human
Pahar Singh, son; dost thou not know him?
gpt
A brave youth, the worthy son of a brave sire, may not object to receive the offering of an old soldier, said the chief, putting out his sword-hilt to Fazil, who touched it courteously;
human
What work? what is this? whispered Fazil to his father, and taking him a step aside.
gpt
Do not trust him--he is one of them--all men say so. He is not true.
human
He is as true as I am, replied the Khan.
gpt
I have already proved him, and thou wilt know all by-and-by. He has received the King's pardon, and confirmation of all his possessions. Do not doubt him, for he can render important service.
human
Enough, father, said Fazil aloud; and, turning to Pahar Singh,
gpt
Where you go I will follow; but who will lead us?
human
I will lead one party, and my son here another. Come thou with me, Khan, and send thy son with mine,
gpt
Where are we to go?
human
We cannot say till we are on the road, said the chief, smiling.
gpt
And do we go with them alone, father?
human
No, said the Khan,
gpt
Excellent, cried Fazil joyfully;
human
Certainly, in the Durbar at Nuldroog, when the deed of confirmation was given to him.
gpt
I was not there, father: I heard of it.
human
Ah, true! Well, then, dost thou remember the Kullunder Fakeer of the King's Durbar?
gpt
Protection of God! cried Fazil;
human
An excellent caution, son; no, he shall never know it.
gpt
What are the Abyssinians getting ready for? asked the Peer, who came up at that moment.
human
Some secret service at Sholapoor, as Ibrahim Khan tells me? There is no mutiny, no disaffection, Khan?
gpt
It is a secret service, my friend, replied Afzool Khan, smiling,
human
Where, then? cried the Peer.
gpt
Let me come; nay, I will take no denial: whither thou goest I will follow.
human
It were better not, Huzrut, replied the Khan;
gpt
A dark night, my lord, cried Pahar Singh, as the Khan and his son, accompanied by the Peer, rode up to a large fire which, kindled by dry thorns from the hedges, sent up a ruddy blaze high in the air as some loose fodder was thrown on it, displaying the tall form of the chief, as he stood there with his nephew and several others,
human
he continued, as the foremost men of the body of cavalry crowded up, the strong light revealing the dark faces of the Abyssinians and the noble horses on which they were mounted.
gpt
Bismilla! as ye say, let us mount and depart.
human
I have not kept you longer than I could help, said the Khan,
gpt
When we get near the place, Khan, said Pahar Singh,
human
I will give directions. And now, beat the drum, Lukshmun, and do you and Rama look after the guides--you know the road; go on, and beat the drum occasionally to let us know where you are.
gpt
I would it were daylight, father, said Fazil;
human
Fear not, my lord, cried Pahar Singh,
gpt
Shall we have no torch on this unsainted errand?
human
Huzrut, said Pahar Singh,
gpt
Afraid! cried the Peer contemptuously.
human
I, a servant of God, afraid! Astagh-fur-oolla! If there is any work to do, thou shalt see whether a priest cannot strike as hard a blow as a layman. The Khan can bear me witness that wherever he goes I am ever beside him.
gpt
Pardon me, cried the chief, laughing,
human
I will doubt no longer. I only fear that, in catching thieves, there may be less need for our swords than for contrivance to outwit them.
gpt
And may not we know how, father, cried Fazil, riding to his father's side, as they reached the end of the field,
human
To Tooljapoor, my lord, replied Pahar Singh in a low voice, not so as to be heard by the Peer:
gpt
Tooljapoor! exclaimed the Peer, when Pahar Singh had disappeared,
human
Peace, Huzrut, said the Khan, in a soothing tone, interrupting him.
gpt
I have promised that the temple and the idol come to no harm, on condition of taking none who are there, and----
human
Well, well, Khan, returned the Peer impatiently.
gpt
I am not a Roostum, to slay all the unbelievers myself, or to overturn that abode of devils! Do as thou wilt, friend; do as thou wilt. I will not strike till thou dost--till I hear thy war-cry; after that--'Futteh-i-Nubbee' (Victory to the Prophet) say I!
human
Ameen! said the Khan dryly,
gpt
continued the Khan, as they rode on by an open pathway among the fields of tall corn.
human
His plan is for the town to be surrounded above, and a ravine below to be blocked up. He would give thee the latter work, son, as the people will try to escape thence.
gpt
By the Prophet, an excellent plan, said the priest,--
human
I would rather go with thee, father, said the young man;
gpt
There will be no danger, son, he returned:
human
Surely, my lord, said the priest,
gpt
Dost thou remember the cry, 'Ulla dilâyâ to léonga!' and the tall Kullunder who brought the Wuzeer's papers to the Durbar? asked the Khan;
human
Ulla dilâyâ to léonga! exclaimed the priest.
gpt
Yes, I remember. 'Puna-i-Khóda!' (protection of God) was that he? Then the night before there was the same cry in the fort as I left the King; could that have been he also? I thought it might have been some drunken Kullunder, as they said it was.
human
The night before Khan Mahomed was killed?
gpt
Yes; why do you ask? returned the priest;
human
It was curious enough, said the Khan carelessly,
gpt
Yes, it was about that time,