The Young Rajah Part 11

"I hear some one moving below," whispered Sambro. "No time to lose;"

and Reginald and d.i.c.k carefully lowered Nuna over the wall, and let her slowly descend, while Sambro kept watch on the trap. The end of the rope had been secured to some ironwork on the roof, and it was an immense relief when Reginald felt that Nuna had safely reached the ground.

"Now, sir, you go down by the rope, and take care of the young lady,"

said d.i.c.k, "and I will make the black find his way down by the ladder."

Before Reginald had reached the bottom, Buxsoo had released Nuna, who expressed her thankfulness at finding Reginald by her side.

"We must wait for our two followers before we take to flight," he said.

"We will then endeavour to get to a distance from the place. Here comes one of them."

As he spoke, Sambro was seen descending the ladder. Before he reached the bottom, however, the sound of men struggling was heard, with the loud cries of a native, responded to by d.i.c.k Thuddichum's gruff voice.

"I must go and a.s.sist my faithful follower," exclaimed Reginald, preparing to ascend the ladder.

"Oh, do not leave me," cried Nuna.

The sound of the struggling now became more distinct. For a moment it ceased, and then a noise followed, as if a heavy body had fallen to the ground, apparently on the other side of the tower. Reginald sprang to the spot, dreading to find that it was that of honest d.i.c.k; but the white dress which covered the mangled heap of humanity showed him that it was a native who had been thrown down from that fearful height.

Hurrying back, he caught sight of d.i.c.k rapidly descending the rope.

"We must be away from this pretty sharp, sir," he exclaimed; "for if we are not, we shall have a whole tribe of the ugly blackamoors after us.

I pitched half-a-dozen of them down the steps, and then had to run for it. However, all is right at present, and it may be some time before they find their way out of the front door."

On receiving this startling intelligence, Reginald seized Nuna in his arms and bore her down the hill, Buxsoo keeping by his side, while d.i.c.k and Sambro brought up the rear to cover their retreat.

"I wish, Sambro, that you had had a musket or a brace of pistols, and we would have kept the enemy at bay till our masters had carried off the young lady out of danger," exclaimed d.i.c.k. "But, as it is, I must fight alone. Only let them come near enough; I'll plant my fist in the faces of some of them, and make their noses flatter than they have ever been before."

In a couple of minutes the fugitives had got to the bottom of the hill, and were making their way along the high road by which they had come, when d.i.c.k, turning round, discovered a number of men rushing out of the building, who had evidently caught sight of them. On they came, yelling like fiends; but they did not fire, apparently for fear of wounding the ranee. It seemed but too likely that the whole party would be taken prisoners, for what could two men do against the vastly superior number pursuing them!

"On, sir! On, sir!" cried d.i.c.k; "we will tackle the fellows, and Sambro will soon get hold of a musket or cutla.s.s for himself. You meanwhile push ahead to the nearest village with the young lady, and Mr Buxsoo will tell the people who she is."

d.i.c.k, however, was calculating too much on his own powers, though he truly felt ready to do battle with the infuriated rebels coming up to him. They were not many paces off, when at that instant a tigress was seen bounding along towards them. Nuna, who caught sight of the savage-looking animal, uttered a scream. "There it comes! Oh, it will kill us!" she exclaimed. Reginald immediately called out, "Faithful!

Faithful!" and the seemingly savage tigress came fawning up to him.

Then turning round, he pointed at the pursuing foes, and a pat on Faithful's head made her leap on towards them. The moment they caught sight of her, as she flew at them snarling fiercely, they turned round and scampered up the hill faster than they had descended. Reginald hereupon--fearing that some of them, regaining their courage, might fire at her--called her off; upon which she came trotting back and took up a position immediately behind the party.

Once more they moved on; d.i.c.k and the tigress every now and then looking back to ascertain whether or not the enemy were following. The fright given them by the sudden appearance of the tigress prevented the rebels from again issuing out of their fortification, and Reginald and his friends were able to get some distance before daylight.

Nuna had repeatedly asked Reginald to set her down, but to this he would not consent, as she was not accustomed to walk over a rough road, and her delicate feet, shod only with embroidered slippers, were ill-fitted to support her. At length, however, he began to feel fatigued, and anxiously looked out for a place of safety, where they might rest till an elephant could be found to convey them to the city. They had observed on their way a temple in a very similar situation to the one from which they had just escaped. Buxs...o...b..lieved that that also was deserted, although it was not in a very ruinous condition. Being not far off, they made their way to it. A place of shelter was soon found within it, and Reginald placing his jacket and Buxsoo his outer robe on the ground, entreated Nuna to rest while they watched at a little distance. Faithful, who came in last, lay down in the gateway; evidently considering that it was her duty to keep a guard over the premises while her master and his friends occupied them.

Their chief inconvenience arose from want of food; for the provisions they had brought with them had been exhausted on the previous day, and Reginald felt that it would be impossible to proceed without some refreshment. Nuna a.s.sured him that she herself was not hungry, as she had had some supper brought to her soon after nightfall. She had been treated, she told him, with perfect respect.

They were still apprehensive of being pursued by the mutineers, so as soon as there was sufficient light they set to work to fortify the temple, and to close all the openings in the lower part of the building.

This done, Buxsoo and Sambro hastened away to obtain provisions at the nearest village they could find; intending also to try and procure an elephant for the convenience of Nuna and Reginald, and, if possible, one for themselves and d.i.c.k.

After his companions had gone, Reginald seated himself by Nuna, and took the opportunity of recounting his history, and explaining to her who he was. She listened to him with great astonishment. At length she answered--

"I now understand why I have been brought up in a manner so different from the other women of rank in this country. My mother taught me her own religion, which she was allowed to enjoy; and she charged me, with her dying breath, should I ever marry, to teach my children the same.

But I fear I really know little of its truths. I must get you, my brother, to instruct me, and tell me all about the country of our mother's ancestors."

While they were speaking d.i.c.k hurried up, exclaiming--

"Hurrah, sir! I see a body of sepoys with some English redcoats among them coming this way. We need no longer have any fear of the rebels."

"Are you certain that there are English soldiers among them? For if not, the men you take for sepoys may be the rebels themselves," observed Reginald. "It may be safer for you, my sister, to take shelter in the tower till we ascertain the truth; and we shall be able to defend you, as only one man at a time can force his way up."

Scarcely had Nuna ascended a few steps when half a company of sepoys, with a corporal and five English soldiers, and led by a British officer, appeared in front of the building.

Reginald shouted out to them that he was an Englishman, and that having rescued the rajah's daughter from a band of rebels, he was returning with her to her father.

"I don't believe you," answered the officer. "On, my lads, and capture the young fellow! From the information I have received, he is himself a rebel."

A second glance at the speaker showed Reginald that it was his acquaintance, Captain Hawkesford; but in another instant the gates were burst open, and the soldiers, rushing in, captured d.i.c.k, who was making his way to the foot of the steps on which Reginald stood with Nuna behind him, while Faithful crouched by his side glaring at the a.s.sailants.

"Back, I say--back; you are mistaken, my men," cried Reginald, drawing his revolvers. "Your lives be on your own heads, if you advance.--Fly up the steps, Nuna. Fly under shelter: in case they should dare to fire, the bullets may strike you."

Still the English soldiers advanced,--though the sepoys hung back, afraid of facing the tigress, and awed by Reginald's daring att.i.tude.

Unhappily the corporal, a brave fellow, believing that it was his duty to seize the supposed rebel, rushed forward, and began to mount the steps, presenting the point of his bayonet at Faithful; on which, no longer able to restrain herself, she sprang at his throat and gave him a death-gripe, hurling him down backwards a lifeless corpse, while his musket fell from his band.

"Fire!" cried Captain Hawkesford.

"If you do, I must fire in return," shouted Reginald.

As he spoke the bullets rattled thickly around his head; so he discharged both his pistols, and again urging Nuna to escape, he with a bound sprang after her, before another musket could be aimed at him; while Faithful, who had wonderfully escaped, kept the soldiers at bay, notwithstanding their commander's urgent orders to them to advance.

At that moment there was a cry raised by the sepoys--

"We are betrayed! We are betrayed! The rebel cavalry are upon us. We shall be cut to pieces."

On hearing this Captain Hawkesford turned round, and saw a large body of horse advancing, with an Englishman at their head. From their appointments and general appearance, he at once knew that they were a well-organised body of troops, and not like a rebel band; and as they advanced he recognised Captain Burnett, with whom he was personally acquainted. Even had they been rebels, they so far outnumbered his own company of sepoys and his small party of Englishmen that he would have had very little hope of contending with them successfully,--especially as the sepoys showed no inclination to fight. He had indeed from the first suspected that he had been misled by the information he had received. It had been given by the traitor Balkishen, in the hope that it would lead to the destruction of Reginald and the young ranee. He therefore considered that it would be wise to a.s.sume a pacific att.i.tude; so as Burnett and his troopers advanced towards the gate he ordered his own men to ground their arms, and going forward, he shouted out--

"Glad to see you, Burnett! We have made a terrible mistake, misled by a rascally Brahmin; but, except that one poor fellow has lost his life, no great harm has been done."

"Who is it?" asked Burnett anxiously, fearing that he might allude to Reginald, of whom he had gained information from Buxsoo and Sambro at the village where he had met them as they were purchasing provisions.

Captain Hawkesford's answer relieved his anxiety; and he soon had evidence that Reginald was unhurt, by seeing him descend the steps, accompanied by Nuna; while Faithful stood at the foot glaring round at the strangers, of whose intentions she was not yet fully satisfied.

Reginald, from the place in which he had taken shelter, had observed Burnett's approach; and overhearing the conversation which had ensued, he knew that the tables were turned, and that his sister was at length in safety. Captain Hawkesford, who feared that very awkward consequences might ensue from his conduct, apologised to Reginald, and made all the excuses he could think of.

Reginald, however, received these somewhat stiffly. "Had the ranee, whom I had undertaken to conduct to her grandfather, been injured, the case would have been very different," he observed. "As it is, although you refused to believe my word when I a.s.sured you I was not a rebel, and that you had been deceived, I am ready to receive your apologies; and I must now request you to a.s.sist in making immediate arrangements for the conveyance of the young lady to Allahapoor, where her grandfather is anxiously awaiting her return."

Burnett, however, undertook that task, and despatched a party of his hors.e.m.e.n to the nearest place where elephants were to be found, to bring one with a proper howdah for the conveyance of the young ranee; while he also sent off another party to Allahapoor, to announce her recovery to the rajah.

Captain Hawkesford volunteered to remain in the meantime, with his men, for her protection. But Burnett politely declined his offer; observing, in a somewhat sarcastic tone, which he could not restrain, that she was as perfectly safe, guarded by his troopers, as she would be with the sepoys and the corporal's guard he had brought with him.

"Well, then," said Captain Hawkesford, "if my services are declined, it is my duty, I conceive, to rejoin the main body of the force sent to the a.s.sistance of the rajah. I will inform Colonel Ross that we were deceived by the information given us by the Brahmin, and that the supposed rebel was no other than Mr Hamerton, who was escorting the young lady home whom he had so gallantly rescued from imprisonment."

"Colonel Ross, did you say?" asked Reginald.

"Yes, sir. He is in command of the troops marching to Allahapoor; and he and his daughter--who accompanies him--will be much interested on hearing of your gallant exploit."