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Charteris had precipitated matters by his hasty action, he was driving Sher Singh to revolt, he would set all Granthistan in a blaze, and incidentally be wiped out himself in which case he would richly deserve his fate.
Unkindest cut of all, old Sir Henry Lennox grasped joyfully at the chance of avenging a few of the wrongs he and his Khemistan administration had suffered at the hands of Granthistan, and with the readiness to submit official matters to public arbitrament which so curiously distinguished the men of his day addressed to the press a series of communications reflecting with equal severity on Charteris's moral character and his military capacity.
"So this is another of the sucking Caesars who command armies in Granthistan! And what, pray, may be the nature of your very valuable suggestion, sir?"
"I could no more doubt her than the sun at noon. Bob, I'll tell you. She will go with me to Central India when Sir Edmund goes." Charteris sat up in his chair. "Nonsense!" he said sharply. "What folly is this? You are talking of leaving Granthistan?" "I had made up my mind to it before you came to me this afternoon, and she agrees with me that it is the right thing."
Had not Sir Edmund said to him that morning, almost wistfully, "I should like to have you with me, Gerrard, when I am kicked out of Granthistan"? and he had answered eagerly that he could desire nothing better then paused suddenly, remembering that there might be some one else to consult as to the ordering of his life. There were steps in the courtyard, a foot on the verandah.
He turned again to the old man. "You think that Colonel Antony might wish to make himself King of Granthistan, but which of all the English has ever done such a thing?" "Nay, but they conquered for their masters. This man who resists his masters must surely have some advantage for himself in view?" "Sahib!"
The time was towards the close of the 'forties of the nineteenth century, and the place the city of Ranjitgarh, capital of the great native state of Granthistan, which was not yet a British possession, but well on the way to becoming one.
The old man smiled unpleasantly. "This Antni Sahib he is one to be wondered at, is he not? Men say that when certain would have had the English take possession of Granthistan for themselves, he withstood them." A meaning pause. "And they say also that when any Englishman would override the rights of a Granthi, be he Sirdar or peasant, Antni Sahib is on the side of the Granthi."
There was always the chance of an outbreak of disease in the British camp, or even a successful diversion on the part of the revolted Granthistan army, such as might compel the raising of the siege.
Had he been allowed to sweep unchecked across his borders, and uniting with Abd-ur-Rashid Khan of Ethiopia, stir up the western half of Granthistan against the Durbar and the British, as the discontented Granthi Sirdars and soldiers of fortune had raised the eastern portion, how would it have been possible to cope with the situation?
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