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Updated: May 3, 2025
Jaimihr, finding that his palace was intact, and that only the prisoner and three horses from his stable were missing, placed the whole guard under arrest stormed futilely, while his hurrying swarm flocked to him through the dinning streets and then, mad-angry and made reckless by his rage, rode with a hundred at his back to Howrah's palace, scattering the bee-swarm of inquisitive but so far peaceful citizens right and left.
From where they stood, there was an archer's view of every inch of the only rock-hewn road that led from the gate to the summit of the cliff; an enemy who had burst the gate in would have had to climb in the teeth of a searching hail of missiles, with little chance of shooting back. They could see the gate itself, and Jaimihr on the other side.
He waited until the yellow dawn broke up the first dim streaks of violet before he realized that Alwa had given him the slip; and he cursed even the high priest of Siva when that worthy accosted him and asked what tidings. "Another trick!" swore Jaimihr. "So, thou and thy temple rats saw fit to send me packing for the night! What devils' tricks have been hatched out in my absence?"
He waved away the offering much as Caesar may have waved aside a crown, with an air of condescending mightiness too proud to know contempt. "Go, help thyself!" growled Alwa; and Jaimihr walked to the spring without haste, knelt down, and dipped up water with his hand. "Now to a cell with him!" commanded Alwa, before the Prince had time to slake a more than ordinary thirst.
It would have suited neither of them to have their leader killed at that stage of the game, but the fighting was too quick for either man to interfere. Jaimihr charged Cunningham for the dozenth time and missed, charged past, to wheel and charge again, then closed with the most vindictive rush of all. Again Cunningham met him point to point.
"Eight hundred!" he exclaimed, as Cunningham drew near. "Eight hundred what, Mahommed Gunga? Come and see, sahib." Cunningham leaned over, and beheld a mounted column, trailing along the desert road in wonderfully good formation. "Where are they from?" he asked. "Jaimihr's men, from Howrah!" "That means," growled Alwa, "that the Hindoo pig Jaimihr has more than half the city at his back.
Alwa was swearing behind the thick teak door that closed behind him and Cunningham and Mahommed Gunga. "We have made a good beginning! With the wolf in a trap, what has the goat to dread? Howrah may chuckle himself to sleep! And I I, too, by the beard of God's prophet! I, too, may laugh, for, with Jaimihr under lock and key, what need is there to ride to the aid of a Hindoo Rajah?
"If he takes many with him, he must leave his camp unguarded, or only weakly guarded. Then I would act. If he goes with few, how can he take thy castle?" "Then I have your protection against Jaimihr, and the missionaries, against my promise to support you on the throne?" "My word on it." "And mine." Howrah rose, stepped forward to the dais edge, and held his hand out.
So on which should a gentleman settle? He held his chin high, although he gazed at the bubbling spring thirstily; and, thirsty though he must have been, he asked no favors. One of Alwa's men brought him a brass dipper full of water, after washing it out first thoroughly and ostentatiously. But Jaimihr smiled. His caste forbade.
The Rangars came to take their man away. They broke in. They burn. They loot. They " But Jaimihr did not wait another instant to hear the rest. To him this seemed like the scheming of his brother. Now he imagined he could read between the lines! That letter sent to Alwa had been misreported to him, and had been really a call to come and free the prisoner and wreak Rangar vengeance! He understood!
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