At the Point of the Bayonet: A Tale of the Mahratta War Read online

  Chapter 2: A Strange Bringing Up.

  The war went on during the following year, but in 1782 peace wasconcluded. In 1784, the Mahrattas joined the Nizam and the Britishin an alliance, having for its object the overthrow of Mysore;which state, first under Hyder Ali, and afterwards under his sonTippoo, was a source of danger to all the allies.

  In the meantime Harry Lindsay, who was now called Puntojee, hadbeen living quietly on the farm of Ramdass; and no suspicionwhatever had been excited in the minds of the neighbours, or of anyof the people of Jooneer, that he was aught but what he seemed--theson of Soyera. Once a week he was re-stained; and even hisplaymates, the two sons of Ramdass, believed that he was, likethemselves, a young Mahratta. They knew that, sometimes, their aunttalked to the child for hours in a strange language; but she ledthem to believe it was the dialect of Bombay, which she thought itmight be useful for him to learn.

  The child was shrewd and intelligent, and strictly obeyed Soyera'sinstructions never, on any account, to talk in that language withher except when they were alone; for she said that, if he did so,some great misfortune would happen to him.

  Thus, at six, he was able to speak English and Mahratta with equalfacility. As soon as his hair began to grow, it had also been dyed;for its colour was fair, and would at once have excited attention.He was a sturdy boy, and had never known a day's illness.

  Four more years passed, and Soyera then revealed to him the factthat she was not, as he supposed, his mother, but that he was ofEnglish parents; and related to him the manner in which they hadcome by their death, and how she had saved him.

  "The language which you are speaking," she said, "is English. Ispoke truly, when I said it was the language in use in Bombay; forit is the tongue of the white men there. Now you will understandwhy I wanted you not to speak in it, to anyone but myself; and whyI have stained your skin, once a week. At present we are at peacewith the English; but there may be war again, at any time, and inthat case were it known that you are white, your life would not besafe for a moment; or you might be thrown into some dungeon, whereyou would perish miserably."

  She then explained to him why she had not attempted to take himdown to Bombay, and restore him to his countrymen. She had alwayshoped the time would come when she could do so but, until he grewup to manhood, it was necessary that he should stay with her; for,being without friends in Bombay he would, as a boy, be unable toearn his living.

  The boy was greatly affected at the news. There were things that hehad never been able to understand; especially why Soyera shouldconsider it necessary to wash him with dye so often, when neitherhis cousins nor the other children of his acquaintance were sotreated--as far as he knew, for as he had been strictly chargednever to speak of the process, which he considered an infliction,he had never asked questions of others. He had never, therefore,for a moment suspected that he was not like those around him. Heknew that he was stronger than other boys of his own age; more fondof exercise, and leader in all their games; but he had acceptedthis as a natural accident. The fact that he belonged to the racethat were masters of southern India, and had conquered and slainthe Nabob of Bengal, was a gratification to him but, at present,the thought that he might some day have to join them, and leave allthose he loved behind, far overpowered this feeling.

  "I shall never become English, if you do not go with me," he said."You saved my life, and have been a mother to me. Why should I goaway from your side, to people that I know nothing of, whose wayswould be all strange to me?"

  "It is right that you should do so, Puntojee--I will not call youby your proper name, Harry Lindsay, lest it should slip out beforeothers. Your life should be spent among your own people; who, Ithink, will some day rule over all India. They are a great people,with learning of many things unknown here, from whom I alwaysreceived the greatest kindness. They are not, like the Mahrattas,always quarrelling among themselves; they are not deceitful, andthey are honourable. You should be proud to belong to them, and Ihave no doubt some day you will be so; though at present it isnatural that, knowing no place but this, you should not like thethought of leaving."

  Harry Lindsay, whose spirits had hitherto been almostinexhaustible, and who had never been happy when sitting quiet, wasgreatly impressed with what he had heard and, for some time, hewithdrew himself almost entirely from the sports of his friends,hiding himself in the groves from their importunities, and thinkingover the strange position in which he was placed.

  Soyera at last remonstrated with him.

  "If I had thought you would take this matter to heart, Puntojee, Ishould not have told you about it. I did so because I thought youcould scarcely be stained, much longer, without demanding thereason for what must have seemed so strange a thing.

  "I do not want you to withdraw yourself from your playmates, or tocease from your games. Your doing so will, if it continues, excitetalk. Your friends will think that a spell has fallen upon you, andwill shun you. I want you to grow up such as your fatherwas--strong and brave, and skilful in arms--and to do this you mustbe alert and active. It may well be that you should not join yourcountrymen until you are able to play the part of a man, which willnot be for ten years yet; but you know that my cousin Sufder haspromised that, as soon as you are able to carry arms, he willprocure a post for you under Scindia.

  "There you will learn much, and see something of the world whereas,if you remain here, you would grow up like other cultivators, andwould make but a bad impression among your countrymen, when youjoin them. Sufder himself has promised to teach you the use of armsand, as all say he is very skilful, you could have no bettermaster.

  "At any rate, I wish you to resume your former habits, to exerciseyour body in every way, so that you may grow up so strong andactive that, when you join your countrymen, they will feel you arewell worthy of them. They think much of such things, and it is bytheir love for exercise and sport that they so harden their framesthat, in battle, our bravest peoples cannot stand against them."

  "But the Mahrattas are strong, mother?"

  "Yes, they can stand great fatigues; living, as they do, soconstantly on horseback but, like all the people of India, they arenot fond of exercise, save when at war. That is the differencebetween us and the English. These will get up at daybreak, go forlong rides, hunt the wild boar or the tigers in the jungles of theConcan, or the bears among the Ghauts. Exercise to them is apleasure; and we in the service of the English have often wonderedat the way in which they willingly endure fatigues, when they mightpass their time sitting quietly in their verandahs. But I came tounderstand that it was to this love of theirs, for outdoorexercise, that they owed their strength and the firmness of theircourage. None can say that the Mahrattas are not brave but,although they will charge gallantly, they soon disperse if the daygoes against them.

  "So also with the soldiers of Tippoo. They overran Arcot andthreatened Madras; Tanjore and the Carnatic were all in theirhands; and yet the English never lost their firmness and, little bylittle, drove Tippoo's troops from the lands they had conquered;and it may be that, ere long, Tippoo will be a fugitive, and hisdominions divided among those whom he has provoked.

  "Is it not wonderful that, while not very many years ago the Whiteswere merely a handful, living on sufferance in Calcutta, Madras,and Bombay, they are now masters of southern India and half ofBengal; and even venture to engage a great empire like that of theMahrattas, stretching from the sea on the west to Delhi, andholding the mastery over all central India? There must be somethingextraordinary about these men. Why, you would scarce believe it,but I have seen often, and wondered always; when they have anentertainment, instead of sitting quietly 'and having dancing girlsto posture for their amusement, they dance themselves with theirwomen--not a mere movement of the body and hands, such as you seeamong our dancers, but violent dancing, exhausting themselves tillthe perspiration streams from their faces--and this both men andwomen regard as amusement; so, Puntojee, if you are to take yourplace among your countrymen again, you must acc
ustom yourself tofatigues, and strengthen your body in every way; or you will beregarded with contempt as one who, although of their blood, hasgrown degenerate and unworthy of them."

  "I will do so," the boy said. "You shall not complain of me, again.Hitherto I have played for amusement, and because I liked toexercise my limbs, and to show the others that I could run fasterand was stronger than they were; but in future I shall have amotive in doing so, and will strive to be worthy of my father."

  From that time, Harry Lindsay devoted himself to exercises. Helearnt from Sufder, when he visited his native town, and from oldsoldiers, when he was away, to use a sword and dagger, to hurl alight spear accurately, to shoot straight with a musket, thatSufder had picked up on the field of battle at Karlee, and alsowith the pistol. He rose at daybreak, and walked for miles beforecoming in to his morning meal; and exercised the muscles of hisarms, not only by the use of the sword, but by holding heavy stonesat arm's length.

  Soyera, although still retaining her own religion, had carefullyinstructed him in that of the English; with which she had, duringher service, become fully acquainted.

  "I am only a servant, an ignorant woman, and it is not for me todecide which religion is the best, and I have never thought ofgiving up that of my people; but the religion of the Christians ismuch simpler than ours. They believe in one God, only; and in hisSon who, like Buddha, was a great saint, and went about doing good.I will tell you all I know of Him, for my mistress frequently spoketo me of Him; and hoped, I think, that in time I should accept Him,as she did. When you join your people, it is as necessary that youshould be of their religion, as of their race;" and so, in time,Harry learned at least the elements of Christianity.

  As usual he had been, at the age of six, marked, like Soyera, withthree perpendicular lines on the forehead--the sign of theworshippers of Vishnu.

  "You are twelve years old now, Harry," Soyera said to the boy, oneday. "Now I must do what I have concluded, after a talk withRamdass and Sufder, is the best thing for you. We have agreed thatit will be better that you should not join your countrymen, andclaim to be the son of Major Lindsay, until you are a man. I do notknow what they would do with you. They might send you back toEngland, but I cannot say what would become of you there; but wehave agreed that, when you do join them, you must be like otheryoung English gentlemen, and not be looked down upon as one who,though he has a white skin, is but a Mahratta peasant.

  "In the first place, you must learn to speak English."

  "But I do speak English!" Harry said, in surprise.

  "Yes, such English as I do; but that is not as the white sahibsspeak it. We who have learned it speak the right word, but not inthe right way. I have seen young white ladies, when they first cameout here, and came to the house of your mother, sometimes smile andscarcely understand what I said to them. It is not like that thatyou must talk English--good enough for an ayah, not good enough fora sahib--so we have decided, Sufder, Ramdass and I, that you mustgo down to Bombay, and learn to talk proper English.

  "We have thought much how this shall be done, and have settled thatour thinking, here, is no good. I must wait till I get to Bombay,where I can get advice from people I know."

  "Will you stay there with me, Soyera?"

  "I cannot say what will be best," she answered, gravely; "I mustwait till I get there. Ramdass will go down with me. It is a goodtime for him to go. The harvest work is done, he can be spared fora month. He would like to go. He has never seen Bombay. We shall goin the wagon."

  The distance from Jooneer to Bombay was but about eighty miles, andthe journey was performed in five days, and Ramdass took down alight load of maize, whose sale would pay the expenses of theirjourney. Soyera rode and slept on the maize, except in twovillages, where she was able to procure a lodging for the night.Ramdass and Harry walked by the bullocks, and slept at night by theroadside, wrapped in their blankets.

  On arriving at Bombay they put up at a khan, in the native townand, the next morning, leaving Ramdass and Harry to wander aboutand look at the wonders of the city, Soyera went to the shop of aParsee merchant, who was in the habit of supplying the canteen ofthe troops, contracted for supplies of forage and other matters,and carried on the business of a native banker. She had often beento his place with Mrs. Lindsay; and had, from the time that sheentered her service, deposited her savings with him. She had, inthe first place, asked her master to keep them for her; but he hadadvised her to go to Jeemajee.

  The Parsee was, himself, in his shop. She went up to him.

  "You do not remember me, sahib?" she said. "I was the ayah of MajorLindsay. I was often here with the mem-sahib."

  "I remember you, now," he said. "I do not often forget those I haveknown. Yes; your master and mistress were killed, at their littlecamp on the Concan. Nothing was heard of you, if I rememberrightly. I have some money of yours in my hands. Have you thereceipts?"

  "I have them, sahib; but it is not for that that I come to see you.I wish to ask your advice on a private matter."

  The Parsee looked a little surprised.

  "Come in here with me," he said, leading the way to his privateroom, behind the shop.

  "Now, what is it?" he asked, as he closed the door behind them.

  "It was believed, sahib, that Major Lindsay's infant boy waskilled, at that time, like all others in the camp. It was not so. Isaved him. It is about him that I want to speak to you."

  The Parsee thought for a moment.

  "Yes, there was a child. Its body was not found, and was supposedto have been eaten by the jackals. Is it alive still?"

  "Yes, sahib, I have brought him up as my own. His skin has beenalways stained; and none but my brother--with whom I live--hiswife, and one other, know that he is English. I love him as my ownchild. I have taught him English, as I speak it; but I want him, intime, to be an English sahib, and for that he must learn properEnglish."

  "But why have you not brought him down here?" the Parsee said.

  "Who would have looked after him, and cared for him, sahib, as I,his nurse, have done? Who could have taken him? What would havebecome of him? I am a poor woman, and do not know how these thingswould be. I said to myself:

  "'It will be better that he should live with me, till he is oldenough to go down as a young man, and say to the Governor:

  "'"I am the son of Major Lindsay. I can talk Mahratti like anative. I can ride and use my sword. I can speak English well. Ican be useful."

  "'Then, perhaps for his father's sake, the Governor will say:

  "'"I will make you an officer. If there are troubles in the Deccan,you will be more useful than those sahibs who do not know thelanguage."'

  "I can do all that for him, but I cannot teach him to speak asEnglish sahibs speak; and that is why I have come to you. You havetwelve hundred rupees of mine, in your hands; for I laid outnothing while I was in the sahib's service, and my mistress wasvery kind, and often gave me presents. My brother, Ramdass, hadfive hundred rupees saved; and this he has given to me, for he,too, loves the boy. Thus there are seventeen hundred rupees, andthis I would pay for him to be, for two years, with someone wherehe would learn to speak English as sahibs do, so that none can saythis white boy is not English.

  "Then he will go back, for two or three years, to Jooneer. He willlearn to use his arms, and to ride, and to be a man, until he is ofan age to come down and say:

  "'I am the son of Major Lindsay.'"

  "But if you were to tell this, at once," the Parsee said, "theywould doubtless send him home, to England, to be educated."

  "And what would he do there, sahib? He would have no friends, noneto care for him; and while his Mahratti tongue would be of greatservice to him, here, it would be useless to him in his owncountry.

  "Do not say that my plan cannot be carried out, sahib. For twelveyears I have thought it over. I have taught him all that I could,so far; and convinced myself that it would be the best. The boyloves me, and is happy: he would be miserable among strangers, whowould laugh
at his English, and would make him unhappy."

  Jeemajee sat for some time in thought.

  "I am not sure that your plan is not the best," he said, "and aftersaving his life, and caring for him, at the risk of your own, forall these years, you have assuredly a better right than any otherto say what shall be done now. I will think over what you haveasked of me. It is not very easy to find just such a home as youwant, but I should consider the sum you offer is sufficient toinduce many Englishmen living here to take him; but it is noteveryone from whom he would learn English, as you would wish him todo, or who could teach him the manners of white officers.

  "Come to me tomorrow evening, but you must not expect that I shallbe able to answer you then. I must think it over, and makeenquiries."

  It was three days, indeed, before anything came of Soyera's visitsto the Parsee trader; then he said:

  "I think that I have found out just the place of which you are insearch. I spoke to a friend yesterday, and he at once mentioned onewhom I wonder I had not thought of, at once. Some years ago acadet, who came out here with a young wife, died shortly after hisarrival. As he had only been four years in the service, the pensionof his wife was but a small one. She did not go back to England, aswidows generally do. I know not why, except that I once heard twoofficers speaking of her. They said that they believed her familyhad quarrelled with her, for her marriage, and that she was tooproud to go back again. She had two girls, who must be about theage of this boy. Her pension was not sufficient for her to liveupon comfortably, and she opened a little school for the childrenof officers here.

  "There are not many, you know, for they are generally sent home toEngland, when they are quite young. But she has always had four orfive, sometimes eight or ten. They come to her every morning, andgo home in the middle of the day, and she sees no more of them.

  "After I had heard this, I went to her. I supply her with manythings, for she gets her books and other things from me. I said toher:

  "'I have a white boy whose father and mother are dead. He is twelveyears old. There are reasons why I cannot tell you who they were,but I can say that the boy's father was an English officer. He hasbeen brought up by natives, and speaks English in the way thatnatives speak it. Those who have brought him up desire that heshould learn to talk English well, and learn to have good manners,so that some day, when he goes to England, people should not say ofhim:

  "'"This is not an English gentleman, or he would not speak likethat."'

  "I said that I had interested myself in the matter, and knew thatit was right, and had come to her to ask her if she would take himinto her house, which was very comfortable and well furnished, andeverything as it should be.

  "She asked questions. I told her enough to interest her; and saidthat, when the time came, it was hoped that he would be able toobtain employment under the Government--perhaps in the army, as hisfather had been. I said that those who brought him up were ready tomake great sacrifices for his sake, but that they could not pay forhim for more than two years; and that, as the boy knew so muchEnglish, they hoped this would be enough. I asked how much, if sheagreed to take him, she would charge. She said that she would thinkit over; and would call here, tomorrow, and tell me whether shewould take him.

  "She will be here at three. I think you had better come at thathour. I am sure that she would like to speak to you. I do not seewhy you should not say that you had been his ayah, and had savedhis life, and brought him up. Many officers have been killed and,indeed, I do not see why you should not tell her the whole story.It will interest her more in the boy. But of course, before youtell her, you must ask her to promise not to repeat it."

  Soyera went on the following day. She found that Jeemajee wasalready, with a lady, in his private room. She waited until thedoor was opened, and the merchant beckoned her in.

  "This is the woman who has brought the child up, Mrs. Sankey," hesaid. "As I have told you, she was his ayah, and has behaved mostnobly."

  Turning to Soyera, he said:

  "Naturally Mrs. Sankey asked why you had not come forward before. Itold her your reasons, and she thinks that, perhaps, you have actedfor the best for him. At any rate, she has consented to take theboy for two years; and I am to pay her, for you, the sum that youhave named."

  In reality, Mrs. Sankey asked a thousand rupees a year; but theParsee, with the generosity for which his race is distinguished,had agreed to pay the extra three hundred rupees himself.

  "Before it is quite settled," Mrs. Sankey said, "I should like tosee the boy. As Mr. Jeemajee has told you, I have two daughtersabout the same age. I must, therefore, be guided in my decision bymy impression of him."

  "I will bring him to see you, in three or four days," Soyera said."His stain is already faded a good deal, and I shall be able to getit off, by that time. I have to get English clothes for him.

  "I am greatly obliged to you for saying that you will take him, ifhe pleases you. That I think he will do. I have taught him manners,as well as I could. He is as anxious as I am to improve himself;and will, I am sure, give you no more trouble than he can help."

  "I will see that he is properly clothed, Mrs. Sankey," Jeemajeeremarked. "I knew his father, and have a great interest in him."

  Mrs. Sankey chatted for some little time to Soyera; gave her hercard, with her address on Malabar Hill; and then left.

  Soyera began to thank the Parsee for his introduction, but he said:

  "It was a little thing to do and, as I knew his father, it was onlyright that I should help, as far as I could. Will you bring me,tomorrow morning, the measurement of the boy's height, size aroundhis shoulders and waist, the lengths of his arms and legs? You needtrouble yourself no further about it. I shall take that matter uponmyself. Come, three days later, for his clothes.

  "Goodbye! I have other matters to see about," and, without waitingfor any thanks from Soyera, he at once went into his shop, andbegan to talk to his assistant.

  Many were the scrubbings Harry had to undergo, during the next fewdays; and his hair and face were nearly restored to their propercolour when Soyera returned, one evening, with a coolie carrying atrunk of some size. It contained the whole outfit for a boy: onedark suit, and four of white nankeen; with a stock of shirts,underclothing, and shoes. Soyera showed Harry how these garments,with which he was wholly unacquainted, should be put on.

  "They fit you capitally," she said, when she surveyed him. "And youlook like a little English sahib."

  "They feel very tight and uncomfortable," he said.

  "They are sure to do so, at first; but you will soon get over that.Now, Ramdass will take you out for a walk for two or three hours,so that you can get accustomed to them. I should not like you tolook awkward, when you go with me to Mrs. Sankey's, tomorrow."

  The interview next day was altogether satisfactory. The carriageand bearing of the natives of India is easier, and more graceful,than that of Europeans; and the knowledge Harry had possessed, forsome years, that he belonged to a conquering race, the injunctionsof Soyera, his strength and activity, and his unquestionedleadership among the boys with whom he played, had given somethingof confidence to his manner. Mrs. Sankey was greatly taken withhim, and he at once became an inmate of her house.

  He remained there for two years, and became so great a favouritethat Mrs. Sankey insisted on his staying with her, without charge,for three or four months after the time for which she had receivedpayment for him. He had worked hard and earnestly, and now spokeEnglish as well and accurately as any English boy of his own age.He had, after being there a year, made the acquaintance of severalboys of his own age, the sons of officers or officials. They knewhim only as the orphan son of an English gentleman, in Governmentemploy; and he was often asked to the houses of their parents, andnone suspected that he had been brought up among natives.

  At the end of his term, Sufder came down for him. Jeemajee, who hadremained his steady friend, arranged that he should go to hishouse, and there resume his native dress and stain.
In this garb hefelt even stranger and more uncomfortable than he had done, when hefirst put on European clothes; but this was not long in wearing offand, by the time he reached Jooneer, he was again at home in it. Hetook with him, at Mrs. Sankey's suggestion, a number of Englishbooks, by authors she recommended; so that he could, by reading andlearning some of them by heart, retain his knowledge of thelanguage.

  For the next three months he spent his whole time in practisingwith sword, pistol, and gun; under the tuition of an old soldier inJooneer, who had been a noted swordsman in his time. He was alreadyfar stronger than the sons of Ramdass, although these were nowyoung men. Anxious to, at once, exercise his muscles and gain inskill, he now attached himself to a famous shikaree who, seeing theboy's strength and courage, took him as an assistant when he wenton excursions among the hills. Here Harry learned to dig pits forthe capture of tigers; to smear leaves with a sticky substance,obtained from a plant resembling mistletoe, so that when a tiger orbear trod upon them and, finding them sticking to his feet, pausedand rubbed these on his head, until he became blinded andbewildered with a mass of sticky foliage, a well-placed shot wouldstretch him dead.

  For a year he worked with the shikaree.]

  For a year he worked with the shikaree. Sometimes they huntedsimply for the value of the skins; but more often they were sentfor by villagers, who were suffering from the depredations oftigers or leopards, and who were willing to pay for having themkilled. Harry Lindsay acquired quite a reputation in Jooneer andthe surrounding country, for the shikaree spoke freely of hisbravery, intelligence, and skill with his arms. His width ofshoulders and the strength of his muscles caused him to be regardedas a prodigy; and it was generally considered that, when he grewup, he would become a great fighter, and attain wide renown as aleader of bands in the service of Holkar, or the Peishwa.

  When he was sixteen, Sufder, who had watched his progress withgreat approval, said to him:

  "You are scarce a man in years yet, Puntojee; but you are strong,skilful with your weapons, and far more of a man than many tenyears older than yourself. It is time that you should see somethingof war. Since the death of Scindia, a few months back; and thesuccession of his nephew Doulut, who is about your own age; thingshave become even more unsettled than before. Scindia was a greatman and, although at times worsted by his rivals, always managed torepair his fortunes and to add to his power; but whether the youngScindia will keep the wide territory that his uncle won isdoubtful. Holkar, although at times he and Scindia united, as whenthe English marched against Poona, has been his rival and enemy.

  "The Peishwa has sometimes been in alliance with one of these greatprinces, sometimes with the other. His minister, Nana Furnuwees, isa man of commanding talent. Had it not been for him, it is probablethat Scindia and Holkar would long since have become altogetherindependent; but he has always contrived to play one off againstthe other and, by securing the services of the secondary chiefs,such as the Rajah of Nagpore and the Rajah of Kolapoore, to holdthe balance of power; but he is an old man, and at his death thereis no saying how things will go.

  "Matters are complicated, too, by the fact that Scindia has now inhis service sixteen battalions of drilled infantry, commanded byFrench officers; and these have proved so valuable, in the varioussieges he has undertaken, that Holkar has been obliged to imitatehis example. There are many who think that the introduction ofinfantry will, in the end, prove disastrous to the power of theMahrattas; whose strength has hitherto lain in their cavalry, whichcould perform long journeys, strike a blow and be off again, and sowere more than a match for the infantry of other Indian princes.But with infantry all this will be altered, for the marches must beno longer or faster than they can journey. The order of battles,too, will be changed altogether; and we shall depend more uponfoot, while our horse, until now almost invincible, will become ofsecondary importance.

  "However, that is not the question, at present. The first thing tobe considered is, to which of the three great leaders you are toattach yourself. As you know, I was for many years in Scindia'sservice; but at his death the position was changed. Scindia knewthat I was active and capable; had he lived, I should soon havegained much promotion. However, his chief minister took a disliketo me; and I felt that, now the Maharajah was gone, Doulut would beeasily swayed by the counsels of those around him; and that insteadof promotion I should be more likely to lose my command, andperhaps be put out of the way. Therefore I left Doulut's service,and have entered that of the young Peishwa who, at the advice ofNana Furnuwees, has given me the command of a troop of a hundredmen.

  "Years ago I gained Nana's goodwill, by apprising him of thehostile intentions of the Rajah of Nagpore; when he promised methat, should I at any time leave Scindia's service, he would giveme as good a position as I held there in that of the Peishwa. Theyoung prince is but twenty-one, and I will ask Nana to present youto him as one who, in time, will become a valuable officer; and itis likely that Mahdoo Rao will receive you well when he hears that,though so young, you have gained great credit as a slayer of wildbeasts; and that, as he will see for himself, you promise to growinto a strong man, and a brave soldier.

  "Nana Furnuwees is a man who, by his conciliating manner, gains theconfidence of all who come under his influence; and it is whollydue to him that the authority of the Peishwa has not been entirelyoverthrown by Scindia and Holkar. He is a reader of men's minds,and has always surrounded himself with friends of discernment andcourage; and I think you would be likely, if you remained in thePeishwa's service, to rise to a very much higher rank than I shouldever do, being myself but a rough soldier with a heavy hand.

  "Holkar, at present, is fast becoming altogether imbecile. He isworn out both in mind and body, and I should not advise anybody tojoin him. Therefore the choice rests between Doulut Rao Scindia andthe Peishwa; as far as I can see, there is an equal chance of yourseeing service with either."

  "I can choose without hesitation," Harry said. "Had you still beenin the army of Scindia, I would have joined it, too; but as youhave now entered that of the Peishwa, who is the lawful ruler ofthe Mahrattas, though overshadowed by Scindia and Holkar, I shouldcertainly choose his service.

  "In any case, I would rather be with you. You have taught me theuse of arms, and to you I owe it that I was not killed, when aninfant; therefore I would assuredly rather fight under your orders,than take service with Holkar or Scindia.

  "As to their quarrels, I know nothing. Ramdass has often told me asmuch as he knew of these matters, but it all seemed to me to beconfusion; and the only thing I could understand was that they werealways intriguing against each other, instead of putting all theirforces in the field, and fighting it out fairly, and so decidingwho was to be the chief lord of the Mahrattas."

  "Although but a soldier, Puntojee, I cannot but see that thisconstant antagonism, between the three principal leaders of theMahrattas, is unfortunate in the last degree. We are wasting thestrength that, if properly employed, might bring all India intosubjection and, when trouble really comes, we shall be a dividedpeople, instead of acting under one head and with one mind.However, it is not for us soldiers to meddle with these things; butto do our duty to the chief under whom we serve.

  "Well, if such be your choice, I will present you to NanaFurnuwees. I am glad that you have chosen that service for, in thefirst place, being young, he may take a liking to you, and you mayobtain rapid promotion; and still more, because I should prefer tohave you with me."

  Hitherto, Harry had worn only the scanty clothing in use by thepeasantry, and the small cultivators; but Sufder now bought himclothes such as were worn by youths of a superior class. Soyera hadoffered no objection to his departure and, indeed, Sufder hadspoken to her on the subject, before he had broached it to Harry.

  "'Tis hard upon me to give you up," she said to the lad; "but Ihave always known that it must be so, and indeed, for the last yearI have seen little of you. The change will be good for you. Youwill learn the manner of war, and take an interest
in the intriguesand troubles that are constantly going on, and of which we hearlittle.

  "When you rejoin your countrymen, a few years hence, I shall gowith you. You need my testimony, to show that you are the son ofMajor Lindsay; and I can be useful to you, in managing yourhousehold. But at present it is best that I should stay here. Ayoung soldier would not care to have his mother looking after him,and it is for your good that you should go your own way; andbesides, you will have the counsels of Sufder to aid you. I shouldbe out of place and, for the present, I am happy here with my goodbrother and sister-in-law, the latter of whom would miss me sorely.Moreover, Poona is but two days' ride from here, and you will nodoubt be able sometimes to come over and see us.

  "I have done what little I could for you. You are now old enough tomake your own way. The bird that has taught its nestling to flydoes not try to keep it in the nest, when it is once able to takecare of itself."

  "I can never be sufficiently grateful, for all that you have donefor me," Harry said earnestly. "You have been more than a mother tome and, wherever I go, I shall not be happy unless you are with me,though I see it is best, this time, that I should go alone; butassuredly, when I join my people, and have a home of my own, itwould not seem like a home to me if you did not share it."

  Two days later, Harry mounted a horse that Ramdass had given him,and started with Sufder for Poona. On arriving there they rode tothe little camp, half a mile out of the town, where Sufder's troopwas stationed.

  "You don't carry your tents with you, when you are on service inthe field?"

  "Not when on an expedition where haste is needed; for we shouldmake but poor progress, if we were hampered by luggage. When on adistant expedition, we take tents.

  "This is a standing camp, and there are a score like it round thetown. They always remain in the same position; sometimes one troopoccupies them, sometimes another. When we go on an expedition, weleave them; when we come back, if they are still unoccupied, weagain take possession. If they have been allotted to another troop,a vacant one is found for us.

  "Only one regiment of horse and two of foot are in the city, wherethey have lines of huts. We differ from the rest of the army, beingalways on service; the others are only called out when there isoccasion for them, each under its own chief and, in case ofnecessity, the Peishwa can put thirty thousand horsemen in thefield, besides those of the rajahs in alliance with him."

  The next morning Sufder, in his best attire, went with Harry intothe city; the latter for the first time carrying a sword, daggerand pistols in his cummerbund, or sash. Without being questioned,they entered the chamber were Nana was giving audience to all whowaited upon him on business.

  Sufder took his place at the lower end of the chamber, movingforward as one after another applicant was disposed of until, atlength, his turn arrived. The minister, who knew that he was abrave soldier, who had enjoyed the confidence of the late Scindia,acknowledged his deep salutation with a friendly nod.

  "What can I do for you, Sufder?"

  "I desire nothing, your excellency, save that I may be permitted topresent to you one of my family: the son of a relation of mine who,although still young, I may venture to recommend to you as onepossessing great courage and intelligence. I have myself given himlessons in the use of his arms; and he has had other instructors,and done credit to them. For the past year he has been working witha famous shikaree, and has killed many tigers that were a scourgeto the villages near the Ghauts, together with many bears andleopards; and his master reported that his fearlessness was great,and that as a marksman his skill was equal to his own. He was mostunwilling that he should leave him, but I considered it was timefor him to enter the army; in which, I believe, he will soondistinguish himself."

  "How old is he?" the minister asked.

  "He is as yet but sixteen but, as your highness may see, he is asstrong as most men, having devoted himself to exercises of allsorts, since he was a child."

  "He is indeed cast in a strong mould, and his face pleases me.

  "And so, you would enter the service of His Highness, the Peishwa?"

  "That is my desire, your excellency."

  "You are young to serve as an officer and, for the present, you hadbest remain with Sufder's troop. In the meantime, I will see whatsuitable post can be found for you."

  With an expression of thanks, Sufder and Harry left the audiencehall.

  "It is a good beginning, Puntojee," the soldier said, as they leftthe minister's palace. "Nana Furnuwees was evidently pleased withyou, and I think he will give you special employment. At the sametime, serving one master here is not without its danger--Nanaespecially, powerful as he is, has enemies as powerful; for he hasalways stood in the way of the ambition of Scindia."

  That evening an officer brought, from Nana, an order conferringupon Harry the appointment of an assistant officer in Sufder'stroop, with the usual pay and allowances and, three days later, anorder came for him to attend the audience of the minister. Onarrival, he was told by the officer of the chamber that he was notto present himself at public audience, but that Nana would speak tohim privately. He was therefore taken to an inner chamber where, anhour later, Nana joined him.

  "I think by your face, Puntojee, that you can be trusted; and Ihave decided to place you in the service of His Highness, thePeishwa. What position you will hold there must depend uponyourself, and him. I shall simply recommend you as one of whom Ihave heard much good. It would be as well for you not to mentionyour age; but let him suppose that, as you look, you are about thesame age as himself. He is amiable and kindly, and your positionwill be a pleasant one.

  "I am anxious to prevent evil advisers from obtaining influenceover him. He is young and unsuspicious, and much harm might thuscome to the state. It is, then, for the general interest that heshould be surrounded by those whom I can trust; so that, if anyplotters are endeavouring to poison his mind, their plans may bethwarted. I have of course, officers about his person who arethoroughly trustworthy; but these are much older than himself, andhe chafes somewhat at what he wrongly considers his tutelage. Butindeed, as he is but twenty-one, and wholly unversed in matters ofstate, it is needful that the management of affairs should rest inthe hands of those who have long controlled it.

  "Scindia would be the first to take advantage of any imprudence. Heis already, by far, the most powerful of the Mahratta princes. Hispossessions are of immense extent; he holds the emperor at Delhi inthe palm of his hand; he can put one hundred thousand horse intothe field, and has large numbers of infantry, including sixteenbattalions drilled by French officers, and commanded by de Boigne;and although Doulut Rao is but twenty, and as yet we know butlittle of his disposition, he is of course surrounded by theadvisers of his uncle, and may be expected to pursue the samepolicy. His uncle gained great ascendency over the Peishwa, and hisdeath was a fortunate circumstance. Still, it is certain that theprince, until his powers are matured, will yield to the advice ofthose to whom the conduct of affairs is entrusted.

  "Now, I am going to the palace, and have requested a privateaudience with Mahdoo Rao, and I will take you with me."

  Followed by a train of officers, with whom Harry fell in, theminister proceeded to the palace. His train remained in the publichall, and Nana went into the Peishwa's private apartment. In a fewminutes, an official came in and called Puntojee; and Harry at oncefollowed him to an inner room, where the Peishwa and his ministerwere alone. Harry bowed to the ground.

  "This, Prince, is the young man of whom I have spoken to you. Hebears an excellent character for his skill in arms, and has killedmany tigers and other beasts. It was but the other day that youcomplained that you had no one of your own age to whom you couldtalk freely; and I have selected this young officer as one who, Ithought, would be agreeable to you."

  "I thank you heartily, Nana. In truth, I sometimes need acompanion; and I think, by his face, that this officer will be anagreeable one. To what post, think you, had I best appoint him?"

  "As he is
a famous shikaree, I should say that it would be suitablewere you to make him director of the chase."

  "But I never go hunting."

  "That is true; but in time, when your occupations of state lessen,you might do so," Nana said. "And indeed, even at present, there isnothing to prevent your hunting sometimes in the royal preserves,where there must be an abundance of game of all sorts."

  "So let it be, then," the Peishwa said. "In truth, I care not forthe killing of beasts, unless they do harm to the villagers. But itis right that there should be someone to direct the men who havecharge of the preserves and, as an official, you will have theright of entry here at all times, and will be frequently about myperson; and I will confer with you about other things, as well asthe chase. You will, of course, have an apartment assigned to you.

  "You will arrange about the emoluments, Nana."

  "You had better go to my house, and wait for me there," Nana said;and Harry, bowing deeply to the prince and his minister, left thepalace.

  He did not deceive himself as to the reason for which Nana had thusplaced him in a position in which he was likely to be frequently inthe company of the young prince. He intended him to act as a spy.This he was firmly determined not to do, in any matter save inthwarting any designs Scindia might have. That was a public duty.

  By this time, he had learnt much of the events that were passing.Ramdass and the other ryots of his acquaintance regarded NanaFurnuwees as the guardian of the country. For many years, it washis wisdom and firmness alone that had thwarted the designs ofScindia, whose advent to supreme authority would have been regardedas a grave misfortune, by all the cultivators of the Deccan.Scindia's expenses in keeping up so great an army were enormous,and the exactions of his tax gatherers ground to the dust thecultivators and peasantry of his own wide dominions; and Harry wastherefore ready to give Nana a faithful support in all publicmatters. He knew that the minister had many enemies, even among therajahs in the Peishwa's dominion, and in those round it; for theyregarded him, with reason, as a curb upon their private ambitionsand, for years, intrigues had been going on for his overthrow.

  On the other hand, Harry was much pleased with Mahdoo Rao, who wasa most amiable and kindly young man. While determined, then, to doall that he could in support of Nana; he decided that he would, onno account, give him any report that would be unfavourable to thePeishwa. His interview with the minister, on the return of thelatter, was a short one.

  "Here," the latter said, "is a purse of five hundred rupees, withwhich to obtain garments suitable for one in attendance on thePeishwa. Your emolument will be two hundred rupees a month. I shallissue orders to the men employed in the forests and preserves toreport to you; and have requested the chamberlain to allot anapartment to you in the palace, and to tell off two servants to bein attendance on you.

  "You understand that your mission, as far as I am concerned, is togive me early warning, if any of those favourable to Scindia--youshall be furnished with a list of their names--are endeavouring toobtain an undue influence over the prince; who is of an altogetherunsuspicious character, and would be likely to fall an easy victimto bad counsels."

  "You can depend upon my doing so," Harry said. "I have been taughtto regard Scindia as an enemy to the public peace, and shall useall diligence in carrying out your excellency's orders."

  And, leaving the minister, Harry went to Sufder and told him whathad happened.

  "In truth, Puntojee, you were born under a lucky star. I neverdreamt that Nana Furnuwees would have thus introduced you to thePeishwa. Now, lad, you have a fine career opened to you. It willneed caution but, as Scindia's ancestor was but a slipper bearer,and rose to the highest rank and honour; so it is open to you towin a great position, if you steer clear of the dangers that attendall who play a part in public affairs. I foresee that you willbecome a favourite with the prince, but remember to put your trustin Nana. He is, at present, the greatest power in the land, and hasbeen so for many years but, unlike most who have attained suchauthority, he is liked by the people, for he uses his power well,and for the good of the state.

  "You see, even now the young Peishwa is by no means secure on themusnud. The adherents of Rugoba, who was undoubtedly the lawfulruler of the Deccan, still live; and may one day raise the flag ofrevolt, in favour of his sons Bajee Rao and Chimnajee Appa who,with Amrud Rao, his adopted son, are all in close custody in thehill fort of Sewneree, under two of Nana's officers.

  "There is a general feeling of pity for these young men, even amongthose who regard their imprisonment as necessary--for, were theyfree, a civil war would assuredly break out again--and the feelingis increased by the fact that Bajee Rao is a youth of extraordinaryaccomplishments. He is graceful in person, with a handsomecountenance and a charming manner and, although but nineteen, he isan excellent horseman, skilled in the use of the bow, andconsidered to be the finest swordsman in the country. He is deeplyread in all our religious books and, in all the country, there isno one of his age so learned.

  "All these things, however, only add to the necessity for his beingkept in prison. A youth so gifted and, as many people consider, thelawful heir to the throne, would speedily be joined by all theenemies of Nana; and might not only drive the minister into exile,but dethrone Mahdoo Rao. Such being the case, no one can blame Nanafor keeping them in confinement--at any rate, until Mahdoo Rao hasbeen master for some years, and has proved that he is able tomaintain his position.

  "Now, lad, I will go into the town with you, and purchase dressesfit for an official of the palace."

  "I quite see that I have been most fortunate in obtaining such aposition, Sufder; but I own I should have preferred to remain withyou, and learn to do service as a soldier."

  "That you may learn later on," Sufder said. "Having the confidenceof the Peishwa, you may soon obtain military rank, as well as civiland, if war breaks out, may hold a position vastly better than youcould hope to attain to as the mere chief of a troop."

  "It seems very ridiculous, Sufder, that I should be thus putforward, without any merit of my own; while you, who have fought inmany battles, are still only commander of your troop."

  "I have no desire for more," Sufder replied. "I am a soldier, andcan do my duty as ordered, but I have no head for intrigues; and Iconsider the risks of a battle are quite sufficient, without thoseof being put out of the way for mixing myself up in plots.

  "Again, your rise is not altogether undeserved. You have, by yourexercises, attained the strength of manhood early; and yourexperience as a tiger hunter has fitted you for the post for whichyou are appointed, just as your diligence in exercise in arms willbe of good service to you, if you come to hold military command.But you must be circumspect and, above all things, do not forget touse the dye with which Soyera has furnished you. Hitherto yourwhite skin has done you no harm but, were it discovered here thatyou are English, it would at once be imagined that you were a spy,and little time would be given you to explain how matters stand."

  "I will certainly be careful as to that and, now that I am to havea private apartment, I shall be able to apply the dye without thefear of being interrupted, as might have been the case in camp."

  On the following day, Harry, having obtained clothes suitable tohis position, betook himself to the palace, where one of theofficers of the chamberlain conducted him to his apartment, andassigned to him two men appointed to his service.