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He raised his tulwar aloft, and as he did so the steel of every jamadar and hazari flashed upward, saying, "We Pindaris and Bundoolas who rode for Amir Khan, and now ride for Kassim, swear in the name of Allah, and on the Beard of Mahomet, who is his Prophet, friendship to the Englay Raj." "By Allah and the Beard of Mahomet, who is his Prophet, we make oath!" the deep voices boomed solemnly.
"In the name of Allah we are," came as a sonorous chorus from one and all. "And are ye agreed that it shall be said to the Captain Sahib, who is envoy from the Englay, that we ride in peace to his people, or ride not at all in war?" "Allah! it is agreed," came the response. He turned to Barlow. "Captain Sahib, thou hast heard. The word of a Pindari, taken in the name of Allah, is inviolate.
He put the leather case within the bosom of his shirt, adding: "This may even be of value to the Dewan. Beyond that, there was little of loot upon these dogs of the Englay eight rupees. The coats and the turbans we will burn." Hunsa stooped down and slipped the sandals from the feet of the one Sookdee had pointed out as the officer.
"Ajeet heard the beat of iron-shod hoofs upon the road, and seeing in the moonlight the two riders knew from the manner they sat the saddles that they were of the Englay service; when he called to them they heeded him not. Then Ajeet followed the two. Why was the shot, Hunsa?" "They have killed Ajeet," Hunsa declared; "but also they are dead, and I have the leader's leather sandals for a purpose.
Then he said: "We men of the sword have not given much thought to the pen, employing scribblers for that purpose, but to-morrow a mullah will make this all plain." Barlow interrupted the Chief. "Shall I read the written word?" "What would it avail? Hereon is the seal of the Englay Raj, but as you read the thumb of the Raj would not be upon your lip in the way of a seal.
And you were a brave man, such as a Pindari loves; rather than announce thyself as an Englay the paper gone and thy mission failed thou wouldst have stood up to death like a soldier." He put his hand caressingly on Barlow's knee, adding: "By the Beard of the Prophet thou art a man!
"And we have killed the other soldier," another said, "for, having seen the bodies, we could not let him live." From Sookdee's hand dangled a coat of one of the dead. "This that is a leather purse," he said, "contains letters; the red thing on them I have looked upon before it is the seal of the Englay. It was here in the coat of that one who is a sergeant the other being a soldier."
"The footwear is of little value, but we will take the brass cooking pots of the merchant," Sookdee said, eyeing this performance; there was suspicion in his eyes lighted from the flare of their camp fires. "Sookdee," Hunsa said, "you have the Englay leather packet, but they do not send sowars through the land of the Mahratta with the real message written on the back of the messenger.
That is our answer to the message from the Englay Chief. There is no writing to be given, for a Pindari deals in yea and nay. Is it to be considered. Captain Sahib; is it a message to send that is worthy of men to men?" "It is, Commander Kassim," Barlow answered. "Then wait thou for the seal."
To deny the revelation was useless; they would torture him, and he was to die anyway; better to die claiming to be a messenger from the British rather than as one sent to murder the Chief. Kassim bellowed an order subduing the tumult; then he asked: "What art thou, a Patan, or as the woman says, an Englay?"
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