United States or Cuba ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In India men never tell the truth to chance-met strangers or to their enemies; the truth is a valuable thing, to be shared cautiously among friends. "If Mahommed Gunga is at Alwa's," reasoned Jaimihr, "then he is much too close at hand to take any chances with. I must keep this man close confined."
They could be seen gathered together out of rifle-shot but in full view of Alwa's rock, and from their gestures they seemed to be considering the feasibility of an attack. But it needed no warrior it needed less even than ordinary intelligence to know that as few as forty men could hold that fastness against two thousand. Eight hundred would have no chance against it.
Not a word was spoken not a question asked or a piece of news exchanged until the whole party halted at the foot of Alwa's fortress home a great iron gate in front of them and garden land on either side watered by the splashing streamlet from the heights above. "Men of the house of Kachwaha have owned and held this place, sahib, since Allah made it!" whispered Mahommed Gunga.
They reached the entrance, and after ascending a few miles, came to anchor under a jut of wood that formed a bend in the river. The baying of dogs during the night intimated the vicinity of a settlement near, and in the morning the captain sent one of the negroes on shore for a bottle of milk. "Massa, dat man what live yonder ha'n't much no-how, alwa's makes 'em pay seven-pence," said the negro.
It was no affair of Alwa's that a full moon shone that night none of his arranging that on that one night of the month Jaimihr and his most trusted body-guard should go with the priests and the Maharajah to inspect the treasure.
Be always either in the caravansary or else at call. Should the old woman who serves Miss Maklin-sahib, the padre-sahib's daughter come and ask thy aid, then saddle swiftly the three horses I will leave with thee, and bear Miss Maklin-sahib and her father to my cousin Alwa's place. Present two of the gold mohurs to the hag, should that happen." "But sahib two mohurs?
These horsemen of Alwa's rode, and looked, and laughed like soldiers, new-stripped of the hobble ropes of peace, and their very seat in the untanned saddles tight down, loose-swaying from the hips, and free was confirmation of Mahommed Gunga's words.
He had not met many of them, and those he had had borne away the memory of most outrageous insult gratuitously offered and rubbed home. But this particular Jew was a money-lender on occasion, and his rates had proved as reasonable as his acceptance of Alwa's unwritten promise had been prompt.
He knew that Alwa and the Rangars would not help him unless Jaimihr first attacked him, for Alwa would be sure to stand on the strict letter of his oath. And he was afraid of the Rangars. He feared that they might protect him and depose him afterward. He reasoned that that, too, might be construed into a strict interpretation of the terms of Alwa's promise! He consented to collect his army.
"It might be one of Alwa's men." "We have many good men, sahib and many good horses but no man or horse who could come at that pace after traversing those leagues of desert! That is Mahommed Gunga, unless a new fire-eater has been found. And what new man would know the way?"
Word Of The Day