burlesques-第44节

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harems　of　my　officers　and　myself。



〃'As　I　know　your　courage　and　talents；　I　shall　be　very　happy　if　you

will　surrender　the　fortress；　and　take　service　as　a　major…general

（hookahbadar）　in　my　army。　　Should　my　proposal　not　meet　with　your

assent；　I　beg　leave　to　state　that　to…morrow　I　shall　storm　the　fort；

and　on　taking　it；　shall　put　to　death　every　male　in　the　garrison；

and　every　female　above　twenty　years　of　age。　　For　yourself　I　shall

reserve　a　punishment；　which　for　novelty　and　exquisite　torture　has；

I　flatter　myself；　hardly　ever　been　exceeded。　　Awaiting　the　favor　of

a　reply；　I　am；　Sir；



〃'Your　very　obedient　servant；



〃'JESWUNT　ROW　HOLKAR。



〃'CAMP　BEFORE　FUTTYGHUR；　Sept。　1；　1804。



〃'R。　S。　V。　P。'





〃The　officer　who　had　brought　this　precious　epistle　（it　is　astonishing

how　Holkar　had　aped　the　forms　of　English　correspondence）；　an

enormous　Pitan　soldier；　with　a　shirt　of　mail；　and　a　steel　cap　and

cape；　round　which　his　turban　wound；　was　leaning　against　the　gate　on

his　matchlock；　and　whistling　a　national　melody。　　I　read　the　letter；

and　saw　at　once　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost。　　That　man；　thought　I；

must　never　go　back　to　Holkar。　　Were　he　to　attack　us　now　before　we

were　prepared；　the　fort　would　be　his　in　half　an　hour。



〃Tying　my　white　pocket…handkerchief　to　a　stick；　I　flung　open　the

gate　and　advanced　to　the　officer；　he　was　standing；　I　said；　on　the

little　bridge　across　the　moat。　　I　made　him　a　low　salaam；　after　the

fashion　of　the　country；　and；　as　he　bent　forward　to　return　the

compliment；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　I　plunged　forward；　gave　him　a

violent　blow　on　the　head；　which　deprived　him　of　all　sensation；　and

then　dragged　him　within　the　wall；　raising　the　drawbridge　after　me。



〃I　bore　the　body　into　my　own　apartment：　there；　swift　as　thought；　I

stripped　him　of　his　turban；　cammerbund；　peijammahs；　and　papooshes；

and；　putting　them　on　myself；　determined　to　go　forth　and　reconnoitre

the　enemy。〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



Here　I　was　obliged　to　stop；　for　Cabrera；　Ros　d'Eroles；　and　the　rest

of　the　staff；　were　sound　asleep！　　What　I　did　in　my　reconnaisance；

and　how　I　defended　the　fort　of　Futtyghur；　I　shall　have　the　honor　of

telling　on　another　occasion。





CHAPTER　IV。



THE　INDIAN　CAMPTHE　SORTIE　FROM　THE　FORT。





HEAD…QUARTERS；　MORELLA；　Oct。　3；　1838。



It　is　a　balmy　night。　　I　hear　the　merry　jingle　of　the　tambourine；

and　the　cheery　voices　of　the　girls　and　peasants；　as　they　dance

beneath　my　casement；　under　the　shadow　of　the　clustering　vines。　　The

laugh　and　song　pass　gayly　round；　and　even　at　this　distance　I　can

distinguish　the　elegant　form　of　Ramon　Cabrera；　as　he　whispers　gay

nothings　in　the　ears　of　the　Andalusian　girls；　or　joins　in　the

thrilling　chorus　of　Riego's　hymn；　which　is　ever　and　anon　vociferated

by　the　enthusiastic　soldiery　of　Carlos　Quinto。　　I　am　alone；　in　the

most　inaccessible　and　most　bomb…proof　tower　of　our　little　fortalice；

the　large　casements　are　openthe　wind；　as　it　enters；　whispers　in　my

ear　its　odorous　recollections　of　the　orange　grove　and　the　myrtle

bower。　　My　torch　（a　branch　of　the　fragrant　cedar…tree）　flares　and

flickers　in　the　midnight　breeze；　and　disperses　its　scent　and　burning

splinters　on　my　scroll　and　the　desk　where　I　writemeet　implements

for　a　soldier's　authorship！it　is　CARTRIDGE　paper　over　which　my　pen

runs　so　glibly；　and　a　yawning　barrel　of　gunpowder　forms　my　rough

writing…table。　　Around　me；　below　me；　above　me；　allall　is　peace！　　I

think；　as　I　sit　here　so　lonely；　on　my　country；　England！　and　muse

over　the　sweet　and　bitter　recollections　of　my　early　days！　　Let　me

resume　my　narrative；　at　the　point　where　（interrupted　by　the

authoritative　summons　of　war）　I　paused　on　the　last　occasion。



I　left　off；　I　think（for　I　am　a　thousand　miles　away　from　proof…

sheets　as　I　write；　and；　were　I　not　writing　the　simple　TRUTH；　must

contradict　myself　a　thousand　times　in　the　course　of　my　tale）I

think；　I　say；　that　I　left　off　at　that　period　of　my　story；　when；

Holkar　being　before　Futtyghur；　and　I　in　command　of　that　fortress；　I

had　just　been　compelled　to　make　away　with　his　messenger；　and；

dressed　in　the　fallen　Indian's　accoutrements；　went　forth　to

reconnoitre　the　force；　and；　if　possible；　to　learn　the　intentions　of

the　enemy。　　However　much　my　figure　might　have　resembled　that　of　the

Pitan；　and；　disguised　in　his　armor；　might　have　deceived　the　lynx…

eyed　Mahrattas；　into　whose　camp　I　was　about　to　plunge；　it　was

evident　that　a　single　glance　at　my　fair　face　and　auburn　beard　would

have　undeceived　the　dullest　blockhead　in　Holkar's　army。　　Seizing；

then；　a　bottle　of　Burgess's　walnut　catsup；　I　dyed　my　face　and　my

hands；　and；　with　the　simple　aid　of　a　flask　of　Warren's　jet；　I　made

my　hair　and　beard　as　black　as　ebony。　　The　Indian's　helmet　and　chain

hood　covered　likewise　a　great　part　of　my　face　and　I　hoped　thus；

with　luck；　impudence；　and　a　complete　command　of　all　the　Eastern

dialects　and　languages；　from　Burmah　to　Afghanistan；　to　pass　scot…

free　through　this　somewhat　dangerous　ordeal。



I　had　not　the　word　of　the　night；　it　is　truebut　I　trusted　to　good

fortune　for　that；　and　passed　boldly　out　of　the　fortress；　bearing

the　flag　of　truce　as　before；　I　had　scarcely　passed　on　a　couple　of

hundred　yards；　when　lo！　a　party　of　Indian　horsemen；　armed　like　him

I　had　just　overcome；　trotted　towards　me。　　One　was　leading　a　noble

white　charger；　and　no　sooner　did　he　see　me　than；　dismounting　from

his　own　horse；　and　giving　the　rein　to　a　companion；　he　advanced　to

meet　me　with　the　charger；　a　second　fellow　likewise　dismounted　and

followed　the　first；　one　held　the　bridle　of　the　horse；　while　the

other　（with　a　multitude　of　salaams；　aleikums；　and　other

genuflexions）；　held　the　jewelled　stirrup；　and　kneeling；　waited

until　I　should　mount。



I　took　the　hint　at　once：　the　Indian　who　had　come　up　to　the　fort　was

a　great　manthat　was　evident；　I　walked　on　with　a　majestic　air；

gathered　up　the　velvet　reins；　and　sprung　into　the　magnificent　high…

peaked　saddle。　　〃Buk；　buk；〃　said　I。　　〃It　is　good。　　In　the　name　of

the　forty…nine　Imaums；　let　us　ride　on。〃　　And　the　whole　party　set

off　at　a　brisk　trot；　I　keeping　silence；　and　thinking　with　no　little

trepidation　of　what　I　was　about　to　encounter。



As　we　rode　along；　I　heard　two　of　the　men　commenting　upon　my　unusual

silence　（for　I　suppose；　Ithat　is　the　Indianwas　a　talkative

officer）。　　〃The　lips　of　the　Bahawder　are　closed；〃　said　one。　　〃Where

are　those　birds　of　Paradise；　his　long…tailed　words？　they　are

imprisoned　between　the　golden　bars　of　his　teeth！〃



〃Kush；〃　said　his　companion；　〃be　quiet！　Bobbachy　Bahawder　has　seen

the　dreadful　Feringhee；　Gahagan　Khan　Gujputi；　the　elephant…lord；

whose　sword　reaps　the　harvest　of　death；　there　is　but　one　champion

who　can　wear　the　papooshes　of　the　elephant…slayerit　is　Bobbachy

Bahawder！〃



〃You　speak　truly；　Puneeree　Muckun；　the　Bahawder　ruminates　on　the

words　of　the　unbeliever：　he　is　an　ostrich；　and　hatches　the　eggs　of

his　thoughts。〃



〃Bekhusm！　on　my　nose　be　it！　　May　the　young　birds；　his　actions；　be

strong　and　swift　in　flight。〃



〃May　they　DIGEST　IRON！〃　said　Puneeree　Muckun；　who　was　evidently　a

wag　in　his　way。



〃O…ho！〃　thought　I；　as　suddenly　the　light　flashed　upon　me。　　〃It　was；

then；　the　famous　Bobbachy　Bahawder；　whom　I　overcame　just　now！　and

he　is　the　man　destined　to　stand　in　my　slippers；　is　he？〃　and　I　was

at　that　very　moment　standing　in　his　own！　　Such　are　the　chances　and

changes　that　fall　to　the　lot　of　the　soldier！



I　suppose　everybodyeverybody　who　has　been　in　India；　at　leasthas

heard　the　name　of　Bobbachy　Bahawder：　it　is　derived　from　the　two

Hindustanee　wordsbobbachy；　general；　bahawder；　artilleryman。　　He

had　entered　into　Holkar's　service　in　the　latter　capacity；　and　had；

by　his　merit　and　his　undaunted　bravery　in　action；　attained　the

dignity　of　the　peacock's　feather；　which　is　only　granted　to　noblemen

of　the　first　class；　he　was　married；　moreover；　to　one　of　Holkar's

innumerable　daughters：　a　match　which；　according　to　the　Chronique

Scandaleuse；　brought　more　of　honor　than　of　pleasure　to　the　poor

Bobbachy。　　Gallant　as　he　was　in　the　field；　it　was　said　that　in　the

harem　he　was　the　veriest　craven　alive；　completely　subjugated　by　his

ugly　and　odious　wife。　　In　all　matters　of　importance　the　late

Bahawder　had　been　consulted　by　his　prince；　who　had；　as　it　appears；

（knowing　my　character；　and　not　caring　to　do　anything　rash　in　his

attack　upon　so　formidable　an　enemy；）　sent　forward　the　unfortunate

Pitan　to　reconnoitre　the　fort；　he　was　to　have　done　yet　more；　as　I

learned　from　the　attendant　Puneeree　Muckun；　who　was；　I　soon　found

out；　an　old　favorite　with　the　Bobbachydoubtless　on　account　of　his

honesty　and　love　of　repartee。



〃The　Bahawder's　lips　are　closed；〃　said　he；　at　last；　trotting　up　to

me；　〃has　he　not　a　word　for　old　Puneeree　Muckun？〃



〃Bismillah；　mashallah；　barikallah；〃　said　I；　which　means；　〃My　good

friend；　what　I　have　seen　is　not　worth　the　trouble　of　relation；　and