The Tiger of Mysore Part 47

"I did not notice any white man."

"It was the one you gave a pound of the best tobacco to. Did you not hear me speak to him, afterwards?"

"No. I was so busy, and so fearfully hot with this padded thing, it was as much as I could do to attend to what they said to me. A white man, did you say? Oh, d.i.c.k!"

And as the idea struck him, he rose to his feet in his excitement.

"Do you think--do you really think he can be your father?"

"I do think so, Surajah. Of course, I did not recognise his face. Nine years must have changed him greatly, and he has a long beard. But he is about the right age, and, I should say, about the same figure; and he has certainly been a sailor, for he said, to one of the soldiers, that he would give that pound of tobacco for a couple of pipes of pigtail, which is the tobacco sailors smoke. I told him that, perhaps, I might be able to find him some in my packs, and asked him to come here at eight o'clock this evening. If I was not in, then, he was to come the first thing tomorrow morning; but of course I shall be in at eight. You must make some excuse to the ladies. Say that there are some goods you wish to show them, in one of the other packs, and ask me to go and look for it."

"Oh, d.i.c.k, only to think that, after all our searching, we seem to have come on him at last! It is almost too good to be true."

Great as was Surajah's confidence in d.i.c.k, he had never quite shared his faith that he would find his father alive, and his non-success while with the army, and since, had completely extinguished any hopes he had entertained. His surprise, therefore, equalled his delight at finding that, after all, it seemed probable that their search was likely to be crowned with success.

"Of course we will manage it," he said. "I will put aside that narrow Benares cloth-of-gold work for tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, and you can be as long as you like looking for it. They will be too busy examining the other things to give it a thought, after you have gone out."

"I can be back at half-past eight," d.i.c.k said, "for the man told me he was locked up at that hour. If it had not been for that, I should have arranged for him to come a little later. But, of course, I shall have opportunities for talking to him tomorrow.

"There is someone at the door."

Surajah opened it, and a soldier entered with their evening meal, and a request that they would go across to the governor's as soon as they had finished it, as the ladies had already a.s.sembled there. They hurried through their food, and then went across. There was quite a large gathering, for not only had the wives of the officers in the other fort come over, but all those who had been there in the morning were again present, several of them prepared to make further purchases. Trade was as actively carried on as it had been before.

When he judged it to be nearly eight o'clock, d.i.c.k nudged Surajah, who said, a minute afterwards:

"We have forgotten the Benares cloth-of-gold. I am sure that will please the ladies for waist bands, or for tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. It must have got into the other bales, by mistake."

"I will go and fetch it," d.i.c.k said, and, rising, left the room.

A figure was standing at the door, when he reached the house.

"I was afraid you had forgotten me," the man said. "It is not quite eight o'clock yet, but as I found that you were both out, I began to be afraid that you might be detained until after I had to go; and you don't know how I long for a pipe of that tobacco. The very thought of it seems to bring old days back again."

By this time they had entered the house, and d.i.c.k shut the door behind him. He had left a light burning, when they went out. d.i.c.k was so agitated that he felt unable to speak, but gazed earnestly in the man's face.

"What is it, old chap?" the latter said, surprised at the close scrutiny. "Is anything wrong with you?"

d.i.c.k took off his spectacles, rather to gain time than to see more clearly, for a plain gla.s.s had been subst.i.tuted for the lenses.

"I want to ask you a question," he said. "Is your name Holland?"

The man started.

"My name is Jack Holland," he said, "sure enough; though how you come to know it beats me altogether, for I am always called Jack, and except the governor, I don't think there is a man here knows my other name."

"You were captain of the Hooghley, wrecked on the Malabar coast, nine years ago," d.i.c.k said, this time speaking in English.

After an exclamation of startled surprise, the man stared at him in an astonishment too great for words.

"Are you English?" he said slowly, at last. "Yes, I was in command of the Hooghley. Who, in G.o.d's name, are you?"

d.i.c.k took his two hands.

"Father," he said, "I am your son, d.i.c.k."

The sailor gazed at him with a stupefied air.

"Are you mad, or am I?" he said hoa.r.s.ely.

"Neither of us, Father. I am disguised as an old man, but really I am little more than eighteen. I have been searching for you for more than two years, and, thank G.o.d, I have found you at last;" and, bursting into tears, d.i.c.k would have thrown his arms round his father's neck, but the latter pushed him off with one hand, and held him at arm's distance, while his other hand plucked at his own throat, as if to loosen something that was choking him.

"It can't be true," he muttered to himself. "I am dreaming this. I shall wake presently, and you will be gone."

"It is quite true, Father. Mother is down at Tripataly, waiting for me to bring you to her."

With a hoa.r.s.e cry the sailor reeled, and would have fallen, had not d.i.c.k caught him and allowed him to sink gradually to the ground; where he lay, half supported by one of the bales. d.i.c.k ran to one of the saddlebags, where he carried a flask of brandy in case of emergencies, poured some into a cup, and held it to his father's lips. The sailor gasped.

"It is brandy," he said suddenly. "I can't have dreamt that."

Then he broke into a violent sobbing. d.i.c.k knelt by his side, and took his hand.

"It is a.s.suredly no dream, Father," he said gently. "I am really your son, d.i.c.k. I am here with a trusty friend, and now we have found you, you may be sure that we will, in some way, manage your escape. There is no time, now, to tell you all that has happened. That I can do, afterwards. All that is important for you to know, is, that Mother is quite well. She has never given up hope, and has always insisted that you were alive, for she said that she should surely have known, if you had died. So she taught me her language, until I could speak like a native; and two years and a half ago, she came out here with me.

"I accompanied the army, with my uncle's troop, and searched every hill fort they took, for you. Since they went back, I have been up in Mysore with my friend Surajah, and, thank G.o.d, at last we have found you!"

"Thank G.o.d, indeed, my boy. I do thank Him, not only that you have found me, but that your mother, whom I had never hoped to see again, is alive and well; and also, that He has given me so good a son."

"And now, Father, about your escape. In the first place, have you given your parole not to try to get away?"

Captain Holland was himself now.

"No lad, no. At the fort, where I was for six years, there was no possibility of escape; and as I was a long time, before I began to speak the language, even if I had got away I could never have made my way through the country. Then the governor--it was the same we have here--took me with him to Kistnagherry. I was the only white captive who went there with him. At Kistnagherry there were five or six others, but when Tippoo heard that an English army was coming up the ghauts, an order came that they were to be killed. But the governor is a kind-hearted old fellow, and as I had become almost a chum of his, he chose to consider that the order did not apply to me, but only to those he had found at Kistnagherry--for I fancy my existence had been forgotten altogether.

"I had great hopes that the British would take the place. I think that is the only time I have hoped, since I was made prisoner; but the old man is a good soldier, and beat them off.

"When peace was made, Kistnagherry was, as you know, given up, and the governor was ordered to evacuate the place, and to come here. He brought me with him, making me dye my face before I started, so that in my native dress it would not be noticed, in any town we pa.s.sed through, that I was a white. For had this been done, the news might have come to Tippoo's ears, and there would have been an end of me.

"Except that I am locked up at night, I am not treated as a prisoner; but the governor, who has a strong sense of duty, has a certain watch kept over me. He has a real friendship for me, and would do all in his power to save my life, short of disobedience to an actual order. But his view is that I have been confided to his care, and that if, at any moment, the Sultan should write to demand me of him, he would be bound to produce me."

"Well, Father, it must be nearly half-past eight. I will go with you, and see where you are confined--that is the first step. We will both, tonight, think over the best way of attempting your escape; and in the morning, when your guard is removed, if you will come straight here we will talk it over.

"I am afraid you will have to wait for your pigtail till we get to Madras."

Captain Holland laughed.

"I can afford to wait for that, now. G.o.d bless you, my boy! I have never looked for such happiness as this again. But, as you say, it is time for me to be off. I have never been late yet, and if it were reported to the governor that I was so tonight, he might think that there was something in the wind."

d.i.c.k walked with his father across the fort.