Draw Swords! Part 61

"Who did?" cried d.i.c.k.

"You did, my son. I appeal to the company a.s.sembled."

"What do you mean?" cried d.i.c.k wonderingly.

"You said the Ranee asked her son to give a general what-you-may-call-it to everybody after the fight."

"Of course I did," cried d.i.c.k. "What of that?"

"A general what-you-may-call-it!" said Wyatt mockingly. "A pretty expression for the Rajah's favourite to use when he means an amnesty!"

"Pooh!" cried d.i.c.k; "I can't talk fine. You're in one of your teasing fits.--He wants some antacid medicine, Doctor."

"I'll give him a dose that will suit his complaint," said the doctor, nodding; and clapping his hands, a servant appeared.

"The Sahib Wyatt's hookah," he said, and the man went off without a sound.

"What a wonderful gift the doctor has!" said Wyatt, smiling. "That is exactly what I wanted to make me as amiable as ever. d.i.c.k, my son, forgive me if I have been too hard."

"Oh, I know you by heart," said d.i.c.k: "but it hurts me to hear the Ranee abused."

"Then we will not hurt you, my son," said Wyatt. "Ah, here is the hubble-bubble; now I shall be at rest."

The next minute he was leaning back placidly smoking invisible vapour through the long, snake-like tube, and as the attendant disappeared, he watched the doctor putting back the rings he had handed round for inspection.

"No, Doctor," he said; "you must not be coaxed away. I agree with Hulton; the Rajah's offer is tempting, and the Ranee is grateful, but we are aliens, and the people here are not to be trusted. The time might come when things went wrong, and I for one should feel troubled to think that we had left here a good, true man surrounded by enemies."

"But he surrounds himself with friends," said d.i.c.k.

"Tries to," said Hulton gravely; "but to hundreds nothing can balance the fact that he is an Englishman and an infidel. Then, too, he is a doctor, whose ideas are in direct opposition to those of the native medical men."

"Let me bring the debate to a close," said the doctor quietly. "I am very comfortable here, and thoroughly enjoy my present life, and so long as matters go smoothly I should be sorry to give it up."

"Sybarite!" said Wyatt.

"Oh, no; I'm ready for any amount of work, my dear sir. I don't want my brain nor my instruments to get rusty, but--no flattery intended--my happiness here depends on the presence of my friends. No. I am not going to be tempted away on any terms, and I have told the Rajah so."

"Bravo!" cried Wyatt.

"Then the Rajah will never let us go," said Hulton.

"Very well," said Wyatt, "I accept my fate. I only say, don't let us all be too trusting.--I'm speaking seriously now, Darrell, my dear boy.

Things have happened very pleasantly for you, and the Rajah is a very good fellow, and means to be a faithful friend."

"What more could I want?" said d.i.c.k warmly.

"Nothing, my dear boy; I only say, don't trust too much. He means well, but he is not of our race, and he is still surrounded by people who wear a mask. He is very English now in all his ideas, but you know the old saying, 'Constant dropping will wear a stone.'"

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

SERGEANT STUBBS IS CURIOUS.

It was d.i.c.k's duty at times to visit posts and when going round the old palace, where a corporal's guard was always on duty and the gates kept shut, he often thought of their adventures in the place, and frequently took a walk round the ramparts, wondering how their nocturnal visitor had contrived to make his way into the well-guarded place and lay the train. But he made no progress.

He visited, too, the great temple, where Sergeant Stubbs had his quarters, with a small detachment of men acting as custodians of the place in the Rajah's interest. The latter had more than once talked with d.i.c.k of the treasure there, in addition to the valuables connected with the various idols and priestly ceremony, saying that it was better that the English troops should have the custody.

"We are at peace now," he said, "and I feel more secure than ever on my throne, but there is no knowing what may happen."

There were no black looks now on the part of the Brahmin and the attendant priests, and it seemed as if the officers and men were welcome, for the treatment they received and the deference paid were of a marked character; while, on the other hand, the discipline kept up by the sergeant was stringent, and the temple people saw that every object in the vast, gloomy place was treated with the greatest respect.

Oddly enough, Stubbs selected Black Bob, as he was still called, to be his right-hand man there, and once only upon one of his visits d.i.c.k made a remark about it to the sergeant.

"Well, yes, sir, it does seem comic. There was a time when I'd rather have had any other man in the troop, and I don't think I like him a bit better than then, but I'd trust him to do anything, or with anything.

He don't like me either, but you know he respects me as a soldier, and I respect him. He's a gentleman still, and as a soldier--well, there, you know what he can do."

"You're not afraid of his helping himself to any of the idols' jewels, then, Stubbs?"

"No, nor to any of the gold and silver down in the vaults here, sir.

Not he. It's a wonderfully rich place, sir. I don't wonder at the Rajah liking to have us here. You get him to show you what there is here some day."

"Not I," said d.i.c.k contemptuously; "it would look too small. Let's have a walk round."

"Yes, sir. You can do it now without meeting one of the priests in every dark corner. It's a wonderful place, sir; full of rum pa.s.sages and dark holes. Regular dungeons, some of them. I expect they used them to put prisoners in, and there they are now, ready for any number."

"What prisoners are they likely to have in a temple?"

"I don't know, sir; but there they are, with rings in the walls, and chains, and strong doors. You might shut a man up in some of them, and he might holloa as long as he liked, and n.o.body would ever hear him, unless it was one of the stone G.o.ds. They might, perhaps."

"You've been having a regular rummage, then?" said d.i.c.k.

"I just have, sir. You see, I have a lot of time on my hands, and, having the care of the place, I like to know what I've got to take care of, and where to go in case of emergencies. It's the sort of place where a man might easily lose himself, and that would be awkward if one was in a hurry and wanted to get out. Regular hot out of doors to-day, sir, isn't it?"

"Yes; scorching."

"Well, up above and down below too, sir, it's as cool as cool. Just the day for a peep round, sir. Like to come?"

"Yes, if it is not likely to set the people here thinking why I've come."

"You may take my word for it, sir, that we shan't meet a soul. Besides, they talk to me here about you being such a favourite with the Rajah."

"Who does?"

"Every one, sir, from the old chief Brahmin down to the lowest priest.

They think a deal here of Sahib Dah Rell, as they call you."

"Very well. I should like to see where the treasures are," said d.i.c.k.