The Great Mogul Part 22

But the arena was otherwise empty, and his lambent eyes, searching eagerly for the cause of so much reek, were raised at last to the intent row of faces looking down at him.

"What sayest thou, Sher Afghan," cried the Emperor. "Art thou minded to vindicate thy t.i.tle with one who seems to dispute it, or has a happy marriage robbed thy arm of its prowess?"

The Persian hesitated. He, like his English friends, had thought it better to brave Jahangir's animosity in Agra itself than fall beneath the attack of hirelings in some distant fray. In the capital, there was always a chance of a political upheaval as the outcome of a quarrel, whereas, in a remote part, the minions of a vengeful monarch might strike unheeded. Jahangir's tenure of the throne was far from stable.

Yet, though he might not dare openly to put to death a n.o.ble of high rank, this challenge meant little else, even if it held the plausible pretext that Sher Afghan chose his doom voluntarily.

A thrill of antic.i.p.ation shook all hearers as they awaited the Persian's answer. He gazed around on them disdainfully, for he was well aware that many there would utter a protest did they not fear for their own skins.

Then he spoke.

"Give me arms and a ladder," he said, "and I shall try to kill the beast."

A murmur arose, like the hum of wind-tossed leaves presaging a storm.

Some men might have been warned by it, but the Emperor, already half intoxicated, was now goaded to utter madness by his rival's cool daring.

"Arms thou shalt have," he screamed, "but what need is there of a ladder? Why not jump? There is sand beneath!"

Now this, indeed, was spurring Sher Afghan to his death, for the tiger would be on him with inconceivable speed ere he could recover his feet.

Among those who thronged breathlessly forward to hear all that pa.s.sed, Roger Sainton listened and understood. The big Yorkshireman's eyes glowed like live coals, and the veins on his neck bulged with sudden pa.s.sion. It was in his mind to end the quarrel then and there by sweeping the Emperor and a row of his guards into the fosse, but a quaint idea suddenly gripped him, and, without any hesitation, he put it in force.

Thrusting the gapers left and right he reached the royal dais.

"If not a ladder, friend," he said to Sher Afghan, "why not a step?"

With that, he stooped and caught hold of the huge block of black marble.

Before anyone so much as grasped his intent he lifted it from its supports, toppling Jahangir and several of his favorites in a confused heap on the terrace. Then he pitched the ma.s.s of stone into the arena and it chanced to fall flat onto the crouching tiger.

His sword flashed out as several spear-men, having recovered their wits, made lunges at him.

"Hold back, good fellows!" he cried cheerily, for Roger's anger never continued when steel was bared. "Mayhap the Emperor thinks the revel is ended!"

CHAPTER XI

"I do not set my life at a pin's fee."

_Hamlet_, Act I.

Mortal fear has caused many a man to run who thought himself unable to walk. It now gave a tonic to an inebriate king. Jahangir, struggling to his feet, obtained a fleeting glimpse of Roger Sainton's amazing achievement. He heard more definitely the crashing fall of the great stone into the arena, and his first emotion was one of profound thankfulness that he and several of his boon companions had not gone with it.

But instantly there came the knowledge that he had been treated with contumely before all his court. So his face, already pallid with terror, became even more white with anger, and words trembled on his lips which, if uttered, would have been the irrevocable signal for a wild tumult.

Yet, hidden away in the brain of this headstrong debauchee there was a latent sense of king-craft which taught him caution, and deep down in his soul was a certain n.o.bility of character which age and the cares of a ruler developed in later years. His quick eyes discovered what Roger had truly divined. There was many a powerful n.o.ble there ready to espouse the cause of Sher Afghan, whilst, such was the awe inspired by Sainton's almost supernatural feat, it was more than likely the giant's onslaught would create a mad stampede. Moreover, Jahangir himself was as conscious as any present that he had witnessed a deed whose memory would endure through the ages, and the warring influences in his breast sobered him for the moment.

With a self-control that was wholly creditable, he held up an authoritative hand.

"Who dares to strike ere the Emperor commands?" he cried, and his strong voice stilled the rising waves of agitation as oil beats down the crests of troubled waters.

Heedless, or perhaps unknowing, that his turban was awry, he walked to the edge of the parapet and looked over. There lay the fine marble slab, broken in two as it remains to this day, though it was quickly restored to its old-time site. Bound to it were the silken cords which fastened the imperial chair, the seat itself having been crushed into a thousand splinters underneath.

He turned towards Roger; though a cruel despot, Jahangir was a sportsman:--

"Did it fall on the tiger?" he asked.

The big man pretended to scan the arena.

"As the beast is nowhere else to be seen I doubt not he is on the right side of the stone, your Majesty," he answered.

"Why did you not warn me of your intent? I would have given a lakh of rupees to have seen this thing."

Roger was far too quick-witted not to accept the cue thus thrown to him.

"There was scant time for words, your Majesty," he said. "In another instant your devoted servant, Sher Afghan, would have been in the pit with the snarling brute. For sure you meant but to try him.

Nevertheless, I made bold to interfere, as there is many a tiger, but only one such man among your va.s.sals."

The big man's humor was mordant, but the excited throng chose to ignore the implied disparagement, and a murmur of applause told the Emperor that in curbing his wrath he had acted with exceeding wisdom.

"You are right," he said slowly. "I am much beholden to you, and that is more than some kings would say who had been flung headlong to the ground. But see," he added, making a brave show of nonchalance as he faced the crowd and waved a haughty hand toward the west, "the hour of evening prayer approaches. Let us to the mosque!"

"Now look you," murmured Sainton to Walter, who stood watchful, with sword-arm ready, during these thrilling moments, "there goes a man with murder in his heart, yet will he turn his jowl to Mecca and chant verses from the Koran with the best of them."

"I fear he only bides his time. But what good fairy prompted you to act in such a way? I knew not what to do. I felt that any moment we might be fighting for our lives, yet I saw no loophole of escape."

"Ecod, I remembered my mother telling me that a white sheet makes nine parts of a ghost on a dark night. I reckoned to scare 'em with a bogie, and succeeded."

In company with Sher Afghan, they quitted the palace fortress without let or hindrance. The gallant Persian, after thanking Roger for his aid, explained his motive in returning to Agra. He had reached the Garden of Heart's Delight only an hour after they quitted it that morning. Hence, Jahangir was evidently quite well informed as to his movements, and had planned the escapade with the tiger as a means of requiting one, at least, of his avowed enemies. Indeed, they learned later that, in the event of Sher Afghan's death, the spear-men were ordered to close round Sainton and Mowbray and bear them down by sheer force of numbers if they strove to a.s.sist their friend. Roger had defeated the scheme only by taking advantage of a prior moment of intense excitement.

When Sher Afghan told them that Nur Mahal and he, with their retinue, had taken up their residence in the Diwan's house, the Englishmen wished to return forthwith to the caravansary. But this the Persian would in no wise permit. He sat late with them that evening, and, from words which fell now and then in the talk, they gathered that while he was even more enamored than ever of his wife the haughty beauty herself was far from being content with her lot.

"She intended to be a queen," he sighed once, "and, alas, my kingdom is too small and rude to suit her tastes."

"Why, then, did you not send her to Burdwan, and come here alone in deference to the king's command?" asked Walter.

"Because there she would pine in solitude. Here, I have good hopes that Jahangir's profligacy will disgust her. Already I have heard grave rumors of court dissensions. Saw you not to-day how ready were many to oppose him?"

"Thank Heaven it was so, else naught could have saved us. But what of the morrow? You will incur constant danger. As for us, we have well nigh abandoned all hope of gaining the reward of our venture. Were it not for my stout-hearted friend we had endeavored long ere this to leave our fortunes a sunken ship in Agra."

"Say not so. The shame of foregoing Akbar's obligations would travel far, and the King cannot afford to lose his good name with traders. Bide on in content. His mood changes each hour, and surely the day will come when he shall treat you royally. I have good cause to hate Jahangir, yet I would never say of him that he is wholly ign.o.ble."

Their conversation was interrupted by a servant, who announced that a store of wine had been sent from the palace for the Feringhis.

"Gad!" cried Roger, "that cat-footed servitor hath not forgotten my request. And it is good liquor, too."

Sher Afghan was very suspicious of the gift until they apprised him of all that had happened. Though he would not drink he smelt and tasted samples of the wine, which, apparently, had not been tampered with in any way. His brow cleared when he convinced himself that no trick was intended.

"I told you," he said, "that Jahangir's nature owed something to his lineage. May Allah grant him wit enough to win me and others to his side by reason of his forebearance!"