay a train of -powder, to that tree there in the compound. You, Scully, my brave -fellow, shall stand at the tree with a lighted port-fire in your hand, -and, when further defence is useless, you shall receive a signal from -me to fire the train, and then, ho! for death and glory. Let all the -outer gates be closed and barricaded. Load the six-pounder guns with -double charges of grape, and while we can move an arm let the cowardly -enemy be met with a reception that shall at least cause them to have -some respect for British pluck.”</p> - -<p>The answer from his comrades was a wild, ringing cheer, and each -man hurried to his task. The gates were closed and hasty barricades -improvised. The guns were dragged out and placed in position, and into -them grape and canister was crammed to the very muzzles. Then the door -of the powder-room was opened and the heads were knocked out of several -barrels, and the powder scattered about. From this a thick train was -laid to the withered trunk of an old mango-tree. Here Conductor Scully, -a young man, little more than a youth, but dauntless as a lion, was -stationed, port-fire in hand. And the brave Willoughby placed himself -in a conspicuous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> position, to issue orders, and assist in serving the -guns. It was a heroic deed—history has scarcely a parallel. Those -nine men, all in the flush of youth, setting themselves to oppose the -advance of a countless multitude, and vowing that sooner than yield one -grain of powder, or one pound of shot, they would bury themselves in -the ruins.</p> - -<p>When the preparations were complete, the brave band sat down to wait. -But they had not to wait long. The shrill sound of a bugle was heard, -together with a hammering at the principal gate. Willoughby sprang on -the wall. Below was Moghul Singh, accompanied by a number of troopers.</p> - -<p>“It is the King’s commands,” cried Moghul, when he saw the Englishman, -“that you surrender this magazine and all its stores into his keeping. -And, on condition of your so doing, he promises that your lives shall -be spared, and that you shall have safe escort out of the city.”</p> - -<p>“This is our answer,” exclaimed the noble Willoughby, his face beaming -with indignation. “If your vile and treacherous King desires this -arsenal he shall have it, but we will surrender it to him a heap of -smouldering ruins, together with our blackened bodies.”</p> - -<p>“That is an insolent reply,” Moghul remarked; “and I should advise you -to reconsider it.”</p> - -<p>“There can be no reconsideration. Our decision is unalterable. We can -die, but never surrender.”</p> - -<p>“But the King commands you.”</p> - -<p>“If the King were here in person to make the command, we would answer -him with a round of grape. But you are only a myrmidon of his, and so -we treat you with contempt.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> - -<p>“By the Prophet’s beard,” cried Moghul, shaking with rage, “if I were -near you I would make you eat your words, dog of an Englishman! But -since you do not recognise the authority of his Majesty, whose power -is now supreme, we will teach you a lesson. The reign of the cursed -Feringhees is at an end, and the Mussulman’s time has come!”</p> - -<p>The man turned his horse’s head and rode away, and Willoughby descended -from the wall.</p> - -<p>“Comrades!” he cried, “we have not a moment to lose. These black devils -will be down upon us directly in countless thousands. But they shall -only reach the top of our wall over the heaps of their own slain. We -are but nine, but for each one of our lives there shall fall hundreds -of these wretches, who are little less than demons.”</p> - -<p>Then, with an energy begotten by the nature of the situation, they -dragged out a number of guns, and placed them in a line so as to -command the gateway and the front wall. Scarcely was this arrangement -completed than the air was rent with the yells of the mutineers and -the rabble, as they swarmed down to the arsenal. They were met with -a terrific fire from the walls, delivered with all the coolness and -steadiness of a practice parade. And as the guns belched forth their -awful grape, scores of the on-coming horde bit the dust.</p> - -<p>This unexpected reception caused a momentary check to the advance of -the rabble. But it was but momentary, for the gaps were instantly -filled, and on the infuriated mob rushed again. Once more they reeled -and staggered, as from the walls came the messengers of death. Quickly -recovering, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span>infuriated beyond control with their unseen foe, they -raised a rallying cry—</p> - -<p>“For the Prophet and the Faith! For the King and Liberty!”</p> - -<p>And then they came down like an impetuous torrent, leaving in their -wake a track of dead and dying, for round after round was delivered -from the arsenal with terrible effect. But the enemy was legion. As -thousands fell, there were thousands instantly to take their place, and -thousands more again to fill up every gap.</p> - -<p>Onward they pressed, yelling with fury, maddened with rage. Inside the -walls, the noble and devoted band stood unflinchingly at their post. -Grimed and blackened with smoke and powder, the brave Willoughby worked -with almost superhuman strength, carrying heavy cases of grape and bags -of powder; now serving this gun, now that; encouraging his comrades -with cheery words, and hurrahing as he saw how their well-directed fire -told upon the swarming enemy.</p> - -<p>At the foot of the blasted mango-tree stood the heroic Scully. His arms -were bare to the shoulders; his keen eyes were fixed upon his chief, -from whom they never shifted; his teeth were set, his lips compressed. -In his hand was a blazing port-fire, at his feet a heap of powder. But -for the flush upon his face, and the heaving of his massive chest, -he might have been taken for a stone statue representing the God of -Vengeance about to inflict a terrible retribution.</p> - -<p>It was an awful moment. It is hard to die at any time, but harder still -when in the full vigour of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> health and strength. A slight movement of -Scully’s arm, and the fire and powder would come in contact, and in an -instant there would be an awful ruin. But not a muscle of the man’s -frame quivered. He stood as firm and motionless as a rock.</p> - -<p>The sun was shining brilliantly on the gorgeous domes and minarets of -the great city. The great marble temple, the Jumna Musjid, which was -devoted to Mohammedan worship, and was one of the wonders of India, -gleamed grandly white in the shimmering light. But it was deserted now. -Not a soul trod its sacred precincts. The followers of Mahomet had -forgotten their religion, and, like starving tigers, were panting for -blood.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour passed, and still the noble “nine” kept the horde in -check, nerved by the hope that succour would come from Meerut.</p> - -<p>“Half the large number of troops in Meerut will be despatched after the -mutineers,” said Willoughby; “and they must be very near now.”</p> - -<p>Many an anxious glance did he cast towards the great high road, but -no troops gladdened his sight. The expected succour did not come. -Five hundred British soldiers at that moment could have cut the -howling rabble to pieces, and in all human probability have prevented -the further spread of the mutiny. And that number could easily have -been spared from Meerut; but they were not sent out. Why, has never -been known; but it was a fatal and cruel mistake; it is recorded in -characters of fire on the pages of history, to the eternal disgrace of -those who were responsible for the blunder.</p> - -<p>The defence of the magazine was stubborn. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> mutineers were mad with -rage. They rallied to their war-cry of “Deen! Deen!” They pressed -forward like a resistless tide. They rent the air with their howling. -They discharged showers of musket-balls at the walls, which every -moment gave tongue, and sent forth volumes of death-dealing grape and -canister. But presently the fire began to slacken. The ammunition of -the besieged was getting short, and none of them could leave their -posts to descend into the magazine to get up fresh supplies. The sea of -human beings without poured on. They gained courage as the discharge -of the guns from the arsenal became less frequent. They pressed -forward yard by yard. They gained the walls, against which scores of -scaling-ladders were placed. Then the enemy streamed over, but the -brave defenders had backed to their line of guns, and for a time kept -the foe at bay, until even, as Willoughby had said it should be, the -mutineers were almost able to mount to the parapets by the piled-up -bodies of their slain.</p> - -<p>Still they poured on, in their mad confusion, shooting down their -comrades. The ammunition of the defenders was all expended now. The -lion-hearted Willoughby rushed to the bastion on the river face. One -more look—a long, anxious look—towards Meerut, but not a sign of -coming succour. Meerut had failed them!</p> - -<p>Willoughby returned to his guns. Half-a-dozen of them were still -loaded; but he saw that all hope had passed. Further defence was -useless.</p> - -<p>“Comrades,” he said, “you have fought nobly, and England shall ring -with your praises. We have <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>defended our charge until defence is no -longer possible. We are beaten by multitudes, but we are not conquered, -and we do not know the meaning of the word surrender. When in happier -days peace shall once more dawn over this fair land of India, when men -shall recount the deeds done during this cruel day, may it be said that -we did our duty as soldiers, and that we died like brave men.”</p> - -<p>The natives were swarming down the walls now. They were inside the -arsenal.</p> - -<p>Willoughby and his friends discharged their last round, and dozens of -the enemy fell. Then the noble Commandant held up both his hands. It -was the signal agreed upon. Scully shifted his eyes from his leader; -then he cast one look around at the living mass that covered the walls -and bastions. He bent his arm; the port-fire and the powder came -together. Up leapt a great white flame. With a terrible hiss it rushed -along the ground, through a dark archway, where it was lost sight of -until it reached the open powder. Then there was a terrific shock. The -whole building seemed to be blown into the air. The very earth shook -with the awful convulsion. The air was filled with bright, lurid flame. -Dense volumes of smoke obscured the sun, and for miles around the -report was heard.</p> - -<p>The destruction was almost beyond comprehension, for there were -thousands of tons of powder stored in the magazine. Huge masses of -masonry were hurled high into the air. Ponderous guns were tossed -away as if they had been toys caught by a strong wind. The massive -walls rocked, tottered, and fell, burying hundreds of natives, while -hundreds more were blown<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> through the air like wisps of straw. Death -was scattered through the ranks of the mutineers until they fell back -appalled. It was such a daring deed, so unexpected, so fearful in -its effects, so incalculably destructive, that it struck a nameless -terror to their recreant hearts; and, with the bodies of their comrades -falling in showers around them, they stood spellbound.</p> - -<p>Four of the little band of defenders escaped alive. One of these four -was a man named James Martin—a determined, fearless fellow, who, -during the five long hours of the defence, had worked like one endowed -with superhuman strength. When he saw Scully apply the torch to the -train, he sprang on to one of the bastions, and, dropping a distance of -nearly twenty feet, lay still until the awful blast of fire had passed -over. Then he crept along until he reached a heap of masonry that had -been blown down, and had fallen in such a way as to leave a large -hollow, a kind of cavern. Into this Martin crept, and worn out with -fatigue and excitement, he fell asleep.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VII.</span> <span class="smaller">HAIDEE AND HER WRONGS.</span></h2> - -<p>It is necessary here to go back to the moment when, to the astonished -gaze of Harper, the beautiful Haidee appeared in the cell in which the -lieutenant had been incarcerated.</p> - -<p>It seemed to him as if his senses were playing him false, and instead -of a living, breathing woman, he was looking at a vision—at an angel -of goodness—who had come to give him hope. But suddenly his thoughts -changed, as he beheld, by the light of her lamp, that in her girdle she -carried a long gleaming dagger, and her white fingers firmly grasped -the handle. Assassination, then, was her object? So he thought, but -dismissed the idea as soon as formed; for the face was too beautiful, -too soft, too womanly for a nature that could do murder.</p> - -<p>She stood for some moments in the doorway, in an attitude of listening, -as if she feared that she had been followed; and Harper noticed that a -small flight of stone steps led upward until they were lost in darkness.</p> - -<p>Presently she stepped into the cell, and gently closed the door. Then, -holding the light above her head, she surveyed the young officer.</p> - -<p>“I will not ask if you come here as a friend,” said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> Harper; “your -movements proclaim that, but I may, at least, ask why you come, and why -I, a stranger, should have aroused an interest in you?”</p> - -<p>“I come to save you,” she answered, in a voice that was clear and soft, -but bore traces of inward emotion. “In the Hall of Audience I tried -to warn you that you were in danger. I would have told you that they -intended to kill you if I had had the chance. They would have slain -you then, but they had been waiting for the appearance of the soldiers -from Meerut, for, until they came, it was not known whether the rising -there had succeeded or not. You were to fall with the rest of your -countrymen; but, at the risk of my own life, I come to save you.”</p> - -<p>“And why?” he asked, drawing nearer to her.</p> - -<p>“I am a woman,” she answered, while a deep flush spread over her face, -and her bosom heaved as if with some suppressed passion.</p> - -<p>He waited for her to continue, but she remained silent.</p> - -<p>“You are a woman, fair and beautiful,” he said; “and I am sure your -heart is kind and good.”</p> - -<p>“Heart!” she cried. “Ah! would that it had turned to stone. But it -throbs with passionate delight, and your words reach it until its -pulsations quicken, and I know, alas, that I am a woman!”</p> - -<p>She drooped her head, and Harper fancied that the long lashes of her -eyes were moist with tears.</p> - -<p>“You speak in sorrow as you speak in riddles,” he said. “If I can -soothe away the one, how gladly will I do so; but I must also ask you -to explain the other. You are an utter stranger to me, and I do not -even know your name.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I have but one name; it is Haidee. Sorrow I have known; it has crushed -me. Why should my words be riddles to you? You are a man; I am a woman. -I have looked into your eyes, and I become your slave.”</p> - -<p>As she spoke she knelt at his feet, and bowed her head upon his hand. -He raised her gently. Her hair had fallen over her face; he brushed it -back. He took her hand—soft and warm—in his own, and said, gently—</p> - -<p>“Haidee, you speak strangely, and I do not understand you.”</p> - -<p>“You do not understand!” she repeated. “Ah, your race is cold-blooded, -and stand on ceremony. In my country we are quick, impulsive, warm. -It is customary there for a maiden to go forth, when she has seen the -man she would love, and, laying her hand in his, say—‘Thou hast taken -captive my heart; at thy feet I lay it. Like the timid dove to its -mate, I come to thee. On thy breast I lay my head; thou shalt shield -me from the storm—thou shalt guard me from danger. Thy life shall be -my life—thy death my death; and for all time I will be thy faithful -and willing slave.’ Then will the man reply—‘If thou art true, I will -love thee; if thou art honest, I will keep thee; if thou hast wrongs, -I will redress them.’ And if she has wrongs, she will make answer and -say—‘I am true as thou art true; I am honest as thou art honest; and -thy slave’s wrongs need redressing.’”</p> - -<p>Harper was astonished, though he knew that she spoke in the innocence -of her heart and in all sincerity; and, however strange her confession -might seem to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> English ears, she was an Oriental, and but following a -custom of her country.</p> - -<p>As she stood before him with flashing eyes and heaving breast, he could -not help feeling impressed with her beauty and grace.</p> - -<p>“Grieved indeed should I be if I have inspired you with aught but -friendship,” he answered. “I dare not give you love; though I would, if -it were possible, redress your wrongs; but, alas, I am a prisoner!”</p> - -<p>“Dare not!” she echoed, turning her flashing eyes full upon him. “What -do I give you in return? Life. If I save you from death, have I not a -right to claim you? If you are a prisoner, I shall make you free; so -that you can avenge my wrongs.”</p> - -<p>“Haidee,” he cried, “you know not what you ask. Your beauty thrills me, -but I dare not own its sway. I burn to be your champion, but that must -not be at the expense of my honour.”</p> - -<p>“It is you who speak in riddles now,” she retorted, her voice quivering -with emotion. “If you remain here, in a very short time they will kill -you, for your enemies are thirsting for your blood. I save you and you -become mine, and have I not a right to claim your love?”</p> - -<p>“If the only conditions upon which you will set me free are that I -should give you my love, it were better that you left me here to die.”</p> - -<p>“No; it is not so. If you die, I will die with you. But why do you -spurn me? It is said that I am beautiful. Poets have sung of my beauty, -and kings have acknowledged it.”</p> - -<p>“I do not spurn you, Haidee. I feel the power of your beauty; the light -of your eyes thrills me, but my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> love is already given. I have a wife; -by all that is honourable and true I am bound to her, and therefore -could not love another.”</p> - -<p>Haidee uttered a cry of pain, and pressed her hand to her heart.</p> - -<p>“Alas! how my dreams fade,” she murmured, “and how wretched is my life.”</p> - -<p>“Say not so,” he answered, as he once more took her hand, and looked -into the beautiful eyes that were now flooded with tears. “Say not so. -You have youth, and happiness may yet come. Let me be your friend—you -shall be my sister. I will shield your life with mine, protect and -respect your honour, and endeavour to right you if you have been -wronged.”</p> - -<p>Again she fell at his feet, and, seizing his hand, smothered it with -kisses.</p> - -<p>“Light of my soul,” she murmured; “even as you say, so shall it be; and -though I may not own your love, I will be your willing and faithful -slave.”</p> - -<p>He raised her up, and said—</p> - -<p>“Not slave, Haidee. In my country we have no slaves. But you shall be -my sister.”</p> - -<p>“Sister, then,” she answered sorrowfully. “I will lead you forth -from this prison that would have been your tomb. The stairs by which -I descended lead to a secret passage in connection with the upper -apartments of the Palace. I will guide you to a place of safety in an -outer building near the magazine, where you can remain for a time. -And I will inveigle one there whom you shall slay in the name of your -sister Haidee. Then we will escape from the city together, and I will -follow you until you are safe from all harm, and that being so, I will -die. I would slay this man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> myself, but if the hand of a Cashmere woman -spills blood, all her hopes of Paradise have gone, and the Houris would -curse her.”</p> - -<p>“But who is this man, and what wrong has he done you, Haidee?”</p> - -<p>“He is a creature of the King. His name is Moghul Singh, the man who -brought you here, who was to have accomplished your death; and the -wrong he has done me is irreparable. Four years ago I was the happiest -maiden in all Cashmere. In my father’s home peace reigned. He was but -a peasant, but was happy and contented. A brother and two daughters, -myself included, were his family. Proud and brave was my brother; and, -though but a peasant’s son, he was noble and free, scorning all that -was base, and loving honour better than his life. My sister had nothing -to recommend her beyond gentleness of manners. She had no beauty—I -had; that was my misfortune. But I knew it not then. I had given my -love to a youth whose race was noble. Others had sought me, princes had -knelt at my feet, but I rejected them all. Then this Moghul Singh came -to our valley. He was an agent of the King of Delhi, and his mission -was to take back the most beautiful maidens, that they might become -the King’s mistresses. He heard of me. The fame of my face had reached -him. Alas, that it should have been so! He sought me out; he tried to -dazzle me with tempting offers of gold and jewels. But these things -possessed no charms for me. He said that I should rank as a princess in -the King’s harem. But I turned a deaf ear. Then he tried to win me for -himself. I spurned him, spat at him, and called him dog. He swore by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -his faith he would carry me away. I told my brother and my lover, and -they vowed to defend me. But Moghul Singh had powerful retainers. They -came in the dead of night, armed to the teeth, to my father’s house. -With the courage of lions did my brother and my lover fight. But, -overpowered by numbers, I saw them both go down, weltering in their -blood. At the feet of this Moghul Singh my sister then threw herself. -She prayed for pity. She implored him not to take me, the light of the -house, away. But the demon was pitiless. He drove a dagger into her -heart because she clung to him and impeded his way, and, with a laugh -of triumph, he bore me off, while my wretched father, overcome by the -terrible misfortune, sank down in raving madness. Into my heart there -came but one wish, one hope, one prayer. It was for vengeance. My own -hand could not strike the blow, for if it did, my hopes of Paradise -would for ever have gone. But I schooled myself to patience; to wait -until chance raised up a deliverer. I hate Moghul Singh with a hatred -that has no words. I loathe the King as a foul and loathsome thing. But -I showed nothing of this outwardly. I knew that there was more to be -gained by patience. I have been a witness to the plans that have been -in preparation for months for this mutiny. The Nana Sahib of Cawnpore -and the King of Delhi have frequently met in secret, and their agents -have been sent to every town and village in India. And on the Koran -they have sworn that the blood of the Feringhees should flow like -water. I have waited patiently through all this plotting, for I said -to myself, ‘Out of this a deliverer and avenger will come for me.’ My -prayer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> was heard at last, and you came. Just before your arrival the -King had been holding a counsel, in which the ‘rising’ was the chief -topic. It was my good fortune to be present. When I looked upon you I -said, in my heart, this shall be the righter of my wrongs. I knew that -the moment you entered your fate was sealed, unless you were saved by -a miracle. But I determined that I would save you. I heard the King -give an order to Moghul Singh to consign you to the ‘stone room.’ It -is the private prison of the Palace, and only those are brought here -who are cast for immediate death. But I knew the secret passage leading -to it. By the gift of a large amount of jewels to one of Moghul’s men, -I procured a key of the door, and I am here to open it to you and set -you free. In the garb of a peasant I am safe from molestation. I know -the Palace and the city well, and I will save you. But in return, I -must exact a promise that you will avenge me. And though you may not -love poor Haidee, she will command your respect and friendship by her -patience and fidelity.”</p> - -<p>She ceased speaking, and waited in breathless anxiety for his answer. -More than once during her recital had her eyes been suffused with -tears, her lip had quivered with emotion; and he had caught the spirit -which had moved her, until he felt her wrongs to be his wrongs, and -that it was his duty to avenge them. He laid both his hands upon her -shoulders and looked full into her beautiful face—his own aglow, his -eyes flashing, his nerves thrilling.</p> - -<p>“Haidee, you have made me your slave. I will avenge you.”</p> - -<p>Boom!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> - -<p>The report of a heavy gun seemed to shake the building.</p> - -<p>“Come,” she said, taking his hand, “we have no time to lose. The gun -announces that the mutineers are in sight. When the hoofs of the -foremost trooper’s horse ring upon the bridge across the Jumna, the -death-knell of the British in Delhi will be sounded.” She drew the -dagger from her girdle and handed it to him. “Take this weapon. It -will do until you get a better. The blade is poisoned, and if you but -scratch the skin with it, death will speedily ensue. Come, quick; a key -grates in the other door.”</p> - -<p>He seized the dagger and thrust it into his belt, for the sounds of -a key being inserted in the lock told that the enemy was at hand. -Haidee blew out the light and seized his hand, leading him through the -doorway. Scarcely had they got on to the steps, and closed and locked -the door, than the other one was opened. Then they heard the voice of -Moghul Singh cry, “Death to the Feringhee, in the name of the Prophet!” -In a moment his voice changed, and he uttered an imprecation as he -discovered that the man he had come to slay was no longer there, but -had escaped.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VIII.</span> <span class="smaller">A PERILOUS MISSION.</span></h2> - -<p>For many hours did Walter Gordon remain in his hiding-place behind the -clump of trees, in company with the faithful ayah, Zeemit Mehal. He -watched with sickened heart the flames wreathe themselves around the -pretty bungalow, where he had known so many happy hours, until, in a -little while, a heap of smouldering and blackened ruins was all that -marked the spot where had once stood the peaceful home of his beloved. -Many times did he narrowly escape being discovered by the howling -demons, as they rushed about in frenzied excitement. His horse, used -to scenes of commotion, remained quietly grazing where it had been -tethered. Out on the compound, with the red flames flushing the white -face, as if in mockery, was the dead body of Mrs. Meredith. It was an -awful sight, and Walter would have jeopardised his life to have gone -out and placed the body in some spot where it might remain until a -chance of burial presented itself. But Mehal restrained him.</p> - -<p>“To expose yourself is to court instant death,” she said. “Be quiet.”</p> - -<p>Presently a gang of ruffians entered the compound, led by a well-known -butcher of the town, named<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> Mezza Korash. The man had long been -notorious for his undisguised hatred for the British, and had on -several occasions been imprisoned for robbery, and for offering insult -to Her Majesty’s subjects. Their object was plunder, and some of -the gang entered the smoking ruins of the bungalow in search of any -valuables that might have escaped the flames.</p> - -<p>As Mezza reached the spot where poor Mrs. Meredith was lying he -suddenly stopped, and, spurning the corpse with his foot, burst into a -coarse laugh.</p> - -<p>“Ah, ah, comrades! look at this dog’s flesh,” he cried. “It was my hand -that slew her. I was the first to fire a shot, and that shot was into -the heart of this Feringhee woman. Glory to the Prophet, and death to -the British!”</p> - -<p>He hurried away, followed by his brutal companions, whose laughter made -the night hideous.</p> - -<p>As Gordon heard the words of the self-confessed murderer, his blood -boiled; and if Zeemit had not forcibly held him back, he would have -rushed out. But when the cowardly crew had gone away, he said—</p> - -<p>“Zeemit, summary retribution must be meted out to that villain, and -mine shall be the hand to strike him down. If he escapes me, I shall -never be able to look Miss Meredith in the face again.”</p> - -<p>“But what would you do?” asked the woman, in alarm.</p> - -<p>“Drag him from his den, and shoot him like a dog.”</p> - -<p>“But surely you will not throw your life away for a worthless purpose?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> - -<p>“To bring down just punishment on the head of a double-dyed murderer -is not a worthless purpose. I know the man well. His shop is in the -bazaar, near the Nullah. At all hazards I go. If I return alive, I -shall come back to Lieutenant Harper’s bungalow, in the lines. You -hurry there without delay.”</p> - -<p>As Mehal saw that further opposition to the will of the “fiery -Englishman” would be useless, she allowed him to go forth. He loosed -his horse from the tree, and sprang into the saddle; and, drawing his -revolver, gripped it firmly in his hand. The city was comparatively -quiet as he rode out of the compound. The lurid flames from the burning -bungalows were paling before the dawning light of day. Dead bodies of -natives were lying about the streets, where they had fallen before the -resistless charge of the British soldiers, who, in obedience to the -bugle-call, were straggling back to their barracks.</p> - -<p>Gordon rode hurriedly forward, never drawing rein until he reached the -bazaar. The ruffians of the gaols and the Goojur villages were slinking -back to their homes with the coming of the morning light. The sudden -presence of this dauntless white man appalled them; their cowardly -natures caused them to crouch away like whipped curs, for it was only -when banded together in large numbers that anything like courage -animated their craven hearts.</p> - -<p>With lips compressed, brows knit, and chest thrown back, Walter -threaded his way through the tortuous streets of the bazaar until he -reached the shop of the butcher, Mezza Korash, who, wearied with the -night’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> work, had thrown himself down on a matting before his door.</p> - -<p>Without a moment’s hesitation Gordon jumped from his horse, and, -seizing the murderer—who was a little thin man—in his powerful grip, -he threw him, almost before he could realise his position, across his -horse’s neck, and, springing up behind, galloped away amidst the shouts -of the astonished natives, a few of whom sent random shots after the -flying horseman, but without effect.</p> - -<p>Mezza struggled frantically to free himself from his captor; but he was -like a pigmy in the hands of a Goliath. Gordon had twisted his hand -in the man’s body-cloth, and held him in a vice-like grasp. When he -reached the Mall he met a body of artillerymen, who were returning from -the Delhi road, after having chased the mutineers for some miles.</p> - -<p>“I have captured a murderer,” cried Gordon, as he hurried up. “His -hands are yet red with the blood of his victim. Shooting were too good -for such a cur. A rope, men—a rope!”</p> - -<p>When the cowardly Mezza heard this he whined for mercy, begging that -he might be shot instead of hanged; for death by the rope precludes a -Mohammedan from all hope of heaven. But his prayer was unheeded. A rope -was speedily produced, and thrown over the limb of a banyan tree; a -running noose was placed round the neck of the villain Mezza, who rent -the air with his howls. A dozen hands grasped the slack of the rope, -and instantly the coward’s body was dangling in the morning breeze. It -was a summary act of vengeance, as daring as it was just.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2">[2]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> - -<p>Walter rode back to the barracks in company with the men, who were -enthusiastic in their praise of Gordon’s bold deed. When he reached -Harper’s bungalow, he was shocked to hear that Mrs. Harper was very ill.</p> - -<p>“If I fall, you will be a brother to my wife?” were the last words of -his friend, as he parted from him the previous night on the Delhi road.</p> - -<p>And, with these words ringing in his ears, he sought the presence of -Mrs. Harper. She was deathly pale, and terribly ill, but she sprang -towards him, and clutched his hand.</p> - -<p>“God be praised, Walter, that you have come!” she cried. “But my -husband, my sister, my mother—where are they?”</p> - -<p>“You must not distress yourself like this,” he answered evasively, and -trying to lead her back to the couch.</p> - -<p>“Do not keep the news, however bad it is, from me. Better to know the -worst at once, than suffer the nameless agony of suspense, when the -fate of one’s dearest relatives is in question. My husband—what of -him?”</p> - -<p>“When I parted from him last night, I left him in perfect health. I -have no doubt he would reach Delhi in safety.”</p> - -<p>“Bless you for that news! And my sister—what of her?”</p> - -<p>Gordon grew pale; strong man as he was, the tears gathered in his eyes, -into his throat came a sensation as if a ball had suddenly been placed -there, and was choking him; for his love for Flora Meredith was as -strong as it was honourable.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> - -<p>And as he thought of what her fate might be, his emotion overpowered -him.</p> - -<p>“You do not answer,” cried Mrs. Harper, excitedly, as she noticed the -red fade from his face, and a pallor spread over it. “Does she live? -Speak, I conjure you.”</p> - -<p>“She lives,” he answered, sorrowfully.</p> - -<p>“Lives! and yet she is not with you!” Mrs. Harper almost shrieked, as a -terrible thought flitted through her brain.</p> - -<p>“Do not excite yourself, Emily, I beg, for you are endangering your -life. Your sister lives, but has been abducted by Jewan Bukht.”</p> - -<p>With a cry of despair, Mrs. Harper fell upon her knees on the floor. -Gordon raised her gently, and carried her to the couch. He then -procured smelling-salts and water.</p> - -<p>“You are better now,” he remarked, as he saw the ashen paleness give -place to a faint flush.</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes. I can bear the worst. Go on; my, my poor mother—does she -live?”</p> - -<p>“Alas, no! A quick and merciful death has spared her all misery.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Harper bowed her head upon her hands and wept.</p> - -<p>The weight of sorrow that had so suddenly fallen upon her young head -was almost unbearable, and the frail thread of life threatened to snap.</p> - -<p>She grew calmer presently. She brushed away her tears and stood up -before him.</p> - -<p>“At such an awful time as this,” she said, “the dead are to be envied. -I cannot hope that my poor husband and I will ever meet again. He went -to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> Delhi. He is a soldier—a brave one—and will do his duty. But -behind him are the mutineers. When they reach the Imperial City, few, -if any, white men will escape the carnage that will ensue after their -arrival. But even if he should be fortunate enough to come safely -through the chances of war, my end is near. I have not been well for a -long time. The terribly hot season of this awful climate has fearfully -enervated me; and it had been arranged between my husband and me that I -was to return to Europe. But it is all over now. This shock is too much -for an already shattered constitution to bear, and in a very short time -my sorrows will end, and I shall join my mother. Give me your hands, -Walter; the other one as well. Look into my eyes, brother—for so I -may call you—and listen to my words, as the words of a dying woman. -My sister is in robust health; she is young and beautiful. She is your -betrothed. She would, in a short time, have been your wife. Her honour, -which is dearer to her than life, is imperilled. Let your mission be to -save her—if that is possible. With your eyes looking into mine—with -both your hands placed in mine—promise me, I, who stand on the very -verge of the grave, that you will rescue my sister, or perish in the -attempt. Remember she is your affianced wife, and her honour is yours.”</p> - -<p>“I need no such reminder,” he answered with closed teeth; “my course is -clear—my mind made up. In a few hours, whatever the hazards—whatever -the peril—I shall be on the road to Delhi, and I will save your -sister, or perish in the attempt!”</p> - -<p>“Some good angel will surely hear your words,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> Emily replied, “and -will write them in the book where the deeds of brave men are recorded, -and a just Heaven will reward your efforts.”</p> - -<p>She had spoken as if she had been inspired, but the great effort had -exhausted her, and she sank back upon the couch, pallid and trembling.</p> - -<p>And Gordon knew too well that in the Indian climate such extreme -prostration was an almost certain sign of coming death.</p> - -<p>A few hours had served to bring about terrible changes in each of their -lives; and what the end might be, no man could tell. But he braced -himself up to do his duty, and mentally vowed never to cease his search -for the lost Flora while he had reason to believe that she lived, and -while health and strength were his.</p> - -<p>“You must remain very quiet now, and get rest,” he said, as he placed -a pillow under the head of Mrs. Harper. “Your sister’s ayah, Zeemit -Mehal, promised to meet me here; I must go and seek her, and arrange my -plans with her; for she has promised to go with me.”</p> - -<p>“That is good,” Emily murmured; “if this woman remains faithful, her -services will be invaluable.”</p> - -<p>“I will answer for her fidelity. She might have betrayed me into the -hands of her savage countrymen, but she has been true.”</p> - -<p>Walter soon found Zeemit. She was waiting for him in the verandah of -the bungalow. She had brought with her some powder for staining the -skin, and a native dress—that of a religious mendicant.</p> - -<p>“With this disguise,” she said, “you may penetrate into any part -of India, free from molestation. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> staff, carried by none but -religious pilgrims, will be a passport of safety.”</p> - -<p>“This idea is excellent,” he answered; “but there is one great -difficulty which seems to me to be insurmountable. I have but a very -slight knowledge of the language of the country, and this will betray -me.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it would, if you let it be known.”</p> - -<p>“But how am I to avoid letting it be known?”</p> - -<p>“You must be dumb.”</p> - -<p>“Dumb?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, loss of speech and hearing must be the afflictions under which -you suffer. This will ensure you sympathy. I shall be your aged mother -conducting you to our sacred shrines. So long as your disguise is not -penetrated, no one will dare to offer us harm.”</p> - -<p>“This arrangement is capital, Zeemit, and no reward will be too great -for you to demand if my mission is successful.”</p> - -<p>The powder was made into a paste, and with the assistance of Mehal, -Gordon proceeded to stain the skin until it appeared of the dark -copper colour peculiar to the Bengalees. His black hair and eyes -were favourable to the disguise, and when he had donned the native -cloth, and fastened on a pair of sandals, it would have been a keen -penetration indeed that would have recognised the Englishman in the -garb of the Hindoo pilgrim. To test the completeness of his disguise, -he presented himself before Mrs. Harper, who immediately asked him in -Hindoostanee what he meant by intruding on her privacy. And not until -he spoke did she recognise him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> - -<p>“This is a splendid device,” she said, when Walter had made known the -old woman’s plan; “and if you are discreet you may yet save poor Flora. -Let me see Zeemit and personally thank her.”</p> - -<p>When the old ayah entered, Mrs. Harper took her hand and kissed her.</p> - -<p>“You are a faithful creature, Zeemit, and my brave countryman shall -reward you amply.”</p> - -<p>“I need no reward, mem-sahib; I wish only to rescue missy, whom I love. -For has she not always been good and kind to poor old Zeemit? And -Zeemit is grateful, and will save her if she can.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Harper shook the woman’s hands heartily.</p> - -<p>“There is no time to lose,” she said, addressing Gordon. “May Heaven -watch over you. We shall never meet again. I feel sure of that, for I -am so very, very ill. But if you see my husband, tell him that the last -words the lips of his poor wife uttered were his name, and a prayer for -his safety and happiness.”</p> - -<p>As Gordon looked into the speaker’s face, he felt the full force of -what she said, for death seemed to have already settled upon her; and -the enervating nature of the climate precluded all hope when once the -fearful prostration had seized one. He knew that, and yet it was very -awful to think that he must speak the last words that ever he would -have a chance of speaking to her in this world. But it was a time for -action, not useless regret. However poignant the grief for the dying -or the dead might be, the safety of the healthful and the living was a -matter calling for the first consideration.</p> - -<p>His parting with Mrs. Harper was affecting in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> extreme, and he was -glad to hurry away. When he had secured a pair of loaded revolvers -beneath his clothes, he took his staff, and uttering a final adieu, -left the apartment in company with Zeemit.</p> - -<p>As the two walked through the city, and gained the great high-road, -none of the many hundred natives they passed suspected they were -anything but what they seemed to be—a decrepid old woman, and an -afflicted, half-witted beggar son, hurrying away to pursue their -calling in some more peaceful district. And not a few pice were tossed -to them by those who had pity for the beggars, but none for the -Christians.</p> - -<p>The sun was pouring down his fiery beams; the Goomtee was rippling on -like a stream of living fire; the air was heavy with dust, and all -things were hushed to silence by the great heat, as Walter Gordon -started upon his perilous mission, acting his part as if to the manner -born, for a great purpose nerved him, and there is not much a true and -brave man will not do for the woman he loves.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2">[2]</a> The incident here related actually occurred.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IX.</span> <span class="smaller">HOPES AND FEARS.</span></h2> - -<p>Haidee led Lieutenant Harper up the flight of stone steps, and then -along a dimly lighted passage that appeared to be built between the -walls. On reaching the end of this passage another door presented -itself, but his beautiful guide took a key from her girdle and unlocked -it. Another flight of steps were descended, and then not a single gleam -of light could be seen. Haidee caught his hand and led him along. It -was a tortuous way, but she was well acquainted with it. Presently -a faint glimmering light was discernible, and, as they drew nearer, -Harper perceived that it came from a small window let in a door. More -steps had to be ascended to reach this door, which opened to Haidee’s -key, and in an instant the lieutenant’s eyes were dazzled with a bright -burst of sunshine.</p> - -<p>A broad walk, running between an avenue of noble banyan trees, was -before them. Except the noise of the moving branches, as they swayed in -a light breeze, not a sound broke the stillness.</p> - -<p>“This is the King’s private ground,” said Haidee, in a whisper. “It is -here he walks with his agents, and his favourite wives, free from all -intrusion. Once across this ground, and we are safe. But caution is -necessary.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p> - -<p>She closed the door behind her, and, motioning Harper to follow, -cautiously led the way, keeping as much as possible in the shadow of -the banyans. The avenue was passed through without adventure, and a -large iron gate, let into a stone wall, reached. Haidee produced the -key, and inserting it in the lock, gave access to a sort of plantation. -She peered cautiously out to see that the way was clear, and, motioning -Harper to follow, closed the gate again.</p> - -<p>After a short walk, they arrived at a small ruined building. It stood -on an eminence, and commanded a view of the surrounding country. It -had formerly been used as a temple, but was now fallen into decay, and -was overrun with luxuriant vegetation. A small flight of slippery, -moss-covered steps led to the doorway.</p> - -<p>“This will be a place of safety,” said Haidee, as she pushed open the -door, that creaked on its rusty hinges as if uttering a complaint.</p> - -<p>It was a circular building, and contained one room below that was in -a tolerable state of preservation. A broken idol lay upon the floor, -where it had tumbled from a niche in the wall, and some stone benches -still remained. Above this was another room, reached by a stairway -built in the thickness of the wall. From this room a look-out was -obtained, and Harper saw that the building was within half-a-mile of -the magazine, of which it commanded an uninterrupted view. The roof was -entirely gone, but the broad leaves of some palms which grew on the -hill had spread themselves over the walls in such a manner as to form a -screen from the scorching rays of the sun.</p> - -<p>“You are safe for a time,” said Haidee, as she stood facing the man -she had delivered from death, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>presented to his gaze a combination -of beauty, grace, and resolution, until his heart beat quicker, and he -felt as if he could fall upon his knees at her feet and pour out his -thanks in passionate language. “This was formerly a private temple, and -here Moghul Singh has often come to pray to the god of his faith. One -night the diamond eyes of the idol which lies on the floor below, were -stolen, and the King ordered the temple to be closed, and never more -used. It is shunned now—nobody ever comes here. It is to this place -that I would draw Moghul Singh, that you may slay him—slay him like a -dog in the place that is cursed, and leave his carrion as food for the -foul things that creep and crawl.”</p> - -<p>She spoke passionately. The fire in her eyes burnt brilliantly, and she -drew her breath quickly. She was no longer the mild, gentle woman, but -looked like a fury panting for revenge. Harper noticed this, and said, -soothingly:</p> - -<p>“Don’t agitate yourself, Haidee. Have patience, and your day will dawn.”</p> - -<p>In an instant she had changed. The love-light came into her eyes again, -and the stern expression of her face softened.</p> - -<p>“Ah, forgive me,” she murmured, taking his hand and drooping her head; -“my wrongs are great, my desire for vengeance uncontrollable. But to -you, my lord, my master, I would be gentle as the dove. Could I but see -this villain writhing in the throes of death, I should watch him with -joy in my heart, and when he was dead, I should feel that my mission -was ended, and henceforth it was poor Haidee’s duty to be only your -loving slave.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not slave, Haidee, but sister; though you should remember that you -are a woman, and this terrible feeling which you are nursing is not -good—it is unwomanly. Leave this wretch to the retribution that is -sure, sooner or later, to overtake him.”</p> - -<p>She let his hand fall, and recoiled with a cry of mingled pain and -rage, and was the fury again.</p> - -<p>“Would you play me false, now that I have saved you? Is it not out of -my very womanhood that my desire for vengeance comes? Does not the -mad cry of my father still ring in my ears? Does not the blood of my -murdered sister, and brother, and lover, cry aloud for vengeance? Let -my heart turn to steel, let my own blood become a burning poison that -shall gall and canker me night and day if I allow my slaughtered kin to -go unavenged. You have promised to right my wrongs—you dare not break -that promise. Your life is mine, since I gave it back to you. I snatch -you from the jaws of death—have I not a right to demand something in -return? Remember that in my veins runs the hot blood of an Eastern -woman; my country people are not as yours are. We can melt with love, -or rise to a passion of wrath which you English people know nothing of.”</p> - -<p>Her stern energy startled Harper. It was like the sudden bursting of a -thunder-cloud, where, a moment before, all was serenity. Yet even in -her passion she looked beautiful, if dangerous; and her nature, strange -as it was, aroused in the young officer a feeling of enthusiastic -admiration.</p> - -<p>“You mistake me, Haidee,” he said, softly. “I acknowledge freely that -to you I owe my escape from a cruel end, and therefore you have a right -to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> demand any service from me that is not absolutely dishonourable; -and such service I will freely render. You said, a little while ago, -when you first entered my prison, that you were a woman. I may answer -you now in similar language, and say I am a man. And in my heart lives -all that feeling which it would be impossible not to feel for a lovely -and much-wronged lady.”</p> - -<p>His words touched the springs of her nature, and her long lashes -dripped with tears. In an instant she was on her knees at his feet, and -her soft and burning cheek was laid against his hand.</p> - -<p>“Oh, forgive me, if I have hurt you; but Haidee’s sorrows are great. -I know now that your heart is true, and your hand strong to strike in -cause of sullied honour. You thrill me with your words, and my pulse -throbs for you alone.”</p> - -<p>They were suddenly startled by the cry of a multitude, and the sullen -boom of the guns. Harper rushed to the window, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“The insurgents have attacked the magazine.”</p> - -<p>“There is no time to lose,” she answered, rising quickly to her feet; -“I must away, and return to you as soon as possible with weapons and -food. You must not stir from here unless you wish to sacrifice your -life. I shall seek out Moghul Singh. I shall tell him that I have you -here, where I have enticed you on the pretext of saving your life, -having discovered you affecting your escape through the King’s grounds. -He will come. As soon as he enters, you will strike him down; but leave -enough life in him that he may hear from my lips that Haidee avenges<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> -the cruel death of her kindred. Farewell until we meet again.”</p> - -<p>“Stay a moment, Haidee. How many Europeans are in charge of that -magazine?”</p> - -<p>“I know not; but they are few in number.”</p> - -<p>“Heaven protect them. Would that I could render them my poor -assistance. That, however, is impossible. But promise me one thing, -Haidee. Let it be a promise as sacred as that I have given to you. -Wherever and whenever you can render succour to my countrymen or women, -you will do so; and you will, if you have it in your power, rescue any -of them from death?”</p> - -<p>“I promise you by my hopes of paradise.”</p> - -<p>She pressed her moist lips to his hand, and with a light step, hurried -away.</p> - -<p>It was a strange position for Harper to be placed in, but he was as -powerless as a reed that is swayed in the storm-wind. His breath came -thick and fast, and his heart beat violently as he watched the heaving -sea of black humanity surge against the walls of the magazine, only to -be driven back again by the storm of fire. He knew that the defenders -were few, for it had long been a standing complaint that the great and -valuable arsenal of Delhi had such a weak European guard. But he little -dreamt that the number was as low as nine. He panted to be behind those -walls, to exert the strength of his youth and the energy of his nature -in helping to defend the treasures of his country and the lives of his -countrymen who were battling so heroically against such tremendous -odds. But he could only wait and watch. To have gone forth into that -savage crowd would have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> like casting a boat into a maelström; he -would have been torn to pieces.</p> - -<p>The roar of the guns, as they belched forth their iron hail, was -deafening, while the disappointed cry of the insurgents rose like the -howling of a hurricane. Hour after hour he watched there, but the time -seemed short, for he was fascinated. Now his hopes rose high, and he -felt as if it was almost impossible to suppress a cheer as he saw the -craven multitude beaten back before the fire of the defenders. Then his -hopes would sink again as the walls were reached by the raging sea. -Presently his heart almost stood still, as the guns of the magazine -were silenced, and he saw the natives swarm over the walls.</p> - -<p>“They have conquered,” he thought.</p> - -<p>But the thought was scarcely formed, when the air became darkened. Even -at the distance he was, it seemed as if a mighty whirlwind was sweeping -over. He saw the stupendous sheet of fire leap into the air, and he -knew that the arsenal had been blown up. The terrific shock shook the -ground, and some of the crumbling masonry of his retreat tottered -and fell with a crash. He buried his face in his hands to hide the -awfulness of the scene, and an unutterable sorrow took possession of -him, for he could not hope that any one of the noble defenders could -escape from that fiery storm.</p> - -<p>Slowly the time passed now, as he sat on a fallen stone and thought -over the fortunes of war, and of the strange chance that had placed him -in the position to be a witness of that terrible drama. Soldier he was, -it was true, and though he yearned to be up and doing, how could he -hope to prevail against a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>multitude? He felt that he was a victim to -circumstances which it would be as useless for him to try and control -as it would be to attempt to stay the wind. If he wished to live he -must yield himself unconditionally to his fate. Those were the only -terms, for what others could he make?</p> - -<p>Two faces came before him.</p> - -<p>They were those of Haidee and his wife. He could not serve them both. -He must be false to one and true to the other. Haidee meant life; his -wife—death. For without Haidee’s assistance he felt convinced that -there was not the remotest possibility of escape. But would it not be -better to die, conscious of having done his duty, rather than live to -dishonour?</p> - -<p>He grew bewildered with the conflicting emotions that tortured him, -and, overcome with weariness, slept. When he awoke the day was -declining. Down sank the sun, and night closed in quickly on the short -Indian twilight. Alas! he thought how many a blackened corpse, a few -hours before full of hope and energy—how many an agonised heart, that -had beaten that morning with happiness and joy, did the curtain of the -night cover?</p> - -<p>Slowly and wearily the time passed, and Haidee came not. From all parts -of the city lurid flames from incendiary fires were reddening the sky, -and sounds of musketry and drums reached him. The unequal fight was -still being carried on somewhere. Could he, bird-like, have hovered -o’er the city, he would have seen sights that would have appalled -the stoutest heart. In one of the strongest houses the Europeans and -Eurasians from the Daraogung, or English quarter, had barricaded -themselves—a little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> band selling their lives as dearly as possible. -But all was fruitless. The barricades were carried and the people -slaughtered. In the Flag-Staff Tower, on the Delhi Ridge, the women -and children were gathered for protection, while a few officers and -men, from the cantonment, were trying to keep off the black demons, in -the hope that succour would come from Meerut, but it never came. Later -on these helpless women and children were to escape, but only to meet -with subsequent massacre at the hands of the brutal mutineers. Again -a little body of white people, women and children, a few soldiers, -officers and men, were gathered at the main guard of the Palace, -holding their ground for a little while, with the fierceness of lions -at bay. The European troops stationed in the cantonment when the mutiny -broke out in Delhi, could have been counted by dozens, and these few -dozens were scattered on this awful night. There was an embrasure in -the bastion that skirted the court-yard of the main guard. Through -the embrasure egress was obtained. Beneath, at a distance of thirty -feet, was a dry ditch. By dropping into this ditch, crossing over, -and descending the opposite scarp, the slope and the glacis could be -mounted. Beyond was some jungle that offered cover to the fugitives. -When defence was no longer possible, these brave officers and men -made ropes of their clothing and lowered the women and children into -the ditch, dropping themselves afterwards—many falling never to rise -again, killed and maimed by the tremendous drop. And those who did -escape dragged the weak ones up the slopes, and into the jungle. But it -was only a prolongation of the agony, for the murderers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> reached them -ultimately. All these things, and others that pen can never write, nor -tongue tell, would Harper have seen, had he been, as I say, suspended, -bird-like, in the air.</p> - -<p>But though he could not see, every shot, every cry, told him, in -language not to be misinterpreted, that an awful carnage was going on. -And the nameless horror of such knowledge, such suspense, made him wish -that he were dead.</p> - -<p>Slowly the weary night passed on,—still Haidee came not. Had she -deserted him, or had she fallen? were questions he asked.</p> - -<p>To the first he soon framed an answer. He would not believe she had -proved false.</p> - -<p>As the night grew old, the guns ceased, the fires died out, the cries -were hushed, and stillness fell upon all things. There was no light, -neither moon nor stars. He could see nothing. But occasionally he -heard a lizard dart out to seize its prey, or the squeal of a rat as -it was caught in the jaws of a snake, and he thought that—mystery of -mysteries—even amongst the lowest order of created things, there was -endless war, there was bitter pain, there was cruel death. Why should -such things be?</p> - -<p>Amongst the overhanging palms and the surrounding foliage, the flying -foxes, huge bats, and grey-owls flapped their wings and gibbered and -hooted, like evil spirits gloating over the harvest of blood and the -awful work of the reaper Death.</p> - -<p>The man’s soul was heavy, his breast was tortured with pain. The -darkness, and solitude, and suspense, were all but unendurable. He felt -as if he was going mad. Why did not Haidee come? Over and over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> again -he was strongly tempted to trust himself to the darkness of the night -and endeavour to find his way out of the city. But, alas! he was soon -convinced of the utter hopelessness of such a course. Besides, he could -not desert this woman, until he was sure she would not return. His -manhood rebelled against that.</p> - -<p>He strained his eyes in all directions, but nothing met his gaze. -The darkness was impenetrable. Worn out with his long watching, and -fasting, and excitement, nature once more asserted her supremacy, and -he fell asleep.</p> - -<p>How long he slept he knew not, but he was suddenly startled by the -sound of footsteps. She comes at last, he thought. The first faint -streaks of dawn were in the sky, and they enabled him to make out -closely surrounding objects. His heart palpitated, and his face burned. -The sounds had died away again, and there was silence unbroken. He -listened, and listened, and listened until the strain became painful. -It was but a few minutes’ pause, but it seemed almost like hours. Then -footsteps again, and whispering voices beneath. One was a woman’s, -Haidee’s, he believed. But whose was the other? Had the time come for -him to do the deed he had promised her to do? Had she brought Moghul -Singh? He held his breath. He could hear the hard beating of his own -heart. However brave a man may be, a sense of unknown and undefinable -danger produces a feeling akin to fear. And this is increased when -he is situated as Harper was. He drew the dagger from his belt, and -held it firmly. It was a formidable weapon, and, in the hands of a -determined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> man, at close quarters, there would have been little chance -for an antagonist escaping its poisoned point.</p> - -<p>The footsteps drew nearer. Two people were ascending the stairs—a -woman and a man; the difference in the tread betrayed that. They -reached the top. Two persons stood in the room—one was a woman and one -a man. The woman was Haidee; but, in the dim light, Harper saw that the -man was not Moghul Singh.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER X.</span> <span class="smaller">A NARROW ESCAPE.</span></h2> - -<p>When Walter Gordon and Zeemit Mehal had got clear of Meerut, and fairly -on the great highway, they turned into a paddy (rice) field, where -there was a small bamboo hut. Into this they crept, for the heat of the -sun was so terrific, and walking was almost impossible. Suffering from -extreme fatigue, Walter threw himself into a heap of straw, and thought -over the terrible events of the last two hours, and as he remembered -that Flora Meredith was in the hands of the enemy, he felt distracted, -and inclined to continue his journey without a moment’s delay. But, -however strong his energy, his physical powers were not equal to it, -for even the natives themselves felt prostrated by the intense heat of -the Indian summer. And yet it was awful to have to remain there while -she who was dearer to him than life itself was surrounded with deadly -peril.</p> - -<p>He wondered what had become of his friend Harper. Had he escaped death? -and if so, would he be able to return to Meerut to comfort his dying -wife? for Walter had no doubt in his own mind that Mrs. Harper was -stricken down never more to rise. Even if he were fortunate enough -to discover his friend and his affianced, he would have sorry news -to convey to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> them. But it was the time of sorry news. Nay, it was -but the very commencement of a long period, during which there would -be no other news but that of suffering, of sorrow, and death. The -storm had indeed burst, with a fury undreamt of—unparalleled; and -through the darkness scarcely one gleam of hope shone. From mouth to -mouth, amongst the natives, the terrible words had passed—“Death to -the beef-devouring, swine-eating Feringhees!” They were truly awful -words, well calculated to inflame the minds of the black races, who had -for years been taught by their leaders and their priests to cherish -in their hearts an undying hatred for the British; to look upon the -Great White Hand as a hard and grinding one, that should be crushed -into the dust, and its power for ever destroyed. The dogs of war had -been slipped, and Havoc and Destruction stalked hand in hand through -the land. And though the “lightning posts” might flash the news to -the great towns, it was doubtful if succour could be sent in time to -prevent the spread of the awful desolation.</p> - -<p>As these and similar thoughts flitted through the restless brain of -Walter Gordon, he realised that the position of himself and his friends -called for the most decisive action. In a few brief hours his own -little circle had been broken. His friend Harper had gone, and, in all -probability, would be one of the early victims. That friend’s wife was -drawing near the end of her earthly troubles. Mrs. Meredith was already -dead, and what the fate of Flora might be he shuddered to contemplate. -This latter thought distracted him, and he seemed to be suddenly -endowed with superhuman strength.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I must go!” he exclaimed, springing to his feet. “Zeemit, Zeemit, do -you hear?” for the old woman had fallen asleep. “Zeemit, I say, let us -continue our journey. This inaction is maddening, and it were better to -dare the sun’s rays than fall a victim to one’s own thoughts.”</p> - -<p>Zeemit started from her slumber. His excited looks and tone for a -moment bewildered her. But she speedily grasped the purport of his -words.</p> - -<p>“Sahib, sahib!” she cried, “you will betray yourself if you have not -more discretion. Remember you are supposed to be dumb, and the moment -you use your voice the very walls may have ears to catch your words.”</p> - -<p>“But, Zeemit, I cannot endure to remain here, knowing the awful peril -in which Miss Flora stands; and that the slightest delay on my part may -be fatal to her.”</p> - -<p>“If you would be of service, sahib, you must reserve your strength. To -attempt to continue the journey under this noon-day heat, would be to -court your own destruction. Rest and have patience.”</p> - -<p>“You reason well, Zeemit, but how can I have patience under such -circumstances? Succour must reach Miss Meredith immediately if she is -to be saved.”</p> - -<p>“But you cannot quicken the wind or chain the lightning, sahib, nor -can you cool the sun’s rays. These things must be endured. When night -closes in, and the fresh breezes blow, then is your time for action. -But you must have caution. If you speak, let your words be uttered in -whispers, for there is danger in the very air.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly she uttered a suppressed cry of alarm.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> Her eyes had been -fixed on a small window at the end of the hut, which was covered with -a bamboo flap; but this flap had been broken away on one side, and -through the opening a face was grinning. It was withdrawn the moment -its owner was aware that it had been discovered.</p> - -<p>“Sahib, we are betrayed!” she exclaimed, as she hurried to the door in -time to see a Coolie moving quickly away.</p> - -<p>Gordon followed her, and, drawing one of his revolvers, levelled it at -the retreating figure of the native, and fired. But the shot missed its -mark, and, with the fleetness of a deer, the man sped away, and was -soon beyond range.</p> - -<p>“This is unfortunate, Zeemit,” said Walter, as he restored the revolver -to his belt.</p> - -<p>“It is even as I say,” answered Mehal; “there is danger in the very -air. That Coolie, no doubt, lives in this hut. He was returning here, -when he heard your voice. He will quickly spread the news, and we shall -be followed. There is no time to be lost. We stand in imminent danger; -and, at all hazards now, must quit the place. Remember, from this -moment, you are dumb.”</p> - -<p>Gordon felt the full force of the old woman’s words, but he made no -answer, though he mentally blamed himself for his indiscretion. But the -mischief was done, and there was no helping it now.</p> - -<p>He silently followed his companion, and they went out into the glare -of the sun. The heat was still terrific, for it was only a little past -mid-day. For a time, Walter kept bravely on, but his strength soon -began to fail him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<p>Even old Indians never thought of walking at such times, and he, a -new-comer, was not yet inured to the climate. A feeling of oppression -seized him, and he could scarcely resist the desire to lie down by the -road-side. But, encouraged by Mehal, and buoyed up with the thought -that every mile brought him nearer to Delhi, where he hoped to meet -the object of his search, he struggled bravely on. The dusty road, -treeless and shelterless, seemed to quiver in the heat. His mouth was -parched with thirst, and his limbs tottered beneath him. But, with the -resolution of despair, he kept up for yet a little while longer.</p> - -<p>“Zeemit,” he said at last, “I can go no farther; I am sinking.”</p> - -<p>“No, no; you must not stop here, or you will die. See; look ahead! -To the left there, there is a clump of jungle. In that jungle is a -dawk-house, where the palanquin bearers rest when travelling backwards -and forwards. It is but half-a-mile, and you will there find shelter, -for it is almost sure to be deserted now. Come, sahib. Courage!”</p> - -<p>Thus cheered by his faithful companion, he struggled on, his eyes -almost blinded with the glare, his brain in a whirl, his limbs -trembling as if he had been stricken with an ague. Had he not been a -strong man, he would have fallen by the wayside, and then death must -have speedily ensued. But he held up. The welcome goal was reached at -last, and he tottered in.</p> - -<p>The place was one of the small, square, flat-roofed, stuccoed bungalows -to be found on the high roads in all parts of India at that period. -They were generally erected at the Government expense, and were used -as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> shelters for travellers, and as places where change of horses could -be had for the mail-dawks. It was two storeys high, and contained four -rooms, with a circular stairway at one corner leading to the upper -storey and the roof. At the back of the bungalow was a compound and -a stable, and beyond a patch of jungle. Round the building ran the -indispensable verandah; and a small doorway, screened by a portico, -gave entrance to the house.</p> - -<p>Utterly exhausted, Gordon struggled into one of the lower rooms. It -contained a cane-bottom lounge fixed to the wall; on to this he threw -himself; and in a very few minutes nature succumbed, and he was asleep.</p> - -<p>Zeemit did not follow him, for two Coolies were lying on a -bamboo-matting in the verandah, and they rose up as the travellers -reached the house.</p> - -<p>“Peace be with you, countrymen,” said the old woman, addressing them. -“Sorrow is mine, for my poor son is stricken with illness, and we have -far to go.”</p> - -<p>“Where are you journeying to, mother?” asked one of the men, when he -had returned Zeemit’s greeting.</p> - -<p>“Alas, my son, where should we journey to but to that great city where -the King dwells, and where we hope to find rest and plenty.”</p> - -<p>“Allah guide you!” the man answered. “The Moghul will be restored, the -Feringhees will be exterminated, and our race will be raised to power -again. But come you from Meerut?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Then you know the latest news. Are the Europeans going to follow our -friends to Delhi?”</p> - -<p>“No. They have, to a man, returned to Meerut.”</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised!” cried the Coolie, springing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> his feet. “That -is news indeed. I and my companion then will accompany you to Delhi, -and we will serve these foreigners no more. Fearing that the Europeans -would follow our friends out of Meerut, we have remained at our posts -here, dreading to be overtaken. But the news you bring is good, and -we will seek better fortune than is to be gained by attending to the -Feringhee travellers who stop here.”</p> - -<p>“When my son is refreshed, we will continue our journey in company,” -answered Zeemit, as she passed into the house; and the two Coolies -coiled themselves upon their matting again.</p> - -<p>The unexpected meeting with these two men was a source of trouble to -her; for if their suspicions should be aroused, the object of the -journey might be frustrated. Moreover, she feared that the man she had -seen at the hut in the paddy field would give pursuit as soon as he -had armed himself, and got some of his comrades to join him; for he -would know that the Englishman could not go very far, and could soon be -overtaken. She looked at Gordon; he was steeped in a death-like sleep, -and even if she had been inclined, she could not have aroused him until -rest had somewhat restored him.</p> - -<p>She made a survey of the house. The windows were only guarded with -jalousies, which offered no protection; so that, if the place should be -attacked, escape would be almost impossible.</p> - -<p>Some hours passed, and nothing occurred to justify her suspicions. Many -an anxious glance did she cast back to the white road along which they -had travelled.</p> - -<p>The cool breeze was commencing to blow, the sun was declining, and -she began to hope that the danger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> she feared would be averted. With -the departing heat of day the Coolies aroused themselves from their -lethargy, and commenced to cook their evening meal of curry and rice. -Zeemit also lit a fire of charcoal, and taking some rice from her -waist-cloth, and begging a small fish from the Coolies, she made some -supper in a lotah, or brass dish, and commenced to eat, having set -aside a portion for Gordon, who still slept. As the shadows lengthened -and the twilight came on, she was startled by seeing, far away down -the road, in the direction from whence they had come, a cloud of dust -arise. She knew in a moment that it was a signal of danger; that it -was caused by a body of natives. In a few minutes this was confirmed. -About two dozen men, as near as she could judge, were coming up, three -or four of them being on horseback. They could have but one object, -she thought, and that was pursuit of the Englishman, unless they were -a band of fugitives flying to Delhi; but that did not seem probable, -since, if it had been so, they would have been accompanied by women.</p> - -<p>She hurried into the house. Gordon was still sleeping. She shook him; -he turned over, and groaned. She shook him again, but he did not wake. -There was not a moment to lose, for she could now hear faintly the ring -of the advancing horses’ hoofs, as they rattled along the road. She -grasped Gordon tightly in her arms, and, by a great effort of strength, -dragged him off the lounge on to the floor. It had the desired effect, -and he awoke. At this moment one of the Coolies entered. He had -observed the advancing body, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“We shall have goodly company on our way to Delhi.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> - -<p>Gordon had raised himself on his elbow, and being dazed with the heavy -sleep, and not realising his position, cried out in English—</p> - -<p>“What does this mean? Who has thrown me down?”</p> - -<p>The Coolie stood like one who had been suddenly transformed to stone. -Then, with a cry, he bounded out of the room exclaiming—</p> - -<p>“A Feringhee in disguise, and a treacherous country-woman. Death to -them.”</p> - -<p>“We are lost,” Zeemit murmured, still shaking Gordon.</p> - -<p>But he needed no further shaking; that warning cry had aroused him into -full activity again, and he sprang to his feet. And though he did not -comprehend the full extent of the danger, he realised that his disguise -had been penetrated.</p> - -<p>The body of natives were quite close now. The Coolies were flying down -the road to meet them; and Zeemit heard the foremost horseman ask if -they had seen a Feringhee in disguise. Then the answer was given—“Yes, -yes; he is here.”</p> - -<p>She seized Gordon by the arm, and fairly dragged him towards the door.</p> - -<p>“Come,” she said; “the roof is our only place of safety.”</p> - -<p>They hurried out of the door and gained the small round tower, common -to Indian bungalows, and which contained the winding flight of steps -used by the Bheestee Wallas, or water-carriers. By these steps the -roof was gained. The entrance from this tower on to the roof was by -a very narrow doorway. The door was of stout teak. On the roof were -some bamboo poles. He seized one of these, and used it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> as a lever -to dislodge a portion of the brick parapet. The <i>débris</i> he piled up -against the small door, thus forming a most effectual barricade. He had -two breech-loading revolvers and ample ammunition, and he did not doubt -he would be able to hold his own for a considerable time.</p> - -<p>“Do you know how to load these pistols, Zeemit?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered, with sadness in her tone, for she knew that they -must be levelled at her own countrymen. But love for her English -mistress was strong in her heart, and it overcame all scruples.</p> - -<p>Gordon glanced over the parapet. The crowd, numbering eighteen or -nineteen, and several of them armed with guns, were close now. He was -determined not to be the first to fire.</p> - -<p>“What do you seek?” he cried, as the natives swarmed into the verandah.</p> - -<p>“Death to the Feringhee,” was the only answer; and with a wild cry -they sought the tower and rushed up the stairs, but they were unable -to force the door. Down they went again, yelling and howling like -infuriated demons, and they fired a volley at the roof—the bullets -sending the cement flying in all directions, but otherwise doing no -harm. Gordon no longer hesitated in the course to pursue, but levelling -his revolver, fired the six shots in rapid succession, and with such -good aim that five men rolled over. It was an unexpected reception, and -the survivors were furious—some firing wildly at the roof, and others -rushing off in search of combustibles wherewith to burn down the house. -Gordon had little chance of picking any of them off now, for, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>taking -warning by the fate of their comrades, they sheltered under the portico -and behind trees.</p> - -<p>It was almost too dark to see; night was closing in fast. Gordon -recognised that his position was critical in the extreme, and, unless -he could escape, death was certain. He peered over the parapet on all -sides. At the back were the stables, and the roof was about ten feet -from the parapet. It was the only chance. A yell of delight at this -moment greeted him, and he could discern some of the natives rushing -towards the house with a long ladder, which they had discovered in the -compound.</p> - -<p>He hesitated for a moment. If he remained on the roof he could keep -his assailants at bay as long as the ammunition held out; but if he -should be discovered when on the ground, all hope would be gone. His -mind, however, was soon made up, as he saw other natives bearing heaps -of wood and undergrowth, with the intention of burning him out. There -was no time to be lost. If once they lighted that fire, its glare -would discover to them his whereabouts. He must take advantage of the -darkness. He speedily made known his plan to Zeemit. She acquiesced -immediately, and, getting over the parapet, dropped lightly on to the -roof. Gordon followed, just as the ladder was reared against the other -side of the house.</p> - -<p>From the roof of the stable to the ground the descent was easy, and in -a few minutes Gordon and his faithful companion had gained the jungle. -As they did so, they heard the cry of rage which their foes gave vent -to as they reached the roof and found that those whom they sought had -flown.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XI.</span> <span class="smaller">STARTLING NEWS.</span></h2> - -<p>The man who appeared in the ruined temple, in company with Haidee, -and to the astonishment of Lieutenant Harper, was no other than James -Martin, who had escaped the terrific explosion of the magazine. But for -his dress he might have been taken for a native, as his face was black -with smoke and powder.</p> - -<p>“I am fulfilling my promise,” said Haidee, “and I have rescued this -man, your countryman. You may be of service to each other.”</p> - -<p>“We meet under strange circumstances,” Harper said, as he held out his -hand to Martin, “but I am none the less thankful. We both stand in -imminent peril, and our lives may not be worth many hours’ purchase; -but two determined Britishers are a match for an army of these cowardly -wretches.”</p> - -<p>“That is so,” answered Martin. “But I do not think my time has come -yet, seeing that I have escaped from twenty deaths already. I was one -of the defenders of the magazine until our lion-hearted commander -ordered it to be blown up. I managed to escape the fiery storm, and -crept into a cavernous hollow formed by a mass of fallen masonry. I -must have been there some hours, for, when I awoke from a sound sleep, -I was ravenously hungry, and, at all hazards, determined to creep out -of my hole and seek<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> for food. It was quite dark, and I groped about -amongst the ruins until I reached the road leading to the Palace. I -walked for some distance, until a voice asked where I was going to. -The voice belonged to this woman, who had just emerged from one of the -private gates leading to the Palace grounds. At first I thought she was -an enemy, and I drew my revolver, which I had been fortunate enough to -retain, although it was unloaded. Still, an unloaded weapon, I thought, -was quite enough for a woman. ‘Who are you?’ I asked, ‘and why do you -stop my way?’ ‘I am a friend, and I wish to save you,’ she answered. I -could not be mistaken in those tones, I thought. They were too gentle, -too kind, to belong to an enemy. And so, returning my weapon to my -belt, I extended my hand to her, and said, ‘I trust myself entirely -to you; lead me where you like.’ ‘I will lead you to safety, and to a -countryman of yours, who is dear to me,’ she answered. And here I am.”</p> - -<p>Haidee had remained silent during Martin’s speech. Her head was bent -and her arms folded. Harper crossed to where she stood, and took her -hands. The scarlet flush of morn was in the sky, and as it tinged her -beautiful face, he saw that her brows were knit, and her teeth set, as -if in anger.</p> - -<p>“Haidee,” he said gently, “words cannot thank you for what you have -done; I am already heavily indebted to you. How can I discharge that -debt?”</p> - -<p>“I need no thanks,” she answered. “Haidee is true to her promise; but -my heart is heavy, for he who should have come with me now is gone.”</p> - -<p>“Do you refer to Moghul Singh?” asked Harper, in some astonishment, -and not without a slight feeling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> of pleasure. For, though Singh was a -double-dyed traitor, Harper did not like the thought of having to act -the part of a private assassin.</p> - -<p>“To whom else should I refer?”</p> - -<p>“How comes it then that he has gone?”</p> - -<p>“He has gone by order of the King.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! is that so? Where has he gone to?” Harper queried in alarm, for -the thought occurred to him that the man had departed to convey the -signal for a rising in some other place.</p> - -<p>“He has gone to Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“To Cawnpore!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and for Haidee’s sake you must follow him.”</p> - -<p>“Nay, that cannot be,” Harper answered, with ill-concealed alarm.</p> - -<p>“Cannot be—cannot be!” she repeated, in astonishment, and drawing -herself up until their eyes met. “Are my wrongs, then, so soon -forgotten?”</p> - -<p>“Not so, Haidee; but you forget that I am a soldier. My first duty is -to my Queen and country, and that duty must not be neglected in my -desire to redress private wrongs. I bear for you all the feeling a man -of honour should have for an injured woman; but I cannot—dare not—go -to Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“Cannot—dare not!” she echoed, in astonishment, letting his hands -fall; “and is ‘dare not’ part of a soldier’s creed? Sits there a craven -fear in your heart?”</p> - -<p>“No,” he cried, his face burning at the suggestion. “For I have none; -but I hold that my honour should be the paramount consideration. I can -die, but I cannot sacrifice that which is dearer than life to a true -soldier—honour.”</p> - -<p>“You wrong me,” she answered passionately. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> have made no such -request; but I have saved your life—I have given you liberty. You have -my heart; I ask but one service in return.”</p> - -<p>“And that service I would have rendered if Moghul Singh had been here, -for he is a traitor, and an enemy to my race and country. Moreover, I -have a personal wrong to settle, because he betrayed me, subjected me -to gross indignity, and would have slain me. But for a time he escapes -retribution. I cannot follow him. The moment I stand outside of these -city walls a free man again, I must hurry back to my regiment. Failing -to do that, I should be branded as a deserter.”</p> - -<p>“I comprehend now,” she cried, throwing herself at his feet. “I had -forgotten that, and you must forgive me. Never more can happiness be -mine. Into the dust I bow my head, for the light of my eyes will go -with you. Poor Haidee will set you free. When night closes in again -she will lead you and your countryman clear of the city; then we must -part—never, never to meet again.”</p> - -<p>He raised her up gently, and passed his arm soothingly around her -waist, for she was terribly agitated, and shook like a wind-tossed reed.</p> - -<p>“Do not say that we shall never meet again, Haidee. Chance may bring me -back here, and if I escape the many deaths which encompass a soldier at -a time like this, we shall meet. But even though I may not come to you, -you can at least come to me.”</p> - -<p>“Haidee would gladly live in the light of your eyes; but if I can hold -no place in your heart, we must part for ever.”</p> - -<p>Harper struggled with his feelings. He was on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> horns of a dilemma, -and the way out of the difficulty did not seem straight. His arm was -still around Haidee. He felt her warm breath on his cheek, and heard -the throbbing of her heart. Her upturned eyes were full of an ineffable -expression of love, of trust, of hope—hope in him. How could he wither -that hope—misplace that trust? How could he leave her in the city at -the mercy of the treacherous King? As he thought of these things, he -wished that she had never opened his prison door, but had left him -to meet death alone. For cold, indeed, would have been his nature, -and stony his heart, if he had not felt the influence of her great -beauty. To look into her face was to feel sorely tempted to cast his -fortunes on the hazard of the die, and sacrifice all for this woman’s -sake. But the inward voice of conscience kept him back. Wife, country, -honour, were in the scale, and they must have weight against all other -considerations. “No,” he thought, “rather than I would be branded with -the name of traitor, I will walk boldly forth into the heart of the -city, and bare my breast to the insurgents’ bullets.”</p> - -<p>A deep sigh from Haidee called him back to a sense of his position.</p> - -<p>He led her to the stone seat, and said kindly—</p> - -<p>“Why do you sigh? I know it is the language of the heart, when the -heart is sad; but, have hope; brighter days may be dawning, and in your -own lovely valleys you may yet know happiness and peace.”</p> - -<p>She turned upon him almost fiercely, and her eyes flashed with passion.</p> - -<p>“Do you mock me? Why do you speak to me of peace and happiness? Would -you tear the panther<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> from its young, and tell it to pine not? Would -you torture the sightless by stories of the beautiful flowers, of the -glittering stars, of the bright sun? Would you bid the dove be gay when -its mate was killed? If you would not do these things, why bid my heart -rejoice when it is sad? why talk to me of peace, when peace is for ever -flown? But why should I speak of my wrongs? Even now, Moghul Singh is -on his way to Cawnpore, to bring back one of your own countrywomen.”</p> - -<p>“To bring back one of my countrywomen!” cried Harper in astonishment. -“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Yesterday, there came from Meerut, a man by the name of Jewan Bukht. -He brought with him, as captive, an Englishwoman—young and beautiful.”</p> - -<p>Harper’s nerves thrilled as the thought flashed through his brain that -this Englishwoman could be no other than Miss Meredith; for Walter -Gordon had told him what he had learnt from Flora with reference to -Jewan Bukht. He almost feared to ask the question that rose to his -lips, and not without a struggle did he do so.</p> - -<p>“Her name—did you learn her name—Haidee?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“What was Bukht’s object in bringing her here?”</p> - -<p>“He is in the pay of Nana Sahib, but is also an agent for the King. He -thought to remain here, in the Palace, where he has relations; but, on -arrival, an imperative order was waiting him, that he was instantly -to depart for Cawnpore: and he lost no time in hurrying away. When he -had gone, the King heard of Jewan’s captive, and of her beauty, and -he commanded Singh to follow, with a band of retainers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> and bring -the woman back. Long before Singh can overtake him, Bukht will have -arrived in Cawnpore; and when Singh gets there, it is doubtful if he -can return, owing to the vigilance of the English.”</p> - -<p>When Haidee had finished her revelations, Harper entertained no doubt -that Jewan Bukht’s unfortunate captive was Flora Meredith, and that -being so, the first question that suggested itself to him was, whether -he was not justified in attempting her rescue.</p> - -<p>“Haidee!” he said, “from what you state, I have every reason to believe -that the lady carried off by Jewan is a relation of mine, and that it -is my duty to follow her.”</p> - -<p>“Your duty to follow her?” Haidee repeated mournfully. “When I spoke -of your following the craven-hearted Moghul Singh, you replied that -it could not be, and yet this man is an enemy to your race, and has -slaughtered with exultant ferocity many of your countrymen! But now you -proclaim your readiness to throw to the wind all those scruples which -applied to him in favour of the woman! You speak in parables, and poor -Haidee in her ignorance understands you not. Only her heart tells her -this: she holds but little place in your thoughts.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, Haidee, how you wrong me! Your reproaches are undeserved. However -great the number of my faults, ingratitude is certainly not one of -them. How can I forget the services you have rendered to me? how forget -the great wrongs that you yourself have suffered? But the laws of -our two nations are different. Society in my country is governed by -a code of rules, that no man must depart from who would not have his -reputation blasted. I hold a commission in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> the service of my Queen. -Would you have me sully my name by an act that I could never justify to -my superiors?”</p> - -<p>“To what do you refer?” she asked with startling energy. “Sooner than -I would counsel you to dishonour, sooner than I would bring shame upon -you, this little weapon should be stained with my own heart’s blood!”</p> - -<p>As she spoke she drew quickly, from the folds of her dress, a small, -glittering stiletto, and held it aloft, so that the glow of the -now rising sun made red its gleaming blade. Fearing that she meant -mischief, Martin, who had been a silent witness of the scene, darted -forward and caught her hand. She turned upon him with a look of sorrow, -and said—</p> - -<p>“Do not fear. The women of my country hold honour as dear as those of -your own. I said the weapon should find my heart sooner than I would -bring shame on the head of your countryman, and that I will never do.”</p> - -<p>Martin released his hold and drew back respectfully, for there was -something so touchingly sorrowful in her tone, and yet so majestic, -that both her listeners were deeply impressed.</p> - -<p>“Yours is a noble nature,” said Harper. “It is that of a true woman’s, -and it is the differences in our nationalities only that cause us to -misunderstand each other.”</p> - -<p>“Why should there be any misunderstanding? A Cashmere woman never -forgets a kindness, she never forgives an injury; and there is one -wrong, which, when once inflicted upon her, only the death of the -wronger can atone for. Were I back amongst my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> own people, those of -them in whose veins runs my family’s blood would band themselves -together to avenge me, and they would never rest until they had tracked -down and smitten the foul reptile who found me as a lily, fair and -bright, who plucked me with a ruthless hand, who befouled me, and -robbed me of treasures that have no price, and then flung me away, a -broken, friendless woman.”</p> - -<p>“You can never say with truth,” answered Harper, “that you are -friendless while the life-blood warms my veins. By everything that I -hold dear, I pledge myself to use every endeavour to protect you, and -set you right again.”</p> - -<p>His words were like magic to her. They touched her and sank to those -hidden springs whence flowed gentleness, love, and truth. As she stood -there before him, the very embodiment of womanly grace and beauty, it -would have been hard indeed for a stranger to have imagined that in her -breast rankled one feeling of hatred. How could he stay the invisible -electric fire which passed from him to her, and from her to him, and -drew both together, even as the needle is drawn to the magnet? Human -nature is the same now as it was when time began, as it will be until -time ends. Each of these two beings felt the influence of the other. -She was taken captive, bound with chains that galled not, and filled -with the ineffable sense of adoration for one who had suddenly risen -before her as a worldly god, from whom she would draw hope, peace, -happiness, and life, and that being so, she was willing to bow down -and yield herself as his slave. And he, deeply sensible to her great -beauty, and pitying her for her sorrows, felt like a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> knight of old -would have done, whose watchword was “Chivalry,”—that he must champion -her for the all-sufficient reason that she was a woman, defenceless and -alone.</p> - -<p>Whatever scruples he might have entertained at first, he felt now that -he was justified in using every endeavour to rescue Flora Meredith, and -that he would be serving his country loyally in following Moghul Singh -with a view of bringing him to justice.</p> - -<p>“Haidee,” he said, after a pause, “I will go to Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“That is bravely spoken,” she answered, her face beaming with a look of -joy; “and you may be able to render good service there by putting your -countrymen on their guard? for I know that the Nana Sahib but waits a -fitting opportunity to give the signal for a rising.”</p> - -<p>“But are you not wrong in supposing that the Nana Sahib is false? -He has ever proved himself a courteous and kindly gentleman to the -English, and I am impressed with the idea that at the present moment -Cawnpore is a safe refuge.”</p> - -<p>“Dismiss all such ideas,” she answered, with energy. “Do you judge -the nature of a leopard by the beauty of his spots? I tell you, that -in all the Indian jungles there stalks not a tiger whose instincts -are more savage, or whose thirst for blood is more intense, than this -smooth-faced, smiling Nana Sahib. Ever since the return of his agent, -Azimoolah, from England, whose mission to your Queen failed, the Nana -has cherished in his heart an undying hatred for your race. Often has -he visited this city in disguise to confer with the King, and for years -they have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> organising this revolt. I tell you that Nana Sahib is a -demon, capable of performing deeds that the world would shudder at.”</p> - -<p>“This is strange and startling news, Haidee,” cried Harper, in -astonishment, “and doubly justifies my journey to Cawnpore. The -division is commanded by one of the Company’s Generals, Sir Hugh -Wheeler, and I shall consider it my duty to apprise him of the -treacherous nature of the Nana. I appeal to you, comrade,” he said, -turning to Martin, “and shall be glad of your advice.”</p> - -<p>Martin was a man of few words. He had proved his reticence by -refraining from taking any part in the conversation between Haidee and -Harper.</p> - -<p>“Go,” was the monosyllabic answer.</p> - -<p>“Good. And you?”</p> - -<p>“I will, when once outside of these walls, make my way to Meerut.”</p> - -<p>“Excellent idea,” cried Harper, as a new thought struck him. “You -can not only report me, but render me a personal service. My wife is -stationed there; visit her, and inform her of my safety.”</p> - -<p>“I will make that a duty. But what is your name?”</p> - -<p>“Charles Harper, lieutenant in the Queen’s —— regiment. And yours?”</p> - -<p>“James Martin, late engineer in the Delhi Arsenal, now a homeless, -penniless waif, saved from an appalling storm of fire, but everything I -possessed in the world lost through the destruction of the magazine.”</p> - -<p>“But you yourself saved for some good end, Mr. Martin,” Harper replied, -as he took his hand and shook it warmly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Saved so far,” joined in Haidee; “but there are terrible risks yet to -run before you are safe. When darkness has fallen I will endeavour to -guide you clear of the city—till then, farewell. I must hurry away -now, or I may be missed.”</p> - -<p>She caught the hand of Harper and pressed it to her lips, and, bidding -Martin adieu, was soon speeding through the avenue of banyan trees -towards the Palace, and the two men were left to discuss the situation -alone.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XII.</span> <span class="smaller">WAKING DREAMS.</span></h2> - -<p>To Harper and Martin it was weary waiting through that long day. They -dozed occasionally, but suspense and anxiety kept them from enjoying -any lengthened or sound sleep.</p> - -<p>Occasionally sounds of firing, and yells of riotous mobs reached them, -but nothing to indicate that an action was being sustained in the city.</p> - -<p>In fact, with the massacre of the Europeans, and the destruction of -the magazine, there was nothing for the mutineers to do but to quarrel -amongst themselves and to bury their dead.</p> - -<p>The city was in their hands. Its almost exhaustless treasures, its -priceless works of art, its fabulous wealth, were all at the disposal -of the murderous mob.</p> - -<p>And never, in the annals of history, was city sacked with such ruthless -vandalism, or such ferocious barbarity. Some of the most beautiful -buildings were levelled to the ground from sheer wantonness. Costly -fabrics were brought out and trampled in the dust, and the streets ran -red with wine.</p> - -<p>All the gates were closed, the guards were set. And for a time the -hypocritical and treacherous old King believed that his power was -supreme, and that the English were verily driven out of India.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> - -<p>But he did not look beyond the walls of his city. Had he and his hordes -of murderers cared to have turned their eyes towards the horizon of the -future, they might have seen the mailed hand of the English conqueror, -which, although it could be warded off for a little while, would -ultimately come down with crushing effect on the black races.</p> - -<p>Perhaps they did see this, and, knowing that their power was -short-lived, they made the most of it.</p> - -<p>As the day waned, Harper and his companion began to gaze anxiously in -the direction of the avenue, along which they expected Haidee to come.</p> - -<p>The narrow limits of their hiding-place, and the enforced confinement, -were irksome in the extreme, and they were both willing to run many -risks for the sake of gaining their liberty.</p> - -<p>“That is a strange woman,” said Martin, as he sat on a stone, and gazed -thoughtfully up to the waving palm boughs.</p> - -<p>“Who?” asked Harper abruptly, for he had been engaged in cogitations, -but Haidee had formed no part of them.</p> - -<p>“Who? why, Haidee,” was the equally abrupt answer.</p> - -<p>“In what way do you consider she is strange?” Harper queried, somewhat -pointedly.</p> - -<p>“Well, it is not often an Oriental woman will risk her life for a -foreigner, as she is doing for you.”</p> - -<p>“But she has personal interests to serve in so doing.”</p> - -<p>“Possibly; but they are of secondary consideration.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. There is a feeling in her breast stronger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> and more powerful than -her hatred for the King or Moghul Singh.”</p> - -<p>“What feeling is that?”</p> - -<p>“Love.”</p> - -<p>“Love! For whom?”</p> - -<p>“For you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I must confess that she plainly told me so,” laughed Harper; -“but I thought very little about the matter, although at the time I was -rather astonished.”</p> - -<p>“I can understand that. But, however lightly you may treat the matter, -it is a very serious affair with her.”</p> - -<p>“But what authority, my friend, have you for speaking so definitely?”</p> - -<p>“The authority of personal experience. I spent some years in Cashmere, -attached to the corps of a surveying expedition. The women there are -full of romantic notions. They live in a land that is poetry itself. -They talk in poetry. They draw it in with every breath they take. -Their idiosyncrasies are peculiar to themselves, for I never found the -same characteristics in any other nation’s women. They are strangely -impetuous, strong in their attachments, true to their promises. And the -one theme which seems to be the burden of their lives is love.”</p> - -<p>“And a very pretty theme too,” Harper remarked.</p> - -<p>“When once they have placed their affections,” Martin went on, without -seeming to notice the interruption, “they are true to the death. -And if the object dies, it is seldom a Cashmere woman loves again. -But when they do, the passion springs up, or rather, is instantly -re-awakened. There are some people who affect to sneer at what is -called ‘love at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> first sight.’ Well, I don’t pretend to understand much -about the mysterious laws of affinity, but the women of Cashmere are -highly-charged electrical machines. The latent power may lie dormant -for a long time, until the proper contact is made—then there is a -flash immediately; and, from that moment, their hearts thrill, and -throb, and yearn for the being who has set the power in motion.”</p> - -<p>“But you don’t mean to say that I have aroused such a feeling in -Haidee’s breast?”</p> - -<p>“I do mean to say so.”</p> - -<p>“Poor girl!” sighed Harper, “that is most unfortunate for her.”</p> - -<p>“She is worthy of your sympathy, as she is of your love.”</p> - -<p>“But you forget that I have a wife.”</p> - -<p>“No, I do not forget that. I mean, that if you were free, she is a -worthy object.”</p> - -<p>“But even if I were single, I could not marry this woman.”</p> - -<p>“Could not; why not?”</p> - -<p>“What! marry a Cashmere woman?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; is there anything so <i>outré</i> in that? You would not be the first -Englishman who has done such a thing. Why, I have known Britishers mate -with North American Indian women before now.”</p> - -<p>“True; but still the idea of Haidee being my wife is such a novel one -that I cannot realise it.”</p> - -<p>“The heart is a riddle; and human affections are governed by no fixed -laws.”</p> - -<p>“But really, Martin, we are discussing this matter to no purpose. -If Haidee entertains any such passion as that you speak of, it is -unfortunate.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It is, indeed, unfortunate for her, because if her love is -unreciprocated she will languish and die.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” asked Harper sharply, and with a touch of -indignation. “Surely you would not counsel me to be dishonourable to my -wife?”</p> - -<p>“God forbid. You misjudge me if you think so. I speak pityingly of -Haidee. It is no fault of yours if she has made you the star that must -henceforth be her only light. What I have told you are facts, and you -may live to prove them so!”</p> - -<p>Harper did not reply. His companion’s words had set him pondering. -There was silence between the two men, as if they had exhausted the -subject, and none other suggested itself to them. The short twilight -had faded over the land, the dark robe of night had fallen. It was -moonless, even the stars were few, for the queen of night appeared in -sullen humour. There were heavy masses of clouds drifting through the -heavens, and fitful gusts of wind seemed to presage a storm. The boughs -of the overhanging palms rustled savagely, and the child-like cry of -the flying foxes sounded weirdly. There was that in the air which told -that nature meant war. And sitting there with the many strange sounds -around them, and only the glimmer of the stars to relieve the otherwise -perfect darkness, what wonder that these two men should dream even as -they watched and waited.</p> - -<p>Martin had bowed his head in his hands again. Possibly his nerves had -not recovered from the shock of the awful fiery storm that had swept -over his head but a short time before; and he felt, even as he had -said, that he was a waif. Like unto the lonely mariner who rises to the -surface after his ship has gone down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> into the depths beneath him, and -as he gazes mournfully around, he sees nothing but the wild waters, -which in their savage cruelty had beaten the lives out of friends and -companions, but left him, his destiny not being yet completed—left him -for some strange purpose.</p> - -<p>Harper was gazing upward—upward to where those jewels of the night -glittered. He had fixed his eye upon one brighter than the rest. -Martin’s words seemed to ring in his ears—“It is no fault of yours if -she has made you the star that must henceforth be her only light.” And -that star appeared to him, not as a star, but as Haidee’s face, with -its many changing expressions. Her eyes, wonderful in their shifting -lights, seemed to burn into his very soul. And a deep and true pity for -this beautiful woman took possession of him; poets have said that “pity -is akin to love.” If no barrier had stood between him and her, what -course would he have pursued? was a question that suggested itself to -him. Martin had spoken of the mysterious laws of affinity; they were -problems too abstruse to be dwelt upon then. But Harper knew that they -existed; he felt that they did. How could he alter them? Could he stay -the motes from dancing in the sunbeam? He might shut out the beam, but -the motes would still be there. So with this woman; though he might fly -from her to the farthest ends of the earth, her haunting presence would -still be with him. He <i>knew</i> that; but why should it be so? He dare not -answer the question; for when an answer would have shaped itself in his -brain, there came up another face and stood between him and Haidee’s. -It was his wife’s face. He saw it as it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> appeared on the night when -he left Meerut on his journey to Delhi—full of sorrow, anxiety, and -terror on his account; and he remembered how she clung to him, hung -around his neck, and would not let him go until—remembering she was a -soldier’s wife—she released him with a blessing, and bade him go where -duty called. And as he remembered this he put up a silent prayer to the -Great Reader of the secrets of all hearts that he might be strengthened -in his purpose, and never swerve from the narrow way of duty and honour.</p> - -<p>The dreams of the dreamers were broken. The visionary was displaced -by the reality, and Haidee stood before them. She had come up so -stealthily that they had not heard her approach. Nor would they have -been conscious that she was there if she had not spoken, for the -darkness revealed nothing, and even the stars were getting fewer as the -clouds gathered.</p> - -<p>“Are you ready?” she asked, in a low tone.</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes,” they both answered, springing from their seats, and waking -once more to a sense of their true position.</p> - -<p>“Take this,” she said, as she handed Harper a large cloak to hide -his white shirt, for it will be remembered that his uniform had been -stripped from him. “And here is a weapon—the best I could procure.” -She placed in his hand a horse-pistol and some cartridges. “Let us go; -but remember that the keenest vigilance is needed. The enemy is legion, -and death threatens us at every step.”</p> - -<p>Harper wrapped the cloak round him, and, loading the pistol, thrust it -into his belt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am ready,” he said.</p> - -<p>She drew close to him. She took his hand, and bringing her face near to -his, murmured—</p> - -<p>“Haidee lives or dies for you.”</p> - -<p>The silent trio went out into the darkness of the night. Heavy -rain-drops were beginning to patter down. The wind was gaining the -strength of a hurricane. Then the curtain of the sky seemed to be -suddenly rent by a jagged streak of blue flame, that leapt from horizon -to horizon, and was followed by a crashing peal of thunder that -reverberated with startling distinctness.</p> - -<p>“Fortune is kind,” whispered Haidee; “and the storm will favour our -escape.”</p> - -<p>Scarcely had the words left her lips than a shrill cry of alarm sounded -close to their ears, and Harper suddenly found himself held in a -vice-like grip.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIII.</span> <span class="smaller">FOR LIBERTY AND LIFE.</span></h2> - -<p>The cry of alarm that startled the fugitives came from a powerful -Sepoy, and it was his arms that encircled Harper.</p> - -<p>“Traitorous wretch!” said the man, addressing Haidee; “you shall die -for this. I saw you leave the Palace, and, suspecting treachery, -followed you.” And again the man gave tongue, with a view of calling up -his comrades.</p> - -<p>He had evidently miscalculated the odds arrayed against him. Martin was -a few yards in front, but realising the position in an instant, sprang -back to the assistance of his companion. Then ensued a fierce struggle. -The man was a herculean fellow, and retained his hold of Harper. Martin -was also powerful, but he could not get a grip of the Sepoy, who rolled -over and over with the officer, all the while giving vent to loud cries.</p> - -<p>“We are lost, we are lost, unless that man’s cry is stopped!” Haidee -moaned, wringing her hands distractedly; then getting near to Martin, -she whispered—</p> - -<p>“In your comrade’s belt is a dagger; get it—quick.”</p> - -<p>The Sepoy heard these words, and tightened his grasp, if that were -possible, on Harper’s arms, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> rolled over and over with him, crying -the while with a stentorian voice.</p> - -<p>Not a moment was to be lost. There was no time for false sentiment or -considerations of mercy. Martin, urged to desperation, flung himself on -the struggling men, and getting his hand on the throat of the Sepoy, -pressed his fingers into the windpipe, while with the other hand he -sought for Harper’s belt. He felt the dagger. He drew it out with some -difficulty. He got on his knees, his left hand on the fellow’s throat. -As the three struggled, the Sepoy’s back came uppermost.</p> - -<p>It was Martin’s chance. He raised his hand, the next moment the dagger -was buried between the shoulders of the native, who, with a gurgling -cry, released his grip, and Harper was free.</p> - -<p>As he rose to his feet, breathless with the struggle, Haidee seized -his hand, and kissing it with frantic delight, whispered—“The Houris -are good. The light of my eyes is not darkened. You live. Life of my -life. Come, we may yet escape.” She made known her thanks to Martin by -a pressure of the hand.</p> - -<p>Another brilliant flash of lightning showed them the stilled form of -the Sepoy. A deafening crash of thunder followed, and the rain came -down in a perfect deluge.</p> - -<p>The storm was a friend indeed, and a friend in need. It no doubt -prevented the cry of the now dead man from reaching those for whom it -was intended, as, in such a downpour, no one would be from under a -shelter who could avoid it.</p> - -<p>The howling of the wind, and the heavy rattle of the rain, drowned the -noise of their footsteps.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> - -<p>Drenched with the rain, her long hair streaming in the wind, Haidee -sped along, followed by the two men. She led them down the avenue of -banyans, and then turning off into a patch of jungle, struck into a -narrow path. The lightning played about the trees—the rain rattled -with a metallic sound on the foliage—heaven’s artillery thundered with -deafening peals.</p> - -<p>Presently she came to a small gateway. She had the key; the lock -yielded.</p> - -<p>“There is a guard stationed close to here,” she whispered: “we must be -wary.”</p> - -<p>They passed through the gateway. The gate was closed. They were in a -large, open, treeless space. Across this they sped. The lightning was -against them here, for it rendered them visible to any eyes that might -be watching.</p> - -<p>But the beating rain and the drifting wind befriended them. The open -space was crossed in safety.</p> - -<p>“We are clear of the Palace grounds,” Haidee said, as she led the way -down a narrow passage; and in a few minutes they had gained the walls -of the city.</p> - -<p>“We must stop here,” whispered the guide, as she drew Harper and Martin -into the shadow of a buttress. “A few yards farther on is a gate, but -we can only hope to get through it by stratagem. I am unknown to the -guard. This dress will not betray me. I will tell them that I live on -the other side of the river, and that I have been detained in the city. -I will beg of them to let me out. You must creep up in the shadow of -this wall, ready to rush out in case I succeed. The signal for you to -do so shall be a whistle.” She displayed a small silver whistle as she -spoke, which hung around her neck by a gold chain.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<p>She walked out boldly now, and was followed by the two men, who, -however, crept along stealthily in the shadow of the wall. They stopped -as they saw that she had reached the gate. They heard the challenge -given, and answered by Haidee. In a few minutes a flash of lightning -revealed the presence of two Sepoys only. Haidee was parleying with -them. At first they did not seem inclined to let her go. They bandied -coarse jokes with her, and one of them tried to kiss her. There was -an inner and an outer gate. In the former was a door that was already -opened. Through this the two soldiers and Haidee passed, and were lost -sight of by the watchers, who waited in anxious suspense. Then they -commenced to creep nearer to the gateway, until they stood in the very -shadow of the arch; but they could hear nothing but the wind and rain, -and the occasional thunder. The moments hung heavily now. Could Haidee -have failed? they asked themselves. Scarcely so, for she would have -re-appeared by this time. As the two men stood close together, each -might have heard the beating of the other’s heart. It was a terrible -moment. They knew that their lives hung upon a thread, and that if -this devoted woman failed, nothing could save them. Still they did not -lose hope, though the suspense was almost unendurable. Each grasped -his pistol firmly, to be used as a club if occasion required. The -termination of what had verily seemed an hour to them, but in reality -only five minutes, brought the welcome signal—the whistle was blown.</p> - -<p>“You first, Harper,” said Martin.</p> - -<p>They darted from their hiding-place and rushed through the door; a -Sepoy tried to bar the passage,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> but was felled by a blow from Harper’s -pistol; in another moment they were outside the walls—Haidee was -waiting for them.</p> - -<p>“Speed!” she cried, leading the way.</p> - -<p>The alarm was already being spread. A deep-toned gong, that could -be heard even above the howling wind, was warning the sentries that -something had happened.</p> - -<p>From gate to gate, from guard to guard, the signal passed, and soon -a hundred torches were flaring in the wind; there were confusion and -commotion, and much rushing to and fro, but nobody exactly seemed to -know what it was all about, only that someone had escaped. A few shots -were fired—why, was a mystery—and even a big gun vomited forth a -volume of flame and sent a round shot whizzing through space, only -to fall harmlessly in a far-off paddy-field. In the meantime the -fugitives, favoured by the darkness and the wind, sped along, keeping -under the shadow of the wall, until the bridge of boats was passed.</p> - -<p>“We cannot cross the bridge,” said Haidee, “for on the other side there -is a piquet stationed.”</p> - -<p>“How, then, shall we gain the opposite bank?” asked Harper.</p> - -<p>“By swimming,” she answered.</p> - -<p>When they had proceeded about a quarter of a mile farther, Haidee -stopped.</p> - -<p>“This is a good part; the river is narrow here, but the current is -strong.”</p> - -<p>“But will it not be dangerous for you to trust yourself to the stream?” -Martin remarked, as he divested himself of his jacket.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Dangerous? No,” she answered; “I am an excellent swimmer.”</p> - -<p>She unwound a long silken sash from her waist, and, tying one end round -her body and the other round Harper, she said—</p> - -<p>“I am ready. Swim against the current as much as possible, and you will -gain a bend almost opposite to us.”</p> - -<p>Martin walked to the water’s edge, and, quietly slipping in, struck out -boldly. Haidee and Harper followed, and as they floated out into the -stream she whispered—</p> - -<p>“We are bound together. Where you go I go; we cannot separate.”</p> - -<p>It was hard work breasting that rapid current, but the swimmers swam -well, and the bank was gained. Emerging, somewhat exhausted, and with -the muddy waters of the Jumna dripping from them, they stood for some -minutes to recover their breath.</p> - -<p>Haidee was the first to speak.</p> - -<p>“We are safe so far,” she said. “Before us lies the Meerut road. The -way to Cawnpore is to the left.”</p> - -<p>“Then I suppose we must part,” Martin observed.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered. “You have but thirty miles to go; travel as far as -possible during the night, and in the morning you will be safe.”</p> - -<p>Martin took her hand.</p> - -<p>“You are as brave as beautiful, and I am too poor in words to thank -you. But in my heart I have a silent gratitude that time can never wear -away.”</p> - -<p>“God speed you,” joined in Harper. “Tell my wife that you left me well -and hopeful. Bid her wait patiently for my coming.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You may depend upon me.”</p> - -<p>Martin shook the hands of his friends, and, turning away, was soon lost -in the darkness.</p> - -<p>When his retreating footsteps had died out, Haidee grasped Harper’s -hand, for he stood musingly, his thoughts preceding his friend to -Meerut; he felt not a little sad as he pictured his wife waiting and -weeping for him, and he wondered if he would ever see her again.</p> - -<p>“Come,” said Haidee softly. “Come,” she repeated, as he did not seem to -notice her at first, “time flies, and we are surrounded with danger.”</p> - -<p>He turned towards her with a sigh.</p> - -<p>“Why do you sigh?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“I scarcely know.”</p> - -<p>“Is it for one who is absent?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so.”</p> - -<p><i>She</i> sighed now, inaudibly, and she pressed her hand on her heart; but -he did not notice the movement.</p> - -<p>“Cawnpore is distant,” she said, in a low tone, “and the night is -already far spent. Let us go.”</p> - -<p>And so they went on, side by side, into the darkness, on to the unknown -future. And the wind moaned around them like a warning voice, and beat -in their faces as if it would drive them back.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE TIGER OF CAWNPORE.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3">[3]</a></span></h2> - -<p>For many years, up to eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, Cawnpore had -been one of the greatest Indian military stations. In the palmy days -of the Honourable East India Company all the officers invariably spent -some period of their service there. As a consequence, there were wealth -and beauty and fashion to be found in the British quarters; there were -luxury and ease, and their concomitants, profligacy and vice—and yet -withal it was perhaps neither better nor worse than all great military -centres—while for rollicking gaiety and “life” it stood at the head, -even Calcutta being behind it in this respect. But when the mutiny -broke out, Cawnpore’s sun was declining,—not but what it was still -a station of importance, but the coming end of the “Company’s” power -had brought about many changes in this as well as in most other Indian -cities.</p> - -<p>It was an irregularly built place, some eight miles in extent. Squalor -and wealth seemed to fraternise; for in many parts the lordly mansion -raised its head beside some tumble-down, reeking native den. There was -no pretension to anything like mathematical precision in the streets. -They had been laid out in the most promiscuous manner. In fact, it -might not <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span>inaptly be said that if you wanted to construct a Cawnpore -such as it was at the time of our story, you must take a big plain with -lots of cocoa-palms about, and a broad river running through it. Then -get many hundreds of bamboo and mud huts; a few marble palaces, some -temples with gilded minarets, a few big public buildings, a hospital -or two, a gaol, and a quantity of miscellaneous structures, such as an -arsenal, barracks, etc., shake them all up together, and toss them out -on the plain, and there you have your Cawnpore.</p> - -<p>To be accurate in the description, which is necessary to the better -understanding and interest of this history, the city is built on the -banks of the Ganges. The British lines were on the southern bank, and -in the centre of the cantonment, and leading from a point opposite -the city, was a bridge of boats to the Lucknow road on the other -bank. Lying between the roads to Bhitoor and Delhi were many of the -principal civilians’ houses. Beyond the lines were the gaol, the -treasury, and churches; while squeezed up in the north-west corner -was the magazine. In the centre, between the city and the river, were -the assembly-rooms—made notorious by subsequent events—a theatre, -a church, and the telegraph office. The place was well provided with -entertainments. There were splendid shops, and they were well stocked -with goods of every description, from almost every country in the -world. Western civilisation and Indian primitiveness were linked.</p> - -<p>In this terrible “57” Cawnpore was commanded by a General of Division, -Sir Hugh Wheeler, who resided there with the Division staff. But -although there was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> an immense strength of native soldiery, not a -single European regiment was garrisoned in the place, the only white -troops being about fifty men of her Majesty’s Eighty-fourth and a -few Madras Fusiliers. Sir Hugh was a gallant officer, who had served -the “Company” long and honourably, and was covered with scars and -glory. But the sands of life were running low, for upwards of seventy -summers and winters had passed over his head. A short time before, -the only regiment that had been stationed in Cawnpore for a long time -had been sent to Lucknow. This was the Thirty-second Queen’s. But -they left behind them all the <i>impedimenta</i>, in the shape of wives, -children, and invalids; and the awful responsibility of protecting -these helpless beings devolved upon the time-worn veteran. Some -little distance out on the Bhitoor road, there stood a magnificent -dwelling, a veritable palace, with numberless outbuildings, courtyards, -and retainers’ quarters. It was the home of the Rajah of Bhitoor, -Dundoo Pant, otherwise Nana Sahib. His wealth at this time was almost -boundless. He had troops of horses, and elephants, and quite a regiment -of private soldiers. Many a time had his roof rang with the hearty -laughter of English ladies and gentlemen. He was the trusted friend -of the Feringhees, was this Mahratta prince. They loaded him with -wealth, with favours, with honour, did all but one thing—recognise -his right to succession. And their refusal to do this transformed the -man, who, although a courteous gentleman outwardly, was a tyrant in -his home life, and this failure to gratify his ambition turned his -heart to flint, and developed in him the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> sanguinary nature of the -tiger, without the tiger’s honesty. Well indeed had he concealed his -disappointment since “52,” when Azimoolah, who had gone to England to -plead the prince’s cause, returned to report his failure. To speak of -Azimoolah as a tiger would be a libel on the so-called royal brute. He -might fittingly be described as representing in disposition the fiends -of the nether world, whose mission is to destroy all good, to develop -all evil, to drag down the souls of human beings to perdition. He was -the bad tool of a bad master, if he did not absolutely lead that master -to some extent. Allied to the twain was Teeka Singh, soubahdar of the -Second Cavalry. The trio were as cowardly a set of villains as ever -made common cause in a bad case.</p> - -<p>Between the King of Delhi and the Nana there had been numberless -communications and frequent interviews, spreading over a period of some -years. The imbecile puppet of Delhi fondly imagined that he could be a -king in power as well as name, and he looked to Nana of Bhitoor as a -man who could help him to gain this end. Actuated by similar motives, -Nana Sahib fraternised with the King for the sake of the influence he -would command. But between the two men there was an intense hatred and -jealousy. Each hoped to make the other a tool. It was the old fable of -the monkey and the cat realised over again. Both wanted the nuts, but -each feared to burn his fingers. In one thing they were unanimous—they -hated the English. They writhed under the power of the Great White -Hand, and wished to subdue it. But although the King betrayed this so -that he incurred the mistrust of the English, the Nana was a perfect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> -master in the art of dissembling, and all that was passing in his mind -was a sealed book to his white friends.</p> - -<p>When the revolt broke out in Meerut, old Sir Hugh Wheeler fondly -believed that the storm could not possibly spread to Cawnpore. -But as the days wore on, signs were manifested that caused the -General considerable uneasiness. Some of the native soldiers became -insubordinate and insolent. Still he felt no great alarm, for in an -emergency he had his trusted and respected friend the Rajah to fly -to for assistance. The General, iron-willed and dauntless himself, -showed no outward signs of mistrust. He had passed his life amongst -the natives. He loved them with a love equalling a father’s. He -respected their traditions, honoured their institutions, venerated -their antiquity; and while the storm, distant as yet, was desolating -other parts of the fair land, he betrayed no doubts about the fidelity -of his troops. Morning after morning he rode fearlessly amongst them, -his genial face and cheery voice being seen and heard in all quarters. -But as the mutterings of the storm grew louder and more threatening, -anxiety for the hundreds of helpless people on his hands filled him. -He could no longer shut his eyes to the fact that there was danger—a -terrible danger—in the air. It was his duty to use every endeavour to -guard against it, and he felt that the time had come to appeal to his -friend the Rajah.</p> - -<p>He rode over to the Bhitoor Palace, and was received by the Nana with -studied courtesy and respect.</p> - -<p>“I have come to solicit aid from your Highness,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> the old General -began, as he seated himself on a luxurious lounge in what was known as -the “Room of Light,” so called from its princely magnificence. The roof -was vaulted, and, in a cerulean ground, jewels, to represent stars, -were inserted, and, by a peculiar arrangement, a soft, violet light was -thrown over them, so that they scintillated with dazzling brightness. -The walls were hung with the most gorgeous coloured and richest silks -from Indian looms. The senses were gratified with mingled perfumes, -which arose from dozens of hidden censers. The most exquisite marble -statues were arranged about with the utmost taste. Mechanical birds -poured forth melodious floods of song. The sound of splashing water, -as it fell gently into basins of purest Carrara marble, rose dreamily -on the air. Soft and plaintive music, from unseen sources, floated and -flowed around. The floor was covered with cloth of spotless silver; a -profusion of most costly and rare furs were scattered about. Articles -of vertu, priceless china, gilded time-pieces, gorgeous flowers, and -magnificent fruits were there to add to the bewilderment of richness -and beauty. While over all, through delicately-tinted violet and -crimson glass, there streamed a mellow light, the effect of which was -the very <i>acmé</i> of perfection. It was verily a bower of dreams, a fairy -boudoir. A confused medley of colour, of beauty, and sweet sounds, that -was absolutely intoxicating and bewildering.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4">[4]</a></p> - -<p>It was here that the Rajah, attired in all the gorgeousness of a -wealthy Mahratta prince, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>attended by a brilliant suite, received -Sir Hugh Wheeler.</p> - -<p>“My services are at your command, General,” was the Nana’s soft answer. -But his dusky cheeks burned with the joy that animated his cruel heart -as he thought that his day-star was rising; that the stream of time -was bringing him his revenge; that the great nation which had been the -arbiter of others’ fate, had become a suppliant for its own. “In what -way can I render you assistance?” he asked after a pause.</p> - -<p>“Your Highness is aware,” the General answered, “that there rests upon -my shoulders a very grave responsibility, and I may be pardoned if I -confess to some anxiety for the safety of the large number of women and -children who are under my care.”</p> - -<p>“But what is the danger you apprehend, General?” and the Nana laughed -loudly, coarsely, and it might have been gloatingly; for he stood -there, in that paradise of beauty, a spirit of evil, and in his soul -there was but one feeling—it was the feeling of revenge. His heart -throbbed revenge; in his ears a voice cried revenge. It was his only -music, night and day it went on ceaselessly; he listened to it; he -bowed down and worshipped before the god of destruction and cruelty. -For years he had prayed for the gratification of but one desire—the -desire to have these Feringhees in his power; and the answer to that -prayer was coming now. Neither wealth nor the luxury that wealth -could purchase could give him one jot of the pleasure that he would -experience in seeing the streets of Cawnpore knee-deep in English -blood. He felt himself capable of performing deeds that a Robespierre, -a Danton, a Marat, ay, even a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> Nero himself, would have shuddered at, -for the barbarities of the Roman tyrant were the inventions of a brain -that beyond doubt was deeply tainted with insanity. But no such excuse -as this could ever be pleaded for the Rajah of Bhitoor. It would be -impossible for the pen of fiction to make this man’s nature blacker -than it was; he was a human problem, beyond the hope of human solution; -one of those monstrosities that occasionally start up in the world of -men to appal us with their awfulness, and seemingly to substantiate the -old belief that in the garb of humanity fiends of darkness dwell upon -the earth. And yet, with a wonderful power of self-control, he betrayed -nothing of what he felt.</p> - -<p>“Objectionable as it is for me to have to think so,” answered the -General to the Nana’s question, “there is a fire smouldering in the -breasts of the native regiments here stationed; they have caught the -taint which is in the air, and a passing breath may fan the fire into a -blaze, or the most trivial circumstance develop the disease. After what -has been done at Meerut and Delhi, we know to what length the Demon of -Discord can go when once it breaks loose!”</p> - -<p>“I think you are alarming yourself unnecessarily, General; but, since -you desire it, pray tell me in what way my services can be utilised?”</p> - -<p>“Firstly, then, I must ask you to post a strong body of your retainers, -with a couple of guns, at the Newab-gung. This place commands the -treasury and the magazine, both exposed places, and the first places -that will be attacked in case of a revolt.”</p> - -<p>“You English look well after your money stores, Sir Hugh,” jocularly -remarked Azimoolah, who had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> been examining a large portfolio of -water-colour drawings of English “beauty spots.” And as he stepped -forward a few paces, he rubbed his hands, and his face was contorted -with a sardonic smile. I say contorted, for it was a singular -characteristic of this man that he could not laugh; the hearty -cachinnation of honest men became in this one a mere contortion of -the facial muscles; and his eyes, cold and snake-like, glittered with -a deadly light. “I noted, as the result of close observation when -in England,” he continued, “that this same money was a very much -worshipped god; and those who had it were flattered and fawned upon, -and those who had it not were the despised and rejected.”</p> - -<p>“But is that not a principle unfortunately common to every people?” Sir -Hugh remarked.</p> - -<p>“Possibly; but I think nowhere is it so conspicuous as in England. -And, after all, I think that there is a good deal of emptiness in the -boasted freedom of the English; for the poor are slaves in all but -name, and the task-masters of Southern America are not more grinding -or exacting than are your English lords and capitalists. The dogs and -horses of your wealthy squires are housed and fed infinitely better -than are your poor.”</p> - -<p>“I think you are prejudiced against my nation,” said the General.</p> - -<p>“Possibly so,” was the pointed answer, “and, perhaps, not without -cause; for I found that the English are much given to preaching what -they never think of practising; and the boasted liberality of John -Bull is a pleasant fiction, like many more of the virtues of that much -vaunted personage.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But to return to the subject of our conversation,” joined in the Nana, -as if fearing that Azimoolah’s feelings would betray him into some -indiscretion; and so he was anxious to put an end to the discussion. -“You wish me to place a guard over your arsenal and treasury?”</p> - -<p>“That is my desire,” said Wheeler.</p> - -<p>“Good; orders shall at once be given for two hundred of my retainers to -march to the Newab-gung. That point being settled satisfactorily, what -is your next request, General?”</p> - -<p>“That you will hold your troops in instant readiness to join my little -body of men, and suppress the insurrection, should it unfortunately -break out.”</p> - -<p>“That also shall be complied with,” smiled the Nana. “Anything further -to request?”</p> - -<p>“I think not; but I cannot allow the opportunity to pass without -thanking your Highness for your ready acquiescence to my wishes, and in -the name of my country I further tender you thanks for your devotion -and loyalty.”</p> - -<p>The Nana smiled again and bowed, and Azimoolah adjusted his gold -eye-glasses, and pretended to be busy in his examination of the -portfolio; but into his face came back the expression of ferocious joy, -and it was with difficulty he suppressed an audible chuckle.</p> - -<p>The business upon which he had come being ended, the General took his -departure.</p> - -<p>“Inflated fool!” muttered the Rajah, when his guest had gone. “Loyalty -and devotion forsooth! Umph! bitterness and hatred methinks.”</p> - -<p>“The brow of your Highness is clouded,” said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> Azimoolah fawningly, as -he closed the portfolio and came forward.</p> - -<p>“Clouded?” laughed the Nana; “no, no, Azi, clouds sit not there. It is -joy. Joy, my faithful. Ah, ah, ah, ah! Clouds, indeed! By our sacred -writings, I should be unworthy of my sire if I allowed a cloud to -darken the joy I feel. Ah, ah, ah! the confidence of these English is -amazing. They think they can put their heads into the lion’s jaw with -impunity. Well, well, let them do it. The lion knows when to close his -jaws at the right moment.”</p> - -<p>“Say rather, your Highness, that the tiger, having scented quarry, -knows how to track it to the death with downy tread, and spring as -light as air.”</p> - -<p>“Aptly said, Azi, and so it shall be. They shall say I <i>am</i> the tiger -before I’ve done. Come,” linking his arm in Azimoolah’s, “let us -walk in the grounds. Order the dance for to-night, and let there be -a display of fireworks. By the beard of Mahomet, we will make merry. -‘With downy tread, and spring as light as air.’ Ah, ah, ah! So it shall -be.”</p> - -<p>The mechanical birds were warbling sweetly, and unseen censers were -making the air balmy with delicious perfume, the silken curtains -rustled pleasantly, the falling water plashed musically. There was -peace and beauty around, above, below; but in the hearts of these two -men, as they went out, laughing sardonically, there was the deadly -poison of human hatred, and no shadow of the Great White Hand disturbed -them in the hour of their supposed triumph. Indeed the Nana believed -that the power of the British in India was fast waning, never to be -restored.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3">[3]</a> Nana Sahib was first referred to as “The Tiger of -Cawnpore” by the <i>Times</i>.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4">[4]</a> This is no exaggerated description. The room was exactly -as described.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XV.</span> <span class="smaller">AS ARMOUR IMPENETRABLE.</span></h2> - -<p>At the end of a block of buildings attached to the Rajah of Bhitoor’s -Palace was a lofty, square tower, rising to the height of sixty feet, -and crowned with a gilded cupola. It was a massive stone structure, -and contained many apartments, used as the lodgings of the Nana’s -retainers. From the basement to the roof there straggled, in wild -profusion, a tough rope-like Indian parasite, a species of ivy, with -reddish leaves. The beauty of the whole building was materially -enhanced by this plat, that insinuated itself into every crevice, and -twined gracefully round every angle. It was a conspicuous mark in the -landscape, was this ivy-covered tower. It asserted its presence over -all other erections; it rose up with a sort of braggadocio air, like -unto a tall bully, and as if it said, “I am here. Who is as great as I?”</p> - -<p>It had been witness to many a strange scene. If its time-stained stones -could have spoken, many and curious would have been the tales they -would have had to tell.</p> - -<p>Quarrels deadly and bloody had taken place beneath its roof. There, -too, had the Indian maid listened to the voice of the charmer. -English officers had made it their quarters in the balmy days of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> -H.E.I.C., and its walls had given back the echo of the shouts of many a -Bacchanalian revel. Life and death, laughter and tears, storm and calm, -had it seen. But it was doomed to witness one scene yet such as it had -never witnessed before.</p> - -<p>In the topmost room of all, up next to the stars, and from the windows -of which one looked from a dizzy height on to the roofs of many -buildings that rose on all sides, and away over the city to the plains -and the broken jungles, and followed the course of the “sacred Gunga,” -that, like a silver thread, ran tortuously through the landscape, sat a -maid, an English lady. It was Flora Meredith. It was the night of the -day upon which Sir Hugh Wheeler had had an interview with Nana Sahib, -and she was watching the fireworks that were being let off in the -Palace grounds. That is, if one might be said to be watching who looked -but saw not; whose eyes, while fixed <i>there</i>, were looking beyond, -from the past—the happy, bright, and sunny past—to the future, the -unknown, the dark, the awful future.</p> - -<p>Her face was pale, and it seemed as if years had passed over her head -since we last saw her, instead of brief, but terrible, days.</p> - -<p>The rush of events, the sudden changes, the magical transformations, -as it were, of those days, had literally bewildered her, and what she -did see she saw through a kind of mental haze. Her mother dead, her -lover gone, her home destroyed, and she herself forcibly kept away from -kith and kin! Surely these things were enough to make sick the boldest -heart, and to daze the strongest brain. The journey from Delhi had -been a hurried one. The drug administered to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> her by Jewan Bukht had -been merciful in its effects, since it had deprived her of the power -of thought for a long time; and since Jewan had conveyed her to this -place she had only seen him once. Her wants had been attended to by an -old woman—a hag in appearance, a thing of evil in disposition. Her -name was Wanna Ranu. She was little, and ancient, and bent; her skin -was shrivelled, like unto old parchment; her nose was hooked, her chin -beaked. She had long, bony arms, that were encircled with many brass -rings; brass bands were fastened round her ankles, and large brass -rings were pendant from her ears. She was one of the strange characters -to be found in almost every Indian city. Her hatred for the Feringhee -was undying. She had drawn it in with her mother’s milk. A hanger-on -at the Palace, an unrecognised waif, a casteless outcast, living -literally, it might be said, on the crumbs that fell from the rich -man’s table, if grains of rice could be so designated.</p> - -<p>When Jewan Bukht had arrived at the Bhitoor Palace, he was at first at -a loss where to convey Flora to, and into whose charge to give her. He -could not let it be known that he had brought an Englishwoman with him, -and he dare not neglect the business of his master, the Nana Sahib, -by whom he was employed as the bearer of secret messages, and to stir -up the smouldering fires of insubordination in the native regiments. -When, in his mad infatuation for the white girl, he had decided to -carry her away, he had not counted upon the costs of so doing, nor the -difficulties that would beset him. But, being so far advanced, he could -not turn back; he must make the best of circumstances.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> It was night -when he reached the Palace. Flora was ill and semi-unconscious, and -as he stood deliberating what course to pursue with reference to her, -Wanna Ranu crossed his path. He knew the woman from previous visits -to Cawnpore, and he immediately secured her as a custodian for his -captive. For although she hated the white people she loved pice more; -and pice would enable her to obtain ghee, a luxury to such as she that -was worth doing much for.</p> - -<p>She knew the Palace well, particularly the tower. She was aware that -the upper part of this Palace was untenanted; that the doors were -strong, the locks good. And when Jewan had queried the possibility of -Flora escaping, the hag had grinned maliciously, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“Escape? No, no, my son; unless she has wings and can fly.”</p> - -<p>And so to this room Flora was taken, and the witch-like janitor was -bound in promises such as the most depraved Indian will respect, to -guard her well and secretly.</p> - -<p>Flora sat alone, gazing, as has been said, vacantly out into the night. -Wanna had left her for a little while to cook her evening meal.</p> - -<p>The poor girl’s heart was heavy. It was as if a hand, cold and hard, -was gripping it and squeezing out its life. She had been plunged -with cruel suddenness into moral gloom; but the last thing in life -to leave a person is hope; and although the brightness of this star -had diminished to a feeble ray, it yet shone in her darkness and gave -her courage. She trusted in the Giver of Life for a way out of her -tribulation. She prayed, silently, fervently, to Him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> to shield her -with His mighty arm; to beat down her enemies, to raise up a deliverer, -to break the bonds that ensnared her. And yet withal it was weary -waiting, and what wonder that her soul was heavily charged.</p> - -<p>She remembered the promise of Zeemit Mehal, and she knew that if Walter -Gordon lived, he would follow her. If they went to Delhi, she thought, -Zeemit would soon learn of Jewan’s departure, and Walter would still -follow, if that was possible, even as the faithful Evangeline followed -Gabriel.</p> - -<p>There was comfort in that thought, at least. It might be but a sorry -reed to lean upon, but will not a man in his extremest need clutch even -at a straw? And so this poor, suffering woman took hope of heart even -at this, remote though the probabilities were of its fulfilment.</p> - -<p>The only light in her apartment was a small, swinging cocoa-nut lamp. -It was like her hope, faint, and barely did it make the darkness more -than visible. But its melancholy and flickering rays served, at least, -to reveal to her the cheerlessness of her apartment. The only furniture -was a native wooden bedstead, covered with matting; a bench fixed to -the wall to serve as a table, and two massive, wooden chairs. The walls -themselves were plasterless, for the plaster had fallen away with damp -and age; and the only decoration, if worthy of the name, was a large -native drawing of a hideous idol. It had a dozen arms on each side, -and in each hand it held a sort of club. Flora’s eyes had wandered to -this picture: she had gazed at it, until somehow it took shape in her -thoughts as the “Retributive God” that would arise<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> with its piercing -eyes to discover, and its many hands to smite down the cruel and -relentless enemy of her country, and the slayer of her kindred. She -felt sure that the horrid mutiny could not go on for long. The Great -White Hand was mighty in its strength. There were British soldiers who -had never yet been conquered; would they not speedily come and destroy -the foe, whose triumph could be but short-lived?</p> - -<p>Her meditations were suddenly interrupted by the opening of the door, -and turning her eyes in that direction, she uttered an involuntary cry -of alarm, as they fell upon the dusky form of Jewan Bukht.</p> - -<p>“Why do you cry as if a cobra had stung you?” he asked, angrily.</p> - -<p>“A cobra would be more welcome than you!” she answered with a shudder; -“for it kills only through an instinct of self-preservation, and does -not wilfully torture its victims.”</p> - -<p>“Umph, you are complimentary,” as he locked the door, and moved near to -the shrinking girl. “I have not tortured you.”</p> - -<p>“Your very presence is torture to me.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed! If your heart and mine were taken from our bodies, and laid -side by side, would there be any perceptible difference in their -construction? Why, then, should my presence torture you, since my heart -is similar to your own? It is because my skin is dark. Were it of the -same sickly hue as your own, you would have no scruples.”</p> - -<p>“Your words are false,” she answered, quivering with indignation. “An -honourable woman, when once she has given her love, is true to death.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> - -<p>The man sneered scornfully, as he seated himself in one of the chairs.</p> - -<p>“Why should I not gain your love? I made an honourable proposal to you. -I offered to marry you. You rejected that offer. Why?”</p> - -<p>“How can you ask such a question? You are well aware that I was the -affianced wife of Mr. Gordon.”</p> - -<p>Jewan’s brows contracted, and he ground his teeth, and clutched at the -air with his hands, by reason of the passion which moved him.</p> - -<p>“If I had a cobra’s poison,” he answered, after a pause, “I would spit -it at you every time you mention that name. Between you and him lies -a gulf that can never be bridged. You looked your last upon him the -evening he left you in Meerut. Even supposing that he still lives, -which is doubtful, seeing that a hundred bullets waited for him alone -by my orders, he could never rescue you, because I have everywhere -spies and tools who would hack him to pieces on a look from me.”</p> - -<p>Flora staggered a little, and her face grew pallid; she grasped at the -chair with her right hand, and the left she pressed hard against her -breast, as if trying to still the throbbing of her wildly beating heart.</p> - -<p>The man jumped up and caught her in his arms, for she seemed as if -about to fall. His face came close to hers, his hot breath was on her -cheek, his glittering eyes looked into hers, and seemed to chill her. -She struggled and writhed, but was powerless to free herself from his -strong grasp.</p> - -<p>“You are mine!” he almost hissed. “You are mine,” he repeated with -ferocious glee. “You are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> mine!” he reiterated for the third time, -as he tightened his arm around her waist. “There are moments in our -lives when we feel that we have attained something that were worth -whatever years in the future may be reserved for us. Such a moment do -I experience now; and, for the sake of a victory like this, I could -almost die.”</p> - -<p>It was an unequal strife. It was muscle, as opposed to virtue and -womanly indignation. He might still further tighten his arm until he -had squeezed the breath from her body. He might torture her with his -words until her heart cracked, and she became a stiffened corpse in -his arms; but where would be the triumph? He might as well have tried -to grasp a soap bubble and retain its prismatic glory, as to penetrate -the invulnerable armour of virtue and honesty in which this woman was -shielded.</p> - -<p>She drew herself back from him as far as she could. She kept him -off with her outstretched arms, and, with an energy that positively -startled him for the time, she exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“Jewan Bukht, life is a precious thing; we cling to it while there is -the faintest glimmer of hope. But sooner than be yours—sooner than be -false to the vows made to Walter Gordon—my finger nails shall tear -open the veins and let my life flow away. If I had twenty lives, I -would yield every one, sooner than be yours even in thought.”</p> - -<p>Her determined air made him wince—her words stung him; and coward and -craven that he was, he felt strongly tempted to put forth his man’s -strength and dash her to the earth. He felt that he was beaten, and -though he might kill the body he could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> not bend her will. He still -retained his hold of her. Her hands were still on his shoulders, and -she was keeping him off; but by a sudden twist he freed himself, and -suddenly pressed her close to his breast.</p> - -<p>“You see how thoroughly you are mine,” he said, exultantly.</p> - -<p>Her answer was a piercing scream, again and again renewed, as she -struggled to free herself.</p> - -<p>He had not counted upon this. It was a woman’s weapon, and served her -in this case. He was fearful that her cries might be heard, and draw -attention to his prisoner. He was puzzled for a moment how to act. She -still screamed, and he dragged her towards the bed with the intention -of trying to smother her cries. He was frustrated, however, by a -knocking at the door. A pause. Flora heard the knock, and uttered a -piercing shriek. The rapping was repeated. He literally threw her from -him, so that she reeled and fell to the floor.</p> - -<p>“You infernal fool!” he hissed, “I will take your life inch by inch -sooner than you shall escape me.”</p> - -<p>He inserted the key in the lock, and threw open the door.</p> - -<p>Wanna Ranu entered. She grinned unpleasantly and twisted her scraggy -hands one about the other.</p> - -<p>“The white-faced cat yells,” she said; “why do you not gag her?”</p> - -<p>Wanna was not alone; there entered with her another woman—a native. It -was Zeemit Mehal.</p> - -<p>With a cry of joy, Flora sprang to her feet, and, darting forward, -threw her arms round Zeemit’s neck, exclaiming—</p> - -<p>“Oh, Zeemit, save me! save me!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> - -<p>But Zeemit shook her off, as it seemed, savagely; and with an Indian -grunt of contempt, said—</p> - -<p>“As well might you appeal to the stones. Zeemit knows no pity for the -Feringhee woman.”</p> - -<p>With a wail of pain, wrung from a heart filled almost to bursting, -Flora sank to the floor; and Jewan’s joy found vent in loud laughter.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVI.</span> <span class="smaller">A DEADLY STRIFE.</span></h2> - -<p>“Your arrival is well-timed,” said Jewan, turning to Zeemit.</p> - -<p>“I see that it is so,” she answered. “I soon discovered in Delhi that -you had left, and I determined to follow you, for poor old Zeemit is -alone in the world now. I was lucky in meeting with Wanna. Some years -ago I was in Cawnpore, and I knew her then. When she learnt that I had -followed you, she lost no time in conducting me here.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad of it,” said Jewan. “My prize will be safely kept now. Guard -her well, Zeemit; and you, Wanna, if you value your life, look to her! -You understand? She has dared to defy me, and I swear to subdue her!”</p> - -<p>He crossed the room to where Flora still trembled, and crouched upon -the floor. He stooped over, and said, with bitterness—</p> - -<p>“I leave you now. Business calls me hence, but I shall return to-night, -and then we will see who conquers.”</p> - -<p>He passed out of the room, and Wanna locked the door after him. It -was an inexpressible relief to Flora when he had gone. But when she -raised her head, and her eyes fell upon Wanna’s face, she shuddered.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> -It was a face scarcely human in its expression of hate. She turned to -Zeemit—she had given her hope in Meerut—why had she failed her now? -She could read little or nothing in the dusky features. Her heart sank, -for the glimmering ray that had supported her hitherto seemed to fade -entirely.</p> - -<p>“Come,” said Wanna, spurning the trembling girl with her foot, “here -is food for you; I suppose I must keep life in you until Jewan has -sucked your sweetness. What he can see in you I know not. It is a mad -infatuation, and he will get the better of it; but if I had my way -I would torture you. I would spoil your beauty—I would pluck your -eyes out—I would lop off a limb from your body every day—I would -burn you with hot irons. Ah, ah, ah! it would be sport! Eh, Zeemit, -what say you? We have been ground as corn in a mill by these accursed -Feringhees; and now that our day has come, have we not a right to be -glad?”</p> - -<p>She hummed the air of an Indian ditty, and fairly danced about the room -with fiendish glee.</p> - -<p>“Oh, woman!” moaned the unhappy Flora, “if you are not altogether -inhuman, have pity, and kill me.”</p> - -<p>“Ugh, bah, pish! pity indeed,” cried Wanna, moving about backwards and -forwards in that restless and strange manner peculiar to caged, wild -animals. “Have we ever had pity from your countrymen? Have you not -crushed us into the earth?—subdued us with fire and sword? And now -that our power is coming back we know well how to retaliate.”</p> - -<p>As she spoke she spat upon the floor twice, and made a sort of hissing -sound with her lips.<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5">[5]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why do you not get up?” asked Zeemit, in a tone that contrasted -strangely with the savageness and cruelty of Wanna.</p> - -<p>The ray brightened again for Flora. She caught comfort from that voice; -but when she looked into the face she saw nothing to justify the -inference she had drawn. The kindliness displayed in Zeemit’s voice did -not escape Wanna, who turned sharply upon her country-woman and cried—</p> - -<p>“How is this? You speak to the white-faced cat as if she were your pet -dove, instead of an enemy.”</p> - -<p>“Scarcely an enemy, Wanna. Her only crime seems to be that she is a -Feringhee.”</p> - -<p>“She is a beast.”</p> - -<p>“She is a woman, and I feel as a woman should do for her.”</p> - -<p>Zeemit’s words were to Flora like water to the parched earth. They gave -her hope, they gave her joy; she drank them in with avidity, and gained -strength. She rose up and would have clung around the neck of her ayah, -had not the attitude of Wanna appalled her.</p> - -<p>The hag stood facing Zeemit. The bangles on her legs and arms chinked -as she shook with passion. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> was clawing the air, and almost foaming -at the mouth. She struggled to speak, but her passion well-nigh choked -her. Words came at last.</p> - -<p>“You sympathise with this Feringhee woman. I see through you—you are -an enemy to us, a friend to her. But, if you thought to liberate her, -you have set up a trap into which you yourself have blindly walked. I -go for Jewan.”</p> - -<p>She made a movement towards the door. To let her go would frustrate -every plan. Zeemit knew that it was no time for reflection. It was -woman to woman—age to age; for on both the years pressed heavily. With -a lithe and agile spring she fastened upon Wanna, who, with the sudden -instinct of self-preservation and the ferocity of the jungle cat, -twisted her bony fingers round and dug her nails deep into the flesh of -the other’s arms.</p> - -<p>It was a strange scene. From the wall the picture of the idol seemed to -grin hideously. Speechless with terror, poor Flora stood wringing her -hands. The two women, panting with the first shock of attack, glared at -each other, and over all there fell the weird, flickering light of the -swinging cocoa-lamp.</p> - -<p>As in all Indian buildings of this kind, there was a long window in -the room opening on to a verandah. The jalousies were thrown back. The -stars in the heavens were shining, and from below came up the sounds of -the voices of the natives, who were beating their tom-toms and making -merry.</p> - -<p>Miss Meredith moved to this verandah. She peered over. She could see -groups of people below. Her first impulse was to call for assistance, -but in an instant she was convinced of the madness of such a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -proceeding. On the issue of the struggle her life depended. She might -go free if Zeemit conquered—die if the triumph was Wanna’s.</p> - -<p>“Give me the key of that door,” demanded Zeemit, when she had recovered -breath enough for speech.</p> - -<p>“Never while my heart beats,” answered the other.</p> - -<p>“Then I will take it from you when your heart has done beating,” said -Zeemit.</p> - -<p>Mehal was slightly the taller of the two women, and her arms were -longer. In this respect she, perhaps, had an advantage.</p> - -<p>The women struggled furiously. Now they were locked in a deadly -embrace, now parted, only to spring together again with increased -ferocity. Never did wild animals grip and tear, and hiss, and struggle -more savagely than did these two women. But the springs which moved -them both to action were of a totally different nature. A kindly desire -to render assistance to one in distress was Mehal’s motive—a deadly -hatred for the Englishwoman was the other’s.</p> - -<p>They dragged each other round the room; they panted with the -extraordinary exertion which each made to gain the victory; their -muslin garments were encrimsoned with blood and rent to shreds. Now -they dashed against the stone walls, then reeled and tottered to the -floor, writhing in the agony of the terrible grip which each had of -the other. Rising again, covered with dust and blood, and their limbs -locked together like snakes—their faces contorted with pain and -passion, and their breath coming thick and fast.</p> - -<p>It was an awful moment for Flora. She would have rendered assistance -to Mehal, but that was impracticable, as she found, for Wanna twisted -herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> about so rapidly as to frustrate the attempts which Flora made -to grasp her.</p> - -<p>It was truly a struggle for life; for, ere it ceased, one of the -strugglers must die. They knew that, and so they fought with the -desperate energy which nerves a human being when dear life is at stake.</p> - -<p>The efforts of Wanna were growing gradually weaker. Mehal had worked -one of her hands up to the other’s throat, and she was pressing her -thumb and fingers together, until Wanna’s eyes started.</p> - -<p>The hag knew now that only by a desperate effort could she free -herself, and save her life. But even if that were impossible, she was -determined that her antagonist should not live to enjoy her triumph.</p> - -<p>She put forth what little strength remained in her withered frame. It -was an upleaping of the dying fire again, and for a moment the battle -raged fiercer than ever. They spun round, and reeled, and staggered.</p> - -<p>The end was coming. Wanna felt that. With an almost superhuman effort, -she managed to drag her foe to the verandah, and, with a quick and -sudden movement, drew the key from her girdle, and, uttering a cry -of ferocious joy, was about to hurl it over the railings. But a -counter-movement of Mehal’s broke the force of the jerk, and the key -fell on the extreme edge.</p> - -<p>Flora darted forward, but she could not pass the combatants.</p> - -<p>Wanna saw that her chance had gone. But nerving herself for one final -struggle, she dragged Mehal round. They lost their balance—they fell -to the floor—they rolled against the wooden railings, which, old and -rotten with age, broke down with a crash.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> Away went the key into -space. The two women were on the extreme edge of the verandah!</p> - -<p>Flora rushed forward once more. She made a frantic clutch at their -garments, with a view of dragging them back.</p> - -<p>It was too late!</p> - -<p>Death let fall his spear, and took the stakes. The fighters rolled -over, and Flora stood petrified with horror, still holding in her hands -some remnants of blood-stained garments.</p> - -<p>The wind moaned amongst the ivy on the walls. In its wailing she seemed -to hear a prophetic voice that told her the struggle she had been an -unwilling witness to between the two women, but represented the greater -struggle between two races that had just commenced; and, before it -could end, the soil of India should be drenched with blood.</p> - -<p>The night wind moaned. It sounded in her ears like a requiem for her -slaughtered friends. It seemed like an agonised cry of pain, wrung from -hearts suffering almost more than mortal sorrow.</p> - -<p>The night wind moaned—a dirge-like moan, that told that the Angel of -Peace had been beaten, broken-winged, into the dust; and through the -Orient land were stalking the grim demons, War and Woe.</p> - -<p>The night wind spoke. It told her that the catastrophe she had just -witnessed destroyed every hope of escape she might have had, for with -Zeemit her best friend had gone.</p> - -<p>She heard Jewan Bukht’s voice in the wind—a voice malignant and cruel.</p> - -<p>“I will return to-night, and then we will see who conquers!”</p> - -<p>Those were his parting words. As the wind<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> repeated them to her, it -called her back to a sense of her awful danger. Her almost stilled -heart sprang into life again. It throbbed with the wildness of fear and -horror at what the consequences might be if he returned.</p> - -<p>She could foil him yet; in her hands she held her own life. An effort -of will, and she could snap the “silver thread” and break the “golden -bowl.” Three paces forward, and a plunge down into the dark depth, -whence had rolled the bodies of Zeemit and Wanna.</p> - -<p>Were it not better to die than to live to shame and misery?</p> - -<p>When all hope has fled, when everything that can make life endurable -has gone, has not the time come to die? She thought this. And the -moaning wind answered her, and said “Yes.”</p> - -<p>A plunge, a rapid descent, a terrific shock, and then the end.</p> - -<p>She looked up to the silent stars. They seemed to look down pityingly -on her. Mentally her gaze wandered beyond the stars, to the plains -of peace, to the White Throne of Mercy and Justice, and she put up a -prayer for forgiveness.</p> - -<p>Be still, wild heart! cease, oh, throbbing brain! death is merciful.</p> - -<p>She took a step forward—she closed her eyes—she threw up her arms; -and, bending her body, she was about to take the fatal leap, when a -voice reached her.</p> - -<p>Not of the wind this time, but a human voice, that cried for help, that -told of pain.</p> - -<p>She went down on her knees. She peered over the broken verandah into -the darkness. She could see nothing. The voice had ceased, and there -was silence again, save that the “ivy rustled and the wind moaned.”</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5">[5]</a> When the Hindoos wish to express a thorough loathing and -contempt for anything, they spit upon the ground, and make a peculiar -movement with the lips. During the mutiny, and for long afterwards, it -was common for the native servants in the European houses, when ordered -to do anything, to spit upon the ground when they thought their masters -were not looking. The language put into the mouth of Wanna, and the -ferocity depicted, are by no means an exaggeration. In fact, words -would almost fail to accurately express the inhuman hatred for the -English, which the natives—men and women—took every opportunity of -displaying during the revolt.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVII.</span> <span class="smaller">FOR LIFE AND LOVE.</span></h2> - -<p>The cry that came up out of the darkness, and stayed Flora Meredith -in the very act of self murder, was uttered by one who had been -miraculously saved from an awful death.</p> - -<p>For some minutes Flora continued to strain her eyes before she could -make anything out. Then she became conscious that the figure of a woman -was lying on a verandah about fifteen feet below, and which projected -considerably beyond the lines of the upper one on which Flora stood. -That it was one of the women who had rolled over, Miss Meredith had no -doubt; but which one was a question difficult to answer. But presently -the cry was repeated. Flora fancied she detected Mehal’s voice, but -could not be certain. Everything was quiet below in the grounds, for -the hour was late, and nobody was about. She bent over the verandah as -far as possible, and, in a low tone, called—</p> - -<p>“Mehal—Zeemit—Zeemit.”</p> - -<p>She waited with palpitating heart for any reply, for on that reply it -might truly be said her life hung. But the reply did not come—only a -half-stifled moan telling of acute suffering.</p> - -<p>Again she called—a little louder, this time; again<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> she waited in -expectancy, to be disappointed once more. She rose to her feet, and -considered what was best to be done. There was little time to lose, -little time for thought.</p> - -<p>Hope rose again. If she could manage to reach the lower balcony, she -might be saved. But how was that to be accomplished? Even if she had -been in possession of a rope, she doubted her ability either to make it -fast, or, having succeeded in that, to lower herself down; for easy as -such a thing seems to the uninitiated, it is practically a task fraught -with the utmost danger, and requiring an exertion of physical strength -severe for a man, and ten times more so for a woman. But though she had -possessed the acrobatic skill to have performed the feat, the rope was -not there, nor was there anything in the room that would have answered -as a substitute. What, then, was to be done?</p> - -<p>She stood irresolute, almost distracted by the painful tensity to which -her mental powers were stretched. But as she stood, hovering, as it -were, between life and death, the rustling creepers whispered to her—</p> - -<p>“Here is a way down.”</p> - -<p>As the idea flashed upon her, she could have cried out with joy.</p> - -<p>She moved to the end of the verandah. The great rope-like stems were -twined and twisted together, and spread out in all directions. She -looked at her hands, delicate and soft, and mentally asked herself if -she had strength of arm and wrist sufficient for the task.</p> - -<p>Fear lends strength, as it gives wings, and even a woman, situated as -Flora was, will perform deeds<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> that, under ordinary circumstances, -would seem impossible.</p> - -<p>It was the sole chance, and she must avail herself of it. She hesitated -no longer; but mounting the railing of the verandah, grasped firmly a -thick stem of the ivy, and swung herself over.</p> - -<p>It was an awful moment. The failure of the power of the arms, the -slightest giddiness, and a fall of fifty feet would close the book of -life for ever. But after the first nervous dread had passed, she found -that the descent was far easier than she had imagined.</p> - -<p>The rough angles of the walls, and the thick ivy, gave her tolerable -foothold. But now and again her weight dragged the stems from their -hold of the wall, and she would slip down a little way with a jerk that -sent the blood back upon her heart with a rush.</p> - -<p>It was hard work; it was a struggle for life—a life that, a few -minutes ago, she would have sacrificed, for then all hope seemed to -have gone. But since then the star had risen a little once more, by -reason of the pain-wrung cry of a human sufferer.</p> - -<p>She struggled with desperate energy to save that life. Lower and lower -she went. It seemed as if she would never reach the goal.</p> - -<p>The ivy ripped and gave way, painfully straining and jerking her arms, -and the rough stones lacerated and tore her hands. But there was no -giving up until she reached the wished-for point.</p> - -<p>She clung desperately—she struggled bravely, and the reward came -at last—she was abreast of the lower verandah! She got a foothold, -then clutched the railing, and, in a few moments, stood on the floor, -breathless and exhausted, but safe so far.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p> - -<p>The figure of the prostrate woman was a few feet off. She moved to -her, bent down, turned her over, and then uttered a silent prayer of -thankfulness, as she recognised the well-known features of her faithful -ayah.</p> - -<p>But it was evident that Zeemit was wounded grievously. She was -unconscious, and lay in a pool of blood, which flowed from a deep wound -in the forehead. In her descent she had struck her head on the railing -of the verandah; but this probably saved her life, as it caused her to -roll inward, instead of outward.</p> - -<p>Flora endeavoured to staunch the blood. She chafed the hands, and -raised the body to a sitting posture. Her efforts were at length -rewarded, for consciousness slowly returned to the old woman. It was -some time before she could realise her exact position. But, as the -truth dawned upon her, she grasped the hand of Flora, and cried—</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised, missy, you are still safe!”</p> - -<p>“We both live,” answered Flora; “but we both stand in deadly peril. How -are we to save ourselves?”</p> - -<p>“You must not think of me. You must endeavour to get free of this -place, and save your own life.”</p> - -<p>“And leave you here!” cried Flora; “never!”</p> - -<p>“You are a brave girl, and Zeemit thanks you; but you must go. Wanna -is, no doubt, dead. If she fell to the ground, which seems probable, -it would have been impossible to have survived such a fall. Dead -people tell no tales; therefore we have nothing to fear from her. -I feel that I cannot rise. For me to go with you would but impede -your flight. Leave me. I shall be discovered. I shall tell Jewan -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> Wanna intended to set you free, tempted by a heavy bribe you -offered. I endeavoured to prevent her—we struggled, and fell over the -verandah—and then all is blank to me. This will give me an opportunity -of rendering you still further assistance, because, however angry Jewan -may be, he would scarcely dare to offer me violence.”</p> - -<p>“It is much against my will to have to leave you here, Zeemit, and I -can scarcely reconcile myself to such a course.”</p> - -<p>“But it is the only chance there is for me to render you aid. Besides, -there is one below who waits anxiously for you.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! tell me, tell me, where he is?” cried Flora, the opportunity -occurring for the first time to speak of him since Zeemit’s appearance.</p> - -<p>“He was safe when I left him,” answered the old woman. “Soon after -leaving Meerut we were attacked in a bungalow, where we had sought -shelter; but we managed to escape, and continue our journey to -Delhi. We gained entrance to the city, and I soon learned from some -of the Palace servants that Jewan had gone to Cawnpore. We lost no -time in following him, and we arrived here last night. In yonder -clump of trees,”—as the old woman spoke, she slightly raised her -head, and pointed with her finger across the compound—“is a disused -bullock-shed. There, on a heap of straw, you will find Mr. Gordon. He -was to remain secreted until I had learned tidings of you. He was weary -and footsore, and sleeping soundly when I came away.”</p> - -<p>“But how am I to reach there unobserved?” asked Flora, scarcely able to -restrain her impatience.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I think that will be comparatively easy. Go through the room here -till you gain the landing, then down the stairs until you come to the -entrance-hall. The night is dark, and you may easily make your way to -the bullock-shed. Once there, you and Mr. Gordon must lose no time in -hurrying to the protection of the English quarters; but, if possible, -fly from Cawnpore without delay, for there is an awful time coming for -the place. The native troops are pledged to rise, and the Nana Sahib is -thirsting for revenge.”</p> - -<p>“God help us all out of our tribulation,” murmured Flora. “I will -endeavour to carry out your directions, Zeemit, but be sure that you -join us. It is against my will to leave you here, but we must bow to -the circumstances that we cannot alter.”</p> - -<p>“Go—go,” murmured Mehal; “I am old, and you are young. Join your -lover, and seek safety in flight. I have no doubt we shall meet again; -but be discreet. Jewan is wary, and the moment he discovers your -escape, he will use every endeavour to recapture you.”</p> - -<p>“Farewell, Zeemit,” said Flora, as she stooped and kissed the old -woman, “we part in sorrow, but I trust when next we meet, it will be -under happier circumstances. You have been miraculously preserved from -death, and no doubt it is for some wise purpose. When we reach our -English friends, I shall lose no time in sending for you.”</p> - -<p>A hurried shake of the hands, a few final whispered words of parting, -and Zeemit Mehal was left wounded and sick, lying alone under the -stars; and Flora Meredith, like a timid hare, was descending the stairs.</p> - -<p>On the various landings the natives were lying about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> asleep, a custom -common to the servants in India, who coil themselves up anywhere. With -noiseless tread, and rapidly beating heart, the fugitive picked her way -amongst the sleepers, turning pale with alarm, as one moved here, and -another groaned there, almost entirely holding her breath, lest even -the act of breathing should awaken those whom she had such cause to -dread. But after nearly half-an-hour of the most painful and intense -anxiety, she stood at the main entrance of the building.</p> - -<p>Day was commencing to break; there was sufficient light in the sky -to enable her to see across the compound. Not a soul was in sight. -Without a moment’s delay, she sped towards the clump of trees. The -bullock-shed indicated by Zeemit was soon reached. It was a very -dilapidated structure, built of bamboo and mud. She entered through the -doorway, and advanced cautiously for some paces; then listened, for -there was scarcely sufficient light in the hut to distinguish anything -plainly. The sound of heavy breathing fell upon her ears. It came from -the extreme end, where she could make out a heap of straw. She went a -little farther, and stood again.</p> - -<p>“Walter!” she called softly; “Walter!” she repeated, a little louder.</p> - -<p>But there was no reply. The sleeper slept, and the heavy breathing was -her only answer. She went nearer. The rustling of her own dress alarmed -her, for her nerves were unstrung.</p> - -<p>“Walter!” she whispered again, as she reached the straw. Still no -reply. “He is worn and weary, and he sleeps heavily,” she murmured to -herself.</p> - -<p>The light had considerably increased, for the day<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> breaks in India as -suddenly as the night closes in. She was close to the sleeping form. -She stooped down until she knelt on the straw. She stretched forward -to waken the sleeper, but instinctively drew back as she noticed the -muslin garments of a native. She rose to her feet again, advanced a -little, bent down and peered into the face, the dusky face of, as she -thought, a Hindoo. She had come expecting to find her lover—in his -place was a native. She uttered an involuntary cry of alarm, and, -turning round, sped quickly away.</p> - -<p>The cry penetrated to the sleeper’s brain. He turned uneasily, then -assumed a sitting posture, and, as Walter Gordon rubbed his eyes, he -muttered—</p> - -<p>“Bless my life, how soundly I have been sleeping. I could have sworn, -though, I heard a woman’s cry. It must have been fancy.”</p> - -<p>He stretched himself out once more on the straw; for many weary miles -had he travelled, without being able to obtain a moment’s rest, and -nature was thoroughly exhausted.</p> - -<p>“Poor Flo,” he thought, as sleep commenced to steal over him again, “I -hope she will come soon. Zeemit is a faithful creature, and I have no -doubt will succeed. God grant it.”</p> - -<p>Walter Gordon slept once more, and she for whom he sighed was speeding -from him on the wings of terror, into the very jaws of death.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">WITH A LOVE THAT PASSETH UNDERSTANDING.</span></h2> - -<p>The signs of dissatisfaction which had alarmed General Wheeler for the -safety of his community gradually increased. The smothered fire was -gaining strength. It muttered and rumbled, and gave evidence that a -tremendous outbreak was imminent.</p> - -<p>Sir Hugh was loath to believe in the infidelity of his troops, and -hesitated about taking steps for self-protection. But there were those -about him who had less of the optimist in their natures than he, and -who were loud in their condemnation of his supineness. They urged him -in every possible manner to take instant steps to place the cantonments -in a state of defence, until he could no longer turn a deaf ear to -their entreaties.</p> - -<p>But though he had been slow to take this step, it must not be assumed -that Sir Hugh Wheeler was unmindful of the awful responsibility that -rested upon his shoulders. His was as brave a heart as ever beat in -human breast, but out of his very bravery arose the danger to those -under his charge.</p> - -<p>He knew the character of the natives well. He knew that they writhed -under a sense of supposed wrong, and that the slightest touch will -cause an open wound to smart. He was, therefore, fearful of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> letting -them see that the English mistrusted them. He acted upon the old -principle that confidence begets confidence. Moreover, he had firm -faith in Nana Sahib. He knew that as a native the Rajah had infinitely -greater power over the native mind than an European could possibly have -had.</p> - -<p>Sir Hugh’s confidence, too, seemed fully justified, for the Nana had -readily complied with the request made to him, and had posted two -hundred of his troops at the Newab-gung. This was a slightly elevated -position, and fully commanded the arsenal and treasury.</p> - -<p>A couple of guns on the spot, served by determined and faithful -soldiers, could have kept a regiment at bay; but the fact of the Nana’s -assassins—for no other term is applicable to them—being placed there -was the very irony of fate. Into their hands had been given a wealthy -treasury, and a well-stocked arsenal. All they had to do when the right -moment came was to walk into these places, and slay the English with -their own weapons.</p> - -<p>Listening at last—though reluctantly—to the entreaties of his people -General Wheeler looked about for the best means of securing his -position; and it occurred to him, in the emergency, that the only way -of defending the precious lives of the Christians was by throwing up -some defensive works, within which he might gather his people, so that -with their guns they could keep the enemy at bay.</p> - -<p>He selected a spot for this purpose about six miles down the river to -the south-east, not far from the Sepoys’ huts, and about a mile from -the banks of the river. He was guided in this choice, to a great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> -extent, by the fact that on the spot were two long hospital barracks -that would make good quarters for the people. One of the buildings was -a substantial structure built wholly of masonry; but the other had a -heavy thatched roof.</p> - -<p>Here, again, the cruel hand of Fate seemed to be, for a time, against -the English, for to the circumstance of the thatched roof some of -the most awful suffering endured by the besieged was due, as will be -hereafter shown. Both buildings were single-storied, and verandahs ran -all round them; they stood in an open and perfectly flat compound. -In the centre of the compound was a well, the only place from which -supplies of water could be drawn; and as will be disclosed in the -subsequent unfoldings of the story, this well was the scene of almost -unparalleled heroic deeds.</p> - -<p>Having selected his place, Sir Hugh began to entrench it, and supply it -with a stock of provisions capable of feeding his people for several -weeks.</p> - -<p>The so-called fortifications were paltry in the extreme, for the means -were not at hand to render them worthy the name. The earth-works were -only four feet high, and were not even proof against bullets at the -crest. The apertures for the artillery exposed both guns and gunners; -whilst, on all sides, adjacent buildings offered splendid cover for the -enemy. The excessive heat and dryness of the weather had rendered the -ground so hard that it could only be turned with the greatest amount -of difficulty, and by patient labour; and when it was dug it was so -friable that the cohesion necessary for solidity could not be attained.</p> - -<p>The month of May wore on; the expected mutiny<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> did not occur. June -came in, and Sir Hugh then felt confident that all danger had passed; -and Lucknow being threatened, the General sent to the relief of the -neighbouring station a portion of his own little company of soldiers.</p> - -<p>As these white troops crossed the bridge of boats, and set their faces -towards Lucknow, the natives fairly shook with suppressed laughter as -they thought what fools the English were. And at this very time, Jewan -Bukht and other agents of the Nana were visiting the bazaars and the -native lines, and fanning the smouldering fire to flame.</p> - -<p>Towards the latter end of May, there entered Cawnpore by the pontoon -bridge, two strangers. It was the close of a more than usually sultry -day, and the travellers, who were on foot, were dust-stained and worn.</p> - -<p>These travellers were Lieutenant Harper and Haidee. They had come from -Delhi—a long weary march; and along their line of route they had -experienced the greatest difficulty in procuring necessary food and -rest.</p> - -<p>Nerved by the one all-powerful motive, Haidee had kept up, and -exhibited extraordinary powers of endurance. When her companion sank -exhausted from heat and thirst, this brave and beautiful woman watched -over him, encouraged him, and gave him hope. Her gentle hand wiped his -brow, her soft bosom pillowed his head. Her love for him grew stronger -each day. To lie at his feet, to pillow his head, to watch him when -he slept, was joy inexpressible to her. And yet during this journey -she never by a single word betrayed aught of the strong passion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> which -filled her heart; but every action, every deed proclaimed it.</p> - -<p>On his part he tried to think of her only as one who had befriended -him, and to whom it was his duty to offer such protection as lay in -his power. But on the road from Delhi he proved the weaker vessel of -the two, for the awful heat, aided by the want of proper rest and -sustenance, sorely tired him. She, on the other hand, inured from -birth to the heat, and strengthened by her great love for him, kept up -when he faltered, and exhibited, comparatively speaking, but little -weariness.</p> - -<p>Hers was the devotion of a true woman; it was self-sacrificing, -all-absorbing, undying. Truly she had made him her star that gave -her only light. She had no selfish thought, except such selfishness -as is begotten by true love—for all love is selfish; it is its very -nature to be so. And yet this faithfulness made the man sad. He felt -that he could not return her love, however much he might admire -her. However much he might feel grateful, however great his worship -for her nobleness of nature might be, he must shut his eyes to her -charms, close his senses to her silent outpourings of love, for he was -another’s, and to that one he must be true, or feel that for evermore -the honour which was so very dear to him was sullied, and time could -never wipe out the stain again.</p> - -<p>Often as he dragged his weary steps along, with the loving Haidee by -his side, he mentally asked himself if he was not pursuing a phantom -that was luring him to unknown danger. Had he done right in setting his -face towards Cawnpore, and could he justify the course he had taken by -any amount of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> logical reasoning? He was striving to do his duty. If he -failed, it would be through error of judgment, and not through want of -heart.</p> - -<p>As the two travellers stood upon the Cawnpore bank of the river Ganges, -Harper gave vent to a sigh of relief. But Haidee seemed to be pressed -with a weight of sorrow.</p> - -<p>“You do not seem well, Haidee,” Harper remarked casually, as he -observed the depressed look of his companion. “Your eyes are dull, and -your cheek is pale. What is the cause?”</p> - -<p>She looked at him almost reproachfully, and her only answer was a -long-drawn sigh.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter with you?” he asked again, with a good deal of -indifference in his tone; for, to confess the truth, his thoughts were -far away. He was racked with doubts and fears, and half-regretted that -he had yielded consent to come to Cawnpore, instead of returning to his -quarters at Meerut.</p> - -<p>Her eyes glowed, and her face and neck crimsoned, as she struggled to -conceal the emotion which almost choked her, and which his words had -caused. Her sensitive nature was wounded by his indifference, and she -shrank away, as it were, like a startled fawn.</p> - -<p>“Why do you sting me?” she exclaimed, when she could speak.</p> - -<p>“Sting you, Haidee! What do you mean?” as he turned upon her quickly, -and coming back again to a sense of his true position.</p> - -<p>“Why do you ask me what is the matter, in a tone that betrays too -plainly that you take no interest in the question?”</p> - -<p>“Nay, Haidee, there you wrong me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Sooner would I wrong myself than you; but your words remain with -Haidee while your heart is far away.”</p> - -<p>“My heart is divided, Haidee, and I give you all of it that I dare. You -are my friend. Every sacrifice I can make I will make for you, if it is -necessary. I will protect you with my life. I cannot do more.”</p> - -<p>“Ah!” she sighed; “and yet you can ask me what it is that makes me -sad? There is sorrow at my heart; sorrow at the thought our journey is -ended, and you and I must probably part never to meet again. That is -what is the matter with me.”</p> - -<p>“Forgive me, Haidee, if I have hurt you by my seeming thoughtlessness. -I assure you I had no intention of doing so. And though our journey -is for the present ended, do not say we shall part for ever. You have -grown precious to me as a noble, generous, devoted woman; and I vow, by -all that I hold sacred, that I will endeavour never to lose sight of -you as long as I live.”</p> - -<p>She trembled with a nameless, pleasurable emotion; her nerves vibrated -like unto the strings of a harp that are swept with a strong wind; for -this man’s words were music to her. “I will endeavour not to lose sight -of you as long as I live.” Had he not spoken them? And they sank to the -deeper depths of her nature. They were like an elixir of life, given to -one whose strength was ebbing away. She yearned for sympathy, and this -man gave it to her. Her soul cried out for kindredship, and it found -it in him. What wonder then that she should be taken captive?—that -beat for beat her heart should answer his? It is given to human beings -to feel the burning rapture of love, but not to solve its mystery; for -it is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> mystery as strange as the Sphinx of old; as unsolvable as the -cosmical problems which have puzzled philosophers of all ages.</p> - -<p>She loved him. Every look, every action, every tone betrayed that she -loved him with a true woman’s pure love. If it had sprung up suddenly, -it was none the less genuine or strong. She would have been content -to follow him, even if he, like the fabled “Wandering Jew,” had been -doomed to go on and on, restlessly and for evermore. Still would she -have followed, living in his shadow, drawing her very life from his -look and voice, sorrowing when he sorrowed, laughing when he laughed. -Nay, more; she would have taken upon herself all the pains, however -fearful, he might have had to endure. She would have rendered that last -and greatest sacrifice that one human being can make for another—she -would have laid down her life to save his.</p> - -<p>It was a grand love, this love of hers—not the sickly sentiment of a -wayward girl, but the strong, powerful, absorbing passion of a woman; a -love as heroic as any that Homer ever sang of, or that moved the Roman -women of old to follow the youths to the battle-fields, and die when -they died.</p> - -<p>Harper was a stranger in Cawnpore, but he knew that the numerical -strength of the garrison was ridiculously low, and, knowing this, -his heart sank as he observed unmistakable signs of coming mischief. -During the journey he had been astonished at the large number of -mounted natives he had met speeding along to and from Delhi, and he -had no doubt that these men were spies and agents, passing backwards -and forwards with news; so that he was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> surprised when he found -that information of his coming had preceded him to Cawnpore; and as -he passed through the streets he was frequently met with the ironical -question, put by some insolent native, “Holloa! how fares it with the -English in Delhi?”</p> - -<p>His companion, too, was also subjected to considerable attention. -Her appearance belied the idea that she belonged to the lower order, -although she was dressed in the commonest of native dresses; but there -was an air of refinement and bearing about her totally out of keeping -with her costume. This did not escape the keen scrutiny of hundreds of -eyes, and many were the ominous whispers that fell upon the ears of -Harper, and he frequently detected the words—“She is from the Palace. -She is one of the King’s slaves.”</p> - -<p>He lost no time in proceeding to the English quarters; he found them -deserted; and he soon ascertained that the Europeans were congregated -with General Wheeler behind the earth-works. This place was some -distance from where he then was, and both he and Haidee were greatly -exhausted. But food and shelter were not to be had, so he set his face -boldly towards the fortifications.</p> - -<p>It was quite dark now; even the stars were obscured. The travellers -held on their way; no words passed between them, for each was occupied -with his and her thoughts. They drew near to their destination; they -could see the lights in the barrack windows, but they had yet about -a quarter of a mile to go. The road was through some clustering -trees, and past a number of straggling native huts; these places all -seemed deserted—at least, none of the natives showed themselves. In -a little while Harper <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>stopped suddenly, and drawing Haidee to him, -whispered—“I believe that we are being followed. I am certain that I -have discerned figures moving quickly about, as if dodging us. Do not -be alarmed,” as he passed his arm round her and drew his pistol. “We -have not far to go, and if we can reach the barracks we shall be safe. -See,” he exclaimed, in a low tone, and pointing to a small mound upon -which grew two or three palms, “I am convinced that there are some men -there moving about suspiciously. Do you not see them?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes,” she murmured, clinging to him—not from fear for herself, -but rather as a mother would cling to her child when she knows that -danger threatened it. “Let us proceed cautiously.”</p> - -<p>They went on for a few yards, until they were nearly abreast of the -mound; then Harper stopped again, and he placed himself before Haidee, -for a sound had come to him that was terribly ominous. He had heard the -sharp “click, click,” of a rifle. His soldier’s ear detected it in a -moment.</p> - -<p>“Crouch down, Haidee. Crouch down. They are going to fire,” he said, -quickly.</p> - -<p>But the words had scarcely left his lips when there rang out on the -still night air a startling report, and a tongue of fire darted from -the clump of trees. Then instantly another report, and another tongue. -It was certain that two rifles had been fired, and one of the bullets -had found its billet. Harper tossed up his arms, and, with a gurgling -gasp, sank to the ground. With a shrill scream Haidee threw herself -beside him. She passed her arm round his neck; she bent over and kissed -him frantically.</p> - -<p>“Oh, my beloved!” she moaned, “speak to me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> Do not die! Do not leave -Haidee alone in the world! Oh, ye Houris of goodness!” she prayed, as -she turned her eyes up to heaven, “ye who observe human sorrow from the -gates of Paradise, pity me, and spare this mortal.”</p> - -<p>Perhaps her prayer was heard—perhaps some pitying angel did carry it -up, and lay it before the throne of mercy.</p> - -<p>The wounded man heard it, and he managed to clutch her hand, and press -it to the left side of his breast. The blood was gushing out—his warm -blood—and it flowed over her hand and arm. In an instant she had bared -his breast; and, tearing off her muslin skirt, she stanched the wound. -He could not speak, but a faint pressure of the hand gave her hope.</p> - -<p>“My beloved, live—live!” she murmured. “Oh, for some assistance! But -you must not lie here; it were death to do so. Oh, that I had a man’s -strength but for a brief half-hour.”</p> - -<p>She had passed her arm still further under his neck, and, getting -a firm hold with her other hand round the lower part of his body, -she raised him up. She staggered beneath the load for a moment, but -planting her feet firmly, and drawing a deep breath, she started -forward, bearing the almost lifeless body of the man for whom she had -risked so much. Her burden called for the utmost physical strength to -support; but what will love not do? She struggled along, resting now -and again, but never putting down her precious load, never for a moment -shifting his position, and trying to avoid the slightest jerk, for she -was fearful of the wound bursting out afresh, and she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> knew that to let -that precious life-current flow was to let the life, so dear to her, -drift away.</p> - -<p>Harper was quite unconscious now. His arms hung down powerless. It -almost seemed to her that he was already dead; and she grew cold with -fear as she thought every moment she would find the beloved form -stiffening in her arms.</p> - -<p>Word-painting would fail to adequately depict the woman’s feelings as -she staggered along in the darkness. The welcome lights were before -her eyes—would she reach them? Even if the life was not already gone -out of the body she bore so tenderly in her arms, a few minutes’ -delay might prove fatal. Never did shipwrecked mariner, floating on -a solitary plank in the midst of a wild ocean, turn his eyes more -eagerly, imploringly, prayerfully, to the distant sail, as she turned -hers towards those lights. Her heart throbbed wildly, her brain -burned, her muscles quivered with the great exertion; but she would -not be conquered. Love was her motive-power; it kept her up, it lent -her strength, it braced her nerves. And she would have defended the -helpless being in her arms, even as a tigress would defend its wounded -young.</p> - -<p>On—step after step—yard after yard—nearer and nearer the goal.</p> - -<p>“Who goes there? Stand and answer.”</p> - -<p>It was the challenge of an outlying English sentry.</p> - -<p>She uttered a cry of joy, for the man was within a few paces of her.</p> - -<p>Never did words sound more welcome in human ear than did that challenge -to the devoted Haidee.</p> - -<p>“A friend,” she answered quickly, in English.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> “Help me!—quick—I bear -a wounded officer in my arms.”</p> - -<p>The man gave vent to an expression of profound surprise as he hurried -forward to meet her. In a moment he had raised the alarm. The signal -flew from post to post. A few minutes only passed, but it seemed an -age. Then she saw a body of men advancing with lanterns. Gently and -tenderly they took the insensible form of Harper from Haidee. She -walked beside him, or rather staggered, for nature was thoroughly -exhausted, and only strength of will kept her up.</p> - -<p>The guard was passed, and the barrack was reached. Harper was laid upon -a mattress on the floor, and two doctors were speedily bending over -him; and while one administered a powerful stimulant, the other made a -critical examination of the wound.</p> - -<p>Haidee’s eyes wandered from the one face to the other. She noted every -expression, she tried to read the thoughts of the doctors, but she did -not worry them with useless questioning. But when the examination was -completed and lint had been applied to the wound, she grasped the arm -of the nearest medical man, and whispered—</p> - -<p>“Tell me truly—will he live?”</p> - -<p>“It is possible,” the doctor answered tenderly.</p> - -<p>Hope shone again, and, with the words still ringing in her ears, she -sank down beside the wounded man, and in an instant was steeped in a -death-like sleep.</p> - -<p>Then loving hands—women’s hands—raised her tenderly and bore her to a -couch, and the doctors proceeded to make a more minute examination of -their patient’s condition.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIX.</span> <span class="smaller">FROM CAPTIVITY TO CAPTIVITY.</span></h2> - -<p>In one of the outbuildings attached to the Rajah of Bhitoor’s dwelling, -four natives are seated. It is night. From a smoke-blackened beam, a -long, rusty chain swings. Attached to this is one of the primitive -cocoa-nut lamps, the sickly light from which scarcely does more than -make the darkness visible. At one end of the apartment is a charcoal -fire, on which a brass lotah, filled with boiling rice, hisses. The men -are sitting, Indian fashion, upon their haunches; they smoke in turns a -hubble-bubble, which they pass from one to another.</p> - -<p>It is a weirdly picturesque scene. The blackened mud walls of the -building have a funereal aspect, heightened by the swinging lamp as at -the door of a tomb.</p> - -<p>But the four dusky figures seated round the fire, and reddened by the -glow from the charcoal, slightly relieve the sombreness. They would -not inaptly represent spirits of evil, holding counsel at the entrance -to Tartarus. Their eyes are bleared by the opium they smoke, and, as -they converse, the shifting expression of their faces betrays that -there is joy at their hearts. But it is not a good joy. It is rather a -gloating as they think of the sorrow and suffering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> of those whom they -are pleased to consider their enemies. They are—or so they like to -believe—self-constituted avengers of their country’s wrongs, and they -would, if it were in their power, write “Death” across the “Book of -Life” of every one indiscriminately, whose misfortune it was to have a -white skin.</p> - -<p>To destroy the power of the Great White Hand—in other words, to -exterminate the British—is the souls’ desire of these men, as it is -possibly of every, or nearly every, native in India on this eventful -night.</p> - -<p>As it is given to man to love, so it is given to man to hate, and -the hate of the human heart is beyond human understanding; it has no -parallel in anything that draws the breath of life. The savage animals -of the forest may rend and tear, but in their nature there can be none -of the deadly poison of resentment and hatred which a man can cherish.</p> - -<p>But in the hearts of these four men there is that which predominates -even over the hatred. There is lust, there is the greed of gain, and -the cringing, fawning servility which ignoble natures ever display -towards those higher in the social scale than themselves, and upon whom -the goddess of wealth has showered her favours lavishly. Two of the -men we have seen before—they are Moghul Singh and Jewan Bukht. The -other two are retainers of the King of Delhi. An hour ago, when Jewan -had come down from Miss Meredith’s chamber up in the tower, he was -surprised, not to say annoyed, to find Moghul Singh waiting for him.</p> - -<p>When the first greetings were passed, Jewan invited his visitor to this -place, although he did not know the errand upon which he had come. But -there was that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> in Singh’s manner and laugh which told Jewan that Flora -Meredith was in some way, if not the sole cause of Moghul’s visit to -Cawnpore. And this idea was very soon to be confirmed; for as the men -gathered round the fire, and the hubble-bubble had been filled and -passed, Jewan ventured to inquire the nature of his visitor’s business.</p> - -<p>Singh laughed, or rather grinned, and his eyes sparkled maliciously as -the question was put.</p> - -<p>“To take back the Feringhee woman of yours, Jewan,” was the answer, an -unpleasant one enough to Jewan; for, apart from the risks he had run on -her account, he bore some sort of feeling for her; certainly not love, -because that is a holy passion, and so, for the want of a better word, -it must be called an infatuation. Well, bearing this feeling, being -dazed by her beauty, and above all, having a strong desire to subdue -her will, he could not reconcile himself to the thought of parting with -her, nor was he altogether prepared to do so.</p> - -<p>“If that is the only object that has brought you here, methinks you -will go back again empty handed,” he replied.</p> - -<p>Moghul grinned again—grinned with the self-assurance of a man who -knows that he holds the winning trump card, that he can play at any -moment to the discomfiture of his opponent.</p> - -<p>“I think not so, Jewan, my faithful one. Come, fill the pipe again; it -need not be put out, even if you do not like my errand. Ah, ah, ah! -By my faith, one would think by the look on your face that you had -been called upon to disgorge a lac of rupees, instead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> of to give up -possession of a woman that can only cause you a world of trouble.”</p> - -<p>“I am not so sure of that. At any rate, having caged the bird, I mean -to keep her. She shall pipe for me alone.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh!—ah, ah! Pass the pipe; this smoke is comforting. You mean to -keep her, eh? By the Prophet’s beard, Master Jewan, they are big words. -Blow the charcoal, Hadjee,” turning to one of his companions, “that -rice does not boil fast enough, and it is not good to laugh much on -an empty stomach. You mean to keep her? Ah, ah! That is a good joke. -Methinks you will need a strong cage then, and a good keeper.”</p> - -<p>“I have both.”</p> - -<p>“Have you so? But you forget, my friend, that bars may be broken and -keepers bribed.”</p> - -<p>“Neither of which you will dare to do.”</p> - -<p>“And why, my faithful Jewan?”</p> - -<p>“For two reasons.”</p> - -<p>“And they are—”</p> - -<p>“That I would denounce you sooner than you should have her, and kill -you if you attempted to take her.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh! Jewan Bukht, the good days that are coming for us are making -you bold indeed. Have a care, my youth. I have performed some deeds of -daring in my time, and brook not insolence from one who has passed his -days in scribbling for the English dogs.”</p> - -<p>“You will find that I can wield something more formidable than a pen -if you taunt me,” returned Jewan, the passion glow rising in his dusky -face.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> - -<p>“May be so,” answered Moghul sarcastically; “but in spite of your -threats I tell you I shall take this woman back.”</p> - -<p>“You speak authoritatively. By what right will you take her back?”</p> - -<p>“By the King’s command. Ah, ah, ah!—oh, oh! There I have you, Jewan.”</p> - -<p>Jewan’s brows contracted, for he felt that he was beaten, and dare not -disobey that command.</p> - -<p>“Come, come,” continued the other; “don’t look as if a jungle cat had -bitten you. After all, you are not called upon to give up much, and you -cannot afford to quarrel with the King. He heard of this woman almost -directly after you left, and he despatched me instantly to bring her -back. So give me the key of your cage, and let me get the work done, -for I don’t like these jobs. Besides, I am anxious to get back to -Delhi, for there are rare times there now, and rupees are plentiful.”</p> - -<p>“Well, as there is no help for it,” said Jewan, “I suppose I must. But -I should like to have broken this woman’s spirit, for she has defied -me.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw! there is higher game to fly at than that. Besides, there are -good times dawning for Cawnpore, and you will come in for a share of -the spoil. But let us have our supper, for I am hungered.”</p> - -<p>Hadjee had already turned the rice on to a large brass dish, and added -to it the indispensable mess of curry, and having procured some water -from a neighbouring well, the four men seated themselves round the -rice, and commenced to eat.</p> - -<p>When the meal was ended, Moghul rose.</p> - -<p>At the same moment, a tall, powerful, and savage-looking <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span>man entered; -his name was Haffe Beg, and he was employed by Jewan Bukht, on behalf -of Nana Sahib, as a spy.</p> - -<p>Jewan rose as the man entered.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Haffe! what news? You have been absent for some days.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered the man gruffly; “I have had business.”</p> - -<p>“Important, I suppose, since it has detained you?” said Jewan.</p> - -<p>“Yes; word was brought to me a few days ago that a woman and an -Englishman were travelling from Delhi towards Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!” cried Moghul Singh; “who were they?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; but evidently fugitives, and of importance. The woman -came from the Palace; she was a Cashmere woman, I believe. The man was -an English officer.”</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh’s brow contracted, and he bit his lip. “My prisoner -Harper, by the beard of Allah!” he exclaimed, wrathfully, “and the -woman Haidee, or may my eyes never see daylight again. I have long -suspected her of treachery. But they do not live <i>now</i>!” he added, -significantly.</p> - -<p>The man grinned as he replied—</p> - -<p>“I am not certain.”</p> - -<p>“Not certain!” repeated Bukht, angrily. “By the Prophet! rupee of thy -master’s shall never again find its way to thy pouch if you failed.”</p> - -<p>“You do not mean to say they escaped?” added Moghul menacingly.</p> - -<p>“Keep your threats for your slaves,” answered Beg, with a defiant -air. “As soon as I heard that these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> people were on the road, I set -out to meet them; but they evidently did not follow the main road. -I learned that they had entered the city. I returned. They made for -the English quarters, and from there to the defences at the barracks. -No opportunity presented itself until they were near the English -guard; for the night was dark. But, as soon as I could, I sent two -bullets after them, with as true an aim as was possible under the -circumstances.”</p> - -<p>“And you hit your mark, of course?” chimed in Moghul and Bukht together.</p> - -<p>“One, at least, fell,” answered Beg; “but afraid that the report of the -gun had alarmed the sentries, I retired. Later on I sought the spot; -the bodies were not there, but there was a pool of blood. Whether the -English, guided by the report, had come out and carried the bodies -away, or whether only one of the two fell and the survivor carried the -other off, I don’t know; but I believe one of my bullets for certain -found the woman’s heart.”</p> - -<p>“If that is so, I can forgive you for your bungling,” Moghul remarked -between his set teeth. “I would not let her escape for a lac of rupees.”</p> - -<p>“I think you may console yourself, then,” said Beg. “I was guided by -her white dress, and I feel sure she fell.”</p> - -<p>“So far that is satisfactory, but take further steps to learn,” replied -Moghul. Then, turning to Bukht, he said—</p> - -<p>“I cannot waste more time—I must go.”</p> - -<p>“How do you travel?” asked Bukht, moving towards the door.</p> - -<p>“By gharry. It stands there in the compound, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> I have a pair of -splendid horses, provided for the return journey by the Nana’s head -syce (groom).”</p> - -<p>Bukht led the way, followed by Moghul and the other men. The building -in which they had been sitting was about a hundred yards from the -tower. As Jewan reached the foot of the tower he stumbled over -something. It was a woman. He stooped down and looked in her face, then -uttered a cry of surprise. The face was Wanna Ranu’s. But the woman was -stone dead, and there was scarcely a whole bone in her emaciated body.</p> - -<p>“This smacks of treason!” Jewan exclaimed, as he hurried to the door of -the tower.</p> - -<p>He had soon gained the top storey. He had a key of the door of the room -in which he had imprisoned Flora. As he entered he gave vent to an -imprecation, for she whom he sought was not there. He hurried to the -balcony. The broken railings told the tale.</p> - -<p>“There has been foul play!” he said, as he turned hurriedly to Moghul, -who stood with a look of consternation on his face; for he could not -hope to make the King believe that the girl had escaped, and, if he -returned without her, he knew he would fall into disgrace.</p> - -<p>At this moment there came up a cry from Zeemit Mehal—purposely -uttered, for she had heard Jewan’s voice.</p> - -<p>“That cry comes from Mehal,” he said, “or I am much mistaken. We shall -soon know how the girl has escaped.”</p> - -<p>He hurried down, followed by the others.</p> - -<p>“What is the meaning of this?” he asked, as he bent over the wounded -Zeemit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Alas! it means that I have well-nigh lost my life in your cause. But -Wanna, where is she?” she suddenly exclaimed, for she was anxious to -know whether her foe lived, and had told Jewan anything.</p> - -<p>“The hag is dead,” he answered; “she lies almost pounded to a jelly at -the foot of the tower.”</p> - -<p>“That is good,” Zeemit cried, with unfeigned joy. “She deserved it—she -deserved it. Tempted by a heavy bribe offered by the girl, she was -going to set her free; but I interfered to prevent it. We struggled, -and both fell over.”</p> - -<p>“But the girl—where is she?”</p> - -<p>“Alas, she must have escaped! but I have no recollection of anything -after I fell.”</p> - -<p>Jewan bit his lip. He felt that he was foiled, and it galled him almost -beyond endurance.</p> - -<p>“How long is it since you saw her?” asked Moghul of Jewan.</p> - -<p>“Scarcely two hours.”</p> - -<p>“Then she cannot be far off; and we will find her if she has not got to -the English quarters.”</p> - -<p>“Thou art a faithful servant,” said Jewan to Zeemit; “and shall have -attention and ample reward. But you must wait until I return, for we -shall have to recapture this woman.”</p> - -<p>As they went away Mehal smiled with satisfaction, in spite of the pain -she was enduring; for she scarcely doubted that Flora had by this time -discovered Walter Gordon, and the two were safe within the British -lines. But fate had willed it otherwise. The men scarcely reached the -compound, when the first thing that met their gaze was the bewildered -Flora,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> flying unconsciously from the devoted lover who had perilled -his life to save her.</p> - -<p>A stranger to the place, and almost blinded with terror, she was -rushing frantically about to endeavour to find a way out of the grounds -into the city. But her chance had passed. With a diabolical cry of -glee, Jewan rushed forward, followed by Singh.</p> - -<p>Miss Meredith knew that she was pursued, though she was too confused to -tell by whom. She darted away in the direction of some buildings that -seemed to offer her a chance of hiding; but she was deceived. On she -sped again, followed closely by the cowardly ruffians. She knew not -where she was going to, she scarcely cared, so long as she could escape -them. She would have thrown herself into a well, or dashed her brains -out against a wall, if either had been at hand.</p> - -<p>The grounds were extensive, and, to an uninitiated person, little -better than a maze. The farther she went, the more hopelessly confused -she became. Now darting here, now there, until with a wail of pain she -fell upon the grass in a swoon. Nature was merciful, and came to her -relief.</p> - -<p>It might have seemed better had she fallen dead. But, in the mysterious -workings of Providence, it was not so ordained. Her destiny was not -fulfilled—her book of life not yet completed, so that the Angel of -Death could write “Finis” on the last page. She must live to the end, -whatever of sorrow, whatever of agony was in reserve for her.</p> - -<p>“We’ve run the cat down,” said Moghul, as, breathless, he stooped over -the prostrate girl, and lifted her in his strong arms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jewan laughed—laughed joyously, ferociously; he would gladly yield her -up to the King twenty times over, rather than she should escape. In a -few minutes they had placed her in the gharry, which was driven through -a private entrance, and was soon on the other side of the Ganges, and -speeding along the road to Delhi.</p> - -<p>Within a hundred yards of where the unfortunate Flora had fallen, -Walter Gordon slept soundly, and when the sound of the wheels of the -departing vehicle had died out, the silence of the night remained -unbroken.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XX.</span> <span class="smaller">AS A BIRD IS ENSNARED.</span></h2> - -<p>As the sounds of the wheels died away, Jewan Bukht half-regretted -that he had given his consent for Flora to go with Moghul Singh. He -blamed himself now for being so indiscreet as to take her to Delhi in -the first instance; but there was no help for it. He had lost her, -he believed, beyond all hope of recovery; and if he wished to retain -his position, he was bound to acknowledge the supremacy of the King. -He knew that. And so, consoling himself as best he could, he turned -towards the tower, with the intention of rendering some aid to Zeemit -Mehal.</p> - -<p>He found that the old woman had managed to drag herself into the room. -She was terribly shaken, and weakened from loss of blood, but it was -evident that she yet had a good deal of vitality left in her frame.</p> - -<p>“How fares it now?” he asked, as he entered.</p> - -<p>“Better,” she answered. “Strength is returning to me. But what of the -Englishwoman?” she added eagerly.</p> - -<p>Jewan laughed.</p> - -<p>“She is safe. The bird thought to escape me, but her wings were not -strong enough. We brought her down again; and I warrant she will be -caged securely enough now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mehal groaned with sorrow.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter?” asked Bukht, quickly taking the exclamation as an -expression of sympathy.</p> - -<p>“My wound pains me,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“Or have you sympathy with the Feringhee woman?” asked Bukht, eyeing -the other suspiciously.</p> - -<p>“Sympathy forsooth!—no. Have I not risked my life in your service? Why -then suspect me of sympathy? But after what I have suffered, I regret -that you have lost possession of her.”</p> - -<p>“You do not regret it more than I; but it was the King’s command, and I -could not disobey.”</p> - -<p>“But how did the King know that she was here?”</p> - -<p>“Some meddling fool, I suppose, in Delhi, informed him.”</p> - -<p>“That is bad. You cannot hope to regain her?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Without she was to escape.”</p> - -<p>“Escape! What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“You are dull. Supposing she were to escape, and you to re-capture her.”</p> - -<p>“But how should she escape.”</p> - -<p>“If bars and bolts were withdrawn, and doors and gates thrown open, why -could she not walk out?”</p> - -<p>“I do not understand you.”</p> - -<p>“Supposing somebody was near her, who would offer her liberty.”</p> - -<p>“But who dare do this in defiance of the King?”</p> - -<p>“I.”</p> - -<p>“You!”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“So, so,” Jewan muttered musingly. “I think I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> gather your meaning now. -And yet I am not quite clear what you would propose to do, after she -had escaped.”</p> - -<p>“The plan is simple. I go to Delhi. I seek out this woman. I pretend to -be touched with some feeling of pity. I offer to aid her in escaping. -She accepts that offer. She walks out of one trap into another. Once -free from Delhi, she can be re-captured by you, and secretly conveyed -away, so that the King shall no more find her.”</p> - -<p>“I like your plan,” Jewan added, after a pause; “but there is danger in -it.”</p> - -<p>“Danger! How so?”</p> - -<p>“If the King were to get to know that I had had a hand in this, it -would be my ruin.”</p> - -<p>“But how would he get to know? I should not tell him, and the Feringhee -woman could not.”</p> - -<p>“True. If I can depend upon you, the plan might work.”</p> - -<p>“If you can! Why can you not? Have I not proved myself faithful?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Then why these suspicions? They are unjust.”</p> - -<p>“Because there is so much danger in the plan that extreme caution is -needed.”</p> - -<p>“I do not blame you for being cautious; but since you have been to so -much trouble, and risked so much to gain this prize, it is worth some -effort to try and retain her.”</p> - -<p>“That is so,” said Jewan, for he saw that the plan was quite possible, -and the chances of once more getting Flora into his power was too -strong a temptation to be resisted. “I think you reason well,” he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> -continued; “and if you are cautious, we may succeed. At any rate, let -us make the attempt. If you are true to me, I will pay you five hundred -rupees the moment this woman is once more mine; but if you play me -false, your life shall be forfeited.”</p> - -<p>“You need not threaten. I have served you well; I will serve you -better. Get me assistance, so that my hurt may be attended to; and, -when I have regained a little strength, I start for Delhi. Time shall -prove how well I will serve you.”</p> - -<p>This was said significantly, but Jewan failed to catch its meaning.</p> - -<p>The old woman felt that she was leading him into a pitfall, and she -could scarcely restrain the pleasure she experienced. Her love for -Flora was unmistakable, and it was a fact strangely at variance with -the demoniacal-like hatred exhibited by the majority of the natives, -that, during the mutiny, the truest friends to the whites were the -ayahs or nurses. It is certain that many of these women—and there was -one in every house in India, where there were children or ladies—paid -for their fidelity with their lives.</p> - -<p>“You know the reward and the penalty which attaches to your errand,” -Jewan remarked. “Death or riches. I depend upon you, and you shall -go. To-morrow we will confer further on the subject. For the present, -good-night.”</p> - -<p>When he had gone, Mehal gave utterance to a sigh of relief. She had -made up her mind either to save Flora, or die in the attempt. She -had no doubt that if she could but get near Miss Meredith—and this -she knew would not be difficult—some plan of escape might be easily -arranged, and the young Englishwoman could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> be restored to the arms of -Walter Gordon. As Mehal thought of him, she felt inclined to seek him -at once, and make known her plans. But she must wait until somebody had -attended to her. She had not to wait long.</p> - -<p>Jewan’s first act was to have the mangled corpse of Wanna Ranu -conveyed away, and it was soon floating towards the sea on the bosom -of the Ganges. Then he sought out a native doctor, and despatched -him to render aid to the wounded Mehal. Her wound was dressed, and a -restorative administered; and in a little while she sank into a deep -sleep.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, Walter Gordon, refreshed and strengthened by his long -rest, had awoke, and ventured to look out from his hiding-place. He -knew that many hours had passed since he had entered, and he began to -grow exceedingly anxious about the success of Mehal’s plans. She had -promised, if possible, to bring Flora to him.</p> - -<p>The reader is already aware how that plan had failed; but little did -Walter dream that the woman for whom he would willingly have died to -serve had been near him, and fled away in alarm, as she observed his -disguise.</p> - -<p>It will be remembered that on leaving Meerut he had adopted the garb of -a religious mendicant, and so complete was this disguise that no wonder -Miss Meredith had been deceived. And it had not occurred to Mehal to -tell Flora that her lover would be found dressed as a native. Thus by -an omission, apparently trifling in itself, the troubles of the lovers -had been complicated, and the two were separated probably never to meet -again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> - -<p>As morning commenced to break, Zeemit Mehal awoke, considerably -strengthened by the medicine she had taken, and the sleep she had -secured. Her first thoughts were of Walter. She must endeavour to see -him and to arrange some plans for their future guidance.</p> - -<p>With difficulty she arose, for she was very ill, and the loss of blood -had been great. Having assured herself that all was quiet, and that -there was no one stirring, she commenced to descend, and soon gained -the compound. This she quickly crossed, and stood in the shed where -Walter waited, burning with anxiety and suspense almost unbearable. -In the uncertain light, he did not recognise for some moments who his -visitor was; but as soon as he discovered it was Mehal, he sprang -towards her, and in a voice, rendered tremulous by his excessive -anxiety, cried—</p> - -<p>“What of Miss Meredith—where is she?”</p> - -<p>“Hush!” Mehal answered, clutching his arm and leaning upon him, for she -was terribly weak.</p> - -<p>Then for the first time, Walter noticed the bandage round the old -woman’s head, and that something was the matter. His heart sank within -him, for Mehal’s appearance in such a plight augured a disaster—so he -thought—that might annihilate his hopes.</p> - -<p>“What is the meaning of this?” he asked eagerly, as he led the woman to -the heap of straw.</p> - -<p>“Our plans have miscarried,” she said, as she seated herself with -difficulty, and the pain from her wound caused her to utter an -involuntary groan.</p> - -<p>The strong man staggered as the words were uttered, for it sounded like -the death-knell of Flora. In an instant he remembered the promise he -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> made to Mrs. Harper the night before he had left Meerut. “I will -either save Flora, or perish in the attempt.” That promise should be -fulfilled one way or the other. He mentally pledged himself again to -that.</p> - -<p>When he had recovered from the first effects of the startling news, he -said—</p> - -<p>“But how is it the plans have miscarried? and where is Miss Meredith?”</p> - -<p>“I liberated her. She must have been near you.”</p> - -<p>Gordon uttered a cry of agony, and pressed his hand to his head, as -there flashed through his brain the remembrance of the cry which had -startled him in his sleep, and which he believed to be a delusion, -but he now knew was a reality. He moaned, fairly moaned, with the -unutterable sense of sickness which was at his heart, as he realised -that, by some accident, Flora had been near, without discovering him.</p> - -<p>“Tell me all,” he said, when he was able to speak.</p> - -<p>Mehal related the circumstances of her struggle with Wanna, of Flora’s -descent to the balcony, of her starting off for the shed, and the other -particulars which have already been chronicled.</p> - -<p>“Answer me one question,” Walter gasped, for his breath came so thick -and fast that he could scarcely speak. “Did you tell Miss Meredith of -my disguise?”</p> - -<p>“No; it did not occur to me to do so.”</p> - -<p>“I see it now clear enough,” he continued. “She has been here. The -voice I heard was hers. She did not recognise me in this disguise, and -fled.”</p> - -<p>“I think there can be no doubt that these are the true facts,” Mehal -remarked. “And it must have been on leaving the shed that she was -recaptured.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p> - -<p>Walter was bowed with grief. He felt that incalculable misery had been -brought upon all by one of the merest chances imaginable.</p> - -<p>Flora might have been saved; but in the very moment of her extremest -peril he had been sleeping; and to that circumstance was due the -fact that she was again lost to him. It was a terrible reflection. -But useless wailings could avail nothing; action—prompt action—was -required.</p> - -<p>“Zeemit,” he cried, “at all hazards I will follow Miss Meredith. To -rescue her is the mission of my life. I must accomplish it or perish!”</p> - -<p>“Were you to follow her, you would most certainly perish. It would be -a useless sacrifice of your life, and you would not be able to render -her the slightest aid. At a time like this, when the power of your -countrymen is set at defiance, and anarchy prevails, stratagem only can -succeed. To that we must resort!”</p> - -<p>“But what do you propose?” he exclaimed, interrupting her in his -eagerness.</p> - -<p>“I propose to follow her myself. I, and I alone, can save her now.”</p> - -<p>“But what shall I do?” he asked, scarcely able to restrain his -impatience.</p> - -<p>“You must remain quiet. I go to Delhi ostensibly on Jewan Bukht’s -behalf. I have told him that I shall endeavour to liberate Miss -Meredith, so that she may again fall into his hands. Your presence -would endanger my plans, and you would run the risk of being detected. -Make your way to the English defences in this town. I will find means -of communicating with you in a few days; and, should I succeed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> in -setting the lady free, we will instantly proceed to Meerut, where you -can rejoin us, or we will come on here.”</p> - -<p>“I am in your hands, Mehal; I will be guided by you. But remember, if I -do not hear from you in about a week I shall endeavour to make my way -to Delhi, whatever the consequences may be. To remain inactive when her -honour and safety are imperilled, would be a living death. Therefore I -will face any danger, so that I can feel that I am doing something in -her behalf.”</p> - -<p>“You can best aid her by doing what I suggest. On reaching Delhi, if I -find it practicable to set her free, I will return here immediately to -let you know; the rest must depend upon circumstances. Jewan will be -able to get me a conveyance back to Delhi, so that I will soon be with -Miss Meredith once again. I cannot remain longer with you, for if Jewan -should miss me all our plans would be frustrated, and he would kill me.”</p> - -<p>Walter saw the necessity of strictly complying with the old woman’s -wishes. He recognised that in her rested every hope of future -happiness. It was a slender reed, but the only one upon which he could -lean.</p> - -<p>Mehal gave him some hurried directions as to the road to take to reach -the English quarters, and then hastened away; and he was left standing -alone, as the rising sun was commencing to throw down his fiery beams.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXI.</span> <span class="smaller">THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER.</span></h2> - -<p>As Walter Gordon and Zeemit Mehal arranged their plans, and then -separated in the hope of speedily meeting again, they little dreamt -of the mine upon which they stood. The woman was as ignorant of the -true state of Cawnpore as Walter himself. She had no idea that all was -ready for the revolt, and that in a few hours all the horrors of the -mutiny would be visited upon the devoted heads of the little handful of -English in the city. But the ways of Providence are mysterious. From a -human point of view, all things might have been ordered differently; -but it was ordained otherwise—ordained for some special purpose that -the cups of sorrow of some of the people in the city was to be filled -to overflowing ere relief came; and to this Walter Gordon was to be -no exception. When Zeemit had disappeared, he left the shed which had -for the time given him shelter and security, and with heavy heart he -set his face towards the British quarters. He had little difficulty -in finding his way on to the high road. And though he was frequently -accosted by the passing natives, he made motions to all that he was -dumb; he was thus enabled to pass on unmolested; but as he went, he -gathered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> scraps of information, which left him no doubt that the -troops were on the eve of rising.</p> - -<p>When he reached the outlying sentries of the British defences, he was -stopped; but he speedily made known his nationality to the man who -challenged him, and was allowed to pass on.</p> - -<p>He lost no time in seeking out Sir Hugh Wheeler, and soon related his -story to the General, who was no less pained than he was astonished.</p> - -<p>“I think the old woman has counselled you well,” Sir Hugh remarked -as Walter finished. “You could not hope to bring this English lady -out of Delhi yourself, and Mehal may succeed. At any rate, it is your -only chance. Last night a wounded officer and a native woman, who have -escaped from the Imperial City, were brought in here. The officer, who -is from Meerut, had been shot within a mile or two of this place.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!” exclaimed Gordon, in astonishment, as the idea occurred to -him that the English officer from Meerut could be no other than his -friend Harper. “Do you know the officer’s name?”</p> - -<p>“Harper, I believe; a lieutenant in the Queen’s —— regiment.”</p> - -<p>“This is strange, indeed. The lieutenant is an old friend of mine, and -with your permission I will see him immediately.”</p> - -<p>“Do so by all means. I had an interview with him this morning, and -though he is very ill, he was enabled to inform me that he had been -sent to Delhi on special service, that he had there been made a -prisoner, but effected his escape through the assistance rendered him -by a Cashmere lady, who is here<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> with him. I am anxious that he should -be forwarded on to his regiment at Meerut without loss of time; but the -doctor says it would be dangerous to move him for some days.”</p> - -<p>In a few minutes Walter Gordon stood by the bedside of his friend -Harper, who had fallen into a troubled sleep. At the head was seated -the faithful Haidee, and she was applying iced water to the forehead of -the patient.</p> - -<p>Gordon soon made himself known to her, and she briefly told him the -history of his friend since they had parted—a space of time brief -enough in itself, but filled with suffering and sorrow for them all.</p> - -<p>Harper was deathly pale, his eyes were sunken; he had been severely -wounded. The ball had entered the left breast, glanced along one of -the ribs, narrowly escaping the heart, and ultimately lodged beneath -the shoulder-blade. No vital organ had been touched; but there was -considerable inflammation, and the doctors were not without anxiety for -the condition of their patient. They had not yet extracted the ball, -owing to his weakened state.</p> - -<p>Haidee watched every change of countenance, noted every beat of his -pulse, for she scarcely ever moved her fingers from his wrist. It was -certain that, if loving care could save him, his life would not be -sacrificed.</p> - -<p>Gordon was anxious to know who Haidee was; but he did not like to -question her, and she did not volunteer the information. He was afraid -to think evil of his friend, and yet he was at a loss to account for -Haidee’s presence.</p> - -<p>Presently Harper turned uneasily on the bed, then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> he opened his eyes -and stared at Gordon, who put out his hand to shake that of his friend. -But Harper only stared—there was no recognition—the light of reason -was for a time out of his eyes, and he was delirious.</p> - -<p>The little band of defenders were now thrown into commotion by the -arrival of a messenger who brought word that the rising had commenced, -that the gaol had been thrown open, and the treasury was being sacked.</p> - -<p>The news was too true. The hour of the Nana’s triumph had arrived. He -had given the word, and his followers at the Newab-gung had broken -open the gaol and set the prisoners free. Then they cleared out the -magazine, and a wealth of heavy artillery and ammunition fell into -their hands.</p> - -<p>The spoil from the treasury was heaped upon elephants and carts, and -the infuriated soldiery, feeling themselves unfettered at last, cried—</p> - -<p>“Forward to the Imperial City!”</p> - -<p>They, like the Meerut mutineers, expected great things from the -restored sovereignty; upon the restoration of the Mogul throne they -placed all their hopes.</p> - -<p>But this was not the case with Nana Sahib, nor the wily Azimoolah. -The centralisation of the rebellion was to place the power in one -pair of hands. The Nana craved for power, and he had no intention of -recognising the authority of the King, to whom he would have to be -subordinate. That, however, formed no part of his programme. But, for -a time, the Sepoy leaders declared their intention of going to Delhi, -and they made one short march on the road<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> as far as a place called -Kullianpore. Here, with all their elephants ladened with the English -treasure, their artillery, and heaps of ammunition, they halted. The -Nana had accompanied them thus far. He knew that by humouring their -first impulse he might bend them to his will. His craft and cunning -were truly remarkable.</p> - -<p>“Comrades,” he cried, as he commenced to harangue them, “we make common -cause. And I ask you, would you be slaves? If you go to Delhi your -necks must bear the King’s yoke. Remember all that I have done—all -that I have sacrificed to give you liberty. From these English I drew -wealth, but I have forfeited all in order that you may be free. Why -should you go to the Imperial City? If you concentrate yourselves at -any given point, it is certain that the Feringhees will mass their -forces against that point and crush you. It is by spreading ourselves -over a large area that our hopes of success lie. The British have not -troops enough to attack all our strongholds. Again I say, what can -Delhi offer you more than I can? Have we not a fair city here?</p> - -<p>“The power of the English in Europe is declining; they are weak in -India; the vast breadth of country over which the faithful followers -of the Prophet are asserting their independence is stripped of troops. -What then have we to fear? Remain here and recognise my rule. Restore -the Peishwahship, and I promise you wealth, freedom, honour and glory.”</p> - -<p>The voice of the charmer prevailed. The leaders wavered in their -determination. They conferred one with another, then up they spoke, -almost as one man, and answered the Nana Sahib—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We go back—we devote our lives to your service—we will do your -bidding.”</p> - -<p>The Mahratta smiled. He saw that the game was in his own hands, and -that his ambition and malice might be gratified at one blow. Here were -four disciplined native regiments—together with his Bhitoor retainers, -who numbered alone nearly one thousand, and were all trained soldiers, -some hundreds of guns, heaps of ammunition, and abundance of treasure. -With such a force, what might he not do?</p> - -<p>His familiar demon, Azimoolah, rubbed his hands with ferocious joy as -he heard the answer of the men. Formerly a common servant in the house -of an Englishman, Azimoolah had been raised to position by the Nana, to -whom he had ever been a ready tool and a cringing slave. He had gone -to England to plead his worthless master’s cause; he had made love to -English ladies; he had been <i>fêted</i> and lionised by the hospitable -English, who loaded him with favours and presents. But he returned -to his country with a deadly hatred in his heart for those who had -befriended him.</p> - -<p>In addition to this astute Mahomedan and cunning devil, the Nana had in -his company Tantia Topee, who had been his playfellow in former days, -and was now his counsellor and guide.</p> - -<p>There were also Bala Rao and Baba Bhut, his brothers; the Rao Sahib, -his nephew, and Teeka Singh—a combination of cowardly and pitiless -villains.</p> - -<p>And so the elephants’ and horses’ heads were turned round again, the -artillery trains were got in motion, and at the head of his powerful -army the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> Nana Sahib—the ruthless Tiger of Cawnpore—marched back -to the city. He felt that he was supreme master of the situation. He -knew that opposed to him were a little handful of English only, that -he could crush—or, at least, he believed so; but he did not consider -the hearts of steel that beat in the breasts of those few British, who -would have conquered even his legions of black demons if they had not -been made the victims of a cruel plot.</p> - -<p>With swelling pride the Nana rode into the town, his long lines of -troops in the rear, his guns lumbering over the dusty roads, and -singing a “song of death” with their trundling wheels. He dubbed -his army at once the “Army of the Peishwah,” and commenced to make -promotions, Teeka Singh being placed in command of the cavalry, with -the rank of general. Azimoolah was war secretary and counsellor, and -Tantia Topee became keeper of the treasure.</p> - -<p>When this first business had been arranged to their own satisfaction, -the army sat down close to the British defences. Long a subject of the -English, Nana Sahib now felt that he was their master; and a pitiless, -grinding, exacting, awful master he was to prove.</p> - -<p>As he viewed the paltry fortifications which had been thrown up by -General Wheeler, and then let his eyes wander to his own heavy guns, he -smiled a grim smile of satisfaction.</p> - -<p>“What think you of our chances of success, Azimoolah?”</p> - -<p>“I have been examining the place through my telescope for the last -half-hour,” answered Azimoolah.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> “I have some difficulty in discovering -their works, even now. But I think that after two hours’ battering with -our guns, I shall need a microscope to find them.”</p> - -<p>“Sarcastic, as usual, Azi. But don’t you think that we had better let -these miserable people go?”</p> - -<p>“Go—go where?” cried the crafty knave, turning upon his master -suddenly.</p> - -<p>“Escape,” the Nana answered pointedly.</p> - -<p>“Escape?” echoed the other, in astonishment. “Surely your Highness will -not signal the commencement of your reign by an act of namby-pamby -weakness. Escape, forsooth! Turn every gun you’ve got upon them, and -blow them to that hell they are so fond of preaching about!”</p> - -<p>“You do not gather my meaning, Azi,” the Nana replied, as he viewed the -defences through a jewelled opera-glass. “I meant, let them escape from -one trap, to fall into another. We could have them cut to pieces when -they had got some miles from Cawnpore, and <i>we</i> should escape blame.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh, your Highness—pardon my hastiness. You are an able prince. -I could not imagine that you were going to spoil your nature by any -stupid, sentimental notions; still, I do not approve of your Highness’s -scheme. We should miss too much sport. And why need we concern -ourselves about the blame? Let us commence the fun without further -delay.”</p> - -<p>The Nana laughed heartily, as he replied—</p> - -<p>“You are somewhat hasty, my friend. Impetuosity is not good. There is -refinement in killing, as in all other things. The <i>acmé</i> of torture -is suspense. We will torture these British people, Azi. I shall -send,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> however, a message to Wheeler, that I am going to attack his -entrenchments.”</p> - -<p>“But why should your Highness even take this trouble?”</p> - -<p>“Because we will so far recognise the usages of war as to announce our -intention to commence the siege.”</p> - -<p>In accordance with this determination, a messenger was despatched to -the aged General, who did everything that man could do to make the best -of his position. Darkness had fallen. It gave the brave hearts behind -those mud walls a short respite, but with the return of light the -booming of a gun told that the enemy had commenced operations.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE LION HEARTS.</span></h2> - -<p>With the booming of that gun, as the terrible day dawned on Cawnpore, -there commenced a siege that, for horror and misery, has never been -exceeded in the history of the world.</p> - -<p>It was the month of June. The heat was terrific. The cloudless sky was -like a canopy of fire. What little wind there was came like the blast -from a glowing furnace. The tubes of the guns grew so hot in the sun’s -rays that it was impossible to touch them with the hand. Behind the -entrenchments were a heroic band of men—a mere handful—and with them -nearly two hundred women and children.</p> - -<p>It was for the sake of these dear ones that every man braced himself up -to fight against those fearful odds, until he fell dead at his post. -Not a craven heart beat in any breast there. Every person knew that the -case was hopeless—that to hold out was but to prolong the agony. But -“surrender” was a word no one would breathe.</p> - -<p>For days and days went on the awful siege. The defenders, weary, -overworked and starving, laboured, with the might of giants, in the -trenches. The clothes rotted from their backs, and the grime from -the guns caked hard and black upon their faces and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> hands. But, with -dauntless courage, they served the guns, and this always under a -tremendous fire, from which they were barely screened.</p> - -<p>Where all were heroes, comparisons would be invidious indeed, and yet -there were some whose names are indelibly written upon the scroll of -fame, for the conspicuous manner in which they displayed their heroism.</p> - -<p>Captain Moore was one of these. He was wounded at the very commencement -of the siege—his arm was broken. But it could not break his spirit! He -went about with the fractured limb in a sling. No toil seemed to weary -him—no danger could daunt him. Day and night he laboured; encouraging -the women, cheering the children. Now serving a gun—now heading a -desperate sortie against the enemy. As a companion with him was Captain -Jenkins of the 2nd Cavalry. He held the outposts beyond the trenches. -Over and over again did the enemy try to dislodge him, but failed each -time. At length a treacherous Sepoy, who had been feigning death, -raised his gun and fired. The jawbone of the brave Jenkins was smashed, -and he died an agonising death.</p> - -<p>One day a red-hot shot from the enemy’s battery blew up a tumbrel -and set fire to the woodwork of the carriage. A large quantity -of ammunition was stored close by. If this caught fire the whole -place, and every soul in it, would meet with instant destruction. It -seemed as if nothing but a miracle could save them, for there was no -water—nothing to extinguish the flames. But the miracle suddenly -appeared in the person of a young hero; his name was Delafosse. A -deadly stream of eighteen-pound shot was poured<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> upon the spot by the -besiegers, but, unmoved by this, Delafosse flung himself upon the -ground beneath the blazing wood, which he tore off with his hands, and -then stifled out the fire with dry earth. Such a cheer rose from the -throats of the British at this heroic deed, that it must have sent -terror to the hearts of the cruel and cowardly enemy.</p> - -<p>Then upon a projection of the barrack wall there was perched young -Stirling, known as the “dead-shot,” from his unerring aim. Day after -day he sat on his perch and picked off single Sepoys. And the list -would be incomplete without mention of the brave Scotchman, Jervis; he -was an engineer. He was out in the open compound one day, and with the -indomitable pride of race, refused to run from a black fellow, so he -fell shot through the heart.</p> - -<p>If midst our tears we sing a pæan in honour of these hero-martyrs, the -wives and daughters of the fighting men of Cawnpore must go down to -posterity as an example of all that women should be—noble, patient, -uncomplaining.</p> - -<p>Poets have sung how the women of old turned their hair into -bow-strings, that their men might fight the enemy. Those Cawnpore women -would have done the same, if it had been needed. And they did do an -equivalent. When the canister could not be rammed home, owing to the -damage done to the guns by the enemy’s fire, these noble women took off -their stockings. These were filled with the contents of the shot-cases, -and it is probably the only time that such cartridges were used.</p> - -<p>The days lengthened into weeks, but still these lion hearts could not -be quelled. Sadly reduced were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> their ranks by death; for what the -enemy’s fire failed to do, privations and sickness completed.</p> - -<p>One of the greatest wants felt was that of water. The small quantity in -store when the siege began was soon exhausted, and the only supply to -be obtained was from a small well that stood in the open compound. The -cruel enemy knew this, and they kept guns pointed, and special marksmen -for that particular spot. To go for water was to go to almost certain -death. And yet every morning men were found who volunteered for the -awful work, until around the well there grew up a pile of dead, where -they were obliged to be left, for there was nowhere to bury them.</p> - -<p>At last came one of the heaviest blows that had fallen upon the -garrison. The barrack with the thatched roof was burnt down; it had -enjoyed an immunity from this long-expected disaster, but the fatal -shot came one day that set it on fire. How the fiendish hearts of the -coward mutineers beat with joy as they saw the flames leap into the -air! It was a terrible disaster for the noble defenders, as many of the -women and children had to lie upon the bare ground without any shelter -from the dews by night or the sun by day.</p> - -<p>Matters had grown desperate enough now. The food was all but done; -the well was all but dry. The air was poisoned by the unburied dead. -Sickness and disease were hourly thinning the number of the wretched -people; and yet there was not a man there, not a woman, nay, not even a -child, who would have consented to dishonourable surrender.</p> - -<p>During the progress of the siege, there was one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> who was not able -to render much, if any, assistance. This was Lieutenant Harper, who -recovered but slowly from the effects of his wound; the want of -proper nourishment and other necessaries retarded his progress to -convalescence. Haidee watched over him, nursed him with untiring care, -and gradually brought him from the very brink of the grave. When he -gained strength, he felt that the time had come to render what poor -assistance he could. How best could that be done? was a question he -put to Haidee and Gordon, who had been amongst the most prominent -defenders. After some reflection Haidee answered—</p> - -<p>“If you could reach the outside world, and procure succour, we might -all be saved.”</p> - -<p>It was an unselfish suggestion. She knew that it was a forlorn hope; -but it held out a faint hope for the little garrison. Harper jumped at -it. It was desperate service indeed. To safely get beyond the lines -of the investing army seemed almost out of the region of possibility; -but there was yet a chance, however small, and if he could but reach -Meerut, help might be procured, and the little remnant of the brave -defenders saved.</p> - -<p>It was agreed unanimously that he should go, and a dark night favoured -his departure. Walter Gordon would readily have gone, but he felt that -his strength could be utilised to better advantage in helping the -besieged. He had suffered agonies of mind as he thought of what the -fate of Flora Meredith might be. He hoped and prayed in his own mind -that a merciful death had long since ended her sufferings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p> - -<p>The hour came for Harper to depart; it was a solemn moment. Each felt -that as they grasped hands.</p> - -<p>“Walter,” said Harper, “the last time we parted was at the very -commencement of this horrible mutiny. I little thought then that we -should meet again; but we part now, and the chances of our seeing each -other any more on this earth are remote indeed. Though, if I should -survive, and can render aid to Flora Meredith, if she lives, it shall -be done. But before I go, I exact a solemn promise from you, that while -life is in your body you will protect Haidee, and if you should both -manage to escape, you will never lose sight of her.”</p> - -<p>“I give the promise, old fellow. God bless you,” was Walter’s answer, -in a voice that was choked with emotion.</p> - -<p>Harper turned from his friend to bid farewell to Haidee. How can that -parting be described? There was no passionate wailing—no useless -tears. She was a true woman, and however powerful her love might be, -she knew that it was a duty to sacrifice all personal feelings where -so many lives were at stake. She hung around his neck for a few brief -moments; she pressed a kiss of pure love upon his lips, and then -released him. In both their hearts there was that nameless feeling of -ineffable sorrow that has no interpretation.</p> - -<p>“Light of my eyes, joy of my soul, go,” she said. “Into the dust Haidee -will bow her head, for happiness can never more be hers.” One more -pressure of the hand, one more meeting of the lips, and Harper crouched -down, and was making his way across the compound.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was midnight, and the night was dark. The enemy’s fire had almost -ceased; and as the crouching form disappeared, many were the fervent -prayers uttered on Harper’s behalf, that he would succeed in his -mission.</p> - -<p>The morning came, and then the night again, and the next morning, -and so on for several mornings, the defenders holding out bravely. -Meanwhile the Nana Sahib was chafing with rage. He had not counted -upon such a stubborn resistance. The indomitable pluck of these -English was something that passed his comprehension. It irritated him -beyond measure. The city over which he wished to rule was in a state -of turmoil through it. His army was being shattered. Some of his best -Sepoy officers had been killed by the fire from the defences; and, to -make matters worse, cholera had broken out amongst the troops, and -raged violently. Driven to desperation, he held counsel with his staff.</p> - -<p>“What can we do to subdue this people?” he asked of Azimoolah.</p> - -<p>“Nothing to subdue them,” was the answer. And for the first time in his -life, perhaps, Azimoolah spoke the truth.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do to crush them, then?” the Nana went on; “I would -hack them to mince-meat, if I could get near enough, but that seems -impossible.”</p> - -<p>“Scarcely so impossible as your Highness seems to imagine,” made answer -Azimoolah, as his face glowed with the inhuman cruelty that stirred his -heart.</p> - -<p>“How shall we reach them?” was the angry question of his master.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p> - -<p>“By stratagem.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, that is good! But how?”</p> - -<p>“These people are reduced to extremity. They have many women and -children with them; for their sakes they will be glad to accept terms. -Let us proclaim a truce, and offer, as a condition of their laying down -their arms, to convey them by water to Allahabad.”</p> - -<p>The Nana laughed as he observed—</p> - -<p>“You are an excellent counsellor, Azi, and I like your scheme; but -having got them out, what then?”</p> - -<p>He asked this question with a great deal of significance; for although -a diabolical thought was shaping itself in his brain, his recreant -heart dare not give it words. And so he waited for his tool to make the -suggestion.</p> - -<p>“Having got them out, I think the rest is easy, your Highness.”</p> - -<p>“Well, well,” the other cried, impatiently, as Azimoolah seemed to -dwell too long upon his words.</p> - -<p>“We will provide them with carriage down to the river. There we will -have a fleet of large, thatched-roof boats. On board of these boats the -English people, who have given you so much trouble, shall embark.”</p> - -<p>“Well, go on—I follow,” said the Nana, as Azimoolah paused again. -“Having got them on board, what then?”</p> - -<p>“We will slaughter them, your Highness—man, woman, and child. Not one -shall live to tell the tale. On each side of the river we will have -heavy guns posted, and our troops shall line the banks. A mouse would -not be able to escape.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Good! I leave all to you,” was the Nana’s only answer. But his tone of -voice betrayed the joy he felt.</p> - -<p>Azimoolah retired to his tent, and, calling for writing materials and -pen, with his own hand he wrote the following missive in English:—</p> - -<p>“<i>To the subjects of Her Majesty Queen Victoria: All those who are in -no way connected with the acts of Lord Dalhousie, and are willing to -lay down their arms, shall receive a safe passage to Allahabad.</i>”</p> - -<p>The next morning an armistice was proclaimed, and Azimoolah, -accompanied by two Sepoys, presented himself before the entrenchments.</p> - -<p>This temporary cessation of hostilities was a great relief to the -starving and worn-out garrison. They were prepared to listen to any -terms that did not propose dishonourable surrender. General Wheeler -called up two captains and the postmaster, and gave them full powers to -go out and treat with the emissaries of the Nana.</p> - -<p>Azimoolah proposed surrender, without the customary honours of war. -But this the officers would not entertain for a single instant, and -demanded that the British should march out with their arms and sixty -rounds of ammunition in the pouch of every man. The Nana was to afford -them safe escort to the river, provide carriages for the women and -children, and provisions of flour, sheep, and goats for the voyage to -Allahabad.</p> - -<p>These proposals were written on a sheet of paper and given to -Azimoolah, who returned to his lines; while the officers went back to -their entrenchments.</p> - -<p>As they made known the terms they had <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>submitted, there was rejoicing -in the little garrison. The women cheered up as they thought that an -end was coming to their sufferings and sorrow.</p> - -<p>So it was; but a different end to what they contemplated. It had been -an awful time during the siege. Human comprehension can scarcely -realise the full measure of the suffering endured by the devoted band. -It possibly stands without a parallel in the world’s horrors begotten -by war.</p> - -<p>For some hours the people waited in anxious suspense; their hearts beat -high, and the wan cheeks flushed as the sounds of a bugle fell upon -their ears.</p> - -<p>A horseman had arrived from the rebel camp, and brought word that the -terms had been agreed to, and the garrison was to remove that night. -But General Wheeler flatly refused to do this, saying that he could not -get his people ready until morning.</p> - -<p>“Let it be so,” said the Nana, when the message was brought; “we can -afford to give them a few hours.”</p> - -<p>In the rebel camp there was great rejoicing; quantities of drink were -consumed; and there was gambling and singing throughout the long dark -hours.</p> - -<p>In the entrenchments there was peace; silence reigned, broken -occasionally by the audible prayer from some grateful heart as it -uttered its thanks to the Christian’s God for the relief He had brought -them.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">AS WITH AN ENCHANTER’S WAND.</span></h2> - -<p>During the terrible night—a night full of hope for the starving, -miserable people in the Cawnpore entrenchments—the little garrison -were busy making preparation for their departure on the morrow. -That is, such preparations as they could make, which, for the most -part, consisted of gathering together the trifling remnants of their -treasures. Here, a treasured portrait was carefully stowed away; there, -a lock of hair cut by loving hands from the head of some dear one, -whose earthly troubles were ended, was wrapped up and placed between -the leaves of a well-worn Bible, so that it might serve in future time -as a sorrowful memento of that awful siege.</p> - -<p>Through those dreary hours of darkness there was one who sat apart from -his companions; he was weary and jaded, but sleep refused to visit -him. This was Walter Gordon. As he sat there, with his head bowed on -his hands, it would have been almost impossible to have detected the -European in the guise of the native, for he still wore the costume in -which he had left Meerut. And the disguise was rendered more perfect by -long exposure of the sun, and by smoke and grime from the powder which -seemed to have literally been burnt into the skin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p> - -<p>An unutterable grief appeared to be pressing him down; for his thoughts -wandered to one whom he dare not hope could be alive and well. The plan -arranged by Zeemit Mehal for Miss Meredith’s rescue had, so far as he -was able to judge, resulted in nothing, because however successful she -might have been, the investing enemy had prevented any news reaching -him from the outside world; and even if Zeemit had been able to get -Flora free from Delhi, he knew that, without assistance, speedy -recapture must result.</p> - -<p>During the long weeks that he had been shut up in the entrenchments, -the excitement of the siege had prevented his thoughts from dwelling -too closely upon his troubles. But now that that excitement was over, -and the reaction set in, he felt an anguish of mind and body that -almost threatened to upset his reason. The promise of the coming -release gave him no pleasurable feeling. His business was ruined; the -fate of the woman who was to have been his wife unknown; nearly all his -friends killed; and he, lonely and broken-hearted, a wreck compared to -what he was a few bright happy weeks ago. As the memory of that night -in Meerut, when Flora Meredith had warned him of the coming danger, -rose up before him, he felt that it would be a relief if any one of the -enemy’s shot would but come and cut his thread of life. He had allowed -her warning to pass unheeded; nay, had absolutely laughed it to scorn, -as the emanation of one who was morbid and out of sorts. He might have -saved her then, have saved his possessions, and all belonging to him -and her. But he remained inactive. He allowed the precious moments to -glide by, until the storm burst in all its fury, and escape from its -consequences was impossible.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span></p> - -<p>He gave up all thoughts of ever seeing his friend Harper again. It was -true that sufficient time had not elapsed for the succour to arrive, -even if he had managed to live through the thousand dangers he would -have to face. But it was such a forlorn hope, that Gordon felt it was -a fallacy to cherish any expectation of again seeing him. Life, as -viewed through the medium which then presented itself, seemed to have -practically ended for him. If he reached Allahabad, it would be but -as a storm-tossed waif, thrown up, as it were, by a raging sea that -had washed away all that was dear and precious, leaving him lonely and -broken-hearted, to curse the unlucky chance that had saved him.</p> - -<p>These were his melancholy reflections. After all he had endured, it was -scarcely matter for wonder that they should be gloomy and tinged with -morbidness.</p> - -<p>There are moments sometimes in a person’s existence when life seems -full of nameless horrors—when death is viewed in the light of a loving -friend who brings peace and rest.</p> - -<p>Such a moment as this was Walter’s experience. His cup of sorrow -was full; it was overflowing, but then, when the tide has reached -its highest flood, it commences to recede. Night was nearly passed. -The fairy-like glamour which precedes the coming dawn, especially -in India, was over the land. It was like a flush on the face of -nature—surrounding objects were commencing to assert their presence. -The outlines of trees and buildings could be faintly discerned, -standing out against the roseate-flushed sky.</p> - -<p>With the departing darkness and coming light, a faint glimmer of hope -appeared upon the path of Walter Gordon; he began to think that things -might<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> not be so bad after all; and then his senses were suddenly -and unexpectedly soothed by the melody of a bird. For weeks the roar -of the guns had scared all the feathered songsters away; but the -cessation of the din for the last twenty-four hours had induced a -stray bul-bul—that gem of the Indian feather tribe—to alight on the -branches of a blackened and shot-shattered tree which stood some little -distance away.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the tiny singer had wandered from its tribe, and, missing the -rich foliage which the storm of fire had destroyed over an extensive -area, it was uttering a lament; for there was ruin, desolation, and -decaying mortality around—the work of man’s hand; and the song of the -bird might have been a song of sorrow. Who can tell? But as it sat -there a mere speck on the leafless and blackened tree, and trilled its -beautiful and mellow notes that sounded clear and soft on the still -morning air, the soul of Walter Gordon was touched.</p> - -<p>The wand of the enchanter, in the shape of the piping bul-bul, had -changed the scene. From the fierce glare and the strife-torn land of -India, he was suddenly transported to his native shores. He saw the -peaceful valleys of smiling England—he heard the clanking of the -wheels of industry as they brought bread to toiling millions, and sent -forth their produce to all the corners of the earth. He saw the happy -homes where the laughter of merry children made light the hearts of -their parents. He saw that land with all its beauty—a land free from -the deadly strife of contending armies; and, as the vision passed -before him, hope sprang up again strong and bright with the dawning -day. The little bul-bul’s notes had been to him like a draught of an -elixir that can banish the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> sickness of the heart, and lift up the -human soul from darkness into light.</p> - -<p>The bird’s notes ceased, but another sound fell upon his ear. It was -a long-drawn sigh of a woman. It was Haidee. She had been sleeping on -a sheepskin some few yards away from where Gordon was sitting. As he -turned his eyes to where her form reposed, he remembered the promise he -had made to Harper with reference to this woman. During the few days -that had elapsed since his friend’s departure, he had tended to Haidee -with the loving solicitude of a brother. He had told her of all his -troubles, and how by a most singular chance Flora had been separated -from him again, and conveyed back to Delhi.</p> - -<p>And he felt now, as he turned to Haidee, that for his friend’s sake—a -friend he looked upon as dead—it was his sacred duty to protect her -until he could place her out of the reach of danger.</p> - -<p>He knew but little about her, for Harper had volunteered no information -beyond the fact that she was from the King’s Palace, and to her he owed -his life. It was sufficient for him to know that this was the case—to -feel for her in Harper’s behalf all the anxiety and tenderness which -was due to her sex.</p> - -<p>He had speedily discovered that she was possessed of a true woman’s -nature, and that she entertained a strong love for his friend. But he -looked upon it purely as a Platonic feeling, for he had too much faith -in Harper’s integrity to think that he would have encouraged any other.</p> - -<p>“You have slept soundly, Haidee,” he remarked, as he observed that she -opened her eyes.</p> - -<p>“I have had a dreamful sleep,” she made answer, as she sat up, and -pushed back her beautiful hair,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> tarnished somewhat, and tangled with -smoke and dust, but beautiful still. Her face, too, was a little worn, -and a look of anxious care sat upon it; but the shocks and jars of the -last few weeks had affected her much less than it had her companions in -sorrow.</p> - -<p>“I trust that at least they have been pleasant dreams,” Gordon -answered, as he shook Haidee’s hand; for she had risen and moved to -where he was sitting.</p> - -<p>“Alas, no! I dreamt that your friend Harper was lying cold and -dead—that he had died for the want of help and care, and I was not -there to administer comfort to him.”</p> - -<p>“But you know, Haidee, we say that dreams always go by the contrary,” -Gordon answered, trying to force a smile; but it was but a melancholy -attempt, for he knew that his words belied the thoughts of his heart.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so,” she said, sighing heavily. “Fortune has favoured him so -far that she might still continue to smile upon him. But then he was -weak from his illness, and the risks he would have to run before he -could get clear of this city were numerous and great.”</p> - -<p>“True; but we will not despair. We have all stood in deadly peril, -and yet we live; and this dawning day brings us relief from our -tribulation.”</p> - -<p>“I am not so sure of that,” she answered, hurriedly.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, Haidee? Has not the Nana promised us safe escort to -Allahabad?”</p> - -<p>“He has promised—yes.”</p> - -<p>“Your words have a ring of doubt in them, as though you had no faith in -the Nana’s promise.”</p> - -<p>“I have no faith. I fear treachery.”</p> - -<p>“Your fear is surely a groundless one, then. The capitulation has been -put into black and white; and however bad the Nana Sahib may be, he is -bound to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> recognise those usages of war common to every civilisation.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you I have strange forebodings of evil. I believe the man’s -nature to be cruel enough for anything.”</p> - -<p>“Hush! Haidee! Do not let your words reach the ears of our -fellow-sufferers, or they will only cause unnecessary alarm.”</p> - -<p>“I have no desire to be a prophet of evil, but I believe it would have -been better to have held out until every ounce of powder had gone -rather than have trusted to the mercy of the Nana Sahib. However, your -people shall go, and as they depart I will waft my good wishes after -them.”</p> - -<p>“Waft your good wishes after them! Really, Haidee, you are talking -strangely, and as if you did not intend to go.”</p> - -<p>“I do not intend to go.”</p> - -<p>“Why?” he asked, quite unable to conceal his astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Because for me to go would be to go to certain death. Even if I -escaped recognition by the Nana—which would be almost impossible, for -he knows me well, having often seen me at the Palace—my nationality -would condemn me; there would scarcely be a native whose arm would not -be raised to strike me down.”</p> - -<p>“But the protection which Nana Sahib is bound to afford to us, in -accordance with the terms of treaty, must likewise be extended to you.”</p> - -<p>“I tell you, you do not know these men. In my case they would be bound -by no terms. They would say that I had been treacherous to the King, -and, not being a British subject, my life was forfeited. Not that I -fear death. But for the sake of him who is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> dearer far to me than life, -I must try and live, that I may serve his friends—if that is possible.”</p> - -<p>“But do you know, Haidee, that he placed you in my care; and if I allow -you to remain behind, I shall be guilty of breaking the promise I made -to him, that I would never lose sight of you as long as I lived.”</p> - -<p>“My mind is made up, Mr. Gordon; I shall remain behind.”</p> - -<p>“Then, at all hazards, I remain too.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad of that.”</p> - -<p>“But what do you propose doing?”</p> - -<p>“Returning to Delhi.”</p> - -<p>“Returning to Delhi?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. You told me that the lady who was to be your wife had been -conveyed back to that city.”</p> - -<p>“I did.”</p> - -<p>“Then what I have done once I may be able to do again.”</p> - -<p>Gordon’s heart quickened its beating. Haidee’s word opened out new -prospects that he had not before thought of. At any rate, however -slender might be the reed, he clutched at it with desperate energy. -What might not a determined woman and a man actuated by love -accomplish? Still, whatever her scheme might be, it was as yet to him -misty and undefined.</p> - -<p>“My plan is this,” she continued, after a pause. “We must conceal -ourselves somewhere about the entrenchments until night falls again. -The disguise which has served you in such good stead so far will serve -you still further, if you are discreet, and do not use your voice. -Under cover of the darkness we can escape from this place, and retrace -our steps to Delhi. I do not think we shall experience any difficulty -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> gaining entrance to the city. Once there, I have plenty of friends -who will give us aid and shelter so long as they do not penetrate your -disguise. We shall soon be able to learn news of Miss Meredith and -Zeemit Mehal, and if we cannot render them assistance at once, we can -wait near them, until an opportunity occurs.”</p> - -<p>“I like your plan,” Gordon answered, thoughtfully. “It seems to me to -be full of promise. At any rate, if the scheme appeared more chimerical -than it really does, I should be inclined to follow it out, so long -as there was even a shadowy chance of succeeding in my mission. I owe -my presence here to a strange chance. Once released, and I am free to -follow her who has been so cruelly separated from me. In your hands, -then, I place myself, Haidee. And I am sure, for the sake of our mutual -friend, whether he be living or dead, that you will do all that a brave -and noble woman can do.”</p> - -<p>“Living or dead,” she sighed, as if his words had sunk deep into her -soul. “Yes, living or dead, I devote my life to serving him, or those -belonging to him.”</p> - -<p>“Our faiths may differ, Haidee,” Gordon answered; “but rest assured -there is an Almighty Power that will bless your efforts and reward your -devotion.”</p> - -<p>She turned her large, truthful eyes full upon the speaker, and replied -in a low tone—</p> - -<p>“Yes, the Christian’s God is good, and some day I will seek to know -more about Him.”</p> - -<p>It soon spread through the little garrison that Gordon and Haidee -had determined to remain behind. No opposition was offered to this -determination. They both were free agents, and at liberty to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> act upon -their own responsibility; but not a few of the people looked upon it as -a foolhardy step, and thought that they were running unnecessary risk.</p> - -<p>As the sun sprang up in the heavens—for in the Indian climate it -may truly be said to spring up—the sounds of a bugle broke upon the -morning air; it was the signal for the sentries to come in, and for -the garrison to arouse. The sounds of that bugle revivified the hopes -that had all but died in the poor crushed hearts. As the weary people -gathered themselves together, those notes were like the kindly voice -of a friend calling them to rest, and telling them that their trials -were over. Alas! they little dreamt that it sounded their death-knell. -If some pitying angel had but whispered to them never to stir beyond -the mud walls of their defences, what soul-wrung anguish they might -have been spared; but it is written that man shall suffer. The doom of -those poor creatures was not yet fulfilled, and they must go forth. -Again the bugle sounded; this time for the march. Then the barriers -were withdrawn, and forth from the defences they had so heroically held -went the people. A tattered and torn British ensign, nailed to a bamboo -staff, was carried at the head of the procession. The black demons, -who swarmed around in thousands, might insult that flag, they might -spit upon it, trample it into the dust, but they could never quell the -dauntless courage of the lion hearts who owned its sway. The ragged -flag flaunted proudly in the breeze, and the ragged crew, each of their -pouches filled with sixty rounds of ammunition, and bearing on their -shoulders their guns with fixed bayonets that flashed in the sunlight, -straggled on. Haidee and Gordon had concealed themselves in an -outbuilding—it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> simply a heap of ruined brickwork, for it had been -battered to pieces with the enemy’s grape; but the fact of its being in -ruins was in their favour, as they were less likely to be discovered by -intruders. In about half an hour the last of the garrison had departed, -and the entrenchments were left to silence and the dead.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">“SHIVA THE DESTROYER.”</span></h2> - -<p>Close to the Suttee Choura Ghaut, the place at which the garrison were -to embark, there rose a Hindoo temple; it was known as the Hurdes, or -the Fisherman’s Temple. It stood upon the banks of the Ganges, and -its shadows darkened the water. Many a religious festival had been -held within its walls, and many a pious Hindoo fisherman had come from -afar, that he might fall down before the god it enshrined, and invoke -a blessing upon himself and his calling. But on the morning that the -English people went forth from their defences, it was devoted to a far -different purpose.</p> - -<p>Enthroned on a “chaboutree,” or platform, of the temple, sat Tantia -Topee. He had been commissioned by Nana Sahib to carry out the -hellish work. Near him were Azimoolah, and Teeka Singh, and they were -surrounded with numerous dependants. From their position, they were -enabled to command an uninterrupted view of the river, through the open -doors and windows. At the proper time the fatal signal was to be given -in that temple by Tantia Topee. The signal was to be the blast of a -bugle.</p> - -<p>But all unmindful of the awful danger, the garrison went on—women, -and children, and men, who had survived the horrors of those awful -weeks—gaunt,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> and ghastly, their garments hanging in shreds, and -scarcely covering their emaciated bodies, enfeebled by want, their -bones almost protruding through their skins, some wounded, and bearing -upon them the indelible marks of the battle.</p> - -<p>In the hearts of most was a glimmering of a peaceful future.</p> - -<p>Here a little child carried in its arms a broken and smoke-blackened -doll; there a woman huddled to her breast some household treasure that -had been saved from the great wreck; but they were a pitiable crowd. -The beautiful had left their beauty; the young had left their youth in -the battered barracks; and even the faces of the children were pinched -and wizened, showing how fearful had been the suffering during those -dark weeks.</p> - -<p>The wounded were carried mostly in palkees (palanquins); the women -and children were in rough native carts, a few rode on elephants; and -the able-bodied men marched. But the attempt at martial array was but -a mockery—they were soldiers only in spirit. Outwardly they were -starving tatterdemalions.</p> - -<p>The grim old warrior, General Wheeler, was accompanied by his wife and -daughters. He was worn and broken spirited—for the capitulation had -crushed his heart. In spite of the starvation which stared him in the -face, in spite of the hordes of rebels arrayed against them, and in -spite of the sickness and misery which were upon them, the poor old -man was reluctant to surrender, for he still hoped for succour from -outside. But his officers had forced it upon him, for the sake of the -unhappy women and children.</p> - -<p>It was but a mile down to the Ghaut, but it was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> long, long weary -journey. The place of embarkation was reached at last, and the weary -eyes of the people saw the fleet of boats that they hoped were to -convey them to safety. They were common country eight-oared boats, -known as “budgerows.” They were unwieldy things, with heavy thatched -roofs, so that they resembled, from a distance, stacks of hay. It -was the close of an unusually dry season, and the water was at its -shallowest—the mud and sand-banks being far above the water in many -places. The banks of the river were lined with natives, who had turned -out in thousands to see the humiliated English. There were thousands of -soldiers there too—horse, foot, and artillery. The troopers sat with -their horses’ heads turned towards the river, and seemed impatient for -the sport to commence.</p> - -<p>Such a deep-laid plot, such a diabolical act of treachery, the world -had surely never known before. Not even the imagination of Danté could -have conceived blacker-hearted demons to have peopled his “Inferno” -with, than those surging crowds of natives. Those floating budgerows -were not to be arks of safety, but human slaughter-houses.</p> - -<p>Slowly the people embarked, and, as they did so, there floated out -into the stream a small wooden idol: it represented the Hindoo god -Shiva—Shiva the Destroyer. As it was pushed out into the stream, every -native who saw it smiled, for he knew too well what it signified.</p> - -<p>General Wheeler remained till the last. He had been riding in a -palanquin, and as he put his head out, a scimitar flashed in the -air, and the brave veteran rolled into the water a corpse. Almost at -the same moment Tantia Topee raised his hand in the temple,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> and the -notes of a bugle rose clear and distinct. Then the foul design became -apparent, and the unhappy people knew that they had been lured into a -death-trap. From every conceivable point on both sides of the river, -there belched forth fire, and grape and musket balls were poured into -the doomed passengers; in a little while the thatch of the budgerows -burst into flame, for in every roof hot cinders had been previously -inserted. Men leapt overboard, and strove to push the vessels out into -the stream, but the majority of the boats remained immovable. The -conflagration spread; the sick and wounded were burnt to death. The -stronger women took to the water with their children in their arms, but -they were shot down or sabred by the troopers, who rode in after them.</p> - -<p>In a large and elegant tent on the cantonment plain, the fiend and -tiger, Nana Sahib, paced uneasily. He heard the booming of the guns, -the rattle of the musketry, and occasionally the dying shriek of an -unhappy woman was borne upon his ear. He knew that Shiva the Destroyer -was doing his hellish work. Perhaps as he paced up and down, there -came into his black heart a pang of remorse, or, more probably, a -thrill of fear; for in his solitude he might have seen a vision of -the Great White Hand that was to smite him into the dust. Or perhaps -there stole over him a sense that there was a destroyer mightier even -than Shiva—even the Supreme God of the Christians, who would exact a -terrible retribution for his unutterable crimes.</p> - -<p>It is certain that as Dundoo Pant paced his tent, he was ill at ease. -He was haunted by the ghosts of his victims, even as was that bloody -tyrant of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span>infamous memory, Richard the Third, the night before -Bosworth.</p> - -<p>“Ah! What do you want?” cried the guilty Nana, as a messenger suddenly -entered the tent—so suddenly that the conscience of Dundoo caused his -heart to leap into his mouth.</p> - -<p>“The work speeds well, your Highness,” said the man, kneeling before -his master; “but these Feringhees are fighting to the death.”</p> - -<p>“Go back with all haste to Tantia Topee, and say that, as he values -his own life, not another woman or child is to be slaughtered; but let -every man with a white face be hacked to pieces. Mark me well. <i>Not an -Englishman is to be spared!</i> Tell Azimoolah to see to all this.”</p> - -<p>The messenger withdrew, and the tiger ground his teeth and resumed his -walk.</p> - -<p>Down at the Ghaut the work was truly speeding well, but when the -Nana’s message arrived it stopped as far as the women were concerned; -and about one hundred and thirty women and children—some fearfully -wounded, others half drowned and dripping with the slime of the -Ganges—were carried back in captivity to Cawnpore.</p> - -<p>Thirty-nine boats had been destroyed; but there was one that got into -the fairway of the stream, and down on the dark bosom of the waters -it drifted, a lonely waif. There were no boatmen, there were no oars, -there was no rudder, but there were hearts of steel on board; heroes -who would die, ay, suffer death a hundred times before they would -surrender. That solitary boat contained about eighty men—such men -that, if they had had a fair chance, not all the legions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> of the -accursed Nana could have conquered them. Slowly it drifted on between -the banks. Hissing shot and burning arrows were discharged at it in -showers, but it seemed almost as if it had been surrounded with a -charm, for it drifted on unscathed. Next a blazing budgerow was sent -after it, but that failed to harm it, and its occupants, slender -as was the chance, began to think that they would escape. But as -the sun commenced to decline, and burnish the river with his golden -rays, a boat, filled with about sixty men, was sent in pursuit, with -orders from Tantia Topee to slaughter every Englishman. The lonely -boat grounded on a sand-bank. Hope sank again. On came the would-be -destroyers, and their boat stuck on the same bank. Then occurred a last -grand burst of courage—courage even in death, and which is always so -conspicuous in British heroism. On the bows of the pursuer there stood -up a tall, powerful Sepoy, and, in a loud voice, cried:</p> - -<p>“In the name of the Nana Sahib, I call upon you to surrender.”</p> - -<p>He might as well have called upon the winds to stay their course, or -the tides to cease to flow. Surrender forsooth! And to the Nana Sahib, -the insatiable Tiger of Cawnpore, whose name, and name of all his race, -will descend to posterity covered with infamy, and who will be held up -to execration and scorn until time shall be no more!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE LAST GRAND STRUGGLE.</span></h2> - -<p>That call to surrender was answered in a manner that literally -paralysed the pursuing sixty.</p> - -<p>Forth from the Englishmen’s boat a little party of officers and men -went. They were exhausted, famishing, sick, and wounded, but they would -not wait to be attacked by such a demoniacal crew. Wading up to their -knees in the water that covered the sand-bank, and all armed to the -teeth, they made for the other boat, and fell upon the natives with -such fury that not half-a-dozen escaped to tell the tale; and even -those few only saved their lives by plunging into the deep water, and -swimming ashore.</p> - -<p>It was a glorious victory, but the last for the hero-martyrs of -Cawnpore.</p> - -<p>They got on board the enemy’s boat, and found it contained good stores -of ammunition, which they conveyed to their own boat, but there was -not a scrap of food. They lay down, utterly worn out; and, as darkness -gathered, sleep fell upon them.</p> - -<p>It was the last sleep for many. Some never woke again, but passed to -eternity. Those who survived awoke with the first glimmer of morn. -Then despair seized upon them. In the dark hours of night the rising -waters had drifted their boat into a creek, where they were speedily -discovered by the pitiless enemy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was a narrow creek running inland for about two hundred yards. On -each side the natives gathered in hundreds, and they poured in a deadly -shower of musket-balls.</p> - -<p>Lying at the bottom of the boat was an officer who had hitherto been -in command, but he was wounded unto death now. Both his arms were -shattered; but, without betraying the slightest pain, he issued his -orders.</p> - -<p>“Comrades,” he cried, “we belong to a race that never waits to be -smitten. Let these merciless bloodhounds see that even in death we know -how to smite our enemies.”</p> - -<p>No second bidding was needed. Fourteen men and officers—the only -unwounded ones in the boat—sprang ashore, and, with a wild cheer, -charged the surging multitude. The terrified crowd fell back. Such -courage appalled them; they were unused to it; they could not -comprehend it. The brave fourteen hacked out a path, then rushed back -again. Alas! the boat had drifted out into the stream once more, and -the fourteen were left upon the pitiless land, while their doomed -comrades floated down the pitiless river.</p> - -<p>At some little distance rose the towers of a Hindoo temple. The eyes -of the leader of the fourteen saw this. He raised a cheer and rushed -towards it, followed by his comrades. They gained the temple, pursued -by a howling rabble; but with fixed bayonets they held the doorway. On -poured the dusky wretches, but they could not break down that wall of -steel. The black and bleeding corpses piled up and formed a rampart, -and from behind this barricade of human flesh the little band delivered -a galling fire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> There was some putrid water in the temple, but this -the people drank with avidity, for they were choking. It gave them new -strength, and they loaded and fired without ceasing. Hundreds of the -enemy fell, and back there sped a messenger to the Nana with word that -the remnant of the broken army could not be conquered.</p> - -<p>He raved when he heard the news. This defiance and gallantry galled him -beyond measure; he felt that though he had “scotched the snake he had -not killed it,” and he began to realise that, powerful as he was, he -was still far from being powerful enough to crush his valiant foe.</p> - -<p>“A thousand curses on them!” he cried, when his agent delivered the -message. “Go back to your leader, and tell him to burn these Feringhees -out, and for every white man that escapes I will have a hundred black -ones executed.”</p> - -<p>Back went the man, and soon around the walls of the temple there were -piled heaps of dried leaves and faggots. The brand was applied. Up -leapt the devouring flame; but there was a strong wind, and it blew -the flames and smoke away. Then a new device was put in practice; the -enemy filled bags with powder and threw them on the flames, until the -building rocked and tottered. There was nothing left now for the brave -fourteen but flight. Bracing themselves up, and shoulder to shoulder, -they fired a volley into the astonished foe; then, with a cheer, they -charged with the bayonet. It was a short, but awful struggle. One half -their number went down, never to rise again; seven reached the river; -there they plunged into the stream. As they came up after the dive, -two of the number were shot through the head, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> water was dyed -with their blood; a third made for a spit of land, but, as soon as he -landed, he was clubbed to death with the butt ends of muskets. But four -still survived. They were sturdy swimmers; they seemed to bear charmed -lives; the bullets fell in showers around; the rabble on the shores -yelled with disappointed rage. But the swimmers swam on—The rapid -current was friendly to them. They were saved! “Honour the brave!”</p> - -<p>When the roll of heroes is called, surely amongst those who have died -in England’s cause, and for England’s honour, the names of those -valiant fourteen should stand at the head of the list. Never since the -days of old Rome, when “the bridge was kept by the gallant three,” have -there been heroes more worthy of a nation’s honour than that little -band of fighting men who held the temple on the banks of the Ganges, -and cut their way through a pitiless multitude who were thirsting for -their blood. No Englishman will ever be able to read the record without -the profoundest emotions of pity and pride.</p> - -<p>When the Nana heard of the escape of the four, he tore his hair in -rage; but he could still have his revenge. For news arrived immediately -after, that the boat which had drifted away had been recaptured. -Ordering a horse to be saddled, he galloped down to the Ghaut, to join -Azimoolah and Tantia Topee. And the three waited to gloat their eyes -upon the wretched victims in the boat. There were a few women and -children, and about a score of men; they were all sick and wounded, but -they were driven ashore. The men were butchered on the spot; but the -women and children were reserved for a second death.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span></p> - -<p>As Dundoo Pant viewed these helpless people he laughed loudly. It was -some satisfaction to feel that they were in his power, and that a -word or a look from him would bring about their instant destruction. -What the real desire of his own heart was at that moment can only be -known to the Great Reader of human secrets. But at his elbow, his evil -genius, his familiar fiend, stalked, and, with the characteristic grin, -murmured—</p> - -<p>“We are in luck’s way, your Highness; and these prizes will afford us -further amusement.”</p> - -<p>“In what way, Azi?”</p> - -<p>“We can torture them.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, ah, ah! You are a grim joker, Azi. I would torture them—I would -burn them with hot iron—I would flay them, but these cursed English -seem almost indifferent to physical pain. We must torture their minds, -Azimoolah—break their hearts. We must invent some means of making them -feel how thoroughly they are humbled.”</p> - -<p>“The invention will not be difficult, your Highness. Set them to grind -corn!”</p> - -<p>“Ah! that is a good idea.”</p> - -<p>“They will know well that it is a symbol of the uttermost degradation. -In their own biblical records they will remember that it is stated that -the sign of bondage in Eastern lands was for the women to be compelled -to grind corn with the hand-mills.”</p> - -<p>“It shall be as you suggest,” answered the Nana, thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“And when they have, through these means, been impressed with a sense -of our power and their own thorough humiliation, then consummate your -victory.”</p> - -<p>“How, Azi?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span></p> - -<p>“By slaughtering them.”</p> - -<p>“Hush, Azi—we will discuss that matter later on. For the present let -them be conveyed to the Beebee-Ghur and carefully guarded.”</p> - -<p>The Beebee-Ghur was a small house situated between the native city and -the river. It had originally been built by a European for his native -mistress, but for some years had been occupied by a humble native -scrivener. It was a small, ill-ventilated place, with but wretched -accommodation. The walls were blackened with smoke, and the furniture -of the place consisted of a few rough deal chairs and tables. But -into this place were crowded over two hundred women and children. -Left there, without any certainty as to the fate for which they had -been reserved, they felt all the agony of horrid suspense, and they -shuddered as they thought what that fate might be. Madness seized some, -and a merciful death speedily ended the sufferings of a few others.</p> - -<p>When Nana Sahib and Azimoolah had seen their captives safely guarded, -and some of the most delicate and refined ladies seated on the ground, -grinding corn, they turned their horses’ heads towards the Bhitoor -Palace.</p> - -<p>“This has been an exciting day, your Highness,” Azimoolah remarked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” was the monosyllabic, and somewhat sullen answer.</p> - -<p>“Why does your face wear a frown?” asked Azimoolah. “Your star has -risen, and in its resplendent light you should be all smiles and mirth.”</p> - -<p>“So I will try to be, Azi—so I will try to be,” and, laughing with a -low hollow laugh, Nana Sahib put spurs to his horse, and sped towards -his Palace, as if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> already he saw the brilliancy of that star darkening -by a rising shadow—the shadow of a grim, retributive Nemesis.</p> - -<p>Perhaps his mental ears did catch the sounds of the coming conqueror’s -drums, and the roar of his guns; and his mental eyes see regiments of -unconquerable British soldiers, exacting a terrible vengeance, and -he himself, forsaken by his people, driven forth, a beggar outcast, -wandering on and on, through trackless jungles, without a pillow -for his head or roof to shelter him, and on his forehead a brand -more terrible than that which ever branded the brow of Cain—flying -forever from his pursuers; a guilty, conscience-stricken, blackened -and despised wretch—too abject a coward to die, and yet suffering the -agonies of a living death.</p> - -<p>Whatever of these things he might have dreamed, he gave no utterance -to his thoughts, but galloped on to his Palace, and issued orders that -that night should be a night of revel.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES SWINGS.</span></h2> - -<p>The day following the slaughter at the Ghaut was a great day for Nana -Sahib, for he was to be publicly proclaimed Peishwah, and his power in -that part of the country was to be acknowledged supreme. The dream of -years was fulfilled at last. He stood at the foot of the throne; he -had but to mount the steps, and men would bow down before him as their -ruler. Power, greatness, wealth—all were in his grasp. His foe lay -crushed in the dust—his ambition and revenge were gratified; and in -the pomp and glitter of the gorgeous pageant of that day, the voice of -conscience was perhaps for a time stilled.</p> - -<p>And truly the pageant was a gorgeous one—a spectacle that even, in -their wildest imaginings, the authors of the “Arabian Nights” could not -have dreamed of. Scarcely had the sun fully risen before the Palace at -Bhitoor was in a state of commotion. All night long, thousands of hands -had been at work preparing for the great show, and nothing was wanting -to render it complete.</p> - -<p>At a given signal the procession, which was to march through the town, -and some of the outlying villages, commenced to form. First came five -hundred stalwart natives, walking six abreast. On their heads were -turbans of cloth of gold, and on their breasts were glittering vests of -steel. Every man carried on his shoulder a drawn sabre, that flashed -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> the sun’s rays. The front row carried the Nana’s standard, which -was trimmed with real and massive gold fringe. These men were followed -by five hundred boys, dressed in white muslin. Each boy carried a pair -of silver-plated cymbals, and the very air was rent with the clashing. -Then came a body of singers, singing a song of triumph, each singer -being dressed in a costly robe. They were followed by two hundred -camels, their necks hung with silver bells, while their trappings -were cloth of gold. On the back of each camel sat a boy dressed in -raiment of pure white, and carrying in his hands a small disc of highly -polished steel, which was turned so as to catch the sun’s rays and -throw the light far ahead—on tree, and road, and building. This was to -symbolise the Nana’s power.</p> - -<p>Next in order was a body-guard of the Nana’s retainers, numbering -altogether a thousand men, clad in burnished armour, and carrying in -their hands long spears, decorated with golden tassels. Following this -guard came a band of musicians with brass instruments, and playing a -martial air which they had learnt under English tutors. Then there -were fifty elephants, three abreast. The forehead of each beast was -decorated with a large jewelled star composed of pure silver: their -bodies were covered with cloth of gold, fringed with massive bullion -lace. On the head of each elephant sat a gaudily-dressed native driver: -each man held a long polished brass trumpet, and every now and then, on -a given signal, the trumpets were blown in unison.</p> - -<p>After these men was another body of armour-clad men, who formed a -hollow square, two deep. In the centre of the square walked, with -majestic step, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> huge, spotless white elephant: its breast was guarded -with a massive shield of pure gold, and on its forehead was a large -star of brilliants; on its back it bore a costly houdah, made of blue -satin, supported by golden rods, the satin being trimmed with gold and -jewels. Beneath this houdah was seated Dundoo Pant, the Nana Sahib. -His head was bare, for the ceremony of marking him with the mark -of sovereignty in accordance with Eastern custom, and known as the -“sacrament of the forehead mark,” had yet to be performed. He was clad -in a robe of pure gold cloth, ornamented with rubies and sapphires. -Round his neck he wore a massive collar composed of diamonds.</p> - -<p>Over the elephant’s back was thrown a rich scarlet cloak, with gold -tassels; and on its tusks were many gold rings. The Nana was seated -cross-legged. In front of him was a superb coronet of gold, studded -with diamonds: this, with a jewelled sword, rested on a scarlet cushion.</p> - -<p>Behind this elephant, and in the centre of another square of -armour-clad men, were fifty high Brahmin priests, clad in white and -with their faces painted, and between them was a small and beautiful -Brahmin bull. Its hoofs were encased in gold, and its body was -literally covered with jewels.</p> - -<p>Next came two hundred Nautch girls, dressed in scarlet garments. Each -girl bore a small palm leaf, and these leaves were waved backwards -and forwards with rhythmical regularity. Next to these was another -elephant, gaudily trapped and decorated; and beneath a magnificent -houdah of silk were seated some of the principal females of Dundoo’s -household.</p> - -<p>Following in order was another band of music.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> Then came Teeka Singh, -Azimoolah, Tantia Topee, Bala Rao, and other members of the suite. They -were all mounted on handsome charges, and bore at their sides jewelled -swords, while fixed to their heels were golden spurs. They were -escorted by a strong body-guard of picked troops. These were succeeded -by files of men carrying silken banners. Then a hundred boys, bearing -long poles, attached to which were silver bells, and five hundred girls -clad in garments of cloth of gold. Every girl carried before her a -jewelled vase, that was filled with the most exquisite flowers. Behind -the girls were two thousand troopers—the flower of Dundoo’s army—and -all mounted on superb horses; and last of all was a grand display -of artillery. There were guns of every description, which had been -plundered from the English arsenal.</p> - -<p>It was, in truth, a gorgeous show, well calculated to daze the hordes -of illiterate natives who crowded every thoroughfare, with its pomp -and importance. Dundoo and his wily admirers had learnt the secret of -the importance of outward show, if the masses are to be impressed, and -they used their knowledge to advantage. The procession moved slowly -forward—a long array of glitter and glare, of noise and bewildering -richness.</p> - -<p>Literally hundreds of thousands of natives had gathered; they swarmed -on every conceivable spot from whence a view could be obtained. On the -housetops, in the trees, on the walls, the huts—every place where a -foothold offered itself were Nana’s future subjects to be seen. They -rent the air with their cries of welcome; they sang songs of victory, -and howled out execrations against the Feringhees.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p> - -<p>Through every street and road where it was possible for the procession -to pass, it went. The white elephant, with its costly silken houdah, -beneath which was the Tiger of Cawnpore, towered above all—a -conspicuous and central figure.</p> - -<p>Soon after mid-day the show returned to the Bhitoor Palace, where -preparations had been made on a grand scale for the ceremony of the -forehead mark, or the crowning of the Peishwah. In one of the largest -halls a stately throne had been erected, and on this Nana Sahib took -his seat.</p> - -<p>Then there was borne into the hall, on men’s shoulders, a platform -covered with cloth of gold. The platform was railed round with -golden railings, and in the centre stood a Brahmin bull, covered -with jewels and held by gold chains. Following the bull came a large -number of priests, carrying small brass idols, and chafing-dishes -containing fire. The bull was placed in the centre of the hall, and the -chafing-dishes and idols ranged round it. An aged priest stepped up to -the head of the animal, and, after making many mystic symbols, he held -up a gigantic sword, and cried out in a loud voice—</p> - -<p>“The enemies of Brahma shall be smitten to the death.”</p> - -<p>Then a gong was sounded, and the whole of the vast assemblage fell -upon their knees, and bowing their heads to the ground, worshipped the -bull. This ceremony being ended, the chief priest advanced to the Nana, -bearing in his hand a dish of pure gold. From this dish he took a small -wafer, and while his colleagues muttered a low, monotonous chant, and a -hundred tom-toms were beaten, he pressed the wafer on the forehead of -the Nana, reciting a Brahmin<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> prayer the while. He next took a chaplet -of gold, and placed it on Dundoo’s head.</p> - -<p>Then the Palace seemed to be shaken to its foundation as the artillery -thundered out its recognition of the new ruler.</p> - -<p>The imposing ceremony being ended, and Dundoo having been duly -proclaimed Peishwah, the courtiers and servile cringers crowded round -the throne to congratulate their chief. Conspicuous amongst these were -Azimoolah, Tantia Topee, Teeka Singh, and the brothers of the Nana.</p> - -<p>It was a proud moment for Azimoolah. He had played a deep and skilful -game, and won. The stakes were large, but not all the newly-acquired -power of the Nana Sahib would be sufficient to keep them from the -destroying Nemesis who was coming on with gigantic strides.</p> - -<p>Until far into the morning the festivities were kept up. There were -torch-light processions, there were grand illuminations, and tremendous -bursts of fireworks, accompanied by the hoarse roar of artillery. But -all things come to an end, and the enthusiasm of Dundoo Pant’s new -subjects, like their fireworks, soon burnt itself out, and there was -silence, save for the croaking frogs, the shrill piping cicala, and the -under-hum of tens of thousands of insects.</p> - -<p>In a small room of the Palace, Nana Sahib had sought his couch, after -the exciting day’s work. He was weary and worn, and there was a -troubled look in his face. His newly-acquired crown did not seem to sit -easily. It was stained too indelibly with English blood. Long he tossed -about before he sank into an uneasy doze; then in a little while great -beads of perspiration stood upon his face. His chest heaved,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> he clawed -the air with his hands, he bit his lip until the blood flowed. The Nana -Sahib was dreaming a dream; and this was his dream.</p> - -<p>He saw a hand—a white hand—small at first, but it gradually grew, and -grew, and grew, until it assumed gigantic proportions. It stretched out -its massive and claw-like fingers towards Dundoo, who fled in terror -away. But that awful hand followed. In every finger were set hundreds -of glittering eyes; they glared at him until they burned into his very -soul. He still fled, but the hand grew larger, until it gradually bent -its fingers, and tore out his heart. And yet he lived, and the shadow -of the phantom hand was over him. It tortured him with unutterable -torture. It dragged him away from all kith and kin. Then it opened a -massive curtain, and showed him far, far down the Stream of Time. On -its ever-flowing tide he saw himself, a battered wreck, drifting to the -regions of immortal torture; and millions of scraggy fingers pointed at -him in derision, and millions of voices cursed his name.</p> - -<p>He awoke from this horrid dream—awoke with his heart almost standing -still, and a cold and clammy perspiration bedewing his body. He sprang -up with a cry of alarm, for everything in the vision had seemed -so real. But when he had gathered his scattered senses, he smiled -sardonically and muttered—</p> - -<p>“Pshaw! What a fool I am to let a dream so alarm me. Am I not rich, -powerful, invincible? What, then, is there to fear? These Feringhees -are crushed—crushed beyond all power to rise again. I am supreme; who -is there dare dispute my will?”</p> - -<p>A man suddenly entered the chamber. In the light<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> of the breaking day, -the Nana saw that it was Azimoolah.</p> - -<p>“What is the meaning of this, Azi?” he asked hurriedly. “Has anything -occurred to alarm you, for there is a look of fear upon your face?”</p> - -<p>“I might make a similar remark with a good deal of truth, your -Highness,” answered the other with a forced laugh.</p> - -<p>“Do not waste time in foolish recrimination, Azimoolah. What brings you -here?”</p> - -<p>“Bad news.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! Is that so?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Some of our spies have just come in, and brought word that -General Havelock is marching on Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“Is that all?” exclaimed the Nana, with a laugh. “Your news is not so -gloomy as I anticipated. We are powerful in troops and guns; we will -wipe these saucy foreigners off the face of the earth. Await my coming -below, Azi.”</p> - -<p>Azimoolah made a slight inclination of the head, and retired towards -the door.</p> - -<p>“Azi,” the Nana called, busying himself in adjusting some costly rings -that sparkled on his fat fingers. His familiar turned back. “Azimoolah, -are the—dear me! There is a diamond gone out of that ring. Where can -I have lost it, I wonder? Let me see, what was I going to observe? -Oh—<i>are the women and children at the Beebee-Ghur safely guarded?</i>”</p> - -<p>“I selected the guard myself, your Highness! so that I will vouch for -its efficiency.”</p> - -<p>“That is good. I will join you shortly, Azi. You may retire.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">WITH SWIFT STRIDES NEMESIS MOVES ON.</span></h2> - -<p>In spite of the indifference which Nana Sahib assumed to the news -brought him by Azimoolah, he felt considerable alarm. He had heard -of the powers of General Havelock. He knew that he was a dauntless -and war-worn soldier, who did not understand the meaning of the word -“defeat!” But he derived some consolation from the knowledge he -possessed that the numerical strength of the English could be but as -one to twenty against his own troops.</p> - -<p>As he descended to hold audience with his staff, he smiled bitterly, -and muttered—</p> - -<p>“I am immensely strong in troops, I have powerful artillery, and if -these fail to check the advance of these cursed English, I have yet one -more card to fall back upon. I can still have revenge upon their women -and children; and if the white soldiers should reach Cawnpore, they -shall find the city a ruin, and its streets running with English blood. -Shiva the Destroyer guides me, and victory shall yet be mine.”</p> - -<p>On reaching his counsel-hall he found his officers were excited and -alarmed. Fresh spies had come in with the confirmation of the first -report: that Havelock was making desperate efforts by means of forced -marches to reach Cawnpore. The Nana held hurried conversation with his -advisers. His hopes of a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> minutes before gave place to despair as -he thought of the possibility of his newly-acquired power being wrested -from him, and as the remembrance of the dream he had dreamed during the -night flashed through his brain, he trembled, and his trepidation was -noticed by his staff.</p> - -<p>“Your Highness is not well this morning,” observed Azimoolah; -“yesterday’s excitement has disturbed you?”</p> - -<p>“I am well enough,” the Nana answered sharply; “but it seems as if I -was to have no freedom from the annoyance of these English. I was in -hopes that we had set our foot firmly down upon them—that they were -hopelessly crushed. But it seems now that, Hydra-like, no sooner is one -head destroyed than another springs up.”</p> - -<p>“Then we must keep on destroying them until they are all exterminated. -Even the heads of the fabled monster were limited; and by constantly -destroying the English their power must come to an end.”</p> - -<p>“You do not counsel well!” cried the Nana irritably. “The power of the -English, it appears to me, is like the ocean, which you might go on -draining, drop by drop, until the end of time, and then there would be -no appreciable diminution.”</p> - -<p>Azimoolah smiled scornfully, and in his secret heart he felt some -contempt for his master.</p> - -<p>“Your notions are exaggerated,” he answered coolly, “and your fears -with respect to the unlimited power of these British groundless. They -are headstrong—impetuous—rash. They are rushing blindly on to their -fate. My spies inform me that they are weak both in guns and men. We -can bring an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>overwhelming force against them, and literally annihilate -them. Meanwhile, the revolt spreads well; every city in India is -asserting its independence of these foreigners, and so mighty shall -we become that if every man in England were sent against us, we could -defy them. I tell you the power of England is waning, if not already -destroyed. The White Hand stiffens in the coldness of death.”</p> - -<p>A thoughtful expression spread itself over the Nana’s face. Azimoolah’s -words sank deep. Whenever he faltered and doubted himself this familiar -was at hand to give him new hope. Bloodthirsty and revengeful as he -was, he was, after all, but a puppet, and would have been powerless to -have moved if others had not pulled the strings.</p> - -<p>“I think you are right—I think you are right,” he said, “and we will -contest the advance of these Feringhees. Let no time be lost in getting -our troops in motion; and let it be proclaimed far and near that a lac -of rupees shall be the reward to him who first captures Havelock, and -brings him in living or dead.”</p> - -<p>“The rupees were better in our treasury, your Highness,” answered -Azimoolah. “Havelock shall fall without any such rash expenditure. His -miserable force will be cut to pieces in the first encounter with our -troops!”</p> - -<p>In a little while Cawnpore was once more in a wild state of commotion. -Far and near was heard the sound of the bugle as it called to arms. The -artillery rumbled along, and thousands of trained troops were sent out -to oppose the advance of the English. Bala Rao, the Nana’s brother, was -placed in command of one division, and he was the first to march.</p> - -<p>As the afternoon wore on, a messenger, breathless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> and travel-stained, -arrived at the Palace, and sought an interview with the Nana. This was -no other than Jewan Bukht. He had been out for some days, by command of -his master, visiting all the villages within twenty miles of Cawnpore, -proclaiming the power of Dundoo, and inciting the natives to rise and -massacre the Europeans. It was evident Jewan Bukht brought news of -importance, for his face bore a look of anxiety, if not alarm.</p> - -<p>Jewan had to wait some time before the Nana consented to see him; for -the monster was passing his time with the females of his household, -and trying to still the voice of conscience by draughts of strong -drink. When he did present himself before his agent he was flushed and -excited, and his eyes were bloodshot.</p> - -<p>“How now, Jewan?” he cried. “Why do you come at such an inopportune -moment to disturb my peace?”</p> - -<p>“I bring bad news, your Highness.”</p> - -<p>“Curses on the bad news!” Dundoo thundered, as he turned furiously and -faced Bukht, who started away in alarm. “Twice to-day have those words -sounded in my ears. Am I never to know security? am I never to have -peace?”</p> - -<p>He paced up and down, fretting with rage. His arms were behind his -back, and he played nervously with the jewellery on his fat fingers.</p> - -<p>Jewan waited for some minutes before he spoke. He knew it was better to -let the Nana’s temper cool, for it was evident that he was excited with -drink, and at such times his savage nature was capable of any atrocity.</p> - -<p>“I regret, your Highness,” Jewan said at last, “that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> I, your servant, -should be so unfortunate as to incur your displeasure for having -faithfully performed my duty.”</p> - -<p>“There, there, excuse me,” answered Dundoo, as he stopped in his walk. -“I am irritable, and allowance must be made for me. Things do not work -as smoothly as they ought, and it appears to me that every one who -seeks me has bad news to tell.”</p> - -<p>“That is rather their misfortune than their fault,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes; you are right. I will try in future to be less hasty. But -now tell me what is the news you bring.”</p> - -<p>“General Havelock is making rapid marches upon Cawnpore.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw! That is old news. Have you none other but that?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. A body of troops, under Major Renaud, is making desperate efforts -to effect a junction with Havelock.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! That is bad. What is Havelock’s strength?”</p> - -<p>“I do not know exactly. His army is small, but is composed of some -of the best of English troops; and he has a regiment of bare-legged -soldiers.”</p> - -<p>“You mean Highlanders!” exclaimed the Nana, as he ground his teeth. -“May the Prophet confound them, for they are invincible. They seem to -draw fresh life from every blast of their unearthly pipes, and they -fight like devils.”</p> - -<p>“Still they may be conquered by numbers; and we have numbers, your -Highness.”</p> - -<p>“True, true; and we will send legions against them to stop their -advance. But how about Renaud? What is his strength?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He is at the head of the Madras Fusiliers, but their number is not -great.”</p> - -<p>“The Madras Fusiliers!” echoed the Nana, while a look of fear passed -across his face, for he knew that this regiment was celebrated -throughout India. It was evident that some of the best troops were -coming against him. His own troops only mustered about ten thousand -strong, horse and foot, and when he had spoken of hurling legions -against the advancing foe his mind was running upon the hundreds of -thousands of natives who peopled the city and the villages. But what -could the untrained hordes do against the very flower of England’s -Indian army? It seemed to him now as if the dream was to be realised, -and that the meshes were tightening around him. He paced up and down -again, his eyes bent upon the ground.</p> - -<p>“Your Highness is troubled,” Jewan observed.</p> - -<p>“I am troubled, for I see that unless the march of these British is -checked they will very soon be in our city.”</p> - -<p>“But we must check them.”</p> - -<p>“Must, forsooth, is easily said. But how are we to check them?”</p> - -<p>“We have troops and guns. Our troops can fight, and our guns can speak.”</p> - -<p>“And yet I do not feel secure, Jewan. We are not strong enough. But -go now; I will confer with my officers. See me again. In the meantime -stir up the people; let them go out in their thousands and harass the -English.”</p> - -<p>Jewan bowed, and had retired to the door when the Nana called him back.</p> - -<p>“Stay, Jewan; a thought strikes me. Delhi is full of Sepoys.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It is, your Highness,” was the answer, as a new hope sprang to life in -Jewan’s breast.</p> - -<p>“Do you think the King would lend me aid?”</p> - -<p>“I think it is to his interest to do so.”</p> - -<p>“You are right. You shall go to Delhi, Jewan.”</p> - -<p>Jewan’s heart beat wildly. He had longed to return to Delhi in the -hope that he might again be able to secure Flora Meredith. Delhi was -suggestive to him of luxury, of wealth, of idleness. He, in common with -all his countrymen, turned his eyes to the Imperial City as the central -pivot of the rebellion. Its strength was so enormous that it might -defy the united power of England’s army. The desire to once more have -Flora in his possession was so strong that he had often been strongly -tempted to renounce allegiance to the Nana and fly to Delhi, but he -had resisted the temptation, for he dreaded the power of Dundoo, whose -confidential agent he had been, and he knew that if he incurred the -displeasure of the revengeful Mahratta his life would never be safe -from the Nana’s spies, who were everywhere. But now the very thing he -had yearned for was likely to come to pass. From his knowledge of the -King, he did not believe in his heart that the required aid would be -given; but it was no business of his—at least, so he thought—to tell -Nana Sahib this. Moreover, there was another reason which made him -anxious to get away, and if his feelings had been truly analysed it -might have been found that this reason was the stronger of the two—it -was one of personal safety. He believed—though he did not from motives -of policy express the belief—that the advancing English would soon cut -their way into Cawnpore, and if that should be the case, and Nana’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> -power overthrown, his subjects would have to take care of themselves. -There was an uneasy feeling in Jewan’s throat as he pictured himself -swinging at the end of a rope from a banyan-tree.</p> - -<p>“And what will be the purport of my errand, your Highness?” he asked, -scarcely able to conceal his delight.</p> - -<p>“You shall hasten to Delhi with all speed, and convey to his Majesty a -true statement of the danger that threatens me. You can tell him—and -you know what an admirable diplomatist you are—you can tell him that -my strength does not exceed five thousand, and that the English are -coming down with a force double that strength. Solicit, in my name, -one or two regiments. Let every available vehicle and horse be pressed -into service, and let these reinforcements be sent on with all possible -speed, to join my troops, and beat back Havelock. If the King will do -this, my position will be secured.”</p> - -<p>“I think we need not have a doubt about it, your Highness. His Majesty -will do it.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so, Jewan—I hope so. Lose no time, but depart at once.”</p> - -<p>Jewan did not require a second bidding. He could ill conceal the smile -of joy that played around his lips, as he took his leave to make -preparations for his journey.</p> - -<p>Having provided himself with a horse and buggy, and armed himself -with a revolver, he drove out of Cawnpore as the shades of night were -gathering.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">“THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE.”</span></h2> - -<p>While Nana Sahib was thus neglecting no plan that could, as he thought, -add to his security, the Nemesis was coming on.</p> - -<p>It was well known to the English that Lucknow and Cawnpore were in -imminent peril; and knowing, further, that General Wheeler was hampered -with a large number of women and children, it was determined to make -the most strenuous efforts to relieve Cawnpore.</p> - -<p>With this object in view, General Havelock placed himself at the head -of a body of gallant troops, including a regiment of Highlanders. With -his little army he marched out of Allahabad. He knew how desperate were -the odds against him—he knew that every mile of ground would have to -be contested; but the grand old soldier was also aware that, if his -troops were few, their hearts were brave, and he had perfect faith in -his own ability to lead them to victory.</p> - -<p>At the same time, Major Renaud, in command of the Madras Fusiliers, -who had performed prodigies of valour, was pushing up the river with -the view of effecting a junction with Havelock. By forced marches -the General made rapid progress, not a day passing but what he had a -skirmish with the enemy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> These skirmishes were not worthy the name of -battle, since they were waged mostly by the native rabble; but they -served to harass and annoy the British.</p> - -<p>In a little while he fell in with Renaud, and the reinforcement was -doubly welcome; for many of his own troops had fallen sick through -the intense heat and the heavy marches, but there was no rest to be -had. The brave old warrior knew that every hour delayed served but to -increase the awful peril of those whom he was hastening to relieve.</p> - -<p>Futtehpore was reached, and here a desperate battle was fought between -Havelock and the Nana’s troops, who had been sent out to meet him.</p> - -<p>Confident of victory, the Sepoys had taken their stand at this place, -and, with taunts and bragging, presented a most powerful front to the -jaded and worn British soldiers. But Havelock knew his men; he knew -his strength. He let loose his little army. The fight was long and -bloody, but it ended in unmistakable victory for the General. It was -the first decisive blow that had been struck at the enemy in that part -of the country. Little time could be devoted to rest after the battle. -Every man burned to be on the road again. They were warming to their -work. Long forced marches were made, until a small river, called the -Pandoo-Muddee, was reached. This river was some little distance to the -south of Cawnpore, and here Bala Rao was stationed with a number of -Sepoys to oppose the English crossing the bridge.</p> - -<p>Havelock’s soldiers were worn out. The men were staggering beneath -their load. Some of them slept as they stood, others dropped by the -wayside. But if any incentive were wanted, it came now in the shape<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> of -the news that Cawnpore had capitulated, and the brave garrison had been -foully slaughtered.</p> - -<p>The news was brought by the General's spies; and as he made it known, -in a few sorrowful words, to his troops, want of rest was no more -thought of. The strong sprang to their feet, and breathed silent vows -of vengeance, while the sick and the weak wept because they were not -able to join their comrades in wreaking retribution on the cruel enemy.</p> - -<p>The bridge across the river was a small and narrow one. Bala Rao had -arrived too late to destroy it, but he had got his guns into position -to sweep it, so that it seemed impossible that a passage could be made -across it. He stood, with his cowardly followers, taunting the fagged -white men to cross. He dared them to come. He called them dogs.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers and comrades,” cried Havelock, “we <i>must</i> cross that bridge.”</p> - -<p>Shrill and clear rang out the bugle notes as they sounded the advance. -They must have struck terror to the black foe. With lips compressed, -with bayonets down at the charge, shoulder to shoulder, went the -dauntless few under a merciless storm of iron hail. The passage was -short, but many a brave fellow fell never to rise again. The Cawnpore -side of the river was gained; and then with a ringing cheer the British -“went at it.” What could stand against such a charge? The enemy was -scattered; he fled in wild disorder, leaving his guns behind him.</p> - -<p>The fight over, men fell down on the spot where they stood, and went to -sleep, too tired and jaded even to think of the evening meal.</p> - -<p>A few hours afterwards, Nana Sahib, anxious and restless, was pacing -his hall; he was waiting for news<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> of “the battle of the bridge.” -Though Havelock had succeeded in reaching that point, he could not -conceive it possible that he could cross. He had ordered Bala to blow -up the bridge, and to make a firm stand. He was waiting now to hear -that this had been accomplished, when Bala Rao staggered in. He was -covered with blood, which had flowed from a terrible wound in the -shoulder.</p> - -<p>“They have crossed the bridge, and we are defeated,” he gasped, as he -fell fainting into a chair.</p> - -<p>Nana Sahib literally foamed with rage when he heard these ominous -words. The dream was being realised, and the mighty fingers of the -White Hand were closing upon him.</p> - -<p>“Ten thousand curses upon them!” he muttered. “But I yet hold a card, -and will play it.”</p> - -<p>He rang a bell violently; a servant appeared.</p> - -<p>“Send Tantia Topee and Azimoolah here.”</p> - -<p>In a few minutes these two persons stood in his presence.</p> - -<p>“<i>I want the Beebee-Ghur cleared of every woman and child. And -stay—there is a well close by—it has long been useless—let it be -filled up with rubbish. Do not mistake my orders.</i> <span class="smcap">Every woman and -every child</span> <i>must leave.</i>”</p> - -<p>“I understand, your Highness,” answered Azimoolah, with a hideous -smile. “Your tenants are not profitable, and you have use for the -house. The women and children shall <i>all</i> be sent home.”</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>In a few hours’ time the Beebee-Ghur was deserted and silent, and the -useless well had indeed been filled up.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span></p> - -<p>Then, placing himself at the head of five thousand troops, Nana Sahib -marched forth to oppose the further advance of Havelock.</p> - -<p>“We shall conquer yet,” he murmured, as, armed to the teeth, he rode -side by side with his counsellors.</p> - -<p>They succeeded in reaching a village close to where Havelock was -resting; it was naturally a strong position. Here they posted a number -of very heavy guns, and the most experienced and ablest gunners were -selected to serve them.</p> - -<p>They opened fire with deadly effect upon the worn British soldiers.</p> - -<p>“Comrades, those guns must be charged,” were Havelock’s words. “Who -will take the post of honour?”</p> - -<p>In answer to the question, the Highlanders, under the command of -Colonel Hamilton, rushed to the front. There was not a single man who -was not eager to play his part in the deadly work; but the Highlanders -were the first to answer, and they claimed precedent. They were to -lead the charge. Setting aside for a moment all discipline, a stalwart -fellow stepped from the ranks, and holding up a card on which a thistle -was worked in a woman’s hair, while around it was a true lover’s knot, -he shouted in a stentorian voice—</p> - -<p>“For ‘Auld Reekie,’ boys, and the bonnie lasses we’ve left behind.”</p> - -<p>He was answered with a wild cheer, and cries of “Well done, Sandy!”</p> - -<p>Every heart of those kilted soldiers thrilled as the shrill sounds of -the pibroch arose from the bagpipes in the rear. Each man felt that he -had a personal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> wrong to wipe out, the death of a murdered friend to -revenge.</p> - -<p>Every man set his teeth, and clutched his rifle, as he held it at the -charge, with a grip of nervous desperation.</p> - -<p>The guns of the enemy were still roaring fierce defiance, and hurling -death right and left.</p> - -<p>Forward went the brave Highlanders with a ringing cheer, their -bayonets flashing in the sunlight; and, though the enemy were strongly -posted behind those awful guns, they were appalled as they beheld the -bare-legged soldiers rushing on like an impetuous torrent. The bayonet -charge of British troops was what no Sepoy had ever yet been able to -stand. The rebels wavered, then gave way, and fled. The guns were in -the hands of the Highlanders. “Auld Reekie” had been well remembered, -but poor Sandy was lying with his dead eyes staring up to the quivering -sky, and the little love-token lying over his stilled heart.</p> - -<p>The troops fell back in orderly array. But at the same moment a -howitzer, that had hitherto been masked, opened fire with fearful -effect. This gun was posted in a hollow—a sort of natural trench—on -some rising ground. Had it been served by any other than Sepoys, it -might have kept half-a-dozen regiments at bay.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers,” cried General Havelock again, “we must silence that noisy -gun. Its impudent tongue disturbs the neighbourhood!”</p> - -<p>Forth bounded the Highlanders again. An inspiriting cheer, a resistless -rush, the gun was captured; and, as the foe fled, the howitzer was -turned upon them.</p> - -<p>But the battle was not yet ended. The rebels, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> great force still, -held the village, and new batteries were brought into action, and -poured a murderous fire upon the British lines. A little body of -volunteer cavalry, that had been held in reserve, now came forward. It -was composed entirely of British officers, and their number was only -eighteen. Eighteen against thousands of the enemy, who were sheltered -behind walls and trees!</p> - -<p>As these heroes were preparing to go into action, there was one of -their comrades who, stricken with deadly cholera, was lying in the -ambulance. This was Captain Beatson. He cried out that he would not be -left behind, but that he would go into the heat of the battle with his -brothers. He could not sit his horse, for he was dying fast. But no -persuasion could induce him to miss the chance of taking part in the -act of retribution. Go he would; so a tumbrel was procured, and he was -carried into action, clutching his sword with his enfeebled hands.</p> - -<p>The signal was given. Away went the dauntless few. Shot and shell -poured around them, but could not stay their impetuous rush. Right into -the very midst of the enemy they rode. They did terrible execution; and -in a very short time had cleared the village.</p> - -<p>As the noble Beatson was brought in, he heard the cries of victory; -and, as his life was passing away, he raised his sword, gave a faint -cheer, and, with a smile upon his face, fell back dead.</p> - -<p>Baffled and beaten, the Sepoys fled. They appeared to be in full -retreat upon Cawnpore. To the Peishwah all seemed lost. It was the -crisis of his fate, and he was determined to make one desperate effort -more to turn the tide.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span></p> - -<p>He was arrayed in the most costly and imposing garments. He wore a -robe of cloth of gold, and his waist was encircled with a zone of pure -gold, set with brilliants. Pendant from this was a massive tulwar, -also jewelled, and round his head was an embroidered turban, that was -literally ablaze with diamonds.</p> - -<p>He knew the effect of gaud and glitter upon the native mind, and so, -putting spurs to his charger, he got ahead of his troops, and then -faced them, and bade them halt.</p> - -<p>“Why do you fly?” he cried, flashing his tulwar in the sun. “Are you -not men, and your pursuers dogs? Do men fly from dogs? Shame on you! -Remember our cause, and for what we fight—Liberty! Will you throw this -away, and become slaves again? Turn, and face the enemy, who is weak -and worn. We can hold this road to the cantonment. Let a battery of -guns be planted. The enemy must not, and shall not, enter Cawnpore. An -hour ago, I despatched messengers back to the city, and reinforcements -are already coming up.”</p> - -<p>“We will stand!” was the answer from hundreds of throats.</p> - -<p>The battery was planted right on the road that led into the cantonment, -and in about half an hour fresh troops came pouring out. They came down -with a terrible clatter, and amid the clashing of cymbals and the roll -of drums. As they got into position, Nana Sahib rode along the lines.</p> - -<p>“Taunt them, boys—taunt them! Dare them from their shelter, and then -blow them to atoms!”</p> - -<p>And, in response to this, the native band ironically struck up “Cheer, -Boys, Cheer.”</p> - -<p>It was a taunt of the right sort. It reached the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> ears of the English; -and, tired and worn out as they were, it gave them fresh vigour.</p> - -<p>The grey-haired veteran, Havelock, rode forth before his troops.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers,” he cried, “the enemy is bearding us; let us teach them a -lasting lesson!”</p> - -<p>The infantry rushed into line; their impatience could scarcely be -restrained. The noble Highlanders, looking fresh and inspirited, as if -they had only just come into action, again struggled to take the lead.</p> - -<p>It was an awful moment, for they must ride right upon the death-dealing -battery, which was planted in the centre of the road, and was belching -forth storms of grape and twenty-four pounders with astonishing -rapidity. But not a man quailed.</p> - -<p>“Cheer, Boys, Cheer,” still sounded in their ears, when the word of -command was given to “charge.” Away they went with that mad rush which -nothing could withstand. Right on to the muzzles of the guns they sped, -the General’s aide-de-camp, his noble son, Harry, leading the way. The -battery was carried; the enemy was shattered, and fled in confusion; -and as their own guns were turned upon them, and a terrific fire -opened, the English band struck up “Cheer, Boys, Cheer.”</p> - -<p>Night fell—the British bivouacked two miles from Cawnpore. They were -too weary to need a pillow, and their throats were so parched that they -were glad to drink some putrid water from a neighbouring ditch.</p> - -<p>On the following morning, as they were getting under arms, some of -the General’s spies came in. They brought an awful tale—it ran like -a shudder along the lines. Strong men bowed their heads and wept. And -they knew now that, in spite of their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> forced marches, in spite of the -terrible battles they had fought, in spite of their grand heroism, they -knew <i>they were too late to save—they could only avenge</i>. And there -was not a man there who did not make a mental vow to have a terrible -vengeance.</p> - -<p>When the first burst of grief was over, the troops moved forward -to occupy the cantonment. As they neared it they saw an immense, -balloon-shaped cloud arise, and then the earth was shaken with a -fearful explosion. The retreating enemy had blown up the magazine.</p> - -<p>Soon the British flag was once more floating over the blood-stained -city; the bagpipes and the bands filled the air with pæans of victory; -the sword of Damocles had fallen. The Great White Hand had gripped the -fiendish heart of the Nana, and his power was no more.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">RETRIBUTION.</span></h2> - -<p>After that great battle of Cawnpore, the baffled Nana fled. He -understood that his dream had come true, and his very hair stood erect -with fear. But he was a coward—a treacherous, sneaking cur, who -feared to die; and he dare not seek the common native mode of avoiding -disgrace, and kill himself. He fled towards Bhitoor, attended by half a -dozen of his guards.</p> - -<p>As he galloped through the streets of Cawnpore, his horse flecked with -foam, and he himself stained with perspiration and dust, he was met by -a band of criers, who were clashing cymbals, and proclaiming, by order -of Azimoolah, that the Feringhees had been exterminated.</p> - -<p>As Dundoo heard this, it sounded like a horrid mockery, for he knew how -false it was. He knew now that if all the hosts of swarming India had -been gathered in one mighty army, they would still have been powerless -to exterminate the Feringhees.</p> - -<p>He felt that his power was destroyed. Failure, defeat, ruin, had -followed with rapid strides on the glittering pageant which had marked -his restoration to the Peishwahship. Deserted by his followers, his -wealth gone, he was but a flying outcast. His one thought was to get -away from the pursuing <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span>Englishmen. His terror-stricken mind pictured a -vast band of avengers on his track.</p> - -<p>He reached his Palace. Its splendour had gone, his very menials -reproached him for his failure. As he entered the magnificent “Room of -Light,” he was met by Azimoolah.</p> - -<p>The Sybaritic knave had been luxuriating amidst all the wealth and -splendour of this gorgeous apartment, while the Nana’s army was being -hacked to pieces by the avenging Feringhees.</p> - -<p>As the fear-stricken fugitive entered, the mechanical birds were -warbling their cheerful notes, and a large Swiss musical-box was -playing, with the accompaniment of drums and bells, “See the Conquering -Hero comes.” It was the very irony of fate. It seemed as if it had been -done purposely to mock him.</p> - -<p>He strode over to the magnificently carved table upon which the box -stood, and, drawing his tulwar, dealt the instrument a terrific blow, -that almost severed it in halves; then he sank on to a couch, and -burying his face in his hands, rocked himself, and moaned.</p> - -<p>“Your Highness is troubled,” Azimoolah remarked softly, his composure -not in the least disturbed by the Nana’s display of fury. “Why should -you give way like this?” he continued, as he received no reply to his -first remark. “Despair is unworthy of a prince. All is not yet lost. -Rouse yourself, show a dauntless mien, and we will yet beat these -English back.”</p> - -<p>The Nana started from the couch, his face livid with passion, so that -Azimoolah shrank back in alarm, for cruel natures are always cowardly, -and it was coward matched to coward.</p> - -<p>“Curse you for mocking me!” the Nana cried,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> raising both his hands -above his head. “Curse you for luring me to destruction! May you rot -living! May you wander a nameless outcast—without shelter, without -home, fearing every bush, trembling at every rustle of a leaf, and with -every man’s hand against your life. If I had not listened to you I -should not have fallen. Curse you again! May every hope of Paradise be -shut out for you.”</p> - -<p>He fell into his seat again, overpowered by the exertion this outburst -had caused him.</p> - -<p>Azimoolah was a little disconcerted, but he tried not to show it. -With one hand on the handle of a jewelled dagger, that was hidden -in the folds of his dress, and his other hand playing with a lace -handkerchief, he crossed quietly to where the Nana was seated, and said -with withering sarcasm—</p> - -<p>“Your Highness is a little out of sorts, and my presence is not -required; but I may be permitted to remind your Highness that ‘curses, -like chickens, return to roost.’”</p> - -<p>With a smile of scorn upon his lips he passed out of the room, and the -fallen Mahratta was alone.</p> - -<p>In a little time, instincts of self-preservation caused the Nana to -start up, and resolve upon some plan of escape. He knew what would be -expected from him by his people. Having been defeated, he must retrieve -his honour by dying; but, as before stated, he was too great a coward -for that. He was wily enough, however, to see that it offered him means -of escape. There were two or three of his followers that he could yet -depend upon, and these he summoned to his presence, and made known a -plan that suggested itself to him.</p> - -<p>This plan was, that it was to be given out that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> was preparing -himself for self-immolation. He was to consign himself to the sacred -waters of the Ganges. There was to be a signal displayed in the -darkness of the night, at the precise moment when he took his suicidal -immersion. This signal was to be a red light hoisted at a given spot.</p> - -<p>Soon the news was spread far and wide, taken up by thousands of -tongues, and carried through the bazaars and the city, for miles -around, that Nana Sahib was going to kill himself; and some of the -Brahmin priests, who were still true to his cause, went through -religious ceremonies, in which they prayed for the immortal welfare of -the erstwhile Prince.</p> - -<p>But he had no thought of dying. As darkness closed in he gathered the -women of his household together, and hurried to the Ganges. There a -small boat was waiting him. In this he embarked, and ascended towards -Futtehgurh, and at a favourable spot emerged on the Oude side of the -river and fled; perhaps with the voice of the Furies—who are said to -avenge foul crimes—ringing in his ears.</p> - -<p>At the moment that he disembarked, the red light was hoisted. Thousands -of eyes had been watching for it; but no prayer floated upward for -the man who was supposed to have drowned himself. Those eyes had been -watching for another purpose, and when the red light appeared, a -howling crew rushed towards the Bhitoor Palace. In a little time its -magnificent halls and rooms were swarming with the rabble, who fought -and killed each other for possession of the valuables. Everything was -plundered. Not a yard of carpet, not a single curtain was left; even -the marble pavement was torn up. And when the morning came, the Bhitoor -Palace was a wreck inside.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span></p> - -<p>As the sun rose, a large number of English soldiers were sent down from -the cantonment to Bhitoor to search for the Nana. But they were too -late—the bird had fled. They found nothing but the bare building. Some -guns were brought up, and the muzzles turned towards the walls. The -building was battered down. The Palace was entirely destroyed, and ere -the sun set again, the last home of the Peishwah was a ruin.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6">[6]</a></p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6">[6]</a> It is needless perhaps to remind the reader that Nana -Sahib, the Tiger of Cawnpore, was never captured, nor is it known -how he met his end. It is supposed that he fled into the vast and -miasmatic jungle, known as the Terai, where, deserted by his followers, -broken-hearted and despised, he died a miserable death.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXX.</span> <span class="smaller">NEW HOPES.</span></h2> - -<p>To follow the fortune of two of the characters who have played -conspicuous parts in this history, it is necessary to go back to the -night of the day upon which General Wheeler vacated the Cawnpore -entrenchments.</p> - -<p>Walter Gordon and Haidee, as previously stated, sought concealment -in the ruins of an outbuilding that had been battered to pieces by -the enemy’s shot. Here they managed to escape the vigilance of the -marauders who swarmed in the defences after the English had gone. It -was true that there was nothing worth plundering, but all that was -movable in the shape of old iron and ammunition was carried off.</p> - -<p>Soon after the departure of the defenders, Haidee and Gordon were -startled by the booming of a gun, and almost before the echo had died -away, another followed, and another, until the firing became general. -Walter’s heart almost stood still, for the sound told but too plainly -that Haidee’s fears had been realised.</p> - -<p>As she heard the guns, she looked at her companion, and as her eyes -filled with tears, she murmured—</p> - -<p>“Your poor country people are being slaughtered.”</p> - -<p>“Alas! I am afraid it is so,” he answered; “may God pity them.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span></p> - -<p>After a time the firing grew desultory, but it continued for hours, -until Gordon became sick, as in his mind’s eye he pictured the awful -work that was being carried on. And as he remembered by what a strange -chance he had been prevented from accompanying the unfortunate people, -he could not help thinking that a kind destiny had preserved him, and -that happiness might come. And yet to think of happiness then seemed -almost as great a mockery to him as the mirage of a beautiful lake does -to the travellers dying of thirst in the arid desert.</p> - -<p>How could he hope for happiness? Deadly peril yet surrounded him. -If his hiding-place should be discovered he and his companion would -immediately fall a sacrifice to the yelling demons who were prowling -about thirsting for blood. And even if he escaped from them, how could -the hundred dangers that would encompass him be avoided? No wonder that -as he reflected upon these things, he sank almost into the very apathy -of despair. Haidee noticed the look of gloom that had settled on him.</p> - -<p>“Why are you so downcast?” she asked in a whisper.</p> - -<p>“I cannot help being so, Haidee. Our prospects seem so hopeless. And, -after all, our preservation may only be a prolongation of our agony.”</p> - -<p>“You should not speak like that. We live, and with life there is always -hope.”</p> - -<p>“True; but the hope cherished in extremity is more often than not a -delusion.”</p> - -<p>“It may be so, but it is better not to think so, for our prospects are -gloomy enough, truly so for me, for I am but a wanderer, without either -home or friends.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not without friends, Haidee, while I and Lieutenant Harper live.”</p> - -<p>At the name of Harper, she averted her face, that the speaker might not -see the emotion his words caused her.</p> - -<p>“But the fate of your friend is uncertain,” she said, after some little -silence. “He may be dead, and if so, life has no charm for me.”</p> - -<p>“He may be dead, as you say, and he may not. There were chances in his -favour; but even supposing that he escaped, he would lose no time in -making his way to Meerut, and there he would join his wife.”</p> - -<p>Gordon hazarded this remark, and as he did so, he watched his -companion’s face. He could scarcely help making it, for he longed to -know if Haidee was aware that Harper was married. But he did not like -to ask the question plainly. She hung her head and sighed, but made no -answer.</p> - -<p>Gordon was disappointed. He waited for some minutes, then felt that -he was justified in putting an end to all doubt upon the subject. -For while he would not believe that his friend had wilfully deceived -Haidee, he thought it probable that Harper might have deemed it -advisable to withhold the information, as his life had entirely -depended on this woman. And yet he was reluctant to believe that, for -it seemed to suggest that Harper in that case would have been guilty -of deceiving her, and he was not sure that even in such extremity the -end would justify the means—where the means meant the breaking of a -woman’s heart. And that woman, too, the very perfection of womanhood.</p> - -<p>“Did you know that Lieutenant Harper was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> married?” he asked kindly, -watching her closely as he spoke.</p> - -<p>But the only indication she gave that she felt the force of his -question was an almost imperceptible trembling of the lips. She turned -her eyes upon him as she answered—</p> - -<p>“I am aware of it. Your friend is too honourable to deceive -me;”—Gordon breathed freely again;—“but though I knew this, and -know that the laws of your country allow a man to have but one wife, -there are no laws in any country which prevent a man having any number -of friends. I would have been a friend to him, to his wife, to his -friends, so that I might sometimes have looked upon his face, and have -listened to his voice. Alas! if he is dead, will not my sun have gone -down, and only the gloom of night will remain for me.”</p> - -<p>“Let me cheer you now, Haidee, for it is you who are downcast and -despairing. Take comfort. Harper may still be living, and the future -may have boundless happiness in store for you.”</p> - -<p>“Forgive me for this momentary weakness,” she replied. “I do not -despair. While you live I have much to live for, for you are his -friend, and if I can succeed in restoring to you your lost love, shall -I not have much cause for rejoicing?”</p> - -<p>“You are a noble, self-sacrificing woman, Haidee, and your reward will -come.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so; but let us turn our attention to effecting an escape from -this place. Why did you not try to secure a weapon, for you may have to -defend your life?”</p> - -<p>“And yours,” he added quickly, for she never seemed to think of -herself.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her words reminded him for the first time that he was totally unarmed, -and carrying their lives in their hands as they did he knew that a -weapon was indispensable. He reproached himself for having been so -forgetful as not to have secured one before the garrison had marched -out; but reproaches were useless; that he knew, and he thought it -possible the error might yet be repaired.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it is not yet too late to get one,” he said.</p> - -<p>“We will try,” she answered. “I will go and search amongst the -defences; we may find something that will be of service.”</p> - -<p>“No, you must not go. Let that job be mine.”</p> - -<p>“We can both go,” she replied. “Four eyes are better than two, for one -pair can watch for danger, while the other searches.”</p> - -<p>“Thoughtful again, Haidee. We will both go; but first let me -reconnoitre, to see if the coast is clear.”</p> - -<p>Cramped and stiffened by the crouching posture he had been compelled -to sustain, he crept from his hiding-place, so as to command a view of -the ground. He could see nobody. He listened, but no sounds broke the -stillness, excepting now and again the exultant yelling of the natives, -as it was borne to his ears by a light breeze.</p> - -<p>The firing had ceased, for the deadly work at the Ghaut was completed, -and the day was declining.</p> - -<p>“I think we may venture forth, Haidee,” he said, after having assured -himself as far as possible that there was nobody in sight.</p> - -<p>They both went out from the place of concealment, and, while Haidee -took up a position behind a large gun from which she could command an -extensive view, and give timely warning of the approach of any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> of the -enemy, Gordon commenced to search amongst the heaps of old rubbish that -were scattered around.</p> - -<p>It was a melancholy task, for at every step there were ghastly -evidences of the fearful nature of the struggle that had been carried -on so heroically by the defenders. Here was a fragment of an exploded -shell, there an officer’s epaulette; a portion of a sword blade red -with blood, a baby’s shoe also ensanguined, a bent bayonet, a woman’s -dress, colourless and ragged, and what was more ghastly and horrible -still, there was the corpse of a little baby. It had died that morning; -its mother had been dead some days. In its dead hands it still held a -broken doll, and on its pretty dead face a smile still lingered. Gordon -picked up the ragged dress, and reverently laid it over the little -sleeper.</p> - -<p>Continuing his search, he came upon a canvas bag. It contained some -salt beef and some biscuits. They had evidently been put up by one of -the garrison for the journey, but in the hurry of departure had been -forgotten. It was a very welcome find to Gordon, for the pangs of -hunger were making themselves painfully unpleasant both in him and his -companion. The bag had a string or lanyard attached to it, so that he -was enabled to sling it round his shoulder.</p> - -<p>He next entered the portion of the barrack that had been occupied by -the men. Here there seemed to be nothing but ruin and rubbish. Worn-out -blankets, a few old beds, some broken cups, and various other articles -were strewn about. Amongst these he searched, and in one corner of the -room, hidden beneath a straw mattress, he found a case containing an -American revolver, and with it a leather bag filled with cartridges. He -could scarcely repress a cry of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> joy as he made this discovery; it was -the very weapon of all others likely to be most useful. The revolver -was in good order, and he proceeded to load it, and, this completed, he -hurried to Haidee. She was, of course, delighted with his good fortune. -As it was yet too early to leave, they went back to their hiding-place -and partook of some of the biscuits and beef.</p> - -<p>About two hours afterwards they crept from the ruins. The night was -quite dark. Tom-toms were being beaten in all directions, and fireworks -were constantly ascending. The natives were making merry and holding -high revel in honour of the victory—that is, massacre—for this was -the only victory they had ever gained. Haidee and Gordon made their -way stealthily along, avoiding the huts and houses, and keeping in the -shadow of the trees. They reached the bridge without molestation, but -as they crossed the river they were frequently eyed with suspicion by -the natives who were lounging about, several of whom addressed Haidee, -but she replying in their language, and saying that her companion was -dumb, the Delhi road was reached, and so far they were safe.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXI.</span> <span class="smaller">A DUEL TO THE DEATH.</span></h2> - -<p>Behind them was Cawnpore, a city red with the blood of slaughtered -innocence, a city filled with cowardly assassins, who, in their -supposed triumph, made night hideous with their drunken shouts. Before -them was Delhi and the unknown future. Walter Gordon and Haidee -travelled along in silence; both were occupied with their own thoughts. -He was racked with many conflicting emotions; hopes and fears struggled -in his breast. One moment he was inclined to think that he was going -upon a very wild goose chase, the next his steps could not move fast -enough to satisfy his craving desire to be at the end of the journey. -More than a month since Flora Meredith had been carried over that very -road, a captive, to the city of the King. What had befallen her during -that month? Was it possible for her sensitive nature to have borne up -against the shocks and trials to which she had been exposed? Even if -she lived and was still confined in Delhi, which was an immense place, -how could he hope to find her? Would it not be very much like looking -for the proverbial needle in the bottle of hay? But assuming that he -should be fortunate enough to discover her whereabouts, would it be -possible for him to rescue her? It was true that Zeemit Mehal had gone -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> search of her, and Zeemit was faithful, and a native; but she was -also old and ill, and might have died long ago.</p> - -<p>As he thus reasoned with himself, it seemed to him that his journey, -after all, was a little Quixotic, and it might be better, now that he -was free, to make his way to Meerut, and there endeavour to raise a -little corps to proceed to the Imperial City, and attempt a rescue by -force, should Flora still be living.</p> - -<p>He suggested this to Haidee, and gave her his reasons for coming to -that conclusion, but she only laughed, for to her the plan seemed so -absurd.</p> - -<p>“If I had no other thought but of myself,” she answered, “I should -counsel you to speed at once to Meerut, for is it not to Meerut that -Harper has gone? But even if you were to go there, what force that -you could raise would be powerful enough to enter the walled city of -the Mogul? Delhi is the great stronghold. It is to that place that -the tide of revolution flows. And it will need all the power of your -mighty nation to wrest it from the grasp of the insurgents. What we -have to do, we must accomplish by stratagem and stealth. By these means -we shall effect more than if we hammered at the Imperial doors with -half-a-dozen regiments behind us to enforce our demands. I do not doubt -but what we shall be able to get entrance into the city, and that being -so, we shall have gained a most important step. Though I know that, -by going back, I am walking into the very jaws of the lion, I have no -fear, so that I can serve you, who are the friend of the man who is -my life. Once in Delhi, we shall be comparatively safe; I have some -country people there who heartily hate the King, and who will gladly -give us shelter and concealment.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> The fact of an English lady having -been brought in will be too notorious not to be widely known, and we -shall speedily gain some information. For the rest, we must trust to -chance.”</p> - -<p>Gordon felt the full force of this woman’s reasoning. He derived hope -and strength from her words. She appeared to him in the light of a good -spirit, who was all powerful to lead him to success, and to guard him -from danger.</p> - -<p>There was something in her very presence that inspired him. Endurance, -trust, unselfishness, devotion to the cause of others—these were the -qualities that made her mind as beautiful as her face. And Gordon no -longer wondered why his friend Harper should have felt an all-absorbing -interest in her.</p> - -<p>Many a man had sacrificed home, friends, interests, and honour for the -sake of something far less ennobling than was presented in the mental -and physical beauty of this woman. And yet she had all the elements of -human weakness, though they were softened by those higher qualities of -the mind which were so conspicuous.</p> - -<p>“You are a wise counsellor, as you are a true friend, Haidee,” was -Gordon’s answer; “and I cheerfully acknowledge the superiority of your -reasoning as well as the clearness of your judgment.”</p> - -<p>“You rate poor Haidee too high,” she murmured softly; “she only tries -to humbly do her duty.”</p> - -<p>Gordon made no further remark; he knew that no other words were needed, -and so they walked on.</p> - -<p>It was weary travelling along that dark and silent road—silent save -for the myriad insects which in the Indian climate make night musical. -For many hours the travellers kept their way, until, as the morning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> -light stole upon the heavens, they halted, weary and worn, before a -traveller’s rest.</p> - -<p>It was a small, thatched bungalow, with the usual verandah running -round it.</p> - -<p>“This place invites us to recruit our strength with sleep,” Gordon -said. “Do you think it will be safe to remain here, Haidee?”</p> - -<p>“I think so; certainly safer than seeking rest in a jungle. There are -signs, too, of intense heat and a coming storm. We shall be secure from -it in this place, and we can remain until darkness again favours us.”</p> - -<p>They entered the building.</p> - -<p>There were two tolerably large rooms, which were bisected by a passage -that ran right through to a small compound. This compound was fenced -round, poultry having evidently been kept in it. On one side of the -compound was the indispensable adjunct to all Indian buildings—namely, -a cook-house. In India the food is almost invariably cooked over -charcoal. The charcoal is burnt in a hole in the ground; and as there -are no chimneys, the place in time becomes black and grimed with the -smoke. The outbuilding, in this instance, was a very small erection -composed of mud plastered over bamboo sticks. There was a door, and a -small square hole for a window. On the other side of the compound, and -directly opposite the cooking-place, was a little tank, and on the very -edge grew three or four cocoa-nut trees.</p> - -<p>The place was distant from Cawnpore only about ten miles, for the -travellers had made but slow progress during the night.</p> - -<p>When they had partaken of a frugal meal, it was arranged that one -should keep watch while the other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> slept, and Gordon insisted that -Haidee should be the first to seek repose. She protested at first, but -he pressed her; for it was evident that she was fagged and worn-out, -and only kept up by strength of will. She yielded to his entreaties, -and very soon was locked in sound sleep.</p> - -<p>As she had predicted, the day came in with a sultriness that was almost -unbearable. The sun was obscured by heavy banks of cloud, but the -dust-laden wind blew like the fiery blast from a furnace.</p> - -<p>It was weary work enough watching, and Gordon had the utmost difficulty -in preventing himself from being overcome by sleep, for nature was -thoroughly exhausted; but he knew that danger menaced, and if he -yielded to the desire for rest, he and his companion might both be -murdered before they were able to utter a cry.</p> - -<p>The day was growing old when Haidee awoke, thoroughly recruited by -many hours of most refreshing slumber. The clouds in the sky were -increasing, and it was evident a storm was brewing.</p> - -<p>“I have slept long,” she said; “you should have aroused me before.”</p> - -<p>“No,” he answered; “that would have been cruelty. I have yet several -hours to rest before we can start upon our journey; for we must not -leave this shelter until the storm has passed.”</p> - -<p>He laid himself down, and in a very few minutes was sound asleep.</p> - -<p>Haidee kept a faithful watch. Hour after hour passed. Darkness came -on—darkness unrelieved by the glimmer of a single star. Presently -heavy drops of rain commenced to patter down; then a blinding and -jagged streak of blue lightning leapt across the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> black sky, and a -deafening crash of thunder followed. Gordon woke with a start, alarmed -for a moment, not realising what the noise was.</p> - -<p>“Haidee, Haidee—where are you?” he called.</p> - -<p>“Here,” she answered, as she groped her way to where he stood, and laid -her hand upon him. “I saw that this storm was coming,” she continued, -“but it is rather in our favour, for it will lay the dust and cool the -air. Ah! What is that?” she suddenly exclaimed, as she grasped his -hand. “Do you not hear something?”</p> - -<p>“No, nothing but the rain.”</p> - -<p>“There is something more than that—the sound of horse’s hoofs. Do you -not hear it?”</p> - -<p>He listened for a minute, and then answered—</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Come to the door,” she said, still holding his hand.</p> - -<p>He did as she desired, and they both listened.</p> - -<p>“I hear wheels, too,” she whispered. “Somebody is driving along the -road. We must conceal ourselves.”</p> - -<p>“Where?” he asked.</p> - -<p>She considered for a moment, and then answered—</p> - -<p>“In the cook-house. You will be able to defend us there, with your -revolver, against great odds. But if I mistake not, this is a buggy -that is advancing, and so cannot contain more than two or three people. -They are evidently making for this place to seek shelter from the -storm. Come, let us go.”</p> - -<p>They hurried to the cook-house. The door closed with a wooden latch, -and Gordon managed to secure this from being opened from the outside by -means of a piece of stick.</p> - -<p>The sound of the wheels drew nearer and nearer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> and in a few minutes -the vehicle drew up at the door, and a man sprang to the ground.</p> - -<p>“There is only one person,” Gordon whispered.</p> - -<p>“There may be more behind,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“We must not stir.”</p> - -<p>They heard the man unharness the horse and lead it to the shelter of a -small shed used as stable, at one end of the house. The storm now broke -furiously. The lightning and the thunder were terrific, and the rain -came down—as it does come down in India—in a perfect deluge. The man -went into the bungalow, and for four hours Gordon and Haidee waited in -terrible suspense for the coming day. Several times Gordon wanted to go -out and face the stranger, but Haidee restrained him.</p> - -<p>“Wait,” she said, “until you can see with whom you have to deal. There -may possibly be more than one person, and they are sure to be armed. -Besides, they, or he, will depart when day breaks.”</p> - -<p>Gradually the storm died away. The lightning flashed less frequently, -the thunder growled at long intervals, the rain became a pattering -shower, then a drizzle, and at last ceased. Darkness fled before the -dawn, and the soft light of a new day spread over the land. The air was -delightfully cool, and the birds sang merrily, as if thankful for the -health-giving storm.</p> - -<p>The stranger, who had been sleeping in the room previously occupied by -Gordon and Haidee, awoke with the break of day, and going to his buggy, -he procured a small brass lotah and some food; then he crossed the -compound to the cook-house and tried the door, but found it fastened. -He tried it again; put his shoulder to it; still it did not yield.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That is strange,” he muttered, in Hindoostanee. “It seems to be -fastened on the inside.”</p> - -<p>“By heavens—I have heard that voice before?” Gordon whispered -excitedly to Haidee. “There is only one man, and, at all hazards, I -will see who it is.”</p> - -<p>He undid the fastening carefully, and opened the door, having first -drawn his revolver. The stranger had crossed over to the tank, and was -stooping down, filling his brass vessel with water. The door made a -slight noise on being opened. The stranger, whose senses were quickened -by being constantly on the alert for danger, sprang up, dropping his -dish, which sank in the water, and with a rapid movement of his arm, he -drew a revolver.</p> - -<p>As Gordon saw who the man was, his surprise overcame his caution, and -he exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“I thought I was not mistaken, Haidee—it is the villain, Jewan Bukht!”</p> - -<p>It was Jewan; he was on his way to Delhi, to seek reinforcements -in the name of Nana Sahib. Master and servant had met. Master and -servant were face to face, and one of them must die. Jewan recognised -his old master’s voice in an instant, and, with the instinct of -self-preservation, which is ever uppermost in the human mind, he sprang -behind the cocoa-nut trees, and covered the door of the cook-house with -his revolver.</p> - -<p>In his uncontrollable excitement, consequent on this unexpected and -strange meeting, Gordon exposed himself to the aim of his foe. Jewan -fired, but his aim was high, and his bullet went crashing through the -roof of the little building. Bukht was looking out to see if his shot -had taken effect, when Gordon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> seized the opportunity, and fired; but -the bullet only struck the tree.</p> - -<p>It was certain that one of the men must fall, for neither could leave -his shelter without exposing himself to the fire of the other.</p> - -<p>“Walter Gordon, you shall not escape me!” Jewan cried tauntingly. “I -have friends, who will be coming along the road soon, and they shall -burn you out.”</p> - -<p>“Villain and traitor!” Gordon answered; “you have professed -Christianity, and worshipped in the Christian faith; and I tell you -that that God, whose name you have often invoked, will guide my bullet, -and recognise the justice of my cause.”</p> - -<p>A part of Jewan’s shoulder was exposed, and Gordon fired again—but -again missed—the bullet passing a little too high, and grazing the -bark of the tree. He was ordinarily a good shot, but his nerves were -unsteady now with excitement, and he could not take proper aim.</p> - -<p>“Ah, ah, ah!” laughed Jewan as he returned the fire. “Your bullets need -guiding, I think.”</p> - -<p>Gordon was inclined to go out and openly attack his enemy, but Haidee -would not permit it.</p> - -<p>“That would be madness,” she said in alarm, “and a needless sacrifice -of your life.”</p> - -<p>“What, then, is to be done?” he asked. “If the fellow should be -reinforced, we shall be doomed. Is it not better to make a bold stroke -for our lives?”</p> - -<p>“If the bold stroke is to expose yourself, I say no. The moment you go -out, the man’s bullet will end your career. We must resort to a ruse to -try and draw him from his cover.”</p> - -<p>“That is a good idea; but what do you propose?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span></p> - -<p>Some pieces of bamboo were lying in the corner; she secured one of -these, and then said—</p> - -<p>“Give me your turban.”</p> - -<p>He having done as she desired, she wound the muslin round the stick, so -as to, in some measure, resemble Gordon’s head.</p> - -<p>“Go to the window,” she said, “and fire a shot. This will attract -Jewan’s attention to that spot, and while you get back to the door -again I will show the turban.”</p> - -<p>Gordon saw the plan was a good one. He crept to the window, and fired -at Jewan’s tree, then ran back to the door, as Haidee raised the stick.</p> - -<p>Bukht peeped cautiously from behind his shelter. He saw what he -supposed was Gordon’s head, and, taking deliberate aim, fired. There -were two simultaneous reports—two bullets sped past each other. One -crashed harmlessly through the mud wall of the cook-house, the other -crashed fearfully through the brain of Jewan Bukht, who, without a cry, -without a moan, threw up his arms, and fell forward into the tank a -corpse. It was a just retribution, and his career of crime was ended.</p> - -<p>Gordon could not help drawing a sigh of pity as he saw his old servant -fall, and yet he felt that the man’s fate was merited.</p> - -<p>“We had better not remain here,” Haidee said, “for the firing may have -reached other ears, and we shall have our foes down upon us in numbers. -Let us conceal ourselves in the jungle until darkness again sets in.”</p> - -<p>Gordon went out, untethered the horse, and set it free, so that it -might forage for itself. He would have utilised it and the buggy, but -he knew that that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> would be running unnecessary risk. He searched -the vehicle, and found a large bag filled with rupees. These he -appropriated as spoils of war, thinking they might be useful as bribes. -There was also a quantity of provisions, which were very welcome. -Having secured these things, and made a hearty meal, he and his -companion struck into the jungle, there to wait until darkness should -again befriend them.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXII.</span> <span class="smaller">DELHI.</span></h2> - -<p>Delhi, where centred all the hopes of the mutineers, was one of the -largest and most beautiful cities in Upper India. If its walls had -been properly guarded it would have been almost impregnable. One side -of the city rested upon the Jumna, and the other side formed a mighty -mass of fortifications. Stately mosques and minarets were everywhere to -be seen. The Jumna Musjid, a triumph of Oriental architecture, and the -magnificent pile of the Royal Palace, imparted to the place an aspect -of regal splendour. It was here that for centuries a long line of kings -had held arbitrary sway. Here, before the advent of Clive, the great -Mogul rulers had dazzled the country with their pomp and splendour, and -with irresistible might and power had awed their subjects into slavish -subjection.</p> - -<p>The city lay in a vast hollow, that was interjected and cut up by -ravines and patches of jungle; while here and there, outside of -the walls, stately mansions had been erected by Europeans. These -houses glimmering whitely in the sun, and fringed with graceful -palms, lent a charm to the landscape that could scarcely have been -surpassed. Entrance to the city was gained by various gates, that were -formidable in their strength, as well as noble and beautiful in their -architecture.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was to Delhi that the stream of rebels flowed almost unceasingly, -until behind its frowning walls there was gathered a mighty Sepoy army, -as well as a countless multitude of rascals from all parts. On the -ridges on two sides, a mere handful of British had sat down waiting for -reinforcements and a siege train to begin operations and attack the -dastardly enemy in his stronghold. England’s security in India depended -upon the fall of the Imperial City; and yet the available force arrayed -against it was ridiculously small.</p> - -<p>It was as if a pigmy had set itself up to conquer a stupendous giant; -for truly Delhi was a giant at that time. From its walls countless -heavy guns kept up an incessant fire of shot and shell on the besieging -army, which could only feebly reply.</p> - -<p>The saucy rebels laughed when they saw how feeble their enemy was. -Sorties from the city were almost of hourly occurrence, and the English -were harassed and taunted almost beyond endurance. But they waited, -assuming the defensive at first, for they knew that their time would -come.</p> - -<p>Inside of the city it was little better than a pandemonium. The worst -passions of humanity were running riot; the most savage and horrible -instincts of the natives had been aroused, and they gave unchecked -vent to their feelings; the beautiful Palace had become a barrack; the -courtyards were turned into stables, and some of the noble apartments -were occupied by the Sepoys, who gambled and drank, fought, quarrelled, -and killed each other, and made the place hideous with their demoniacal -revelry. The imbecile King, the grey-haired puppet, was powerless -to stay this. He was like one who had invoked to his aid a terrible -agency, that having once been set<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> free, was beyond his control. But he -believed himself mighty, and that belief gave him pleasure. He chuckled -and grinned whenever accounts were brought to him, that so many English -had been killed in the sorties.</p> - -<p>“Make our guns speak! make our guns speak!” was his favourite -expression to his creatures. “Send showers of shot and shell into the -English positions. Give them no rest. Do not stop until you have blown -these hated Feringhees from the face of the earth.”</p> - -<p>But though the guns did indeed speak, though they sent forth their -missions of death in thousands, there were still no signs of the “hated -Feringhees” being blown from the face of the earth—on the contrary, -they held their ground. They did more, they descended into the hollow, -and attacked the enemy at his own gates, and often against fearful -odds beat back the forces that came out against them. But these little -successes gave the King no alarm.</p> - -<p>He believed it was impossible for the foreigners to get inside the -city, and so he gave himself up to indolence and luxury. He had one -little trouble though—a trifling one perhaps, but it caused him to -chafe. This was the obstinacy of two women—Englishwomen. One of these -was Flora Meredith.</p> - -<p>When Flora arrived in the city after being brought from Cawnpore by -Moghul Singh, she was at once conveyed to the Palace, and confined in a -small room. At first she gave herself up to almost maddening despair, -and if the means had been at hand she might have been strongly tempted -to put an end to her existence. A few days after arrival she was -conducted to the presence of the King. He was alone in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> a luxuriously -furnished ante-room that led from the “Hall of Audience.” Moghul Singh, -who had been her guard, retired, and the King and Flora were face to -face. She was the first to speak.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty has sent for me,” she said. “What are your wishes, and -why am I detained here a prisoner?”</p> - -<p>“I have sent for you that I may gaze upon your beauty,” he answered.</p> - -<p>“Peace, old man!” she exclaimed with warmth. “With your grey hairs -there should at least be wisdom. I am but a girl; and though you may -hate my race, my youth and sex should protect me from insult, and -insure me pity from you.”</p> - -<p>“Tut, tut, child; you talk foolishly. It is your very youth that -constitutes your charm. But it has ever been the fatal mistake of -your countrywomen to despise us; because our skins are of a different -colour. Times have changed. We are the conquerors now, and the -erst-while slaves become the masters. Your proud race shall bend and -bow to us now. We will set our feet upon your necks.”</p> - -<p>“And is it to tell me this that you have sent for me?” asked Flora, in -an impatient tone.</p> - -<p>“No, no,” mumbled the King. “I said it was to gaze upon your beauty.”</p> - -<p>“Shame upon you!” she cried. “If that is your only purpose, I command -you to let me go.”</p> - -<p>“Command, eh? Such a word becomes you not, my child. We do not allow -ourselves to be commanded. Your life is in my power. If I but raise my -finger, you would die. Have a care—have a care, girl.”</p> - -<p>“If but the raising of your finger can do so much, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> implore you, in -the name of all you worship, to raise it and release me. Nay, doom me -to the worst of deaths, so that you will only end my misery.”</p> - -<p>“No; your time has not yet come. We will reserve you for another -purpose.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! what do you mean?” cried Flora, as she pressed her hand to her -temples to still their throbbing.</p> - -<p>The King smiled, and rubbed his palsied hands together.</p> - -<p>“You may be useful,” he answered. “We will keep you as a hostage; and -though our age precludes the likelihood of our gaining your favour, we -have sons, and one of them shall try his hand at breaking your proud -spirit. He has succeeded before now with your countrywomen, and I tell -thee, girl, he will succeed with you.”</p> - -<p>Flora shuddered. She inwardly prayed that she might be stricken with a -merciful death upon the spot on which she stood, for she knew that she -could expect no pity from her foes; and yet she cried—</p> - -<p>“Oh, man, let your heart thrill with one touch of sympathy for me. I -am a woman, helpless and alone; let that fact appeal to your manhood. -Spare me. Let me go free. Do one good act, and rest assured it will -bring its own reward.”</p> - -<p>“Bah!” exclaimed the King angrily, “you people are too much given to -preaching. But I am deaf to your appeals; I am steeled against your -entreaties. I tell you my son shall make you his slave.”</p> - -<p>“Never!” cried Flora, drawing herself up, while her face was scarlet -with indignation. “I defy you. You can but kill me, and it were better -to suffer death twenty times than become the plaything for you or -yours.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We shall see, we shall see,” chuckled the King. “We have already one -of your countrywomen here; she was more fiery than you at first, but we -tamed her, and now she is as obedient as a well-trained dog. She is our -tool—we use her. She shall take you in hand. Ho, Moghul!”</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh appeared in obedience to the King’s call.</p> - -<p>“Moghul, this woman is defiant.”</p> - -<p>“Is she so, your Majesty?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and we must humble her. Where is Zula? Let her be conducted into -our presence.”</p> - -<p>Moghul bowed and withdrew.</p> - -<p>“Zula is a name we have given to an Englishwoman who is in our care,” -the King continued. “She was like you at first, but we soon cured her. -She is useful now. She whiles away our idle hours with her songs and -music; she sits at our feet, and we fondle her as we should our pet -dog; but, like the dog, we make her know her place.”</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh returned, and led into the room a young English girl. She -was scarcely more than two-and-twenty, but her face bore traces of -awful sorrow. A sweet face it was, but its beauty was marred with the -expression of care and a look of premature age. She was attired in a -long robe of light blue silk, embroidered with gold, and down her back -fell a wealth of unfettered hair. She looked at Flora in astonishment -as she entered, but turned instantly to the King, and making a low bow, -said—</p> - -<p>“What is your Majesty’s pleasure?”</p> - -<p>“Here is a countrywoman of yours, Zula; she sets us at defiance. You -must teach her to respect us, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> yield to our will. She may listen to -you, though she will not listen to us.”</p> - -<p>“She is foolish, your Majesty, and her pride must be broken.”</p> - -<p>“Well said, Zula. Her pride <i>shall</i> be broken,” remarked the King.</p> - -<p>Flora turned with amazement to Zula. To hear one of her own race talk -like that seemed almost too horrible to be real. She could scarcely -believe the evidence of her own senses; but she managed to find tongue -at last.</p> - -<p>“Are you mad, woman?” she asked, “or have you forgotten that you -represent a great and honourable nation?”</p> - -<p>“Neither,” was the scornful answer. “But however great our nation, his -Majesty here represents a greater and a mightier still. The weak should -yield to the strong. I yield, as you must.”</p> - -<p>“Never!” was the passionate exclamation of Flora. “Rather than yield to -such an imbecile dotard as that, I would suffer any torture that the -ingenuity of man could invent.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw!—your words are idle,” answered Zula. “I once thought as you -do, but I think differently now. I sympathise with his Majesty and -his cause. He has been graciously pleased to smile upon me, and I -thank him. Take my advice. Kiss the King’s hand, as a sign of your -submission, and give yourself up to a life of luxury and ease.”</p> - -<p>“To a life of infamy, you should say,” replied Flora. “But if you are -dead to every sense of honour and right—if you are so abandoned as -to have forgotten your womanhood, do not counsel me to follow in your -footsteps. I repeat that I will die first.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I repeat that you won’t,” said Zula, with sarcasm. “If I have not lost -my powers of persuasion, I will undertake to change your views in less -than an hour.”</p> - -<p>“Well said, Zula—well said,” cried the King. “You shall test your -powers. Take this woman to your own apartment, and report in an hour’s -time what progress you have made. Moghul, Zula will retire.”</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh, who had been waiting outside of the door, entered. He -understood the King.</p> - -<p>“Come,” he said to Flora. “It is the King’s command.”</p> - -<p>Anxious to get away from the hateful presence of the King, Flora -allowed herself to be led out by Moghul, who was followed by Zula. He -conducted her through a long corridor, until a room was reached. Then -he turned to Zula.</p> - -<p>“I give her into your charge,” he said. “Remember, you are responsible -for her.”</p> - -<p>“Never fear but what I will render a good account of her,” Zula -answered laughingly. “Come, madam,” turning to Flora, “and let me see -if I cannot alter some of your exalted notions. What I am you must be, -either by force or persuasion; and, believe me, it will be far better -for you to yield to the latter.”</p> - -<p>It was a luxurious apartment. Splendid mirrors adorned the walls, and -costly silken curtains hung at the windows. Marble statuary peeped from -clusters of magnificent flowers and ferns, and some choice water-colour -drawings by English artists were suspended on the walls by gold cords. -A harp stood at one end of the room. There was also a grand-piano, -while a guitar was lying on an ottoman. Tastefully arranged in various -corners of the room were gilded stands, and on these stands were cages -of gorgeously-plumaged <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span>birds, that made the air melodious with their -songs.</p> - -<p>“This is my prison,” said Zula, as Flora threw herself on to a couch, -and burst into tears. “Here his Majesty visits me, and I am happy—oh, -so happy. Tral, lal, la, la, la.”</p> - -<p>She sat down at the piano, and with light and rapid fingers ran over -the keys; and then, in a sweet, well-modulated voice, sang—</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“My heart was a garden</div> -<div class="i1">Where fresh leaves grew;</div> -<div>Flowers there were many,</div> -<div class="i1">And weeds a few;</div> -<div>Cold winds blew,</div> -<div class="i1">And the frosts came thither;</div> -<div>For flowers will wither,</div> -<div class="i1">And weeds renew!</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Whither, oh! whither</div> -<div class="i1">Have fled away</div> -<div>The dreams and hopes</div> -<div class="i1">Of my early day?</div> -<div>Ruined and grey</div> -<div class="i1">Are the towers I builded;</div> -<div>And the beams that gilded—</div> -<div class="i1">Ah! where are they?”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>As she finished the last line, she jumped from her seat, and, throwing -the music carelessly on one side, laughed loudly.</p> - -<p>“Moghul, you need not remain,” she said, addressing Singh, who lingered -in the doorway. “I have an hour in which to convert this weeping -beauty—and I will convert her, never fear. Convey my respectful -salaams to his Majesty, Moghul, and ask him if he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> will deign to honour -me with his presence at the end of that time, to see what progress I -have made.”</p> - -<p>Moghul withdrew, and as he closed the door, he turned the key in the -lock.</p> - -<p>Flora was still sitting on the couch, with her face buried in her hands.</p> - -<p>Zula sprang to the door, and listened for a minute; then she hurried -across the room, and seized Flora’s wrist.</p> - -<p>“Why do you weep, woman?” she asked, in a hurried and low tone.</p> - -<p>Flora looked up in astonishment, struck with the sudden change in the -manner of her companion.</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” she asked, “and what are you doing here?”</p> - -<p>“I am a wretched, miserable, broken-hearted woman,” answered Zula.</p> - -<p>“Ah! is that so?” cried Flora; “then you do but act your part?”</p> - -<p>“That is all. I arrived in Delhi but a few short months ago from -Calcutta. I came with my husband, who was in business here. He had gone -to Calcutta to make me his wife. We were married and happy, and came -here. I saw that husband butchered before my eyes, when this awful -mutiny broke out in Delhi. But I was spared and brought to the Palace. -I made the King believe that he had won my love. It was in the hope -that an opportunity would occur for me to avenge my husband’s cruel -murder, and rid India of a monster. I have here a small stiletto, and I -have made a vow to plunge it into the heart of the King. I have won his -confidence; he believes me to be true to him. Hitherto, he has seldom -been alone when he has visited me, but he is becoming less<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> cautious, -and I pray Heaven that I may have the strength and courage to execute -my purpose.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, my poor sister in misfortune!” cried Flora, as she threw her arms -round Zula’s neck, “this is very, very terrible. No doubt this monster -of iniquity is deserving of such a fate, but will it not be better to -leave him to the retribution that will speedily overtake him, and let -us try and effect our escape to the British lines?”</p> - -<p>“Escape is impossible,” Zula answered; “our enemies have become too -wary. I have given up every hope, except the one that I, a weak, -dishonoured, miserable woman, may be able to strike the imbecile King -down. If it had not been for this hope I would have ended my own life -long ago. If the King were dead, his army would become demoralised, and -Delhi would fall. But while he lives, I fear the city will never be -reduced, and thousands of brave English soldiers must be sacrificed in -the futile attempt to gain an entrance. Therefore, I feel that it is a -duty I owe to my country!”</p> - -<p>“Alas! Zula, you speak truly, however fearful it may be to have to -cherish such a feeling; but the atrocities committed since the mutiny -broke out have been enough to unsex us, and turn even our women’s -hearts to steel.”</p> - -<p>“You would say so, if you had seen the sights that I have seen. My -blood curdles, and I shudder as I think of them!”</p> - -<p>She paused, for the key was being turned in the lock.</p> - -<p>Flora sank on to the couch again as the door opened. On the threshold -appeared the King, Moghul Singh, and several Sepoys.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span></p> - -<p>“So, you she-dog,” the King hissed, addressing Zula, “you would have my -life, would you? Thanks to the fidelity of Moghul, who has overheard -your plot, that trouble will be saved you. The Prophet is good, and -watches over the faithful. I shall live, and <i>you</i> shall die.”</p> - -<p>He made a motion with his hand, and four Sepoys entered and seized the -unfortunate Zula. Flora screamed and fainted, but, beyond a deadly -paleness, the doomed woman betrayed no signs of emotion.</p> - -<p>“Treacherous wretch,” continued the King, “I little believed that you -were playing a double part. I have been blinded by your deceitful ways.”</p> - -<p>“Miserable dotard!” answered Zula scornfully; “if I had but seen you -dead at my feet, I could have died happily.”</p> - -<p>“Take her away, Moghul—instant death!”</p> - -<p>The unhappy Zula was dragged out of the room, and the King, having -glanced at Flora, locked the door, and, putting the key in his girdle, -walked away.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">A TERRIBLE VOW.</span></h2> - -<p>When Flora found herself alone, she gave way to bitter despair. It -seemed as if fate was mocking her. She was hopeless. No sooner had she -found a friend in the unhappy Zula, than that friend was snatched away -to suffer a cruel death.</p> - -<p>“Why should she die, and I be spared?” the poor girl moaned, as she -rocked herself backwards and forwards under the influence of the mental -torture she was enduring. “Oh, that I could lie down here and end my -wretched life! Why do I live? Why am I spared? It is not that I fear -to meet death. Life has a thousand terrors for me, but death has none. -Friends, home, happiness, all gone—all gone, and yet I am preserved, -for what end, for what end? It is a mystery that I cannot hope to -fathom. I will try to be patient—to have faith in the goodness of -Heaven. But I am weak, and in my human blindness Heaven seems unjust, -and the burden of my cross is more than I can bear.”</p> - -<p>She sank down on her knees by the side of the couch, and, burying her -face in her hands, wept and prayed. She was suffering the very extreme -of mental torture. Not a ray of hope shone out of the gloom into which -she was plunged.</p> - -<p>“Oh, for a friendly hand and a soothing voice!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> she murmured; but -neither was there. She was alone, and however awful the sorrow might -be, she must endure it.</p> - -<p>There are times when it really seems as if Heaven was unmindful of our -sufferings, and with only human hearts and brains to endure, we appear -to have more than human sorrow thrust upon us. We cry aloud for help, -but it comes not; we pray for death, but it is withheld; we totter -beneath our burden, and yet it is not lightened.</p> - -<p>Flora Meredith experienced something of this—whichever way she turned -her eyes she saw no help, only darkness and sorrow, and she almost -impiously believed that the Christian’s God had forsaken her. It was -scarcely to be wondered at that she should feel like this; for she had -been borne like a reed on the current of swift-flowing events, and -though she had prayed for help, no help had come.</p> - -<p>In a little while she rose from her kneeling position at the couch, -and made an inspection of the apartment. She scarcely knew why, though -perhaps in her breast was some half-formed hope that a way of escape -might present itself. At one end of the room was a carved archway, -and before this archway hung a massive velvet curtain. She drew this -curtain on one side, and there was revealed a small and exquisitely -furnished boudoir. A long window, before which was a half-drawn amber -silk curtain, stood open, and a verandah was visible.</p> - -<p>Flora could scarcely suppress a cry of joy as she noticed this, and, -darting forward, she found that from the verandah a flight of steps -led to a portion of the ramparts. It was a small, gravelled terrace, -evidently used as a private walk. Scarcely conscious of what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> she -was doing, she hurried down the steps. There was a refreshing breeze -stirring, and it seemed to her that she was once more breathing the air -of liberty.</p> - -<p>She gazed over the fortified wall. There was a perpendicular depth of -at least sixty feet, so that all chance of escape that way was shut -off. She hurried along the terrace to an angle in the building, and -then her heart sank, for she was confronted with a Sepoy, who was on -guard.</p> - -<p>The man, however, took no notice of her. She turned back to the other -end of the terrace, and again stood face to face with a Sepoy sentry. -She once more turned in despair. Escape that way was impossible. As she -reached the centre of the terrace, she was startled to see the old King -standing on the verandah, gazing at her. Seeing that she observed him, -he descended the steps and approached her.</p> - -<p>“We are glad to see you here,” he said, as he twisted his withered -hands one about the other. “Too close confinement might cause your -health to suffer. We allowed Zula to walk here, and we shall accord you -the same privilege. It will be your private ground, and you need not -fear intrusion. Our sentries are keen-eyed and vigilant. No one could -pass them, and no one could come up that wall without the certainty -of being mangled into an unrecognisable mass.” As he said this, his -weazened face was puckered with a smile, and he fixed his bleared -eyes upon the pale face of the trembling girl. “We know how to reward -fidelity, and how to punish treachery,” he went on. “See,” pointing -below, “see that group of men. They carry a burden. It is the body of -Zula. I have ordered them to cast her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> carrion out on the plain, as -food for the vultures and jackals.”</p> - -<p>Flora shuddered as she turned her eyes to the spot indicated, and saw -some men carrying a body. In a few minutes they threw it on the ground, -and Flora could discern that one of the rascals caught hold of the long -hair of the victim, and dragged the corpse by it for some distance. -Then the body was left, and the men returned.</p> - -<p>“This is a dastardly deed,” Flora exclaimed, as she turned fiercely -upon the King, and feeling that, had she been possessed of a weapon, -she could, without any compunction, have slain the grey-headed monster -of iniquity, who stood before her smiling in triumph.</p> - -<p>“Not a dastardly deed,” he answered, “but a summary act of justice. -That woman confessed to you her intention to take my life, if -opportunity presented itself; but, the Prophet be praised, we overheard -the creature proclaim her purpose, and we were enabled to mete out a -fitting punishment. Heaven is merciful. Glory be to the Prophet!”</p> - -<p>Flora felt a thorough loathing for this imbecile hypocrite. But she -realised that she was in his power, and that to set him at defiance -could be productive of no good. Hard as it was to have to dissemble, it -gave her the only hope of ultimate escape. And now that her first great -outburst of grief had passed, there came back a desire for life.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty is severe,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“It is necessary to be so when we are surrounded with enemies. It -is hard to distinguish friends from foes now, and we must make our -position secure. But say, are we to look upon you as an enemy or -friend?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am only a helpless, defenceless woman, and should make but a puny -enemy, indeed, against your Majesty’s might and power.”</p> - -<p>“That is true. You reason well. But you speak mere words. Your heart -thinks otherwise. No matter. We confess our hatred for the whole -Feringhee race, and yet we do not wish to war with women. You are a -woman and a captive. Kings from time immemorial have turned their -captive women to account; we will use you. You shall be numbered -amongst our favourite slaves. You shall occasionally enliven our spare -moments, and when you cease to charm me—Well, no matter; much depends -upon yourself. If you are obedient, your life will be one of ease and -luxury.”</p> - -<p>“I understand your Majesty well,” Flora answered, her face reddening -with indignation, and her heart almost bursting with grief, which she -struggled to conceal. “I will endeavour to be obedient. Slaves have no -choice. But am I to enjoy no more liberty than is afforded by these -confined limits?”</p> - -<p>“No. You have luxurious apartments, and you are free to exercise upon -the terrace whenever you wish. That is all the liberty we can allow -you.”</p> - -<p>Flora sighed, but she saw that it was better to accept her fate with -resignation, and wait patiently for what the future might bring.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty is in power,” she answered, “and I acknowledge your -power—more I cannot do.”</p> - -<p>The King smiled, and laid his emaciated hand on her head, but she -instinctively shrank away.</p> - -<p>“You are sensible,” he said. “We came here to know your mind, and we -are glad to find you so <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>submissive. For the present farewell. We shall -visit you again by and by.”</p> - -<p>He ascended the steps of the verandah, and as he did so, he mumbled—</p> - -<p>“She-dog of a hated race, we have humbled you, and we will humble you -still more, and then give your carrion to the birds of the air.”</p> - -<p>Flora felt relieved when the King had disappeared. His presence was -hateful to her. She knew he was the very embodiment of deceit and -treachery; and all the loathing and contempt that an honourable woman -could feel for such a being she felt for him.</p> - -<p>The hours passed wearily enough. It was true her apartments were well -stocked with a miscellaneous collection of books and music, but she -could not concentrate her thoughts upon these things. Her eyes wandered -longingly to the English positions, where she could just discern the -white tents of her country’s soldiers; and she wondered whether the -city would fall, and if it did, whether she would live to see it fall.</p> - -<p>She was very lonely. She paced restlessly up and down the terrace, -but when either end was reached, she was confronted with the grim -sentry. She peered over the wall, and could see lying on the plain what -appeared like a little mound, but which she knew was the dead body of -the unfortunate Zula.</p> - -<p>As she thought of the ghastly crime her blood almost curdled, and she -prayed in her heart that Heaven would bring speedy retribution on those -who had been guilty of the foul murder.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the prayer was heard, for, some hours later, in the quiet hours -of night, there crept down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> from the ridge a little body of English -troops. They were on a reconnoitring expedition, and their object was -to examine some of the gates of the city, with a view of reporting upon -the practicability of blowing them open.</p> - -<p>As these soldiers made their way cautiously along, one of the number -suddenly stumbled over something—the something was Zula’s body. The -poor face was horribly distorted, and round the neck, deeply imbedded -in the flesh, was a portion of a silken cord, showing how her death had -been accomplished.</p> - -<p>“Comrades,” said the soldier, when he had recovered from his surprise, -“here is the body of a murdered Englishwoman. The black demons have -placed her outside here as if to mock us.”</p> - -<p>As the men crowded round, they gave vent to muttered threats. The -officer in charge of the company stepped forward, and said—</p> - -<p>“Soldiers, ours is a war against men, not women. But these inhuman -brutes slaughter our countrywomen in cold blood, and out of pure -wantonness. Such deeds as these must be revenged.”</p> - -<p>“Ay, and so they shall,” exclaimed a dozen voices.</p> - -<p>“Vows are scarcely needed,” continued the officer, “and yet let us make -a vow to avenge this poor woman’s murder, stranger though she was to -us.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, he drew his sword from its scabbard, and, stooping down, -proceeded to sever the beautiful hair from the head of Zula. When he -had finished his task, he held a heavy bunch of hair in his hand. This -he separated into equal lots, and, giving a lot to each soldier, said—</p> - -<p>“Men, take your caps off. Hold your portion of hair over the body, and -say after me—‘By all that is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> sacred on earth, and by all that is holy -in Heaven, I swear most solemnly, that if I live I will have as many -lives for this woman’s murder as I now hold hairs in my hand; and I -further swear to count every hair, and to preserve the lot until I have -fulfilled my vow.’”</p> - -<p>Each man repeated the oath with his teeth set, and with an earnestness -that was startling. Then the tresses of hair were stowed carefully -away, to be counted at leisure.</p> - -<p>The body of Zula was lifted tenderly up and carried to a little clump -of bushes, where a rough grave was hastily dug; and the murdered lady -was laid to rest. Scarcely was the mournful duty completed, when the -officer cried—</p> - -<p>“On your guard, men—we are surprised!”</p> - -<p>The movements of the Englishmen had been observed from the city, and -a large number of Sepoys were instantly sent out to attack them. They -came on at the “double quick.”</p> - -<p>The Englishmen fixed their bayonets, and dropping on their knees behind -the bushes, which afforded them excellent shelter, waited patiently.</p> - -<p>When the enemy was within fifty yards, the British officer stood up, -and, waving his sword, cried—</p> - -<p>“Remember your oath, men—fire!”</p> - -<p>For every bullet that went forth from the muzzles of those rifles a -native tottered to the ground. The survivors staggered for a moment, -but quickly recovering themselves, came on again. But the deadly -Enfields were quickly loaded, as if they were all worked by one piece -of intricate mechanism, and another volley strewed the ground with dead -and dying Sepoys.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Load quickly, men. Another volley, and then charge,” cried the officer.</p> - -<p>The Sepoys, exasperated by the terrible effects of the fire from their -hidden foe, were coming on with a rush, but again they reeled and -staggered, as the rifles belched forth fire and lead from the bushes.</p> - -<p>“Up and charge, men, and remember your oath,” cried the officer once -more.</p> - -<p>Each man sprang to his feet, and then, with a ringing cheer, the little -body charged the enemy.</p> - -<p>It was a short and desperate struggle. The Sepoys were completely -surprised. They offered but a feeble resistance. The oath of the -English soldiers was indeed remembered, and though the number of -lives taken was not equal to the number of hairs, the retribution was -terrible. The deadly bayonet did its work, until the few surviving -Sepoys, stricken with fear, turned and fled back to the city. The -English followed right up to the gate, bayoneting many of the cowards -in the back as they ran.</p> - -<p>“We can return now,” said the officer, as he collected his men, not one -of whom was missing; “we have had a good night’s work.”</p> - -<p>Flora Meredith witnessed the fight from the terrace. She could not make -out things very distinctly, but she gathered that the Sepoys had been -beaten, and had she known that the very men who had murdered Zula, by -order of the King, were amongst the number who were lying out on the -plain, pierced by English bayonets, she might have felt that her prayer -to Heaven for retribution had, indeed, been heard.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">A SURPRISE.</span></h2> - -<p>For a few days Flora was kept in comparative solitude. She did not -see the old King, and Moghul Singh only visited her once a day. She -recognised that all chance of escape was hopeless, unless something -little short of a miracle occurred to favour her. She could not -lower herself over that perpendicular wall. She could not pass the -vigilant sentries on the terrace, and the door of her chamber was -kept constantly locked, so that she could not go out that way. But if -either, or all of these impediments had not existed it would still -have been next to impossible to have escaped from the city. As she -thought of this she suffered agony of mind that cannot be described. -To concentrate her thoughts upon any of the luxuries which surrounded -her was out of the question. There was a rare and costly library of -books in her room. There were a grand-piano, a harp, and other musical -instruments. There were gorgeous birds, and beautiful flowers, but all -these things palled upon her senses. How could she enjoy them? Shut -off as she was from everything she held dear in the world, she pined -until her cheeks grew pale and her eyes lost their brightness. This -did not escape the notice of Singh, and he began to think that this -Englishwoman, who had put him to so much trouble, was going to die.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why do you sit moping all day?” he said one morning, on taking her a -basket of mangoes.</p> - -<p>“Why, indeed!” she answered. “Could you expect me to be cheerful -and gay when you have brought so much misery upon me? Besides, this -captivity is unendurable.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know why it should be. But you belong to a dissatisfied race. -Your people always want to be masters, and if they can’t get their -wishes they commence to whine. The fact is, if you sit brooding in this -way all day you will die.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so,” she cried suddenly, and with an animation that slightly -startled him. “I hope so,” she repeated. “I have prayed fervently to -Heaven that I may die. If it will only quicken the coming of that -event, I will bless you if you will curtail even the limits of the -limited space I have. Confine me to the floor of my room. Shut out -the light and air. Do what you like, so that you will but end my -sufferings. I can assure you I am not afraid to meet death.”</p> - -<p>But though Miss Meredith spoke the sentiments of her mind, those -sentiments were not to be gratified. The King did not intend that she -should be sacrificed yet. He had another object in view. So Moghul -Singh answered—</p> - -<p>“These views are morbid ones. You are melancholy. I will try and obtain -you a little more freedom.”</p> - -<p>“You need not; that would be but mockery,” she cried.</p> - -<p>But Moghul only laughed as he withdrew. He at once sought the King his -master, and represented that he was likely to lose his captive if he -kept her in too close confinement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Then let her out a bit—let her out a bit,” mumbled the puppet -monarch. “Let her have the freedom of our private garden. Her walk -there will be circumscribed, and escape will be impossible, as the -grounds are well guarded by our sentries. And stay, Moghul”—as the man -was about to depart—“let it be distinctly understood, however, that -should this Feringhee woman escape by any means from the grounds, every -sentry then on duty shall suffer instant death.”</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty’s orders shall be obeyed,” Moghul answered, as he bowed -and withdrew.</p> - -<p>When this concession on the part of the King was made known to Flora, -she refused to avail herself of it, saying it would be but the torture -of Tantalus. And she preferred to die quickly, to lingering long -in hopeless agony. Moghul Singh, however, managed to overrule her -objections after some difficulty, and Flora consented to walk in the -garden.</p> - -<p>Though this garden was comparatively small, being only about two acres -in extent, the first hour spent there revived the drooping spirits of -the poor girl. The ground had been planned, and laid out under the -superintendence of an English landscape gardener. And with the aid -of the tropical trees and plants which he found ready to his hand, -he had turned the place into a perfect paradise. Palms and cocoas -threw a grateful shade over almost every part. Gorgeous flower-beds, -arranged in a novel style, and beautiful sweeps of emerald green sward, -presented a magnificent picture, while the other senses were lulled -by the delicious fragrance of the orange and citron trees, and the -gem-like birds that flitted about in thousands and filled the air with -melody. Flora very soon felt <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span>grateful for this increased freedom, and -a desire for life came back. Day after day as she strolled about she -endeavoured to find out if any means of escape presented themselves. -But, alas! She was hemmed in on all sides. Steep banks, crowned with -hedges, formed the boundary of the grounds, and at various points, on -the summit of the banks, Sepoy sentries were stationed. These fellows -often eyed the young Englishwoman with jealous and revengeful feelings, -and they wondered amongst themselves why the King wished to keep such -a “white-faced doll.” Not a few of them would have liked to turn their -muskets on her and shoot her down.</p> - -<p>But Flora knew nothing of the demoniacal feelings which stirred the -breasts of these men. Her walks were always companionless, excepting -when occasionally Moghul Singh forced his hateful presence upon her. -This man grew more and more familiar in his conversation. And it was -evident that it was not solely on the King’s account that he paid her -so much attention, and guarded her so jealously. On the contrary, he -looked with contemptuous pity on the imbecile representative of the -House of Timour. But to him he owed his position, and to oppose his -wishes was to court his own downfall. Yet, notwithstanding the risk, he -daily allowed himself to be tempted from his allegiance by the pale, -but beautiful, face of the Englishwoman. His passion got the better of -his judgment, and he ventured at last to make advances to her on his -own behalf.</p> - -<p>“You look better since I obtained permission from his Majesty for you -to use the garden,” he said one day as he conveyed some flowers to her -room.</p> - -<p>“I am better,” she answered. “Increased freedom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> has made my existence -slightly less painful; but still life seems little better than a -mockery.”</p> - -<p>“That is because you are morbid. Life has plenty of enjoyment if you -like to extract it.”</p> - -<p>“How,” she cried, “how am I—a wretched prisoner in the hands of my -country’s enemies, and separated from friends and relations—to extract -enjoyment from such a miserable existence as mine?”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw,” he answered. “You would sacrifice yourself to no purpose. Why -not adapt yourself to circumstances? Your people are fond of talking -about the ‘philosophy of resignation.’ Why don’t you act up to it now? -You are a captive. You cannot alter that condition. You are reserved -for the King’s plaything. That may not afford you much pleasure to -contemplate. Moreover, I may tell you this—his Majesty intends in a -few days to hand you over to one of his sons, and you will be conveyed -away from here.”</p> - -<p>Flora started with alarm as she heard this, and her face blanched.</p> - -<p>“Never,” she cried; “I will throw myself over that parapet before I -will suffer such an indignity.”</p> - -<p>Moghul smiled.</p> - -<p>“That would be madness indeed,” he said. “If the idea of becoming the -property of the King’s son is so distasteful to your feelings, you may -avoid it in a more pleasant way than by mangling that beautiful figure -of yours by such a nasty fall.”</p> - -<p>“How?” she queried eagerly.</p> - -<p>“By escaping.”</p> - -<p>“Escaping!” she echoed as she stared at the man in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Are you mocking me? Or has your heart been softened by some pity for -my miserable condition?”</p> - -<p>“I am not mocking you.”</p> - -<p>“Then do you offer me escape?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“On what conditions?” she asked, agitated with hopes and fears.</p> - -<p>He smiled again, and drew closer to her.</p> - -<p>“You are eager,” he replied. “The conditions are simple.”</p> - -<p>“Name them then, if they are not dishonourable.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! such a term is inadmissible to one in your position.”</p> - -<p>“I think I gather something of your meaning,” she exclaimed, in alarm.</p> - -<p>“My meaning should not be hard to understand. I offer you freedom if -you will consent to go with me to my house, which is on the other side -of the city.”</p> - -<p>She recoiled from him with horror—with loathing. The blush of -indignation dyed her face to the very roots of her hair.</p> - -<p>“You are a villain,” she cried when she could speak, for the base -proposal literally deprived her of breath. “A double-dyed, treacherous -villain. I am an Englishwoman, and would suffer a thousand deaths -sooner than yield to such an unmanly coward. Go away and leave me. Do -not torture me with your loathsome presence any more. And I warn you -that I will inform the King of your treachery.”</p> - -<p>It was the man’s turn to be alarmed now. If she carried out her threat -he knew what the consequences would be, for the King was merciless.</p> - -<p>“You are a fool!” he said, with an attempt to seem indifferent; “I did -but play with you. Were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> you to inform the King, your position would -not improve. For if he believed you, which is doubtful, he would take -you away instantly, and your next keeper might not be as lenient as I -am.”</p> - -<p>Flora saw the force of this argument, and thought it was better to -endure what she was enduring than to take a leap in the dark and in all -probability increase her woes.</p> - -<p>“Although you deserve it, I have no desire to bring harm upon you,” she -replied; “but relieve me of your presence. Go away, I beseech you.”</p> - -<p>“I do as you request,” was his answer; “but the next time we meet you -may be in a better frame of mind. Think over it. You would find me a -better master than the King’s son.”</p> - -<p>When Flora was alone she wept very bitterly. The trials she was going -through almost threatened to affect her reason. Every channel of hope -seemed shut against her. Day after day she heard with a sickening -sensation at the heart the roar of the guns, as besieged and besiegers -were struggling for the mastery. She knew that outside the English -troops were making desperate efforts to reduce the city. But with such -a full force it almost seemed like a waste of time. Her rooms and the -terrace before them were situated in a part of the building not exposed -to the besiegers’ fire, but she was often startled by the bursting of a -shell in close proximity to her quarters, or the scream of a round shot -as it hurtled through the air. She grew despondent when she saw how -fruitless were the efforts of the troops outside, and how those inside -laughed them to scorn.</p> - -<p>When she had relieved her overburdened soul with a passionate outburst -of grief she grew calmer. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> was drawing towards the close of day, -when, availing herself of her privilege, she sought the garden. She was -faint and weak, and was glad of the fragrance and the cool air.</p> - -<p>At the further end of the garden, away from the Palace, was a small -summer-house, a sort of bower embosomed amongst some mango and orange -trees, and covered all over with roses. It was quite sheltered from the -heat of the sun, and formed a cool and quiet retreat. And here Flora -had spent many hours, grateful for the undisturbed solitude. It was -furnished with a couch, a few chairs and a table, some pictures and -books.</p> - -<p>Feeling unequal to walking about, she entered this place, and taking -up a book, reclined on the couch and tried to read. But her mind was -too confused to allow her to concentrate her thoughts. A mass of -things rushed through her brain, until she became bewildered with the -conflicting emotions which agitated her.</p> - -<p>In a little while she realised that something was moving under the -couch. Her first thought was that it was a snake, and she held her -breath in alarm, but in a few moments she uttered a half-suppressed -cry, as a voice close to her whispered—</p> - -<p>“Hush! Silence, for your life.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXV.</span> <span class="smaller">NEW HOPES OF LIBERTY.</span></h2> - -<p>The cry that Flora Meredith half gave vent to was not a cry of alarm, -but joy; for a head had gradually protruded from under the couch, until -the face was revealed—and the face was Zeemit Mehal’s.</p> - -<p>“Hush, for your life!” the old woman repeated, as she revealed her -presence to the astonished girl.</p> - -<p>But, in spite of the warning, Flora seized the hands of the faithful -Zeemit, and, as her heart beat violently, she whispered—</p> - -<p>“God bless you, Zeemit. Your presence is new life to me.”</p> - -<p>The woman rose very cautiously, and peered through the jalousies. Then -she listened intently for a few moments—they almost seemed like hours -to Flora, for she was burning with impatience for an explanation.</p> - -<p>“My presence here, should it be discovered, would be death to us both,” -Zeemit whispered at last.</p> - -<p>“But what is your object?” was Flora’s anxious query.</p> - -<p>“To try and save you.”</p> - -<p>“God be thanked.”</p> - -<p>“The difficulties are so great, though, that I am afraid to hold out -much hope. I have been in the city for some days, and have made various -attempts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> to get into the Palace, but failed. By mingling with the -soldiers in the courtyards, however, I learnt that you were in the -habit of walking here. I determined at all hazards to try and reach -you. I succeeded last night in escaping the vigilance of the sentries -and getting into the grounds. Here I have remained since, until my old -bones are sore, and I faint for the want of food.”</p> - -<p>“You are a faithful, noble, generous creature,” was Flora’s answer. -“The only reward I can give you now is my grateful thanks. But tell me, -Zeemit, what are your plans?”</p> - -<p>“Alas, I have none. I am like a fly that has got into a spider’s web. -I don’t see how I am to get out. I was determined to come if that were -possible, and here I am. But the way I came, you could never go back. I -had to mount stone walls, and scramble over high hedges.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I would do all that,” said Flora anxiously. “Only lead the way, -and I will follow.”</p> - -<p>“That will never do, baba. You would be missed, and before we could get -outside of the Palace grounds, re-captured, and then death would be -certain.”</p> - -<p>“Alas, what shall become of us, then?” moaned poor Flora. “I have -suffered so terribly that I feel I cannot endure it much longer.”</p> - -<p>She then recounted to Zeemit all that had passed since they parted, and -concluded with informing her of Moghul Singh’s proposal.</p> - -<p>“Ah! that is good,” answered Zeemit, as she heard this.</p> - -<p>“How is it good?” asked the astonished Flora.</p> - -<p>“Because it presents a way of escape. Once clear of the Palace, and -there is hope. There is none while<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> you remain here. At any moment the -King, exasperated by the desperate fighting of the English outside, -might take it into his head to order you instant death. You must go -with Moghul Singh.”</p> - -<p>“Go with Moghul Singh!”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“You do not make yourself very clear, Zeemit. Where is the advantage to -be gained by running from one danger into another?”</p> - -<p>“You go from a greater to a lesser danger.”</p> - -<p>“But you would not counsel me to sell myself to this man?”</p> - -<p>“By the ‘Sacred River,’ no.”</p> - -<p>“What is your scheme, then?”</p> - -<p>Zeemit pondered for a little while before she answered.</p> - -<p>“I know Moghul Singh’s house. He keeps three or four of his mistresses -there. Escape from the place would be comparatively easy.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes; go on,” said Flora excitedly, as Zeemit paused again.</p> - -<p>“If he conveyed you there these women would favour your escape, because -they would be very jealous of you. And if they let you go, they would -think that, as a Feringhee woman, you would soon be slaughtered in the -city. I could take you from there, and conceal you somewhere until a -chance presented itself to get outside.”</p> - -<p>“Your plan seems a good one, Zeemit; and a new hope springs up. But -tell me, before you left Cawnpore, did you see Mr. Gordon?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“And what became of him?”</p> - -<p>“I advised him to go into the defences, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span>promised to communicate -with him in the event of being able to set you free. But communication -is impracticable now. We must wait.”</p> - -<p>“And do you think he still lives, Zeemit?”</p> - -<p>“At a time like this it is hard to answer such a question. A thousand -dangers beset us all.”</p> - -<p>“But he was alive and well when you left him?” Flora asked with a sigh.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and hopeful.”</p> - -<p>“Now tell me, Zeemit, what do you propose that I should do?”</p> - -<p>“Tell Moghul Singh that you have reconsidered your decision, and that -you will go with him.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes, and what then?”</p> - -<p>“I will be near Singh’s house. I do not anticipate any difficulty in -your being able to escape from there, and we can fly together.”</p> - -<p>“I will do it,” was Flora’s answer.</p> - -<p>“And I give you this caution: you must do everything you possibly can -to lead Moghul to believe that you are sincere, or he might suspect -something.”</p> - -<p>“It shall be as you suggest, Zeemit, however repulsive the task may be.”</p> - -<p>“The only thing repulsive about it is that you will have to practise -a little deception. That cannot be avoided if you wish to save your -life. But it is time that you went away now, for it is growing dark. -Farewell, missy baba. If our plans do not miscarry, we shall meet again -soon.”</p> - -<p>Flora pressed the hand of the faithful old ayah, and with hope once -more strong in her breast, she hurried to the Palace, while Zeemit -crept under the couch again to wait until darkness would enable her to -retrace her steps.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span></p> - -<p>The following day dawned; but Moghul Singh did not appear. Another day -and another night passed, and yet Moghul did not come. Flora began to -despair again. He had never kept away before. She had fears now that -the man, dreading that she would carry out her threat of informing the -King, had fled from the Palace. And if so, her very last hope would -be gone. The suspense was awful. The only attendant she had had since -she had been confined in the Palace was an old woman who was dumb, or -professed to be. At any rate, no word ever escaped her lips in Flora’s -presence. She performed her duty sullenly, and with manifest disdain -for the Feringhee woman, so that no information could be expected from -her.</p> - -<p>Thus a week passed—a week of most awful, agonising suspense. The guns -roared with increased vigour. In fact, they were scarcely ever silent -now, for desultory firing was kept up during the night. The siege was -being prosecuted with energy, as the English siege-train had arrived. -Flora was enabled to see from her promenade on the terrace that the -defenders were concentrating their guns at those points which commanded -the English positions. She saw also that great damage had been done -to various parts of the building, and one of the gates, of which she -had a full view, was very much battered, and was being barricaded with -massive beams of wood and heaps of gravel.</p> - -<p>She feared from these signs that Zeemit’s fears might be realised with -reference to the King, and she was in momentary dread of seeing him or -some of his myrmidons enter her rooms to drag her out to the slaughter. -However, for several days she enjoyed a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> total immunity from any -intrusion, with the exception of her sullen attendant, from whom she -could derive no spark of information.</p> - -<p>At length one morning her suspense was ended, for Moghul Singh himself -reappeared. She almost welcomed him with a cry of joy, for in him her -hopes of ultimate escape now centred.</p> - -<p>“You have been long absent,” she said, in a tone that surprised him.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I have been upon a journey. But if that absence had been -prolonged, it would have pleased you better, no doubt.”</p> - -<p>“No, it would not,” she answered truthfully.</p> - -<p>“Ah! What mean you?”</p> - -<p>“I mean that I have missed you,” she replied, with equal truth.</p> - -<p>“Missed me! Why so?” he cried, unable to conceal his astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Because I have been very lonely without you. You were kind and -thoughtful.”</p> - -<p>“And yet the last time I was here you repulsed me.”</p> - -<p>“I did.”</p> - -<p>“And yet you seem to welcome me now.”</p> - -<p>“I do.”</p> - -<p>“Explain yourself, for this is a mystery.”</p> - -<p>“I was hasty the last time you were here. I have regretted that -hastiness since. I have been so lonely, so miserable.”</p> - -<p>A smile of satisfaction stole over Moghul’s face as he replied,</p> - -<p>“I thought you would come to your senses. You Englishwomen are as -fickle-minded as the wind is restless. But why have you regretted it?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You made me an offer when you were here before.”</p> - -<p>“I did.”</p> - -<p>“Does that offer still hold good?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh—there is something in the air. What does this mean?”</p> - -<p>“It means that if you are still of the same mind, I will accept your -offer and will go with you.”</p> - -<p>“So you have thought better of your decision, then. But why this -change?”</p> - -<p>“That question is scarcely needed. I am very wretched. I prefer to -place myself under your care than to remain longer a prisoner here; and -if you will take me away I will go with you.”</p> - -<p>The man smiled inwardly with satisfaction. It was a triumph he had -not calculated upon, and he was surprised and gratified. No suspicion -crossed his mind, because he considered it would be impossible for a -white person to escape from the city. Whatever control was exercised -over the troops and other people about the Palace, the mobs in the -city were lawless and revengeful, and to be an European was, in their -eyes, a crime punishable with instant and cruel death. He, therefore, -felt that when once he had got her outside of the Palace she would be -thoroughly in his power, and to return to the Palace would be a feat -no less difficult of accomplishment than to get outside of the walls. -He fairly chuckled as he thought of this, and his coarse features -displayed the satisfaction he felt.</p> - -<p>The loathing that Flora had for him was so great that it was only with -great difficulty she could prevent herself from showing it. But she -knew that in him lay her last hope, and if he failed, then all was lost -indeed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You have more sense than I thought you had,” he answered. “Come, give -me your hand;”—she did as he desired;—“it is a nice soft hand, and -looks very white in my black one, doesn’t it? You have fully made up -your mind to go with me, then?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“That is good. Your flight must be provided for. The King must think -you have escaped by yourself.”</p> - -<p>“How will you manage that?”</p> - -<p>“That is easy. Let me see now, what is the best plan? I have it. I will -procure a rope, and make one end fast to the verandah, and let the -other fall over the parapet of the terrace.”</p> - -<p>“That is a good idea,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it will avert all suspicion from me.”</p> - -<p>“When will you take me?”</p> - -<p>“To-night.”</p> - -<p>“At what time?”</p> - -<p>“Late. I hold the keys of certain doors and gates, and I shall have the -passwords, so that we shall not have much difficulty in getting out. -Once clear of the Palace, a buggy shall be in waiting, and all will be -well.”</p> - -<p>“I shall be ready for you,” she answered, as she withdrew her hand.</p> - -<p>She felt thankful when she was alone again, for the part she had played -had taxed all her faculties to keep up. But the hours passed wearily -enough now. She alternated between hope and fear. Every sound startled -her. She watched the hands of the clock with feverish eyes. The hours -seemed to go by leaden-footed. Ten, eleven, twelve struck, still Moghul -had not come. She almost despaired. But the hour of one had barely -chimed when the key was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> turned in the lock of the door. The door -opened, and Moghul Singh appeared. In his hand he carried a coil of -rope and a large dark-coloured shawl.</p> - -<p>“I am true to my promise, you see,” he said, as he handed her the -shawl. “You must conceal yourself in this as much as possible.”</p> - -<p>She took the shawl and enveloped herself in it, while Moghul went out -on to the terrace, and having made one end of the rope fast to the -railings of the verandah, he lowered the other over.</p> - -<p>“The sentries will have to answer for that,” he remarked, with a grin, -as he returned to the room. “Are you ready?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Come then.”</p> - -<p>With palpitating heart and trembling limbs she followed him. He led the -way down silent corridors and dark passages, past sleeping Sepoys and -drunken servants, he moving quickly and noiselessly, she following like -a shadow, but feeling sick and ill, and with a terrible sense of fear -pressing upon her.</p> - -<p>The open air was reached at last; the night breeze blew refreshingly -cool upon her fevered face.</p> - -<p>“We must be cautious here,” he whispered.</p> - -<p>It was a large courtyard they had to cross, but nothing seemed to be -stirring but themselves. He opened a gate with a key which he took from -his pocket, and then they stood in a private road. Down this road he -led her for some distance till a small strip of jungle was reached. -Here in the shadow of the trees a buggy and horse were standing. A -native boy was holding the horse’s head. Moghul helped Flora into the -vehicle; when she was seated he drew his tulwar, and approaching the -boy, who still held<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> the reins, he almost severed his head from his -body; then, springing into the buggy, he cried—“Dead men tell no -tales.”</p> - -<p>The deed was so sudden, that there was scarcely time for reflection, -but Flora almost fainted with horror as she witnessed it.</p> - -<p>Moghul whipped the horse. It started off at a gallop, and very soon the -Palace was left far in the rear.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">MOGHUL SINGH IS OUTWITTED.</span></h2> - -<p>The house to which Moghul Singh took Flora Meredith was about four -miles from the Palace, and on the opposite side of Delhi. It was -simply an ordinary bungalow, built for the most part of bamboo. It -was in a dilapidated condition, and situated in the native quarter. -At this place Moghul had three or four of his native mistresses. It -was quite a common thing in India for men in Singh’s position to keep -up such establishments. In fact it was looked upon rather as a social -distinction.</p> - -<p>The place wore a most melancholy aspect when Flora arrived. The -indispensable cocoa-nut lamp gave forth a faint glimmer that enabled -a person, when the eyes became accustomed to it, to distinguish the -squalor and filth; for the native dwellings, as a rule, were but one -remove from pig-sties. In this room were ranged wooden benches, and on -the benches were stretched the forms of several Hindoo women.</p> - -<p>The air was fœtid with the smell of chunam and the opium and common -tobacco smoked by the natives of both sexes, in the hubble-bubble, or -hookah, of the country.</p> - -<p>Flora experienced an indescribable feeling of alarm, while despair -seized her again. In the Palace she certainly had comfort. There was -none here. Moreover, she saw that she was thoroughly in Singh’s power. -In her anxiety to escape she had not thought of that; but now that the -danger stared her in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> face, she shrank with horror. She yearned for -Zeemit. Where was she now? If she failed, everything was lost. Not that -Flora doubted her. The old woman had proved her devotion in a hundred -ways. But then the difficulties and dangers were so numerous. Besides, -many days had elapsed since Zeemit had parted from her in the Palace -garden, and during that time she might have thought that the scheme -had failed, and had given up watching at the bungalow. As Moghul Singh -handed his captive down from the buggy, she cast anxious glances about. -But there were only darkness and silence around; nothing could be -heard, nothing seen, only the dark mass of building, and the melancholy -light of the lamp.</p> - -<p>As she mounted the two or three steps that led to the verandah, and -stood upon the threshold of the doorway, she tottered with the sense -of horror with which she contemplated the consequences of remaining. -She felt that she dare not enter, that she would sooner rush to certain -death in the open city, than pass one hour beneath the roof of that -tomb-like place.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter?” the man asked sharply as he saw that she faltered.</p> - -<p>“I am faint,” she answered. “The heat has overcome me.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, nonsense,” was his surly reply. “Come, follow me.”</p> - -<p>He tried to take her hand, but she held it back. She felt such an -unutterable loathing for the villain that it was almost impossible to -avoid showing it. The cold-blooded deed that he had been guilty of in -decapitating the boy made her shudder.</p> - -<p>It was true she had seen horrors enough during the mutiny to have -hardened her senses to some extent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> But this tragedy had been -committed in such a diabolical manner, and before her eyes, that it -sickened her; and yet she had ridden side by side with the guilty -miscreant for some miles. She had had an impression, although it had -not been so understood, that on the moment of her arrival she would -find Zeemit Mehal waiting, and that the woman would have matured some -plan that would have enabled them to effect an immediate escape. -But Zeemit was not to be seen. It was an awful moment for Flora. -Words would fail to depict the agony of mind and body she endured. -She reproached herself for leaving the Palace. She felt that if she -had been in possession of a weapon, she could without the slightest -compunction have slain the villain who stood beside her. She was -suffering the extreme of despair—passing through that stage when all -faith even in Heaven is for the time lost. Misfortune had come upon her -so suddenly, and pursued her so relentlessly since, that she mentally -asked herself why she and her people should have been made the subjects -of so much persecution.</p> - -<p>Moghul Singh grew impatient when he saw that Flora did not comply with -his demand and follow him.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you come?” he exclaimed angrily. “The time is passing -quickly, and I must return to the Palace before daylight.”</p> - -<p>“I cannot,” she answered. “The atmosphere is stifling, and I am ill.”</p> - -<p>The man scowled. He felt that he was thwarted, and it irritated him. -He seized her hand roughly and would have dragged her in, but she -remonstrated.</p> - -<p>“Why are you so cruel?” she asked. “Did I not come with you of my own -free will? Surely you are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> not so dead to every feeling of pity, but -what you can have some consideration for me now that I am ill?”</p> - -<p>Her argument was effective. He released her hand, and drew back apace.</p> - -<p>“What do you wish me to do?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“Procure me a chair, and let me remain outside on the verandah a little -while. The cool air will no doubt revive me.”</p> - -<p>With a gruff assent to her request, he turned into the bungalow, to -procure the seat, and Flora stood alone. In those few moments a dozen -things suggested themselves to her. She would rush wildly away. By -that course she would probably be shot down, or, escaping that risk, -she might be able to reach the river, or canal, and there she would -end her misery, for she seemed to be abandoned by all. But great as -had been her experience of Zeemit’s fidelity, she did not know what a -depth of devotion there was in the old woman’s nature. For days she -had loitered about the bungalow, waiting patiently and anxiously for -the Feringhee lady, to whose cause she had devoted herself, in spite -of the many temptations that were offered to a native to fling off all -restraint for a time, and live a brief, riotous, and idle life. She had -watched the bungalow with ceaseless watching, creeping at night into -the shadow of the verandah, where she would lie coiled up, snatching -a few hours of rest, but always ready to start up on the alert at the -sound of wheels. She herself had almost given up all hope of Flora’s -escape. She had begun to think that the plan had miscarried, and was -resolving upon a scheme to pay another visit to the imprisoned lady in -the Palace. But her vigilance and patience were rewarded at last. She -heard the approach of the buggy, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> saw Flora arrive, she heard the -conversation that passed, so that, when Miss Meredith had sunk to the -lowest depth of despair, when all seemed dark and hopeless, and she -felt inclined to doubt the goodness of Heaven, succour was at hand.</p> - -<p>As she stood alone in the brief space that elapsed during Moghul’s -absence, Zeemit was by her side. Flora was used to surprises now; but -as she heard the familiar voice, although it was but the faintest -whisper, of her faithful ayah, she could scarcely refrain from uttering -a cry. But the feeling of thankfulness that filled her heart found -expression in a silent “Thank God!” uttered under her breath.</p> - -<p>There was no time for words. Action was needed. Zeemit was equal to the -occasion. The buggy and horse still stood before the door. She seized -Flora’s hand, and rushed to the vehicle. Terror lent them both strength -and quickness. In an instant they had sprung to the seat. Zeemit caught -up the reins, and bringing the whip down upon the horse’s neck, started -the animal into a furious gallop, just as Moghul came from the house -with a chair in his hand. The whole affair took place in absolutely -less time than it has taken to pen these lines.</p> - -<p>Moghul realised at once that his bird had flown, and as he dropped -the chair with an imprecation, he hastily drew a revolver, and fired -it after the retreating vehicle. But the bullet sped harmlessly away, -though the report broke upon the stillness with startling distinctness, -and in a few minutes, dozens of natives had rushed from their huts to -discover the cause of alarm.</p> - -<p>“A horse—a horse,” cried Moghul. “A hundred rupees for a horse. There -is a Feringhee woman escaping from the city in yonder buggy.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span></p> - -<p>A horse was speedily produced. Moghul sprang on to its back, and, -followed by a yelling pack of demons, set off in pursuit of the escaped -prisoner. But a good start had been given to the fugitives. The sounds -of the rattling wheels and the horse’s hoofs did not reach the ears -of the pursuers, who tore madly along, while Zeemit, who was well -acquainted with the city and its suburbs, guided the animal down a -by-road that led through a jungle. After travelling for some miles, she -pulled up.</p> - -<p>“We must alight here,” she said, “and abandon the horse and buggy, or -we shall be traced.”</p> - -<p>Flora sprang from the ground, and the two women hurried along on foot. -Zeemit led the way. She knew every inch of the ground. She kept her -companion up by holding out hopes of ultimate safety.</p> - -<p>As daylight was struggling in, a muddy creek was reached. It was a -lonely spot—overgrown with tall reeds and rank grass, and the haunt -of numberless reptiles. Half-hidden amongst the rushes was a large, -broken, and decaying budgerow, lying high and dry on a mud-bank.</p> - -<p>“This place offers us safety and shelter for a time,” Zeemit observed. -“I discovered it after leaving the Palace grounds.”</p> - -<p>She assisted Flora to get into the old boat. She collected a quantity -of rushes and dried grass to form a bed. These she spread upon the -floor of the budgerow, and then the two women, thoroughly exhausted, -threw themselves down, and fell into a sound sleep. At the same moment -Moghul Singh was returning to the Palace after his fruitless search, -vowing vengeance against Flora, and determining to send out men to -recapture her, on the pain of death if they failed.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">HAIDEE Ō STAR.</span></h2> - -<p>We must for the time being leave the fortunes of Flora Meredith and -Zeemit to follow those of some of the other characters who have figured -prominently in this story.</p> - -<p>When Haidee and Walter Gordon left the traveller’s rest, where the duel -had taken place, they pursued their journey without further adventure, -until they reached the neighbourhood of Delhi. Here the greatest -caution had to be exercised, for thousands of natives, flushed with -success and maddened with drink, were prowling about, committing the -most diabolical outrages on every one they met.</p> - -<p>Three or four attempts were made by Haidee and her companion to gain -entrance to the city, but each attempt failed. On the last occasion -success was nearly achieved, when a Sepoy, who had been in the King’s -service for some years, recognised Haidee. An alarm was instantly -raised, and Gordon had to defend himself and companion against fearful -odds. He was fortunate enough to secure a sword from the body of a man -whom he had shot, and with this weapon—in the use of which he was well -skilled—he was enabled to cut his way out.</p> - -<p>After this encounter it was evident that any further attempt to -enter the city would only result in disaster;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span> and so the travellers -determined to make their way over to the British lines. Here they were -well received, and the history of their adventures listened to with -intense interest.</p> - -<p>Gordon’s failure to get into the city caused him much sorrow. He -remembered the promise he had made to Mrs. Harper that he would either -rescue her sister or perish in the attempt.</p> - -<p>Although he had repeatedly been near doing the latter, the former -seemed very far from being accomplished.</p> - -<p>He made the most desperate efforts to obtain some information of -her—he sought, but always without success; and at length he began to -despair of ever meeting her again.</p> - -<p>He grew desperate. He joined his countrymen in night attacks; he went -down with little bands of men to examine the gates and walls of the -city; and, although he saw hundreds of his comrades fall around him, -he lived. He appeared almost to bear a charmed life—neither sword -nor bullet reached him; and his splendid constitution enabled him to -withstand the deadly heat—and the still more deadly malaria, which -committed fearful havoc amongst the British.</p> - -<p>The siege promised to be a protracted one. The English were few in -number; their guns were small, their ammunition limited; and yet, with -these drawbacks to contend against, there were some most brilliant -passages of arms and deeds of daring performed before Delhi, deeds -that, although they have never been chronicled, entitle the actors in -them to be placed on England’s grand list of heroes.</p> - -<p>Weeks wore on. The force of the besiegers was getting weaker, and -their ammunition was all but <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span>expended. Reinforcements and a powerful -siege-train were daily expected, but still they came not. There was -much sickness in the camp, and the whole energies of the healthy were -taxed to the utmost to minister to the wants of and amuse the sick.</p> - -<p>In this duty there was one who stood out with individual distinctness. -This was Haidee, whose exertions on behalf of those who were not -able to help themselves were extraordinary. She flitted through the -hospital at all hours. She comforted the sick; she soothed the dying; -she helped the strong. No wonder that she won the love and good wishes -of everyone. The heart of many a man in the camp fluttered when in her -presence; and officers and men vied with each other in paying her the -greatest attention. Her beauty—her romantic history—her devotion, -won upon all. More than one officer, whose heart and hand were free, -ventured to woo her; but she turned a deaf ear to everybody.</p> - -<p>There was one for whom she pined—where was he? Night and day she -thought of him. He was, indeed, her star—her only light. She was -silent and patient; she uttered no complaint. She was content to wait -for what the future might bring. That future seemed at present dark -and uncertain, but she did not mourn. She wasted no time in useless -repining; she was hopeful. Her reward came at last.</p> - -<p>One morning the camp heard with unspeakable joy notes of music. They -were the welcome strains of a soul-inspiriting march played by an -English band. The reinforcements had arrived. Coming up from the -Grand Trunk Road the long lines could be seen. The white helmets and -flashing bayonets of British troops marching to the assistance of their -comrades,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> and pledged to reduce the stronghold of the saucy enemy.</p> - -<p>As the fresh troops marched in, the reception accorded them was -enthusiastic in the extreme. The excitement was immense. Such cheering, -such shaking of hands, such greetings.</p> - -<p>As the newly-arrived officers were moving towards the quarters assigned -to them, a man suddenly rushed out of a tent, and seizing the hands of -one of the officers, exclaimed, in an excited tone—</p> - -<p>“God bless you, old fellow! This is an unexpected pleasure.”</p> - -<p>The man was Walter Gordon, the officer was Lieutenant Harper. The -friends had met once again—met upon the battlefield.</p> - -<p>Their last meeting had been sad, their last parting still more sad. -But, as they greeted each other now, each had an instinctive feeling -that, after having escaped so many dangers, they met now only to part -again when happier times had dawned.</p> - -<p>When Gordon could drag his friend away, he commenced to ply him with -questions; but Harper interrupted him with an impatient gesture, and -unable longer to restrain his feeling, exclaimed—</p> - -<p>“Before I answer a single question, tell me if Haidee lives?”</p> - -<p>Walter smiled at his friend’s eagerness as he answered—</p> - -<p>“Haidee lives.”</p> - -<p>“And is she well?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Do you know where she is?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Where?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Here.”</p> - -<p>“This is joyful news.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad to hear you say so, Harper.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Because she is one of the most faithful and best of women. She has a -small tent to herself, for she is the idol of the camp. Come, follow -me.”</p> - -<p>Gordon pointed out Haidee’s dwelling to his friend, and then he left -him; for he did not consider that he had any right to intrude himself -upon their meeting.</p> - -<p>Harper advanced cautiously to the door of the tent. Haidee was -reclining on an Indian mat; her eyes were closed, but she was not -sleeping. She was dreaming a day-dream, in which Harper figured.</p> - -<p>“Haidee,” he called softly. “Haidee,” he repeated.</p> - -<p>She started to her feet like a startled fawn. She recognised the voice. -With a cry of joy she sprang forward—her arms closed around his neck; -and, as her head was pillowed on his breast, she murmured—</p> - -<p>“Your slave is thankful and happy.”</p> - -<p>“Not slave, Haidee,” he answered, as he pushed back the beautiful hair -and kissed her forehead, “but wife.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! what do you mean? Is this a dream—or am I awake?”</p> - -<p>“You are awake, Haidee; and I repeat the words—you shall be my wife.”</p> - -<p>“But where is she of whom you spoke before—your—your other wife?”</p> - -<p>“She is dead, Haidee,” Harper answered sorrowfully.</p> - -<p>“Poor thing,” Haidee murmured, in a tone of such genuine sympathy that -Harper felt that she was one of the best and most perfect of women.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Yes, she is dead,” Harper continued. “When I left Cawnpore, I managed -to get clear of the place without any adventure. I made my way direct -to Meerut. I found my poor wife at the very point of death. She was -only just able to recognise me before she died. I was bowed down with -sorrow then. I heard of the massacre of Cawnpore, and concluded that -you would share the fate of the other unhappy ladies. When my regiment -was ordered to join the reinforcements for Delhi I was delighted; for -active service, with the risk of ending a life that had been darkened -with sorrow, was what I craved for. Little did I dream of meeting you. -Fate has been kind to us. To you I owe my life; and, if I am still -preserved till the end of this war, I may honourably ask you to be my -wife—for I am yours.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, what happiness,” she sighed, as she clung closer to him.</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>The siege was now prosecuted with increased vigour. The British -became exasperated at the stubborn defence of the enemy, and the -most desperate efforts were made to reduce the city. Day and night a -ceaseless stream of shot and shell was poured in, until breaches in the -walls gaped, and many of the gates were battered. But as fast as these -breaches were made, they were repaired again by the defenders, and it -became evident that the place could only be reduced by storming. Every -one was anxious for this; the patience of the troops had been sorely -tried, and men burned to wreak vengeance on the recreant cowards who -had sought shelter behind the walls, and now held out with desperate -energy, knowing it was the last frail chance they had to preserve -their <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span>miserable lives. But though the order to storm was so ardently -desired, it seemed to be unnecessarily delayed, and the patience of -both men and officers was taxed to the utmost.</p> - -<p>But the order came at last. It was issued at night. It was a bright -starlight night, but moonless. The firing was kept up incessantly. The -roar of the batteries, the clear abrupt reports of the shells, the -flashes of the rockets and fireballs, made up a striking and impressive -scene. But as ten o’clock was announced, every battery ceased by -preconcerted signal, and the order flew through the camp that the -assault was to take place at three in the morning. Then a solemn and -ominous silence fell upon the camp. Worn and weary men threw themselves -down to snatch a brief rest; but many were the anxious eyes that -were turned to the doomed city with its white mosques and prominent -buildings sharply defined against the purple night-sky. For months it -had defied the power of the Great White Hand; but the hour had come, -unless the Hand had lost its power and cunning, when the rebellious -city was at last to be humbled and crushed into the dust.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE FALL OF DELHI.</span></h2> - -<p>As the batteries ceased, the stillness that fell upon the camp was -startling by comparison. It made men’s hearts beat faster, for they -knew what it presaged; and though many would be cold in death before -the sun rose again, everyone was cheerful and eager.</p> - -<p>The whole force of the camp was divided into four assaulting columns -and a reserve. The first was to storm a breach that had been made at -the Cashmere bastion; the second, a breach in the water bastion; the -third was to blow open the Cashmere Gate; and the fourth was to enter -by the Lahore Gate, while the reserve was to follow up in the wake of -the first three columns, and throw in supports when necessary.</p> - -<p>As the hour of three approached, there was great activity in the camp. -The men were overjoyed at the long-hoped-for chance of being able to -smite the enemy behind his own walls.</p> - -<p>There was one in the camp, however, whose heart was sad. This was -Haidee. Harper had crept over to her tent, to say a few parting -words, and the two stood together at the doorway, with the light of a -watch-fire gleaming redly upon them. Each felt that the probabilities -were they were parting for ever. Harper was bound upon “desperate -service,” and the dangers were so many and great that the chances of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> -escape from them were remote. But in spite of this, he tried to be -cheerful. Duty called him, and he obeyed the call as a soldier should. -His regrets were for this woman, to whom he owed his life, who had -“made him her star, which was her only light,” and if the star should -be extinguished in the “sea of blood” that was shortly to flow, her -lifetime henceforth would be one long night. For she stood alone, as it -were, in the world. Friends, kindred, home, all gone; and if he fell, -who would protect her? As Harper thought of these things, he could not -help a feeling of grief that for a time unmanned him. Haidee noticed -this, and said—</p> - -<p>“Why are you downcast this morning? It is sad to part, when that -parting may be for ever; but go to your duty cheerfully, and have good -hopes for the future.”</p> - -<p>“It is not of myself I think, Haidee, but of you. If I fall, what will -become of you?”</p> - -<p>“Ah! if you fall, poor Haidee will be bowed into the dust. I have been -so happy since you have been here. To be near you, to see your face, -compensates me for the many years of bitterness I have known.” Then, -after a pause, “But come; these repinings are foolish. We are not -going out to meet our troubles; let them come to us. It is a soldier’s -duty to fight for his country when called upon, and he should not be -unmanned by a woman’s useless wailing. Your heart is bold, and your arm -is strong. Glory and victory will be yours.”</p> - -<p>“God bless you, Haidee! You give me the inspiration of courage and -hope. You are a noble woman, and your devotion is worthy of the highest -honours that could be bestowed upon you. You liberated me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> from the -city we are now going to attack; and when I was wounded and senseless -outside Cawnpore, your arms, strengthened by love, bore me to a place -of safety. Twice, then, have you saved my life; and, if it is preserved -through the conflict that is now about to commence, I will henceforth -devote it to you. But in the event of my falling, I have taken steps -that will ensure your heroic deeds being known to my country, and you -will meet with a well-merited reward.”</p> - -<p>“Talk not of reward from your country. The only reward I ask for is -yourself—if one so humble as I dare ask for so much; and if I get not -that, I am content to sink into oblivion, and wait for the end.”</p> - -<p>“You are not humble, Haidee. You are noble, generous, true, and -devoted; and if I am spared, I shall feel proud of the honour of being -able to call you wife.”</p> - -<p>“Wife,” she murmured, “wife to you; ah! what happiness!”</p> - -<p>Shrilly on the morning air rose the bugle call. Its warning notes told -the lovers that they must speak their last words of farewell.</p> - -<p>“That is the signal for me to go,” Harper said, as he drew the -beautiful form of Haidee to his breast. “On your lips I seal -my respect, my thanks, my love. In the struggle my arm will be -strengthened as I think of you; my eye will be quickened as it -remembers your beautiful face, and let us hope that our love will be a -charm to shield me from the enemy’s bullets.”</p> - -<p>“Take this,” she answered, as she handed him a little packet, which, on -opening, he found contained a card, upon which was worked, in her own -hair, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> beautiful device; it was a true lover’s knot, surrounded with -a laurel wreath, and underneath were the words, “Duty, Honour, Love.” -“Let that be your charm, my well beloved, for in those three words -there is magic to a good soldier.”</p> - -<p>A warm embrace, a passionate kiss, a faltering adieu, and the lovers -parted. In a few minutes Harper had placed himself at the head of his -company, amongst whom was his friend Walter Gordon, who had volunteered -for the day.</p> - -<p>The watch-fires were burning low. It was the dark hour before the dawn, -and the sky was inky black. Softly the bugles sounded. How many a soul -did they call to death! But no one thought of that. There was the -hurrying tread of thousands of feet. There was the rumbling of guns as -they were moved down into position to cover the advance of the troops. -There were the clanking of arms and the fervently uttered “God speeds!” -by those who, through sickness or other cause, were unable to leave.</p> - -<p>Again the bugles sounded the advance. Soon the camp was silent, and the -little army was winding down the valley. And as daylight spread over -the face of heaven, the storming commenced. Undeterred by the deadly -streams of bullets and shot that were poured out, heroic bands of men -advanced to the gates, each man carrying in his arms a bag of powder, -which was laid down at the gates, with the coolness and intrepidity -which so astonished the natives during the mutiny. From this duty few -of the dauntless soldiers escaped alive. But nothing could deter the -hearts of steel that, in the face of death and slaughter, piled the -bags against the massive gates.</p> - -<p>Presently, even above the roar of the artillery, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> heard the sound -of the awful explosions that announced the successful accomplishment -of the hazardous task. Before the clouds had cleared away, the bugles -sounded the advance, and through the shattered gateways the victorious -army poured, and soon the tread of the English troops resounded in the -deserted halls and corridors of the palace of the Mogul.</p> - -<p>We must draw a veil over the awful carnage, fierce reprisals, and -almost unparalleled slaughter that ensued. The British had to fight -their way into the city inch by inch, and several days elapsed before -they had entirely defeated the enemy. The grey-haired miscreant, who -had thought himself a king, was made a prisoner. His infamous sons were -shot like dogs, and their bodies cast into the river.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7">[7]</a></p> - -<p>The “Great White Hand” was triumphant; it had crushed the “House -of Timour” into the dust; it had broken and destroyed the power of -England’s enemies, and had vindicated the outraged honour of the -British nation. <i>Animo non astutiâ.</i></p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Amongst the English officers who were wounded during the assault was -Lieutenant Harper. He received a terrible sword cut on his left arm -from a Sepoy who was feigning death. He slew his enemy, and then -binding up his gashed arm in his scarf, he continued to courageously -lead his men, until, through loss of blood, he fainted. He was -then placed in the ambulance and carried back to the English camp -on the Ridge. When the wound had been dressed, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> he recovered -consciousness, almost the first face his eyes met was Haidee’s. His -life had been spared, and her thankfulness found vent in an eloquent -silence, passing the eloquence of words.</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>When the heat of the struggle was over, and the British were complete -masters of the city, Walter Gordon, who had fought with the courage of -a lion, and escaped without a scratch, commenced his search for her for -whom he had endured so much. His inquiries failed to elicit any further -information than that an English lady had been held captive in the -Palace, and that she had escaped. When he heard the news he despaired -of ever seeing her again. But one night, while sitting sorrowfully in -his quarters at the Palace, he was informed that a native woman wished -to see him.</p> - -<p>The woman was Zeemit Mehal.</p> - -<p>“What of Miss Meredith?” he cried, as soon as he recognised his visitor.</p> - -<p>“She is well, and waits for you,” was the answer. “Follow me and you -shall see her.”</p> - -<p>“Thank God!” Walter murmured, as he rose and followed his guide.</p> - -<p>“You had better procure a conveyance,” she said, when they reached the -courtyard.</p> - -<p>There was no difficulty in this. Buggies and horses were numerous, and -in a few minutes Gordon was driving along rapidly under the guidance of -the faithful Mehal, who directed him to the lonely creek where she and -Miss Meredith had lived for weeks on board of the wrecked budgerow.</p> - -<p>Why describe the meeting of Walter and Flora? It was of that kind that -words would fail to do justice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> to it. Each felt that, in a large -measure, the joy of those blissful moments compensated for all the -months of toil, the agony of mind, bodily suffering, and the cruel -separation that had been endured. The awful trials they had gone -through had left their mark upon the faces of each. But they were -fervently thankful for the mercy of Heaven which had spared their -lives, and as Walter pressed Flora to his breast he felt that he had -kept his vow to her sister, who had been spared all those months -of agony and suffering during which so many bright hopes had been -shattered for ever, and so many hearts broken.</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>About a week after the fall of Delhi, Lieutenant Harper was informed -that he had been mentioned in despatches, and recommended for -promotion. He had sufficiently recovered to be able to walk about. -Haidee had been his untiring nurse. Her loving hands ministered to his -every want. She had watched over him, and nursed him back to life. One -morning, as day was breaking, he said—</p> - -<p>“Haidee, I want you to come with me for a short drive; there is a -tragedy to be enacted.”</p> - -<p>She obeyed him without question, and he drove her to a plain about -three miles off. There was a great gathering of English troops, who -were drawn up in a square of three sides. In the centre of the square -were ten guns, their muzzles pointing to the blank side. Lashed with -their backs to the guns were ten men—rebels, traitors, murderers. -Harper led Haidee along the square until they were almost before the -guns.</p> - -<p>“See,” he said, “do you know that man?”</p> - -<p>The one he pointed to was the first in the row.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> He was a tall, -powerful fellow. His teeth were set, and his face wore a defiant look.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered firmly.</p> - -<p>As she spoke, the man’s eyes met hers. He recognised her, and an -expression of ferocious hatred crossed his face. The man was Moghul -Singh.</p> - -<p>“Will you remain here and see justice done, and your vengeance -satisfied?” Harper asked of her.</p> - -<p>“No,” she replied.</p> - -<p>He led her away, but they had not got very far before the earth -trembled with a violent shock. They both turned. The drums were -beating, the British flags were waving, the air was filled with smoke -and riven limbs.</p> - -<p>“You are revenged, Haidee,” Harper whispered.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered. “Let us go.”</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>In one of the most beautiful of Devonshire villages, Lieutenant-Colonel -Harper, now retired from the service, dwells with his wife and family. -The beautiful Haidee, thoroughly Anglicised, in the character of Mrs. -Harper, is the pride of the county for miles around. She is loved, -respected, and honoured.</p> - -<p>Gordon and his wife still reside in India; he is one of the wealthiest -merchants in Calcutta. Their faithful and honoured servant, Zeemit -Mehal, after some years of ease and comfort in the service of the -master and mistress she had served so well, passed away. She died in -the Christian faith, and was buried at Chowringhee, where a handsome -marble monument records her virtues and services.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7">[7]</a> The story of how Hodson shot the King’s sons is too well -known to need repetition here. The act has been condemned, but those -who are acquainted with the facts know that if the sons had not been -shot the mob would have rescued them.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">THE END.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="center space-above"><i>Printed by Cowan & Co., Limited, Perth.</i></p> - -<div lang='en' xml:lang='en'> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='' xml:lang=''>THE GREAT WHITE HAND</span> ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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