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THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 GIFT OF 
 HORACE W. CARPENTIER 
 
PANDURANG HARI 
 
 OR 
 
 MEMOIRS OF A HINDOO 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTORY PREFACE BY 
 
 SIR H. BARTLE E. FRERE 
 
 G.C.S.I. K.C.B. D.C.L. 
 
 A XEIV EDIT/OM 
 
 Uontion 
 CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 
 1891 
 
cAai>i»iin«iK 
 

 H5 
 
 11^ 
 
 ■P3 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 HAVE been asked to uTite a short introduction, giving 
 some of the reasons why I think the repubHcation of 
 this almost forgotten novel desirable at this present time. 
 When '' Pan;J«frang Hari" was first published, nearly a half 
 century ago, the book was received as a late and authentic picture 
 of Native Indian society. I well remember my gratitude to a 
 friend who recommended it to me, with " Haji Baba" and the 
 " Kuzzilbash," as the only books he could find which gave any 
 idea of what would now be called the inner life of Orientals. 
 The works of Morier and Fraser have long since secured a 
 permanent place in Anglo-oriental literature; but " Pandurang 
 Hkri" has been so completely forgotten, that when Dr. George 
 Birdwood recommended its republication, the publishers were 
 indebted to the liberality of Lord Talbot de Malahide for one of 
 the few copies of the book which could be traced by Captain 
 Meadows Taylor in any library, with which he was acquainted, in 
 the United Kingdom. This neglect was not entirely due to 
 comparative inferiority in literary merit. It is true that " Pandu- 
 rang Hkri " has no pretensions to the artistic skill and delicate 
 sense of humour by means of which Mr. James Morier made 
 the Persiajr adventurer a permanent favourite with all Englisli 
 readers. ^Pandurang himself can hardly be regarded in any sense 
 as an interesting hero, and there are defects in the plot of the 
 book, and in the slovenly execution of many details, which would 
 interfere with its popularity as a mere novel. It possesses, how 
 
PANDURANG HAKI. 
 
 ever, merits of a very rare kind, as a series of photographic 
 pictures from the past generations of a great Indian nation. Its 
 value in this respect would doubtless have been more permanently 
 recognised, but for the circumstance that the pictures were, for 
 the most part, taken from scenes of which Anglo-Indians in 
 general had seen and heard but little. To most men who knew 
 India in the Bengal or Ivladras Presidencies forty years ago, 
 sketches from the life of a Maharatta adventurer could convey no 
 true picture of Indian life and manners ; but there are probably a 
 few whose recollections belong to the Deccan or Malwa, and reach 
 so far back as to include personal acquaintance with actors in the 
 last Maharatta war, who will not fail to recognise, in the adven- 
 tures of Pandurang, the general features of a mode of life and 
 habits of thought, such as the Maharatta associates of their early- 
 days in Poona, Indore, or Hyderabad, delighted to dwell on. I 
 had many opportunities of meetin^^ien of this class in 1835 and 
 subsequent years in the Deccan; and I can testify that there are 
 very few of the scenes or stories contained in Pandurang's nar- 
 rative, to which I could not find a parallel among the reminis- 
 cences I have heard related by old men, whose youth had been 
 passed in Maharatta and Pindari courts or camps during the first 
 twenty years of this century. But a traveller who might now 
 visit, for the first time, the provinces in which the scene of the 
 novel is laid, would meet little to remind him of Pandurang's 
 adventures, or of such characters as he describes. I am convinced, 
 from my own recollections of what I heard when I first knew the 
 Deccan, that Pandurang's descriptions are remarkably faithful 
 sketches of the time when the story was laid ; and it is this fact 
 which is one reason for my opinion that the republication of the 
 old novel now will be of use to thoughtful Englishmen, as well as 
 Hindoos, who interest themselves with questions relating to the 
 progressysocial, political, and moral, of Indian nations in modern 
 times. "^The pictures drawn by Pandurang are by no means 
 flattering or pleasing — they describe a state of society so hideously 
 disorganised, and of morals so base, that they seem incredible as 
 related of a period so near to our own, in which they would at 
 once be condemned as enormously exaggerated or entirely untrue. 
 
INTROD UCTIOX. vii 
 
 If then Pandurang's pictures be, as I believe them to be, substan- 
 tially correct representations of the state of things in those provinces 
 only two generations ago, it is clear that the country and people 
 to which they relate, possess enormous inherent power of reco- 
 vering from a state of debasement which would shock any educated 
 native at the present moment. A knowledge of the greatness as 
 well as the rapidity of the change which has taken place, may 
 inspire fresh hope in those who are sanguine regarding the future 
 progress of native society, while the same facts may moderate the 
 self-satisfaction of some of our young native friends, who, not having 
 any personal knowledge of the depth of degradation to which 
 society had sunk during previous generations of anarchy and 
 misrule, are apt to believe intelligent foreigners' estimate of their 
 country and people to be tinged with prejudice or clouded by 
 ignorance. 
 
 While, however, I can testify to the general truthfulness of 
 Pandurang's sketching powers, I would by no means assent to 
 his general estimate of Maharatta character. The author appears 
 to have been a keen-sighted, quick-witted man, who readily 
 apprehended the leading characteristics of what he saw and 
 heard ; but who shared, with the great majority of his official 
 countrymen, in the difficulty of arriving at impartial opinions 
 regarding the motives and feelings of his native associates. 
 
 The Introduction is characteristic of the manner in which but 
 too maiiv/of our countrymen have always judged the natives of 
 India. n[t never seems to strike the author that the irksomeness to 
 Europeans of the society of natives of India may be as much due 
 to our ignorance of what interests our native visitors, as to their 
 ignorance of what interests us; and that, without some common 
 topics of real interest to both parties, there can, in no country, be 
 much pleasure in casual conversation. 
 
 His description of the motives of those natives who visit the 
 European official in India, has no doubt some foundation of 
 truth in every part of the world, as regards those who seek the 
 acquaintance of men in power, and of those who are the dispensers 
 of patronage. 
 
 In India, where for generations anything like purity in the 
 
Vlll 
 
 PAXDURANG IIArI 
 
 administration of justice or the distribution of patronage, had 
 ahnost ceased to be expected by either the rulers or their subjects, 
 the author's estimate of the motives which drew visitors to the 
 doors of official men in India, fifty years ago, might be expected 
 to be peculiarly applicable. Yet even there, the author admits 
 that he found one bright exception to the sweeping condemnation 
 which he passes on the general mass of his native acquaintance ; 
 and it is observable that, however severe may be the judgments 
 pronounced by European crities on their native associates in 
 India, the critic, if a man of any experience or real power of 
 obsen^ation, rarely fails to check his condemnation of native 
 society in general by describing " the only honest native, sir, I 
 ever knew," or in some other form testifying to exceptions, which, 
 even granting them to be as rare as such critics imagine, would 
 suffice to prove that whatever the causes of presumed general 
 depravity, the incapacity of the race for good was certainly not 
 absolute nor universal. 
 
 The truth is, that, as has been long since pointed out by Shore 
 and others, European critics of Indian society and social morality 
 have generally laboured under such great disadvantages in their 
 limited sphere of observation, as to render anything like judicial 
 accuracy or impartiality a result difficult of attainment and rare 
 in the extreme. How seldom, when we are ourselves judged by 
 foreigners, do we find that they have knowledge of our language 
 and customs sufficient to secure them from the most ridiculous 
 errors. How still more difficult is the task when, as is usually 
 the case in India, the man is the artist who represents his own 
 contest with the lion. We know, in this country, how much 
 allowance should be made in estimating the general standard of 
 social morality from the official experience of those who see only 
 the criminal classes of our great cities and garrison towns ; and 
 how badly we should ourselves appear, if some of the least 
 prejudiced estimates regarding us were taken from tlic reports of 
 ministers of religion, who habitually tolerate no standard short of 
 absolute moral perfection. What large allowance must be made 
 for defective powers and opportunities of observation in any 
 European judgment of native Indian character, will be apparent 
 
jyTJs^ on ucTiON. ix 
 
 to any one who reflects how little weiglit he would attach to 
 unfavourable opinions of his own countrymen, expressed by 
 foreigners of experience as limited in time, or extent of range, as 
 we know must be the case with many Europeans who, from a brief 
 tour, or a few years of official experience, pronounce ex cathedra 
 very sweeping judgments on native-Indian society and morals. 
 But, as already stated, the real merit of " Pandurang Hiri " lies in 
 the general truthfulness of incidental sketches and stories. The 
 fidelity of some scenes and portraits may still be recognised by 
 any modern sojourners in the Deccan, but there are others which 
 already seem to belong to a bygone age. 
 
 I may instance, as one of the minor features of this kind, the 
 position of the Gossein community, and the extraordinary de- 
 pravity of some of its members. Modem visitors to Poona might 
 have difficulty in discovering a genuine Gossein, or the habitations 
 of any of the sect. But forty years ago, the Gossein warra, or 
 quarter, filled with their semi-fortified and substantially-built houses, 
 was one of the most conspicuous features in the old Maharatta 
 city ; and any one who was fond of talking to the natives regard- 
 ing the olden time, was, in those days, sure to hear endless stories 
 of the wealth and the crimes of the original owners and inhabitants 
 of those fortlaces, which a few years ago looked so palatial amid 
 the meaner houses of the surrounding town. He would be told 
 of the enormous influence of Gosseins in every grade of society 
 during the reign of Bajee Row, of their secret springs of informa- 
 tion, and of the doings, heroic or criminal, of the chosen band of 
 desperadoes of this sect on which Bapoo Gokla, one of the few 
 really patriotic advisers of the last Peishwa, relied in his last 
 despairing efforts to retrieve his master's falling fortunes. 
 
 Again, except to a few adventurers, bear-hunters, or district 
 police-officers, the robber's cave is probably now as obsolete in 
 India as it is in England^ or any other country where it has been 
 relegated to the theatrical properties of melodramatic managers. 
 But long after peace and uniform government had been restored 
 to the Deccan, genuine robbers' caves, such as are described by 
 Pandurang, were to be found in many remote districts. Some oi 
 the old Bhuddist cave temples, which are scattered so plentifully 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 along the whole range of the Western Ghauts, were used as robber 
 retreats to within a comparatively recent period, and thirty years 
 ago robber-caves might have been found within a walk or ride of 
 the now fashionable sanitarium of iMahabuleshwar, close to roads 
 now frequented by English nurses and their infantile charges, and 
 ■within sight of plantations of chincona plants brought from the 
 Andes by Mr. Clements Markham. 
 
 One such cave in the laterite rock, overlooking the ancient 
 road from Waee to the sacred sources of the Krishna and its 
 sister rivers, just where the road branches to the fortress of 
 Pretabghur and to the sea-port of Mhar, though now in the heart 
 of the hill station, was pointed out to me some years ago by one 
 of the elders of the Gaolees (hill herdsmen) as the place where, 
 in his father's time, a robber band, ^^ith which the poor hill herds- 
 men dared not meddle, used to watch for pilgrims, merchants, or 
 stray soldiers, and to pounce on any convoy which appeared, as 
 viewed from their eagle's nest, to be incapable of resistance. The 
 cave was spacious, well furnished with fireplaces and platforms for 
 sleeping, and rude cupboard-like recesses ; and could have com- 
 fortably sheltered fifty men unobserved, within watching distance 
 of the ancient track over the hills. Similar caves are found in 
 many parts of the same laterite range, which bounds the well- 
 wooded and beautiful valley of the Koina, between Mahabulesh- 
 war and the Chiploon Ghaut ; and some of them as late as 1846, 
 when the valley was still one of the most secluded in the Deccan, 
 afforded permanent refuge, not often to active robbers, but to 
 fugitives of society, who found in their recesses the shelter denied 
 to them in more populous districts. Three or four such solitai7 
 outlaws, possibly the last of their kind, were coaxed into Satara 
 by the head man of one of the little forest villages, and furnished 
 with a safe -conduct from the Resident, securing them from 
 molestation so long as they obeyed the law. All of these pooi 
 creatures had the quick observant glance, the attentive ear, and 
 more or less the general air of wild animals rather than of men. 
 One of them, who told me he believed he had lived in these 
 rocky fastnesses for fourteen years, had fled from his home after 
 slaying a man in a fit of jealousy; he described his life as one of 
 
INTROD UCTION. 
 
 w 
 
 almost unendurable suffering and privation, dependent for ail 
 necessaries of life (beyond what the roots and berries of the jungle 
 afforded) on the precarious hospitality of the poor villages scat- 
 tered along the banks of the river in the narrow valley. The 
 villagers, partly probably from fear, partly from compassion, never 
 denounced him, and at harvest time always left small offerings of 
 grain, or a cast-off blanket, or pair of sandals, within his reach ; 
 but they rarely noticed or spoke to him, and treated him much as 
 one possessed by some evil spirit, whom they hardly dared to 
 aid, still less to drive away. Occasionally a shooting party, in 
 search of bears or sambur deer, would fill him with terror, as he 
 watched them from the rocks overhanging the valley; but the 
 native beaters made a point of not noticing him, and he had 
 never, till I saw him, confronted a white man close enough to 
 speak to him. Forty years earlier I have no doubt these same 
 rocks would have afforded refuge to such robbers as Pandurang 
 describes ; and all the skirts of the Ghauts, and the Vindya and 
 Santroora ranges, doubtless abound in similar valleys possessed of 
 similar robber-strongholds. 
 
 Of detached pictures, such as might have been seen m the 
 Deccan sixty years ago, and of stories such as might have been 
 heard round the \illage peple-tree of an evening twenty years later. 
 I have met no book which gives so vivid an idea as this almost 
 forgotten and inartistic novel. The " Confessions of a Thug " 
 incidentally refer to some of the social defonuities of the same 
 age ; but it relates merely to one class of criminal society, and 
 that class limited in numbers, though not in range. The same 
 graphic hand has dra^^^l in " Tara " a charming picture of some 
 of the most beautiful scenery and pleasing features of native life 
 in the Deccan ; but for a truthful picture of Maharrata life, as it 
 must have appeared in the latter and more corrupt days of the 
 Pcishwa's government, I have met with nothing equal to the dark 
 bizarre sketches of " Pandurang H^ri." 
 
 Of the author, Mr Hockley, I have been able to karn liltlc 
 beyond the fact that he belonged to the Bombay Civil Senice, 
 and served under the Commissioners in the Deccan, and in the 
 Judge's Court at Broach. He fell under a cloud and left the 
 
xii PANDURANG HARL 
 
 service, and of his subsequent career I have been able to trace 
 nothing When I was first at Poona many stories were current 
 of the practical and other jokes with which he exercised the 
 patience of the older and steadier officers in the Deccan Com- 
 mission ; but this novel, which was published by Whitaker in 
 1826, is the only production of his pen which I have met with, 
 and I have not even been able to verify the date of his death. 
 No alteration has been attempted in the orthography of proper 
 names — it is not uniform, or in accordance with any regular 
 system, but is sufficiently consistent to satisfy the general reader, 
 while any attempt to make it conform to more accurate trans- 
 literation would have involved other changes for which there is 
 no sufficient warrant. It is obvious, for instance, that some of 
 the names could not have belonged to persons of the caste to 
 which they are attributed; it is useless to attempt correcting 
 them, and the reader must kindly take them, like the impossible 
 names in old translations of the Arabian Nights, as belonging to 
 the author's creation, and not to the age or people of which he 
 \AT:ote. 
 
 The modes of address, moreover, are of an English rather than 
 native fashion, but to have carried out a correct translation of 
 native expressions, would have involved alterations in style not 
 justifiable in a reprint. 
 
 H. B. E. FRERE. 
 
 WressU Lodge, Wimbledon, 1S72, 
 
Introduction to Original Edition. 
 
 OTHING can be more irksome to the European t:ian 
 the society of the inhabitant of Hindustan. His con- 
 versation is monotonous, and little calculated to relieve 
 the tedium caused by that enervating indolence, which, in a 
 tropical climate, overpowers the European, and is also a marked 
 portion of the native character. If a native visit you, his call is 
 not that of friendship, but always has some interested motive at 
 bottom, or the hope of obtaining some personal benefit. The 
 learning, talent, and virtue which a European may possess, are no 
 objects of attraction with him ; they are of no value in his eyes ; 
 and the crowd of natives who may flock around his door are 
 dra^\Ti thither by the charm of his power, as agent of the Govern- 
 ment, as Resident, collector, or judge. If they do not expect, 
 through his means, to obtain some insignificant situation that 
 they may turn to profit, the very circumstance of his admission of 
 them as visitants gives them considerable consequence in the eyes 
 of their countrymen, of which they do not fail to take advantage. 
 Where the will of the ruler is regarded as law (whicli, from time 
 immemorial, has been the case in the East), power is the great 
 idol of adulation : to live in its shadow confers influence ; its 
 smiles are equivalent to the satisfaction of no very limited ambi- 
 tion ; and this holds good, in its degree, as far as regards the 
 lowest officer of the ruling authority. Such is a distinguishing 
 feature of the natives of India, and of the Mahrattas more 
 especially; and the characteristic is noticed here, in order to 
 mark an exception to the general rule. 
 
•xiv PANDURANG IIARI. 
 
 The editor of this work, in travelling through the Deccan, had 
 the singular good fortune to meet with a native who possessed 
 hut Httle of the selfish character of his countrymen. His visits 
 were disinterested in every respect, and they were uniformly met 
 with that pleasure which, in European society, is always exhibited 
 upon the reception of a generous friend. In his conversation 
 there was nothing like deceit ; for, ill resembling the generality ot 
 his countrymen, he left his mask at home. There was no affected 
 humility in his manner, no servile and flattering epithets, so dis- 
 gusting to European minds of any strength : he was, in short, the 
 best specimen of the native character the editor ever saw ; and 
 his society was a thing of value, in proportion to its extraordinary 
 rarity in that part of the world. The name of this native was 
 Nanna, of the family of the individual of that name mentioned 
 hereafter as the friend of Pandurang Hkri. In the conversations 
 which frequently took place — conversations which will be 
 remembered to the last hour of life with pleasure — more know- 
 ledge of the people of Hindustan was gleaned than could have 
 been acquired by the longest residence in the country, in the 
 character of a simple observer. Speaking one day of the govern- 
 ments of India, and of the number of small states into which it 
 was and is divided, my friend mentioned that the succession to 
 the sovereignty was often a subject of quarrel and bloodshed. 
 Usurpers, persons of the reigning family, and claimants distantly 
 related to a defunct sovereign, by their disputes had occasioned 
 much unhappiness to the people. Just claims had been made by 
 individuals whose lives were spent in the lowest occupations in 
 search of subsistence, or who had been driven into concealment 
 and obscurity to secure their own existence ; the reigning despot 
 endeavouring to keep down all claimants to the throne, or one 
 of them endeavouring to persecute to destruction another who 
 mxight be nearer than himself to a musnud of which the speedy 
 vacation was expected. 
 
 One day this native friend put into the editor's hand a 
 MS., written in the Mahratta tongue, saying, "As you wish 
 to be acquainted with some of the adventures of the better 
 class of natives, and with the Mahratta character in particular, 
 
INTRODUCTION TO ORIGINAL EDITION. xv 
 
 this will enable you to form your own opinion, and show 
 them as they are. You will discover the shifts and modes 
 of subsistence which even the higher castes may be driven to 
 adopt, and the strange vicissitudes of life often occurring in a 
 country where everything depends upon the will of superiors in 
 power — where, except in religious observances and custDms, 
 there is a constant change, and the rajah of to-day may be the 
 ryot of to-morrow." 
 
 After perusing the MS. of his friend, the editor thought a free 
 translation of it into his own language would not be uninteresting 
 to his countrymen ; he therefore set about the task, in doing 
 which he has tried to render the language as simple and unpre- 
 tending as the original, and to give the story as he received it, 
 neither clothed in picturesque local description, nor heated by 
 passion, beyond that which the languid temperament of the 
 Hindoo will sanction ; for even love ^^ith him is little more, if 
 anything, than a blind instinct. The reader must not, therefore, 
 expect to revel in scenes of heroic or chivalric adventure ; but to 
 peruse the history of a distinguished native individual, in its 
 iraise7nblajice glance and characteristic simplicity. 
 
 To render the work as intelligible and clear as possible, advan- 
 tage has been taken of an editor's license, and alterations have 
 been made (but only such as appeared absolutely necessar}-) to 
 Anglicise the narrative. Some of the editor's Indian friends will 
 be able to confirm the truth of many of the leading details, 
 because they must discover allusions to real facts, which have 
 taken place, to their own knowledge, in our Eastern empire. 
 
 The editor is aware that a description of the Asiatic character 
 has been before now given to the public, and he has seen the 
 observations of travellers upon it. He knows that the secluded 
 JJrahmin has been regarded by the hasty visitant with admiration, 
 and does not, therefore, marvel at the warmth of colouring in 
 which it has been often the fashion to clothe his quiet, and there- 
 fore, as supposed, devoted and virtuous, character. It is with 
 astonishment, however, that he has known persons, long resident 
 in India, employ their pens in the same manner; and he wonders 
 how men of talent can have resided years among this people, and 
 
xvi PANDURAXG HART. 
 
 have been so completely duped by plausibilities. Perhaps they 
 never were at the pains to penetrate beyond the mere external 
 picture, and judged of the truth by the appearance. Hindoo 
 simplicity of character has been praised, and the virtue of the 
 women held up as a model to the world (not regarding its 
 powerful protection under a reign of castes); and a picture has 
 been drawn, such as the world never yet saw, and never will see, 
 of a pure, virtuous, open, generous people, inhabiting a country 
 governed for ages by the most despotic barbarians, ground into 
 the dust by a host of lesser native officials, and steeped in the 
 most deplorable ignorance and superstition. Meanness, cunning, 
 cowardice and self-interest are almost necessar}^, under such a 
 system, to carr}^ on existence, and these have been their re- 
 sources, accordingly, for ages. The free mountain peasant of 
 Switzerland is the pure and simple man, because he may live 
 \\-ithout the necessit}^ of a recourse to such vices ; — the Hindoo 
 never can. If the European, who has been deeply conversant 
 with the Hindoo character in all situations, were to speak out, he 
 v.'ould confess that the apparent simplicity and humility of the 
 Brahmin is a garb of h}-pocrisy, to look well among the people 
 and carr}^ on his influence ; but that he is, in reality, selfish, 
 \-icious, and intent only upon blinding the credulous for his otvh 
 ends. Let the Hindoo be seen at variance with his neighbour, 
 or in any situation where his hatred is excited, and he will be 
 fomid relentless in his anger, and cowardly in his revenge. 
 Watch him at a moment when he has a chance of turning a 
 single rupee, by almost any means, and let it be said, if his 
 disregard of all but his object, his meanness and duplicity in 
 pursuing it, can be exceeded ! Nevertheless, in a country where 
 the law has so long been the strongest, it must be granted that 
 the want of morality and principle is no great phenomenon. 
 
 Englishmen who have ^mtten so much in favour of the natives, 
 it may be boldly pronounced, never mingled in situations where 
 their private contests and private conduct with each other could 
 be clearly observed. The editor went amongst them prejudiced 
 in their favour : a few years undeceived him. From the rajah to 
 the r}-ot, with ihe intermediate grades, they are ungrateful, 
 
A^T:^.^J^^J 
 
 V77V^. 
 
 aa: 
 
 X«ll 
 
 • — - ^>^c-:-ir 
 
 Ub:cr 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ITHERTO it has been customary with those who write 
 
 1 m n' ^ l^istory of their lives and adventures, to commence 
 i^^QS^i ^nth a minute detail of all the circumstances connected 
 
 ^nth a minute detail of all the circumstances connected 
 with their earliest years — their family, birth, and education. I 
 would most ^^'illingly follow preceding examples in this respect, 
 had my histor}^ resembled that of other men ; but, unfortunately, 
 I was a long period of my life in utter ignorance to whom I was 
 under obligations for my introduction into the world; so that any 
 information I may subsequently have acquired respecting my 
 parentage, can hardly be said to belong to the first part ot 
 my histor}', as it would clearly do to that of the generality of 
 mankind. This singularity, therefore, in the very outset of my 
 existence, and the \nsh I have to adhere as closely as possible 
 to the regular order of events, must be my apology to the reader 
 for my not sa}'ing anything here upon these points, or even 
 hinting just now who I discovered my parents to be; I shall only 
 thereby keep the public in the dark for a time on this subject, as 
 I was once kept myself Should any part of it betray an impa- 
 tient curiosit}' as to these matters after I have begun, I must 
 entreat it to keep my example in view, and practise a little 
 Hindoo patience, trusting to my promise of disclosing these 
 important secrets in due time and place. 
 
 IMy earliest sense of existence, as well as I can remember, was- 
 
20 PANDURANCr bJeI 
 
 severely painful. I have a clear recollection of an Hindoo, 
 advanced in years, stooping down and extricating me from the 
 hoofs of a troop of bullocks and horses, where I had been left 
 by some one who evidently made my safety a matter of small 
 account. One of the animals, beneath which I was wallowing, 
 had crushed my tender arm with its hoof, and set me, naturally 
 enough, screaming and roaring with all my might. My deliverer 
 took me to his t2nt, and bound up my bruised limb. I remember 
 well his features and dress. He was a Mahratta, and a man of some 
 consequence, travelling in the district upon business. On his head 
 he wore a large white turban, tied under the chin : a stuffed coat, 
 dirty boots, and a tremendous sword dangling at his side. He 
 delivered me to a servant, w^ho pestered me with questions which 
 I could not answer ; demanding who I was ? whence I came ? w4io 
 were my parents? to which, of course, I was unable to make any 
 other reply than 7nalla toivak n,hae (" I know not "). I then heard 
 the servants disputing about my age. One said I was four years 
 old, another five ; at length the last number seemed to be decided 
 upon. I next heard them debate upon my caste; and one of 
 them perceiving the red mark upon my forehead, said I was a 
 true Hindoo. It was to my good fortune he made this declara- 
 tion, as I was deemed w^orthy of being noticed in consequence ; 
 for had I been of a different caste than I w\as — that of Choomar or 
 Sudra, for example — I should have been left to starve, or been 
 glad to herd with my old companions, the bullocks, once more. 
 I was now taken into the presence of my deliverer, having been 
 instructed by his servants to say, as soon as I came near him, ram 
 ram, Ma, ha, mj ("your most obedient, my lord!") Whether I 
 pronounced this salutation ill, or with proper confidence, I 
 cannot now tell, but it was very kindly noticed by the Mahratta 
 Ma,ha,raj. He ordered me to be clothed, and to have a red 
 turban given me. I can even now remember the effect this 
 treatment of me by the master produced on the ser\\ants : they 
 immediately behaved kindly to me, styling me baba sahib, Ma,ha, 
 rag d,himne, as if addressing their lord himself My young mind 
 soon became elated by this attention, and my childish pride 
 grew intolerable. I discovered that as long as I possessed the 
 
PANDURANG HArL 21 
 
 masters favour, I might act as I pleased among his inicriors. In 
 short, I at last considered myself his son, and he gave me the 
 name of Pandurang Hari. 
 
 I will now pass over the term of my infancy, which was 
 employed in learning to read and write — my preceptor being 
 a niaJioiihut, or elephant-driver — and will take up my adventures 
 from the period of my completing my sixteenth year. At this 
 time Holkar, the great Mahratta chieftain, assembled his army, 
 and a division of it was commanded by my benefactor, Sawunt 
 Rao Gopal Rao. There was no expectation entertained that we 
 should come to an engagement for many months, although pre- 
 parations were at that moment deemed necessary. I had made 
 a considerable proficiency in my studies, which pleased Sawunt 
 Rao, and I soon found the advantage of my acquirements. My 
 benefactor's chief carcoon, or clerk, allowed me to sort out and 
 direct despatches to officers at a distance who belonged to the 
 command of the great Sawunt Rao. The consequence this gave 
 me in the eyes of Sawunt's dependants was wonderful. A boy 
 soon came to offer his services as my Jzidlum da/ii, or inkstand- 
 bearer; another, as my chitrec burdar, or umbrella-carrier ; and 
 when I mounted on my tattoo, or pony, I could at any time have 
 commanded the attendance of a dozen grooms — so many pressed 
 fonvard to offer me their services. I accepted two and a slipper- 
 bearer, but was greatly concerned to know how I was to pay 
 them their wages. I consulted the carcoon, who laughed in 
 my face, and demanded if I was mad to think of giving wages to 
 those 7iimuk Jidrdvi (rascals). " No, no, Pandoo," said he ; "let 
 them wait on you, and in a few years you may be able to provide 
 for them under our government ; however, as you may want 
 money, it will be a good plan to get Sawunt Rao ]\Ia,ha,raj to 
 grant you some to give these fellov.s, and you can keep it your- 
 self. As to paying those scoundrels, it would be as absurd as fling- 
 ing your money into the river." It will recur to the reader that 
 I had now been some years with Sawunt Rao ; and having been 
 gradually initiated in Mahratta roguery, it will not be matter 
 of surprise that I entered into this scheme with true Hindoo '^ 
 delight. Success attended my first attempt; and the carcoon 
 
 B 
 
2 2 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 pronounced I should soon make my fortune. He advised me 
 to neglect no opportunity of fingering money ; " for," said he, 
 " Pandoo, there is nothing in this world equal to rupees. Get 
 them, and you will get everything. We shall have rare plunder 
 at the ensuing battle." I here ventured to observe that the tables 
 might be turned upon us, and we ourselves get plundered instead 
 of being the plunderers. "O Pandoo !" he replied, twisting his 
 mustachios, " you little know the Mahratta valour ! In the field 
 every man has the power of the many-armed Vishnu. No nation 
 can resist us ; we are world-conquerors ! You will soon see 
 whether I speak truth or not." 
 
 On the ensuing day we marched ; and when I observed the 
 war-elephants in terrific panoply, and heard the roar of the 
 nagarrahs or state-drums ; when I saw the long-drawn plain 
 covered mth soldiers, both horse and foot, all busy in martial 
 preparation, I gave in my own mind implicit credit to the resist- 
 less valour of the Mahrattas, and began to plan how I should dis- 
 pose of my rupees and plunder, as soon as I should gain posses- 
 ■sion of them. On arriving at our halting-place, I attended, as 
 was customary, to make my obeisance to my master. He ordered 
 me to wait in his tent while he ate his dinner. I seized this 
 opportunity of sitting in a corner ; and sending for my inkstand 
 and papers, I made a great show of business. During his dinner, 
 Sawunt Rao never once noticed me ; but aftenvards, when 
 smoking his hookah, he exclaimed, " Ah, Pandoo ! what — can 
 you write?" I answered in the affirmative, and showed him 
 some specimens, with which he appeared highly pleased. He 
 dictated several letters to me, and sent orders by me to different 
 officers outside the tent. He next desired me to admit to his 
 presence any individuals who had complaints to make or orders 
 to receive, as he was then at leisure to attend to business of that' 
 nature. I withdrew, and waited in a small tent through which 
 all must pass before they could enter the presence of the Ma,ha.- 
 raj, I had not been there long before a complainant ' appeared, 
 
 ' Chiefs like Sawunt Rao hare in the East comiisance both of civil 
 and military affairs. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 23 
 
 and urged me to obtain an audience for him. I, of course, gave 
 myself great airs, and roundly asserted that the Ma,ha,raj was 
 sleeping, and would not be disturbed. The complainant seemed 
 to know how to awaken both servant and master. Slipping a 
 handful of rupees into my hand, he promised me double the 
 amount if he succeeded. I now softened my manner and con- 
 descended to say, " I will see if I dare wake Ma,ha,raj, but I 
 really fear for my life, yet for your sake I will risk everything." 
 The Ma,ha,raj was still smoking his hookah when I entered, and 
 I at once opened my business. I was ordered to admit the com- 
 plainant, and was sent for presently myself, and desired to take 
 do\\'n his business in wTiting. I did so, but was not yet as adroit 
 as I should have been in putting my words quickly together, 
 though I would not on any account confess my want of skill. I 
 went on scribbling anything that came uppermost in place of the 
 poor man's story ; and when I had done, I knew as little about it 
 as before I began. Fortunately, I could see by my master's air 
 and manner he was as indifferent to the merits of the case as 
 myself, and therefore I felt very little uneasiness upon the sub- 
 ject. The complainant was dismissed with the assurances of 
 receiving justice. I took care to follow him, and abuse him for 
 his long tale, declaring my fingers were stiff with taking it down. 
 The poor dupe had sagacity enough to discover there was one 
 medicine which never fails to cure rigidity of the joints in such 
 cases, and he accordingly applied his silver ointment to my hands 
 once more. The cure was instantaneous : I promised him every- 
 thing, and assured him his enemy should be trampled to deatli 
 by an elephant if he desired it. I then ordered him to call at 
 the carcoon's on the following day, when all should be settled ; 
 but reminded him that this official must finger the rupees as well 
 as myself, at least in equal proportion. So saying, I withdrew to 
 count over my money. According to my advice, he did not 
 neglect to appear at the carcoon's ; but that sagacious officer, 
 having been informed of the petitioner's interviews with me, 
 ordered him to quit his presence. He once more came to me, 
 and I endeavoured, by assurances and promises, to keep alive 
 hopes which I very well knew were doomed to be disappointed 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 I'.j took his leave of me, bowing so low as to knock his forehead 
 •:i the ground. 
 
 Day after day passed over, and still Hybatty (such was the 
 petitioners name) remained unnoticed. He was even rudely 
 trjated by the official hirelings who lounged around the tents. 
 Far from resenting such conduct towards him, I rather en- 
 couraged it ; for Hybatty had become my second shadow when- 
 ever I appeared abroad. At length, losing all patience, I angrily 
 bade him return to his village and trouble me no further as the 
 Ma,ha,raj would attend to the petition when it suited his con- 
 ■ iiience. Hybatty gave me a look that spoke stronger things 
 m language could do, and hurried from my presence. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 S yet there appeared no probability of a battle taking 
 place ; nevertheless, our army was kept up in full force 
 5^ and constant readiness for it. Our tents were pitched 
 on the side of a river, while a majestic banyan-tree spread itself 
 over a rising-ground at a short distance. Thither, in the cool 
 hour of the evening, I was accustomed to go, and remain alone 
 in reflection upon my dependent circumstances. " Unhappy 
 being that I am!" thought I; "neglected by parents who still 
 remain unknown to me, though destiny has flung me in the way 
 of the good Sawunt Rao, what claim have I upon him or upon 
 any fellow-creature? My very existence depends upon his — 
 should he die, what will become of me ? Should he frown upon 
 me while living, adieu to all consequence with those around me ! 
 To obtain an honest livelihood is impossible : no trade is so 
 unprofitable as honesty. It is very hard that, with the inclination 
 to be just and upright, I should be compelled by the circum- 
 stances of my life to be a rogue. Could I but amass a few 
 thousand rupees, I would lose no time in settling at Indore 
 as acorn or grain merchant; and then," thought I, rising up 
 with delight, " I will be honest for the rest of my days !" I had 
 just finished making this notable resolution for conducting my 
 future life, when I saw a little way off the figure of a tall man 
 muffled up in shawls. He was looking ever)'where around him, 
 with a countenance full of suspicion, as if he feared lest his actions 
 would be observ^ed. He did not see me, it was evident ; and I 
 became very curious to know the cause of his extraordinary 
 appearance, and the object he had in parading about in that spot 
 
 25 
 
2 6 PANDURANG hAr'i. 
 
 in the dusk of the evening. I immediately climbed up into the 
 banyan-tree, and hid myself among its luxuriant foliage. The 
 person whose steps I had been watching now approached the 
 sacred tree ; and having performed pi)ja ' to a stone deity at its 
 foot, proceeded to unmuffle himself from his shawls, carefully 
 folding them up and placing them under the tree. He now 
 squatted down, and began to grumble in a low tone, " Not here ! 
 I am too early ! I can wait until he comes. I know my informa- 
 tion is correct. He comes here every evening to meditate some 
 fresh villany no doubt." Here he paused; and my breathing 
 paused too, for he could have meant no one but myself, I having 
 been the only constant lounger under that sacred tree at the 
 evening hour. ''Who can this man be?" thought I; "perhaps 
 he is some one acquainted with my parents." On this idea 
 suggesting itself, I was on the point of descending from my 
 hiding-place, and begging him to satisfy my curiosity ; but I was 
 luckily deterred from my intention by hearing him again talking 
 to himself, and saying, " Well, as I could not obtain redress, and 
 was plundered for attempting to assert my rights, this dagger, 
 thanks to Hanoomd7i^ has given me vengeance. My enemy is 
 quiet enough, unless he has met with a god in the mota bowrie} 
 That young villain, Pandurang Hkri, shall keep Tulsajee com- 
 pany." There he stopped; and I almost fell from the branches 
 of my refuge with fear when I discovered this man to be no other 
 than the petitioner who so handsomely rewarded me on his 
 coming to demand justice of my master. His case, notwithstand- 
 ing his bribes, and the profuse way in which he distributed his 
 nugd,^ remained entirely neglected to that hour. Fancy may 
 depict, but I cannot put into language, the fear I felt, and 
 the breathless terror that came over me, when I reflected that 
 the creaking of a branch or the rustling of a leaf might betray 
 me. The evening was still and silent as tlie grave. A cold 
 perspiration stood on my forehead. The insect that fluttered 
 around me, whose wing at another time would have been 
 
 * Worsliip. 
 
 2 The name of an idol in the fonn of a monkey. 
 
 ' Deep well. * Ready cash. 
 
r.ixnur.Axc irAny. 
 
 inaudible, seemed now to fill my ears with its hum, so alive was 
 I to the minutest sounds. I soon heard Hybatty mutter slowly 
 to himself again, " The young villain ! the young villain ! to take 
 my rupees, to neglect and insult me ! Thanks to Siva and 
 Brahma, I want not their help now ; I am paid with the silver 
 bangles^ of my enemy, and his cash to boot!'' A little while- 
 after this he arose, and went to a peepal-tree a short way off, 
 where he appeared busy about something, I could not well make 
 out what. He was delving in the earth, and, as I afterwards 
 found, burying his ill-gotten treasure. He now halted, as if 
 unwilling to leave the place while there was a chance of my visit- 
 ing it. He returned to the sacred tree again, and I heard the 
 words, "Pandurang Hari — dagger — his greedy heart," dis- 
 jointedly uttered. He afterwards, raising his voice, said, "I 
 swear by the holy cow ^ never to give up my revenge, though 
 I pursue him to Oogein, and from thence to Delhi, and from 
 Delhi to Cape Comorin; I will not rest till I have taken his 
 blood." In a few minutes he muffled himself up in his shawl-s 
 as before, and went his way. His departure was a reprieve to a 
 condemned criminal ; I seemed rescued from a suffocation worse 
 than death. Once more my lungs got into full play, and my 
 iimbs appeared to be relieved from the heavy weight which 
 oppressed them. W^ien my enemy had disappeared, I descended 
 from my hiding-place, and did not deem myself secure until I 
 had joined my comrades in the camp. " It is well," thought I, 
 as soon as I had gained a place of security — " it is well I can 
 turn the tables upon my enemy. He has confessed a murder ; 
 and as I am to have no peace while he lives, I will try if I have 
 not wit and interest enough to get him put out of the way. We 
 shall sec whether I cannot save him his journey to Oogein, Delhi, 
 and Cape Comorin !" . 
 
 When I reflected how corrupt all persons in authority were, I V 
 feared that, after all I could do, there would be but a small 
 chance of beholding my foe dangling from a tree while he could 
 command money enough to fee the farmer of the district, whose 
 
 ' Ilinf^s woi-n about the wrists. ' A solemn Hindoo adjuration. 
 
28 PANDURANG HArL 
 
 mercy was generally extended, even for the most fxagrant crimes^ 
 to those who could purchase their impunity. The district 
 farmers were compelled from necessity to raise money by every 
 opportunity, and they never neglected their interests; for when 
 a new one had not been a month in his district, he was every hour 
 liable to be superseded by a successor, who had agi-eed to pay 
 the Ma,ha,raj a higher sum for the office. On this account the 
 actual occupant turned all robberies and murders to account, 
 and never executed any who could purchase their lives, while the 
 ^ poor were sent into the other world without mercy. Thus justice 
 was regulated, as it is in most countries, by individual caprice or 
 expediency, instead of certain immutable principles, which should 
 make it the same thing everywhere. I considered, therefore, that 
 this mercenary principle in our government might tell against me 
 after all if I appeared active in the business, and my enemy 
 should afterwards escape by paying a fine to the farmer : for it 
 v/as likely I should thus incur his threefold vengeance, and hasten 
 my own destruction. What plan to pursue now became a matter 
 of the utmost importance. " The tiger," I reasoned to myself, 
 " must be deprived of his claws, and the lion of his teeth, before 
 we can combat with them successfully. My enemy's treasures 
 are his claws, and they are in my power. Fool that I am ! are 
 they not buried under the peepal-tree, where I saw him grubbing 
 in the earth ? " I accordingly set off for the spot, and pulling 
 out my dagger, tried the earth around the roots of the tree for 
 some time in vain. I was just on the point of giving up the 
 search, when it struck against a hard substance, which I dis- 
 covered, by the scanty light of the dawn (for I had taken no rest 
 during the night), to be a brass pot, tied round with leather at the 
 top. I could find nothing else ; so closing up the hole and 
 levelling the earth, I returned to my tent, lit my lamp, and 
 proceeded to examine what I had found. First, there were the 
 silver bangles of Tulsajee, the murdered man : these were worth 
 two hundred rupees at least. Then there were gold moJmrs^ 
 tied up in long narrow bags, which the victim of my foe 
 
 ' An Eastern coin. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 29 
 
 had, as is customary, bound round his waist for convenience in 
 traveUing, after the jMahratta manner. I then came to silver 
 rupees, and women's ornaments of the usual kinds : the ;//////, or 
 nose-ring ; the boogn'e, or ear-pendants ; the toolscc, or necklace ; 
 kurrun, pjiool, or ear-ornaments ; the bajoo-bund, or armlets, with 
 many rings all of gold, besides loose pearls and copper picc.^ 
 '' Well, Pandoo," thought I to myself, " you have indeed made the 
 most you could expect of your enemy ! " I justly considered, from 
 the rank of the fellow in life, that this must be all the wealth he 
 had in the world, ill-gotten as it was. I calculated the whole to be 
 worth two thousand rupees, and I dug a hole under the mat on 
 which I slept, and there deposited my treasure. Having done 
 this, I lay down to weigh what step should be taken next, and to 
 fix upon the most certain and safe method of bringing my foe, 
 Hybatty, to the gibbet. 
 
 * A small coin. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 IHE next morning I bent my way towards the village 
 where my enemy resided. The first step I took, con- 
 sistently \vith the plan I had laid down for myself, was 
 to wait upon the principal and heads of the village. These men 
 of authority being aware I was a hoogorie, or one attached to the 
 suite of a great man, received me with due respect. I longed 
 for a good pair of mustachios to twirl about and exhibit my 
 consequence ; but, unfortunately, I was only eighteen years old, 
 though in appearance at least four years more, and was obliged, 
 for lack of length in those dignified appendages, to content myself 
 with twisting about my shawl with an air of self-importance, and 
 so as to exhibit my person to the best advantage. I then opened 
 the purport of my visit, by stating that I was come to inquire into 
 the complaint of a person named Hybatty against a man called 
 Tulsajee, and desiring the complainant might be sent for. It 
 will be easily guessed that this was my old enemy, who so 
 pleasingly intimated his good-will towards me under the banyan- 
 tree. He drew back on first seeing me, as if he had rather have 
 not met me there. I appeared wholly unconscious of his harbour- 
 ing any ill design against myself, and immediately addressed him, 
 saying, " My good friend, you may now see I have not forgotten 
 your cause, which would have been attended to much sooner 
 could I have secured the ear of the Ma,ha,raj ; but his time has 
 been so occupied with political correspondence, that he has really 
 had no leisure to think of anything else. You may now state 
 your case, and justice shall be rendered you." Hybatty — for he 
 it was — looked aghast at this unexpected condescension, and 
 
PANDURANG hArI 31 
 
 gave me a glance so peculiar in character, and yet so very far 
 from agreeable, that I felt more than ever anxious to do him the 
 kindness I had in store for him. It appeared as if he looked 
 through my intentions, and suspected all was not as fair as it 
 seemed to be, without his being able to fathom my designs. 
 Hesitating a little at first, he soon launched out more fluently 
 against his enemy, Tulsajee, as if the latter had really been in the 
 land of the living ! He repeatedly urged me to summon him, 
 and see if he dared to deny any part of what he should urge 
 against him. I replied, " I am sure he cannot deny any part of 
 your assertions : however, let him be summoned." This devil 
 Hybatty looked in my eyes more hellish than I thought it possible 
 for a human being to do, on hearing the order given. After some 
 delay, a message was sent from the friends of Tulsajee, saying he 
 had left the village on a journey, and his family had not heard of 
 him since he set out. " Oh, it is well," I replied (addressing 
 myself to the village authorities) ; " we cannot help it ; when he 
 returns assemble 2, punchayd^ and give this cause patient atten- 
 tion, seeing that Hybatty has justice." Having said this, I took 
 my departure. The reason for my acting thus was, lest, upon 
 conviction of the murder, Hybatty should accuse me of not 
 attending to his complaint, and make my negligence a plea for 
 the act which he had committed. I now proceeded to the 
 ?naaimilut-dar, or farmer of the district, and mentioned my sus- 
 picion that Tulsajee was murdered, and who the murderer was. 
 "This affair, " said I, " will put a few rupees into your pocket, as 
 Hybatty, the murderer, has money, I am certain ; so you may fine 
 him to the tune of five hundred rupees at least. He may plead 
 poverty, but do not heed what he says ; and as he knows a fine 
 will get him clear, he will not be at the trouble of denying the 
 crime ; or should he do so, I can help you to evidence that shall 
 bring it home to him." The farmer thanked me repeatedly for 
 my consideration of him in giving this intelligence, and promised 
 to proceed against Hybatty, without comprising me by mentioning 
 my name. In a few days I heard of his apprehension, that the 
 
 ' * A court of juiymen, five or more in number. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 farmer had charged him with the crime, but that he stoutly denied 
 all knowledge of it. I immediately visited the farmer, had a 
 secret interview with him, and desired him to tax the prisoner 
 with the crime again, and to tell him he had flung the body into 
 the mota bowTie. The farmer was astonished how I could tell 
 him so much about it, and, I thought, almost regarded me as an 
 accomplice. I told him he should learn all as soon as the affair 
 was finally settled. Hybatty was then taxed with the crime again, 
 and told the place where he had concealed the body. Upon this, 
 and supposing the farmer knew everything, he confessed, and said 
 he was the farmer's humble servant (meaning he would pay any 
 fine the farmer might demand of him). I was not present, but 
 had an agent at the trial. The fine was fixed at a thousand 
 rupees, because, as the farmer afterwards informed me, there was 
 a better chance of getting five hundred clear, by an appearance 
 of lenity in remitting half of the original sum levied. 
 
 Hybatty, now completely in my toils, and little aware of his 
 poverty, immediately consented to pay the rupees. Being in 
 custody, he sent for his son, and on his arrival directed him 
 where to find the money. The son set off; and I was malicious 
 enough to wish I had again been in the peepal-tree, to witness 
 and enjoy his disappointment. In the meantime, Hybatty sat 
 smoking, confidently chewing his betel, and cracking his jokes. 
 The body of Tulsajee had just been fished up from the well or 
 mota bo^vrie, and was exhibiting to the populace, with the throat 
 cut, and a stab in the heart ; while, to enable the murderer to 
 secure the silver bangles with greater expedition, both hands had 
 been severed at the wrists. The culprit's son now approached, 
 with rueful face and heavy footsteps, to the place of his father's 
 durance. Being admitted, his tale was soon told ; for he had 
 not been a moment in the prison before a most dismal yell was 
 heard from its interior — a more piercing shriek than ever struck a 
 mortal ear before ! Sobs and groans succeeded, then supplica- 
 tions ; and when these were found of no avail, oaths and curses 
 were dealt out liberally against those who had defrauded him. 
 My name was on Hybatty's lips among the rest ; but little did he 
 think the plunderer of his property was so near him. The intel- 
 
FAADUKAXG HARI. 33 
 
 ligence of his inability to pay his fine was speedily carried to the 
 farmer, who before long made his appearance with a new roj)e 
 and t\vo dhcers,^ and in a few minutes Hybatty was a corpse. 1 
 then returned to my tent, reflecting as I went along on the events 
 which had just passed. "What have I done?" thought I. "I 
 have extorted money from an unhappy and injured man, under 
 the false pretence of obtaining redress for him. I have neglected 
 him, though I accepted his presents ; I have driven him to 
 desperation, made him a murderer, robbed him of his propert}', 
 and betrayed him to death !" I now thought, but in vain, to 
 ease my conscience by the consideration that my victim was 
 deserving of death, having been a murderer. But the truth that, 
 but for my neglect of him, he would not have stained his hands 
 with blood, ever came uppermost. I contrived, however, to con- 
 sole myself that I had acted in self-defence. Hybatty had sworn 
 to take my life; and I made that serve me as a justification. 
 Besides, a great religious festival was at hand ; and a dip in tlic 
 river, with the offering of a cocoa-nut to the god and a trifle 
 to the Brahmins, would purify me, and effectually remove my 
 uneasy sensations. 
 
 Scarcely was the foregoing happy conclusion drawn, when a 
 band of armed men surrounded me, and, without assigning a 
 reason, hurried me away to a place of confinement, in a tent well 
 guarded within and without. My terrified features must have 
 condemned me, for I in vain attempted to assume a look 
 of careless innocence, as I was not insensible of its value at 
 such a moment. The commotion of my mind betrayed itself in 
 my countenance. My tongue became parched, and fixed to the 
 roof of my mouth ; my eyes were cast down ; if I attempted to 
 speak, the faculty of language seemed to have deserted from my 
 command, and I imagined every one around must regard me 
 as a ^\Tetch, knowing (so fear led me to think) that my most 
 secret thoughts and actions lay unmasked before them. When 
 these feelings had subsided a little, I began to take breath, and 
 consider what charge could be proved against mc, and to hope I 
 
 ' Lovv-cosle men employed as public e.\eciUioners. 
 
34 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 should find no great difficulty in clearing myself. I determined 
 to explain the whole affair to the Ma,ha,raj. I was well aware, 
 however, that I must get over my first extortion from the unhappy 
 petitioner in the best way I could, by softening or conceaUng the 
 extent of it. The whole of the first night I was left, well 
 guarded, to my solitary feelings and to repentance. Early in 
 the morning I was awoke from disturbed rest by cries of Jzis, 
 Ms (clear the way), and ordered roughly to arise and appear 
 before the Ma,ha,raj, who was sitting in his tent surrounded by 
 all the tokens of Mahratta dignity. On my arrival before him, 
 what was my horror on seeing the son of the murdered Tulsajee 
 wringing his hands, beating his breast, and calling me at the same 
 time his father's murderer ! Opposite to him was Hybatty's son, 
 behaving in the same manner, and charging me with the murder 
 of his parent. I was overwhelmed with their accusations ; and 
 perceiving the carcoon with his papers and inkstand close by, I 
 begged him, for the love of Vishnu and Brahma, to inform me 
 what was the meaning of such accumulated charges. Instead of 
 a friendly reply from him, or even a recognition of his late deputy, 
 he gruffly commanded me to be silent, and most consequentially 
 passed by me. This was a dreadful blow to my hopes, and I fell 
 to the ground insensible. When I recovered, I found myself on 
 my own mat in my tent, guards being stationed without. I now 
 considered what was best to be done to avert the impending 
 storm. Could I not bribe the carcoon? This I thought a 
 happy expedient, and I would willingly have bestowed upon 
 him all Hybatty's treasure if he would but ensure my safety. 
 I then proceeded to examine the place where I had deposited 
 this treasure, — but what was my dismay when I found it gone ! 
 Bangles, pearls, money, ornaments — all had disappeared ! I 
 cursed my ill-luck, and laid myself do\vn once more to ruminate 
 on this fresh disaster. " What a piece of retribution ! " thought I. 
 " Little did I dream, when wishing I could witness the disap- 
 pointment of Hybatty's son at finding his treasure gone from 
 under the peepal-tree, that I should so soon experience the 
 horrors of the same situation." I recollected the yells and 
 shrieks and curses of Hybatty, and even imitated him, though 
 
PANDURANG BAR). 35 
 
 not quite as audibly. I groaned with internal anguish, and 
 \ented many a mental curse on my own avarice and folly. To 
 be accused of two murders, also, was more than I could get 
 over; I thought the guilt of one enough for any mortal, but the 
 double charge almost bent me to the earth. I still imagined 
 that, could I but get a hearing of the Ma,ha,raj and explain 
 matters, I might escape the load of ignominy heaped upon me. 
 But yet it was most probable I should be hanged without such an 
 opportunity being allowed me, and I should perish with every 
 imputation remaining upon my head. I had, however, no 
 remedy but patience, and I made up my mind at last to 
 await my fate calmly, be it whatever it might 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HE morning slowly broke ; and when the sun had arisen, 
 I was ordered to prepare for the eventful interview, 
 which I pictured full of horrors. I was again ushered 
 into the presence of my master. The Ma,ha,raj was smoking 
 his hookah. He fixed upon me his dark eye, flashing with anger, 
 and exclaimed, " Serpent as you are ! instead of protecting the 
 subjects of the world-conquering Holkar, you have stained your 
 hands in their blood ; you have committed outrageous crimes." 
 I replied, " This, my lord, I deny. I am no murderer." " Do you 
 dare deny being an accomplice in the murder of that boy's father?" 
 said he, pointing at Tulsajee's son. " I do, my lord," was my 
 reply again. " Think not to blind me by equivocation ; you 
 know the hand that inflicted the mortal wound — you were the 
 accomplice of the assassin," said the Ma,ha,raj, his eyes flashing 
 fire as he spoke ; " mock me not : were not the man's bangles 
 in your possession — buried under your own mat, in your o^^'n tent, 
 by your OAvn hand?" "This, my lord," I answered, "I do 
 not deny." " You knew they were the bangles of Tulsajee ?" "I 
 had good grounds for thinking they were, and that the poor man 
 was indeed murdered." " Then, wretch ! you were implicated. 
 Prepare yourself for the fate of your partner in blood, Hybatty." 
 I attempted to explain and show my innocence ; but the Ma,ha,- 
 raj interrupted me, waving his hand and crying, " The bangles, 
 the bangles ! off mth him !" All present — amongst whom were my 
 old friend the carcoon and the two sons of the dead men, cried 
 out, " Ay, ay ! the bangles, the bangles ! positive proof — all is 
 clear ! " I was now hurried away. At the door of the tent, the 
 
 3S 
 
PANDURANG hAr^. 37 
 
 carcoon asked the attendants if any d/iecrs or maun^^s ' were at 
 hand, in my hearing. Most fortunately for me, there were none, 
 or this scoundrel clerk would have soon had me pendant from 
 the next mango-tree. Once more alone, I gave myself up 
 for a lost man, seeing no chance of escape. Having gone to the 
 entrance of my tent to beg a little water, and ask permission to 
 perform my ablutions before I left this world, I was rudely thrust 
 back by my guards, but not before I had seen my late groom 
 mounted upon my pony, with my slipper-bearer behind him, both 
 in travelling order. They grinned impudently on seeing me, and 
 in tones that cut me to the soul with mortification, exclaimed, 
 " Ram, ram, Ma,ha,raj," at the same time spurring my pony, and 
 scampering off — the bystanders relishing the joke. " Well, if I 
 am to be hanged, the sooner the better, and then it matters not 
 who has my tattoo," said I to myself; but I could not help taking 
 a lesson from the conduct of these rascals, who, when I was in 
 power, were grovelling cleaners of the beast which they now 
 bestrode, and would have licked the dust off my feet ! This had 
 just happened when my inkstand-bearer made his appearance. 
 " What ! " said I, " are you not off also ? I expect I shall see you 
 march presently with my inkstand under your arm ! " " No, no," 
 he answered ; " we must use the inkstand better, and save your 
 life. Sit do\vn, and draw up a petition to Sawunt Rao immedi- 
 ately. Keep not a single thing from him, as you value your 
 life ; and if you are not really guilty, there is a chance of your 
 still coming off in a whole skin. The i\Ia,ha,raj would not have 
 noticed this affair at all ; but they who govern are desirous at this 
 moment of conciliating all ranks of the people, and of giving them 
 the semblance of protection." I thanked him, and inquired how 
 this too/an or storm had arisen. " Why, you must know," said 
 he, " the carcoon's boy is my friend, and I learned from him that 
 the carcoon has been a long time narrowly watching you, and that 
 he felt jealous of your influence. He also abused you for not 
 sharing several presents you obtained with him. Your absence 
 at the village for two successive days aroused Iiis suspicion that 
 
 Low-caste men, usually employed as executioners. 
 C 
 
38 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 you were making a han-est, and excluding him from the profits. 
 His suspicions were strengthened by seeing the farmer's hircarrahy 
 or messenger, bring a letter for you, which he unfortunately took 
 to the carcoon's tent instead of yours. The latter ordered his 
 horse, reached the farmer's house before you, and there gained 
 some valuable information ; for he returned before Hybatty was 
 hanged, and went alone to your tent. In a short time it was 
 rumoured that the murdered man's bangles had been found under 
 your mat." I inquired if any other articles were mentioned 
 to have been found there besides the bangles. He replied, none : 
 the carcoon had reported that the bangles only had been deposited 
 there. I now comprehended the motives of the carcoon. He 
 thought I should deny the fact of the bangles being there, and that 
 not a word of the treasure would proceed from my lips. Thus 
 ha\-ing got me out of the way by means of the dheers, he should 
 be able to keep undisturbed possession of treasure worth eighteen 
 hundred rupees, after he had restored rhe bangles to the son of 
 Tulsajee. I also saw clearly not a moment must be lost, and 
 instantly drawing up a petition to my late benefactor, I fonvarded 
 it by the faithful inkstand-bearer for presentation. In it I 
 entreated the Ma,ha,raj, if he doubted my statement, to question 
 Hybatty's son, and ask him if his father did not send him for 
 money to fee the farmer, and particularly as to the spot to which 
 he was sent, and it would be seen I had spoken the truth. I did 
 not fail to state that with the bangles were many other articles of 
 value, and I had reason to believe forty gold mohurs, in a small 
 narrow bag, had been plundered from Tulsajee, and that the car- 
 coon dare not deny my assertions. I represented that this man 
 had a design to ruin me in his estimation, and also to take my 
 life in order that he might enjoy the fruits of his plunder without 
 molestation. I solemnly assured the Ma,ha,raj that I was only 
 actuated by self-defence in depriving Hybatty of his ill-gotten 
 wealth ; and that, now he was no more, I had not the least 
 objection to the son of Tulsajee having possession of his father's 
 property. I concluded by referring the Ma,ha,raj to the farmer 
 of the district, who himself heard Hybatty confess the murder, 
 without implicating me or any other person as an accomplice. 
 
PANDURANG HARl 39 
 
 When I had despatched this important petition I felt more at 
 ease. The Ma,ha,raj read the paper, and instantly ordered the 
 carcoon to be seized and searched. He was too old a hand at 
 such matters to be found with the treasure upon his person ; 
 and nothing but the bangles were discovered. Tulsajee's son 
 deposed to several other articles which his father had about 
 him when murdered ; and this, together with the suspicious 
 circumstances of the carcoon going alone to my tent, induced 
 all the country round to place credit in my assertions, especially 
 as I consented to give up the treasure. I was now set at liberty ; 
 and immediately fell down on my face before the Ma,ha,raj, who 
 really showed pleasure that he was able to let me go free. He 
 severely lectured me for neglecting to bring Hybatty's case before 
 him originally, which, had I so done, would have saved blood- 
 shed to others and hazard to myself. The carcoon was ordered 
 to restore whatever articles the son of Tulsajee could recollect 
 his father to have had when he was murdered and plundered 
 by Hybatty. The son gave in an amazingly long list of things, 
 which I was well aware never formed part of the treasure I had 
 brought away. After Tulsajee's son had given in this list, the 
 son of Hybatty put in one still longer concerning aiticlcs buried 
 under the peepal-tree, which belonged to his family, independent 
 of what belonged to Tulsajee. Both these knaves had been 
 suborned against me by the carcoon ; and in consequence of his 
 promise of reward and restitution of the articles of value, had 
 consented to become complainants against me. They acted 
 their parts as mourners with true Mahratta hypocrisy on the first 
 day of my examination, as I have before sho\vTi. Now, when 
 the tables were turned, they were anxious to become my friends. 
 My evidence also was necessary to bear them out in their enu- 
 meration of the articles buried by Hybatty, which they sought to 
 recover of the carcoon. On their making out their claims one 
 said, "Was there not a nuth?" I nodded assent. "Was there 
 not a silver beetle-nut box?" said the other; and again I signified 
 in the affirmative. "And was there not a gold chundun harV'^ 
 
 * I-arge necklace. 
 
FANDURANG HARL 
 
 I responded, " Yes; worth, I should think, three hundred rupees." 
 The carcoon was all this while in a situation better to be imagined 
 than described. He found out that he had made a very uprofit- 
 able seizure in my tent, and at the rate we were going on we 
 must ruin him. I revelled in the anguish he felt at every nod I 
 gave. I knew his life's blood was not dearer than the treasure I 
 was drawing from him. His evident perturbation added to my 
 delight; and the thought of his endeavour to deprive me of 
 life for a few rupees prevented my having any mercy upon him. 
 As I nodded to every barefaced lie of his two tormentors, I felt 
 as if I partook a fresh draught of a cordial elixir that almost 
 made life perfect happiness. The list was at length swollen to 
 four thousand rupees instead of two thousand, the sum of which 
 the carcoon had possessed himself. He was ordered to make the 
 whole good to the last pice, and to be imprisoned until he had so 
 done. I was now dismissed from my sendee in a civil capacity, 
 and appointed clerk to 3,paiigah, or corps of five thousand men, 
 and so removed entirely from Sawunt Rao. This was very morti- 
 fying to my pride ; but I was, after all, well off to escape with my 
 life^ besides punishing my old friend the carcoon. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 HAD just entered upon my new semce, and presented 
 myself to the Sudar, Khundeo Rao Baboo Rao, when 
 despatches arrived with orders for us to march for 
 Indore, Holkar's capital. We set out as soon as was practicable 
 after the receipt of the order ; and here it may not be amiss if I 
 endeavour to delineate a Mahratta army the first time I saw it in 
 marching trim. A Mahratta army consists in general of horse 
 and foot of every neighbouring nation, religion, and costume. In 
 truth, it makes a very motley appearance, as it is under no 
 discipline, and destitute of a regular uniform. Few of the men 
 in the same line, either cavalry or infantr}-, have weapons of 
 a like form. Some are armed with sword and shield, others 
 with matchlocks or muskets ; some carry bows and arrows, others 
 spears, lances, or war-rockets. ]\Iany are expert with the battle- 
 axe ; but the sabre is indispensable to all. The men in armour, 
 of whom there are many .to make up the variety, cut a very 
 curious appearance. A helmet covers not only the head and 
 ears, but protects the shoulders. The body is cased in iron net- 
 work, or in a thick-quilted vest. They give the preference to 
 a straight two-edged sword before the curved one used by the 
 Persians and Arabs. They have no regular commanders, according 
 to the rule of seniority. The principal officers are called ////// w^//- 
 clars, some of whom command five thousand horse; others, with the 
 same title, but five hundred. Every rajah, prince, or leader 
 is responsible among the Mahrattas to the Peeshwa, or head of 
 the empire, for his general conduct. He pays tribute for his 
 district, and attends, when summoned, with his quota of men, 
 
 41 
 
42 PANDURANG IIARL 
 
 which is regulated by his wealth and the population. He is 
 supreme in command over his corps, which is attached alone 
 to him and to his fortunes, and adheres to whatever party he 
 supports. The Mahratta camps display a variety of standards 
 and ensigns. Each chief is distinguished by his own. Red 
 is the prevailing colour, cut in the shape of a swallow's tail, and 
 decorated with zicrrce puttah (gold and silver tissue). 
 
 After a fatiguing march we reached Indore, the capital of 
 Jeswunt Rao Holkar, whose subject and servant I then was. 
 Mulhar Rao Holkar, one of the commanders in the army of 
 the first Peeshwa, was instrumental in extending the conquests of 
 the Mahrattas to the northward ; and, according to the usual 
 policy of the Mahratta government, received a portion of territory 
 in the province of Malwa for the support of his troops. This 
 happened in 1736, and laid the foundation of the authority of 
 the Holkar family ; for as the oldest prince and family of the 
 primary government declined, that of the principal viceroys, 
 according to the usual custom, became independent. Mulhar 
 Rao Holkar died in^i766, and was succeeded by his nephew, 
 Tuccage Holkar. This prince governed until 1797, leaving four 
 sons, Cashee Rao, Nuilkar Rao, Eithogee Rao Holkar, and 
 Jeswunt Rao Holkar. The two first were alone born to him by 
 his wife. Cashee Rao succeed Tuccage as the eldest. A dispute 
 soon arose, however, between Cashee Rao and his brother 
 Nuilkar Rao, who claimed an equal share in the inheritance ; 
 and they both repaired to Poona for the purpose of settling their 
 dispute by the intervention of the Peeshwa. Dowlut Rao 
 Scindea at that time exercised a despotic authority over the 
 Peeshwa, and looked upon the opportunity as highly favourable 
 for adding the possessions of the Holkar family to his own. 
 Having made his terms with Cashee Rao, he surprised and 
 slaughtered Nuilkar Rao and nearly all his attendants at Poona 
 in 1797. The wife of Nuilkar being left in a state of pregnancy, 
 produced a son named Khundco Rao. Scindea obtained posses- 
 sion of the infant, retained Cashee Rao in a state of dependence, 
 and proposed to govern the Holkar dominions in his name. 
 The other brothers, Eithogee and Jeswunt Rao, who had attached 
 
PANDURANG HARL 43 
 
 themselves to Nuilkar Rao, were at Poona when the latter was 
 murdered. Eithogee fled to Kolapor, wliere he was taken in 
 open hostility, sent to Poona, and put to death. Jeswunt Rao 
 made his escape to Nagpore, and for some time found a shelter 
 there ; but the intrigues of Scindea at length prevailed, and the 
 rajah placed him in confinement, from which he contrived to 
 make his escape. He then fled to a place on the Nerbudda. 
 Scindea, at that time too deeply engaged in securing an ascend- 
 ancy at Poona, had not leisure to pursue the fugitive, and 
 probably deemed his resources too contemptible to excite serious 
 apprehension. This remissness gave Jeswunt Rao time to apply 
 the means, which are always at hand in India, for collecting 
 an army of adventurers by the prospect of plunder. It was not 
 until 1 80 1 that Scindea became alarmed in good earnest at the 
 progress of Jeswunt Rao, and began to collect an army on the 
 Nerbudda. In consequence of this determination on the part of 
 Scindea, we were ordered to proceed to Indore. 
 
 Our preparations were now complete, and we were confident of 
 success. For myself I would much rather have been allowed to 
 stick by pen and ink, than be forced to handle the sword and 
 shield; but all were required to do their best. Our cavalry was 
 a strange rabble, mounted on tall and short horses of every kind 
 and colour. Saddles were always slipping off for want of girths ; 
 strings, fastened to any old pieces of iron by way of bits, supplied 
 bridles; old turbans served for martingales, and tent-ropes for 
 cruppers. A most villanous medley of every clumsy shift under 
 the sun was seen on all hands. The infantry were just as 
 wretchedly accoutred as the cavalrj^; everything was wanting, 
 and nothing regular. Here voices might be heard roaring out 
 for ball, and there for muskets or arms. Those who were not 
 fortunate enough to procure any weapon at all, supplied the 
 deficiency by a bamboo-pole with a bit of iron at the toj), which 
 they dignified with the designation oi birc/iee, or spear. It came 
 to my lot to serve out to these ragamuftins the necessary 
 accoutrements : but they who gave the order to me to do so, 
 never calculated on the scantiness of the magazines; in con- 
 sequence I was complained against a hundred times a day for 
 
44 PANDURAKG HAr). 
 
 what it was not in my power, nor in that of my superiors, to 
 prevent. One said I would not give him a sword ; another that 
 I refused him a shield. This man said that " Pandurang " with- 
 held a spear from him ; and that asserted he could get neither 
 weapon nor answer from me. In vain did I explain again and 
 again that no more arms were left in the arsenal : I ended but 
 to begin the same excuse again, and was wearied to death 
 with my office. This was not the only inconvenience I had to 
 encounter ; I was in continual fear of being blown to pieces by 
 the rascals who had the care of the ammunition, and went 
 swaggering about, with their matchlocks lighted, amid piles of 
 loose gunpowder, of which they took no more notice than if they 
 had been heaps of sand or sawdust. As evening approached, I 
 fancied I should obtain a little rest, when an order came out for 
 me to pay the soldiers, in order to encourage them for the 
 approaching battle. This I found a most arduous task. I 
 had a list of their names, but it was so incorrect as to be 
 useless to me. The rogues took advantage of several of their 
 names being alike, and pressed upon me with such avidity that 
 I believe I paid some of them twice or thrice over. At the end 
 of the payment there was a deficiency of money, and I left many 
 unpaid. More complaints were then made against me, but it was 
 in vain I explained ; I was ordered to make good the deficiency. 
 This was just as possible for me to do as to raise a thunderstorm. 
 The vagabonds, who were unfortunate in not getting their money, 
 stuck to me like leeches, perfectly satisfied in their own minds 
 that I had pocketed their pay. I walked off as fast as I could ; 
 but they dogged me about everywhere, muttering their dissatis- 
 faction, and asking how they were to fight with empty bellies ? 
 One would fling away his cartouch-box, saying he wanted white 
 powder, and would have none of the black. At length I deter- 
 mined to look big, and swore, by all the deities in the Vedas, I 
 would have them blown from a mortar ; that they should await 
 my pleasure; and that, if one approached my tent after the 
 evening gun, they should see I would put my threat into effect. 
 A dead silence ensued among them ; but, every now and then, 
 one of them would tap his empty belly, and point to his mouth, 
 
PANDURANG ITARI 45 
 
 thus making their half-starved condition a plea for their boldness; 
 and I must allow their complaints were but too well founded, and 
 they were justified in their importunity. Pity was all I had to 
 give them ; and 1 cheered them with the hope of plunder on the 
 morrow, and the certainty of a glorious victor)'. At length I left 
 them as forlorn as they came. 
 
 Soon after the jummahdar sent for me, and inquired if there 
 were sufficient arms and accoutrements for the troops, or rather 
 for his own fifteen thousand men. " Is it possible there can be 
 any deficiency, my lord," I replied, " in this glorious country ? I 
 could have equipped ten times the number if it were necessar}-. 
 Never were men so well furnished with abundance of death- 
 inflicting weapons as those of your paugh." "That's well, 
 Pandoo," said he ; " we have everything complete, you see." 
 " Very true, my lord," I replied ; " the whole world cannot 
 exhibit such an arsenal as that of his Highness Jeswunt Rao 
 Holkar." "Have we not a noble arsenal?" "You have, 
 indeed, my lord," I replied. The jummahdar was much pleased 
 at my flattery, while I laughed all the time the conversation 
 lasted. On my taking leave, the jummahdar asked, in a low 
 voice, and with a very significant look, if the pay were plenti- 
 ful as the arms and ammunition. I told him every man had 
 rupees enough to stuff his pillow with, if he chose, and that they 
 were all in high spirits, eager for the hour of battle. He seemed 
 highly delighted, and bade me be early at his side the next day, 
 for Scindea might be hourly expected. It was now nine in the 
 evening, and dark ; not a soul of the half-starved unpaid soldiers 
 was near, and I began to flatter myself with a good night's rest. 
 I had just concluded my supper, when I heard an unusual bustle 
 outside my tent, and was struck by hearing voices in all direc- 
 tions, crying out, " Kjasoos, a jasoos /" (a spy, a spy). " Put irons 
 upon him immediately!" I exclaimed; and it was done. In the 
 meantime, I repaired to the jummahdar to inform him of the 
 discovery. He was half-asleep, and on hearing the puri)ort of 
 my visit at that hour, seemed angry at being disturbed for such a 
 trifle. I asked his pardon, desiring to know what should be 
 done with the spy. "Why, hang him instantly," he replied; 
 
46 PANDURANG hArL 
 
 and dropped again into his doze. This was full authority enough 
 for me. I went and issued the necessary orders, which were 
 immediately carried into effect, and then retired to my bed, 
 highly pleased at having so well completed my duty, and being 
 perfectly satisfied with my own conduct. 
 
 The eventful day at length dawned. I awoke early, and 
 opening my tent, looked abroad : all was dark and misty. I 
 went to call a servant, and proceeded groping my way to his 
 tent rather than seeing it. Between my tent and his was a 
 mango-tree ; and as I crept under its branches, I felt something 
 touch my face, which, on laying hold of it, I discovered to be 
 the body of the spy whom we had hanged on the preceding night. 
 Fortunate was it for me I escaped being seen to come in contact 
 with the corpse, for in that case I should have been deemed 
 contaminated, and have had to undergo several troublesome 
 purifications. I awoke my servant, and we talked of the spy, 
 not being able to guess who he was, as, in fact, no examination 
 of the unhappy ^vretch had been thought about. On leaving the 
 tent, I saw my faithful inkstand-bearer, who had by his advice 
 aided me in my difficulties respecting the murder of Tulsajee. 
 He made a significant signal to me, the cause of which I did not 
 understand. By this time there was light, and the sun was 
 just showing itself, so that it was easy to distinguish the features 
 of a human being. The inkstand-bearer approached me, and 
 asked if I knew whom I had ordered to be executed the even- 
 ing before. I observed that it was only a spy; and then it 
 occurred to me that I had taken no steps to discover whether 
 the man whom I had put to death were really a spy or not. 
 ''Do not be alarmed," said the inkstand-bearer; "we shall be all 
 busy enough to-day, and no one will be able to enquire whether 
 you have done right or wrong. I, for one, can answer, you have 
 cut short the career of a villain, who has but met the fate he 
 merited, a little earlier than he might othenvise." " Who can it 
 be ? " said I. By this time we were pretty close to the mango- 
 tree ; when my companion, without making a reply to my ques- 
 tion of who it could be, bade me look up and see if I did not 
 remember that long meagre face. "Good heaven !" I exclaimed 
 
PANDURAXG IIARI. 
 
 47 
 
 *' the carcoon — it is Govindah, my old enemy ! " There he hung, 
 as cadaverous and ghastly as in his life, if it were possible; and yet 
 I thought death had, on the whole, improved his personal appear- 
 ance. " How can this be ?'' I exclaimed; " pray explain, my good 
 fellow — tell me how it can have happened." I then hurried him 
 with me to my tent, where, being seated, he proceeded to inform me 
 that the carcoon had been closely guarded from the day he was 
 ordered to restore the property of Tulsajee, valued at four thousand 
 rupees ; that upon his arrival at Indore, his family came to him, 
 and advised him to pay the money and get out of confinement ; 
 but he persisted in declaring he had not a rupee in the world ; 
 in short, nothing except the two bangles. His uncle and family, 
 including his mother, made up the sum \\dth gi^eat difficulty, and 
 brought it to him. He promised to pay the amount, and 
 endeavour to recover his character. The greedy miser, how- 
 ever, reflecting upon the subject, deemed the four thousand 
 rupees a singular mark of divine favour towards him, thanked 
 his tutelar idol, and, securing the money about his person, con- 
 trived to give his guards the slip. He hoped to pass the camp 
 under favour of the evening, and to go none knew whither, not 
 even himself. He had not proceeded far before some of the 
 troops who got no pay that day, and were prowling about for 
 whatever they could lay their hands upon, surrounded and 
 robbed him of his booty, which was sufficiently ample to 
 compensate them for their loss of pay. The carcoon told them 
 he should complain of them to the jummahdar; and seeing him 
 go that way, they shouted out "A spy! a spy!" This artifice 
 succeeded, and they who had robbed him, gagged him instantly 
 in the dark, so that, I believe, he was suffocated before he was 
 hung. Thus the carcoon, my enemy, by a singular concatena- 
 tion of circumstances, suffered the very fate he was so ready in 
 awarding me. Independently of this, I could feel no pity for the 
 cold-blooded rascal, who accepted from his family a sum of money 
 it impoverished them to raise, in order to restore his character, and 
 then broke prison that he might decamp with it. The ingenuity 
 of the drunken soldiers to prevent the carcoon's making a com- 
 plaint amused me hignly. With my little regard for the subject of 
 
48 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 their trick, I must say that, on the whole, I was rather gratified 
 by it than otherwise. I therefore determined to pass the business 
 over in silence; and, lest the family of the unfortunate man 
 should hear of the circumstance, and make a stir at headquarters, 
 I deemed it prudent to have the body cut down and buried 
 without delay. 
 
 By this time it was all alive in the camp, which had been 
 a little space before so deathly still. As the day advanced, 
 clamour, turmoil, and preparation increased. The drums roared 
 on every hand the call to arms. The war-elephants, caparisoned 
 and ready, yelled with impatience, and towered loftily over all 
 other living objects. The neighing of horses, the clash of arms, 
 the buzz of impatient voices, the sounds of command, the march 
 of the irregular and confused masses to their stations, was a new 
 and impressive scene to my eyes, that now, for the first time, 
 witnessed the bustle and excitement of the moment previous to 
 battle. Soon the firing of guns, at first slow and irregular, then 
 more rapidl)^, convinced me the work of death had begun in 
 some quarter ; and it seemed speedily extending itself towards 
 the station of my troop, which I had joined well-mounted, and 
 with which I remained with a fluttering heart in awful suspense. 
 The current of battle now rolled close to me j and action soon 
 took away all reflection, for we had enough upon our hands. 
 Our men were all lean kine, and too scantily fed to be much 
 heavier than skeletons. Our horses were in little better con- 
 dition; and when Scindea's cavalry came down upon us, we 
 were knocked off on the ground before we could strike a blow. 
 In vain I tried to rally and remount my men. I succeeded in 
 prevailing upon a few only to rally ; the best part of them turned 
 tail and fled, without once looking behind. Thus the division to 
 which I was attached was speedily disposed of Our infantry 
 getting mixed with the cavalry that had been driven back by 
 Scindea, was taken by it for the infantry of that chief instead of 
 our own ; and the sabre began to cut away upon them as if they 
 were a field of joaiiee (standing corn). I laboured in vain to 
 rectify the mistake, and stay the carnage of our own men ; my 
 voice was lost in the scene of death and discord, the rush of 
 
PANDURANG HART, 49 
 
 rockets, and the groans of the dying. How long this scene 
 might have continued before it could have been put an end 
 to I cannot tell, if the attention of the cavalry had not been 
 drawn to something which, even in the heat of battle, was truly 
 appalling to the sight, and made them, even there, think of self-pre- 
 ser\'ation. A wounded elephant rushed in among them. Mad with 
 the pain of a ball he had just received, he rolled his unwieldy bulk 
 tlirough and over the slashed infantry, and among the terrified 
 horse. Beast and rider were overturned and crushed beneath 
 his tread, and all that lay in his path became victims to his fury. 
 This effectually put a stop to the havoc the cavalry had begun, as 
 the horses took fright and bore their riders off the scene of 
 action, leaving their own broken infantry to be trampled to death 
 by the enraged beast — at least that part of it which they had not 
 kindly mangled themselves. At this moment the cavalry of 
 Scindea charged our artillery, and captured it all, together with 
 our baggage. This was decisive. Jeswunt Rao Holkar saw his 
 world-conquering heroes disperse in every direction; and the 
 battle terminated in leaving Scindea no enemies in view, the 
 pursued soon leaving their conquerors far in the rear, the virtue 
 of leanness, which ser\-ed us so ill in the battle, being now of 
 singular service in making our escape. 
 
 In this my first battle I escaped unhurt ; but I was sorry to find 
 this was not the case with my old benefactor : he was not ex- 
 pected to survive the severe wounds he had received more than a 
 few hours ; and when we halted, which, finding our enemies pur- 
 sued us but a short distance, was not a long time after the battle, 
 I went to see him. He had received three musket-balls in the 
 shoulder and a sabre-cut in the neck, while a. spear had been 
 driven through his thigh. No one knew what to do, or how to 
 treat his wounds. He was perfectly cool and collected, recog- 
 nising me immediately, and pointing to a small box, which he 
 ordered to be opened. From this box he ordered a silver 
 kurdoorah^ to be taken. This, he said, had been found upon me 
 when I was rescued from among the bullocks. " You may some 
 
 ^ A chain for the waist. 
 
so PANDURANG IIARl 
 
 day find out by it, Pandoo," said he, " who are your parents." I 
 kissed his hand, and my tears flowed fast upon it ; I recollected 
 the protection this best of all the Mahrattas had afforded me in the 
 most helpless circumstances of life. His family arriving at that 
 moment, I withdrew with a heavy heart. The Brahmins prayed, 
 his relations uttered loud lamentations, and the doctors prescribed; 
 but Sawunt Rao died. 
 
 As soon as the grief of Sawunt Rao's relatives had somewhat 
 abated, I visited his wddow and her brother, to condole with 
 them; and before I quitted them, I begged they would take 
 charge of the kurdoorah left me by the deceased. They readily 
 promised me it should be preserved with the family valuables. 
 This was highly to my satisfaction; and living it to them, 7 
 respectfully bade them " farewell ! " 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 OLKAR, after his disaster, so quickly repaired the losses 
 he had sustained near Indore, that he found himself, 
 early in 1802, able to commence fresh operations. 
 He determined, however, to change the scene of action from 
 Malwa to Poona. Cashee, his brother, who had been allowed 
 to repair to Kandeish, had for some time shown symptoms of a 
 disposition to join in making war upon Scindea. In order to 
 preser\'e the dominions of the Holkar family, Jeswunt Rao 
 determined to liberate, if possible, the infant Kundeo Rao ; and 
 as Cashee Rao was, from natural imbecility, unable to govern, he 
 determined to proclaim the infant head of the family ; and, 
 accordingly, as his uncle, demanded possession of his person. 
 He likewise stated that he should himself take the administration 
 of the government, and should march upon Poona to obtain 
 justice of the Peeshwa, who had long been in a state of the most 
 abject subjection to Scindea. Before the middle of 1802, Holkar, 
 according to his threat, took the field with a well-disciplined force, 
 compared with that which had so lately been beaten by his 
 enemy. Soon after we commenced our march to the south. 
 
 Scindea was fully alive to the danger which threatened his 
 interests at Poona, and detached a large portion of his army, 
 under one of his most able generals, towards that place. This 
 force arrived in the vicinity of Poona in time to eflect a junction, 
 unmolested, with the troops of the Peeshwa. I took care, having 
 learned something from my past experience, that I would not 
 want money and ammunition again. Our army was indeed a 
 formidable one : our last defeat was a sad scene of confusion 
 
 51 
 
52 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 and disgrace, and we had to regain our credit. The day of my 
 second battle approached, and we were far more efficient than on 
 the first, and everything was in the best order. On this occasion 
 we commenced with a smart cannonade, which was continned for 
 three hours, until my jummahdar, with his cavalry, supported by 
 the rest of the sirdars, charged Scindea's line of infantry, and 
 putting them to the rout, obtained a decisive victory. We then 
 pushed on for Poona ; but, when only a few miles from its walls, 
 the Peeshwa sent to propose terms of accommodation, which 
 Holkar at once rejected: we had, therefore, another battle to 
 fight. We lost no time, and our cannon again roared over the 
 plains, to the Peeshwa's discomfiture. He fled from the field, 
 leaving in the hands of his minister certain engagements he wished 
 to effect with the English. Holkar followed, in hopes to get the 
 Peeshwa into his power ; but we were too slow in our motions to 
 cut him off. Our leader wished to get the Peeshwa, to make the 
 same use of him as Scindea had done. Holkar, the Peeshwa^s 
 minister, and the English at Poona, held consultations, and 
 endeavoured to bring about an accommodation between the 
 two parties, the particulars of which I could not learn. Holkar 
 and Scindea, however, again became friends, and united them- 
 selves with the Berar Rajah ; while, during these amicable 
 arrangements, the English escorted the Peeshwa back again 
 to Poona, and placed him upon the musnud once more. 
 This happened about seven months after our victory. The 
 object of Holkar, Scindea, and the Berar Rajah entering into 
 this confederacy, was to subvert the alliance formed between the 
 English and the Peeshwa. It was now evident we should have 
 to encounter the Topee Wallas^ who would give us more trouble, 
 according to report, than we had had yet, and in a way to which 
 we were unaccustomed. Scindea and Holkar being united, I 
 was put upon a new footing, and had the command of two 
 hundred cavalry, following Scindea's army in its march. At 
 Assaye we opposed a great English general. He attacked our 
 left wing, and we changed the position of our guns and infantry. 
 
 * Kni^lish troops. 
 
PAND URANG IIARI. - 53 
 
 The English advanced to the attack ; our fire was dreadfully 
 destructive to them, and we so thinned the right of their line 
 that a body of our cavalry was induced to charge it, of which 
 number I was one. We thought ourselves to be doing business 
 pretty satisfactorily, until we found that the enemy's cavalry was 
 in reserve to intercept us. They repulsed us with great slaughter. 
 Those English are large powerful men, and the weight of their 
 sabres almost annihilated my poor troopers. They unhorsed 
 numbers of us merely by riding against us. I was so ser\-ed for 
 one, and, with many others, feigned myself dead. Our army 
 being routed, fled, and the English pursuing them, left the guns 
 they had captured in their rear. These I proposed to turn upon 
 them ; we got up and did so with great effect. It was clear we 
 made our shot tell pretty well, for a body of the Topee Wallas, 
 with their general at their head, rode up to put a stop to the 
 firing. The general had his horse killed under him. At this 
 time our troops still hovered about one part of the English line. 
 At length we fled, leaving ninety-eight pieces of cannon and seven 
 standards in the hands of the English, with twelve hundred of 
 our men killed. 
 
 After this fatal defeat nothing prospered with us. Assyghur 
 and Burhampoor were taken, and everything seemed lost. 
 Scindea at last sent Goparrah, one of his officers, to the English, 
 and the latter selected me to accompany him. We proceeded 
 to the English army, and had a conference with the general, 
 who was dressed in a long red coat, covered with gold. ^lany of 
 his sirdars were equally well arrayed, and were attending him at 
 the time. This was the first time I had ever been so near a 
 white person. The general sat on a throne,* and we upon the 
 carpet, as usual. It struck me as most extraordinary to see them 
 wearing shoes and boots when walking on a carpet, just the same 
 as if they had been on the open plain. I saw one of the sirdars 
 filthy enough to spit in his handkerchief and then put it into his 
 pocket again, which nearly turned me sick. Goparrah felt full as 
 much disgust as I did at the sight. The general first demanded 
 
 * The natives so call a chair. 
 D 
 
54 PANDURANG HArI. 
 
 Cmr credentials, but we had none to produce ; and this made us 
 Hable to be turned out of the camp disgracefully ; but we were 
 suffered to remain until the time necessary for sending to our 
 master for them had elapsed. These documents were necessary 
 to verify our powers to treat ; and without them we ought not to 
 have been sent. In the interim Scindea despatched a letter, 
 stating that he had determined to forward another commission^ 
 and disavowing Goparrah and myself This was a most cruel 
 trick to play us, as we might have been justifiably hanged up as 
 impostors ; but the English commander was well aware of the 
 tricks of our sovereign, and believed our assertions, adding he 
 was fully convinced the master and not the servants were to 
 blame. He informed us of our dangerous situation and dis- 
 missed us. 
 
 More battles succeeded : that of Argaum was the next, where 
 we lost thirty-eight pieces of cannon, and finally scampered off, as- 
 at Assaye. I now thought fortune had for ever forsaken us. 
 Gevvilghur, a strong fort, was taken from us ; and I clearly saw 
 the English had every advantage, and nothing was left us of 
 which to boast. The rajah of Berar made a separate treaty with 
 the English, and we were left to sustain the conflict alone. 
 Scindea, at last, was obliged to make terms with his enemies : 
 he ceded Broach in Guzerat, Ahmednugur in the Deccan, and 
 other strong places, together with a vast extent of valuable terri- 
 tory. My old master, Holkar, though he engaged to join the 
 other chiefs, had hitherto abstained from active operations him- 
 self in the war against the English. I had become quite a 
 partizan of Scindea ; for Holkar had no objection to letting his 
 officers help Scindea's cause, though he himself deemed it 
 prudent to keep aloof He always pretended great friendship 
 for the English. He was, however, discovered by them; and 
 intelligence reaching them of his having murdered three persons 
 on a false accusation, they determined to take away his dominions 
 and give them to Scindea. The latter was of course delighted at 
 this prospect. I was, in the meantime, obliged to devote my 
 services to the defence of the fort of Deeg. The English are 
 perfect war-tigers ; they drove us out, and we fled to Bhurtpoor, 
 
PANDURANG IlARf, 55 
 
 leaving our cannon behind us. The loss of Doeg was a sad Mow- 
 to Holkar and the rajah of Bhurtpoor, who had joined us, and 
 still kept the city. This place was eight miles in extent, and sur- 
 rounded by a mud wall of great thickness and height. A broad 
 ditch filled ^vith water was at the foot of the wall, and the fort 
 was situated near the eastern extremity, mounted with a numerous 
 artiller)^ The whole force of Rungeed Sing was thrown into it, 
 while we were forced to entrench ourselves under the walls. The 
 English opened their batteries, and fired on the fort for two days. 
 At night we stockaded the breach effected during the day. At 
 length they advanced to the storm as if nothing could overcome 
 their perseverance. They crossed the water that lay between 
 them and the walls, and gained the foot of the breach, surmount- 
 ing every difficulty. Here they made many wonderful efforts 
 without success. Again and again they boldly but ineffectually 
 attempted to mount. We tumbled them back again, and made 
 dreadful havoc, which we rejoiced exceedingly to witness. Their 
 chief sirdar was killed in leading them on. Day after day, with 
 unabated perseverance, they attempted to gain their object, and 
 as often failed. Once they were very near it, for the colours of 
 one of their native regiments were planted within a short distance 
 of the summit of our walls. We repulsed them, however, with 
 terrible slaughter. On the following day they renewed the attack; 
 and we discharged grapeshot, logs of wood, and pots of com- 
 bustibles upon them, killing and knocking down all who 
 attempted to ascend. They were at last forced to retire; and 
 we, enjoying our victory, feasted ourselves day and night. But, 
 notwithstanding our brave defence, we were ultimately obliged to 
 come to terms with our foes, and peace was concluded between 
 Holkar, Scindea, and the English. We now returned to Indore, 
 where my services were no more wanted, and I was ordered to go 
 about my business ; but I was not singular in being treated thus, 
 and therefore could not complain. 
 
 I had now to consider what was to be done ; Sawunt Rao 
 no more, and not one being in the world \A\\\ whom I could 
 make interest to get a situation. My stock of cash hardly 
 amounted to a hundred rupees — a very small sum to begin the 
 
56 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 world with again. I parted Avith my sword, but retained my 
 kutiar or dagger, and muffling up my head in a white shawl, I 
 took my departure from Indore. About five miles from the city 
 I reached the hut of a Gossein,* but hesitated about going near 
 its miserable inhabitant. These scoundrels are the pest of the 
 neighbourhood where they reside. Their habit is the only thing 
 from which they can claim a semblance of virtue. They profess 
 poverty, but grasp at every good thing they can lay their hands 
 upon wherever they go. They are clothed in a ragged mantle, 
 and carry a long pole, and a mirchal, or peacock's tail. They 
 never leave off importuning every class and order of people they 
 see, and even threaten, if they find it will best answer their pur- 
 pose, in case their rapacious demands are not satisfied. I was 
 anxious to inquire my way to Poona, and reluctlantly tapped at 
 his wicket, calling, " O Baba, O Ma,ha,7'ajl" No one replied; 
 and opening the wicket, I discovered thick smoke issuing through 
 the roof and over the doonvay. I felt alarmed lest the hut should 
 be on fire ; and thinking that if I entered I might be of some 
 sei*vice in extinguishing the flames, I crawled in ; for so small was 
 the entrance, it even required dexterity to accomplish the getting 
 through it. I could not see nor breathe for the smoke, though I 
 could not discover any flame. At last I perceived a spark or two 
 of fire ; and on approaching to extinguish it, I stumbled over 
 something that seemed to be the body of a man, dead or alive. 
 I lost not a moment in putting out what fire was there, and 
 examining further, found a body, covered with ashes and dirt, 
 apparently lifeless. I dragged it into the open air to ascertain 
 the truth, and found it was a wretched Gossein, the probable 
 inhabitant of the hut. The air, assisted by a little water, restored 
 the body to animation. He opened his eyes, exclaiming " drry^ 
 d,7'ry f'' an exclamation of surprise, and then relapsed into insen- 
 sibility. More cold water flung in his withered face revived him; 
 and he asked " who it was that thus disturbed his slumbers ?" I 
 explained to him his danger, and that but for me he would have 
 been suffocated or burned to death. He made no other reply than 
 
 * A religious mendicant. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 57 
 
 a demand for alms. I dared not discover all my wealth, but gave 
 him a few pice, pleading my poverty for not bestowing more. I 
 saw he had been eating bang^ and this readily accounted for his 
 insensibility and heavy sleep. He made no inquiry as to the 
 safety of his habitation, nor once inquired if the fire had gone 
 out of itself. I demanded the road to Poona. He heeded 
 me not, but continued mumbling to himself as if counting money. 
 I repeated my questions ; and he answered by asking what 
 I wanted at Poona. He could not have put a more puzzling 
 query to me at that moment, as I could not tell my business 
 there myself. I spoke the truth, therefore, when I said, " I 
 do not know; I have been turned out of Holkar's ser\'ice, and 
 am searching my fortune elsewhere." He ruminated some time, 
 and then said, " Holkar is mad, Scindea is a fool, and Badjeroa, 
 the Peeshwa, is both foolish and mad at the same time. Cringe 
 no more to them or their underlings for bread. Have you not 
 Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector, and Siva the destroyer, 
 for masters — ay, better masters than they ? Throw aside all 
 your notions of pomp and parade, and take up your mirchal, 
 your pole, and your wallet, and follow me. If you must go 
 to Poona, I will accompany you : there are fools enough there, 
 and w^e may reap a pretty harvest." On saying this, he produced 
 those emblems of religious mendicity — the peacock's tail, the 
 pole, the w^allet, and leopard's skin to swing at my back. 
 
 I had often heard that these Gosseins realised great sums of 
 money, and thinking, in my destitute situation, it might lead to 
 some good, I determined to try the advice given me. My 
 religious friend now equipped me in the proper way, but first 
 stripped me, and in so doing discovered my hoard of rupees 
 tied tight around my waist. He made np remark whatever on 
 seeing them, but proceeded to grease me all over from head to 
 foot, and then covered me with ashes and dirt. My hair he tied 
 up on the crown of my head. Then I had the staff of my order 
 put into my hand, together with the peacock's tail ; the wallet 
 and skin were slung over my shoulders ; and thus arrayed. I 
 
 ' A preparation of opium. 
 
58 FANDURANG HARjT. 
 
 followed my preceptor to Poona, he being equipped in a ir.anner 
 similar to my own. I found on the road that my tutor's name 
 was Gabbage Gousla, and he appeared to be a character pretty 
 well known everywhere, each traveller we met calling out, " Ram, 
 Ra?n, Gabbage/^' upon which Gabbage always bellowed forth 
 some bitter complaint of hunger and poverty, and generally 
 cheated the credulous traveller of his rupees. He remarked to 
 me how callous the people were become, since the war, to his 
 warnings and invocations of Ram and Seeta ; " therefore," said 
 he, "we must cut ourselves, and let the blood flow plentifully ; 
 for it is considered as much as their lives are worth to be the 
 cause of spilling our blood." " True," said I ; "but I really hope 
 we shall not be obliged to have recourse to this severity." " Well, 
 let it be prepared at all events," said he ; " here is a very sharp 
 knife; you need only draw the edge across your arm and the 
 business is done." We entered Poona through a street of banyan 
 shops. " Here is a harvest for us ! " said Gabbage. We then 
 stationed ourselves opposite a shop where grain was selling, and 
 Gabbage began singing out pretty loud, " Ra7n, Budjunta Ram, 
 Sadjoo Budgelis Seeta Ram — Ram, Ram, Seeta Ram^ No 
 money coming, he repeated the same words again, adding, '^Rass, 
 Pandoo, rass I — cut, Pandoo — cut." I must own I did not relish 
 this business at all. It appeared I was to have all the pain, and 
 very little of the profit; so that, when he repeated the words, 
 " Cut, Pandoo — cut," I said, " Certainly, Ma,ha,raj," and gave him 
 a slice on the arm. He instantly set up a dreadful howl, scarcely 
 equalled by that of Hybatty when he found his treasure and life 
 lost together irrecoverably. The old villain charged me instantly 
 with attempting his ]ife. He told the people we had saved a few 
 rupees between us, which I carried about with me; that being 
 our joint property, I wished his death, that I might possess them 
 all myself. I was immediately surrounded, my rupees taken from 
 me, and I was carried before a great Brahmin, who was at the 
 head of the police of the city. There I was stigmatised as a 
 murderer, and had great difficulty in persuading them I was not 
 one. The sanctity of my profession, however, saved me from 
 condemnation or long imprisonment ; but I was ordered to quit 
 
PANDURANG HART. 59 
 
 Poona directly, which no incUnation of my o\vx\. was ^\'anting to 
 second, as quickly as I could get away. I had thus the comfort 
 of being parted from the old impostor Cabbage, and his pro- 
 fession, which was some consolation in my heavy misfortune ; 
 I had seen quite enough of both to disgust me. But though I 
 had the world all before me, I knew not where to go, naked and 
 destitute as I was. My first step was to wash myself from the 
 filth in which I was covered, and to clean my hair from tlie 
 matted dirt Cabbage had plastered upon it. For this purpose I 
 proceeded to a large tank near the road, and bathed myself 
 deliciousiy — never did water seem so grateful to me. Hunger 
 now was my next inconvenience, and I determined to combat it 
 as long as I could. But I was in no long time obliged to resign 
 the contest, and lie dovv-n under a tree to rest, — I felt so faint 
 from want. I had not lain long when I heard a jingling of bells, 
 by which I knew bullocks were approaching, and I determined 
 to supplicate their driver for a morsel to relieve my suffering. 
 He drew near, and on my telling him my state, he slowly unloosed 
 his wallet, sat down beside me, and shared between us his coarse 
 brovvn aps} He then asked me whither I was going. I told 
 him it was a matter of perfect indifference to myself; I cared not 
 where I went. On this he told me he was going to Bombay; 
 that he was employed by a shopkeeper of the Topee Wallas to 
 drive bullocks with goods to the Englishmen at Poona, and was 
 then returning ; that if I chose, I should go with him, and he 
 would advise me to look out for some employment at that place. 
 He also assured me that wages were good, and regularly paid. 
 
 I now considered within myself, and asked the driver what I 
 could do there, and what employ I could get. He told me I 
 might become a palankeen-bearer, and get seven and a half rupees 
 a month — a rate of wages not to be refused ; or I might labour 
 at the cotton-works, where I might get ten rupees in tlie same 
 time ; or at the wet-docks ; or be a gardener. I might else be 
 a peon, wear a badge, and have some little autliority in the 
 bazaar; or turn Sepoy in the Company's service. To the last 
 
 ' Coarse bread. 
 
6o PANDURANG HArI. 
 
 proposal I at once put a negative ; I had lately seen enough of 
 fighting. The driver said he had left me to my choice as to 
 employment ; and I repHed that if he could get me the situation 
 of peon, or messenger wearing a badge, I should prefer it. He 
 said he thought he could, but I must not expect to be a Govern- 
 ment peon at once, and I had better begin by serving his master, 
 the shopkeeper, first ; that I should have little to do, and it might 
 lead to promotion. I instantly agreed to the proposal. I had 
 a good chance of success ; for his wife's brother was chief packer 
 in the warehouse, and the chief packer was on good terms with 
 the head carpenter, and the latter was related to one of the under- 
 clerks, who was very intimate with the head-clerk, as the latter 
 was with the Topee Wallas, all of whose business he managed for 
 them, and such interest could not fail. I could scarcely suppress 
 a smile at the ladder by which the fellow designed I should 
 mount to a peonship. I told him it vmst succeed. He then 
 asked me what I would give him in that case. I told him half 
 my month's wages. " Say three months," he replied, " and I am 
 your man. My name is Nursoo, and you may put up at my 
 house. I have no place but the verandah or the cow-shed for 
 you to sleep in, but this you must not mind — do you agree ? " 
 I answered, "Certainly," reflecting on my miserable lot. We 
 then proceeded to Bombay, and I assisted him to drive his cattle 
 along the road. 
 
 In the course of our journey I inquired who this Company 
 was of whom we heard so much. There were the Company's 
 territor}^, the Company's Sepoys, and Company's hookimis or 
 orders, talked of wherever I went. He said that, according to 
 some accounts, he had heard the Company was an old English- 
 woman, aunt to the king of the Topee Wallas, and that she had 
 got so much money as might buy the whole world, were she not 
 over-anxious to have our country first. Then again he told me 
 that some of the Topee Wallas say " John Company," ^ and he 
 knew that John was a man's name, for his master was called John 
 Brice, but he could not say to a certainty whether " Company" 
 
 ' For joint company— a corruption. 
 
PANDURANG HARf. 6i 
 
 was a man or woman's name. Finding he could give me no 
 account on which I might rely, I asked no more questions on 
 the subject, as Nursoo seemed to possess but a scanty information 
 respecting it. 
 
 At last we arrived at Parvvell, where we left our bullocks and 
 took boat for Bombay. In a short time we saw the city and fort. 
 The vessels surprised me by their size ; they were indeed a fine 
 sight — such flags, and standards, and guns, and tall masts, and 
 white sails, as I had no idea of before. The fort struck me much 
 by its beauty ; but when I got inside it, I could not help express- 
 ing my astonishment at finding the large square filled with bales 
 of cotton. "Why don't they take them away?" I asked, with 
 some surprise, of my companion. Nursoo answered, " Remove 
 them, indeed ! they are the very heart and soul of the Topee 
 Wallas; they get their rupees by them — let them alone for 
 trading, my friend." I was going to say it was wrong not to 
 keep the fort clear for resisting an attack ; but I checked myself, 
 as it might not be prudent to show too much military knowledge. 
 At length we reached Nursoo's house. I spread my mat in the 
 verandah, and having eaten some rice-bread, soon fell asleep. 
 
 Whilst my friend was making interest for me with the packers, 
 carpenters, and clerks, I had abundant leisure to make my 
 observations upon the country and its inhabitants.' Bombay is 
 an island containing every description of human beings : Hin- 
 doos, Parsees, Musselmen, Jews, Turks, Armenians, Arabians, 
 Portuguese, and Englishmen. The Parsees were very numerous, 
 and very fine men ; ingenious and enteqDrising, but extravagant, 
 fraudulent, and the most abominable liars in India, or second 
 only to the Mahrattas. The English had a governor, whom I 
 saw, together with a general and judge, who wore dresses made 
 differently one from the other. The first a blue coat, cut with 
 two tails ; the second a red coat ; and the third a black, save when 
 on the seat of justice, and then he had a red loose gown like an 
 Arab, and covered his head with white ashes, which recalled my 
 friend Gabbage Gousla to my mind again. The shops abounded 
 in the most beautiful things in the world for sale. Many of these 
 were quite new to me, and I never had a knowledge of the use 
 
62 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 of them ; all was grand and beautiful in my eyes, the more when 
 It is considered that I had just emerged from amid tumult, strife, 
 and misery. I lounged at the barbers' shops, drank toddy with 
 the Mahrattas, talked with the Musselmen, and finally went home 
 to learn my fate from Nursoo, and whether a place could be 
 obtained for me. I found that, in a few days, I should have a 
 chance of succeeding ; and I borrowed eight rupees of him upon 
 interest, on the strength of my prospects. I agreed very well 
 with Nursoo and his family, the latter consisting of a boy and 
 two girls. I even blessed my good fortune that had conducted 
 me to a place of quiet and rest, such as I had never before 
 enjoyed. 
 
CHAPTER VI I. 
 
 |FTER a delay of a few days, Nursoo informed me 
 he had secured the situation I desired. I therefore 
 got in readiness to take upon myself the duties of my 
 new office, and accompanied him to the place where the goods of 
 my employer were kept. I had not been there long before I saw 
 the Topee Walla shopkeeper, who, to my surprise, was in a 
 constant bustle, angry with all around him, and talking in bad 
 Hindustanee to one, and in his o^^Tl language to another. His 
 face was quite pale, and he appeared much distressed by the 
 intense heat. I was introduced to his notice by the head-clerk, 
 M,hadaje Sinor, between whom and my new master some conver- 
 sation passed in English, the purport of which I did not compre- 
 hend. I was then invested with a red belt, having a brass plate 
 attached to it, on which some Topee Walla or English characters 
 were engraven. My business was to wait at the door, carry about 
 notes, and accompany the coolies from house to house with articles 
 from the shop. I had not been more than a year in this situation 
 when I became heartily sick of a service in which there was no 
 chance of profit beyond my wages, and vct}' little of promotion. 
 The Topee Walla seldom spoke to me, and when he did, it was 
 as if he were addressing a dog. It mattered not, however, as I 
 could never make out a syllable of his bad Hindustanee. I could 
 perceive by his manner, notwithstanding, that he thought me a 
 butt against which he might vent his anger with impunity. One 
 day, after he had been in one of his angry and insulting fits, I 
 began to consider how I should quit a service I detested, when 
 the clerk gave me a note to take to " the gentleman who lived in 
 a tent on the esplanade." I did as I was commanded. The 
 
 63 
 
64 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 Topee Walla Sahib read it, and his countenance changed with 
 anger, which, I could see, was about to fall upon me. I waited 
 patiently, till he furiously asked me how I dared stand at his tent 
 waiting an answer. He darted from his seat upon me like a 
 tiger would upon his prey, struck me with his fist on the side and 
 face, and finished by kicking me out of the tent. I was so sur- 
 prised, I could not strike him in return nor defend myself; but I 
 _returned to my master, and told him of the usage I had received. 
 He told me he would have the officer punished. My master did 
 so ; and I learned that the officer was fined a hundred rupees. 
 The note I bore him contained a bill, as I afterwards found, 
 which he could not then pay ; and instead of venting his rage 
 on the money-lender, he chose to do it upon the bearer of the 
 demand. I determined not to forget the usage I got from this 
 man. 
 
 In a short time my master was obliged to reduce his establish- 
 ment, and discharged me; but, at my request, obtained a place 
 for me as peon in a house of agency. Here I found one of 
 the best and kindest masters, and most generous and liberal men 
 
 I ever saw. His name was K n. He kept race-horses, 
 
 carriages, and dogs ; gave great dinner - parties, and seemed 
 to have everything money could command. I could not, how- 
 ever, make much profit here, nor did I feel I was made of conse- 
 quence enough in my own opinion. I was still unsatisfied; I 
 wished to get into a police-office, and become a government peon. 
 I at length made friends with the clerk in that office, and on the 
 
 first vacancy left Mr. K n, and took upon myself the badge 
 
 of my new place. Here I felt myself more at home. I could 
 hasten or retard the business of a complainant in proportion to 
 the rupees he put into my hand. Then, when in attendance to 
 superintend the punishment of the rattan, I could mitigate or 
 increase the pain, in the execution of the sentence, according 
 to the sum given me. At night, none were so zealous and atten- 
 tive as I was in apprehending rioters and thieves who could not 
 pay ; but those were sure to be let off who could. The Parsees 
 will find money to prevent any of their caste being disgraced. 
 When any of this tribe were implicated in a crime, I failed not to 
 
PANDURANG hArI 65 
 
 exact pretty high fees for their escape. By these means I laid 
 by a few hundred rupees, and hired a house and an old woman 
 to cook for me. I buried my money in an inner chamber, 
 where the old creature was not permitted to enter. 
 
 There were so many persons implicated in various irregularities, 
 that my master had plenty of business falling to his share in the 
 morning, and I had constant opportunities of bringing myself to 
 his notice. He thought all was going on excellently well in his 
 department, and I did not undeceive him, as I was certain the 
 state of things could not endure long. This consideration made 
 me the more exorbitant in my exactions. Month after month 
 passed away, and still all remained calm. I converted my cash 
 into gold bangles, necklaces, and silver rings, that I might be in 
 readiness to decamp with my wealth about my person, should a 
 storm arise. I even now applaud my caution; for in a short 
 time a storm did arise, though not in our office, and by a chain of 
 events it implicated us. The person at the head of the treasury 
 was in the habit of intrusting the keys of the money-chests to the 
 cliief clerk, named Shackje, and simply contented himself with 
 reckoning the balance remaining every Saturday. Shackjee was 
 too much of a Mahratta not to turn this confidence to account. 
 As soon as the treasurer was gone, having counted his money 
 previously, Shackje and others concerned admitted the mer- 
 chants and shroffs of the town, and let them take the Company's 
 money, paying interest for the use of it to Shackje & Co., under 
 promise of bringing money for an hour or two to replace what 
 was wanting on the following Saturday, when the treasurer counted 
 the cash again. Some person, who was dissatisfied with his share 
 of the plunder, informed the treasurer of these doings. The latter 
 kept the whole a secret, nor once allowed the clerks to guess he 
 was well acquainted with their proceedings. Saturday approached, 
 the money was counted, and found right, as the books showed it 
 ought to be ; and when it was locked up again, the treasurer took 
 away the keys saying that in future he should keep them him- 
 self. A thunderbolt striking Shackje could not have stunned him 
 more; he well knew the consequences. His master did not 
 appear to notice his confusion at all. In an hour or two the 
 
^6 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 unlucky clerk was surrounded by banians, soucars, and shroffs, as 
 numerous as flies settling upon a carcase. No money could be 
 had. In the bazaar, houses failed, shroffs and soucars stopped 
 payment, ruin appeared everywhere, and trade was stagnant : the 
 merchant-borrowers and money-lenders all were aghast. 
 
 The management of the Topee Walla treasurer, in securing tc 
 his employers all their money, was excellent; any other line of 
 conduct would have rendered the loss irrecoverable. No Ivlah- 
 ratta could have done better, or exceeded in ingenuity and 
 sagacity this English treasurer. Shackje was an intimate acquaint- 
 ance of Filchajee, the head-clerk in our police-office, and at this 
 time was frequently at his house. Both these specimens of 
 Mahratta virtue sent for me. They gave me a paper m}steri- 
 ously folded, desiring me to find out a Byraggcc or religious 
 mendicant, famous for his skill in magic, and deliver it to him. 
 I found him accordingly, but had previously thought proper to 
 read the communication. It enclosed a request that he would 
 bewitch the treasurer, and put him to death by a charm \ and if 
 common conjuration could not effect the object, the magic of the 
 sword was to be practised. If successful, they agreed to give him 
 two hundred rupees. The Byraggee was nearly in darkness when 
 I entered his cell. Giving him the letter, he went to a window to 
 read it ; and the light falling on his countenance discovered, to 
 my surprise, the old vagabond Gabbage Gousla. It was he whom 
 they had bribed to commit murder, and a better man could not 
 have been selected for such a purpose. I muffled myself up as 
 well as I could to prevent detection. He returned no written 
 answer, but desired I would tell my employers their business 
 should be done, but they must send the rupees. I left him and 
 reported his reply. They had a long consultation; at last the 
 rupees were produced, and I was despatched with the bag. I 
 thought it would be a sin not to pocket fifty of the two hundred^ 
 and trust to my ingenuity to deceive the old villain. Arrived at 
 his cell, I told him my masters had determined on sending him 
 only a hundred and fifty rupees, until the business was done. — 
 *' What business ? " said he, with a peculiar quickness. " How 
 should I know ? " I replied. " I only gave their words." " Well," 
 
 their 
 
PANDURANG HARl 67 
 
 he obscned, " it shan't be long ere I get the remainder." On 
 repairing to the office the following day, I found all in confusion. 
 Gabbage had been seized, and the papers found upon him. 
 Shackje was apprehended, but he stoutly denied all knowledge of 
 the matter. The police-master was assiduous in endeavouring to 
 find out the conspiracy. The treasurer, whose life was implicated 
 in the affair, was no less so. Gabbage was silent, and was re- 
 manded. On the following day the affair was pursued still further^ 
 The head of the police talked very lighdy on the subject, and 
 seemed to wish to impress on the public that he looked upon the 
 whole affair as a jest, or as a nonsensical Hindoo conjuration, 
 scarcely worth notice. Gabbage was again examined ; and, to 
 my dismay, stated that I had brought him the note, mentioning 
 my name, and thus implicating me. I now found he had 
 recognised me, when I little suspected it. I was immediately 
 seized, imprisoned, and left to my own reflections. The day of 
 trial arrived, and Shackje was brought before the court; but 
 when they came to the cell of Gabbage, he was not to be 
 found. The cunning old rascal had effected his escape, by what 
 mode could not be discovered. The Mahrattas attributed it to ' 
 his skill in magic ; and so prepossessed were they with this notion, 
 that not one of them w^ould attempt to hunt for him, believing it an 
 utter waste of labour. The place of trial was crowded ; Shackje, 
 Filchajee, Gumbiah, and myself, were charged with conspiracy to 
 murder the treasurer. The two first were found guilty, and 
 sentenced to imprisonment and to public whipping. Gumbiah 
 and myself, being considered as ignorant tools, were acquitted. 
 The police, however, had orders to ferry us across the water to 
 the Mahratta country ; and we were threatened with punishmen/ 
 if we ever showed ourselves in Bombay again. Previous to oui 
 sailing from Bombay, we heard that the police-master had been 
 committed to prison on the charge of receiving a bribe from 
 Shackje to screen him from the storm raised against him. How 
 this matter terminated I never learned. 
 
 Gumbiah, who was ordered to be sent away with me, was a peon 
 in the treasury office, and as well as Shackje was now ruined. We 
 looked very foolish when placed in the boat that was to convey us 
 
68 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 away. Nursoo, the bullock-driver, my old friend, was absent, 
 so I could not take leave of him. When we arrived at Panvell, 
 my companion and myself proceeded towards the Ghauts, intend- 
 ing to go to Poona, where I hoped I should not noAV be recog- 
 nised. I had about eight hundred rupees on my person, which 
 I concealed from the sight of Gumbiah, who made several 
 attempts to discover if I was as poor as himself. " I know," he 
 said, " you had money as well as all the peons in the police 
 office, who were reported to be rich !" I said in reply, "It was 
 true; but all were not as unfortunate as myself." He then 
 wanted to know what I had done with my money. I told him I 
 had buried it in my house, from which, being so suddenly 
 removed, I had not time to take it. He said I was very unlucky 
 to lose my money, and that whoever found it would be very for- 
 tunate. No further conversation took place respecting it. On 
 arriving at our halting-place we found a lodging, ate our rice, and 
 retired to rest, intending to proceed early the next morning on 
 our journey. On waking, I missed Gumbiah ; he was nowhere 
 to be found ; and I did not doubt he had retraced his steps to 
 Bombay for the purpose of trying to get at my buried treasure. 
 I enjoyed a hearty laugh at the fellow's avarice, and figured to 
 myself his disappointment, and the risk he incurred on entering 
 Bombay again. "Vishnu protect him," said I to myself, "though 
 he be gone on a fool's errand." I began to ascend the Ghauts, 
 and had already proceeded some distance, thinking how I should 
 dispose of my wealth to the best advantage, when I beheld a 
 body of horse approaching. Now, whether they were Pindarees or 
 regular native troops — friends or foes — I was equally sure of being 
 plundered. I had not a moment to spare, — to conceal my person 
 was impossible, and the concealment of my treasure was nearly as 
 difficult. I proceeded, however, to the foot of a mango-tree, and 
 there dug a hole and deposited my little all, keeping no ornament 
 but one silver ring on my person. I had good reason to applaud 
 my foresight ; for the horsemen were Pindarees, who, when they 
 came up, stripped me, searched me for plunder, and finding 
 nothing, ordered me to be their guide to a particular village. 
 <* Alas ! my poor treasure ! And must I leave it, and in sucli a 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 69 
 
 dangerous place, too, hardly earned as it was ? I shall be again 
 moneyless !" I was thus inwardly complaining, when the stroke 
 of a sabre on my shoulder stopped all further thoughts respecting 
 my lost treasure. 
 
 " Scoundrel," said the fellow as he struck me, " where are you 
 leading us ? By the holy cow, if you go wrong, I will make you 
 a head shorter !" I again pleaded my ignorance in vain, and we 
 pursued our way until we arrived near a fort. The Pindarees 
 declared I was playing the part of a traitor ; and some of them 
 proposed to hang me lest I should betray them to the English. 
 I swore no English were near, and that I detested them. They 
 renewed the cry, " Hang him ! hang him !" and I certainly was 
 never nearer execution before. We were now between two deep 
 ravines, and just turning a corner, when a hundred muskets were 
 opened upon us at once. V>o\\n\ dropped the Pindarees and 
 their horses ^v^th them ; there was no escape. Those who did 
 not fall on receiving the first volley galloped off, some from, and 
 others into, the jaws of the enemy. Among the latter I was 
 one, though fortunate enough to escape with a wound in my 
 shoulder, which gave me great pain. The enemies who thus 
 attacked us were the English garrisoning the fort ceded to them 
 by the Peeshwa. Spying us first from the battlements, they had 
 lain in ambush for us in the ravine. 
 
 I was taken care of and attended by a doctor, who extracted 
 the bullet and dressed my wound. The doctor's mild behaviour 
 and tolerable knowledge of the language induced me to explain 
 to him that I was no Pindaree, as he might observe, and had not 
 even a sword with me, nor any offensive weapon. He promised 
 to represent my case to the commander, and did so. I was sum- 
 moned to attend the officers of the garrison, when I told them 
 the truth as to my falling in with the Pindarees, and how rejoiced 
 I was at their being dispersed. The commandant promised to 
 let me go when my wound was healed, and, in the meanwhile, 
 sent me among his own servants. The family of the officer 
 in command consisted of himself, his wife (an English lady), and 
 one daughter, whom we called Jane Bebee. Her real name was 
 Juliana ; but Jane being more adapted to the pronunciation of 
 
 £ 
 
70 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 the Hindoo, we always knew her by that appellation. Her father 
 had a number of horses, among which I almost lived. I paid so 
 much attention to their department that he took a great liking to 
 me. Among his stud was a small pony of a jet-black colour, on 
 which the lovely Jane used to ride, but in a very strange manner, 
 having both her legs on one side of the horse. The poor animal 
 was accustomed to it, and so the young lady and pony agreed 
 perfectly well. I took great pleasure in cleaning or superintend- 
 ing the cleaning of this pony, or tattoo, as we call it, and gave 
 Miss Jane high satisfaction, which her beautiful eyes never failed 
 to display. Never were features more regular and beautiful than 
 hers ; I could gaze upon them from sunrise to sunset, and still 
 admire. Jane Bebee spoke Hindoostanee a little, and frequently 
 praised me for the care taken of her pony, or, as she called it, her 
 dear Mottee. At such times I would bow to the earth, lay my 
 hand on my heart, and say I was her slave. In short, so much 
 did I think about her, and so Httle of my buried gold, that when 
 I recovered of my wound I forgot to demand my liberty. I had 
 only recovered from one wound to receive another more severe. 
 " O Tane Bebee ! " I exclaimed to myself, " thy fetters bind me 
 here stronger than those of thy father !" Fool that I was to 
 cherish such notions — a poor Hindoo vagabond like me ! All 
 I could do was to curse my destiny, and admire in silence my 
 beautiful mistress. One day she had gone out of the fort to ride, 
 and remaining longer than usual, her family became alarmed at 
 her absence. I was despatched to find out the cause, when 
 (I never shall forget that moment) I met her at the gate of the 
 fort, bleeding and insensible, borne on a litter. The pony, her 
 favourite, had flung her off upon rocky ground. I was eager to 
 learn whether she was dangerously hurt. I found her arm was 
 broken, and she had received several bruises on the head. I ran 
 to the doctor, followed by a second messenger, crying, " Doctor, 
 doctor, Jane Bebee is no more !" and he proceeded to the assist- 
 ance of the lovely sufferer. Many days elapsed before she 
 recovered the effects of her accident ; but when she first made 
 her appearance, I eagerly embraced the opportunity of making 
 my salaam, which she acknowledged by a most gracious smile. 
 
PANDURANG HARl 71 
 
 At length, wearied and despairing from the hopeless contemplation 
 of an object that could not live for me, I deemed it best to 
 separate myself from the spot, and bury, if possible, all my 
 remembrance of her. 
 
 I now began to direct my thoughts to my buried treasure, and 
 was ruminating on the first step to be taken to obtain leave to 
 depart from the good commandant, when some of the sepoys, 
 with whom I had contracted an intimacy, informed me that they 
 were going to be relieved and marched back to Bombay. The 
 commandant and his family alone were to remain. The new 
 corps that came to take their place before they departed, I saw 
 march in ; and among the officers was the man who had treated 
 me so ill on presenting him a letter from my master on the 
 esplanade. I felt all my Mahratta spirit of revenge bum within 
 me at the sight ; and I determined to remain longer in the fort, 
 to enable me to carry my threat of vengeance into execution. 
 How I should accomplish it, I left to destiny. This officer 
 seldom noticed any of the native men ; and if he had con- 
 descended to cast his eyes upon me, I should have little feared 
 a recognition. I observed that he went very frequently to the 
 commandant's, and this made caution on my part doubly 
 necessary. I soon found that Jane Bebee was the star of 
 attraction there, and it quickly became rumoured that he had 
 demanded her in marriage of her father, who had declined 
 the proposed honour. I rejoiced at his disappointment, as it 
 saved me much trouble, for I had secretly determined she never 
 should be his. I knew not how I should have been able to 
 prevent it ; but to do so I was resolved, cost what it would. 
 I swore by the holy cow, that the lieutenant, of all other men, 
 should never wed her. Whether Jane felt much disappointment 
 I cannot tell ; I could not perceive that she did, or that her 
 health or spirits were at all affected by her father's decision. 
 The lieutenant's visits were now less frequent than usual ; one 
 day, however, he came and continued a long time, and on 
 leaving the house I observed him slip something, which I 
 doubted not was money, into the hand of the ayah, or ser\ing- 
 woman of Jane. Significant nods were exchanged, but not a 
 
12 PANDURANG ITARI. 
 
 word spoken ; and the officer went his way. " Well," thought I, 
 " good fortune attends me indeed. This must be looked into 
 narrowly. Now or never is my time for revenge." My first step 
 was to make friends with the ayah. For this purpose I purchased 
 some fresh betel-nut and pawn-leaf, which I folded into the shape 
 of a cane tipped with gold leaf. Thus furnished with the key of 
 intimacy, I soon found an opportunity of seeing her alone, and 
 Z)egan my attack by praising her beauty and presenting her with 
 the gold-tipped pawn-leaf This was to be plastered over with 
 fine chunam, and the preparing it conveniently rendered it 
 necessary for the ayah to squat herself down, which action was 
 the prelude to a confidential chat. I presented my silver 
 chunam-box, the contents of which she readily devoured when 
 she had spread them on the leaf I began by praising her 
 mistress, and touched upon the proposals she had received from 
 the officer, lamenting the father's refusal. "Ay, ay," said the 
 ayah, spitting out her pawn-juice, "lovers don't mind what fathers 
 say." " But in this," I said, " they must mind." " Not if I can 
 help it," said the ayah. " I would I could help also," said I, 
 hypocritically. "You can then," said she, " and be rewarded, too, 
 into the bargain." "You know I would do anything for Jane 
 Bebee." She replied, " I think I may trust you ; " and I swore by 
 the holy cow to keep her secret. She then commenced a relation 
 of the plans determined upon by the mistress, though first 
 suggested by the lieutenant and supported by the ayah. " You 
 know," said the ayah, " that the drawbridge on the north side of 
 the fort, when lowered, brings you to the sally-port ? " I nodded 
 assent. " Well, then, the sally-port being open, you enter the 
 commandant's garden." " True," said I ; "go on." " Into the 
 garden, you know, Jane Bebee's window looks. Now, if you can 
 get a ladder into the garden, the lieutenant will mount it, take 
 away his mistress, proceed to Seroor, and there marry her. Her 
 father will see the propriety of consenting when they have been 
 so long together, or at least of forgiving them when the marriage 
 is concluded." " Get me the key," I said, " and I am the man 
 you want. Success is certain : but when is the time fixed ? '* 
 " To-morrow night, at twelve o'clock," was the reply. " If we can 
 
PANDURANG HARI 73 
 
 get the keys of the drawbridge and sally-port, no other difficulty 
 remains." " If you succeed," said I, " when will you give them 
 to me ? " She replied, " At eight o'clock the next evening." 
 We then agreed I should meet the lieutenant at the stables at 
 eight o'clock, going there before gun-fire, and not approach the 
 fort again until twelve ; then suffer him to ascend the ladder, 
 await His descent, take away the ladder again and conceal it, 
 lock the sally-port, swim the ditch, and enter the fort early in the 
 morning. For this, three hundred rupees were to be mine. I 
 agreed to everything, and I left her. 
 
 I had now to consider how^ I might best take my revenge on 
 the officer. I did not wish to touch his life, but only to involve 
 him in some serious trouble for the insults and disgrace he had 
 inflicted upon me. After turning over the matter for some time, 
 it struck me at last that the best method would be to suffer the 
 lieutenant to mount the ladder, and then remove it ; lock the 
 sally-port, and, retiring, give the alarm of thieves : the com- 
 mandant must then, I imagined, discover the lieutenant in his 
 daughter's room. No better plan appearing practicable, I deter- 
 mined to enforce this. The evening came, the gun fired, and I 
 was at my post. The ayah came trembling with the keys, and I 
 set off before the gates were closed, the lieutenant following my 
 steps in silence. I proceeded to the spot w^here the ladder lay, 
 and we sat down opposite each other, the lieutenant every now 
 and then enquiring how time went. The first bell tolled t\velve. 
 Up we went, he helping me to carry the ladder. The drawbridge 
 was unlocked by the ayah from within, and the sally-port unclosed. 
 We then entered the garden, placed the ladder, and the lieutenant 
 mounted to the window. He had no sooner entered than I, 
 eager to accomplish my plans, began to lower the ladder, without 
 in my hurry reflecting upon its weight ; while bending under it 
 my foot slipped, and down it came with a loud crash, breaking a 
 lower window in its fall. Aware of my danger, I arose quickly, 
 but only to fall again, for the sentinel on the ramparts seeing me, 
 levelled his musket and shot me in the leg. The alarm was given 
 — blue lights burned — and I, nearly unable to move, knew that to 
 remain was certain death ; I therefore made shift to hobble off on 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 one leg, shutting and fastening the sally-port, and crossing the bridge 
 as expeditiously as I could. I had scarcely reached the other 
 side of the moat when I saw lights, both outside and inside the 
 walls of the fort. I heard hammering at the sally-port from within, 
 and voices calling in every direction. Alarm-guns were firing, and 
 everything seemed in confusion. My leg was in horrible pain ; 
 and creeping among the bushes, I at last found a hollow tree, into 
 which I got and hid myself, half dead with fear, and hardly 
 venturing to breathe. 
 
CHAPTER VII I. 
 
 [COUTS every hour passed my hiding-place, and I heard 
 them mention my name as being the only one absent 
 from the fort. At last a party of sepoys rested them- 
 
 selves close to the tree where I was concealed. "Here is a 
 pretty toofan ! " » said one of them. " Ay," said the other, " a 
 greater one took place in the Buna Sahib's house ! " " What was 
 that?" said the first speaker. "Why, the commandant rushed 
 through the house with his pistols, and firing was heard in his 
 daughter's room. The women screamed, the men scuffled, but 
 how the poor lieutenant got off I cannot tell." " Lieutenant ! " said 
 the first, "was he concerned?" "Why, yes, to be sure; he 
 wanted to carry off Jane Bebee : but her screams led her father 
 to suppose he was an unwelcome visitor ; and he must be shot, I 
 think, for I heard them call out for the doctor. A pretty toofan 
 indeed has been raised ! " 
 
 I was really concerned to find that the poor lieutenant had 
 come off so badly in his beloved's apartments. The sepoys were 
 soon hailed by their companions, and left the spot, to my great 
 joy. My wound now gave me exquisite pain, which was not- 
 withstanding hardly severe enough to quell the pangs of hunger. 
 All being quiet, I emerged from my hiding-place, and set off, 
 without knowing whither to direct my steps or how to travel, for 
 I could not v/alk without great difficulty. What witli hopping 
 and limping, I contrived to reach a brook, on the banks of which 
 
 * Storm, 
 75 
 
76 PANDURANG HArI 
 
 I rested and quenched my thirst, which was increased by my 
 wound. Though bound up in the best manner I was able, 
 it did not abate in the pain it gave me. I had not remained 
 there long, when I perceived a poor man driving some asses laden 
 with firewood and bricks. I asked him for something to eat, and 
 he produced his humble fare of bread, cold rice, and onions, 
 which seemed to me a most delicious repast. He told me he 
 was going to Poona, and seeing I was lame, offered me one of 
 his asses to help me on. The good-natured creature was anxious 
 to learn by what accident I was necessitated to walk in such 
 circumstances : but it may be supposed I was not very eager to 
 satisfy his curiosity, particularly as I had been residing with the 
 English; we therefore journeyed on in mutual silence. I found, 
 to my great joy, we were travelling on the road where I had 
 buried my treasure, and fallen in with the Pindarees. I was 
 sadly perplexed how to get rid of my companion, or how to 
 search for my treasure without his discovering me. I thought of 
 several plans to leave him for a short time, but of none that were 
 likely to be successful. At length we approached the spot; 
 and I begged the man to rest a little, as I felt much fatigued. 
 He acquiesced, and sat down under the tree on the very spot 
 where my treasure was concealed. I did not dare to satisfy my 
 curiosity by searching for it. At length the driver proposed we 
 should proceed. I begged him to do so, and I would follow and 
 try to overtake him. " No, no, my friend," replied the provok- 
 ing fellow, " I cannot allow you to be racing after me ; you could 
 not overtake me, and then would be obliged to remain all day 
 and night in the open air. If you are determined to rest another 
 hour, I will do so too." I thanked him for his kindness, but 
 heartily cursed his untoward conduct. His good-nature was most 
 ill-placed at that moment. We sat another hour, and my curi- 
 osity increased irresistibly to know whether my riches were safe. 
 The ass-driver insisted on helping me upon one of his beasts, and 
 I refused as civilly as I could, saying that I had determined to 
 retrace my steps whence I came. I then bade him adieu, with 
 many thanks for his kind assistance. " What ! " said he, " will 
 you return to the place where you were wounded, and rush into 
 
FAXDURANG ITArY. 
 
 the very jaws of destruction ? Impossible ! you must do no such 
 thing." 
 
 I assured him I should do so, upon which he offered to lend 
 me an ass, and to accompany me, saying he would drive the 
 laden beasts to a village about one coss distance, and accompany 
 me when he had secured them there. This was music to my 
 ears, and I immediately thanked him, acquiescing in the arrange- 
 ment. The moment he was out of sight I began to dig for my 
 wealth ; but had only turned up a few handfuls of earth when the 
 neighing of a horse struck my ears, and turning round, I saw a 
 company of sepoys, headed by an officer on horseback, approach- 
 ing slowly towards the tree. My fears told me no time was to be 
 lost, and with difficulty I clambered up among the boughs, which, 
 on account of its being the rainy season, were very thickly covered 
 with foliage. The party came close to the tree; and I discovered 
 that the men wore the same uniform as those in the fort whence I 
 had escaped. " I am very certain," said one, " I saw a fellow 
 near this tree." " So did I," said another. " It must have been 
 a ghost," said a third. " Let us wait and see him rise from the 
 earth," exclaimed a fourth. They were on the point of marching 
 away, when, to my terror, up came the ass-driver, inquiring of the 
 sepoys if they had seen a man near the tree, or n:;: hirn on the 
 road. They inquired what sort of man ; on which the ass-driver 
 described me ^\ath the most mortifying accuracy, not forgetting 
 the wound in my leg. The officer and men asked him a hundred 
 questions respecting the lame man, all of which he answered with 
 a strict adherence to truth. Surely, thought I, this fellow was 
 destined to be my ruin. The soldiers consulted together, and it 
 was resolved a party should remain there, in hopes of discovering 
 the fugitive. My feelings cannot be described Evening came, 
 and still they kept their post ; the ass-driver alone made his bow 
 and separated. I now execrated the officious fellow, whose 
 unaccountable perseverance in aiding me had drawn me into this 
 scrape. The sepoys were still sitting beneath the tree, when one 
 of them amused himself with digging up the earth with his 
 bayonet close to where my deposit lay. How my heart beat ! I 
 trembled and perspired at every pore. Digging deeper and 
 
rS PANDURANG HARL 
 
 deeper, the rascal at length hooked up a gold bangle. They quietly- 
 divided the spoil between them to the very last article, and could 
 hardly contain their joy. To see my treasure thus stolen before my 
 eyes was too much. But for the pertinacious ass-driver, I might 
 have found it safe as I left it. To think that there I lay skulking 
 up in the tree like a stupid owl, to witness such a scene, quite 
 overcame me. Losing all presence of mind, I vented my anguish 
 at the sight in a loud continuous groan. The sepoys started up 
 and cried, " J3,hooh, b^hooh! arry, ai-ryP' This cry of " a ghost "^ 
 reached the ears of the officer, who bid his men fire into the tree^ 
 and that would bring him down, if there ; but if in the ground he 
 must be left to himself The sound of the ramrods clanking in 
 the barrels of the muskets seemed my death-warrant. I cried 
 out instantly, "-Sahib, Sahib P' — Sir, sir! — "spare me!" On 
 this he laughed heartily, and said to his men, " I told you we 
 should soon bring down the ghost." I descended immediately, 
 and was surrounded by the sepoys, who, with loud exclamations 
 of surprise, pronounced me to be the very Pandoo who had given 
 them so much trouble at the fort. My arms were immediately 
 pinioned, and a file of men ordered to guard me with unceasing 
 vigilance. 
 
 I now bitterly repented my selfishness in not discovering my 
 treasure before the ass-driver. Had I done so, and given him a 
 ring or two, the rest would have been still my own. I now attri- 
 buted the fellow's care of me to his curiosity, or suspicion of 
 something at my wanting to get rid of him on that spot. He 
 might have easily judged I had something in view which I did 
 not wish a second person to witness. Had my avarice not pre- 
 vented my making him a confidant, everything would have been 
 well ; but it was now too late to derive any benefit from the dis- 
 covery, except as to the lesson it afforded me for the future. 
 
 I determined to explain to the officer my unfortunate condition, 
 and beg him to release me and restore me my money. I told 
 him I had been promised money by the Heutenant to aid him in 
 his plans of elopement with the commandant's daughter — that 
 the fear of my life on having been discovered in the garden of the 
 fort induced me to abscond, and that I had no other design or 
 
FANDURANG HArI. 79 
 
 designs in view ; finally, that I was an unfortunate man, who had 
 been taken by the Pindarees, and captured with them, and that 
 before meeting them I had buried my money under the tree. 
 The officer told me that he believed my story about the fort, as the 
 lieutenant and ayah told exactly the same ; but as to the money 
 and ornaments, I told a wilful lie. I solemnly asserted the truth 
 of what I said, and enumerated the articles which I saw thu 
 sepoys take away. " Point me out the two men," said the officer. 
 I told him I thought I could, and they vrere ordered before me 
 for the puq^ose ; but their similarity in dress and appearance so 
 perplexed me I could not succeed ; I looked at them, one and 
 one, without success. He then told me he had no orders to 
 detain me — that he and his party were going to Seroor for the 
 pay of the battalion — but that he must keep me till he 
 could write and obtain an answer from the fort how to act. As 
 to the tale of my money, he said it was too much like a Mahratta 
 lie to be believed, particularly as I could not recognise the men 
 who took it. Saying this, he ordered me away, and bade the 
 party proceed to Poona that night. I was hurried along well 
 guarded. 
 
 We reached Poona at the time fixed, and on passing over the 
 wooden bridge, I again saw my tormentor, the ass-driver, quietly 
 driving his animals into the town. " So," said he to the sepoys, 
 "you have caught him. Is he a thief, a traitor, or a murderer?" 
 " Neither," they replied, " only a jungle-fowl we caught at roost." 
 The ass-driver grinned, and cast a look at me, which said, " You 
 had much better have trusted me." I did not speak, but with 
 downcast eyes followed my guard in silence. In a day or two we 
 marched for Seroor, where ha\ing received the money for pay, 
 we returned again to Poona, and here the officer received instruc- 
 tions to release me. I in vain renewed my supplications respect- 
 ing my money ; they were disregarded, and I was turned adrift 
 in the vast city of Poona, with no means of existence and no 
 employment. 
 
 When I entered Poona the first time, in company with the villain 
 Gabbage Gousla, I passed through Ahmcdnugur, Seroor, Louee, 
 Corygaum, and Shikarpoor, a road barren and waste, having only 
 
<So PANDURANG hArL 
 
 a few wretched hamlets scattered over the extensive plams which 
 •we crossed in our route. Milk bushes or prickly pear surrounded 
 the hovels of poverty and wretchedness, that, erected of posts 
 and mud, afforded little or no protection against the heavy rains 
 of the monsoon. On entering Poona, therefore, after crossing 
 the river at the Sangam, or junction of the Moota and Moola 
 streams, the contrast was remarkable between the misery of the 
 former habitations and the splendour of the city. These my 
 adventure in the Gossein character allowed me no time to 
 observe, and now I had unfortunately too much leisure for the 
 purpose. Upon the hill to the left of the city I saw the ancient 
 temple of Parvati,^ encircled with trees, its summits glittering in 
 the rising sun. The deep solemn sound of the najarrahs from 
 among the recesses of the sacred enclosure, proclaimed that the 
 hour of worship had arrived, and I felt a strong desire to lay my 
 humble offering at the foot of the holy altar. Few people were 
 to be seen in the bazaar at that early hour, and I continued to 
 make my obsen^ations on the buildings around me. They were 
 far more magnificent than any in the part of India to which I had 
 been accustomed. Beyond the bazaar the houses were lofty, and 
 erected part of the way up the walls with stone and strong cement 
 to repel thieves, who easily effect an entrance into mud or plaster- 
 built dwellings. These houses were terraced ; but many close to 
 them, being tiled, gave the city a look of great irregularity. In 
 the central part I came to an immense reservoir of water, with an 
 ever-flowing fountain in the midst. To live in Poona, near it, 
 must, I thought, be happiness itself. The houses here were large, 
 but had a dull and heavy appearance when they were not white- 
 washed. They were constructed of a solid wood framework, 
 filled up with hewn stone, generally granite. The woodwork 
 was beautifully carved after various devices, together with the 
 ends of the beams. The windows were neatly closed with 
 nhutters to keep out the heat ; but nothing cheerful appeared to 
 be going forward within. A lazy Mahratta peon squatted at 
 most of the doors, and here and there a Brahminee woman was 
 
 * The wife of M,hadeo. 
 
PANDURANG HART. 81 
 
 ^ 
 
 employed dr}-ing clothes on the terraces. Some of the buildings 
 had not a single window next the street, but were b~jilt round a 
 small, square, and gloomy court, from whence all the light and 
 air entered. The doors were folding, low, and substantial, and 
 led to staircases so narrow that only one person could mount 
 them at a time. 
 
 In the centre of the city stood the palace of the Peeshwa, who 
 was named Bajee Rao Pundit Purdhaun Behauder. It was 
 fortified with regular bastions, curtains, and towers : bet^veen two 
 of the latter were enormous and massy gates. It seemed to me 
 as if the place must be impregnable to the most formidable enemy. 
 The palace itself I had not an opportunity of seeing, until a 
 curious concatenation of circumstances, which shall by-and-by 
 be unfolded to the reader, introduced me within its precincts. 
 On many of the walls around me were drawn figures of Gunputty,' 
 of elephants, and peacocks with tails of most enormous expansion. 
 In a short time the streets were peopled with Gosseins and 
 Fakirs ; women with copper vessels fetching water from the 
 reservoir ; Brahmins proceeding to the temples to perform their 
 sacred offices ; horsemen prancing about with well-trained animals ; 
 and porters and labourers carrying goods to market. The pave- 
 ment of the street being rough, the carriages or waggons, drawn 
 by bullocks with bells around their necks, must not be unnoticed ; 
 their noise almost deafened me ; but I had no place of refuge to 
 fly to from their distracting sounds. 
 
 Night arrived, the evening gun fired at ten o'clock, and I was 
 still a wanderer in the streets. I went on until, turning a comer, 
 I w^as laid hold of by two rough fellows, who ordered me to give 
 an account of myself. What I said was not deemed satisfactory, 
 and I was hurried to the Habeshee Kotwall, the Abyssinian 
 police-master. This man instantly demanded of me a b<mdred 
 rupees, as a fine for being in the streets after gun-firing. In vain 
 I pleaded ignorance of the laws. Finding I could not pay tb.at 
 
 » Gunputty, or Ganesa, a favourite idol of the Mahrattas. That captured by 
 the English from the Peeshwa in 1S19 was of solid gold, with diamonds for 
 eyes, and covered with jewels. It was valued at £^o,qqo. 
 
82 PANDURANG IIARl. 
 
 sum, he ordered me to be instantly flogged, and turned into the 
 suburbs. This cruel sentence was carried into effect, to my sur- 
 prise and indignation, and I secretly vowed revenge. 
 
 One day a circumstance occurred, which gave me a glorious 
 opportunity of wreaking my vengeance on him^ and providing for 
 myself at the same time. Disconsolate and miserable, I was 
 prowling about the suburbs, and had sat myself down on a stone 
 at the back of a solitary and mean-looking dwelling. The night 
 was dark, and everything still, when f.inc}ing I saw a light in the 
 house, I kept my eye on the window in which it had appeared. 
 It was now gone, and a strange bustle attracted my attention from 
 the interior. I heard a scream — a groan — and then all seemed 
 hushed again to the stillness of the grave. I determined to see 
 whether anything further arose out of this unaccountable dis- 
 turbance. The clock struck eleven, and I had heard nothing 
 ii-iore — twelve, and all w^as still silent. At length I observed the 
 shutters of the old window grate on their rusty hinges. I changed 
 my position, to be less in danger of observation, and kept 
 anxiously watching the motions of the inhabitants within. I dis- 
 tinctly heard a person say " Noko, noko^' or, " No, no ; don't, don't," 
 and voices of several persons mumbling in so low a tone as to 
 preclude my comprehending a single sentence. At length a heavy 
 substance was thrown out, and fell on the ground not many yards 
 from where I stood. It seemed to be a body — whether dead or 
 alive I could not tell. I thought that presently some one would 
 come out of the house to remove the victim, to do which a circuit 
 must be made. To be caught there, I was sure, would in such a 
 case be dangerous to me ; yet I was anxious to know if the body 
 were lifeless, and whether that of man or woman. I felt the 
 head, and the length and the quantity of hair convinced me it 
 was a woman's, and I fancied it breathed. All this was the affair 
 of a moment. Lifting up the body, I threw it across my shoulders, 
 and hastened to the river. There, by applying water to the 
 temples, and wetting the mouth and lips of the unfortunate crea- 
 ture, I found to a certainty that she breathed, and rejoiced greatly 
 at my success, I was again taking up my burden to get to some 
 place more secure, when I saw lights in the direction of the house 
 
PANDURANG HART. 
 
 I had just quitted. Not a moment must be lost. I boldly- 
 dashed into the river with the suffering female, and succeeded in 
 gaining the opposite bank in safety. There was a straw stack 
 near, and implements of husbandry. I conveyed the sufferer to 
 the further side, to secure the less chance of discovery from her 
 pursuers. I made the easiest bed I could for her with such 
 materials, laid her on it, and crept cautiously round to observe the 
 motions of the persons in search. 
 
 I now saw lights approach the river, and come down immedi- 
 ately to the bank opposite me. These lights, far from being of 
 service to those in pursuit, only ser\^ed to exhibit them to the 
 pursued. I plainly saw some of them were Gosseins, and more 
 than once fancied that one of them was the \vretch Cabbage 
 Gousla. " Surely earth never before bred such a fiend ! " thought 
 I ; " his life seems spent in deeds of crime the most atrocious ! " 
 They were now close on the opposite bank of the river, and I 
 could distinctly hear them speak. " She must be dead," said 
 Gabbage ; for it was he in truth. " If strangling did not destroy 
 her, the fall from the window must have done so," said a second 
 voice ; " and even if she plunged into the river, after being able to 
 reach it, she is dro«med." " But what must we tell Trimbuckje 
 Danglia ? " said Gabbage. " Why, tell him the deed is done ! " 
 " But if she appear again ? " " Why, then," said Gabbage, " woe 
 be to us ! But we stay too long here dallying : some one may dis- 
 cover us. Vishnu save us from Habeshee Kotsvall, the police- 
 master ! " They then moved off, and I sneaked back to my 
 charge, who seemed getting to herself rapidly. I dreaded the 
 approach of day, but did not deem it prudent to rest until I had 
 found some hut where I might deposit the woman whom fortune 
 had thus flung in my way. I proceeded to the first village, and 
 tapped at the door of a hut, when a voice within answered, ^^Koun 
 hue ? " Who is there ? I requested succour for a poor half- 
 murdered woman, assuring the speaker he should be rewarded if 
 he admitted her. The owner opened the door, and begged I 
 would not saddle him with my difficulties — that he had no money 
 to bribe his way at court should he be accused. I assured him 
 there was no danger, and he reluctantly consented to accompany 
 
84 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 me to the place where the unfortunate female lay. We lifted her 
 up, and conveyed her to the cottage, where he promised he would 
 take every care of her, and if possible keep it a profound secret 
 that he had such a charge under his care. I gave him a rupee, 
 not having more than five for myself, and promised him I would 
 return in the evening, directing him what to do for the female, 
 and to keep her on a soft bed, by which means she would recover 
 quicker. 
 
 I hastened back to the city, that I might be there before the 
 morning dawned. I reached it long before the shops were opened, 
 and sat down outside a grain-dealer's shop. He opened his 
 house soon after sunrise, and accosted me with " Holla, brother ! 
 what ! so early in the markets ! " " Indeed," I replied, " it is from 
 necessity ; not having eaten anything yesterday, I am famished, 
 and require a pylee^ of rice." He eyed me in a curious way, 
 measured out the rice, took my money, but said not a syllable. 
 I cooked my rice in a shed not far off, and then proceeded into 
 the heart of the city. On arriving at the palace, I perceived a 
 woman bathed in tears, beating her breast, and crying aloud for 
 justice. I inquired of the bystanders what she wanted, and why 
 she was so overwhelmed with grief. They replied " that she was 
 crying for justice, as her niece, there was good reason to think, 
 had been murdered ; she was at any rate carried off, and robbed 
 of her ornaments." It immediately strucjj^e that her niece was 
 the unhappy girl under my protection. '^1 considered it impolitic 
 to approach the old woman, but waited for more information as 
 to the particulars of the transaction. It appeared her cries had 
 reached the ear of the Peeshwa, who was informed of the cause. 
 Habeshee Kotwall was summoned to his presence, and while so 
 closeted I thought I would take the opportunity of asking some- 
 thing about this just and able superintendent of police at Poona. 
 Habeshee * Kotwall was so called from his birthplace and police 
 situation combined. He was bom an Abyssinian, and a most 
 
 * A Measure. 
 
 ' Abyssinians are called in India Habeshees. Habesh is the native name of 
 Abyssinia. Habeshee means a native of Habesh, or, for shortness, Habshea 
 
PANDURANG HArI <S5 
 
 ferocious villain he was in personal appearance. He had once 
 been a jummahdar in the army, where he had signalised himself 
 by brutal courage. At the termination of the war he was provided 
 for by having a civil situation given to him, and was reported to 
 be in great favour with the Peeshwa, over whom he had at one 
 time a great ascendancy. How far he would have gone in this 
 respect it is not easy to say, had he not been supplanted by a 
 still greater villain than himself, Trimbuckje Danglia, who, from 
 the meanest court office, pushed himself into the place of slipper- 
 bearer to the Peeshwa, which situation he held for ten years, and 
 then rose to be sword-bearer. From this time, he, being con- 
 stantly about the person of the imbecile Peeshwa, contrived to 
 supersede Habeshee Kotwall. Between these rivals the bitterest 
 hatred existed, though it was a hatred mixed with mutual fear. 
 \Vhen they met in the street, they eyed each other ^^^th deep 
 venom. One stood for ever in the other's way to preferment. 
 Insinuations were constantly poured into the Peeshwa's ear by 
 Trimbuckje against Habeshee, and in the reverse way by the 
 latter. But both being considered useful men, little attention was 
 paid to their mutual malice and its results. Habeshee was the 
 dread of the whole city ; a herd of wild beasts could not cause 
 it more terror. The woolly-headed Trimbuckje was little less 
 feared than Habeshee. The only difference was that the latter 
 carried on his nefarious practices at a distance, while the fonner 
 did his in the very eyes of the Peeshwa. Habeshee was an open 
 and avowed rogue : Trimbuckje was sly and designing ; a cool, 
 relentless murderer. He had been employed, as some said, in 
 that very capacity by the Peeshwa himself, who often found it 
 convenient to get troublesome subjects out of the way. 
 
 While Habeshee was closeted with the Peeshwa, the '•' aruuiry,'' 
 or suite of Trimbuckje, arrived at the palace. He himself was 
 informed ere he alighted from his horse that Habeshee was 
 closeted with the Peeshwa. His anger, as if not conspicuous 
 enough in his face, made his fingers tingle till they grasped his 
 sword-hilt. Had Habeshee been near, he could hardly have 
 escaped. I learned afterwards the cause of his anger on this 
 occasion. Proclamations were issued and rewards offered for the 
 discovery of a girl, named Sagoonah, who had mj'sterioush' 
 
S6 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 disappeared. The police and Habeshce were on the alert. I 
 could not fathom the reason why the Habeshee evinced such 
 extraordinary zeal on the occasion. I was also more at a loss to 
 account for Badjeroa, the Peeshwa, taking up the affair so 
 seriously as to interfere personally. But why did Trimbuckje 
 evince such anger on finding Habeshce with the Peeshwa? I 
 could only at last solve the doubt by recalling the words of 
 Gabbage the night of the intended murder; and I became 
 convinced that Trimbuckje was implicated in that black affair. 
 The Habeshee might be aware of his rival's guilt, and desirous of 
 bringing it home to him, and working his downfall. 
 
 It soon struck me that all my conjectures might be verified or 
 falsified by Sagoonah herself; and I proceeded to the village 
 where I had left her ; for Sagoonah, I had no doubt, it was that 
 I had rescued. She was still senseless ; and I removed from her 
 throat a small bead-necklace, the only ornament remaining upon 
 her, in order to relieve her throat, which bore the marks of the 
 fingers of those who had attempted to destroy her. Suspended 
 to the necklace was a copper box or talisman, in which a gold 
 rupee was probably deposited, or some other trifle, as is customar>^ 
 among Mahratta women. Of this necklace I took great care, as 
 likely to afford a cue to the elucidation of the affair. In the 
 evening the female recovered her speech, but not sufliciently to 
 relate her story. She was a most beautiful girl, and I became 
 much interested in her restoration. 
 
 I now went again to the city, and found that Habeshee had 
 gathered together, from all quarters, magicians, conjurors, and 
 astrologers, offering high rewards, in the name of the Peeshwa, to 
 any one who should discover the murderers of Sagoonah. The 
 idea of personating a magician instantly struck me ; but, first, it 
 was necessary to know a little more myself before I could pretend 
 to give information to others ; and, secondly, to choose what 
 party I should serve — the Habeshee or Trimbuckje ; so that I 
 might turn my art to the best advantage. I also became more 
 anxious for Sagoonah's recovery, and returned to her immediately; 
 I found her better, and able to speak. Her first inquiry was how 
 she came to the cottage. I explained every minute particular to 
 her, and impressed upon her mmd the danger of appearing in 
 
PANDURANG HARl. .^7 
 
 Poona, and that her enemies would now, more than ever, seek 
 to destroy her. She was convinced by my reasoning ; and I 
 begged her to inform me how she got into the hands of the 
 villains from whom I rescued her. 
 
 She sat up, and began, as well as her strength would permit, to 
 state as follows : — " jMy name is Sagoonah. ]\Iy father was a 
 merchant, who failed, and shortly after died. My mother followed 
 him as a suttee,'^ from which nothing could deter her ; she died on 
 the funeral pile. I had been betrothed several years before my 
 parents died ; but the boy who was to have been my husband left 
 Poona with his father, and was never again heard of. I was, 
 therefore, excluded from entering into any new alliance; and 
 have lived ever since with my aunt, my father's sister, in a retired 
 part of the city, near the Motee Baugh or Park Garden, where 
 there is a pleasure-house belonging to the Peeshwa. One day 
 Badjerao came to the garden ; and I, being anxious to see the 
 royal cavalcade, exposed myself at the window, not thinking the 
 misery I entailed upon myself by so doing. As the Peeshwa 
 returned he looked up at the window, where I was again posted 
 to see him return. Evening arrived. I had thought no more of 
 the Peeshwa and his elephants. My aunt was unfortunately 
 absent, having gone to a village at some distance to remain two 
 days. While I sat alone, a man, muffled up, entered the house ; 
 and, after flattering me, declared he came from the Peeshwa, who, 
 having seen me, had become enamoured of my person, and was 
 anxious to place me in his harem. I refused the honour, and 
 said I would rather die than consent to it. He then left me, saying 
 I should soon hear more. The following morning Trimbuckje 
 Danglia came. I was aware of the purport of his visit, and knew 
 he was the pander for his master, so I covered my face with my 
 shawl. He began proclaiming his master's liberality, the number 
 of ornaments his women wore, and which he had bestowed upon 
 them. I refused the offer sternly, as before, and in my earnest- 
 ness let fall the covering from my face. Trimbuckje gazed a 
 moment in silence at me, and then audaciously made the same 
 kind of proposal for himself. He offered to convey me to his 
 village in Kandeish, and to deceive the Peeshwa by a report of 
 
SS PANDURANG hArI I 
 
 my flight from Poona. I replied scornfully, ' The Peeshwa shall 
 know this before sunset ; I will expose you to his resentment. 
 Leave me !' He went away, muttering curses. I determined to 
 inform the Peeshwa of his conduct ; and in the evening was pro- 
 ceeding to the palace for the purpose, when a boy overtook me, 
 and inquired if my name was Sagoonah. I told him yes ; and he 
 then said, ' You must come with me ; your aunt is dying in a 
 house in the suburbs, and has sent me for you.' This scheme 
 answered too well. I followed him to the dwelling whence you 
 took me, and was surrounded instantly by four Gosseins, who 
 attempted to strangle me, having robbed me of all my ornaments, 
 and then threw me out of the \vindow ; the rest of my story you 
 know. I have not a doubt but the Gosseins were agents of 
 Trimbuckje, who wished to prevent my informing his master of 
 his conduct." 
 
 In return, I told her I thought she was mistaken ; for I had 
 motives for not agreeing in her too correct opinion. It was 
 dangerous for me to let any one know of what I was informed; 
 and, next, I had not determined whether Habeshee or Trim- 
 buckje should be the victim of my magical skill. I had settled 
 in my own mind to enter the service of the survivor ; and I had 
 therefore to consider who was likely to remain longest in power. 
 The inhabitants of Poona, I well knew, only waited for an 
 opportunity to ruin Habeshee. If, then, I could make it appear 
 he was directly or indirectly concerned in the murder of Sagoonah, 
 that crime, and the other complaints that would pour in upon him, 
 must effectually crush him. To ruin him, I must have access to 
 Trimbuckje, and secure half the reward offered, and a promise of 
 being retained in his service. The disguise I should put on to 
 act the magician would, when removed, prevent any recognition 
 of my person. Before I proceeded in my plan, I thought of 
 Sagoonah, with whom I was deeply enamoured, and determined, 
 if possible, to sue for her hand. "But will she consent," 
 thought I, "if I am in the service of the villain Trim- 
 buckje?" These considerations induced me to shake her 
 opinion that he was her persecutor, and to fix it upon Habeshee, 
 who had inveigled her to the house that he might rob her of 
 her ornaments. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 NOW entered Poona again, and proceeded to Trim- 
 buckje's residence, begging a conference with the 
 owner, as having something important to communi- 
 cate. I was desired to wait in the verandah. At length I was 
 informed Trimbuckje would see me, but that I must submit to be 
 disarmed. I readily assented, and gave up my dagger. I then 
 followed a servant up and down several very narrow staircases, 
 one after another, until I came to a door half open ; and saw 
 Trimbuckje sitting cross-legged on the floor, with papers before 
 him, and a large figure of Gunputty, with the elephant's trunk, 
 fastened to the wall over his head. His hookah stood beside 
 him, and he wore a sort of skull-cap, with a muslin coat and 
 short breeches. His two-edged sword lay near him, and before 
 him an unsheathed dagger. I bowed to this " prince of dark- 
 ness," whose complexion was of the colour of his heart. He 
 desired the servant to withdraw, and told me to shut the door and 
 sit do^vn. Having obeyed, he began by sa}ing he supposed that, 
 having pushed my interest with Habeshee Kotwall and foiled, I 
 was come to solicit his assistance to aid me at court. I replied, 
 " No, my lord ; I am come to make proposals for crushing this 
 Habeshee so effectually that no one will ever apply again for his 
 interest there." Trimbuckje's eyes brightened as he looked me 
 full in the face, and doubtingly inquired if I could really accom- 
 pHsh what I proposed ? I told him I could, and he desired me 
 to name my terms. I told him four thousand rupees were offered 
 to bring home the murder of Sagoonah to the guilty party ; and I 
 
90 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 ought to have double if I bring the charge home to a man 
 innocent of it. " Innocent ! " said he ; " is not Habeshee guilty 
 of the crime ? " "I know he is not," I answered, looking him 
 full in the face at the time ; " and I know who is." Trimbuckje 
 cast do^vn his eyes, and could not face me, but seemed inclined 
 to anger. I bade him be calm ; I did not intend to betray him ; 
 but I whispered in his ear " Gabbage Gousla Gossein;" from 
 which he was convinced I knew more than I ought. " Well,*' 
 said he, " you require four thousand rupees if you fix the charge 
 on Habeshee?" I replied that I did, and a promise that he 
 would provide for me about his person or in his village. I then 
 represented how impossible it would be for him to deceive me ; 
 when, to show he was in earnest, he opened a chest and took out 
 a thousand rupees, which he gave me in part payment of the 
 reward. He next asked me how I proposed to act. I told him, 
 in the disguise of a magician ; that I should get introduced to the 
 Kotwall ; and if, by such means, I should establish my accusa- 
 tion, I intended to be allowed to pronounce the result of my 
 conjuration before the Peeshwa himself I did not fail to urge 
 that, before commencing operations, as many petitions must be 
 obtained as possible by him, Trimbuckje, from the inhabitants, 
 complaining of Habeshee's conduct; so that, together with my 
 accusation, his disgrace and punishment must be certain. I also 
 bid him mind, that when the Peeshwa gave orders to search 
 Habeshee's house, a durbar, or police-officer, should have men 
 in waiting, and a confidential person be employed to search the 
 Kotwall's gardee or pillow, where he sits in his durbar, and bring 
 to the Peeshwa's presence whatever may be found there ; and that 
 no other proof would be necessary; for, though not actually 
 guilty of the crime imputed to him, he had been guilty of a 
 thousand equally bad, and the public good required that he should 
 no longer oppress the city. Trimbuckje was highly pleased with 
 my cunning stratagem, and promised to fulfil all my instructions, 
 I took care to carry away the rupees given me, and to take 
 and lodge them in the cottage to which I had conveyed the 
 lovely Sagoonah. 
 
 I must confess I felt some hesitation at first, and feared I was 
 
I 
 
 PANDURANG HARI. 91 
 
 going rather too far in fixing on Habcsbee the horrible crime 
 of murder : but I reflected on the infamy of his character, his 
 universal conduct, and his cruel usage of me, who had com- 
 mitted no crime : this removed every compunction from my 
 mind respecting him. Taking, therefore, the necklace of 
 Sagoonah with me, I proceeded to Poona early the following 
 morning, having previously provided myself with a magician's 
 dress. I put it on in a field, that the owner of the cottage might 
 not witness my metamorphosis. It consisted of a long white 
 coat of muslin, hanging do\vn to my heels, and gathered in at 
 the waist, so that the upper part appeared like an abundance of 
 petticoats, and, being new, rustled as I went along. On my head 
 was a high stiff red cap, with snakes painted all over it. A red 
 shawl, in the shape of a belt, was tied with a high knot on ray 
 left side. A long Persian kuttar was stuck in my belt, and a 
 brass chain around my middle. I wore high-heeled shoes, and 
 had a bell in my hand to imitate the Jungum priests. 
 
 Thus accoutred, I entered Poona, and sat down at a barber's 
 shop, as if fatigued with long travel. The people that came in 
 stared at me : as they well might, for I must have cut a most 
 singular appearance. The barber asked me if I wished to be 
 shaved. I replied, " Magicians, my friend, must nominate the 
 day of shaving, not the barbers. If you would take my advice, 
 my friends, do not allow a hair to be removed from your heads 
 to-day." Saying this, I rang my bell, and cried out, " Arry^ 
 arry, kuhca tcgasta leta tula set buradia chugnhiim set f/iraiv 
 agtihu?n;" words in which there is no meaning at all. " Pray 
 sir," said the barber, "is that Sanscrit, or what language?" 
 " May be it is /adoo"^ I replied, in a solemn j^d deep voice. 
 The poor barber's customers took the alarnv so superstitious 
 were they all, and glided out of the shop, one by one, leaving 
 myself and the barber there alone. The poor fellow did not 
 much thank me for depriving him of his customers, and begged 
 me to leave his shop, or he should be ruined; adding, " If you 
 are a magician, there is plenty of work for you at the Kotwall's 
 
 ' Marie. 
 
92 FANDURANG hArI. 
 
 chowry^ in the market-place." " Fellow," I replied, " let those 
 who want me seek me." " Arry^ arry" said the barber, " I did 
 not seek you, and why did you come to my shop ?" " Dolt !" 
 I answered ; " do you think I came hither from choice — that 
 chance led me ? No ; it is written in the great Fudiibmishtah 
 VcebeesJmnah, long ere you or I were born, that we this day 
 should meet. Your face was described in those mystic pages 
 as accurately as if a skilful painter had drawn your features, and 
 doubtless destiny ordained this day for our meeting, that I might 
 prevent the havoc you would othenvise have made on the chins 
 and heads of misguided men. Shave but another man, and you 
 will surely die." The terrified njiae, or barber, put up his razors 
 and quitted the house, leaving me sitting and mumbling nonsense 
 in the middle of the room. Thousands of people came in all 
 directions to look at me. Even Brahmins were confounded. 
 At last I heard a cry of " Make way ! " and the barber entered, 
 bringing with him a jummahdar of police. I felt alarmed, fearing 
 my schemes would get me another flogging, instead of heaping 
 riches and honours upon me. The jummahdar, however, to my 
 great joy, made me a profound bow, and begged me to accom- 
 pany him to his master's office, he having heard of my arrival, 
 and having a matter of great difficulty in his hands, which 
 required my skill to explain. " Friend," I replied, " let thy 
 master come himself; I rise for no hireling." Away went the 
 jummahdar, and soon returned with Habeshee Kotwall himself 
 in a splendid palanquin, with trumpeters, sword-bearers, and 
 chobdars^ running before him. The air resounded with the 
 vociferations of " Make way for the eater of mountains and the 
 swallower of rivers — the mighty and merciful Habeshee Kotwall, 
 Buchardar ! " I could scarcely refrain from laughing at the last 
 epithet bestowed on the most merciless of vagabonds. In came 
 the most merciful, when, in a moment, awestruck at my appear- 
 ance, he bent down to the earth, and begged me to exert my 
 skill in the divine art of magic in an affair of great importance. 
 I informed him the day was not propitious — but in vain; he 
 
 * Police-office. 2 Bearers of silvei- sticks. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 93 
 
 implored me to come to his house or to the chowry. " To the 
 latter, if you please," said I. " I cannot go to your house ; you 
 are an Abyssinian." A palkee^ was got ready, and I was placed 
 in it with great pomp and parade ; and Habeshee, not thinking 
 how he was aiding the work of his own destruction, arrived at 
 the office. I was led to the seat of honour, the magistrate's own 
 gardee or seat. It was a carpet with a pillow to lean the back 
 against. The office or chowry was crowded to excess. I felt 
 alarmed at my own impudence ; and still more, lest one of the 
 many eyes present should discover my manoeuvres yet. I took 
 an opportunity of slipping the bead necklace of Sagoonah into 
 the covering of the pillow, and felt certain no one saw me. 
 I then demanded the reason why I was summoned there. The 
 Kotwall placed himself near me, and explained the case, taking 
 care to hint that Trimbuckje Danglia had been seen at Sagoonah's 
 house on the morning of her disappearance. " This indeed looks 
 bad," said I, " as respects Trimbuckje. What am I to receive 
 for my pains?" The Kotwall said four thousand rupees were 
 offered by the Peeshwa. " Give them to me," I said ; but he 
 refused, yet had no objection to give me half, the remainder to 
 follow when the business was done. I stipulated that I should 
 be allowed to report to the Peeshwa personally the result of my 
 incantations. The Kotwall agreed to this, and asked me where 
 I would perform my magic rites. I informed him that any room 
 in the chowry would do, provided I could be alone, and furnished 
 with the necessary articles. I demanded a chafing-dish, charcoal, 
 eggs, ghee, a living black-legged fowl, limes, and two needles, with 
 hot and cold water, and some earthen pots. The collection of 
 these articles caused some delay, and no little suq^rise, in the 
 bazaar. I thought that a peep at the sun would help the mystery; 
 so, whilst the articles were procuring, I begged to be allowed to 
 go into the open air. Room was made for me to pass ; and 
 then, standing on the verandah, I made an observation of the 
 sun through a bit of paper with holes in it. Now and then I 
 shook my head in a grave and mysterious manner ; then I sud- 
 
 * Palanquin. 
 
94 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 denly appeared to see something delightful, and muttered some 
 sentences of gibberish. The populace appeared as if they could 
 worship me, and numerous were the exclamations and praises of 
 wisdom which saluted my ears. At length the articles I required 
 came, and I went to work, killed the poor black-legged fowl and 
 swallowed the raw eggs, burned the ghee and stuck two needles 
 through the limes. I then gave notice that the business was 
 complete, and begged to be allowed to proceed to the palace to 
 report it to the Peeshwa. 
 
 As I left the Kotwall's office, the Habeshee took the oppor- 
 tunity of whispering in my ear, and asking if I had borne in 
 mind the circumstances of Trimbuckje having been seen at 
 Sagoonah's house on the day of the supposed murder. To 
 mislead him the more, I said, " Trimbuckje is a sad man," 
 shaking my head. The Habeshee's eyes sparkled with pleasure 
 at this, and showed he enjoyed the idea of ruining his inveterate 
 foe. A numxcrous suite prepared to accompany me to the palace, 
 and we sallied forth in great pomp. Arrived at the royal 
 residence, the Habeshee descried his enemy Trimbuckje, and 
 exclaimed in his hearing, " Now let the guilty tremble ! " Trim- 
 buckje grinned a horrible smile, but did not deign to utter a 
 word. 
 
 The Peeshwa, after some little delay, summoned me to his 
 closet, and having bowed seven times, he ordered me to be 
 seated. His highness had commenced conversation, when a door, 
 which I had just perceived, directly behind the Peeshwa, opened 
 quickly, and was again quickly and cautiously closed. The shut- 
 ting caused the Peeshwa to turn round his head, and ask " Koiui 
 hue ? " who is there ? No answer was returned, and the Peeshwa 
 arose, and, opening it, became satisfied no one listened. He 
 desired me to report on my incantations, and truly inform him of 
 the result. I could have wished for an hour's delay to collect 
 myself, and summon resolution to relate the mysteries of my 
 pretended conjuration. I had entered the closet with unshaken 
 impudence, and, with unheard-of effontery, was perfectly ready 
 to answer all questions, and tell as many lies as were needful, 
 when the opening of that door unmanned me; for, before it 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 95 
 
 •closed, I caught the wrinkled visage of Cabbage Gousla, though 
 it was but a hurried glance. I could not be deceived ; such a 
 face could not be forgotten when once seen. Conscious of the 
 deceptive part I was acting, I concluded some counter-plot was 
 laid for my ruin, and began to repent the crooked path I had 
 taken to arrive at promotion. The idea of treachery on the part 
 of Trimbuckje, or a discovery by Habeshee, placed me in such a 
 state of tremor, that, instead of conducting myself like an arch- 
 magician, I must have seemed an arrant fool. The Peeshwa was 
 impatient at my long silence, and urged me to disclose the name 
 of him who had murdered Sagoonah. "Ah ! " I thought to myself, 
 " that is the question ; I must give an ambiguous answer." I 
 therefore entered into a discourse on the science of magic, taking 
 care to bring up frequently that, after the most diligent study 
 during one's entire life, cases would occur wherein we erred; 
 that magicians were sometimes deceived by the cunning of 
 worldly men ; and the study of the art was considered in those 
 days extremely precarious. Too much was expected from 
 students, vv^hose occasional failure was by capricious persons 
 construed into wilful deception. This often placed the character, 
 and even lives, of magicians in jeopardy. All this time I was 
 weighing the policy, or othenvise, of ruining the Habeshee, and 
 whether it would not be better to accuse Trimbuckje. I feared, 
 however, that the latter would exculpate himself, and put me to 
 death for the false imputation I had thro\vn upon him. I had 
 no doubt Cabbage was listening at some crevice, probably 
 deputed by Trimbuckje, who was naturally suspicious, and 
 dreaded treachery on my part ; so that if I accused him, some 
 counter-plot would be ready to work my ruin. Perhaps the 
 visage of Cabbage was thrust upon me as a warning, to beware 
 of my conduct as respected his employer. I every minute 
 felt more perplexed. My joints weakened, and my limbs 
 trembled under me ; my head was in a maze, and I perspired at 
 every pore. So much was I agitated that the Peeshwa could not 
 help seeing it, and asked me what was the matter. " Oh, your 
 Highness ! " said I, " the Habeshee knew this was an unpropi- 
 tious day, for I told him so, but he insisted on my incantations 
 
96 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 being commenced, and these emotions are the result" " I tell 
 you then," said the Peeshwa, " that if this is all the result of your 
 labours, you may quake a little more, for by all the gods in the 
 holy Vedas, if you have made a dupe of me and the whole city, 
 you shall be a clog for an elephant in half an hour, and this will 
 effectually prevent your practising similar acts of deception 
 again ! " I said in answer, " Most high and mighty Prince, I 
 have not practised any deception, neither dare I attempt a fraud 
 on your wisdom, or brave your resentment ; as well might the 
 traveller fling himself into the jaws of the tiger, or the feeble 
 mouse defy the indefatigable cat ! " " Give a reply," said the 
 Peeshwa; "who murdered Sagoonah? Trifle no longer, or I 
 shall prove the more cunning magician of the two, and pronounce 
 that you yourself did it." Not a moment was to be lost, and I 
 summoned resolution to accuse Habeshee Kotwall in a very low 
 tone of voice. " Wherefore," said the Peeshwa, *' could you not 
 have told me so an hour ago ? " No answer could I make, but sat 
 silent, in indescribable agony of mind and body. 
 
 The Peeshwa now said, " You assert that Habeshee Kotwall is 
 the murderer ; give us some proof, my friend, that what you say 
 is true." " If your Majesty," I replied, " will send and seize 
 Habeshee, in the first place, and then search his house and 
 oflice, they wiU somewhere discover a bead-necklace, having a 
 copper box or talisman suspended to it, containing a small piece 
 of money. This was the property of the murdered girl, and may 
 be recognised and sworn to by the aunt with whom she lived." 
 " Where, or in what place will this be found ? " said the Peeshwa. 
 That I told him should be disclosed to the person whom his 
 Plighness deputed to make the search, but first the Kotwall must 
 be seized, or he would escape. 
 
 The Peeshwa then rose, and demanded, opening the door, who 
 waited in attendance ? The officer of the body-guard appeared, 
 and received orders to secure Habeshee ; who was, as he well 
 might be, utterly confounded. Instead of seeing the ruin of his 
 enemy, he felt it fall upon himself This was a reverse he little 
 expected, and falling on the ground he uttered a deep mournful 
 cry of anguish, which I confess pricked my conscience not a little. 
 
PANDURANG TTARI 97 
 
 The groans of poor Habeshee, though totally disregarded by his 
 guards, were music to the ears of Trimbuckje Danglia. He gave 
 me to understand by a wink, perfectly significant, that he had 
 despatched a man to search the pillow. I attempted to give a 
 nod of exultation in reply, but, from my dread and anxiety, could 
 convey to him anything rather than the hope of success. Alarm 
 was painted on his countenance, nor could he refrain from making 
 through the crowd to come near me. Had I been really a 
 magician, the first use I should have made of my art would have 
 been to transport myself from this nest of villany. Trimbuckje 
 having reached my elbow, whispered to me, " Beware how you 
 deceive me ! " and giving me no time to reply, mingled in the 
 crowd. He had scarcely gone when the Peeshwa strutted by me, 
 dressed in his durbar apparel, looking like a gaudy peacock. 
 When sufficiently near to me, he also said, with a look of dread- 
 ful import, " Beware how you deceive me ! " Never was real or 
 pretended magician in a more awful predicament. 
 
 Time flew on, and the searchers of Habeshee's house did not 
 return. I felt convinced some circumstances, which I could not 
 foresee, occasioned this unexpected delay. At last I saw a man 
 whisper something in the ear of Trimbuckje ; who catching my 
 eye, shook his head, by which I understood the officer had 
 searched and found nothing — no necklace was forthcoming. 
 When it was understood there had been a failure, the Habe- 
 shee party were rejoiced beyond measure, and vented curses on my 
 head, styling me a vile impostor and murderer. The report 
 was soon conveyed to the Peeshwa, who summoned me to his 
 closet once more. " How dare you enter my palace to mock 
 me?" said the enraged Peeshwa; " am I to be made the laughing- 
 stock of the whole city ? Did I not tell you to beware how you 
 deceived me?" A crowd of persons were standing behind the 
 Peeshwa, apparently enjoying my confusion. Not having a word 
 to say for myself, I determined to confess the whole at once and 
 throw myself on the Peeshwa's mercy. 
 
 I had just cleared my throat to begin a relation of the whole 
 transaction, and all the circumstances of the murder, not fearing 
 even Trimbuckje himself, when, on raising my eyes, I beheld the 
 
9« PANDURANG HARI 
 
 awe-inspiring visage of old Cabbage, thrust between the shoulders 
 of tvvo men who were behind the Peeshwa, and immediately in 
 my front. I became speechless, and cast down my eyes, for the 
 countenance of Cabbage seemed reading my innermost thoughts, 
 and saying at the same time, " Do if you dare ! " There was no- 
 resource, and I felt myself obliged to adhere to my first story. 
 I therefore summoned courage to address the Peeshwa. " True 
 it is, most puissant Prince, I have mistaken the spot where the 
 proof was concealed, but you will remember I said this was an 
 unpropitious day." " And so," interrupted the Peeshwa, " you 
 shall find it. Cuards, secure him. Ho ! there, let an elephant 
 be in readiness; we will show the magician how to come to a 
 decision without any long ambiguous harangues ! " At this 
 moment the Habeshee sent word, requesting he might be allowed 
 to enter the presence. His request was granted, and in came the 
 Abyssinian, who, after bowing to the earth seven times more 
 than he would have done at any other moment, asserted his 
 innocence of the murder, and ignorance of the person of the 
 murdered, declaring I was an impostor of the worst character; 
 that I had agreed to implicate Trimbuckje Danglia at first for a 
 bribe of five hundred rupees ; " but," continued the Habeshee, 
 "I scorned to take so great an advantage of my enemy, and 
 refused to give this pretended magician the money. I told him 
 he might discover the guilty person, for him alone was our royal 
 master anxious to punish." This barefaced lie of the Habeshee 
 came upon me like a thunder-clap. Whatever hopes I had before 
 entertained of pardon, they were after this utterly annihilated. 
 Rousing myself, I exclaimed — " It is false ; the Habeshee 
 himself hinted his wish to me that I should accuse Trimbuckje, 
 nor did I seek any reward beyond that offered by your 
 Highness. " 
 
 An officer now whispered to Trimbuckje, and he again to 
 the Peeshwa, when the latter addressed Habeshee as follows : 
 *' Habeshee Kotwall, in consideration of your military services 
 during the war, I promoted you to a situation in this city, with a 
 salary and emoluments sufficient not only to maintain you, but 
 to enable you to accumulate wealth. You would then have 
 
PANDURANG IIARI. ,^,^ 
 
 supported my dignity, and have risen to still higher honours. 
 I regret to say that your passion for acquiring money has been so 
 great as to banish from your mind the regard which you ought to 
 have liad for my service. ^ly subjects have been abused, tram- 
 pled upon, and robbed even within the verge of the judgment-seat 
 of the court built for their protection. Too true it is that I have 
 now before me petitions from several hundred families which you 
 have plundered and reduced to beggary. Your principal harvest 
 seems to have been the ornaments of unoffending women, whom 
 you have forced into holes below your office and stripped of their 
 jewels.^ Now it is too certain these accusations are founded in 
 truth ; nor can you say that they arise from or out of the enmity 
 unfortunately in existence between you and Trimbuckje Danglia. 
 I say these charges are true : for though the articles we searched 
 for in your house and office are not discovered, yet we have found 
 chests containing gold ornaments and pearls, too valuable for you 
 to have purchased in a fair and honest manner. In the present 
 affair you have borne an active part, although none of the 
 murdered girl's jewels were found upon you or in your house. 
 There is a probability the bead-necklace may yet be discovered ; 
 and before I decide on the fate of the magician, I shall wait an 
 hour. Whether it be forthcoming or not, the sentence I shall 
 pass upon you is, that for your unheard-of cruelties and robberies 
 you be trampled to death by an elephant. To prevent your 
 insulting me by a reply or extenuation, I command that your 
 tongue be cut out on the spot." 
 
 This sentence was no sooner pronounced than executed. 
 Habeshee was deprived of his lying tongue, and I trembled so 
 much for mine that the bystanders could scarcely refrain from 
 laughter. 
 
 It was arranged that one elephant should do the business for 
 both of us, and the execution of Habeshee was delayed until the 
 expiration of the hour allotted for the discovery of the necklace ; 
 during which time, poor Habeshee lay gi-oaning and bleeding 
 
 1 There wci^ such a character as Habeshee Kotwall in the East, who 
 committed dreadful crimes. 
 
TOO PANDURANG HArI 
 
 like a half-sacrificed sheep at the butcher's stall. I must confess 
 that when he made so bad a use of his tongue as to attempt 
 an accusation against me of ruining Trimbuckje, I was not much 
 grieved at hearing the order given to deprive him of it. He 
 could not now utter a word, should the necklace be forthcoming ; 
 for he might have urged the possibility, as well as the probability, 
 of my having concealed the trinket in his pillow for my own views. 
 It was therefore fortunate for me he could not speak ; nor had he 
 (and what fallen courtier ever has ?) one friend to speak in his 
 behalf. 
 
 The hour had now nearly expired, when a noise on the stair- 
 case drew my attention. " The necklace — the necklace ! " was 
 murmured around ; and, to my great joy, I beheld Trimbuckje's 
 messenger enter the room with the identical article. Sagoonah's 
 aunt was in waiting, and we were again summoned before the 
 Peeshwa. The aunt deposed to the necklace having been her 
 niece's, as well as the talisman. The Peeshwa ordered the 
 talisman to be opened — much against the aunt's will, who 
 
 declared it would bring ill-luck and misfortune on her niece, 
 
 she would have said ; and then burst into tears. " She is dead," 
 said the Peeshwa, " she can fear ill-luck no more ; let it be 
 opened." While this was going on, I sat a little more at my ease 
 than I had done all the day before, and began a mysterious 
 mumbling, to attract the attention of the bystanders. I drew 
 circles on the ground with my fingers — cut one of them, and let 
 three drops of blood fall on the copper talisman. Even the 
 Peeshwa himself now wavered about opening it, and asked me 
 if he should do so. I replied that, having sprinkled it with my 
 blood, no harm could now result from such a step, and I would 
 open it, if he gave me leave. He nodded assent. A gold rupee 
 was discovered in it, and two grains of wheat wrapped in a scrap of 
 paper, on which something was written, — this paper I concealed. 
 I presented the two grains and the rupee. The Peeshwa desired 
 to know how the necklace had been found at last. The officer 
 of his guard came fonvard, and deposed that being commissioned 
 to search the Habeshee's house, nothing was found there; and 
 that he then proceeded to the chowry, and made the most 
 
PANDVRANG IIARL loi 
 
 minute inquiry respecting it. " At last I ordered all the house- 
 hold to be called, and explained to them that I was searching for 
 a bead-necklace ; desiring, if any one of them had the same, to 
 deliver it on pain of death. The deputy Ferash bashee (carpet- 
 spreader) came fonvard, and said he had the necklace, and 
 could produce it ; that to-morrow being the festival of the Til 
 Sunkeniut, he was ordered by the Kotwall to sweep or clean the 
 chowry, and put on the best pillow-cases, and that he set about 
 doing it the moment the Kotwall and magician were gone to the 
 palace. In fitting the new case to the Habeshee's pillow, some- 
 thing fell to the ground : it was a bead-necklace, apparently of 
 no value ; and considering his daughter would be pleased with it, 
 he carried it home to her. On my application, he sent to her to 
 deliver it up, which she did immediately, and it is the same I 
 delivered to your Highness." 
 
 During the preceding account I sat puffed up with conse- 
 quence, and begged permission to retire, having occasion to 
 go into Cabul, and to set off the same night. The Peeshwa 
 granted me leave to depart, though he seemed sorry he could 
 find no ground for subjecting me to the same punishment as the 
 Habeshee. I got away, however, as soon as I could, followed by 
 a crowd of persons who looked upon me as a god. The aunt of 
 Sagoonah wished to approach me ; and pushing through the 
 crowd, fell at my feet, begging me to relate the particulars of the 
 murder. I dared not undeceive her at this moment, and in 
 public ; I therefore whispered her to meet me at nine o'clock at 
 the Mottee Baugh, or pearl-garden : she assented, and I walked 
 away, followed by the crowd. Where to go I knew not, but 
 passing the barber's shop again, I thought I might as well sit 
 there until the curiosity of the mob was over. " Arry,' said the 
 poor shaver, " what again, in the name of Brahma, has brought 
 you here ? " Why now, I told him, I wanted to be shaved, as the 
 sun had set, and no ill-luck could happen, unless he drew blood, 
 when woe would befall us both. The barber now begged to be 
 excused, saying his hand shook so violently he could not answer 
 the giving a gash or two. This, instead of dispersing, but in- 
 creased the crowd — all begging their neighbours to come and see 
 
I02 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 the barber shave the conjuror. As I really needed shaving, 
 I repented of having so much alarmed the barber, and conceived 
 that if we could but disperse the crowd, the barber might still 
 operate without shedding blood. I called out, '"The conse- 
 quences of drawing blood will be fatal to those who witness it, as 
 Avell as to myself and the operator. Beware therefore my 
 friends ! " The rascals heeded me not at all, and there we sat — 
 the barber trembling in one corner, and I half dying with re- 
 pressed laughter in the middle of the shop. The greatest 
 annoyance to me was, that it approached to eight o'clock, and I 
 was to meet Sagoonah's aunt at nine. There seemed no hope ot 
 the mob leaving the shop-door until gun-firing, which would 
 disperse them. I therefore called to the barber, who came up to 
 me trembling. I whispered to him, and inquired if he could direct 
 me any back way to get off, and I would not compel him to 
 shave me ; that I could manage until the next day, and promised 
 not to revisit his dwelling again. He told me that if I went into 
 his back-yard and clambered over a low wall, I should find my- 
 self in a lane which would take me into or out of the city, which- 
 ever way I was inclined to turn. I followed his advice, he telling 
 the crowd I should come back again. Heartily rejoiced at finding 
 myself at liberty and alone, I threw off my 'dress and tore it in 
 pieces, and also my cap, muffling my head up in my shawl \ the 
 clock struck nine,' and I hastened to the garden. 
 
 * An English clock on the top of the Peeshwa's palace. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 HE dwelling-house of Habeshee lay in my way to the 
 spot fixed upon for meeting the aunt of Sagoonah. As 
 I passed, I heard moaning and lamentation, from 
 which I judged that the dreadful sentence pronounced upon him 
 had been carried into execution. I hurried past the scene of woe, 
 and proceeded to the garden. The woman awaited my coming. 
 I took her towards the tank, and sitting down, informed her that 
 her niece lived, and was recovering. I explained how I had 
 found her, but did not inform her who was really the author of 
 the outrage. Promising to be guided by me in the means to be 
 adopted for shielding Sagoonah from the power of the Peeshwa 
 and the villany of Trimbuckje Danglia, she was still most anxious 
 to see her niece. I consented to their having an interview. She 
 was overjo3-ed at the prospect of meeting her again, having con- 
 cluded her dead, and she arose and followed me. We went 
 towards the suburbs, and had just cleared the city when the night- 
 gun was fired. We quickened our steps, and reached the culti- 
 vator's cottage. Sagoonah was much pleased at my return, 
 fearing something might have happened by my long absence. 
 When I informed her who was my companion, the poor girl burst 
 into tears, calling me her preserver. She clasped her aunt's neck, 
 exclaiming, " My beloved viousee (aunt), do I once more behold 
 thee?" 
 
 Being weak for want of food, I begged the coombie, ov 
 cultivator, to give me some bread and rice, and I enjoyed the 
 homely fare with a keen relish. The lovely Sagoonah offered me 
 water which had been just fetched from the well, and that with a 
 modesty of expression that charmed me beyond measure. She 
 asked who had been discovered to be the guilty men in making 
 
104 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 the attack upon her. I told her, the Habeshee. She said, she 
 had imaghied it must be Trimbuckje ; and I reasserted that the 
 Habeshee was the person who caused her to be waylaid, 
 but at the same time impressed upon her mind the necessity of 
 concealment, for fear of the Peeshwa. I told both Sagoonah 
 and her aunt that I expected to get a situation in Kandeish, and 
 that the best way would be for them both to accompany me. I 
 promised to protect them from all danger as far as I could, and 
 that they had better pass for my mother and sister, as discovery- 
 would thereby be nearly impossible. The eyes of the beautiful 
 Sagoonah showed how much she was pleased at my proposal, and 
 told her acquiesence in the justice of what I said. Her aunt 
 alone remained to be consulted, before the resolution was acted 
 upon. In the morning we consulted the aunt, who approved the 
 plan j and we agreed to set out as soon as I had secured my 
 promised place. 
 
 I now went again to the city. I cut my mustaches close, and 
 wore a white turban, intending to get shaved on my way. By- 
 doing this, wearing short breeches and a common white coat, I 
 hoped to prevent any recognition of my late character of magician. 
 While I was changing my coat, I found the slip of paper 
 which had been concealed in Sagoonah's talisman. Neither 
 Sagoonah nor her aunt could give me any clue to the mystery, 
 for neither could read. The sentence seemed to me in a singular 
 character. Neither aunt nor niece were aware that the talisman 
 had contained anything of the kind. The former, however, 
 recollected that the father of Sagoonah had desired it should 
 not be opened until she attained her twentieth year. I took 
 great care of it, determining to get some learned Brahmin tO' 
 decipher the sentence, which was very short, and badly written. 
 Taking leave of my fair friends, I walked to Poona, and passed 
 in^ the city by the wooden bridge. 
 
 ^^he first place I entered was a barber's shop ; and, inquiring 
 the news, the barber began to tell me all he had heard about 
 the magician, to which he added a thousand exaggerations. He 
 declared ten murdered women had been found in the cellar of 
 Habeshee's house, and that the magician had smelt them vv'hen- 
 
PAND URANG HARI i 05 
 
 taken to the chowty ; that the people thought the magician little 
 less than a god, who had visited the city to rid them of so great 
 a tyrant. He told me the particulars of Habeshee's execution ; 
 adding, that before he was tied to the elephant's foot, he made 
 a full confession of his enormities. I was much amused at this 
 addition, when I remembered the poor wretch had lost his 
 tongue, and could not, therefore, conveniently make either con- 
 fessions or denials. I pretended ignorance, however, of the 
 whole transaction, paid my two pice, and departed. Trimbuckje 
 was at home, and gave me an audience. '' Indeed, my friend/' 
 said he, " you were nearly ruined by your plan of the necklace. 
 Had it not been found, the Peeshwa would have condemned 
 you to die." " But now we have succeeded," I said, " I am come 
 to claim my reward. Money I do not want, but some situation 
 by which I may obtain an honest livelihood." "Honest !" said 
 Trimbuckje, with a grin. " Well, would you wish to be employed 
 here, or at a distance ? " I told him, for some time at a distance ; 
 but that I should hold myself in readiness to obey his instruc- 
 tions, whenever he should require them. He assented directly, 
 and wrote a letter, to which he affixed his seal, desiring me to 
 deliver it to Venkut Rao Bhugrunt, his collector of revenues on 
 his estate at Kandeish. It conveyed the order for me to be 
 enrolled as a sub-collector, telling me he could not then do 
 more for me. In all probability, Trimbuckje, knowing how 
 well I was informed of his villanies, was on that account more 
 punctual in the fulfilment of his promise than he would have 
 been otherwise. 
 
 ]My next step was to search out some learned priest to decipher 
 the mysterious scrap of paper found in the necklace. I was in- 
 formed that there lived in Poona a celebrated ascetic, renowned 
 for his austerity and learning : his name was Purrum Tccshoo, 
 Nowhauthge i\I,hadeo. I found him out, and paid him a visit at 
 his residence. He was reclining on a bed of iron spikes reading 
 a book, and returned my salutation, seeming perfectly at his ease 
 — i-ideed as much so as I should have felt on the softest cushions. 
 1 showed him the paper, begging him to decipher and explain the 
 writing to me. He took it and mumbled over the words several 
 
1 06 PAND URANG HARI. 
 
 times. He then said, " It is Pudiha, or verse, and the language 
 is pure Sanscrit ;" adding, "Where did you get it?" This was a 
 question for which I was not prepared ; I feared either to deceive 
 him, or refuse to give any account of it. At last I said I had 
 found it in a copper talisman. " Aye," said he, " it may be so, 
 for it mentions a talisman;" and repeated these words, which 
 explained the meaning as follows : — 
 
 * ' Let her who doth this Tnweey' wear, 
 Guard against the Gossein's snare." 
 
 I paid the learned personage five rupees, and took my paper^ 
 pretending to be disappointed. I informed him I had hoped it 
 would have shown me where to discover some hidden treasure. 
 He smiled, and giving me his blessing, I departed, pondering in 
 my mind what could be the meaning of the warning, who wrote 
 it, and why Sagoonah should be persecuted by a Gossein ? It 
 was indeed true that she had fallen into the hands of my friend 
 Cabbage, and but for me would have breathed her last ; but this 
 could hardly be the object and final intent of the warning. I 
 thought it my duty, however, to put her upon her guard against 
 those wandering miscreants, but still I feared there was much evil 
 in reserve for her from the hands of these men. At length I 
 reached the cottage of the cultivator, and explained to the females 
 the meaning of the words on the paper. They were much alarmed, 
 and fear showed itself in their faces. The aunt said Sagoonah's 
 father was ruined by these wretches, who had vowed to persecute 
 his race ; but until the attack on Sagoonah in Poona, they had 
 not molested her. The threat which preyed upon Sagoonah's 
 father, and brought him to the grave, had been too little heeded 
 by his relatives. " What cause of offence," said I to the aunt^ 
 " could your brother have given the Gossein ? " She replied, 
 " He brought him to justice for some crime, and the Gossein was 
 punished, on which he made the vow. Sagoonah was about three 
 years old when her father brought her home the necklace and 
 talisman, given him, as he said, by a dear friend for his daughter; 
 desiring the talisman should not be opened until she had attained 
 
 * Talisman. 
 
PANDURANG HARL X07 
 
 her twentieth year. The talisman has been opened, and she is 
 but sixteen — I fear for the consequences." I now endeavoured 
 to convince her, that as Sagoonah did not voluntarily open it, no 
 blame could on that account fall upon her, and begged her to 
 think nothing more about it. 
 
 I now proposed that we should set out on our journey to 
 Kandeish, as I had secured a situation, and that we should 
 not delay beyond the following morning. No opposition being 
 made to the measure on their parts, I executed the necessar}' 
 arrangements for travelling. I hired a bullock and ponies, and 
 went to rest dreaming of happiness and Sagoonah ; before day- 
 break we quitted the cultivator's. Sagoonah and her aunt were 
 mounted on tattoos or ponies, but I preferred walking until the 
 sun had risen. The bullock accompanied the cavalcade laden 
 principally with the driver's goods, having nothing of consequence 
 of our own ^^dth us. I had previously made a long bag into 
 which I thrust my rupees, and this was all the baggage with 
 which I was personally troubled. The owner of the ponies and 
 bullock walked ^vith me, and seemed very anxious to enter into 
 conversation. He asked several impertinent questions, and once 
 or twice it struck me I remembered his voice, but could not 
 bring at once to my recollection where — so much was my mind 
 occupied with plans and views for the future. He evidently knew 
 me, and his manner and my taciturnity made me very distant 
 with the fellow : my reply in scanty monosyllables did not, how- 
 however, seem to damp his eagerness for conversation. He 
 jabbered away incessantly. At length, after praising his cattle, 
 he said, " Do you know, I met with a very curious adventure not 
 long ago ? " " Indeed ! " I replied drily. " Aye," he resumed, 
 " and one I have often laughed at since, too, over and over again- 
 
 As I was driving my asses close to the village of ." He need 
 
 have said no more to recall him to my recollection, even in the 
 strongest fit of absence. T at once knew my companion, and 
 accounted for his imi^ertinent curiosity. It was the very ass- 
 driver through whose means I lost my treasure, after my escape 
 from the fort. I now made no attempt to interrupt him in a tale 
 that so deeply concerned me ; but was subjected to the morti- 
 
io8 PA:;nuRA2^^G iiArJ. 
 
 fication of listening to the wretch caUing me all the opprobrious 
 names, and they were not a few, that his native tongue admits of. 
 He concluded by observing, " I knew the rascal was after some- 
 thing he wished to conceal from me, so I stuck to him like a 
 leech." Here he burst into a hearty laugh at his own penetration 
 and at the embarrassments of the poor wounded scoundrel. He 
 clapped his hands in exultation, when he told me how the sepoys 
 seized the villain, as he called him. He dwelt long upon the 
 story, drawling it out to add to my mortification. I interrupted 
 him by asking if he knew why the traveller wished to be left alone? 
 He said, because upon seeing him come with his arms tied into 
 Poona, he had questioned one of the sepoys respecting the vaga- 
 bond, and the men informed him that he had money concealed 
 under the mango tree, and that the soldiers had dug it up and 
 taken possession of it. " At this," continued the ass driver, " I 
 laughed immoderately, because, had the greedy miser confided 
 the secret to me, I would have given him every assistance, trusting 
 to his liberality for a reward. Instead of this he, in shaking off 
 the cat, fell under the paw of the tiger. Was not the fellow 
 rightly served ? Was he not a covetous, greedy, mean, and 
 ungrateful knave, after the assistance I had given him ? " I replied 
 he v/as certainly an over-cautious man, and inquired what became 
 of him afterwards ; the ass-driver answered, " He was flogged in 
 Poona, and expelled as a vagabond, and I have heard nothing of 
 him since. I should like to set my eyes upon him again to joke 
 him for his cursed avarice." I said that perhaps he would not 
 put up with such jokes and insults ; he might carry a dagger in 
 his girdle. " Then," said the driver, " I should be very careful to 
 hold my tongue and make him a low bow — one would not be 
 spitted for a joke, however good it may be." I told him he would 
 in doing thus act very wisely. 
 
 To avoid further annoyance from this impertinent fellow, \ 
 mounted my tattoo and joined the women, begging them to keep 
 their faces well muffled up. This caution was indeed highly 
 necessary, for soon the troublesome driver came alongside of us 
 riding on his bullock. He began to peep and peer at the females, 
 and try to draw them into conversation. I here thought it time 
 
PAXD URANG IIARL , 09 
 
 to put in a word, and bid him keep in the rear, his j^ropcr place, 
 and when we wanted him we would call him. Kuthoo Bhae 
 nuthoo viajee ghirrut teen tattoo^ or " what a great man I am !" he 
 exclaimed, and sullenly obeyed my order. I determined, the 
 moment we arrived at Ahmednugur, to discharge the insolent 
 fellow and hire fresh cattle. I kept my intention to myself, and 
 we jogged on quietly, the driver singing as he went, and often, for 
 want of some one else to talk to, conversing with his bullock, 
 which he called heera} The aunt now and then spoke to her 
 niece to quicken her pace, saying, " chtil pooree cJiul" or, 
 "walk on, hasten, my girl." On hearing which, the driver sang, 
 '^ Ding pooree ding kuppal a che bing, ding gela p,hootoon pooree gela 
 oothoon." Sagoonah would sometimes say, '^ arry moiisee /" (oh, 
 my aunt !) Upon which the impudent driver, who had a scrap of 
 song — a cant saying ready for every occasion, would sing out, 
 '' Moil see tooptoiisee, toopiit, piirlee arle mousee'' This was as much 
 as to let us know he heard all, and was fully aware of the relation- 
 ship of one of the women with the other, and then he would 
 chant the well-known song of " Chota, C/iota, Afnchiilee.'' 
 
 At last the aunt saying to me, O Beta I (oh, my son), the 
 fellow vociferated, '^ Ranije he beta d?'a so b,hee Musselman ka 
 sheeree-pooree kjiata n,hue maungtee tokra nanka ;^^ the meaning of 
 which is, that a Hindoo woman was permitted by the god Ramje 
 to bear a son, but it was a Musselman's, and the proof of its 
 being so was, its refusing to eat the common sheeree-pooree, or 
 Hindoo pap, and calling out for a lump of bread. This was 
 extremely insulting to me, as it was intended to throw a slur on 
 my caste ; indeed, he might as well have told me I was only half 
 and half bred, neither Hindoo nor Mohammedan. I became 
 irritated at the insinuation, and riding up to him, gave him a 
 blow which knocked him off his bullock. He returned it, and 
 this exasperated me beyond measure. At it we went, each 
 pulling off the other's turbans, and belabouring each other like 
 two demons; the women were screaming all the time as if 
 murder was taking place. At length I threw the rascal down, 
 and kneeling on his breast, bade him ask my pardon, which he 
 
 ' Diamond. 
 
no 
 
 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 did very reluctantly. Matters becoming more placable after this, 
 we continued our journey, the ass-driver keeping a profound 
 silence. I now determined to send him about his business at 
 Seroor instead of Nugur, and pushed on for that place, where we 
 arrived late in the evening. "Seroor was a cantonment of the 
 English ; I was therefore under no apprehension of a renewal of 
 our combat. I now proceeded to a house appointed for travel- 
 lers, where I left the females, and then went to the Kotwall of 
 the place, begging him to procure fresh catde for us, to be in 
 readiness early on the following morning. He gave me a pro- 
 mise of them, and I was quitting him after thanking him for his 
 attention to my request, when up came the Poona ass-driver, 
 bleeding at the nose, his coat torn, and turban off, and bellowing 
 aloud for justice. He complained of having been treated with 
 great barbarity. I inwardly rejoiced to see the fellow had been 
 chastised well, as I supposed, by some one who had less mercy on 
 him than myself. The Kotwall demanded who had beaten him, 
 and to my astonishment he pointed me out as the person, and 
 declared it was only because he sang and for nothing else, and 
 that the two good-for-nothing women with me fell upon him also 
 and beat him as he then was. ^^ Array, array basrce^' exclaimed 
 he, or, " what will become of me ? I shall die ! " The fellow made 
 me stare with surprise at this base fabrication. I proceeded to 
 explain the truth to the Kotwall; stated how the fellow had 
 insulted me, and how we scuffled a little ; but assured him no 
 blood was drawn, and that it happened two hours previous to 
 our entering Seroor. I added that it was on account of the 
 fellow's insolence I had determined to hire fresh catde from 
 Seroor. The Kotwall asked where I was going : I told him to 
 Kandeish ; that I was in the service of Trimbuckje Danglia, and 
 the bearer of letters to his head collector or TJm secldaui there. 
 On hearing this the Kotwall treated me with the utmost polite- 
 ness. When the ass-driver saw this, and that he was likely to be 
 sent away as he came, or punished for his falsehoods, he cried 
 out, " It's all false, your honour ; that fellow is no more in the 
 service of Trimbuckje Danglia than I am : he is a runaway 
 prisoner escaped from the English. I will swear I saw him, not 
 
FANDURANG IIARI. 
 
 a month ago, in charge of the English sepoys, with his arms tied 
 behind him. I tell the truth, and would advise your honour to 
 deliver him over to the English general here ; who will reward 
 both you and me for so doing." I was now utterly confounded, as 
 I fancied the fellow had not recognised me. Had I entertained a 
 contrary idea, I should not have quietly put up with his insolence 
 so long as I did. The Kotwall bade me give an account of my- 
 self, because, if what the fellov/ said was true, he must deliver me 
 to the English. I assured him it was true, but that I did not 
 feel myself obliged to give an account of the manner in which I 
 became the prisoner of the English ; but assured him I had been 
 honourably released, and that I should have no objection to 
 explain the transaction to the general himself. Upon this the 
 Kotwall declared it was his duty to report the case to the bazaar- 
 master, and let him act as he thought fit. I was helpless, and 
 sat down in the chowry guarded by several peons, while the 
 Kotwall went to the bazaar-master. 
 
 After some time the Kotwall returned, saying, "The bazaar- 
 master was gone out to dine, and therefore nothing could be done 
 before morning."' This was an unexpected mortification, hoping 
 to be well on my journey before the sun rose. I was alarmed 
 too for Sagoonah and her aunt, and the anxiety they must suffer in 
 my long absence. I cursed the malevolent ass-driver a hundred 
 times, lamenting the ill-fortune that had thrown me a second time 
 in his way, and a second time brought me into trouble. Patience 
 was now my only remedy. I requested one of my guards to send 
 a messenger to the place where I had left Sagoonah, to inform 
 her I should be detained, but would meet her in the morning. 
 The man having promised to send the foregoing message, I felt 
 more at rest. The driver petitioned to be allowed to go at large : 
 which was granted him upon getting a banian to be bound for his 
 appearance the following morning. The Kotwall retired to his 
 dv/elling, and I was left well guarded at his office. The night 
 seemed dreadfully long, and, though fatigued by my journey, I could 
 not get an hour's sleep. The morning at length arrived. Hour 
 after hour passed away, and still the Kotwall did not appear. I was 
 out of patience, restless, and disquieted. When ten o'clock arrived 
 
112 PANDURAXG IiARL 
 
 the Kotv/all made his appearance, and desired me to accompany 
 him to the poUce-master's house. The driver was in waiting to 
 prefer his charge. On the accusation being made and the ass- 
 driver's examination concluded, I was called upon to make my 
 statement. I did not deny the fact of having been in the custody 
 of the English, and professed my readiness to explain every par- 
 ticular to the general. The police-master advised me to make 
 the explanation to them, because, if satisfactory, there would be 
 no occasion for troubling the general on the subject. I begged 
 that the ass-driver might not in that case be present, as I did not 
 wish all the world to know my private history and misfortunes. 
 My request being complied with, I related all the circumstances 
 that befell me at the English fort, v/ith my escape and capture, 
 and my release by the officer under orders from his superiors. 
 The police-master laughed heartily at the obstinate perversity of 
 the ass-driver, and the affair at the fort with Jane Bebee. He 
 assured me he had heard all the particulars before from the 
 officer who apprehended me, and was fully aware of the order 
 having been given for my release. 
 
 My mind was now considerably eased of its fears of further 
 delay. I asked to be allowed to prosecute my journey : the 
 police-master consented, and ordered me to be set at liberty 
 immediately. I then proceeded to the durJwi sallah, or place 
 where travellers put up, and where I had left the two females. 
 As I went along, I began to think I was the most unfortunate 
 person in existence; for that I never proceeded twenty miles, 
 east, west, north, or south, without some unpleasant adventure — 
 I seemed born to misfortune. I finally consoled myself with the 
 hope of better times, and anticipated a quiet, uninterrupted jour- 
 ney for the rest of the way I had to go. On reaching the durhm 
 sallah, I saw no one but an old Mohammedan, smoking his hoo- 
 kah in a corner. I of course concluded that Sagoonah and her 
 aunt would be found inside the building. I went in, and looked 
 around, but could get no tidings of the females : I enquired, but 
 they were not to be found. I returned to the Musselman, and 
 asked if he had seen two females leave the place. He replied in 
 the negative. I was, indeed, at a loss to comprehend the meaning 
 
PANDUJ^AXG IIARI. 
 
 of their mysterious disappearance. I sallied forth to the bazaar, 
 making inquiries of all I met respecting them, but without success; 
 not a soul could give me any information that might serve as a 
 clue to discover my fair friends. It began, at last, to strike me 
 that some treachery had been practised towards them while I was 
 in confinement. ]\Iy suspicions were naturally directed to the 
 malicious cattle-driver having practised some trick upon them. I 
 proceeded again to the Kotwall, and begged him to apprehend 
 that scoundrel, mentioning my suspicions. The Kotwall imme- 
 diately sent in search of him ; but he was nowhere to be found, 
 both he, his bullocks, and tattoos, having moved off. I imagined 
 he must have placed the women on his cattle, and taken the road 
 either to Kandeish or back to Poona, deceiving them with assur- 
 ances of acting by my orders. The Kotwall furnished me with 
 some horse patrol, and parties were sent off in every direction, 
 I headed one that proceeded on the road to Ahmednugur. As we 
 were crossing the ferry of Gornuddi, I asked the ferryman whether 
 two women had crossed the river early in the morning. He 
 answered in the affirmative, " very early," and told me that two 
 men were with them, one of whom was a gosscin. "A gossein !" 
 thought I; "then all is lost." The boatmen told me they went 
 on the Xugur road, and that they were on foot. I pushed for- 
 wards with my party till we came to a village, where I summoned 
 the potail or head man, and inquired if two men, one of them a 
 gossein, and two women, had gone that way? He replied, "No; " 
 but that a gossein had come there very early, badly wounded. 
 He related that he had been waylaid by robbers, but he was 
 ignorant which way the gossein had gone aftenvards. 
 
 I now felt convinced that the women were somewhere in the 
 neighbourhood, and begged him to let me have some villagers to 
 search the fields and ravines. He immediately complied : and, 
 with six sturdy coombies, or cultivators, I set out in search : 
 they were well armed with sticks and staves. After ranging the 
 country for some time without success, on passing through a deep 
 ravine, I fancied I heard moaning and cries of distress ; my 
 followers heard the same sounds, and we pushed forward to the 
 point from whence they seemed to come. At the end of the 
 
1 1 4 PAND URANG HARL 
 
 ravine was a cave, from whence the cries issued ; and what was 
 my concern on entering it, to behold Sagoonah tied to a stake, 
 together with her aunt, unable to move or extricate themselves ! 
 On seeing me, Sagoonah uttered a scream of joy. We speedily 
 liberated them, and, bringing them water, recovered them from 
 the effects of their fear and sufferinG^, so much as to enable them 
 to tell me by what means they came into that situation, and how 
 they were left in such singular and painful circumstances. The 
 aunt said, " We were greatly alarmed at your long absence ; and I 
 proposed going in search of you, when a peon from the Kotwall's 
 chowry came to us, and told us you had sent him to say you 
 were detained, but would be with us in the morning. We were 
 quite satisfied on receiving this information, and ate our supper 
 without suspicion of the mischief brooding over us. At four in 
 the morning the cattle driver, and another person muffled up, so 
 that we could not obser\'e of what caste he was, came to us. The 
 driver said, ' Mother, your son has sent me to tell you he cannot 
 procure fresh cattle, and you must therefore travel on with mine. 
 He desires that, to save time, you will cross the ferry, and he will 
 meet you on the other side of the river.' I inquired who the 
 person was that accompanied him ? He told me only a cJioomar, ^ 
 to show him the way, as it was not daylight, and he was afraid he 
 should lose his road. Not suspecting any trick, we got ready ; 
 and, packing up our pots and pans, we accompanied the driver 
 and his companion over the ferry. The latter was still muffled 
 up, so as to prevent any observation of his features ; he never 
 spoke, and I should have judged him a young man. When we 
 had crossed the ferry, I remarked there were neither tattoos nor 
 bullocks with us ; but the driver. said we should find them at the 
 village, about a coss distant. I thought this rather strange. We 
 still walked on, but no village came in view ; and I was hesitating 
 what to do, when Sagoonah came up to me, and whispered that 
 the driver's companion was a gossein. I immediately cried out 
 ' Treachery ! ' and said I would not proceed one step further till 
 my son came up. The driver then seized me in his arms, whilst 
 the gossein did the same by Sagoonah ; and they carried us into 
 
 ' A low-caste man employed as a guide. 
 
PAND URANG HARI. j 1 5 
 
 the sugar-cane fields, and from thence to this cave. We screamed 
 and called in vain : it was too early an hour for us to be heard 
 by any travellers. The driver then produced cords, and, tying 
 us to this stake, began to plunder me of my ornaments. An 
 altercation now took place between the two robbers about the 
 plunder, the gossein saying the booty was his ; but if the driver 
 would wait until we should arrive at the end of our journey (not 
 mentioning the place) he should be rewarded. The driver said 
 he was too old to be imposed upon by a gossein, and insisted 
 on his reward upon the spot. The gossein refused to allow him 
 even a copper pot. The driver then proceeded to take all the 
 goods he could lay his hands upon, and snatched at my necklace. 
 Upon this the gossein fell upon him ; but the driver escaped, 
 and threw a copper pot at the head of his antagonist, which cut 
 him over the temple, and brought a torrent of blood. ' Woe be 
 to thee that hast shed my blood ! ' cried the gossein. * Aye, aye,' 
 replied the driver, ' that nonsense may do very well in Poona, 
 my friend, but not here — here we are but man and man. If you 
 do not grant me all I ask, I will draw more of your precious 
 blood ; for I know you mean to cheat me !' Then unsheathing 
 a dagger he plunged it into the gossein's side, who fell, as I 
 thought, lifeless. We screamed and shrieked aloud, whilst the 
 driver packed up our baggage, tore off my ornaments one by one, 
 and finally decamped. The gossein recovered in a little time, 
 and found he could lose his sacred blood without dying. He at 
 length got up, holding his side, which he tied round with a cloth, 
 and walked away, saying, ' I go to a zyd or doctor, and shall be 
 with you again in a few hours.' On his departure we continued 
 to scream as loud as we could, but were nearly exhausted when 
 you came to our assistance." 
 
 It appeared to me, from this account, that the driver had 
 effected all this villany between the hours of four and ten in the 
 m.orning, and had had the audacity to appear quite cool and 
 collected at the police-master's to bear witness against me, 
 hoping to revenge himself upon me most effectually — though he 
 was a little out in his calculations ; and when I was set at liberty, 
 he lost no time in absconding. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 HE impression produced in my mind by the events 
 detailed in the last chapter was, that the gossein had 
 plans in view which were by no means developed. 
 The seizure of a few paltry gold ornaments, or the pots and pans 
 of the women, were not objects of sufficient account to interest 
 him so deeply; he must have been the agent of some other 
 person at a distance, who had employed him there, and to whom 
 he would have conducted his prisoners. Who this was it was 
 not easy to determine; but it became us to lose no time in 
 returning to Seroor. Upon our way back, while making inquiries 
 at the village, we learned that the gossein had again made his 
 appearance ; but upon hearing that we had been there, and had 
 pursued the track leading to the cave, he had taken himself off, 
 no one knew whither. I was angry with the potail for not 
 detaining him : he urged in his defence, that he had no orders 
 to do so. It might have been expected that, knowing we were 
 in pursuit of the fellow, he would have acted on his own dis- 
 cretion ; but the fact was, the potail was awed by the sanctity of 
 the gossein's character, and had no inclination to get into trouble 
 on my account. 
 
 We reached Seroor at last, where it became necessary to rest 
 that night. I first secured cattle, and then purchased a good 
 two-edged sword and a brace of English pistols, which I well 
 loaded, as I was determined to resist, to the last drop of my 
 blood, any persons who molested us during our future progress. 
 Thus armed, we left Seroor the next day, and reached Ahmed- 
 nugur, without experiencing any interruption, either from the 
 
 116 
 
PAND URANG JiAr)-. 1 1 7 
 
 insolence of cattle-drivers, or the intrusion of gosscins. Re-. 
 maining the night at Ahmednugur, we started the following 
 morning for Kandeish. No event worth recording happened, 
 until we were within an easy march of the place of our destination. 
 The distance from Nugur to Kandeish being too great for us to 
 make one march of it, we proceeded as far as we could, and 
 Tialted — proposing to start the following morning, and thus ter- 
 minate our journey. We stopped for the night at a village 
 surrounded with trees, which gave it an aspect peculiarly retired 
 and pleasing. Finding the carriage of my pistols about my 
 person inconvenient, and not apprehending danger, as we were 
 within ten coss of our final destination, I unloaded them, and 
 gave them into the charge of the cattle-driver. We slept sound 
 at the village till the chiqoing of birds awoke me, by which I 
 concluded that it was daybreak, and therefore called to my fair 
 companions, and to the driver, requesting them to get ready for 
 travelling. Sagoonah hereupon observed that the night appeared 
 very short ; and but for the chirping of the birds, she could not 
 have believed it to be already morning. 
 
 AVe very soon put ourselves in order for starting ; and though 
 it appeared unaccountably dark, we sallied forth from the village. 
 It seemed as if the morning was strangely dilatory in making its 
 appearance. Both Sagoonah and her aunt yawned, and were not 
 at all refreshed with the sleep they had taken. I began, before 
 -\ve had got a coss from the village, to think of returning, and was 
 opening my lips to propose it, v.'hen suddenly six men started 
 from a thicket, and sunounded us so suddenly, that I had no 
 time to draw my sword. The women screamed, and were 
 terrified to death, and the driver fell flat on his face, begging that 
 liis life might be spared. The robbers soon got possession of my 
 sword, and we now remained entirely at their mercy. Too late I 
 repented bitterly the not having reloaded my pistols ; but repent- 
 ance was useless. They could take nothing from the women, 
 who had been pretty well plundered by the gossein and his 
 •accomplice ; but from me they carried away my long bag of rupecb, 
 being ail I was worth in the world. Having got what I possessed, 
 they next attacked the driver, who had only a pair of silver 
 
 H 
 
ii8 PANDURANG hArL 
 
 bangles, and these they forced off his hands with such violence 
 as to lacerate them terribly. Next they stole the bells from the 
 neck of the bullock, and the driver's coat and shoes, which with 
 my sword and pistols comprised everything we had worth taking ; 
 they then left us. We now returned again to the village. There 
 was no appearance of daylight, though half an hour had elapsed 
 since we first started : this was unaccountable to us all. I began 
 to fancy the world was about to be for ever darkened, or that 
 some mystery I could not penetrate had enveloped us. On 
 reaching the village, I went to the potail's house. He and all his 
 household were snoring aloud, as if it had been the dead of night; 
 it was with some difficulty I awoke him. At length he came to 
 his door, and I told him I was a traveller who had put up at his 
 village the preceding night, and that, on prosecuting my journey, 
 I had been robbed of all my property. He replied, " If you will 
 be so rash as to set out on such a journey in the dead of nights 
 you must expect to be robbed." " Dead of night !" I exclaimed; 
 " what do you mean ? — I heard the birds chirping in the trees, 
 and felt assured morning was about to dawn." '^Arry/^^ ex- 
 claimed the potail; " you have fallen in with the TJiugs! " Upon 
 inquiring who they were, he told me a class of persons in that 
 part of the country who lived by plundering travellers ; and, to 
 avail themselves of the darkness of the night, the better to con- 
 ceal themselves and carry on their predatory schemes with surer 
 success, they mounted into the trees and shook the branches. 
 The birds at roost on them, being thus disturbed, begin imme- 
 diately to chirp, as if it were near daybreak ; and thus travellers, 
 who are resting for the night in villages or farm-dwellings, are too 
 often deceived and fall an easy prey. I told the potail I was 
 sorry he had not given me that piece of information the day be- 
 fore, and I should not have been a sufferer. He remarked that 
 it was then the middle of the night, and it wanted full four 
 ^hurriei' before the birds would chirp, provided the T,hugs did 
 not again molest them before their time. I apologised for dis- 
 turbing him further ; but I could not help asking him if I had 
 
 * Half- hours or near about. 
 
PANDURANG HArI ii^ 
 
 no chance of recovering my property, to which he replied, 
 "There was none, and he would advise me to go to sleep, and 
 think no more about my money, but consider that I was well off 
 in escaping with life." 
 
 I now returned to where I had left the females, and explained 
 how we had been deceived by the T,hugs. Sagoonah observed 
 that she had felt herself very little refreshed by sleep when I 
 awoke her to proceed on our journey ; and, in short, we talked 
 so much of the deception and robbery, that to sleep again was 
 out of the question. It was very fortunate this circumstance 
 occurred so near our ultimate place of destination, otherwise I 
 should have had no money to defray the necessary expenses of 
 the road. When the birds again chiiped, and we were certain 
 it was dawn, we set out. Sagoonah advised me to go to the 
 potail again, and as an additional precaution, to ask him if it 
 were now really day : — she said this with a sly and arch look, of 
 which I could clearly comprehend the import. We continued 
 our journey further unmolested, and reached Trimbuckje's village 
 in safety. I hired a house for Sagoonah and her aunt, and took 
 lodgings for myself some distance off, saying that they were my 
 mother and sister. I then presented my credentials to Venkut 
 Rao, who received me very courteously, and appointed me 
 under-secretary, or deputy-carcoon, in the revenue department, 
 which brought me in a salary of a hundred rupees a month. I 
 resolved to live as quietly as possible, get into no disputes, and 
 make no extortionate demands from the ryots or inhabitants, 
 and particularly not to cheat my master. 
 
 Everything passed away very wtII for the first month. I deter- 
 mined to make proposals of marriage to Sagoonah, to whom I 
 was a constant visitor. The aunt saw but one objection, which 
 was, that her niece had been betrothed when a child to another 
 person. I urged the certainty of that person's death, but in vain; 
 the fear of uniting her niece with me, whilst the fate of him to 
 whom she had been betrothed was undecided, was an insur- 
 mountable barrier to our hopes. I say our hopes, because the 
 sparkling eyes of my loving Sagoonah told me, as well as words 
 could have done, the interest I held in her affections. I obtained, 
 
I20 PANDURANG IIART. ^ 
 
 both from her and her aunt, a solemn promise that her hand 
 should never be given to another; and that if, in three years 
 more, no tidings of him to whom she had been betrothed were 
 heard, the advice of some holy Brahmin should be taken, or a 
 Shastree consulted as to the propriety of our marriage. With 
 this I was obliged to content myself, very sorely against my 
 inclinations, but there was no help for it. 
 
 I did not neglect to keep my fair friends on their guard 
 against the "gossein's snare." I requested them never to admit 
 one of the tribe into their dwelling, and never to be outside their 
 habitation after sunset. They were also, even in the day-time, to 
 be accompanied by my peons. They scrupulously obeyed my 
 instructions, and for six months everything passed away as 
 smoothly as I could expect or desire. At length it became my 
 turn to go out into the district, to collect the revenue from the 
 cultivators and inhabitants ; and as we had lived so securely for 
 many months, I had almost lost every apprehension respecting 
 their safety during my absence. I informed Sagoonah of the 
 necessity for my departure, and renewed my cautions, begging 
 them to be ever on the watch to guard against treachery. I 
 moreover informed them that I should not send even my most 
 confidential servant to them, and that if they were summoned at 
 all in my name, they must apprehend mischief In case I should 
 wish them to meet me at any time, a messenger should bear the 
 ring I then wore. By these precautions, I trusted I should 
 guard against the snares of our enemies — my fair friends 
 promising to use every additional precaution that offered itself 
 for adding to their security. I then took my farewell, with a 
 foreboding heart ; I fancied it was the last time I should ever 
 behold my Sagoonah. The separation came over my heart like 
 a cold blight ; and, in despite of reason and everything I could 
 urge against it, I was overcome with a degree of melancholy that 
 seemed closely allied to the despair of hopes for ever extinguished. 
 
 After I left Sagoonah, I appointed a trusty person to give me 
 immediate information should he observe anything occur to 
 excite suspicion during my absence, and let me know, at intei-vals, 
 how things went on. The hour of departure arrived, and I set 
 
PANDURANG HART. 121 
 
 off on my duties. Nothing worthy of record took place in the 
 district to which I went ; and I had the satisfaction of hearing all 
 remained right at home some days after I had been absent. One 
 month only, however, had elapsed, when a special courier came 
 to me from Trimbuckje Danglia, demanding my presence 
 instantly on a most important affair. So urgent was the business, 
 that I deemed it necessary to set out for Poona from the place 
 where I received the summons, fearing a return home first would 
 occasion too great a delay. I despatched a messenger to Sagoonah, 
 informing her of my summons to Poona, its urgency, and 
 directing her to keep up a communication with me, if needful. 
 On reaching Poona, I found Trimbuckje and his household in 
 great confusion, and making preparations for marching. What 
 most confounded me was, to see his house guarded by English 
 soldiers. I soon learned that Trimbuckje had, since I left 
 Poona, and at the instigation of the Peeshwa, murdered a 
 Shastree on his way from the court of Guikowar in Guzerat, to 
 Badgerao ; that the English had taken up the cause of justice, as 
 the murdered man was proceeding on political affairs in which 
 they were concerned; and that they insisted on Trimbuckje 
 being delivered over to them, promising not to take his life. 
 Trimbuckje denied the crime ; but I found that though he did 
 not murder the Shastree, yet he employed a gossein to do it for 
 him (Gabbage, no doubt), and that the Peeshwa had promised 
 Trimbuckje land and a jaghire for life. Trimbuckje promised 
 a thousand rupees to a gossein, and the latter employed a third 
 party for five hundred rupees, and this third party, a gang of 
 villains, who did the business for two hundred. 
 
 The Peeshwa was obliged to accede to the demand of the 
 English, and to deliver up his minister, promising to look after 
 his affairs, and to lose no time and spare no pains in effecting his 
 speedy liberation. I found I was summoned to accompany 
 Trimbuckje to Thannah, a fort in the island of Salsette, near 
 Bombay. I was told I had come at a fortunate moment, as the 
 prisoner was to set off that night. I should not probably have 
 been required, but many of the sycophants who had surrounded 
 him in his prosperity, skulked from him on the setting of his 
 
122 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 gloiy, so that only two of his retainers, besides myself, remained. 
 Gabbage was left in the Deccan to carry into effect both his 
 master's schemes and his own. I hoped he would have accom- 
 panied us to Thannah, and felt great uneasiness at learning he 
 was not to go. Trimbuckje was much pleased at seeing me, and 
 appeared to be in good spirits, though, being guarded by two 
 sepoys, he durst not be as communicative as he would perhaps 
 have been otherwise. I assured him I was ready to attend him 
 anywhere, and vowed everlasting fidelity to so kind a master. In 
 the evening we set off for Thannah, proceeding at the slow rate 
 of ten coss only in a day. The names of the other two attend- 
 ants who accompanied Trimbuckje, were Nanna and Juntoo, 
 both old and tried servants. 
 
 As we proceeded on our journey, I felt miserable at the 
 thought of what would become of Sagoonah during my absence. 
 I dared scarcely suffer the thought to cross my mind, and had 
 great difficulty to console myself with the reflection, that, if I did 
 not like Trimbuckje's service, which, as he might be a prisoner 
 many years, did not promise to be either agreeable or profitable, 
 I could at any time quit him, and proceed where fortune might 
 lead me. We reached Thannah on the day fixed, and were 
 delivered over to the commandant, an aged and worn-out man, 
 but very 'affable and good-tempered. He placed European 
 instead of native sentinels over us, at which we were much 
 pleased, as we could enjoy uninterrupted conversation without 
 being understood. I found Trimbuckje not without hopes of 
 effecting his escape, and he frequently said he reHed on my 
 cunning to accomplish it. We were allowed to walk in the fort 
 every evening, at which time the commandant's horses were 
 led out to exercise. I should have previously mentioned that the 
 old commandant had been removed, and was succeeded by a 
 younger and more active man. His horses, then, they were that 
 I saw led about the fort. One evening, being near his horse 
 keeper, I recognised in him my old friend, Nursoo, the quondam 
 bullock-driver who procured me the peon's situation at Bombay. 
 The recognition was mutual, and productive of mutual surprise. 
 I dared not appear too intimate with him. lest the European 
 
PANDURANG HArL 123 
 
 sentries should entertain suspicion, which might frustrate all my 
 plans for effecting my master's liberation. Day after day I met 
 and conversed with Nursoo, and I hinted to Trimbuckje my 
 acquaintance with him. I said I hoped, through Nursoo's 
 means, to accomplish our object, and set him at liberty. He 
 was. highly pleased, and vowed to reward me most liberally, if it 
 could be accomplished. 
 
 I found, upon sounding Nursoo, that, like most Mahrattas, he 
 was very ready to finger the gold ; and without being understood 
 by our guards, we comprehended each other pretty well before 
 we separated. I saw that a better man than Nursoo could not have 
 been discovered to assist in such a scheme, and I speedily 
 reported to Trimbuckje how ready and necessary a tool he was. 
 Trimbuckje praised my ingenuity highly, and rang the old changes 
 of flattery and reward. I conceived it would be desirable, nay, 
 absolutely necessar}', to obtain the co-operation of our friends in 
 the Deccan, and to apprise them as soon as possible of the 
 chance we had of effecting Trimbuckje's escape. He himself 
 thought it would be easy to send a letter through Nursoo, who 
 must be trusted in the affair, and could easily find a messenger 
 to carry it ; and he determined to write at once, until I told him 
 the very day and hour must be fixed, that his friends might be 
 ready on the other side of the water with horses, or means of 
 rapid conveyance. Trimbuckje acquiesced in my plan, which I 
 contrived to mature with Nursoo, who agreed to serve us for five 
 hundred rupees ; two hundred and fifty to be paid down on the 
 spot, and the rest when we reached the Deccan in safety. Nursoo 
 was to accompany us. The tivo hundred and fifty rupees were 
 raised and paid with difficulty, and a letter despatched to the 
 Deccan to give notice to our friends. 
 
 The commiencement of the rainy season had arrived, and 
 Nursoo, as the nights were become dark, proposed that the 
 attempt should be made then, and all was arranged accordingly. 
 He told us we must be contented to remain behind, and that 
 when our master was flown we should be released. I did not 
 much like this part of the affair, but there was no help for it, 
 and we acquiesced. Trimbuckje's bathing-place was upon the 
 ground-floor, and he usually visited it every evening at seven 
 
124 TANDURANG HARi. 
 
 o'clock. It was agreed that, instead of going directly into the. 
 bathing-place, he should strike into a passage on the left, where 
 there was a low window through which he might get out. On 
 the outside, Nursoo would take care to leave a long bamboo 
 basket-work covering, composed of leaves used by the cultivators 
 of rice during the rainy season. Trimbuckje was to divest him- 
 self of his clothes, and using this covering, walk out of the fort 
 before the eight o'clock gun fired, after which time the gates 
 would be shut. To prevent the immediate discovery of his. 
 escape, I was to arrest the attention of the sentinel (who never 
 intruded into the bathing-room, but remained at the end of the 
 passage) by singing some Hindostanee songs, and conversing, 
 with him in that language as well as I could. Nanna and 
 Suntoo were both informed of the plot, and Trimbuckje duly 
 initiated into the part he was to take. The day arrived, and 
 Nursoo found means to let me know he had met with a man in 
 the bazaar, named Cabbage, a gossein, who drew him into 
 conversation, and asked him his name. On hearing it was 
 Nursoo, and that he was in the service of the commandant of 
 the fort, he called him on one side, and told him all was in. 
 readiness on the other side of the water. Nursoo desired him. 
 to be on the look-out before eight o'clock, and then left him. 
 That this was no invention of Nursoo's I knew by his mentioning, 
 the name of Cabbage. It gave me great pleasure, also, to find 
 that he was not playing his tricks in another quarter, where I 
 had reason to fear him more sensibly. Evening came, and. 
 Trimbuckje went to bathe as usual. The sentinel and myself 
 were left at the end of the passage, and I amused him with some, 
 of the songs I had heard from the ass-driver, whom the reader 
 cannot have forgotten, clapping my hands to mark time and to. 
 make a noise. In a little while the sentry began to be anxious 
 respecting his prisoner. He said he thought he was unnecessarily 
 long in the bath. I said it was not wonderful, for the morrow 
 was a great holiday, and therefore it was necessary to perform 
 long and frequent ablutions. The sentry, however, was not to 
 be so deceived, and pushing past me into the bathing-room, he 
 gave the alarm of his prisoner's escape. Presently came officers,, 
 soldiers, servants, and lights from all quarters ; but in vain— the 
 
rANDURANG BAR/. 125- 
 
 prisoner was off. AVe were examined and re-examined ; but we 
 declared we were ignorant of the means by which Trimbuckje 
 effected his escape ; we were alternately threatened and coaxed 
 to no purpose. I was immovable ; but Nanna mentioned that 
 Nursoo, the horse-keeper, was implicated. Parties were sent in 
 search of him, and all the shops in the town were unsuccessfully 
 ransacked to find him out. The prisoner had, indeed, effected 
 his escape beyond the reach of pursuit. It was discovered that 
 he must have actually passed the two sentries at the gate ; though' 
 when they were questioned they stated that no one but a poor 
 black cultivator had gone that way, little dreaming that he was 
 the prisoner in question. His covering was found not many 
 yards from the gate of the fort. Farther search was then made 
 along the ramparts ; and a rope fixed to a gun, and a pair of 
 shoes were found, which were proved to belong to the horse- 
 keeper. Still opinions were divided as to the manner in which 
 Trimbuckje effected his escape ; for, on searching the ramparts 
 the first time, no ropes or shoes were discovered ; so that who- 
 ever they belonged to must have lowered himself, and disappeared,- 
 just in time to get clear. 
 
 The circumstance of a state prisoner quietly walking out of the 
 gate of a fort is almost an unparalleled incident, and certainly- 
 shows the great laxity of those on duty, or it could never have 
 happened. There seemed to me to be a want of the following 
 very simple precautions — namely, the providing every con- 
 veniency upon the same floor that the prisoner lodged ; having 
 guards of an equal number of sepoys and Europeans, and 
 causing the gates to be closed sooner as the evenings drew in, 
 instead of doing so at a fixed hour. None of these precautions 
 being obsei-ved, it is not wonderful plans should be laid, and a 
 prisoner walk off over the same road that other persons travel. 
 In the meantime, our scheme had succeeded to the fullest extent 
 we could desire. Unfortunately, myself and the servants were still; 
 detained ; but Trimbuckje was safe. In two months aftcnvards we 
 were released. But my profits in the transaction were yet to come, 
 and I had a long journey to travel before I could expect my 
 promised reward — a reward, indeed, such as I little apprehended. 
 
 When the orders were received, and we were at liberty — •- 
 
126 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 Nanna, Suntoo, and myself — we found ourselves pretty nearly 
 in the same circumstances of destitution, and agreed to travel 
 in company : we, moreover, were all bound to the same destina- 
 tion at Kandeish. We had not long set out before we deviated 
 from the high-road, and travelled amid jungles and ravines. 
 Being on foot, our progress was but slow. It was still the rainy 
 season, and we were frequently drenched to the skin before 
 nightfall. One night Suntoo called me aside, and proposed that 
 we should again deliver Trimbuckje into the hands of the 
 English, as great rewards were offered for his apprehension. 
 Though I spurned the idea of turning traitor, I dared not express 
 my indignation, lest Suntoo should watch his opportunity, and 
 get me out of the way, to prevent my informing against him. I 
 therefore appeared to come completely into his plans, but urged 
 several reasons for delay before we put our scheme into execution. 
 I said, " In the first place, let us get all we can for delivering 
 Trimbuckje from prison ; this done, we may enter upon our 
 plans for obtaining a reward of the English, and get him in 
 again." "An excellent plan ! " said the traitor; "let it be so; 
 and mind we agree to share the profits between us." 
 
 We arrived at last within three days' march of Kandeish, and 
 were plodding through jungles and ditches, when we heard the 
 sound of horses' feet, and had soon cause for alarm, when a 
 horde of Pindarees rushed towards us. In an instant they 
 began searching our persons, and not finding any plunder, we 
 indulged the hope we should be suffered to depart, when the 
 chief of the party ordered our arms to be tied behind us, and 
 bade us follow the troops. Resistance was vain, and Nanna, 
 Suntoo, and myself, were led like three malefactors by one of the 
 troopers. They now penetrated a very thick bamboo jungle. A 
 dreadful storm arose while we were in the midst of it. The 
 thunder rattled and roared over our heads, and the lightning, 
 shedding for an instant an intense brightness, left the darkness 
 between eveiy flash tenfold more deep. Now it seemed to run 
 along the furniture of the horses, or from rider to rider, hanging 
 about their arms, and standing on their sword-points. One man 
 was struck dead, and another lost his sight. The rain came 
 down in torrents, and the violence of the wind caused the tall 
 
PANDURAKG HARI 127 
 
 bamboos to bend almost to the earth, creaking and cracking with 
 a singular and at times a mournful sound, which added to the 
 impressive effect of the scene. There was but one path through 
 the jungle ; so that to mistake our way, even under these cir- 
 cumstances, was not easy. After a long exposure to the fury of 
 the storm, we arrived at the gate of a low and ruined fortress. 
 Our party hailed its inmates, and we were answered by the sound 
 of a large 7tugarrah ^ placed over the gateway. The doors were 
 quickly opened, and we entered into shelter. The horses of the 
 troop were tied up in sheds projecting from the walls of the 
 great court-yard, and we were led up a narrow staircase, until we 
 reached a spacious apartment illuminated by a single iron lamp. 
 A fire was immediately kindled, and supper got ready. The 
 troop consisted of one hundred ; fifty of these constituted the 
 party with which we unfortunately fell in. To gratify the 
 appetites of the band, a large wooden bowl filled with rice was 
 brought in and placed in the midst, from whence all fed indis- 
 criminately, and without ceremony in regard to caste. We were 
 consequently obliged to wait until the Pindarees were all satisfied, 
 and then we were told we might devour what they had left. To 
 us, who were totally unaccustomed to such impure feeding, the 
 idea of touching a dish from which an indiscriminate rabble had 
 fed was inconceivably disgusting. We therefore refused the 
 proffered honour, begging to be allowed a little raw rice, to cook 
 as we pleased. Some of them made objections to our request, 
 as being too indulgent. At last a young man, of a somewhat 
 better appearance than the others, came up to me and said, 
 "Be patient, and you shall have all you desire." I thought I 
 remembered his person, though I had not a full view of his 
 countenance when he spoke, and the chamber was gloomy and 
 ill-lighted. I thanked him for his attention, and he went away 
 promising to procure us the rice. On his return he had a lamp 
 in his hand, and I saw, to my agreeable surprise, that it was my 
 old inkstand-bearer, who had been of such service to me under 
 my early protector, Sawunt Rao. He did not know me at first, 
 nor did I give him to understand that I recognised him. He 
 said that he and two of his comrades were appointed to guard 
 ' Kettle-dnun. 
 
128 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 us, either within or without the fort. He told us we were 
 expected to enlist in the troop and become Pindarees, and 
 endeavoured to persuade us to agree, as a contrary course might 
 perhaps cost us our lives. 
 
 "When you have eaten your rice," said the inkstand-bearer, 
 " I will give you an account of the kind of life which I have led 
 here." We occupied one corner of the great room, where we 
 cooked and soon devoured our rice. The storm had abated 
 without, though the rain continued to beat against the walls of 
 the building. The horde seemed well supplied with liquor, which 
 we learned was a prize lately seized from some bullock-drivers of 
 Bombay. Orders were given by the chief of the troop that we 
 should be secured in a small room, and that our three guards 
 were to sleep in the apartment. We were accordingly conducted 
 thither without delay by our guard, consisting of the inkstand- 
 bearer and the two who attended us before. Both the latter 
 seemed in bad health and low spirits. When we were placed in 
 security, I made myself known to the inkstand-bearer. He was 
 much surprised^ and particularly anxious to know by what strange 
 vicissitude of fortune I had become his prisoner. My history was 
 too long, and contained too many important secrets for me to 
 volunteer it in a public narration ; but I assured my former friend 
 that I would one day give it him in private. I asked who his com- 
 panions were, and what made them appear so dejected. He replied 
 he could give me no information respecting them ; that they had 
 joined the troop only a month before, and one of them had never 
 been observed to smile, or even wear an aspect of cheerfulness. 
 At this moment Suntoo exclaimed, " Were there ever such unfor- 
 tunate beings as we are, to be caught and made Pindarees against 
 our inclinations!" "Indeed," said Nanna, "we are the most un- 
 lucky men in the world ! " "I will answer for it," exclaimed the 
 inkstand-bearer, " your misfortunes fall far short of what I have 
 endured ! " " And mine," said one of our downcast guards, 
 "exceed not only yours, but those of any other person in the 
 world ! " " Mine excepted," said our third guard. Here the 
 inkstand-bearer observed, " that as each seemed to be of opinion 
 that he himself was the greater sufferer from adversity, the best 
 way would be for each in turn to relate his adventures, and let 
 
PANDVRANG hAr>. 129 
 
 the prisoners be umpires to decide the question. To this no ob- 
 jection was made by any of the parties, the most low-spirited of 
 the two Pindarees saying he had no objection; and the other, 
 that he hoped all who heard him would take warning from the 
 follies he should show he had partaken in, and be cautioned 
 against the villany practised toward him by designing persons. It 
 was now urged, that as we were fatigued by our long march, and 
 the night was advanced, we should first endeavour to gain some 
 repose, and postpone the relation of the stories till the next even- 
 ing ; and to this all assented. 
 
 The following morning was cloudy and gloomy. I could only 
 learn that we were in the Chandor jungles ; but in what part, I 
 was unable to discover. The buildings appeared to be of great 
 extent ; but as all the windows looked inward^^ound a court, I 
 could see nothing of the distant country. ^HDuring the day my 
 friend the inkstand-bearer, whose name was Mahadeo, told me 
 that Scindia was befriending the Pindaree-hordes, and that, in 
 short, a grand blow would be struck, by which the English would 
 be driven out of India ; that to enable them to effect this object, 
 it was necessary to increase their numbers ; and it was ordered 
 that all persons that were met with should be pressed into the 
 service, and be made to assist in attacking the common enemy of 
 their country. My friend told me, in addition, that I had better 
 make the most of the situation I was in ; that my duties would 
 be trifling, and very profitable ; that I should only be expected to 
 job and kill, eat and drink/ " A very honourable employment ! " 
 I said to him in reply. ^As to honourable," he rejoined, " what 
 is the practice of all our Rajahs and Mahal-rajahs, Peeshwas, and 
 Sottans? Do they not call themselves the fountains of all justice? 
 • — rob, cheat, tyrannise over, and murder whomsoever they please,' 
 and that, too, when there is no necessity for such acts, when the}' 
 can do without them, and possess means of existing honestly? Are 
 not we now acting under their immediate sanction ? Must we not 
 live somehow ? and what does it signify how ? Were you deputy- 
 carcoon again, you would spare no exertions to fleece a poor 
 coombie of a rupee in a sneaking, underhand mannor ; whereas 
 
 now, you may go to work in a noble and manly stylepiiore worthy 
 the manners of the East ! " 
 
136 PANDURANG HArL 
 
 The arguments of my old friend, I must confess, seemed to 
 me to be uii^swerable ; yet, as is always the case with persons 
 so situated, I attempted a reply in extenuation, by observing how 
 repugnant my feelings were to the committal of murder. " In- 
 deed ! my old master," said he, " and who put Hybatty to death ? 
 who hanged the carcoon, under the pretext that he believed him 
 a spy? Under the rose, I got into a scrape about this same 
 hanging exploit of yours, as you will hear when I relate my 
 history to you." "Well, but, my good friend," I answered, "the 
 two instances you quote were not cool, unprovoked murders; 
 the first I hanged because I heard him swear by the holy cow he 
 would have my life ; and the second, in the dark, agreeable to 
 superior orders." "And these men's deaths preyed heavily on 
 your mind, no doubt ? " he interrupted. " Why, no ; in truth, I 
 cannot say I was much concerned at their fate ; but I must at 
 the same time say, that I will never commit cool, deliberate 
 murder on unoffending persons." "Well, then," he replied, "you 
 shall rob, and we will kill afterwards — you will then be the 
 genuine Pindaree ; or we will first run the fellows through, and 
 leave you to plunder them. This division of labour will make 
 the thing more easy, and save you any scruples ! " "I imagine 
 that division of spoil forms no inconsiderable part of a Pindaree's 
 duty ? " " Aye," said he, " fair division or actual separation is the 
 law among them." I asked his meaning, as not clearly compre- 
 hending the import of his speech, and what he meant by " actual 
 separation ! " He, in reply, drew his hand across the back part 
 of his neck with a very significant look, which altogether I could 
 not easily misunderstand. The only hope I could secretly en- 
 tertain of escape was, that if I turned Pindaree I must be 
 furnished with a horse, which would afford me the means, whei? 
 opportunity occurred, of decamping from the troop. 
 
 The second evening came. The troop, as before, partook ot 
 their mess like so many ravenous hogs. We were once more 
 accommodated with permission to cook and eat by ourselves. 
 When we retired to rest. I reminded the Pindarees of their 
 promise to relate their histories ; and my old friend, Mahadeo, 
 the inkstand-bearer, immediately began. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE FIRST PINDAREE. 
 
 HOUGH I am at present but a vagabond Pindaree, 
 I can assure you all, without any deviation from truth, 
 that I can boast both of purity of caste and dignity of 
 extraction. My father was brother to the Rajah of Satarah, 
 though not the elder son ; unfortunately another, far his senior, 
 aspired to the musnud in case the reigning rajah died without 
 issue. Nevertheless, my father was determined to assert his 
 claims, and to dispute the riglit of his elder brother, by casting a 
 slur upon his caste, and insisting that my uncle was the son of a 
 Dobin, or washenvoman. His mother not being alive when he 
 so sagaciously discovered this stain on his brother's title, she 
 could not be appealed to, to decide the matter. Unluckily for 
 my poor father's hopes, my uncle obviated the difficulty by pro- 
 ducing, or procuring, at least twenty witnesses, who were ready 
 to swear to his immaculate blood. This eldest brother had also 
 a son, on whom my father did not look with a very delighted eye ; 
 he invariably styled my hopeful cousin the Dohec-poora, or 
 washerwoman's boy. This youth I never had the felicity of 
 seeing ; for, though about mine own age, he lived a great way 
 from my juvenile residence. My uncle frequently came to our 
 town, and was for ever invoh'cd in disputes with my father ; and 
 so miserable did the latter contrive to make him, that at last he 
 determined to quit the part of tlie country where we lived, and 
 retire to live as far as possible from his brotherly torment. 
 Before he took this step, he made a proposal to a high caste 
 Brahmin to give his daughter to my cousin. My father hearing 
 this, made similar proposals on my behalf The Brahmin, 
 
 IGl 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 fancying my uncle was nearer the possession of the sceptre than 
 my father or my father's son, accepted my uncle's proposal in 
 preference. This so enraged my father, that he vowed the most 
 dreadful vengeance on his brother and the boy his son. The 
 ceremony of the betrothing was performed between my cousin 
 and the Brahmin's daughter, during which time my father 
 remained at home, and kept me with him, not willing that we 
 should be seen after he had sustained so great a mortification. 
 After the ceremony, my uncle and his son went afar off to reside, 
 as they had previously determined. 
 
 " About this period, I discovered that my father passed much 
 of his time rapt in meditation, and I often heard him muttering 
 to himself things which I could not comprehend, his arms folded, 
 and brow heavy and clouded. He frequently absented himself 
 from home all night, and on one occasion remained away three 
 successive days. Upon his return, I perceived he was wounded. 
 He gave out that he had been at Indore for the purpose of meeting 
 his brother Sevaje, who had requested him to do so by letter; 
 that, returning together,, they were waylaid and furiously attacked 
 by robbers ; that he escaped, but that his unhappy brother and 
 nephew had been assassinated. My father pretended to grieve 
 over his brother's fate, and declared he would become a siuiyasse^ 
 and retire from the world. As soon as he recovered from his 
 wounds, he was impatient to set out ; and one day, taking me by 
 the hand, he led me out of the back door of the house. We 
 proceeded through lanes and crooked streets into the fields, 
 walking at a rapid rate, and never looking behind us. We con- 
 tinued our journey until night came on, when we penetrated a 
 thick jungle, in the heart of which we discovered a cave. On 
 entering this gloomy abode, my father vociferated, * Ho ! Baba- 
 gossein Baha ! ' upon which a weak, but hollow voice, answered, 
 'Hah bjiae' or, 'What, brother?' My father then uttered 
 seme words wholly unintelligible in my ears, on which an aged 
 gossein opened a small wicket, and let us in. Immediately on 
 
 * Persons who leave their families and friends, and pretend devotion 
 to some particular god upon the least misfortune. They are clothed in red, 
 and wear high-heeled wooden shoes. Tliey are also styled gosseins. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 133 
 
 entering, my father fell down prostrate and kissed the feet of the 
 venerable sunyasse, and made me do the same. The old man 
 raised us up and gave us some rice to eat, which he had by him 
 ready prepared ; from this I guessed that our arrival was not 
 unexpected by our host. 
 
 " This sunyasse was indeed a strange being. He seemed a 
 living skeleton, without teeth, and bent double from age and 
 hardship; his hair was long, matted together, and stained 
 purposely of a dirty-brown colour ; his nails were as long as 
 the talons of a bird of prey, and his toes were bowed inwards, 
 while their nails furrowed the earth deeply at every step he 
 took. One hand and arm remained erect over his head ; in 
 fact, the arm was no longer a living member, owing to disuse 
 and the fixed position in which he had kept it for years, having 
 vowed never to allow it to resume its natural, nor indeed any 
 different position again. Pointed upwards from the shoulder to 
 which it belonged, with its shrivelled look, it had the effect 
 of giving its owner a character not belonging to the race of 
 men — strange and supernatural. Not a rag of clothing covered 
 his frightful anatomy, and his shrivelled and dried skin was 
 smeared from head to foot with dirt and ashes. By these morti- 
 fications, he fancied he should propitiate the deity. My father 
 beheld him with reverential awe, and I myself with inexpressible 
 disgust. 
 
 " In one corner of the sunyasse's cave was Gunputti the idol, 
 large, with an elephant's trunk ; and Mahadco, and Pan'ati his 
 wife, were carved in the rock immediately opposite. I concluded 
 that the purport of my father's visit to this miserable fanatic, was 
 as much to gain instruction as for security. Having eaten some 
 rice, the old man began to mumble prayers in a sepulchral tone ; 
 then to fall on the ground before the god, and keep dabbling in 
 water. My father imitated him with the utmost exactness, and 
 made me follow the example. I was heartily glad when these 
 numerous ceremonies, and their still more numerous genuflexions 
 were ended, as the stones on which they were made I found 
 painful enough to my bones. A dead silence now took place for 
 a full hour, the old gossein first breaking it by crying out., as loud 
 
 I 
 
134 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 as his crazy voice would permit, ' Sudasheo ! ' * and then desiring 
 my father to say, ^ Bom Mahadeo.^ My father did all he was 
 desired, and then they continued for another hour calling out, 
 one of them ' Sudasheo,' and the other, my father, roaring out 
 ' Bom Mahadeo,' until they were both exhausted. As soon as 
 the gossein had recovered a little, he rang a small bell, trimmed 
 his lamp, and bade us follow him. We now entered an inner 
 cell, where stood the figure of Siva? The gossein desired us tO' 
 do as we saw him do : this was to fall down nine times before 
 the idol. This troublesome business being over, and when I 
 hoped there was nothing more left for me to do, the old wretch 
 presented us with a copper vessel filled with blood — whether 
 human or not, I cannot say to this day. We were directed to 
 take each of us a mouthful, and squirt it out into the idol's face. 
 My father obeyed with great gravity ; but when it came to my 
 turn, I was in such haste to get rid of the filthy mouthful, that I 
 let the whole go, not into the face of the idol, but into the eyes 
 of our preceptor. My father immediately felled me to the 
 ground, apologising a thousand times over to the gossein for my 
 conduct. I yelled, cried, and begged forgiveness, promising to 
 hit the mark better next time. My father was told to repeat the 
 disgusting oblation sixteen times, and I was ordered to follow his 
 example. I succeeded, from fear, in getting nearly through with 
 the total number, in despite of my stomach's repeated warnings. 
 At last I was no longer able to subdue its rebellious impulses, and 
 Siva received, not the contents of my mouth alone, but both 
 together. Indeed, nature had effected wonders in enabling me 
 to resist so long the horrid doses of blood, which would have 
 disgusted a tiger. The gossein now set up a frightful yell ; and 
 my father, to appease his wrath and satisfy his own anger, once 
 more levelled me with the earth. Siva, the destroyer, had been 
 defiled, and it became necessary for the sunyasse to purify his 
 godship. For this purpose he fetched water, oil, sandal-wood, 
 and red ochre, muttering a prayer between each application. 
 Sundry cocoa-nuts were then offered, with prayers and moanings '? 
 
 * The name of an idol. - The destroyer. 
 
PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 '35 
 
 and after another hour spent in purifying the idol from the con- 
 tamination I had cast upon him, the sunyasse conducted us back 
 to the outer apartment. He now produced a cauldron, lit a fire, 
 and poured into the vessel water, blood, resin, oil, ghee, and 
 rice ; he then sprinkled brimstone into the fire, the blue flame 
 of which, shining upon his countenance, gave me a full view of 
 its cadaverous hideousness. So horrible and ghastly a being till 
 then I had never beheld. Terror crept coldly over me ; my 
 heart was chilled with secret fear, and the hue given to the 
 gossein's face by the brimstone impressed me with the idea of 
 his not being a creature of this world. Even my father's hard- 
 ened countenance bore an expression, if not of terror, of awe and 
 wonder, at the sight. The sunyasse next produced a string made 
 of horse-hair and fine cotton, which he dipped in his infernal 
 cauldron, muttering blessings or curses, T could not tell which. 
 He then, with a pair of tongs, drawing it from the cauldron, 
 bathed it in blood, drew it through his toes, and then soused 
 it once more in the charmed pot, where he suffered it to remain 
 about half-an-hour. Then taking off the cauldron, he poured its 
 contents at the feet of Gunputti, leaving the string at the bottom 
 of the pot, which he cut in two pieces, one longer than the other. 
 A-fter this, he formed the sacred string worn by the Brahmins, 
 gosseins, and many Hindoos. One of these strings was designed 
 for my father, and one for myself He desired us to take off our 
 old strings and cast them into the fire ; and this being done, he 
 invested us with those he had just consecrated, telling us that as 
 long as we preserved them pure and entire, and never removed 
 them from our bodies, we should rest in perfect security, safe 
 from the attacks of enemies, and unhurt by the shafts of malice, or 
 even the incantations of witchcraft. He then presented my father 
 with some of his own hair, consecrated in the same manner as the 
 string had been, and he ingeniously, with his one hand only, wove 
 it into my father's locks. This, he told him, was an additional 
 security ; and as long as he wore it interwoven with his own, 
 all his schemes, objects, and desires should prosper. We now 
 stripped, by his order, and were rubbed over with ashes from 
 the fire over which the cauldron had been heated. My father's 
 
136 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 eyebrows were scored with red ochre as well as mine, and this, 
 with large daubs of red paint on our naked bodies, finished at 
 length our consecration, of which I was heartily tired. We were 
 now told we might go to rest, and depart on the following morning. 
 I was indeed happy to find a quiet corner anywhere, in which 
 I might obtain a few hours of comfortable repose. 
 
 " The morning again dawned ; but my sleep had not refreshed 
 me. Horrid dreams annoyed me through the night. Idols, 
 Brahmins, devils, and sunyasses, visited my slumbers by turns. 
 I was flung from rocks and down precipices ; now lifted up to 
 the sky, and whirled about with surprising velocity — or thrown 
 into black gulphs, where I appeared falling amid thick and 
 bottomless darkness ; now I was held in the hands of Siva, or 
 gi'asped in the talons of a mis-shapen demon. One time I fancied 
 I was boihng in the sunyasse's cauldron, and then swimming in a, 
 river of blood. These terrors, caused by hurried imagination 
 from what I had seen, combined with an empty stomach, pre- 
 vented the refreshment commonly arising from rest. Well or ill, 
 however, I was summoned early enough to attend my father, who 
 had taken leave of his tutor, and now bade me to do the same. 
 He ordered me to make my salaam to the holy man, and then we 
 set out on our travels, completely metamorphosed from what we 
 had been on the preceding day. I was much concerned to see 
 my father in his present circumstances. Before, he had a manly, 
 warlike appearance ; now he looked a most mean, abject wretch, 
 covered with filth and ashes. His hair straggled wild, stained 
 brown, and his body was bedaubed with paint, while he had only 
 a rag to cover him. I could not see myself, it is true, but I could 
 fancy how I looked. The more I did so, the more I detested 
 myself, and the profession on which my father had forced me to 
 enter. We had not proceeded many coss on our journey before 
 I formed the resolution of decamping, and leaving my wise father 
 to enjoy the pleasures and profits of his new mode of life alone. 
 It was not long before an opportunity occurred favourable for 
 carrying my resolution into effect. We were met by a gang of 
 gosseins, who invited us into a cavern, where they ate opium and 
 smoked ganza, until they were all stretched insensible on the 
 
PANDURANG HARI, 137 
 
 ground. Finding how profound their sleep was, I lost not a 
 moment in carrying my intention of decamping into effect. 
 Arising softly, I unbarred the wicket, sallied forth, and from that 
 hour to this have never seen nor heard anything of my sagacious 
 father. 
 
 " The first thing I did on gaining my liberty was to proceed to 
 a tank, and wash myself clean from the paint and ashes with 
 which I was plastered. I took care, however, to preserve the 
 sacred string ; and thus purified, and in appearance a poor 
 cultivator's son, I begged my way to Holkar's capital, Indore, 
 where I served in his Highness's stables. I next entered the 
 service of a banian, and then of a tailor. From them I went 
 as boy to a carcoon, hoping through this last service to obtain a 
 footing in the royal durbar. ]\Iy court speculation, however, 
 served me to little purpose. One of the carcoons, to whom I 
 had made myself useful, promised to get me made deputy-foujdar 
 or under-runner in the police department I bowed to the earth 
 before him upon having this kind offer, but still lingered month 
 after month in idleness. At length the place became vacant, and 
 I entertained reasonable hopes of success. I never omitted an 
 opportunity of standing in the way of the head carcoon, but to no 
 purpose. I smiled and bowed, and bowed and smiled, in vain : 
 he seemed to have forgotten both myself and his promise. I 
 determined to remind him of it, and proceeding through the 
 bazaar towards the palace for that purpose (for he transacted his 
 business there), I saw a procession attended by the peons of the 
 police department, and on inquiry learned, to my great mortifi- 
 cation, it was the newly appointed deputy-foujdar, who had been 
 presented at court, and was just installed into his office. This 
 was a cutting disappointment to me, and with downcast eyes I 
 sauntered towards the palace, in the hope some other place was in 
 reserve for me. I could not gain admittance ; but was obliged 
 to wait outside all day till the carcoon appeared. The only 
 notice he took of me was to desire I would get out of his way, 
 and I was forced to obey the command. Presently all my 
 friends, who heard me speak of my promised good fortune, 
 called me boor ke luddoo^ or the great man's sport. 
 
8 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " Being now thoroughly disgusted with all around me, I went 
 to my lodging, which was at a baker's shop. The baker's wife 
 was scolding and rating him about money matters ; and I soon 
 discovered that I was the unfortunate cause, the wife insisting 
 upon the propriety of his compelling me to pay. I approached 
 them, and promised to settle the next day; how, or by what 
 miracle I was to fulfil this promise, I knew not. The woman 
 now lowered her tone, and the man proceeded with his business. 
 I was additionally mortified by this accident, and sought my for- 
 lorn garret with no very enviable feelings. I now began to 
 consider what I should do, or how evade my promise of payment. 
 After much cogitation, I made up my mind to decamp ; but to 
 effect this with success, it was necessary I should avail myself ot 
 the present moment. Softl}*, therefore, unbarring the door of 
 my room, I groped my way down the narrow staircase which led 
 to it, and found myself close to the baker's chamber. I distinctly 
 heard him and his wife conversing. Money was the subject; 
 and I heard the woman say, ' When we get the ten rupees from 
 the lodger, we shall have a round hundred, you know.' * Aye,* 
 said the husband, ' but I fear we shall have no chance of getting 
 them.' * No chance ! ' replied the wife, ' if he does not pay us 
 the first thing in the morning, I will claw his eyes out — that I 
 will.' ^If,' said the baker, 'his eyes would sell for five rupees 
 apiece, I would help you ; but as they are not saleable articles, let 
 us be content with the gold buried in the hole in the inner room, 
 and send him about his business.' *No, it shan't be so,' said 
 the woman ; ' if he must go about his business, he shall go with a 
 dozen rattans on his back, for I am determined to get him 
 punished as an impostor.' This agreeable piece of information 
 determined me not to await the tender mercies of the baker's wife. 
 I immediately descended the stairs, and cautiously entering the 
 inner room, I groped about in search of the treasure, and I 
 believe examined every hole until I came to one where I thought 
 the money must be concealed. I thrust in my hand with great 
 eagerness, but withdrew it again with still more ; for I had thrust 
 it into a heap of burning ashes, which caused me intolerable pain. 
 It was, in fact, a small oven, where the baker's wife prepared the 
 
PANDURANG HArI 139 
 
 light cakes, which were her exclusive manufacture. The pain I 
 suffered was so great, and my right hand so utterly useless, that, 
 though inclined to search further, I had not the power. Witli 
 my left, therefore, as softly as I could, I unbolted the door, and 
 reached the verandah, where I thought I was beyond the reach of 
 •danger, entirely forgetting the dog that carefully guarded the out- 
 side. On my stepping'out, up he sprung, and commenced hostili- 
 ties by a dreadful barking ; and set a whole pack in the street at 
 the same unwelcome noise. I had not a moment to repent of 
 the mode by which I had so thoughtlessly attempted to abscond. 
 I stood still a moment, not knowing which way to turn or w^hat to 
 •do. The baker, aroused by the barking, vociferated, ' Who is 
 there ? ' Waiting a moment, and getting no reply, his wife began 
 to scream out, 'Thieves' thieves!' upon which I made a bolt and 
 ran down the street. The night rounds, alarmed at the noise the 
 ■dogs made, and the cry of ' Thieves ! ' rapidly approached me, 
 I dared not pass them, lest suspicion should attach to myself ; 
 but, with tolerable presence of mind, I called out to the patrol, 
 ' Come within, my friends, there are no less than twenty thieves 
 broke into Mahadaje, the baker's shop ; for Heaven's sake, 
 •come and help us ! ' Off they went, thinking I was following 
 them ; but I took care to turn down a narrow alley, and seek 
 refuge in a shed full of cows and buffaloes. How I longed to be 
 in the open fields ! This was impossible until daylight ; for the 
 city gates w^ere shut, and would not be opened until then. I had 
 not long been in my place of concealment, when the night watch 
 passed, searching for the baker's lodger, who had stolen all the 
 money, and decamped. ' The rascal ! ' said one, ' I wish we 
 could find him.' 'Well,' said another, 'and if we could, what 
 should we do ? ' ' Do,' replied the first, ' why, take the baker's 
 money from him, and let him go.' ' And give the baker the 
 money ? ' ' No, no,' said the first, ' I warrant we should know 
 hov/ to dipose of that amongst ourselves.' * That's right,' ex- 
 claimed three or four voices at once ; ' but how has the fellow 
 escaped us ? It must have been he who called to us to assist the 
 baker.' 'He is a cunning fellow,' said another, 'he quite 
 deceived me.' ' He made fools of all of us,' said a number of 
 
140 PANDURANG HArI 
 
 voices together ; * but, if we find him, we will make him repent 
 his knavery.' ' We shall never find him,' said a single voice ; ' let 
 us go on and search, however.' I now found, from the sound of 
 their voices, that they were moving away from the spot where I 
 had concealed myself, to my no small satisfaction. 
 
 " Before daylight appeared, a part of Holkar's army, com- 
 manded by Sawunt Rao Baboo Rao, passed by my place of 
 concealment. Nothing could happen more opportunely for my 
 deliverance. I waited until the camp-followers that usually flock 
 in the rear should make their appearance. It was not long ; and 
 this class of persons being as numerous as the detachment it 
 accompanied, I contrived, under cover of the dawn, to slip in 
 amongst them without observation, and thus effect my escape 
 from Indore. No one can imagine the joy I felt at being once 
 more in the open fields. The detachment at length halted at a 
 village about ten coss from the city ; and when people had time 
 to ask questions, I was repeatedly asked who I was, first by one^ 
 and then by another; and to every person I told a different 
 story. First, I was the son of a soldier ; next, of a suttee ; and 
 then, of a baker. I repented mentioning the latter trade ; for 
 one of my inquisitors, first looking hard at me, asked me if I 
 knew a baker named Mahadaje. I replied in the negative ; for 
 that was the name of him from whom I had absconded. The 
 fellow remarked it was somewhat strange I should not know the 
 chief baker of Indore. I replied that I had never said I baked 
 in Indore, as I was never there for more than one hour in my 
 life. 'What ! ' said my questioner, 'did you not join us there ?' 
 I answered, ' No ; I joined you at the village about four coss 
 from Indore.' ' Indeed ! then it was at the village you baked, 
 was it ? ' he rejoined. ' No, ' said I ; 'I sold liquor there. ' 
 ' Well, my friend,' remarked the other, ' I think I never was in 
 company with such a liar before, as thou art ! It happens that 
 my uncle is the sole liquor-seller in the village, being the only 
 man licensed to do so by Government ; and as to your selling 
 a bottle there — you would as soon dare to mock royalty itself to 
 its face ! Thus, fully satisfied that your tale of being a liquor- 
 merchant is false, I am justified also in doubting the correctness 
 
PANDURANG hArL 141 
 
 of your baking storv'.' I was now in utter confusion, and thought 
 I could get out ot cne scrape by stating that I was a Hquor-makcr 
 only, but feared detection in my brewing as well as in my baking. 
 I could not tell what more to say to satisfy the inquirer, whom I 
 heartily wished to the devil during the collotjuy, when I per- 
 ceived a Mahratta carcoon unhorsed, and the animal running 
 away at full speed. I did not lose a moment in flying to the 
 assistance of the fallen man, and thus put a stop to any further 
 examination. I found the carcoon much hurt. He was sensible 
 of my attention, and desired me to keep close to him ; by doing 
 which, I avoided a repetition of my brewing and baking con- 
 versations. My attention to the fallen man was not lost ; for he 
 appointed me his inkstand-bearer, and I remained in his employ- 
 ment : so that, whatever inclination my inquisitorial friend might 
 have had to renew the conversation and prosecute his inquiries 
 further, he was too much overawed by knowing I was one of the 
 lowest of the low on the ladder of power. I kept my situation as 
 long as my master retained his, which was about two months 
 from that time, when he was turned adrift for reasons which I 
 did not learn. Fearing my old enemy might annoy me again, I 
 volunteered my services as inkstand-bearer to a young, acting, 
 under-deputy assisting-clerk, named Pandurang Hurl, and was 
 accepted. Pandoo, though not high in office, ranked among the 
 favourites of our Maharaj Sawunt Rao. This was, therefore 
 protection sufficient for me, and I served without any hope of 
 wages." — [During this part of the narration, the Pindaree gave 
 me several looks, which no one but ourselves could understand, 
 the other Pindarees not being aware we had ever before met.] — 
 " I served this vagabond, Pandoo, for some time, until he also 
 lost his situation by concerning himself too deeply in a hanging 
 affair, and he narrowly escaped the halter; but the fellows 
 ingenuity saved him. It appeared that he had buried some 
 ornaments under his bed belonging to a man who had been 
 murdered. These ornaments his principal in office, named 
 Govindah, had ferreted out, and got into his possession. Pandoo 
 gave so good an explanation of the manner by which they had 
 come into his possession, and expressed himself so ready to give 
 
142 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 them up to the son of the murdered man, that he escaped ; and 
 the carcoon was ordered to make good the amount, which 
 exao;oreration increased from two thousand to four thousand 
 ■rupees — thus, Govindah was a loser. Pandoo was sent to a 
 paugah, and I remained idling about. I was wandering I know 
 not whither, reflecting on the fate of Govindah, whom I hated — 
 because, but for him I should have reaped a golden harvest, 
 having spent two entire days in persuading a client what a useful 
 man of business I was, and what interest I possessed, and how 
 much I had it in my power to assist him. The envious Govindah 
 came up, just as I was about to finger the cash. He threatened 
 to annihilate me, and ruin the petitioner ; moreover, informing 
 the latter I was a mere cheat, who could not give him the smallest 
 assistance. I was, therefore, the enemy of Govindah ; and it was 
 by my means chiefly that Pandoo got off" as well as he did. 
 Previous to our first engagement with Scindea, while we were in 
 camp at Indore, some soldiers, dissatisfied with the smallness of 
 their pay, and others disconcerted at getting none at all, were 
 idling about the camp ; I joined them, and heard the detail of 
 their grievances, as they were making their mutual complaints. 
 At that moment, we saw a man stealing cautiously along, as if 
 wishing to evade notice ; he had a bundle in his hand, and his 
 turban was tied under his chin — a sure sign he was going to run 
 away. The hungry soldiers rushed upon him like ravenous 
 beasts of prey, gagged and rifled him of four thousand rupees, 
 which he had in a bag, concealed about his person. I came in 
 for my share ; and what was my surprise at discovering, in the 
 unlucky wight we had pillaged, Govindah the carcoon ! He 
 had escaped from prison, although his friends had raised the 
 money to pay his fine ; but, instead of doing so, the mean villain 
 was endeavouring to decamp with it in his possession. We were 
 at a loss how to dispose of the fellow, when one of the soldiers, 
 more ingenious than the others, called out, ' A spy ! a spy ! ' 
 This succeeded admirably ; and, by a strange chain of events, 
 Pandurang H^ri was the person who issued orders for his 
 immediate execution, not being at all aware who the man was. I 
 took care not to undeceive him ; for I saw the carcoon recoe^nised 
 
PAXDURAXG HARL 143 
 
 me, and I should have to answer for being concerned in robbing 
 him : the sooner he was removed, therefore, the better. I 
 hastened the execution of the unlucky wretch, and he was hung 
 up without loss of time. On the following morning, early, 
 Pandoo was moving about the camp, when I unfolded the 
 circumstance to him of the pretended spy being no other than 
 Govindah, w^hom we had both such good cause to detest He 
 desired me to conceal the body as quickly as possible, lest inquiry 
 should be made into the matter. That very day was the day of the 
 battle, and I did not anticipate any very active search for 
 the dead man, nor any outcry at seeing a corpse dangle from a 
 tree, when there were so many to be seen everj^where around. I 
 neglected Pandoo's advice to bury the body immediately, 
 thinking that, if necessary at all, after the engagement would be 
 time enough." 
 
 The Pindarees here growing sleepy as well as myself (for it 
 was after three o'clock in the morning), we agreed to defer 
 hearing the remainder of the tale until the next evening 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 HE next evening, being all seated together as before, 
 the first Pindaree continued his story as follows :— 
 "As soon as the battle was over, I hastened to the 
 camp, and from thence to the tree where Govindah hung, and 
 removed the body. Having no assistant, and being too lazy to 
 dig a proper grave for it, I threw it into a deep pit or hollow, 
 covering it over with stones and rubbish. To conceal the corpse 
 effectually, however, I found it necessary to decend into the pit 
 myself; and I completed the operation, and was about to ascend, 
 when I saw a woman turn the corner of a rock that hung over 
 the hollow. I had committed no murder, but to be seen em- 
 ployed in such an affair filled me with terror ; so that my whole 
 frame shook violently, and rendered all my efforts abortive for 
 reaching the upper earth again. I was paralysed with unknown 
 fear, and my limbs refused to perform their accustomed offices. 
 By great exertion, and using every mental and bodily energy I 
 could summon to aid me in the task, I climbed about half-way 
 up the rugged sides of the pit, and made sure of reaching the 
 top, when, happening to look up, I again saw the tall female 
 figure I had before observed; she was bending over the brink. 
 I averted my eyes, and, having a tolerable footing, kept my 
 position. I ventured to look again, and her form was gone. I 
 now gathered courage, and was getting towards the brink slowly 
 but steadily, when the haggard visage of the woman again met 
 my gaze. Her eyes were fixed sternly and fiercely upon me. I 
 continued to hold fast by the stump of a tree, growing from the 
 almost perpendicular side of the hollow, for a moment or two. 
 At once my knees began to shake under me, my hands relaxed 
 from their hold, and down I fell to the bottom of the pit, upon 
 the dead body of Govindah, which I had deposited directly 
 under the place where I attempted to climb up. The covering 
 of rubbish I had laid upon it was but scanty, and the body 
 
 144 
 
FANDURANG HArI 145 
 
 served to break the violence of my fall. I did not escape, how- 
 ever, unhurt, having sprained my right ankle violently, and 
 received several slight bruises. Evening approached, and I still 
 lay helpless in the pit. A thousand times I cursed my folly in 
 again going near the hateful body of Govindah. Had I but 
 buried it, in obedience to the wishes of Pandurang Hari, all 
 would have been well. My approaching it the second time must 
 have arisen from the fiend conscience gnawing my heart, and 
 telling me I was indirectly a murderer ! I felt this was the 
 cause that actuated me in concealing the body ; and thus the 
 step I took to evade detection might end in being the means 
 that should discover me. As I lay, or rather sat (for I had raised 
 myself up a little), I fancied I saw the flash of a lamp on the 
 opposite side of the pit ; but how it could come there I was at a 
 loss to discover. Now it flashed upon my sight, and then dis- 
 appeared, leaving all around as black as night. I never shall 
 forget the horrors of that infernal den ! 
 
 " The light now appeared again, and I could distinguish a tall 
 figure, muffled up in a dark dress, approaching with that 
 solemnity of step which indicates energy and power. The 
 figure now came close, and I could distinguish that the light was 
 borne by the tall woman whose appalling countenance had so 
 struck me when it looked down upon me in the pit. I felt cold 
 water run through all my veins again at the sight of her ; I was 
 as lifeless, as bereft of power, as the corpse on which I was 
 seated. My joints seemed dropping asunder with fear ; and a 
 blow, like that of a strong man's hand, struck upon my heart, 
 when a deep, hoarse voice said, * Rise, accursed murderer ! rise, 
 I say, or dread my vengeance ! ' Had terror not paralysed me 
 before, the authoritative tone of this command must have done so. 
 I attempted to obey, but fell back again; my sprained ankle 
 rendered the effort fruitless. The woman, seeing this, grasped 
 my wrist with the strength of a giant, and pulled me upon my 
 feet. She bade me follow her, and I hobbled on a few yards, 
 until we came to a strong wooden door, not three feet high, 
 through which she crept, and ordered me to enter after her. I 
 obeyed, for I had no resource but to obey. She led the way to 
 
146 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 a miserable and damp cell, and, pointing to a mat in one corner^ 
 bade me sit ujDon it. She then placed herself opposite me, and, 
 after a short pause, addressed me thus : — ' What punishment is 
 due to remorseless murderers ? What should I not do to the 
 villain who has robbed me of a son?' Here she fell into a 
 paroxysm of rage that relieved itself in tears. ' Govindah, whom 
 you, miscreant as you are, have murdered, was my son — my only 
 tie to this vile life — the being for whom I dragged on a miserable 
 existence, which the sight of him alone made tolerable to me. 
 Thou hast basely slain him, and dreadful shall be the vengeance 
 which I will inflict upon thee for this crime. Here, on this 
 
 earth, I swear ' ' Stay ! ' I cried ; ' I conjure thee, stay, and 
 
 hear me ! I am not thy son's murderer ! ' Speech, that had been 
 taken from me by fear, now seemed restored by the dread of en- 
 countering something more terrible than I had ever yet done. I 
 prayed her to hear my story before she imprecated the vengeance 
 of hell upon me; and as she made no attempt to deny my 
 request, I related to her how I came to appear under such 
 suspicious circumstances, asserting that I told her only the truth. 
 I went into my whole history, as I did here yesterday evening, 
 and swore by the holy cow I had kept back nothing from her. 
 
 " When I had concluded, she remained some time silent, mus- 
 ing and muttering something unintelligible to my ears. At length 
 she said, ' Boy, I will be satisfied — it must be so ! yet. Heaven 
 forbid ! — bare thy left arm ! ' I did as she commanded me. 
 Taking up the lamp and examining my arm closely, she fell to the 
 earth with a frightful shriek. I crawled towards her, and proffered 
 assistance which I had no power to give ; when she arose, crying, 
 ' Who can war with fate ? — the witch's words are verified ! I have 
 fostered a viper, and it has stung me ! ' I requested her to explain 
 herself, and excused my own conduct as to having willingly injured 
 her. After some further time spent in lamentation and weeping* 
 she said, ' There was a time, young man, when I loved you as my 
 own dear son, who now lies cold on the outside of this cave ; but 
 for him you would never have lived to be the cause of the death 
 of your preserver. This was predicted before you were two days 
 under my care.' ' My preseiTer ! — Govindah, my preserver ! ' I 
 
PANDURANG hArL 147 
 
 exclaimed. ' You were abandoned, young man, by those who 
 stole you from your friends ; you were put into a basket, and sent 
 afloat in the wide river. Your father had scarcely overcome the 
 loss of your mother, who died in bringing you into the world, 
 when he was again thrown into affliction by the news of his child 
 having been stolen. We found you, and he whom you have des- 
 troyed rescued you from the waves ; he plunged into the river, and 
 bore you to the shore — thus, at the risk of his own life, preserving 
 yours. I caressed you, and gave you food and raiment. My son 
 Govindah, on entering the city the following day, made his dis- 
 covery of you public, or rather of finding a male child floating on 
 the surface of the stream. Your father heard the report, and 
 had an interview with my son, who conducted him to my cottage; 
 and he brought with him persons who identified you, and claimed 
 you as his child. I had become so foolishly fond of you, that I 
 begged, with tears in my eyes, as you had lost your mother, that 
 I might be allowed to supply her place. Your father consented, 
 and left you under my care for a year, at the expiration of which 
 he intimated his intention of calling for you. He then departed, 
 after liberally rewarding both me and my son. A few days after, 
 Govindah set out in quest of employment, and being an excellent 
 writer, entertained sanguine hopes of succeeding in the ALihratta 
 durbar. The day preceding his departure, as we were sitting at 
 our door enjoying the coolness of the evening breeze, Govindah 
 smoking and I employed in nursing you, an old woman came 
 and begged alms. I gave her a few pice, and, in return, she 
 blessed me, but prophesied that the infant in my arms should one 
 day cause me unutterable grief, and prove the destruction of my 
 son. I ridiculed the prophecy, when she repeated, 'You foster a 
 serpent in your bosom, who will return your kindness with his 
 venomous sting 1' I begged to know how I should a\oid the evil, 
 when the old woman told me to give her the child, and she would 
 deliver it to its father. I now suspected the witch was an emissary 
 of your father's enemy ; and, refusing her offer, I bade her depart.. 
 She did as I commanded, and went away muttering, ' You foster a 
 serpent ! — you foster a serpent ! ' How true she spoke ! That 
 serpent is now before me ; he has destroyed his deliverer with his 
 venom — he has stuni? his benefactor — he has made childless her 
 
148 PANDURANG hArI 
 
 who nursed his orphan years — he has made the widow desolate ! 
 
 Govindah, my son ! here is thy murderer ! ' 
 
 "The woman then gave way to a violent paroxysm of grief, 
 while I sat the image of amazement and regret. After a little 
 time had elapsed, she again resumed her story. She said that at 
 the end of a year my father called to take me away, and she never 
 saw me again after that time ; that, from the circumstances I had 
 narrated to her, her suspicions were confirmed that I was the 
 infant that she fostered. On examining my arm, she knew me 
 by an indelible mark I bore upon it, and her suspicions were con- 
 firmed. She told me, moreover, how she discovered her son. 
 Many years had elapsed before she saw him after his depar- 
 ture from the cottage on the banks of the river, where he found 
 me. When she first saw him, it was but for a short time, he 
 having succeeded in getting employment, being made chief car- 
 coon to Sawunt Rao Copal Rao, who was about to take the 
 field. * He brought to me,' said the woman, 'two thousand rupees 
 to keep for him, and five hundred for myself; he then departed 
 again. The next time I saw him he was a prisoner, confined 
 unjustly, and a fine of four thousand rupees was set upon him. 
 
 1 gave up the two thousand he left with me, as much of my 
 own as I could spare, and some of our relations made up the 
 rest. With what joy did I take the money to his prison, and how 
 my heart rejoiced at the hope of beholding him on the following 
 day at liberty ! Alas ! I was doomed never to behold him again 
 alive ! a report reached me that he had absconded. I have no 
 doubt of his having bribed his guards, and that he was proceed- 
 ing to me, in this my concealed habitation, to restore me my money. 
 On this journey it was that he was surrounded, as you inform me, 
 by the rapacious soldiery, and executed as a spy. I wandered 
 about when I heard of his escape, hoping to meet him; but what 
 was my horror on seeing him lifeless! At the very time the armies 
 were engaged, he was suspended from a mango-tree. I had 
 scarcely recognised him, when I fell to the ground in an agony of 
 grief Mine was a mother's sorrow ; there is none that cuts so 
 deep. A thirst of revenge mingled witli my grief; I vowed, if I 
 discovered the author of his shameful death, to visit him with a 
 parent's vengeance. It struck mc that those who hanged my son 
 
FANDURANG HArI 
 
 149 
 
 might again visit the spot where his body was suspended. I kept 
 watch, not far off, behind the rock which overhangs the pit, and 
 commands a view of the fatal tree. I saw you cut down the body; 
 but I need tell you nothing more ; you will not easily forget it. 
 I can only say my determination was to keep you at the bottom 
 of the pit until I could get you apprehended, being certain, from 
 your last fall, you could not escape. I descended to the bottom 
 by a passage known only to myself, and thus we met ; may we 
 never meet again ! Go, and let the reflection that you destroyed 
 the life of him who preserved yours, be your punishment, and 
 embitter your days in this world ! Go, and let the great Dum dis- 
 pose of you as he sees fit, when your lot is cast to die ! ' I was 
 overpowered by the awful manner in which she spoke. I never 
 heard her speak again. She arose, and, beckoning with her finger, 
 I obeyed as well as I was able. She led me up a narrow stone 
 staircase, between two rocks, which brought us to the surface of 
 the pit. She waved her hand to me to go away ; I fell at her feet 
 and embraced them, expressing the anguish I suffered for having 
 caused her so much misery. She again waved her hand for me to 
 depart. After I had gone but a little distance, I turned round and 
 looked, but the woman and the light were no longer to be seen. 
 
 "The night was dark and gloomy. Lame, forlorn, and un- 
 happy, I walked or crippled along, I knew not whither, until the 
 morning broke, when I was surrounded by a party of horsemen, 
 who forced me to accompany them. These, it will be readily con- 
 jectured, were the Pindarees with whom we now are. I soon after 
 embraced their mode of life, and have remained with them three 
 years. Now, my friends, it strikes me you will agree that it is 
 impossible any one can have been rendered more unhappy than 
 myself, in struggling for subsistence through this world of miser}'." 
 
 Here my old inkstand-bearer concluded, and we all agreed for- 
 tune had dealt hardly with him. The other two Pindarees, 
 although they were of the same opinion, yet declared he had 
 far less reason to complain than themselves. It was proposed on 
 the following night the second Pindaree should relate his story. 
 This being settled, we stretched ourselves on our respective mats, 
 and were quickly lost in a profound slumber. 
 
 K 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HE second Pindaree began his story on the following 
 evening as follows : — " My name is Fuzl Khan, and I 
 am a true Musselman. I was born at Broach in 
 Guzerat. My father was a Shiekul-ghur, or sword grinder ; my 
 mother earned her pence by selling in the open streets the most 
 dainty kahobs^ in the town. These luxuries were retailed hot to 
 passengers and afternoon loungers ; and so excellently did the 
 good woman roast and fry them, that several Musselmen of 
 consideration would stop at her stall, and partake of her exquisite 
 morsels. At the time I mention, Broach belonged to Scindea ; 
 at pr^nt, as you know, it is in the possession of the English ; 
 and I imderstand kabobs are just as much in fashion there now as 
 ever. *^n my early years, I showed a disposition, or rather a talent, 
 for stealing and deceiving, really wonderful for my age. Few 
 excelled me in a stratagem for outwitting others, among youth 
 of my own standing. But you will say that was not wonderful, 
 considering I was the son of a sharpner, or sharper, to come 
 nearer to the point. My father was occupied all day in grinding, 
 and my mother in frying ; they had not much time, therefore, to 
 look after me. I generally passed my hours in idleness, wallowing 
 in the dust in fine weather, and playing with the mud during the 
 monsoon. In such a city as Broach, I did not want companions 
 in my dirty amusements; and I was particularly fond of the 
 society of a dozen young Mohammedans as idle as myself. I 
 shall pass over my first years, and proceed with my history from 
 the time when I was fifteen, about which period of my life I 
 contracted a fondness for gambling. So eager was I in the pur- 
 
 * P'.eces of roasted meat. 
 150 
 
F'AADURANG HARI. 
 
 suit of my favourite propensity, that I stuck at no means of- 
 raising funds to enable me to indulge in my love of it. Aly 
 father seldom interfered with me in my childhood. Instead of 
 chastising me as I deserved, he did nothing to check my idle 
 propensities, and would enjoy any sly trick of mine which came 
 to his knowledge. Sometimes, to be sure, if I offended him, 
 he threatened to cut oft' my head ; and as he was ever}- hour of 
 the day armed with an instrument well oilculated for the pur- 
 pose, I trembled for my safety upon such occasions, and kept 
 out of his way. 
 
 "My mother was more indulgent to me than my father, and 
 from helping her at twelve years of age in her daily avocation of 
 cooking kabobs, I contracted an attachment to tbe culinary pro- 
 fession, in preference to the more dignified business of my father. 
 The latter was extremely angry at my giving the frying-pan a 
 preference to the grinding-stone, and tried every mode to obliter- 
 ate my attachment for so degrading a business. He called it a 
 'beastly occupation to live by roasting and rolling in grease, fit 
 only for old women.' My mother on these ocoisions would 
 retaliate by abusing the mystery of the grinding-stone ; and these 
 disputes, begun in jest, frequently ended in earnest. Volleys of 
 abuse were let loose, and whenever exhausted nature afforded a 
 raomentar}' pause, though this seldom happened until they had 
 mutually come to a standstill for lack of fresh epithets of vitupera- 
 tion, my father generally broke silence first, saying, ' It does not 
 signify talking, Fuzl Khan shall grind.' ' He shall not grind,' 
 my mother would reply ; ' he shall fry.' Then the stonii would 
 rage, till the words * grind,' 'fry' — 'grind,' 'fry' — were alone 
 distinguishable ; but I found that my mother had invariably the 
 last word. Perhaps this led me to believe that she was always 
 right, and my father always wrong ; for the last word she always 
 would have if life depended upon it : and as often as my poor 
 father said ' grind,' ' fry ' was sure to come after — the first growled 
 out, and the last muttered, to avoid a concord of sounds. Thus, 
 between grinding and frying, I led a very uncomfortable life, and 
 often meditated a trip to Surat, and a disappointment to both my 
 father and mother. My old companions, however, dissuaded me ; 
 
152 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 and, for the sake of peace, I endeavoured to please both m>« 
 parents — by grinding at times for the one, and frying a Httle for 
 the other. Every pice I co>rfd raise I novv^ staked at puchees^ 
 ekiheki'^ and other games. ^his course of hfe, besides taking my 
 money, led me into serious quarrels with my companions. A 
 youth named Buxoo Bhos invariably won my money, and I began 
 at length to entertain suspicions of his unfair dealings with me. 
 One day he fleeced me of every pice I could raise, and I pro- 
 posed one game more of eki beki, in the vain hope of regaining 
 my money. He assented, and we began to play. I was soon 
 more end more a loser, and he insisted upon my giving him a small 
 and favourite gold ring which I always wore, as a pledge for the 
 debt. I threw it to him, and went away in no very enviable state 
 of mind. It so happened, that when I reached home my father 
 ordered me to turn his grinding-lathe for an hour or two ; I con- 
 sented with a very ill grace. After the first hour, my father was 
 called away, and desired me during his absence to polish the 
 sword he had just sharpened. It was a long Mahratta double- 
 edged weapon, and consequently required double labour. In my 
 then ill-humour, I polished away at a great rate, wishing to get 
 through my job as soon as I could, and also to work off the 
 remembrance of my ill-luck and the avarice of my antagonist 
 My father's grinding-shop was situated in an obscure alley, where 
 few people were to be seen after sunset. This evening, unfor- 
 tunately, just as I had finished one edge of the sword, I looked 
 up and saw the greedy Buxoo, who, in a triumphant manner pas- 
 sing by, held up to my view the ring I had lost, and gave a smile 
 of exultation as it caught my eye. This was more than I could 
 bear ; I rushed out of the shop with the two-edged sword in my 
 hand, and cut at him with it. The blow fell over his shoulder ; 
 down he dropped, and away I ran as fast as my legs would carry 
 me, leaving the sword behind me. I took refuge in my mother's 
 kabob-shop, dreading the result of my furious conduct. My 
 mother was not within, but I soon saw her return laden with 
 sheep's heads, tails, livers, and trotters. ' Hey-day, son,' said she, 
 ^ what brings you here ? I thought you were at the grinding- 
 ' A sort of chsss. - Old and even. 
 
PANDURANG HAr'I. 153 
 
 shop ? ' * O, mother ! ' cried I, ' confound the grinding-shop, and 
 all that belongs to it. I have brought myself into trouble. 
 Would to Allah I had never touched a sword ! ' ' What now — 
 what now ? ' said my mother. ' I have only killed a young man 
 with the sword I was grinding, as he passed by the shop.*/ I 
 then told her the whole tale, and of my loss at eki beki. ^he 
 good woman loaded Buxoo with abuse, and did not seem to 
 think I was much to blame. Whilst we were talking over the 
 matter, some of the durbar police entered the cook-shop, and 
 seized me without asking a single question. A crowd surrounded 
 the door instantly, and thus was I led in captivity to the choii'kee 
 or lock-up house. My mother went weeping and wailing behind 
 me. 
 
 '^ In the chowkee I passed the night, and in the morning was 
 led before the chief magistrate of the city. Buxoo, with his arm 
 in a sling, stood ready to Lear witness to the assault made upon 
 him; he stated the truth with a little exaggerated colouring. 
 The cazee * was present, and bore his part in the consultation and 
 proceedings. The chief magistrate was inclined to propose a 
 fme only upon me ; but Cazee Shana, badeen, who never lost an 
 opportunity of displaying his consequence, insisted on the 
 propriety of applying the rattan, to which I was accordingly 
 sentenced to the tune of two dozen stripes. The fme was thirty 
 rupees, w^hich my father and mother between them paid for me ; 
 but no entreaties could prevail on the magistrates to remit the 
 rattan. Fortunately, I had not hurt Buxoo so much as I had 
 expected. Probably in my hurry I turned the sword, so that the 
 flat part, or at all events the blunted edge, only fell upon him ; 
 had I struck him with the edge which had been just set in order, 
 I must have cut into the bone. All this was said after the 
 manner of prosing judges from the bench, and mingled with 
 admonitions to curb my passion for the future. 
 
 " The rattan was duly applied, and I roared with pain ; in 
 
 addition to which my ears were assailed between every stroke 
 
 with the piercing shrieks of my mother. The two dozen being 
 
 unmercifully laid on, I was suffered to go home. My mother 
 
 ' A Mohammedan official. 
 
154 PAND URANG HART. 
 
 rubbed my back over with mutton fat, oil, ghee, and other greasy 
 substances, and then put me to bed, where the agony I endured 
 for a long time prevented the possibility of sleep. Time, the 
 great healer of sorrow and sore backs, at length conducted me 
 again into the kabob-shop. My mother employed me to go to 
 the butchers' shops to buy sheep-heads and other materials for 
 her business, and furnished me with money for the purpose. I 
 was one day, I remember, to bring six sheep-tails to make soup 
 with. I met some of my old companions, who persuaded me to 
 have a game of eki beki, and I lost very quickly all the money 
 which I was to have laid out in sheep-tails. In great perplexity 
 how to account to my mother for the loss of the cash, I met 
 Hoossein Bhaee, a very particular friend. He advised me to get 
 some dog-tails, as they were plenty enough, and to boil them up. 
 He added I might be sure the difference would not be found out 
 by the greatest glutton in Broach. I hesitated at first, but there 
 was no remedy for it, and begged him to help me; he very 
 willingly lent me his assistance. Taking some meat with us,, 
 therefore, we enticed away into an obscure place several of these 
 unlucky quadrupeds, and sliced off the tails of six of the best fed 
 and most plump among them. Home I went, scalded off the 
 hair, and popped them into the pot. I had scarcely done this 
 when my mother came into the cook-room, and chid me for my 
 long tarrying. I assured her I had made all the haste I could,, 
 and that the tails were actually in the pot : she commended my 
 zeal, and seemed pleased at the skill I had shown in manufac- 
 turing the soup. At the usual hour in the evening the loungers, 
 began to call for their basins of soup, which I served out to them 
 with great solemnity. Not one discovered any difference ; they 
 paid their money and departed. Finding I succeeded so well, I 
 determined to pocket the money in future, and substitute dog 
 instead of sheep-tails. 
 
 " In a day or two after the foregoing affair, I was again sent to 
 the butchers' shops to buy some odd bits to roll up into kabobs^ 
 as well as more tails for soup. I again consulted with Hoossein 
 Bhaee, who once more advised me, not however to slice off the 
 tails of the unfortunate dogs, but to buy real sheep tails this 
 
FANDURANG JIARI. 155 
 
 time, as by so many dogs losing their tails we might be discov- 
 ered ; and to kill a puppy two-thirds grown for the kabobs. I 
 followed his advice strictly, spent half the money given me in 
 sheep-tails, and returning to the cook-shop, rolled up the puppy- 
 flesh in ghee and threw it into the pan, and then made the soup 
 all in such good time, that my poor mother over and over again 
 commended my diligence. The customers dropped in as usual, 
 and among them my late friend the magistrate, who got me 
 rattaned. He called for kabobs, and I was in a panic lest he 
 should discover the trick. He devoured them, however, heartily, 
 paid handsomely for what he ate, and went away perfectly 
 satisfied. It was a gratifying sight to me to see the old fellow's 
 jaws working at the dogs' kabobs, and the grease from them 
 running doAMi his beard upon his magisterial garment. This fun 
 and its profits were too good to last long. One day I applied to 
 my friend Hoossein to get me more dog's flesh, and begged him 
 to be very speedy. He surprised me by the rapid fulfilment ot 
 my commission. I took the flesh, rolled it up in balls, and fried 
 it, according to custom. The Musselmen called as usual for 
 kabobs ; but, on tasting them, spit them out again, and declared 
 they were poisoned. Some vomited, and others called for water. 
 In the midst of the hubbub I sneaked off to Hoossein, leaving my 
 mother to account in the best way she could for the nauseous 
 taste of her kabobs. Hoossein said that our friends, the true 
 believers, were so fond of grease and oil that he thought any- 
 thing rolled up in it would go down ; and not having time and 
 opportunity to kill a dog, he conceived that a few slices from one 
 already dead, near by where he lived, would do as well. I told 
 him he had ruined me ; for if the cazee should hear that he had 
 been fed upon dogs' kabobs, he would have no mercy upon us. 
 
 " By this time it had got rumoured through the city that our 
 kabobs were made of dogs' flesh. I crept into a large jar, used 
 for keeping grain, which was placed at the back of Hoosscin's 
 house, during the hubbub. Several persons, quite infuriated, had 
 come to search for the villain who had given them dogs' flesh for 
 that of sheep, and I plainly overheard their conversation. One 
 said the cazee was seized with violent vomitings the instant he 
 
156 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 heard of the imposition, although he ate his share the preceding 
 day, and enjoyed it highly. This I deemed a good joke. The 
 police, I heard, were in search of me. Hoossein declared he 
 knew not where I was, and appeared as anxious as the rest to 
 discover me. Then I heard several persons complaining that 
 their dogs had lost their tails most mysteriously, and they had no 
 doubt how they were gone ; that it was evident the deception was 
 systematic, and had been long continued. The worst thing I 
 heard was that my mother had been confined ; upon this I de- 
 termined to deliver myself up, but would not yet leave my hiding- 
 place, lest Hoossein should be implicated for concealing me. 
 
 " As soon as the crowd had dispersed from opposite Hoossein's 
 door, I emerged from the friendly jar, and thanked my old 
 acquaintance for the protection he had afforded me. I stated to 
 him my determination to surrender myself to save my mother- 
 He lamented my hard fate, but advised me to conceal myself a 
 little longer in a shed opposite his house, while he went to make 
 inquiry how matters stood. 'Possibly,' said he, 'your mother 
 may not be confined at all, and is even now at liberty. Do not 
 be too rash, and throw away a chance when you may yet escape.' 
 I applauded his caution, and concealed myself in the shed, I 
 had not been there more than an hour, when the durbar police 
 made their appearance, and dragged me from my hiding-place. 
 Hoossein stood outside with a face expressing great concern, 
 though I afterwards learned that this hypocritical friend had 
 betrayed me, for the sake of the reward offered for my apprehen- 
 sion. Had I known this, I should not have hesitated to 
 implicate him as an accomplice in the act; for I then easily 
 guessed why he recommended me to seek a shelter in the shed, 
 instead of under his own roof. I was now hurried to the durbar,^ 
 and, to my astonishment, found my mother at liberty, and spoke 
 to her, by which I learned that she had never been involved at 
 all. I told her why I did not abscond, — that it was entirely on 
 her account, and on my hearing she was imprisoned. She 
 caressed me for my kind consideration towards her, and bade me 
 be of good cheer, that I should not be very heavily punished. I 
 ^ Court house. 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 157 
 
 must acknowledge that the thouglit of another two dozen rattans 
 raised no very pleasant sensations in my mind. Being summoned 
 to the court, I perceived the cazee in the plenitude of his power, 
 talking very seriously to Scindea's soobahdar, a Brahmin of con- 
 sequence and chief of the city. He appeared both disgusted and 
 amused with the cazee's serious deportment on the occasion, and 
 could not refrain from smiling as the recollection of how the dirty 
 Mohammedans had been duped crossed his mind. The charge 
 was read against me, and I confessed the crime. The soobahdar, 
 and all his Brahmin and Hindoo associates in the durbar, en- 
 joyed a hearty laugh at the account I gave of the transaction ; 
 whilst the cazee and the Mohammedans were mortified to the 
 quick, and deeply repented having given publicity to the affair. 
 At length the soobahdar said, ' Fuzl Khan, this is the second 
 time you have been brought before this durbar. It appears you 
 have indulged in gambling, from your own account, and for that 
 I shall punish you. In respect to your soups and kabobs, if 
 people will eat such beastly fare, I cannot but think they are well 
 served. The present case should be a lesson to them in future 
 to be less eager to swallow all that comes in their way, and make 
 them a little nicer in the examination of what they eat. It is still 
 my duty to prevent your frying any more kabobs in this city ; and 
 your sentence is, that you be imprisoned one month, and then 
 expelled from Broach ; and severe shall be your punishment if 
 you are ever caught within the city walls again.' I bowed to the 
 ground, and was conducted to prison, well pleased at my back's 
 escaping the rattan, and happy at not being fined. My mother 
 visited me in prison, as did my father, who failed not to hint to 
 iier that he knew what \vould be the end of my fr}ing. * Peace, 
 peace,' said my mother, who, as usual, would have the last word, 
 'I knew what would be the end of grinding; for remember, 
 but for that destestable occupation, Fuzl Khan would not have 
 been punished the first time.' My fatlicr could not reply to this 
 home-thrust at his reasoning, and he sheltered himself in silence 
 from the pending storm. 
 
CHAPTER XV: 
 
 HE term of my imprisonment having expired, I was led 
 out of the city, accompanied by my mother, who, as 
 her trade had been ruined, determined to quit the 
 place, taking me with her. We followed the road to Surat ; and 
 as we trudged along, she gave me a severe lecture for my dissolute 
 manner of life, blaming my father for every bad action of which I 
 had been guilty. I now first learned through her the duplicity of 
 Hoossein. She abused him in the strongest language when I told 
 her he was the person who had sliced off the dogs' tails, and had 
 first initiated me into the trick. ' Aye,' said she, * that dead dog 
 was the ruin of us ; good fresh dog-flesh, for all I know, might 
 have passed for ever.' 
 
 " My mother had provided a bullock to carry all she was worth 
 in the world. This animal was grotesquely laden with frying- 
 pans, kettles, pots, and baskets. A sheep's-head and trotters hung 
 dangling at the tail of all. My mother bought the latter to save 
 money on the road, or, as she said, ' to secure a cheap supper 
 at Kim Chowkey,' the half-way house between Broach and Surat. 
 Nothing worth mentioning happened on our journey, and we 
 reached Surat in safety. This town belonged to the English, and 
 everything there was conducted with the utmost regularity. Walk- 
 ing one day in the street, a man very civilly asked me to carry a 
 basket, which he had in his hand, to the durbar, to be given to 
 the English judge. He gave me half a rupee for my trouble ; and 
 being thus paid beforehand, I set off briskly. On my way, I felt 
 very curious to discover what the basket, which was of an extra- 
 ordinary shape, contained. I accordingly took it home, and, 
 entering a room at the top of the house, took off the cover. Hov/ 
 was I terror-struck at beholding the head of a man covered with 
 blood ! I trembled to think what an escape I had met with. If 
 
 158 
 
PANDURAXG II ART. 159 
 
 I had presented the basket, I should have been in all probability- 
 hanged, as no one would have credited my receiving it in the 
 street. To keep it a moment in our own house was dangerous, and 
 I consulted my mother as to what had best be done with it. She 
 replied, ' Anything but to make kabobs of it, you young rascal ! ' 
 I assured her I had no such inclination ; that my last experiment in 
 that line was amply sufficient for me. She then advised me to roll 
 the head down the staircase of the next house, which was terraced 
 as well as our own ; and then the owners of that house, who might 
 be more ingenious than we were, would perhaps be able to give a 
 better account of it. These people were J ews, and lived by usury \ 
 they were consequently disliked by most of the inhabitants 
 around. My mother's advice, whether given in jest or earnest, 
 seemed to me the best which I could follow under the present 
 circumstances j and therefore, at night, when I was pretty certain 
 there were none of the tenants in the upper apartments, I climbed 
 over a low party-wall, and very deliberately rolled the head down 
 the staircase, having carefully repacked it in the basket. This 
 being done, I went out for a ramble, leaving my mother at home. 
 All was quiet in the Jew's house when I went out ; but, on my 
 return, I found a crowd around the door, and the foujdar, or native 
 master of police, with all his train, was approaching in the full 
 plenitude of his self-sufficient authority. The poor Jew was 
 naturally in great terror and alarm. His family were in tears ; 
 and in spite of their protestations and supi)lications, he was arrested 
 and borne away. The head, too, was taken to its original j^lace of 
 destination, — to the judge of the durbar. Inquiries were now 
 set on foot everywhere, and rewards offered to any who would 
 throw light on the mystery that hung around the affair, for it was 
 acknowledged that mystery enveloped it. The Jew was very 
 naturally believed innocent. It was not probable, if he had com- 
 mitted a murder, he would suffer so easy a discovery of it to be 
 made ; and then, where was the body ? 
 
 " It happened that, on casting my eyes over the crowd, I saw in 
 the midst of it the very individual who had first put the head into 
 my hands. He was an Abyssinian by birth, and of gigantic stature. 
 I was so curious to know the history of the head, that I determined 
 
i6o FANDURANG HARI 
 
 to inquire the particulars from the man himself. If he refused, I 
 had made up my mind to bear testimony against him ; and for 
 this purpose I forced my way through the crowd, and, placing my- 
 self beside him, whispered him to accompany me to a more 
 secluded spot. It was by this time quite dark. He followed me, 
 and I opened to him the purport of my business with him, threat- 
 ening an immediate disclosure if he withheld from me a single 
 circumstance connected with the murder. He soon settled my 
 curiosity by drawing a dagger from his waist, and plunging it into 
 my side, saying, ' Take that as a reward of your curiosity ! ' I fell, 
 and he ran off, no doubt believing that he had sealed my lips in 
 eternal silence. I should have perished but for the night patrol, 
 which was attracted to the spot by my groans and lamentations. 
 They carried me to a house close by, where I fainted from loss of 
 blood, and became utterly insensible. How long I lay in this 
 situation I cannot tell ; when reason returned, I found an English 
 doctor by my side, together with my mother. My wound was 
 bandaged, and every care had been taken of me. As soon as I 
 was recovered sufiiciently, I was carried home, and then ordered 
 to give up the name or describe the author of my sufferings. The 
 ■first I could not do, from my utter ignorance of it ; but the second 
 I described so well, that I soon learned he had been apprehended 
 and imprisoned. The Abyssinian was now brought to trial, and 
 great stir was made in consequence of the public curiosity being 
 excited respecting him. The fellow possessed a great deal of cun- 
 ning, and guessing that I should relate the whole truth, took care, 
 previous to his trial, to be beforehand with me. He stated that 
 he met me one evening, and that I desired him to carry a basket 
 containing the head of a dead man to the police-office, but that 
 he shrunk back in abhorrence from the employment. Upon this 
 I wanted him to promise not to divulge the circumstance, and that 
 I would find out another mode of getting it conveyed there. My 
 house adjoining the Jew's, where the head was discovered, natur- 
 ally made his hearers give his story more credit than it deserved. 
 He had still, however, to account for stabbing me; and this he 
 contrived to do by informing the magistrate, with the utmost com- 
 posure, that he had threatened to accuse me on the night the 
 
PANDURANG hArI i6i 
 
 head was discovered, and that I first attempted his life; upor> 
 which, in his own defence, he had drawn and used his dagger. My 
 depositions, on the contrary, were deemed artful and ingenious 
 fictions ; so I was transferred to the gaol myself, and the Abyssinian 
 made the witness against me. After a long imprisonment, my 
 trial came on before a different judge from hnn who had committed 
 me ; when, after a tedious process, I was acquitted of murder. The 
 Abyssinian was also set at liberty, the proof of the crime of which 
 I was accused being utterly inefficient. The witness against me 
 was suspected, after all, to be guilty ; but the trial, though post- 
 poned in the hope of further evidence being obtained, was con- 
 cluded without unravelling the mystery of the head. No one 
 recognised it, nor was any trunk ever discovered. I could not 
 myself account for it, why the Habeshy should wish it sent to the 
 judge of the court. 
 
 " It was but justice towards me that I should now be released, 
 but you see how unfortunate I have always been. I was in the 
 present instance saddled with strong presumptive proof of 
 murder : then I was stabbed, and confined a long time in 
 durance, and finally brought to a public trial. In fact, I suffered 
 more in the present instance, in a case in which I was mnocent, 
 than at Broach, where I pleaded guilty to every charge on which 
 I was arraigned. My mother, as usual, was overjoyed at my 
 escape, and conjured me to think seriously of some employment, 
 she declaring that her roastmg and frying could not maintain two 
 of us. I tried hard to get made a police peon, but I had neither 
 money nor interest to back me. At length I became a sort of 
 undergroom to a rich Banian, cleaning his horse and running 
 errands for him wherever I was commanded to go. My chief 
 employment, however, was to carry about a large bundle of goods, 
 consisting of clothes and linen. In this I was accompanied by 
 one of my master's under-shopmen, named Sewchund, a Mar- 
 warry. My master's name was Lalchund Doorgadas, a man of 
 wealth and consequence. Lalchund was a perpetual suitor in 
 courts. If he had no just claims, he invented them to suit his 
 cwTi purposes ; and, nine times out of ten, succeeded by means, 
 of false evidence and fabricated documents. I was frequently 
 
1 62 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 called upon to bear witness to facts that never came within my 
 knowledge, and required to sign my name as a witness to deeds, 
 the contents of which were never explained to me. It was for- 
 tunate they expected nothing more of me, as to scrawl my own 
 name was the utmost stretch of my acquirements ; and this I 
 learned at Broach. I succeeded so well in my new calling, and 
 got so familiar with the iniquitous business, that I no more hesi- 
 tated in taking a false oath, than in swallowing one of my 
 mother's kabobs. Lalchund invariably rewarded me when he 
 gained a cause. I was frequently admitted to the midnight manu- 
 facturing of deeds and mortgage-bonds. The greatest nicety was 
 to make the paper bear the appearance of age; to do which, 
 some of my master's council advised him to rub the paper on a 
 bullock's back, which would deprive it of its gloss, and give it a 
 dirty hue at the same time. This was recommended also to me 
 by one of the court-vakeels or pleaders, who encourage as many 
 suits as possible for the sake of their individual profits, each being 
 allowed certain fees for every suit brought in. These men, being 
 intimately acquainted with all government regulations, are the 
 very best persons to be employed out of court in the manufac- 
 turing of causes, and in court to plead in their support. I have 
 been kept up a whole night by them, learning my lesson for the 
 next day. 
 
 " I must now proceed to a case of great importance to me and 
 my employers, which ended in no very honourable way. In a 
 cause of great consequence, in which my master's interest was 
 very deeply concerned, I had been drilled for three successive 
 nights. Lalchund and several of his partners were present the 
 whole time.. These wiseacres did the thing too well, and they 
 over-drilled me. On the day of trial I became so confused, from 
 the quantity I had to remember, that I forgot half my cue, and 
 upon a sharp cross-examination, contradicted myself so often, 
 that they threatened to send me to gaol for perjury. I shall 
 never forget Lalchund's long visage on this occasion. He might 
 well look confounded, as he lost his suit, his money, and 
 his character at the same time, — all this, too, through my over 
 zeal in his service ; ft)r I forgot to mention before that I told 
 
PAXDURANG ITAKI. 
 
 many more lies than were required, in addition to and by way of 
 mending matters. Prudence had wholly forsaken me. I was 
 committed for my perjury, and Lalchund was under jhorriblc 
 fears lest I should let out, on my trial, the whole of the frauds in 
 which he had employed me, and so ruin him. The truth is, I 
 was pondering whether I could not by this means save myself 
 from punishment, and whether it would not be best to relate all 
 my nocturnal drilHngs ; not that, if convicted of perjury, I should 
 escape, unless I showed I had important revelations to unfold, 
 which might be a matter of convention; but then lalchund 
 would be undone, and I did not wish this. While meditating on 
 the best policy for my own interest, and how I might in the 
 safest way get clear, or lighten the cloud hanging over me, my 
 mother entered the cell where I was confined 'In prison 
 again ! ' said she ; ' what a hopeful son I have ! How long will 
 this continue ? You will be hanged in the end to a certainty ! ' 
 ' Well, mother,' I replied, ' the knowledge of this is some con- 
 solation, for then I shall find an end of my troubles.' * Ncrw, 
 then, my boy, listen to me,' said she. * I know all your present 
 difficulties, and think we may yet turn them to some advantage, 
 although you must prepare to get severely punished. ' My reply 
 was, ' Well, mother, there is nothing very new to me in punish- 
 ment ; show me what advantage will accrue from it, and here is 
 my back ready for the cane, if it be worth purchasing at such a 
 price.' * Why, you know you are to be tried for perjury, boy.' ' I 
 know that too well, mother,' said I. 'Well, and what do you mean 
 to say in your defence ?' she observed. ' ^\'hy,' I rejoined, 'I mean 
 to criminate Lalchund.' ' Then you are a fool,' she returned, ' if 
 you think t.hat will save you. Are you not equally culpable ? ' 
 To this I answered, ' Yes, I allowed that ; but whether I accused 
 him or not, the judge must know that he bribed me, or at least 
 that I had been bribed by some one ; and who would he fix upon 
 as soon as Lalchund ? ' My mother agreed to the justice of this. 
 * But then,' said she, ' the system of drilling, the disclosure of 
 their midnight meetings, and the conduct of the vakeel or 
 government-pleaders, need not come out. ^Vould you bring 
 ruin on them all ? ' ' What ruin have they not brought upon me ? ' 
 
1 64 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 I answered. * The more fool you/ said my mother ; ' you know 
 I always told you that eki beki would be your destruction. 
 Listen, however, I have received an offer of five hundred rupees 
 from Lalchund, and five hundred more from the pleader, if you 
 n-ill hold your tongue.' ' What ! one thousand rupees ! Why, 
 my dear mother, you may cut my tongue out for that sum. I 
 will be mute, never fear — silent as a dead dog.' * Pish ! no more 
 of dead dogs, if you have one particle of love left for me ; re- 
 collect what I have suffered by them. But, son, this is a serious 
 affair— one thousand rupees, recollect ! ' 'Ay, ay, mother ; you 
 may fry away long enough before you will make that sum : lying is, 
 after all, a more profitable thing than cooking kabobs.' ' Silence,' 
 said my mother, ' is more profitable than either, just at present.' 
 ' Then,' said I, ' my dear mother, get the money. Make them 
 believe I am determined to blab all, and they will come down 
 with the cash at once, depend upon it. Let me know when you 
 have it, and then set off with it to Broach as fast as you can ; for 
 if you remain here when they have got all they want, and the trial 
 is over, rely upon this, that they will never rest until they get the 
 money back from you again.' ' Impossible, child ! impossible ! 
 they cannot do such a thing ; there is no law to help them.' ' My 
 good mother,' said I, 'you do not know them; they can frame a 
 bond as quickly as you can roast a kabob ; and as to evidence, 
 there is a regular set here who live by the trade of swearing.' 
 
 " Our dialogue continued some time longer in much the same 
 strain. It concluded by her inquiring what would become of 
 me ? and telling me that I should be terribly punished, and by 
 my observing that they could hardly flay me alive ; that one 
 thousand rupees was an ointment of great virtue for sore backs, 
 far better than her mutton-fat ; and that if I was imprisoned in 
 addition, as she said I should be, she would always know where 
 to find me ; and also, that I should be certain to get into no new 
 scrapes for a time at least. On taking leave, she wished God 
 might protect me ; and I begged her to hold out, and try and get 
 a hundred or two of rupees above the thousand. She left me, 
 promising to do so, and to see me the following day. Never, 
 thought I to myself, was man so well paid before for holding his 
 
rJXJDl'RAXG IIARL 
 
 tongue. The payment I shall get will be in a different shape, but 
 it will be dealt to me whether I remain dumb or not. One 
 thousand rupees ! charming ! — two dozen rattans ! terrible ! 
 thought I ; and, stretching myself on my mat, I fell asleep. 
 
 " My mother visited me the next evening, and reported the 
 improbability of gaining more than one thousand rupees, and not 
 even that sum, without considerable demur. They even talked 
 to her about drafts and bills of exchange for the amount. Thus 
 it had appeared as if they designed to evade the payment. I 
 declared I would blab out the entire of their nefarious proceed- 
 ings, unless the cash was paid down in good coin. My mother 
 was as anxious as myself for this mode of doing the business, and 
 departed once more to demand prompt payment. On the 
 following day she came to me again, but brought no good 
 account of the rupees, and what was as bad, told me 
 that the gaoler refused to admit her any more after the 
 present day, and that, therefore, if she got the money on the 
 next, she should send me a letter. She had forgotten that I 
 could not read, and so was cut off from any advantage I might 
 derive from her correspondence. She then told me she could 
 contrive to scrawl some symbol of success on paper, and aftix her 
 mark to it, which I thought was a scrawl to resemble a skewer, 
 but she told me it was a spoon. 'Well,' said I, 'mother, I 
 thought it was something in your trade ; explain exactly, that 
 all may be clear.' ' Well, boy, it shall be a large bag, tied at 
 the neck,' said she ; ' by which you will understand that the 
 money is secure in my hands. Your trial will come on the 
 day after to-morrow, and if you do not receive this sign from 
 me, you may be very certain the cash is not in my hands 
 as it should be; you must then do the best for yourself.' 'I'll 
 ruin them all if you are not paid,' said I ; ' and so, my good 
 mother, adieu ! ' 'In that case, as you please, my dear son. 
 "Farewell 1 ' ' Farewell, mother ! ' I replied ; ' if you get the 
 money, hasten to Broach with it — not half a moment's delay ! ' 
 * Trust me for that,' she replied, and departed. Never were son 
 and mother more sympathetic in disposition, more congenially 
 connected ! 
 
 L 
 
i66 'PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " Another long night passed over my head. Morning camCj. 
 and a letter was delivered to me by the gaoler. Full of hope I 
 tore it open, and, to my indescribable joy, discovered the picture 
 of a bag tied at the neck, and a mark at the bottom, which my 
 mother no doubt intended should resemble a spoon, but it looked 
 more like a staff with a round head, so dreadfully ill-managed 
 were the proportions. I destroyed the paper, and waited most 
 patiently my fate. On the following day the court was opened, 
 and I was led up to take my trial. The judge being anxious to 
 discover the midnight-manufactures of the bonds, offered to 
 pardon me if I would put the court in possession of all the par- 
 ticulars of the transactions truly and faithfully ; seeing, with the 
 keen-sightedness of a man of his profession, that I was merely a 
 tool of men whom he already suspected of crimes, but respecting 
 whom he possessed no proof by which to obtain their conviction. 
 He informed me, with a sternness not to be witnessed by one in 
 my circumstances without tremor, that if I kept back or varied 
 one minute point from the truth, I should not escape severe pun- 
 ishment even then. I now began to reflect on the effects of the 
 rattan and a long imprisonment; and as I had, I thought, 
 pocketed the cash, I was not inclined to set at nought a sore 
 back, as I had done previously, when the money was only viewed 
 by anticipation. I begged an hour, therefore, to consider, and 
 was allowed to retire into a small room by myself. On my way 
 to the entrance of it, among a crowd of persons I recognised the 
 pleader and a clerk of Lalchund's. They gave me a significant 
 look, and placed their fingers to their lips to remind me of my 
 promise of secrecy. I drew my hand across my throat, as much 
 as to say they might cut my throat if I criminated them. This pro- 
 duced a nod of satisfaction from those scoundrels, who separated 
 or mingled among the crowd with revived hopes of their security. 
 Left in a small chamber by myself, I turned over and over again 
 the offer of the judge to pardon me. The more I thought upon 
 the subject, the more eager did I feel to avoid the rattan, and the 
 less consideration did I feel for Lalchund and his associates. I 
 apprehended no violence from them, in return, towards my 
 mother, as I felt certain she had decamped to Broach ; and I 
 
FAXJJURA.VG IIARI. 167 
 
 could have nothing to apprehend, as the associates would all be 
 seized the moment I mentioned their names, and I should have 
 nothing to do but to set off to my mother ; for, though I dared 
 not be seen in Broach, I could enter her house by stealth, and 
 keep close, and get away again in the same secret manner. Then 
 I urged to myself that I had promised to be silent if they paid 
 me, and that I was about to break my word. But the rattan ! 
 the rattan ! This fearful instrument of punishment drove from 
 my mind all ideas of honour, and I had detennined to avoid, if 
 possible, its direful smart. At length the hour allowed me for 
 consideration expired, and I was once more placed before the 
 judge, to whom I related every particular, and implicated by 
 name Lalchund, Hurry Bahae the pleader, Sewchund the Mar- 
 warry, and many others whose names I need not relate. No 
 sooner were the syllables out of my lips, than orders were given 
 to apprehend the whole gang, and I was released, being obliged 
 to find security to appear against them. An enemy of Lalchund 
 did me the kindness to be my recognisance on this occasion, and 
 I found myself once more at large. 
 
 "At the very door of the court, as I was passing out, who 
 should I see, to my great surprise, but my mother, who I expected 
 was long before at Broach, and settled in her old kabob-shop 
 again. ' Why, you look astonished at seeing me,' said she, the 
 moment she saw me. ' Indeed I am,' I replied. * Why are you 
 not gone to Broach ? ' ' Why should I ? ' she rejoined. I then 
 made a sign to be silent, and whispered her that this was no place 
 to talk over our secrets, and that we had better proceed to her 
 house ; for it was difficult to make my poor mother keep quiet or 
 talk low in pubhc ; and, in spite of all I could do in the present 
 instance, she continued to mumble in a low tone as she walked 
 beside me. ' I am glad you impeached the rogues — the villains ! 
 it serves them right' I longed to ask her what she meant, but 
 dared not do so in the public street. We arrived at her lodgings, 
 and having locked the door of her room, she again began. ' Serve 
 them right, the villains ! the scoundrels ! the rogues ! serve them 
 right, I say. How glad I am you gave them up ! Were you not 
 sadly disappointed in not getting a letter from me?' 'Not getting 
 
f6S» ypANDURANG HARI 
 
 a letter, my good mother ! ' said I ; Svhy, I did get a letter, marked 
 with your bag and spoon ! ' ' O the crafty villains ! ' observed 
 she ; ' it serves them right — they are done for ! ' ' Explain your- 
 self, my dear mother ; pray explain ! ' I answered. ' Did you not 
 send me a letter? Were not the bag and spoon drawn on it? 
 Have you not received the money ? ' ' O the crafty dogs ! ' she 
 answered, * you have served them right ! they are ruined, as they 
 deserved ! ' * My dear mother,' said I, pettishly, ^ tell me whether 
 you did or did not get the money and send the letter ? ' ' Neither, 
 boy,' she replied. ' Money — letter, indeed, not I ; but I see 
 through it all now. Sewchund, the clerk of Lalchund, called upon 
 me to talk over the matter, promising to bring me the money 
 almost immediately; but, understanding I had been refused 
 admission to the gaol, asked by what means I contrived to convey 
 intelligence of the money having been paid to you. I told him 
 all that was arranged ; that I had agreed to send you a letter, 
 signed with the mark of the spoon. He then said the money 
 should be forthcoming very shortly, and he should soon see me 
 again. Now, instead of bringing me the money, they forged a 
 letter to you, with the mark of which I told them. Serve them 
 right ! ' repeated my mother ; ' the rogues ! the wretches ! the 
 villains ! ' I then observed, * My dear mother, your conjecture 
 is very just ; they nearly succeeded; for I thought the money was 
 safe in your hands.' ' Then how came you to implicate them ? ' 
 said my mother. * Alas ! my dear mother ; had you ever felt the 
 rattan, you would not have asked that question ; had you known 
 what its smart is, you would have acted as I did ; for, making 
 sure of the money, I felt anxious enough to avoid the cane upon 
 any terms.' ' O the villains ! ' cried my mother ; ' it serves them 
 right ! Trying to deceive, they have been deceived ; it is a proper 
 punishment for them, the knaves ! I should have been broken- 
 hearted had you borne the punishment, and not gained by it a 
 single rupee to help us out of our difficulties and cure your 
 wounds.' ' I was very nearly so situated,' I remarked, in reply. 
 * You see, mother, the necessity of writing ; had you been able to 
 sign your name, no forgery could have taken place.' * Why, dolt,' 
 said my mother, angrily, who felt her hieroglyphics arraigned by 
 
PAXDURAXG JIAJd. 169 
 
 the observation ; * could you have read it it" I had been able to 
 do so? You may see the necessity of learning to read from the 
 same cause.' ' Ay, true, indeed,' I answered ; ' we are neither of 
 us scholars, and the more the pity ! ' * Scholars enough to outwit 
 men who are no conjurors ! ' she answered. * Thank Allah and 
 you, my lad, we shall see the greedy villains well punished ! 
 Serve them right, the rogues ! the scoundrels ! the scapegraces ! ' 
 A hearty laugh now burst simultaneously from us both, when we 
 reflected on the way in which the biters had been bit. On the 
 strength of our good fortune, my mother went out and bought a 
 sheep's head and some odd bits, which were twisted into kabobs 
 without loss of time, and we enjoyed a hearty supper. 
 
 " After our supper was over, I retired to my mat in high 
 spirits at having escaped the dreadful rattan, and soon fell into 
 a soft slumber. From this I was speedily awoke by hearing a 
 noise in my room. Looking up, I saw two men with canes and 
 a lanthorn standing by me. * Alas ! ' thought I, * it is not 
 decreed that I shall escape the cane, after all — caned I must be ! 
 Who are you ? ' I demanded. * That we will speedily answer/ 
 said one of them ; and I discovered him to be the Jew who 
 lived next door to us. ' We will teach you,' he cried, in bad 
 Hindostanee, *to throw heads into my house, you Musselman 
 dog ! We will give you a lesson for this trick, which you shall 
 well remember ! ' So, dragging me over the floor, they began to 
 lay on me in a most furious way. I heard my mother screaming 
 outside the door, which the Jews had taken the precaution to 
 fasten. She could not, therefore, afford me any kind of pro- 
 tection. The infuriated son of Israel applied the cane as long as 
 he could stand over me, and then departed, my mother giving 
 him and his companion a volley of abuse, to which no reply 
 was made, other than by pushing her down stairs, they efl'ecting 
 their escape over the terrace into their own house. The caning 
 I received at Broach was a flea-bite compared to the present. I 
 bled very profusely, and mutton-fat was this time found to be of no 
 avail in healing my wounds. I was not at all prepared for such 
 a punishment ; for in my more recent troubles, I had forgotten 
 all about the head, the Jew, and the Abyssinian. My mother, 
 
I70 
 
 PANDURANG hArI 
 
 fortunately, received no injury, although she rolled from the top 
 to the bottom of the stairs. She was, therefore, able to adminis- 
 ter to my v/ants, and assist me, as far as she could, in healing my 
 wounds. It was, indeed, a lesson I shall never forget, as the 
 Jew said it should be ; and full severe enough to prevent my ever 
 rolling bloody heads down my neighbours' staircases again. 
 
 '' The following morning my mother, without my knowledge, 
 repaired to a magistrate to lodge a complaint against my 
 punisher. Persons were sent off in every direction to apprehend 
 them without avail ; they had packed up their goods and 
 departed. When I recovered, I could never leave the house 
 a moment without being watched by the emissary of the man 
 who had stood security for my appearance as a witness against 
 Lalchund ; and this I found at last so unpleasant, that I confined 
 myself entirely within doors. After three months had elapsed, I 
 took my station in court, and had the pleasure of seeing Lalchund 
 put to the bar. He and his associates all pleaded not guilty ; 
 but my testimony soon proved to the contrary, and Lalchund 
 was sentenced to pay a fine of two thousand rupees, and to be 
 imprisoned for a year. Sewchund, the office-man, was to be 
 paraded through the city on an ass, with his face to the tail, and 
 to be publicly flogged ; the pleader was fined five hundred 
 rupees, and dismissed from his office ; and the clerk was to 
 accompany Sewchund in his ride through the city, and receive 
 one dozen rattans. Thus was the gang disposed of; and being 
 myself at perfect liberty, I returned home to my mother's house. 
 When she heard the sentence, she took her station at an upper 
 window, and determined to see the culprits ride in disgrace 
 through the streets, saying, ' Serve them right ! serve them 
 right, the villains ! the rogues ! the wretches ! the forgers of my 
 marks ! ' I was with her when we heard the trumpet and drum, 
 which in mock ceremony led the procession. First came the 
 Marwarry, the office-man or shopman, with his face to the tail of 
 a lame ass, looking miserable indeed. The clerk followed him, 
 and was so ashamed that he covered himself over with a cloth. 
 My mother, observing this, called from the window, ' Take off 
 the cloth ! take off the cloth ! serve them right, the forgers ! ' It 
 
FAXnri^AXG IIARI. 171 
 
 was with difficulty I could restrain her. Most fortunately no one 
 heard her, or if they did, paid her no attention. She waited at the 
 window to see them return, and then went to behold tliem flogged. 
 She told me the crowd was so great she could not get near 
 enough to see anything ; but she heard the cry of the knaves, and 
 it was music to her soul — concluding as usual with, ' Serve them 
 right, the villains ! ' 
 
 " I now began to consider whether it would not be hazardous 
 for me to remain in the city, where I must have many enemies. I 
 therefore told my mother I should enlist as one of the Company's 
 sepoys. She made no objection, but lamented the separation 
 which must inevitably ensue bet^veen us. I cheered her with the 
 hope of one day meeting again, and that I would not fiil to let her 
 know from time to time how I succeeded. Ever}thing being pre- 
 viously arranged, I enlisted in a battalion then at Surat. Now I 
 had to undergo discipline of another description. My instructor 
 enforced his lessons with such frequent applications of the rattan, 
 that I began to think I was bom for no other purpose than to be 
 caned. I had scarcely learned my duty, when we were ordered to 
 march for the Deccan. I took leave of my mother, promising to 
 send her a letter whenever I could get some one to write for me ; 
 she made the same promise to me, and we separated. We arrived 
 at Seroor fatigued to death, and the duty- soon became so severe, 
 that I deserted with one of my comrades, and hearing of this 
 horde of Pindarees, I volunteered among them. I have been 
 here two years. Just before I deserted from the English, I heard 
 from my father, by a letter, the melancholy news of my poor 
 mother's death at Surat. I have now concluded my stor}-, and 
 leave it to you, my friends, to say whether you do not think with 
 myself that I have been more hardly used and worse treated than 
 my friend, whose tale you have already heard. What my other 
 comrade may be able to relate (alluding to the third Pindaree), 
 I know not, though I remain to be convinced that his misfortunes 
 are equal to mine." 
 
 We all laughed at his ''misfortunes" as he called them, 
 instead of commiserating him, when we recollected their nature, 
 though we verbally stated that he had been hardly used. One 
 
I7J8 PANDURANG hArL 
 
 of us asking him if he ever heard anything more about the 
 bloody head, he repUed that he was not over anxious to appear 
 busy in his inquiries respecting a thing which had involved him 
 in so much trouble. He said, " I heard that the Abyssinian was 
 an agent of the Nawaub's, who had employed him to despatch 
 some fellow that had contrived to get access to his seraglio. 
 Instead of rewarding the man, the Nawaub dismissed him. This 
 induced the assassin to screen himself by trying to fix the murder 
 on the Nawaub, without implicating himself. Whether this was 
 the real fact or not, I have never' had the power of deciding." 
 Here the second Pindaree concluded his storv. 
 
CHAPTER XVL 
 
 HE tale of the second Pindaree entertained us much, 
 and not the less from the fellow's belief that, because he 
 was unsuccessful in the nefarious transactions in which 
 he had been engaged, he was entided to pity. His ill success at 
 eki beki he seemed to think a ground for receiving the compas- 
 sionate consideration of others, and demand^ pity almost in 
 proportion to the knavery he had exhibited, ^his was like a true 
 son of Mahomet, who always aspires to honour and riches, be he 
 ever so great a vagabond, or sprung even from tlie lowest of the 
 low. We humoured the foolish rogue, however, by affecting to 
 condole with him, and by telling him how much he was to be 
 pitied, and how hard it seemed that one with talents such as his, 
 superior to those possessed by persons of his years in general, 
 and with such kind dispositions and amiable propensities, should 
 be unsuccessful at eki beki, lose his rupees as often as he did, and 
 suffer so much from the rattan. He thought we condoled with 
 him in good earnest, and impressively lifting up his eyes and 
 hands, exclaimed, " It is the will of Allah ! " to our great enter- 
 tainment. 
 
 The third Pindaree now offered to relate his history, and with 
 a melancholy countenance began thus : — " I was born in Katty- 
 war. My father was a merchant of great respectability. His 
 word was considered as good as his bond, and his neighbours all 
 looked upon him as one of the most honest and upright merchants 
 in India. His name was Lalldas, and mine is Gopaldass Lalldas. 
 At fifteen years of age I was placed in my father's shop, and at 
 seventeen was made a partner in his trade. We dealt in grain, 
 and my father had the repute of being a very rich man. I know 
 myself that he advanced loans to the Rajah of Kattywar. Not- 
 
 173 
 
174 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 withstanding all this, I could never finger a single rupee ; but I 
 was well provided with everything else I could wish at home. 
 My father carefully checked every disposition to extravagance on 
 my part, and set me such an example himself, that I soon saw 
 the advantage of keeping a close fist. My father, however, 
 might have spared his lessons on ecomomy, if he had reflected 
 that he took care I should not have an opportunity of being 
 wasteful or extravagant, by never allowing me to call a rupee 
 my own. We were also sahoukars^ and granted bills of exchange 
 upon Bombay and Madras, and we advanced money on interest. 
 This business kept my fingers in contact with piles of money ; 
 but I made a secret vow never to do a dishonest act, and I 
 adhered to it. Perhaps one reason why I more easily adhered to 
 my resolution was the certainty of discovery taking place, in case 
 I was guilty of dishonesty. My father was continually counting 
 his rupees, and adding them up, calculating interest, and compar- 
 ing the balances in his different books, and he would have very 
 soon discovered the smallest deficiency in the money that he 
 kept by him for business. 
 
 " I was betrothed at eight years old to a girl named Gopee. 
 Upon my arriving at seventeen years, neither I nor my father 
 contemplated the engagement with much pleasure. Gopee's 
 father had been a Sirdar of some consequence, and in possession 
 of a considerable degree of power; he was now reduced to a 
 mere nobody, bore a bad character, and his wife was reputed to 
 be a witch. An alliance with such a family was by no means 
 desirable ; for, independently of the character of my intended wife's 
 parents, some one had put it into my father's head that the old 
 woman would cause her daughter to bewitch me, and that to- 
 gether we should conjure all his money out of his strong box. 
 This was full enough to determine my father to break off the 
 match if he could, and to issue his commands to me for that 
 purpose. Such a step as this was a very singular one, not only 
 in Kattywar, but in every other place in the neighbourhood ; for, 
 after the betrothing, who ever believes it possible to get off from 
 marriage? A Brahmin was consulted upon the subject, and he 
 
 * Bankers. . . 
 
rAXDURAXG IIARL 175 
 
 told us that a release from our contract could not be obtained in 
 any way. Thus I was obliged at length to marry Gopec, the 
 witch's daughter. My father, however, would not suffer my 
 bride to enter his house, or set her eye upon his strong box, 
 although he had emptied it, and taken the precaution to keep his 
 money buried in some secret place, together with his bonds and 
 papers. I hired a house for my wife, who often visited her mother, 
 and spent a great deal of time with her. Both wife and mother 
 used to attack me early and late for money, constantly asking for 
 rupees. When they found I had none in my possession, they 
 proposed I should rob my father, and at last even desired me to 
 murder him. I was horror-struck, as may well be imagined, at 
 the atrocious character of these two hell-cats with whom I was so 
 unfortunately connected, and I rushed out of their presence upon 
 their making me the horrible proposal. 
 
 "Thus time passed away, and found me miserable enough. 
 One day, upon entering my father's office, I found the flimily in 
 great fright and grief, my father being stretched upon his bed 
 unable to move. The servants were struck dumb with fear, and 
 looked like statues. Upon inquiry I found, after great difficulty 
 in questioning and cross-questioning, that a lime with two needles 
 stuck into it, and laid on two copper pice, had been placed the 
 night before on my father's threshold; that he as usual first 
 opened the door, and first beheld the dreadful omen. I was too 
 well aware of the bent of my father's mind to doubt the effect 
 upon him, or that the act was intended to produce mischief, who- 
 ever the party might be that did it. I guessed at once who had 
 done it, and fixed the act immediately on the shoulders of my wife's 
 mother, who was enraged at not being the better for the riches 
 which my father was known to possess, and of which she thought 
 she might easily get a portion through her daughter's marriage 
 with me. My father recovered from his fright, but never regained 
 his former state of health. From that time he seemed to fail 
 rapidly. I am not sure, however, whether my marriage was not 
 the main cause of his decline, which the circumstance now re- 
 lated tended to increase. At last he became incapable of 
 transacting his affairs, lingered on a little time, and died without 
 
176 PAND URANG HARJT. ^ 
 
 informing me where he had concealed his money and valuables- 
 My mother-in-law was thus not a whit the better as to rupees for 
 my father's decease. I begged her one day to tell me (I spoke 
 ironically, as she was reported to be able to pry into all things) 
 the spot were my father's money was deposited. She replied, 
 *She would find it;' and she did so, took it all away, and 
 decamped with it, leaving her daughter to console me in place of 
 my father's property. My consequence and credit now ended 
 very soon. I could not honour bills, or pay the debts incurred 
 since my father's death ; and I had gone on as usual, hoping by 
 the discovery of the property to settle everything. A prison was 
 the next step ; but my creditors, finding it was inability to pay 
 that kept me from doing justice, soon released me. 
 
 " I now found myself reduced to a state of absolute want. I 
 had difficulty even to preserve myself at times from downright 
 starvation. My old acquaintances avoided me ; some affected to 
 pity me, none offered to do more ; and I soon knew that no 
 earthly condition is so miserable as his who has nothing but the 
 sympathy or charity of his fellows to rely upon for existence. To 
 add to my misery, my wife came back to me, having had a 
 quarrel with her mother. How to exist myself was a considera- 
 tion involved in great difficulty; but at such a moment to have 
 to provide for a wife, and a wife like mine, was a burthen almost 
 too overwhelming for me to sustain. It appeared that my mother- 
 in-law had refused to give a single rupee to her worthy daughter, 
 and the latter, on this account, according to her own representa- 
 tion, came again to me. I explained to her that, owing to her 
 mother's machinations, I was a ruined and destitute man, and that 
 therefore she had better try and get some employment, which was 
 the step I intended to adopt myself ' What ! ' said she, ' you 
 would have me beat rice, I suppose ? ' ' Yes,' I replied, coolly ; 
 * or beat out your own brains, whichever you prefer doing.* This 
 enraged her terribly. She assailed me with volleys of abuse, and 
 called me pitiful, sordid, and cowardly, that I thus submitted to 
 be robbed and pilfered by an old woman. When a pause in her 
 abuse came, I ventured to ask what she would have me to do. 
 ' Do ! you whining, whimpering wretch ! ' she exclaimed ; ' why. 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 do anything, rather than sit down and starve quietly here. Oh, if 
 I were a man, I would raise heaven and earth before I would 
 submit so quietly ! ' I saw that she was endeavouring to stir me 
 up to the commission of some violent act, and to urge me to 
 vengeance on the wicked plunderer of my money. It even 
 seemed as if nothing but a proposition for me to kill her mother 
 would appease the violence of her anger. I hereuj^on asked if 
 there was any possibility or probability of our getting part of the 
 money from her mother. * The witch,' she answered, ' is only 
 successful against fools ; but still, if you are not quite unmanned 
 by poverty, if you have a grain of spirit left, we may recover some 
 part of it.' I inquired what she had done with the papers. * I 
 know nothing about the papers, and very little about the money,' 
 my wdfe replied ; ' most probably they are together.' I then 
 inquired how her mother had found the treasure, and she said, * By 
 the same means which you yourself might have made available 
 had you been possessed of wit, courage, or perseverance. She 
 watched your father (who was foolish enough to empty his box 
 and bury his cash) to the spot where he used to visit it. There 
 lay the glittering treasure ; and, mistress of this secret, she fright- 
 ened your superstitious father to death with the lime and needles. 
 Now, will you consent to make an effort to recover your property ? ' 
 I replied that I would; but before I proceeded I would know, 
 whether I was required to stain my hands with blood to succeed, 
 because, rather than commit murder, I would relinquish ever}-- 
 thing. ' You will defend yourself if you are attacked, I suppose,* 
 she observed, 'and you will also stretch forth an arm in my 
 defence?' I answered 'I would.' 'Yes,' said she, 'because I 
 shall be useful to you in finding your money, othenvise you would 
 much rather aid in taking than defending my life.' I assured her 
 of the contrary, that I bore her no enmity, that I pitied her for 
 the way in which she had been educated, and that I should be 
 highly delighted to find in her a companion and a friend. She 
 then observed, that she could be both, and asked me if I knew 
 where her mother lived. On replying in the negative, she said, 
 ^;My mother lives at Bhooj, in Cutch. My father is also there. 
 To gain access to them is impossible, mthout incurring the most 
 
178 PANDURANG HARI ~ 
 
 imminent danger. They dwell in the ruins of the palace which 
 was lately destroyed by the earthquake, and there also is the 
 money.' I inquired if she was certain of this, and whether we 
 should be able to get it. She said, 'she was not so sure of that ;' 
 and I then asked if any one besides her father and mother lived 
 among the ruins. She informed me there were a hundred free- 
 booters there, of whom her father was commander, and they were 
 always ready to protect his treasure. ' Surely,' I observed, ' the 
 Government does not sanction this. Why does it not put them 
 down ? ' She answered, ' she did not know ; there they were, and 
 against them we should have to contend.' I told her, in that 
 case, our scheme was perfectly hopeless ; two against a hundred 
 were fearful odds to contend with. ' Courage,' my wife replied ; 
 ' artifice and perseverance will work through stone walls. Keep 
 a firm resolution, and follow me.' 
 
 " My wife led me into the open fields, and through ravines, 
 until we came to a small hut, which she entered, and desired me 
 to put on the habit of a gossein, while she arrayed herself in the 
 dress of a boy, with a guitar in his hand. She said she preferred 
 the dress of a gossein, because her mother was strongly bigoted 
 in favour of these religious mendicants, and would not dare to 
 turn away one from the door of her habitation ; and that having 
 thus obtained a footing, we might indulge in the hope of 
 succeeding at last. I ought to have seen through the shallow- 
 ness of the artifice, if I had reflected but a moment, and that the 
 knowledge of our persons rendered such a plan out of the 
 question, as to success, were it even undertaken in good faith. 
 The idea of recovering my property closed my eyes to all other 
 objects. I left my crafty wife to manage all, and proceeded in 
 silence to Bhooj, which we reached after two days' journeying 
 on foot. 
 
 "The ruins of the palace at Bhooj presented a most awful 
 appearance ; shattered, riven, tottering, the vast fragments were a 
 chaos of appalling objects. The heart thrilled on approaching the 
 confusion of ruin on every side ; nor could I bring myself to 
 believe there were any human beings who would dare to inhabit 
 such a terror-stricken solitude. My wife halted without the 
 
mined place until evening. About an hour after sunset, I 
 followed her into the thickest part of the fallen buildings. She 
 stopped at a small iron door, and began to tune her guitar. In a 
 few minutes the door slowly opened, and a man in a hoarse voice 
 demanded our business. I began bellowing out something in the 
 true gossein style, and the man begged my blessing, which I 
 granted, and then demanded admittance. This he dared not 
 permit, until he had consulted his superiors within. He went 
 away, and in a short time returned and beckoned us to follow 
 him. We obeyed, and were led through archways and narrow 
 passages, until we found ourselves in a spacious apartment, at the 
 upper end of which sat my mother-in-law. I approaciied her 
 with trembhng steps. She was a singular-looking being. She 
 immediately began by a string of interrogations, demanding 
 whence I came, and whither I was journeying. To these, and a 
 number of similar questions, I gave suitable replies. She then 
 began to question me respecting some points in my faith, and 
 inquired the nature of the penances I had undergone; if I 
 had subjected myself lately to any mortification, such as half- 
 hanging, or half-roasting myself. I answered I had not, and she 
 then said she supposed I had contented myself with a slight 
 flagellation only. I replied that there was no necessity for my so 
 suffering, as I had been very strict over myself. * Well then, holy 
 man ! ' the hag screamed out, * a touch of the rattan at present 
 would be grateful no doubt. What, ho, there ! who is in waiting ? ' 
 Upon this two stout fellows came into the room provided with 
 rattans, and notwithstanding all my prayers and entreaties, began 
 to strip me. I looked round for my wife, as much as to say, 
 'What shall I do now? what is the meaning of all this?' when 
 she burst out into a loud laugh, in which she was joined by her 
 mother. I now perceived how I had been duped and inveigled 
 by the daughter into the mother's clutches, and that my wife had 
 been sent after me for the purpose. The two fellows, in the 
 meantime, proceeded to obey their orders, and beat me most 
 cruelly, while between ever}- stroke I heard the loud laugh of my 
 wife and her demon of a mother. A\'hen I had received about 
 ^orty strokes, I was ordered to follow the two men, who took me 
 
i8o PANDURANG HAR^. 
 
 down a narrow staircase, at the end of which was a strong door 
 studded with spikes. This being opened, they thrust me within 
 it, locked it fast, and left me in utter darkness." 
 
 We were suddenly interrupted at this moment by the sound of 
 a horn, and the third Pindaree broke off abruptly. The report 
 of a matchlock succeeded, and all around seemed to be on the 
 alert in a moment. A loud knocking at the door of the chamber 
 in which we were was now heard, and on opening it a messenger 
 from the chief of the troop entered, and told us that the English 
 were within two miles, and we must instantly decamp. ''To 
 horse ! to horse ! " was heard in exclamations from all quarters, 
 and in less than an hour we were mounted and clear of the 
 fortress. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 T happened, most unfortunately, that upon leaving our 
 place of refuge in the old fortress, in our too great 
 haste to avoid the enemy, we rushed into his very 
 jaws. A warm, indeed a heavy fire was poured in amongst us 
 from a small but well-placed body of infantr)-, upon which we 
 could not make an impression. Our men and horses dropped 
 fast. The friendly party which had with me occupied the storj-- 
 telling-chamber agreed to keep together in the skirmish, and we 
 all fought desperately. Early in the action, a ball struck Gopal 
 das Lalldas, the third Pindaree, who had not been able to 
 conclude his story ; and, falling from his horse, he was run 
 through the body by one of the enemy's Havildars. Even at 
 such an occupied moment, the poor fellow's unfinished story 
 flashed on my memory like a momentary light, as he fell and 
 ended his misfortunes for ever. Soon ever}'thing decided itsclt 
 against us, and we had no time to indulge a thought but for our 
 own safety. To protract the contest was useless, and to turn 
 our backs to the foe seemed the best policy. We followed 
 it, and soon left the English infantr)- far behind us. Nanna and 
 Suntoo, my companions, who had been servants of Trimbuckje, 
 proposed to take this opportunity of deserting. Nanna knew the 
 country well ; and, crying to us to follow him, he rode off, Suntoo 
 and I keeping close at his heels. We galloped hard until we 
 reached a village, through which it was necessary to pass. Nanna 
 proposed dashing through at full speed (for our appearance and 
 dress gave us the character of Pindarees, though we were not), 
 since we knew explanation with the villagers would be useless. 
 The latter were so oppressed by the roving Pindarees, that we 
 should inevitably be the victims of their revenge. We used our 
 
1 82 J>ANDURANG HARL 
 
 spurs, jaded as our horses were, and dashed on at full gallop. 
 It being early in the morning, the guard alone was up at the 
 chowkee, or guard-house, situated in the principal street. As we 
 passed it, a dozen matchlocks were fired at us, and Suntoo fell 
 dead. Nanna and I escaped unhurt ; and attaining again the open 
 country, congratulated^ch other on our lucky escape, lamenting 
 the death of Suntoo. " It was his destiny, though," said Nanna 
 at last, very coolly ; " Suntoo could not outride that." 
 
 In our flight our horses bore up surprisingly. They had, I 
 have no doubt, been fed with opium, a method adopted by the 
 Pindarees when they expect them to encounter any extraordinary 
 fatigue, or they find it needful to force them through long 
 journeys. Some of their horses, so treated, will travel eighty coss 
 in a day, and enable their masters to elude pursuit most 
 effectually. We arrived with our jaded animals on the borders 
 of Kandeish, and then determined to proceed on foot. We 
 turned our horses loose in the fields, pulled off our Pindaree 
 boots and wadded coats, and having washed ourselves in a tank, 
 walked like two honest travellers into the first village we came 
 near. We learned there that war had commenced at Poonah 
 between the English and Badjerao, the Peeshwa, and that the 
 whole of the Deccan would soon be involved in confusion. We 
 found also, by chance, that Trimbuckje Danglia was near the 
 very village in which we then were, and we thought this a most 
 fortunate circumstance, as we needed his assistance in our present 
 destitute condition. He received us with apparent pleasure ; but 
 I thought he eyed me in a manner so singular, though I was at a 
 loss to account for it, that I did not feel quite comfortable. He 
 seemed to have forgotten the reward he promised for effecting his 
 escape, and was in a very bad humour. Tlie potail of the village 
 had reported to him that an English officer with some men were 
 arrived in the village, and Trimbuckje had given him orders to 
 watch the strangers narrowly. The potail, however, thought 
 proper to proceed to the officer's tent, surround it with several 
 Bheels whom he had in his employment, and murder him in cold 
 blood. He sent the head to Trimbuckje, who blamed the 
 potail, and asked him who gave him power to kill the officer ? 
 
I 
 
 FAXDURAXG IIARL 1S3 
 
 rhc fellow made some excuse, and his offence was thought of no 
 Jiiore. 
 
 After a few days spent willi Trimbuckje, I asked leave to 
 proceed to the village wherein I had held the ofticial situation. 
 Trimbuckje answered that I might go to the devil if I liked, by 
 which I well understood I had nothing to expect from him. 
 Being anxious to see Sagoonah, I set off as ciuickly as I could, 
 and in two days' time arrived at the place where I had left her. 
 The house in which she had dwelt was standing, but its external 
 appearance gave me but too faithful an impression of its forsaken 
 i^tate. The doors and window-shutters were torn ofl' their hinges, 
 and all was desolate. The reflection that I could hardly cxi^ect 
 to find my fair friends in the same spot where I had so long ago 
 left them, prepared me in a certain degree for the disappointment 
 I experienced. The state of the house, however, I could not pass 
 over, as it evinced marks of violence exerted against it by other 
 hands than those of time. Perhaps Sagoonah had been murdered ! 
 The idea that it was so began to haunt me ; it made me feverish 
 and restless. '' Why, my lovely Sagoonah,' I said a hundred 
 times to myself, " why did I ever quit you ? ^^'hy were you 
 doomed to be so persecuted, and why ara I for ever to suffer 
 disappointment?" Thus I bewailed my lot, until my feelings 
 became so excited, that I was very near ending my days on the 
 threshold of the house where I had once been so happy — over 
 which she had passed or been taken lifeless ; she who was the 
 sole object that made me bear the multiplied calamities of my 
 wandering life with patience, and who alone reconciled me to 
 human existence ! I knew not what it was that prevented my 
 carrying this desperate purpose into effect. It was some casual 
 or passing thought, to which hope clung, that led me aside from 
 the deep dark pit into which I was on the point of falling. It was 
 not impossible Sagoonah might even now be alive, and be requir- 
 ing my protection. I must live to rescue her from the hands of 
 villainy again, and be once more repaid by her kindness and love. 
 '' I will live," thought I, " and search throughout India for one 
 who is so linked with my own being." 
 
i84 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 With the foregoing idea in my head, and with a full heart, I 
 repaired to the house of the collector under whom I had been 
 formerly employed. I was informed he was asleep, and must not 
 be disturbed. I then inquired if I could be informed what had 
 become of my mother and of my sister ? " Your mother and 
 sister," one of the servants exclaimed, with a look that expressed 
 he knew the contrary far better than I chose to suppose he did, 
 " are not in this village." I told him I knew that as well as he, 
 but asked where they then were. " In the first place," replied the 
 fellow, " I can't tell, because I don't know myself; and in the 
 
 second place, if I did, I would not tell, because " " Because," 
 
 I interrupted, " because why ? " The man significantly tapped 
 his stomach, and then pointed to his mouth, signifying it was 
 more than his place was worth to do so. I saw directly I should 
 get nothing from him, and, sufficiently dispirited, I went away. 
 When I conjectured the great man had finished his sleep, I re- 
 paired a second time to his residence, and was told he was at his 
 meals, and could not be spoken with. It was evident he did not 
 want to see me, but still I determined to wait an hour longer. 
 At the expiration of that time, I again made my appearance at 
 his door; and, that I might neglect nothing, I presented two 
 rupees to a peon, begging him to give my name to his master, 
 and inform him I wished to speak with him on business of 
 importance. The peon went up-stairs, and soon returned, saying 
 his master was engaged over papers of consequence, and would 
 not be interrupted. This was proof sufficient to convince me 
 that an audience was denied me, and that I might spare myself 
 the trouble of any future applications for an interview. I felt 
 persuaded that the collector himself had aided in the outrage 
 which I apprehended had been committed. Passing by the 
 chowkee, or guard-room, a little time afterwards, the fellow 
 whom I had addressed on my first visit, beckoned me aside 
 and whispered to me, "The sooner you are off the better." 
 "Why?" I answered. He drew his finger across his throat, 
 and said, "Be wise." I thanked him, and was about to ask 
 another question, but he turned on his heel, and I saw no more 
 of him. 
 
PANDURAXG JIARL 
 
 It was now very clear that I must provide for my own safety. 
 To what point I should direct my steps I knew not, but I 
 wandered again by instinct, while considering the subject, to the 
 deserted house where Sagoonah had lived. It was the evening 
 hour. The interior of the building was dark and gloomy ; not 
 one article of furniture remained in it save an old couch with 
 three legs, upon which I sat to finish my meditations on the best 
 step to be taken to solve the mystery that hung over the fate of 
 my fair friends, and the cause of the desolation I saw around me. 
 It seemed strange that the house should be so totally deserted. 
 It was not in ruins ; why did not some one inhabit it ? why were 
 its chambers left empty, be the fate of its former tenants what it 
 might ? Perhaps a murder had been committed within its walls, 
 and it was shunned as a place of horrors ; and who knew but the 
 victim might have been my Sagoonah ? This, one moment, I 
 thought must be the case, and I even sobbed aloud until the bare 
 walls echoed back my lamentations. I never felt so wretched. 
 After a little time, I recollected the caution of the man at the 
 chowkee; and, summoning the aid of reason, I descended the 
 stairs with the intention of leaving the place, when I saw a light 
 issue from under a door on my right hand at the foot of the stair- 
 case. What it meant I could not conjecture. " Some one must 
 inhabit that room," thought I to myself, " and I will find out who 
 it is, even if my life be hazarded by my rashness." With this 
 determination, I crept softly down to the door whence the light 
 issued, and laid my ear close to it. I now heard whisperings and 
 chinking of money, which made me think they were thieves who 
 harboured there ; and I judged that they could not be of that 
 class of persons from whom I could learn anything to my advan- 
 tage. With this idea I was going softly away, leaving the house 
 to its secret tenants, when the talking became louder, and I 
 jigain listened, but could only hear disjointed sentences and 
 scattered words, such as "money," "services," "Trimbuckje 
 Danglia." It now struck me that if I knocked at the door, and 
 demanded admittance as a traveller desiring shelter, I might 
 possibly learn something of advantage to myself; I therefore gave 
 a loud knock. The light was immediately extinguished, and I 
 
i86 PANDURANG hAr). 
 
 heard the chink of money very audibly. Not a word more was 
 uttered; and fearing the persons might rush out upon me, I 
 slipped into a recess at a little distance from the room they 
 occupied, where I was well concealed at that hour of the night* 
 I had scarcely got into it when a pistol was discharged from the 
 head of the staircase, and a bullet passed through the outer door. 
 Had I been in my former post, I must have fallen, and my 
 fortune been at once settled for ever. I was now convinced 
 there was more than one person in the house, or I should have 
 immediately followed the man who fired. Uncertain of the 
 number or force under the roof, I conceived it would be madness 
 to move out. There could be no doubt the men, whoever they 
 were, had a perfect knowledge of all the passages of the house, 
 even better than I had. Notwithstanding, therefore, the danger 
 I incurred in remaining longer, curiosity chained me to the spot 
 until I saw a light flash from the head of the stairs. The person 
 who held it was perhaps the villain who had fired. Seeing no 
 one, he retired, and all was again still and dark. Soon after, I 
 heard the voices again in the room below, and one of them dis- 
 tinctly say, " 'Twas a false alarm, there was no one there ; or if 
 there was, he is there no longer." *' No, no," observed another, 
 *' my shot sent him about his business ; but we must not waste 
 time here. Farewell ! we meet again at Asseerghur." "Ay, ay," 
 said the first, " there is work enough for us there." They then 
 made their exit, by what means I cannot tell ; but I felt no small 
 pleasure at their departure. I looked into the street soon after- 
 wards, but could see neither of them, which makes me imagine 
 there was some secret passage of which I knew nothing. With an 
 eager but faint hope that these men were privy to the removal or 
 present situation of Sagoonah and her aunt, if they were indeed 
 alive, I determined to follow them to Asseerghur, a very strong 
 fort situated on an immense height of rock, which renders it 
 impregnable ; it is therefore considered the most important place 
 of defence in that part of the Deccan. I left the village accord- 
 ingly, and took shelter for the rest of the night in a cowshed, 
 where I obtained a few hours' sleep, and in the morning set out 
 for Asseerghur. 
 
PANDURANG IIARL i.s; 
 
 Comfortless and hungry, I kept my journey onwards, until I 
 reached a small village, where I sat mysclt' down in the durhm 
 sallah, or place for travellers. There were two men within, of 
 most savage countenances, busied in lighting a fire to cook their 
 rice. They appeared like myself to have only just arrived, and I, 
 having no rice to cook, had plenty of time to examine the 
 countenances of these ferocious-looking personages. No two 
 men ever existed more unlike each other. 'J'he one was verj' tall, 
 with a thin, emaciated face, enveloped in whiskers and mustaches, 
 so that his small, black eyes and the tip of his nose only were 
 visible, except when his mouth opened, and then a splendid set 
 of the whitest teeth I ever beheld illuminated his gloomy counten- 
 ance. The indices of age in man and horse convinced me that , 
 the object engaging my attention, though apparently past fifty, 
 was in reality scarcely thirty. He wore a white coat, long white 
 trousers, with a red shawl over his shoulders, and a black leather 
 belt round his waist, in which were a brace of pistols. On his 
 head was a dirty green turban, twisted in the form of a Madras 
 nuthkhui's, or conjuror's, so that I was much j)uzzled to discover 
 either his country or his caste. The other was a short, mean- 
 looking villain, \\ith no hair on his person save his mustaches, 
 which were mere stubble, and of a very light colour; he was fair, 
 and had two small grey eyes and a snub nose, with very thick lips 
 and a miserable set of black broken teeth. A large scar on his 
 forehead showed me he had been no stranger to broils, and knew 
 how to fight his way through life. He had a red turban, which 
 looked as if it had been daily worn time out of mind, without its 
 being reformed or newly arranged since it was made. He bore a 
 common kuttar in his girdle, but was encumbered with no other 
 weapons. Previous to eating, the tall man withdrew the pistols 
 from his girdle and placed them by his side on the ground. By 
 this time it was highly necessary that I should think about some- 
 thing to eat, for I was in truth almost famished. To have begged 
 either of the tall or short man would, I could clearly see, be as 
 idle as to beg of the stones under my feet. These men might 
 perhaps have thrown me their scraps, which my caste would not 
 admit of my accepting. I therefore required money, or if I 
 
i88 TANDURANG HARI 
 
 could not obtain that, a little raw rice would have been accept- 
 able. The short man seemed to have a good supply of this last 
 commodity ; and, impelled by want, I ventured at last to beg the 
 loan of a jee?i of it, assuring him I would repay him when I 
 reached my journey's end. He looked very hard at me, and 
 then asked if I really thought he was fool enough to be cheated 
 out of his rice by such a man as I was. *' Repay me, indeed ! " 
 said he, '' you know that must be a lie. Pray, in the first place, 
 where is your journey to end, because we may going different 
 ways ?" "Why," replied I, "my journey lies towards Asseerghur." 
 "This means, I suppose," observed he, "that you are going to 
 Asseerghur?" "Certainly." "Then what need was there of 
 your saying your way lay towards Asseerghur ? Do you think it 
 likely I shall bestow my rice on one who equivocates so much as 
 you do ! " " He is a liar," observed the tall man ; " give him rice, 
 indeed ! here is something would suit him better " (taking up one 
 of the pistols) — at which the short man laughed most heartily. I 
 began to augur that no rice would now fall to my share, and I 
 sat suffering the torments of hunger, until the two fellows had 
 finished their repast. The tallest man having washed his mouth 
 and cleaned his white teeth, approached me as I sat on a stone in 
 the doorway, looking down upon me as he would do upon a 
 reptile which he had half a mind to trample upon out of sheer 
 wantonness. I did not dare to raise my eyes to gaze upon this 
 formidable personage, but sat perfectly silent, suffering the keen 
 pangs of hunger. After some time had elapsed, the fellow said, 
 " Who are you, and what is your busings at Asseerghur? " This 
 was indeed a perplexing question. I knew if I told the real 
 truth my life would be in danger, if these men chanced to be 
 connected with Trimbuckje's schemes ; and if I replied I had no 
 business there, I should be looked upon with suspicion. If I 
 made myself a person of no consequence, I should be despised ; 
 and if I made any^pretensions, I should be deemed a liar with 
 very good reason. Never did I before feel my nothingness so 
 much as on this occasion. At last I ventured to say, "And who 
 may you be that thinks yourself authorised to question another 
 respecting his objects in travelling ? " " Oh, Avhat ! " said the 
 
FANDURANG HARL 
 
 189 
 
 fellow in reply, " you are going to vapour, are you ? You would 
 make us believe you are a great man, would you ? " " No," I 
 answered, " I have no such design ; I am no great man, nor am 
 I quite so great a fool as you would consider me." " Poh," said 
 he, "I don't know that — it is not very polite for beggars to be 
 saucy." " Who begged ? '* I asked. -' Did you not beg rice of 
 us?" said he. "I requested a loan," I replied; "which, had 
 my request been granted, should have been repaid, provided we 
 travelled the same road ; but since you are so supercilious, pray 
 keep your rice to yourselves. Keep away from me, I am not 
 accustomed to associate with people of all castes." "What, 
 impudent villain ! " said the tall man, " do you pretend to be of 
 a higher caste than a choomar?"' "I shall not dispute with 
 you," I answered ; " I know my caste, and how to preser\e it 
 unspotted." " Let us hang the fellow," cried the short man ; 
 " he will be a high caste fellow, a high caste Hindoo then, in 
 truth." 
 
 This wit amused the two fellows greatly, and they prepared to 
 lie down after their meal. They had endeavoured to provoke me 
 into abusing them or striking them, and now, though tliey were 
 both inclined to sleep, they indulged themselves in scoffing at me. 
 The tall man said, " Hollo, you choomar, get out of the durhm 
 sallah ; no Hindoo will enter it if you sit on the threshold." 
 '^Arry Jf,/ia,ra/" cried the short man, "what is the matter?" 
 " M,/ia,ra/ a che pot Vhooh lagle^' replied the other, meaning that 
 his majesty's belly was hungry. They shouted with laughter at 
 this joke ; but I still sat silent, obliged to hear all and bear all with 
 patience. They continued their jeers until they dropped asleep. 
 
 As soon as I was certain it would not awake them, I crept 
 softly to the side of the tall man and took up one of his pistols 
 to see if it was loaded ; but what was my surprise on discovering 
 them to be the pistols stolen from me by the T,hugs, when on my 
 way to Kandeish with Sagoonah ! I knew them to be mine by a 
 particular mark on the stocks. One was loaded, the other 
 appeared to have been lately discharged, as the pan bore marks 
 of powder having been recently inflamed in it ; and the position 
 
 ' One of the very lowest caste. 
 
I90 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 of the lock proved my conjecture to be correct. Could these 
 fellows have been inhabitants of the forlorn residence which I had 
 left not long before, and where I was so nearly paying a high 
 price for my curiosity ? Perhaps it was my own pistol which had 
 been fired at me, and the tall man was the person who did it. I 
 became convinced I was right in my conclusion ; for they said 
 they were going to Asseerghur, or they should meet at Asseer- 
 ghur. Perhaps only one of them was in the house, and he had 
 been subsequently joined by the other on the road. That they 
 were all united in one common league of interest appeared 
 evident. I now laid down :ht, pistols, and left the place 
 in search of food. 
 
CHAPTER XV II I. 
 
 WAS reduced by hunger almost to the last extremity 
 consistent with the power of action ; and I succeeded 
 at length in relieving my necessity by applying to the 
 potail of the village, and pawning my turban to him for rice. 
 Thus I was obliged to bare my head to satisfy the cravings of 
 my stomach. Fortunately I had a wum-out red shawl around my 
 waist, which I transferred to my head ; so that my appcamnce at 
 present bespoke my real character, as to the state of my finances. 
 I was now a mere s/iack — a penniless vagabond. My white coat 
 was loose, for want of a kiiniberbiind, and my head looked of an 
 enormous size ; because, instead of a neatly-folded turban, it was 
 covered with my loose shawl, the end of which sometimes 
 flapped down over my eyes. My beard had not been smoothed 
 with a razor for many days ; my shoes were worn out at the toes, 
 and my trousers torn at the knees. Thus may some idea be 
 formed of the wretched plight in which I appeared. 
 
 On returning to the durhm sallah, the tall man was awake, 
 and sitting upright examining his pistols. " ICnglish," said I, 
 alluding to their make. " Ay," said he ; " and hard work I had 
 to get them. I should think I fought at once with four or five 
 English troopers before I got them." " Four or five ! " said I. 
 "Ay, four or five!" he replied ; "but I conquered them, and 
 these are part of my spoil ! " " You let the women go, then, I sui> 
 pose ? " " Women ! how should you know there were any women 
 present?" he rejoined. "I happen to know it well," said I. 
 " Oh, then, you have met with one of the English troopers who 
 got away ? " " Not I," I replied ; " I have met with no runaway 
 Englishmen ; they are not so often put to flight, as we know to- 
 our cost," " Then how could you know about the women ? " he 
 
 191 
 
192 PANDURANG HARY, 
 
 observed. "Why," I replied, "because I happened to know 
 the women themselves." " So do I," replied the fellow. I then 
 asked if he had seen them since ; upon which he said he had a 
 great mind to blow my brains out for my impertinence, and won- 
 dered how I could suppose him fool enough to answer my queries. 
 I assured him I had no wish to pry into his secrets ; and more- 
 over I would assist his memory, if I could. " Why, you hypocrite," 
 said he ; " do you think I did not recognise you as the fellow 
 who was with the women ? " " Oh, then, you did not contend 
 with five English troopers at all, I find ! " said I. " Why, I must 
 Own that is a lie," he remarked. "Do you think, then, I did 
 not recognise you as the man who forced my pistols from me ? " 
 " Ay, that may be," said he ; " but I still think you lie ! " 
 "Well," I rejoined, " as you were candid enough to confess you 
 had deviated from the truth, I will confess that I had no 
 recollection of your person -, but I could swear to my pistols." 
 " What ! at this distance of time ? " he observed. " Yes, my 
 friend," said I ; " because I examined them while you were 
 sleeping." " You are, then, the most audacious vagabond I ever 
 met with ! " said he. I told him that might be ; for, at any rate, 
 I always possessed a good share of curiosity ; which he told me 
 to take care I did not pay too dearly for, some time or other. 
 He then wanted to know how I came with the women, and if I 
 was related to them. I replied in the negative, in a very careless 
 manner, that I was only hired to protect them as far as Kandeish ; 
 and that, between ourselves, I had robbed them long before he 
 enticed us out by making the birds chirp. He inquired if they 
 never suspected me ; and I said they did not, for they could 
 not; as I could answer for it, they believed everything I ever 
 said, even to this day. The fellow then observed, that now 
 perhaps they were more wary. I said, that probably they were so 
 now, since their fate had led them among strangers ; and then as 
 I recollected, I used to observe they were very suspicious. " But 
 what now signifies it, my friend," said I, " where they are, or 
 what they are ? " 
 
 AVhile the tall man was thinking what answer to make to this, 
 Ills companion awoke. The latter evinced no little surprise at 
 
PANDURANG IIArI. 
 
 ^93 
 
 discovering his comrade in earnest conversation with me — the 
 choomar, as he had, not long before, thought fit to designate me. 
 The tall man then bid me cook my rice ; and he would talk to 
 me again after my meai. I turned away, wondering where all 
 this myster\' would end, and from what cause this sudden civility 
 arose. While cooking my rice, the two men whispered together 
 in a corner, and appeared to be very earnest upon the subject on 
 which they were engaged. The tall man was trying to persuade 
 the short one to join in some new arrangement, and in so doing 
 he encountered considerable opposition from his comrade. That 
 their conversation implicated myself I did not doubt, both from 
 the manner and tone in which they argued, and the way they 
 occasionally regarded me. When I had devoured my rice, the 
 tall man beckoned me to take my seat beside him. '* My 
 friend," said he, "we need your help in a difficult, and even 
 dangerous affair. You shall be liberally rewarded, and shall suc- 
 ceed to some lucrative situation under Scindea's government " 
 
 " That is," interrupted the short man, "if you are successful, and 
 play no tricks ; for you must beware of treacher>' towards us. 
 Death will be your fate, if you attempt to deceive us ! " 
 
 Having considered a little while, and urged by the hope of 
 gaining a clue to the discovery of Sagoonah, I consented to enlist 
 in their service, provided they would inform me of the true char- 
 acter of the duties required of me. I told them I demanded 
 this not from motives of curiosity, because their business could not 
 interest me in any way except in aiding in effecting their objects ; 
 that I entered their service from necessity and sheer want, and 
 that I demanded these particulars, and an account of the service 
 I was going upon, and the individuals concerned therein, 
 because, as I was to proceed by artifice and cunning, the least 
 blunder might cost me my life ; and even if I escaped evil from 
 the party opposed to us, I might find it difficult to persuade those 
 in whose service I embarked, that I was innocent of things they 
 might impute to me — perhaps charging me with treachery instead 
 of mere error. The two fellows now consulted together again, and 
 came to a determination to confide to me the particulars of the 
 business in which they were employed. They observed, however, 
 
194 . PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 that the place we were then in was too public for commencing 'a 
 narrative of what they wished to communicate, and bade 
 me follow them, and they would lead me to a retired place 
 for the purpose, which no one knew but themselves. " Stop," 
 said I ; " how am I to be certain of being safe in your company ? " 
 ^^ Dolt," said the short man ; " what good will your death do us ? 
 Think you your old rag of a shawl and those handsome trousers 
 are worth our killing you for? Here, take this pistol, and if we 
 
 attempt to harm you " '• Enough," said I, accepting the 
 
 weapon; ''lead on." They did so accordingly, and I followed. 
 I asked the tall man his caste as we went along ; he told me he 
 was a Goud, and one of the twelve hundred horse that infested 
 Souduana ; his comrade was a Bheelalah, — and both formerly 
 served Trimbuckje Danglia, until they quarrelled with him about 
 pay and left him. " That Trimbuckje ! " said I ; "he is a most 
 ungrateful villain ! " " You know him, then ? " was the reply, 
 '■ and have suffered, too, from his ungrateful conduct?" " I am, 
 in truth, a sufferer from him," I observed : " but for me he 
 would still have been a prisoner. I effected his escape from 
 Tannah ; and, instead of rewarding me, he left me to beggary 
 and want." " You would, then, like to be revenged upon him ? " 
 observed the tall man. " I should, indeed," I replied ; " for I 
 owe him a deep grudge." " You will have the opportunity, then," 
 said the short man, who, till now, had been silent : " the very 
 service we are engaged upon will, if we succeed, make Trimbuckje 
 mad with rage ; and not merely that alone, but will withdraw his 
 attention from affairs of a more serious nature, and thus ruin him 
 beyond redemption ; — but we approach our secret halting-place." 
 My guides now led me a most intricate road, among hills, deep 
 valleys, and impenetrable woods, until we reached a cave, wherein 
 was an- idol, such as I had never before seen, nor could my com- 
 panions afford me any information respecting it. Behind the 
 idol was a door, which opened by a secret spring. Through this 
 door we passed, and, having reclosed it, found ourselves in a 
 small square stone chamber. Here, then, was the place where 
 my curiosity would be gratified, and I hoped to obtain tidings of 
 Sagoonah. This chamber,^ I could clearly perceive, had been 
 
r.LVDURAXG JIARL 195 
 
 before inhabited by my companions, or probably resorted to by 
 them when necessity compelled them to seek shelter behind the 
 friendly god. Mats, pots, pans, and oil, with lamps and cocoa- 
 nuts, bespoke a secret haunt of desperate villainy. One of my 
 companions lighted a lamp within ; when we entered and seated 
 ourselves. 
 
 Upon the present occasion, as, indeed, for the most part pre- 
 viously, the tall man was spokesman. He began by saying that, 
 before he entrusted me with the motives that prompted both him 
 and his companion to their present objects, and before he 
 mentioned the name of their employer, it was proper to state 
 that they had pledged their lives to perform the duty they had 
 undertaken. When they first agreed to embark in this ser\ice, 
 they did not apprehend the difficulties that now stared them in 
 the face : and, in truth, circumstances had arisen which lind con- 
 tributed to thwart and counteract all their attempts. Chance had 
 now thrown in their way the person of all others who could 
 render them assistance, and that person was myself He then 
 stated that, if I succeeded in what I should have to undertake, I 
 should receive two thousand rupees as a reward, besides employ- 
 ment under a Government where we should all enjoy lucrative 
 situations. That it was not too late for me to decline the service 
 required of me ; and if I did so, I was at liberty to go away 
 wherever I pleased ; but if I behaved treacherously, my death was 
 certain : they could be wth me when I least suspected them, and 
 escape would be impracticable. Here I signified I knew that was 
 likely to be true, and that I was ready to do my best, but could 
 not promise success, as I did not know what was expected from 
 me. "True," said my tall companion ; "all we ask from you is 
 fidelity, and a firm attachment to the cause you have undertaken 
 to support. Accidents and disappointments may render all your 
 attempts abortive in serving us; but nothing besides the most 
 determined treachery can prevent your doing your best, and being 
 secret and firm to the cause you undertake." I promised to be 
 faithful, fully determined, if Sagoonah were involved in their 
 objects, to thwart them by every means in my power. The shortest 
 man of the two now bade me recollect that it was no trifling 
 
196 PANDURANG HArI. 
 
 affair in which I had engaged, of which I said I was fully aware ; 
 and the tall man then told me that he and his companion were 
 employed by Gunput Rao Mahadeo, the lawful successor to the 
 musnud of Sattarah. I observed here, with some surprise, that I 
 thought he had long ago bade adieu to the world, and having 
 become a sunyassee, had never been heard of since ; that he had 
 a son also. They said he had, and that he was now in search of 
 him, having had the most positive assurance of his existence. 
 " He is alive," thought I to myself, " and there is little doubt but 
 Mahadeo, the first Pindaree, is the son the father is seeking after." 
 Of this, however, I did not say a word to my present com- 
 panions, nor show any marks of surprise at feeling that it must be 
 so. My informant now assured me that Gunput Mahadeo was 
 alive, as well as his son, and that the father was searching for the 
 son, to complete a marriage between him and a female, who, if 
 united to him, might be the means of elevating the father to the 
 Government of Sattarah ; and, after his death, his son also. 
 " But how, my friend," I interrupted, " can an aUiance with the 
 girl raise both father and son to the musnud ? " In reply, I was 
 informed that "the uncle of the girl was at Sattarah, immensely 
 rich ; that the deposed rajah was imbecile, and for a good round 
 sum would not hesitate to declare Gunput Rao his lawful successor 
 to the crown ; nay, in all probability, would resign the musnud in 
 his favour before he died : or if not, he would, for a large sum, 
 secure the throne to Gunput after his own demise ; for money 
 was his god, as it is the god of all feeble minds. Now, the uncle 
 of the girl could raise a crore of rupees, if needful ; and, distressed 
 at the absence of his niece, he had had an interview with Gunput 
 Rao, who prowled about in the habit of a gossein, and was 
 reputed to be very skilful, and to render great assistance to those 
 who consulted him. While asking advice of the gossein, the 
 uncle little thought he was consulting the pretender to the throne ; 
 nor would he ever have known it, had not the gossein himself 
 discovered the secret, at the same time promising to find the girl 
 about whom the rich man was so anxious, and then to try and 
 discover his own son, and marry them. Thus the girl would be- 
 come queen of Sattarah, if the rich man would consent to the 
 
PANDURANG HARI 197 
 
 match. The latter was overjoyed at the prosjicct of seeing any 
 one of his relations raised to govern a kingdom, and promised 
 Gunput Rao, if he could discover his niece, to consent to her 
 marr}'ing his son as a reward ; and that he would spare no money 
 or pains to raise him to the throne, which, after his decease,, the 
 young couple must naturally occupy. It appeared that Gunput 
 Rao inquired by what means he might recognise the female of 
 whom he should go in search ; and he was informed that her 
 name was Sagoonah," — (here I could scarcely conceal the emotion 
 this intelligence produced) — " and that she wore round her neck 
 a bead-necklace, with a talisman, which the uncle authorised 
 Gunput to open. The contents, he said, were three grains of com, 
 
 a small antique coin 'The coin was of copper,' the gossein 
 
 observed. * How can you know this?' asked the uncle. The 
 gossein then related a storv' about the alleged murder of such a 
 girl at Poona, and that every person there supposed she was 
 actually no more, but that he knew the reverse to be the truth. 
 The inquiry respecting her death, and the examination of her 
 necklace, took place in the open durbar; and he himself said he 
 saw the grains of corn and money. The uncle then inquired if he 
 saw no writing contained in it ? The gossein replied in the negative. 
 'That is fortunate,' said the uncle, 'because my wife, knowing the 
 girl's father was ruined by some gosseins, feared Sagoonah would 
 also become a victim of this class of persons : and therefore she 
 enclosed in the talisman a written caution, warning her to beware 
 of such people. Now, your present character is one best suited 
 to gain admission to the girl, provided she has not been pre- 
 judiced by this warning : wherever she be, I authorise you to 
 force her hither, if stratagem fail. Of me,' continued the uncle, 
 *she has no recollection, nor her aunt either; and a letter to her 
 would be most likely looked upon as a forger)'.' 
 
 "Thus authorised, our employer was still of opinion that 
 the warning against gosseins might have got into the hands of 
 Sagoonah, as he recollected that the person deputed to open 
 the talisman was her avowed protector, and that no time was to 
 be lost in following his footsteps. He took leave of the uncle at 
 Sattarah, and journeyed to Poona, where he employed a gossein 
 
198 PANDURANG hArI 
 
 to hunt out Sagoonali, and a man who accompanied her, named 
 Pandurang Hari. The latter, if it was necessary, might be des- 
 patched out of the way ; but Sagoonah and her aunt must be 
 conveyed to the spot where we then were, and final orders would 
 be given respecting them. By some unknown means the plan 
 miscarried ; and the gossein entrusted with its management was 
 dangerously wounded, and lost all traces of the females. It was 
 I," said the tall man, " who informed Gunput Rao's messenger 
 where to find the two women, whom I recollected I had robbed 
 near Kandeish, and that they were accompanied by a man, whose 
 person I could not describe on account of the darkness. There 
 was also a second man, I supposed a bullock-driyer, in company. 
 After being robbed, I imagined they all went back to the village 
 from whence we enticed them. You were the man, then, it 
 seems, who accompanied these women. Are you Pandurang 
 Hari ? " " Not I," was my reply, with boldness ; " my name is 
 Ramje Goobie. I was employed, about the time you mention, 
 to escort the women to Kandeish. I believe they placed great 
 confidence in me." " Who employed you ? " inquired the tall 
 man. "That I cannot tell you," was my reply, ''because I do 
 not know his name — I was well paid, however." " Do you think 
 it was' that Pandurang Hari, of whom I spoke before, who 
 Employed you?" "Perhaps it was," I replied; "but I have 
 never troubled my head about it since. I was more grieved at 
 losing my money and pistols than anything else. But did the 
 gossein ever catch the women ? " " He never did, though he 
 made many attempts ; they were too well on the watch against 
 the arts of that class of people." 
 
 . "Having left the service of Trimbuckje," continued the last 
 speaker, "I have been employed since by the gossein, who, 
 though still in Trimbuckje's service, is his decided enemy. It 
 appears that Trimbuckje having conceived a. passion for this very 
 girl, determined to seize her, and place her in his harem, and hg.d 
 given orders to that effect, when he was arrested and escorted to , 
 Thannah. The man to whom he issued orders for this purpose, was - 
 the collector of the village where Sagoonah resided. He obtained 
 lX)sscssion of the women by force, and has concealed them some-. 
 
PAXDUKANG ITARI 199 
 
 where that none ot' us can discover; but we have strong sus- 
 picions they are in the fortress of Asseerghur. The gosscin, who 
 had actually been dismissed from Trimbuckje's service, upon 
 finding his plans differ so much from those of his master as f.u-as 
 respected Sagoonah, thought it would be still highly ad\ antageous 
 to himself to get on the same footing as formerly in Trimbuckje's 
 family. Having been applied to, therefore, to aid his escape 
 from Tannah, he acceded, and again entered his employ. The 
 gossein, however, has never been able to find out where Sagoonah 
 is concealed, and he has engaged us in the attempt to discover 
 the secret. We have learned that there are t\\'0 women in tiie 
 fort of Asseerghur ; but whether they are those we seek we should 
 not know if we were to see them, our employer himself not being 
 able to give us ajiy very accurate description of their persons. 
 Now, then, we ask you to enter the fort, see the women 
 if possible, claim an acquaintance with them, and persuade them 
 to accompany you from the fort. This must be achiex'cd by 
 bribery and artifice ; and when done, you have only to delivei 
 them up to us. " " But is it likely," I said, '* that Trimbuckje 
 could get the women into Scindea's fort?" " Trimbuckje,'' said 
 one of my companions, '*' is a great friend of Bassoo Scindea's, 
 one of the generals of whom you may have heard, in the history 
 of the Scindea family, as commanding lar;je but insubordinate 
 armies. This Bassoo keeps the women in close confinement, 
 from which it Avill be your duty to release them." " Are there no 
 orders to give him about the goatherd in the glen ? " obsen-ed tlie 
 
 short man ; '' he may as well " '* Peace ! " said the tall man ; 
 
 "we can manage that. We have no more work -for you at pre- 
 sent, Ramje," said he, " but what you already know." 
 
 Much as I wished to ask some other, and to me highly im- 
 portant questions, I dared not do so. I only encjuircd, in the 
 first place, the nearest way to the fort. They directed me to go 
 through a thick jungle, and then across a plain, after which I 
 should enter a second wood. On emerging from thence, I should 
 find myself in a deep glen, in which was a goatherd's cottage. 
 This I was not to enter, but to proceed until I reached the open 
 plain, when I should see Asseerghur at about three coss distance 
 
200 --PANDURANG HARL 
 
 from the border of the glen. I ventured to inquire whether Gun- 
 put Rao, the employer of my companions, did not occasionally 
 pass by the name of Gabbage Gousla ? They asked how I knew 
 this. I had a reply in readiness, and told them that when I was 
 employed to guard the two women to Kandeish, my employer 
 told me a person named Gabbage Gousla was to be paiticularly 
 avoided, and that he was a gossein. This seemed to satisfy the 
 two men ; but they again declared that if I acted treacherously 
 towards them, my life should pay the forfeit ; and they asserted 
 that the previous knowledge I possessed of the persons of the two 
 women alone induced them to confide in me. My duty was to 
 persuade the women I was a messenger from Pandurang Hari, 
 who awaited them without the fort, but for certain reasons dared 
 not trust himself within the walls. I ventured, without appearing 
 too anxious, to ask how Gabbage discovered his son to be in 
 existence. They informed me that a servant of Trimbuckje's, 
 named Nanna, had fallen in with a troop of Pindarees, one of 
 whom related his history, and, from the peculiar circumstances 
 he narrated, Gabbage became convinced it could be none other 
 than his son. I was much surprised at this piece of intelligence^ 
 as I was at the singularity of Nanna's relating the son's history in 
 presence of the father. I wished much to discover how Trim- 
 buckje had found Sagoonah to be alive, after understanding that 
 her death had taken place at Poona ; but I dared not put further 
 questions, and left it to chance to gratify me with this important 
 T)iece of information. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Y wallet being replenished, and ten rupees jjaid me in 
 advance, I prepared to set out for Asseerghur. It may 
 be considered certain that if I succeeded, I had no in- 
 tention of bringing the women to the place agreed upon, though 
 I had made a promise of so doing. Yet I well knew the conse- 
 quences that would follow this treachery, and that as long as I 
 lived it must be in a state of prepetual anxiety and terror, lest 
 either the meagre form of the tall man or the scjuab figure of the 
 little one should cross my steps ; nevertheless, I set off on my 
 enterprise. While creeping through the small iron door for that 
 purpose, I saw that a strong bolt was affixed on the outside, and 
 as soon as I was clearly out and the door closed again, I drew it 
 across into its place, and consigned the two men to a lingering 
 and terrible death ! There was no other egress from the cliam- 
 ber. They heard the grating noise that sounded their knell of 
 destruction. They attempted in vain to open the door; they 
 screamed, and were then silent for a time, then burst out into 
 louder curses on my head and on tlieir own folly. Then they 
 quarrelled, and ended their altercation with deep and bitter groans. 
 Theirs was a horrible destiny — to be eaten up by famine, to 
 waste into death! "^But were they not plotting against others? 
 and those, too, far dearer to me than mine own existence? Was 
 not my Sagoonah to be their victim ? and were they not scheming 
 mischief against the poor goatherd they spoke of in the glen— 
 perhaps to murder him? These considerations, and the con- 
 sciousness that to frustrate the schemes of such men by such means 
 was fully justifiable, bore me up, and afforded me consolation in 
 respect to the justice of what I had done. 
 
 Night had now come on, and I feared to enter the first jungle at 
 
 201 
 
202 PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 that season, though I kejDt as near it as I could, to avoid the 
 groans and maddening screams that came from the cell in which 
 my victims were immolated. I could not get beyond the hearing 
 of them. At times I was almost tempted to go and seal my own 
 destruction by unbarring the portal, the cries of suffering so 
 softened my heart ! When I recollected they were still men like 
 myself, a chill of horror came over me ; but reason after many 
 struggles resumed her seat, and the memory of Sagoonah's security 
 again fixed my tottering resolution. The owl and the bat flitting 
 across my face, added to the impression of that terrible hour. 
 The wild beasts howled in the jungle ; once more I went to avoid 
 them towards the cave, as I had done several times before, but 
 the yells of the miserable captives drove me away. Again I 
 reached the entrance of the outer cave, through v/hich their groans 
 echoed and almost palsied my heart, and again I returned 
 towards the jungles. At last I summoned resolution to fly from 
 the damps of the frowning rocks, in which the cave was scooped, 
 for ever, and to leave my prisoners to die. A friendly tree, as far 
 off from the spot as I could venture in the darkness, gave me 
 shelter in its boughs for the night from beasts and men, and at 
 dawn of day I pursued my journey through the first jungle. 
 
 The entrance into such a place, and at so early an hour, was 
 highly dangerous ; yet I longed to remove myself as far as I could 
 from the neighbourhood of the cave, and to get nearer Sagoonah. 
 As I went along I shook the limbs of the lower kind of under- 
 wood, and disturbed the birds of prey roosting among them, that 
 fluttered away with shrill shrieks. The roar of a tiger not far 
 ftom me made me hastily conceal myself behind a large tree on 
 the opposite side whence the sound came. A second roar appeared 
 to be very close by, and I lost not a moment in ascending the 
 tree before the e5^e of the savage should flash upon me. It was 
 then the hour of grey dawn, rendered more obscure by the forest 
 foliage; but I could still see objects very distinctly for some 
 distance around me. I had not sat long on a huge overhanging 
 branch, when two enormous tigers issued from the thickest part 
 of the jungle in a violent struggle for some heavy body in which 
 their fangs were plunged. They came direcdy under where I sat. 
 
r.Lynuj^AyQ hAri. 
 
 and I perceived they were contesting for the body of a man that 
 appeared completely lifeless. " Who could the unhappy victim 
 of these animals have been ? where were they dearly united to 
 him in life — the wife, the children, or the parent — who would 
 never know his fate ? " This thoui^'ht crossed me rapidly when I 
 saw the body between the two animals, which neither dared to feed 
 upon for fear of his antagonist. They stood glaring frightfully at 
 each other, then growling furiously, and lashing their sides with 
 their long tails in the utmost rage. At last one of them went off, 
 and the other appeared for a considerable time to be sucking out 
 the blood of the unfortunate man ; he then slowly left it, as if 
 gorged to satiety with the fluid of life. The ornaments and part 
 of the man's dress lay on the ground by the body, and I deter- 
 mined to descend and secure them, when I could do so with 
 safety. It was with no little pleasure I saw the creature walk 
 away into the dense part of the wood to take its repose, as is the 
 habit of these animals in the day. I then descended from the 
 tree and searched the body of the dead traveller, which had been 
 sucked till it was dr)^ and light ; not a^jone was touched, nor the 
 flesh an5rAvhere very deeply torn. ^ found what I searched for 
 tied round the loins of the cor|:)se ; it was a silver waist-chain or 
 kurdoorah, which I transferred from the dead to a living body. 
 There were also two massy silver rings for the wrists, and a chain 
 round the left ankle, which I secured with no great difhculty. I 
 found no money upon the body at first, and I therefore con- 
 cluded it might have fallen on the spot where the tiger first seized 
 the unhappy man, a little distance ofi". I tracked the place by 
 the blood, where the progress of the traveller had been fatally 
 arrested. There I discovered a red turban, shoes, and some 
 other articles which had belonged to him ; but above all, a bundle 
 of letters or papers, which I placed in the folds of the turban, and 
 planted the latter on my head, hoping to pry- into their contents 
 at some more convenient opportunity. I also found an hircarrah's 
 staff.' This convinced me that the unfortunate man had been a 
 courier in the service of some great person, whose correspondence 
 I had a strong inclination to peruse. 
 
 ' A small javelin borne by couriers nnd messenger'. 
 
204 
 
 PANDURANG hArI 
 
 Fearing to remain longer on that spot, lest I should encounter 
 a fate similar to that of the hircarrah, or, what was worse, fall 
 into the hands of the men whom I had bolted up in the cave, if 
 any chance should effect their liberation, I pushed on through 
 the jungle as fast as I could, and did not once venture to look 
 behind me. Having gained the open plain, I sat down under 
 a large tree, and there indulged my curiosity by examining the 
 directions of the letters. What was my surprise to find two 
 directed to Trimbuckje Danglia Behauder, at Poona ! These I 
 broke open directly, and one of them was as follows : — " To the 
 illustrious, mighty, benevolent, and just Trimbuckje Danglia 
 Behauder, the source of all justice, this letter from the friend of 
 his heart Bassoo Scindea, killehdar of the world-towering fort of 
 Asseerghur, conveys the melancholy news that the two females, 
 Allaya Bhae and Sagoonah Bhae, being guided by the star of 
 destiny, have, by means unknown to the friend of the merciful 
 Trimbuckje Danglia, unfortunately made their escape from the 
 fort. In the hope of retaking the fugitives, horsemen have been 
 despatched different ways, besides many hircarrahs and spies in 
 disguise, to all parts of the country, who have returned without 
 ■success. By the aid of Ishwur, this attached friend has deter- 
 .mined to move mountains and to drain rivers, in attempting to 
 find their place of concealment; which, having done, an hir- 
 carrah camel, swift as the wind, shall be sent off to Poona to 
 the illustrious Trimbuckje Danglia, to give him the joyful 
 intelligence. May glory, honour, fortune, and wealth attend his 
 footsteps ! " 
 
 Thus terminated the first letter, and thus ended my hope of 
 finding Sagoonah at the fort of Asseerghur. Though I rejoiced 
 at her escape, yet it was a sort of disappointment to me to have 
 lost the only clue by which I could trace her footsteps, and to 
 have all to begin over again. The second letter I opened began 
 thus : — " To the beloved and most friendly Trimbuckje Danglia, 
 the writer of this letter, Bassoo Scindea, gave, in a heartrending 
 despatch, news of the escape of two females placed under his 
 care ; he now begs leave to remind his attached friend, that the 
 captives, having been in the fort for two months, incurred these 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 the following expenses, for which a hoondie^ from Poona, 
 favour of this firm friend, will be most acceptable. 
 
 m 
 
 Rice and ghee, from ist kastick to the present date, for 
 
 one captive, Allaya Bhae, . 
 Do. Sagoonah, rice only, 
 Dhal, onions, carrots, &c.. 
 Firewood, ..... 
 Two old beds, and mending one, 
 Two mats, one old, 
 Tobacco for Allaya Bhae, 
 
 Hookah, 
 
 Red Sarry for Allaya Bhae, . 
 
 Chowley for ditto, 
 
 Sarry green for Sagoonah, gold border 
 
 Chowley, red, for ditto, 
 
 Shoes and slippers. 
 
 Paid for servants and attendants, &c., 
 
 R. Or. 
 
 15 
 
 2 
 
 63 
 
 II 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 75 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 20 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 45 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 IS 
 
 
 
 
 
 Rupees, 195 3 38 
 
 " The hoondie for this account may be despatched as soon 
 as convenient. Farewell." 
 
 I was much diverted by this "firm friend's" disinterested kind- 
 ness, and tlie strong love of Bassoo Scindea for Trimbuckje 
 Danglia. The latter would, had he been circumstanced in a 
 similar way, have done precisely the same thing, and would have 
 had as little chance of getting repaid as the kind P>assoo Scindea 
 had now, especially since his letters had got into my hands. 
 These accounts were no doubt base fabrications on the part of 
 Bassoo ; a very small part of these expenses was really incurred 
 by my dear friend and her aunt. There was also a third letter, 
 addressed to a Brahmin, Succaje Punt, containing nothing that 
 could interest me. 
 
 I now arranged my dress in the best way I could, and by the 
 aid of the hircarrah's red turban, silver bangles, and waist-chain, 
 I cut a very respectable appearance. I began to consider where 
 I should bend my steps. I had now no business at Asseerghur, 
 nor in any place in that direction. I wandered undetermined 
 
 Bill of exchange. 
 
2o6 PANDURANG hArL 
 
 on, until I found myself in the second jungle, into which I 
 entered with trembling steps. I passed through it mthout 
 meeting with either tigers or men, and soon found myself in the 
 glen described by the tall man. It was a place fitted to enact 
 the most bloody and pitiless crimes in — in every respect a den 
 for murder. On all sides arose lofty dark rocks, topped by the 
 majestic peepal trees, the branches of which, meeting above, 
 cast beneath them a darkness that one almost shuddered to be 
 involved in. Torrents pouring down deep gulfs, rugged rocks, 
 and broken masses of fallen stone, rendered it extremely difficult 
 to find out the proper path, which continually wound around or 
 between them. Having proceeded onwards for some distance, I 
 saw a miserable cottage perched on a point of rock close below 
 a wooded precipitous height, which I concluded must be that of 
 the goatherd. I clambered to the door, and knocking, it was 
 opened by a venerable aged man, who demanded my business. 
 I apologised for interrupting his quiet, and begged he would 
 allow me a comer of his verandah in which to cook my rice, and 
 give me a few sticks to light my fire. He pointed out a place to 
 which he told me I was welcome, and I began my cooking, 
 though I had much rather have had nothing more to do than 
 to converse with the old man. As I proceeded, he examined me 
 closely, and inquired at last whence I came, and whither I was 
 going, the old questions which all the world seemed privileged 
 to ask me. I told him my first destination was Asseerghur, but 
 
 " But what ? " interrupted the old man, in a sharp tone. 
 
 " Why, nothing," said I. " Wliich means," observed he, " that 
 you do not choose to inform me your reasons for deviating from 
 your original intentions." "There have unexpected events 
 happened," I replied, "which have prevented my going to 
 Asseerghur. What these events are, my short acquaintance with 
 you does not warrant me in disclosing. " " I admire your 
 prudence, my friend," he remarked ; " in this world of misery, one 
 has nesd to keep one's own counsel." " I intend to keep mine," 
 said I, "I assure you." "Then I would advise you not to wear 
 that silver chain so openly around your waist, especially as blood 
 tells tales." " Blood !" I exclaimed. "Ay, my friend, blood!" 
 
PANDURANG IIAKL 
 
 he replied ; "is it possible that you have stained your hands with 
 murder ? " " Indeed," said I, " you wront^ie by the unjust 
 suspicion." " Wrong you ! " he observed p* it was but yesterday 
 I saw that silver chain round the waist of an hircarrah of 
 Asseerghur, and, if I mistake not, those bangles also ; and now 
 you wear them, spotted as they are with blood ! You also tell 
 me you were first going to Asseerghur, and then that circum- 
 stances led you another way ; I hope I am wrong in supposing 
 those circumstances are robber}- and murder." " You never 
 were more wrong in your life," I rejoined ; " I am no murderer." 
 I then explained to him all the particulars of my witnessing the 
 tiger scene, and of my picking up the ornaments of the man who 
 was killed, and that I would give them to any of the relations 
 of the poor man if I knew them, or should ever chance to meet 
 with them. 
 
 There was an openness in my manner which seemed to please 
 the old man, and he gave credit to my story ; but advised me not 
 to wear property so obtained in that open manner ; it might be 
 recognised by friends or relatives of the dead ; and there were 
 plenty who were always disposed to give the worst colouring to a 
 circumstance of the kind, when I might have a hard matter to 
 persuade them into a belief of my having uttered the truth : a 
 tiger would be made of me, and plenty of guns would be levelled 
 at me. I thanked him for his kind advice, and promised to be 
 more cautious. Having now eaten my rice, I deemed it to be 
 my duty to warn the goatherd of his danger, and of the means I 
 had taken to screen him for the present from his pursuers. '' It 
 is impossible," he exclaimed ; " no one is pursuing me, nor have 
 I now an enemy in the world ; I had once, but those times are 
 past." Here he wiped away a tear from his eye, and seemed 
 oppressed with the remembrance of some heavy sorrow or bitter 
 recollection. His appearance spoke care, blended with a manly 
 firmness of character. I admired his countenance; and it 
 seemed as if I was drawn towards him by some extraordinar>' 
 kind of sympathy, some unaccountable partiality. Both of us 
 appeared anxious that we should know each other's situation, and 
 unburthen our miseries. This was so strong a feeling with me. 
 
2o8 ' PANDURANG HArK 
 
 that I felt unable to account for its arising so suddenly, and the 
 reflection of treachery, or fear of mischief to myself, alone re- 
 strained me from unbosoming ; yet, if ever I felt certain that my 
 confidence would not be misplaced, it was at that moment. 
 
 The goatherd appeared very anxious to have the persons of the 
 men described who were meditating the interruption of his peace, 
 and perhaps conspiring to deprive him of his life. That either 
 of these things was the real object of the men whom I had placed 
 in durance, I could not positively assert ; I could only state that 
 his name and place of abode were mentioned in a very mysteri- 
 ous manner by the two men whom I trusted would be soon no 
 more. By degrees, as the kind disposition of the goatherd un- 
 folded itself to me, I related more of the conversation I had 
 lieard in the secret chamber of the idol, and I informed him of 
 the plans of a man named Gunput Rao Mahadeo, the pretender 
 to the throne of Sattarah. On hearing this, name the old man 
 grasped my arm, as if clinging for support, and then let his head 
 fall on my shoulder as if he were insensible. In a short time, he 
 recovered himself. The first words he uttered were, "Young 
 man, you are in error, Gunput Rao is no more ; or if he really 
 exists, he is dead to the world." "Oh, then, you knew him?" 
 I observed. " I knew him too well," he replied. Here he folded 
 3iis arms, and remained perfectly silent for a considerable time. 
 At last he exclaimed, " It is impossible — he cannot be alive ! " 
 " There is too much reason to believe that he has put on the 
 garb of a gossein, and that he wanders about under the name of 
 Gabbage Gousla." A heavy sigh from the goatherd interrupted 
 me, and prevented my communicating further information re- 
 specting this mysterious person. " Young man, you have spoken 
 -the truth — Gunput Rao lives — I have myself seen him; but, 
 when we last met, little did I think I entertained my inveterate 
 foe within these walls ! " " He has then been here ? " I observed. 
 "He has," replied the goatherd; "and, under the name of 
 Gabbage Gousla, has partaken of my homely fare." He now de- 
 scribed the face and figure of this arch-fiend so accurately, that I 
 did not hesitate in declaring him to be the man who prowled 
 about in the garb of sanctity, and, affecting to have resigned all 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 worldly affairs, aspired to a throne. " He shall not succeed, by 
 Ishwur, and all the gods in the Vedas," cried the old man, with 
 an energy and vehemence that astonished mc. He perceived my 
 surprise, and instantly composed himself, saying, *' Excuse my 
 vehement behaviour, my friend ; I keep you from your food. 
 Eat, and then pursue your journey ; I will accompany you, for it 
 indeed behoves me to provide for my safety." 
 
 The goatherd now retired into an inner room, and I went on 
 eating my rice. It occurred to me that this old man was the 
 brother of Gunput Rao or Gabbage Gousla, whom Mahadeo, the 
 first Pindaree, supposed to be murdered, and by whose account 
 it was evident he was the true and lawful successor to the Sattarah 
 musnud. 
 
 The subject appeared to be of a nature far too delicate for any 
 individual unconcerned in the event to touch upon ; but I felt 
 deeply the sorrows and injuries this unfortunate old man had 
 undergone, and probably was yet doomed to undergo. He 
 speedily returned to me, having a wallet at his back, and a few 
 brass pans and pots in his hands. I lost no time in accompanying 
 him, and we bent our steps through the lonely glen. The shades 
 of evening approached, and cast a melancholy gloom around. 
 We had proceeded but a short distance from whence we set out, 
 when I asked my companion whither he intended to bend his 
 steps. " Dost thou ask from an impertinent curiosity ? " said the 
 goatherd. I replied, "No, believe me, I ask from an ardent 
 desire to serve you ; and would guard you from the secret attacks 
 of your enemies, if accident should ever enable me to be so use- 
 ful." " I believe you to be sincere," said he, " and we may meet 
 again. If you should by any chance become acc^uainted with the 
 machinations of the man called Gabbage, you cannot serve me 
 better than by communicating them to me." 
 
 To convince the old man how anxious I was to do him every 
 kindness in my power, I related the plans of Gunput Rao, or 
 Gabbage, concerning the marriage of his son with a girl named 
 Sagoonah. The old man groaned inwardly, but said nothing. 
 I inquired by what means I could convey to him any information 
 I might chance to acquire respecting him. He desired me to 
 
2IO 
 
 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 write to him under cover to Shewdhut Wanee, Indore. " Is it 
 possible/' I exclaimed, "you are going to such a distance?" 
 " Necessity compels- me," he replied, " for there alone can I now 
 expect a secure asylum." " Should I be permitted to visit you," 
 I added, *' by what means can I gain access to your place of 
 refuge ? " " Take this small silver ring," said he, presenting me 
 with one of little value, on which was engraven a dove encircled 
 by the word " sulaviut " (health, prosperity). Show it to a 
 wanee near the Motta Tullas * in Indore ; his name is Shewdhut. 
 He will conduct you to my place of abode, provided my enemies 
 allow me time to retire to it in safety." 
 
 By this time we had entered the plain, about three coss only 
 from the fort of Asseerghur. The old man now inquired my 
 intentions, and whither I proposed travelling. I replied that I 
 had wished a short time since to enter Asseerghur ; but now that 
 those whom I sought were no longer within its walls, I did not 
 know where I should direct my steps. " Whom do you seek ? " 
 said he. I replied, " Two unfortunate women." "How dost thou 
 know they are not now in the fort ? " I stated that I had read the 
 despatches of the killehdar to Trimbuckje Danglia, "Those 
 despatches contain the truth," said the goatherd ; " the two 
 women are really fled. Six nights ago, at the hour of twelve, my 
 cottage door was assailed with a violent knocking. I arose, and 
 demanded why I was thus disturbed, and a female voice begged 
 me, in most moving terms, to admit two unhappy women, whose 
 lives depended upon my acquiescence with their wish. I could 
 not be deaf to such an appeal, and ascertaining that they were 
 alone, I opened the door and let them in. They called blessings 
 down upon my head for my kindness to them ; and, in the course 
 of conversation, I learned that they had fled from the fort of 
 Asseerghur. One was a very young woman, the other more 
 advanced in years. The face of the latter I could scarcely see, 
 and that of the former not at all, it being carefully veiled. I 
 informed them that it was but too probable persons would be 
 despatched in quest of them, and that if they were found in my 
 cottage, ruin would fall upon us all. They told me that they 
 ' Great Tank. 
 
PAND URANG HArI 2 1 1 
 
 intended to pursue their journey as soon as possible, and re- 
 quested a small supply of raw rice, which I presented to them, at 
 the same time urging a longer residence under my roof, or at 
 least until morning dawned. They acquiesced in this arrange- 
 ment ; and when I arose in the morning, I found they were gone. 
 This includes every particular I am acquainted witli respecting 
 these females and their escape, nor do I know whither they 
 directed their steps." 
 
 . The goatherd, hinting that no time must be lost in effecting his 
 security, turned into a narrow path, and bade me " Farewell." 
 As we parted, he said, ^'We may meet again; if we should not, 
 remember thy promise to convey to me any intelligence thou 
 mayest think can be of importance to me." After his departure, 
 I stood several minutes in silence, reflecting upon the old man's 
 conduct ; and at length I sauntered on, dissatisfied, I knew not 
 wherefore, towards the fort of Asseerghur. As matters had now 
 turned out, and the women were secure, I repented seriously the 
 having immured the two men in the secret chamber of the cave ; 
 I could have easily satisfied them of the escape of the two women, 
 and have convinced them of the reality of the circumstance, when 
 they would have agreed that I had done my best. They being 
 satisfied of this, would have rewarded me, and let me into more 
 of their proceedings, wherein I could either have aided or counter- 
 acted them as I thought proper. 
 
 I now began to think I could not do better than return and 
 release them. It was but two days ago that I had immured them, 
 and they could not in so short a time be starved to death, having, 
 as I knew, rice sufficient left to last them at least for that period of 
 time. Yet, what would be my reward for emancipating them but 
 certain death for my treacherous intention of destroying them. 
 To retrace my steps, therefore, for the purpose of setting them 
 free, involved my own safety, and would be little short of madness. 
 To advance to the town of Asseerghur appeared useless ; and to 
 trace Sagoonah, a task utterly hopeless, seeing I had not the most 
 distant cue to the road she had taken. To stand in the open 
 plain undetermined, seemed the excess of folly; but on former 
 occasions, when similarly circumstanced, I invariably met some 
 
212 PANDURANG hArI. 
 
 person or persons who, though strangers, said something, or pro- 
 posed some scheme, which induced me to accompany them. At 
 this moment, I saw not a living thing, and darkness was beginning 
 to spread over the plain. Would there be any risk in entering- 
 Asseerghur ? In favour of so doing, there was the consideration 
 that I knew no one there, and could not be recognised ; but they 
 might discover the silver chains of the unfortunate hircarrah, 
 where he must have been so well known, and from whence he had 
 started on his fatal errand. It would be rashness to attempt con- 
 cealing these ornaments about my person ; for, if discovered, as 
 a thousand accidents might occasion them to be, suspicion must 
 attach itself to me, and occasion my ruin. Thus pondering some 
 time as to what it was most advisable to do, I at last made up my 
 mind to await till morning near where I then was, and after day- 
 break find out some spot which I might easily recognise, where I 
 might bury the silver articles securely, and aftenvards enter the 
 town. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 I^AVING come to the resolution mentioned in the pre- 
 ceding chapter, I lay down under a tree. To sleep 
 was impossible, agitated as I felt by doubts and fears, 
 both on Sagoonah's account and my own. The singular conduct 
 of the goatherd also haunted my mind, and I gave up all idea 
 of obtaining even a moment's repose. While I lay ruminating 
 on these things, I fancied I heard footsteps approaching towards 
 me, and, listening more attentively, I found I was not mistaken. 
 To remain where I was would expose me to robbery, perhaps to 
 death. Seeing no other resource open for safety, I resolved to 
 climb up the tree under which I had been lying. I knew that I 
 must not lose a moment ; but, on attempting to mount, I found 
 it was too large to climb. The voices came nearer, and com- 
 pelled me to relinquish what seemed my last hope. I hastily 
 raked up the earth near the roots of the tree, and buried my 
 silver chains, concealing the ring given me by the goatherd 
 in the folds of my turban. I then went a short distance off, and 
 laid myself flat on the ground, trusting to the darkness of the 
 hour for preventing my being observed. The voices seemed by 
 this time to be very close to where I lay — they were near the 
 tree ; and I heard one of them say, " It is strange ! we agreed to 
 meet at the fort, yet there are no tidings of him. What can have 
 detained him?" "Oh, he has been smoking ganza, I suppose, 
 and is fallen into a two-days' slumber." " It cannot be," said the 
 first voice ; " something unexpected must have happened at the 
 cavern." " What, think you the idol has visited him willi his 
 vengeance?" said the second. *' Nonsense," said the other. 
 ■"'This will turn out to be something very serious, depend upon 
 
 213 o 
 
214 PANDURANG HARi. 
 
 it; Kokoo never failed in this way before." "But he would be 
 of no use were he here now ; the she-devils are fled, and how 
 they got away is a mystery." Here the voices seemed retreating 
 from me, and I could catch nothing more than detached expres- 
 sions, such as " Trimbuckje," " old woman's business," and others 
 of a similar nature. The direction taken by these persons was 
 towards the road conducting to the glen. 
 
 I now arose and returned to my old place near the tree, leav- 
 ing my treasure still buried. I had no doubt but one of the men 
 who had passed so near me was the same whom I had heard in 
 Sagoonah's dilapidated dwelling appoint Asseerghur as the place 
 where he was to meet his mysterious companion, who, it seemed, 
 was also named Kokoo. Whether Kokoo meant the tall or short 
 man whom I had barred in the cave I could not tell, and I sat 
 waiting impatiently for the dawn of day. As soon as it had 
 dawned I set out, and in an hour arrived at Asseerghur, where I 
 found every one busy in preparing to garrison the fort, as war 
 had commenced with the Peeshwa at Poona, — Scindea, as well 
 as the Berar Rajah, having combined to overwhelm the English 
 troops. The cause of this war was the murder of the holy Shas- 
 tree, on his way from Guzerat, by the relentless Trimbuckje, the 
 agent of the cruel Peeshwa Badjerao. The British Resident at 
 Poona found it impossible to pass by this flagitious act unnoticed, 
 and, as before related, insisted on Trimbuckje being delivered 
 up to the English. Since his escape from their hands, the 
 Peeshwa still continued to beprtend him ; and, deaf to all the re- 
 monstrances of the Resident (with whom he professed amity, as 
 well as with his Government), involved himself in hostihties 
 against the EngHsh, in concert with Scindea and the Rajah of 
 Berar. He felt confident of success, and, calling Mahratta in- 
 genuity to his aid, caused a report to be circulated that a large 
 body of Pindarees were within two days' march of Poona. The 
 whole of the British force was instantly marched against them,, 
 and the opportune moment chosen for striking an exterminating 
 blow against the few British troops left in the city. These the 
 Peeshwa imagined he should destroy very easily ; but a regiment 
 of Europeans arriving from Bombay, he became alarmed, and 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 sent a vakeel to the Resident, requesting they might return to 
 Bombay. This request av^ not attended to. The vakeel again 
 visited the Resident, anoconducted himself with great insolence ; 
 and at last, half unsheathing his sword, bade him prepare for 
 war. This was not unexpected, and the Resident immediately 
 quitted his house for the camp. He narrowly escaped ; for the 
 Mahratta rabble attacked, and, setting fire to his house, com- 
 pletely demolished it. The main body of the English army was 
 at this time far distant in pursuit of the pretended Pindaree force, 
 and only about one thousand men were left with the Resident, to 
 make a stand against the almost innumerable forces of the 
 Peeshwa. The people of Asseerghur were astonished at the 
 valour of the English at the battle of Kirkee, where, with only 
 two guns, they gained a decided victory over the tens of thousands 
 of the Mahratta horse and foot, drove the Peeshwa from his 
 capital, and took possession of his palace. These events had 
 damped the courage of the people of Asseerghur, who, while 
 lamenting the fate of the Poona Peeshwa, expressed their \xtx- 
 suasion that Scindea, their master, would show the conquerors 
 a very different kind of game. I, however, who had seen him 
 in the field, had my doubts upon this subject, the expression of 
 which I took good care to keep in profound silence. 
 
 Penniless as I was, the idea of again entering the militar}- 
 service, of which I before thought I had enough, came into my 
 mind. It was true that my duties would interfere with my search 
 for Sagoonah ; but it was equally true that, destitute of money, 
 I could not, if I remained as I was then situated, follow up the 
 pursuit. The chances of my military avocations might give me 
 some direction, or lead/r^e near the spot where she whom I lovetl 
 had found a refuge. Those only who know what it is to be in an 
 agony of doubt, such as I then was, can appreciate my sufferings. 
 A female whom I tenderly loved was pursued up and down by 
 powerful and violent men, while her f:ite was unknown to me, 
 aad I could gain no trace of her footsteps ; one who was a most 
 ardent lover, and devoted his life and soul to his mistress, was 
 even ignorant of her resting place, and unable to afford her pro- 
 tection, even if he discovered her! What, then, could I do? 
 
2i6 FANDURANG HARL 
 
 What resource was left me ? Was not my situation the most 
 cruel on the face of the earth? Could I be blamed for my 
 resolution ? Bitter thoughts also hinted to me, that the enemies 
 of Gunput Rao might even now have traced Sagoonah. Might 
 she not at last accept the hand of his son, should he be discovered ? 
 Reflections like these almost drove me into madness. Others 
 .might be more fortunate in the circumstances of life than myself, 
 but whose heart could be more devoted to the object of its re- 
 gard ? I lived but for Sagoonah ; and, though poor in fortune, 
 I was rich in stored-up love — in the fortune of the heart — and in 
 ihe pure ore of a constant and boundless affection. 
 
 While I was thus ruminating on my unhappy destiny, I saw 
 a party of English sepoys led prisoners by some of Scindea's sol- 
 diers. One amongst them had his arms tied behind him, a 
 circumstance for which I could not account. On going up to 
 ■the culprit, what was my surprise on recognising Fuzl Khan, the 
 second Pindaree, and son of the sword-grinder and kabob-fryer 
 at Broach. He did not appear to recognise me. On inquiry, I 
 found he had been seized as a deserter from the English, and the 
 sepoys were leading him away, when a party of Scindea's soldiers 
 took both captors and captive prisoners, and were then conducting 
 them to Asseerghur. Having made up my mind to try a soldier's 
 life again, it appeared to me that Scindea's service was as likely 
 to answer my purpose as any other, and that promotion was 
 almost certain, either by my past experience and consequent 
 merit as a soldier, or by intrigue. With the intention of entering 
 myself, I proceeded up the hill on the summit of which stands 
 the strong fort of Asseerghur; and I reached the gates just as 
 they were flung widely open to admit the prisoners and their 
 guard. Admittance was readily given to the captives and their 
 guard, but it was surlily denied to me. I was obliged to submit 
 to numerous interrogations ; and, after waiting an hour, was only 
 allowed to seat myself in the inner chowkee or guard-room. As 
 soon as I was able, I made my wish known of being admitted as 
 a soldier into the garrison ; and I was conducted to a jummahdar 
 of foot, who, being informed of my desire, accepted my services, 
 and settled my pay. The former were likely to be very arduous. 
 
^PAND URANG hArI 217 
 
 and the latter trifling enough. I was told, however, that I might 
 scrape together by plunder a round sum of rupees. I was glad 
 to hear this, not so much for the sake of pecuniar)- benefit, as be- 
 cause I should have a chance of being employed at a distance, 
 and not be confined to garrison duty, which would entirely pre- 
 clude the possibility of my discovering Sagoonah. 
 
 The jummahdar had a deputy named Nagoo. This fellow's 
 real business was to deliver necessaries and pay, and to settle 
 disputes between the soldiers ; but, as Mahrattas are not over-nice 
 in fulfilling the services with which they are entrusted, this Nagoo 
 made free with the pay of the men, and was always creating, 
 instead of settling disputes. Nagoo was anxious to enlist in his 
 master's corps as many simpletons as he could, "because," he 
 observed, " your writers and readers foment quarrels, and know 
 too much ; so that one cannot act as one chooses by them." No 
 sooner did he hear my name announced (which seemed very 
 high-sounding) than he summoned me to him. I had carefully 
 predetermined to appear ignorant of reading and writing, because 
 I feared that, by making myself useful, I might be detained in 
 the fort, either in the treasury or arsenal. The before-mentioned 
 disposition of Nagoo, of which I had been acquainted, induced 
 me to adopt this course. I followed his messenger, meditating 
 all the way how I could, most advantageously to my own objects, 
 affect the numskull. 
 
 It struck me that I might stumble upon some one of my former 
 acquaintance in the person of Nagoo, and I begged the messenger, 
 in a careless manner, to give me some idea of his person — this I 
 said in the most careless way. The messenger told me he was a 
 Mahratta. I asked if he was tall or short ; and found he was a 
 very short man. "Fair?'' I asked, with no little peturbation, 
 " Yes, fair." " And not much hair ? " " Not much," replied the 
 messenger. " Light eyes ? " " Very light." " Pray, is there a 
 doctor in the fort?" " Oh yes !" " Do send him to me, then, 
 for (pressing my hand on my stomach) I have the cholera morbus 
 coming upon me so bad, that I fear I shall die." So saying, I 
 leaned against the wall, and off went the messenger for the doctor. 
 What would I not have given in the interval to have been out of 
 
21 8 PANDURANG HArI, 
 
 the fort, that I might have escaped meeting Nagoo or the doctor ! 
 From the description, I apprehended Nagoo was the short man 
 whom I had immured in the cave ; and, from my knowledge of 
 doctors, I had reason to apprehend little less than actual torture. 
 The doctor soon came, attended by a boy carrying medicines, 
 and what he called instruments. These, in reality, were only an 
 iron salamander and a keen knife. He ordered me to be taken 
 to the hospital. An attendant lifted me up, and flung me across 
 his shoulders as a butcher does a sheep. I was thus hurried 
 across the fort to the hospital, a long building, without a single 
 comfort of any kind. It sent forth the most disgusting effluvia I 
 ever experienced. This horrid place, with the way in which 
 I had been carried, my head hanging down in the midst of 
 the burning sun, added to the expected torment from the 
 doctor, was very likely to bring on the disease I had only 
 pretended had affected me. I now considered also that an 
 interview with Nagoo would ultimately be unavoidable; and 
 I began to repent very bitterly my feigning sickness. I was 
 first flung down upon a wooden bench, with a violence that, 
 had cholera really been on me, would have relieved the doctor 
 from further trouble. A dreadfully nauseous mixture was next 
 poured down my throat through a horn. No mortal was ever 
 before so dozed : they poured on and on, as if they were filling a 
 cask. Of course, they no sooner withdrew the horn, than the 
 most terrible nausea caused me to eject its contents again. Then 
 they poured away, and the same result was attained. The doctor 
 shook his head sagaciously, and declared that he had never seen, 
 in the whole course of his practice, so obstinate a case of cholera. 
 The violence of the retching was so excessive, that, completely 
 worn out, I closed my eyes almost in a state of insensibility. I 
 was soon aroused from my rest by feeling the most excruciating 
 pains over the stomach, proceeding from the doctor's infernal 
 salamander, red hot, drawn over my irritated and half-exhausted 
 stomach, with as little concern on the part of the operator, as a 
 farrier would feel when he was branding a horse. I roared with 
 pain ; and, being vexed and maddened at what I had undergone, 
 and enraged at the ignorance of the doctor, I sprang up, and 
 
PANDURANG HART. 219 
 
 seized him by the throat. I verily believe he would have 
 tortured no more patients, had he not received assistance from 
 the attendants in the hospital. I was now bound down to tlie 
 bench by cords, and pronounced mad. Cold water was flung 
 upon me, and barbers ordered in to shave my head, while the 
 doctor prepared his salamander once more to inflict fresh 
 tortures, by applying it to my head— a very judicious method of 
 curing madness ! ^ 
 
 How bitterly I repented the deception I had practised ! The 
 short man whom I feared could not have tortured me more than 
 this accursed doctor, whom I heard boasting of the skill with 
 which he had treated my cholera; though, o\nng to my im- 
 patience, I had brought on a temporary insanity, which, Ishwur 
 being favourable, his salamander would speedily remove. His 
 assistant at this moment whispered in his ear something, which I 
 supposed was a proposal to await a little time, and see how the 
 disease turned; the doctor seemed rather unwilling to assent, 
 and I was left for an hour undisturbed. At the expiration of 
 that time the doctor returned, and I endeavoured to convince 
 the idiot of my sanity, by saying to him, " Ah, doctor ! but for 
 your profound skill, I must have died ! I am relieved from the 
 horrors of the cholera ! Can I ever be grateful enough to you 
 for it ! " This flattery I thought would be grateful to the fool 
 — all fools love it — and I did not think wrong. He ordered me 
 to be set at liberty immediately. I never forgave myself for 
 using flattery to this fellow, except by reasoning that it, perhaps, 
 saved my life. I am certain, indeed, that I could not have 
 survived his cruel treatment much longer; and yet this con- 
 sideration will frequently, when I think of the time I was under 
 his hands, hardly make me justifiable in my o\\'n eyes for the 
 adoption of it. 
 
 As soon as I could do so, I set off towards the guard-room en: 
 chowkee; but, near the door of the hospital, I saw the messenger 
 of Nagoo the deputy. "Come," said he, "as your cholera and 
 your madness are now over, Nagoo will be happy to see you." 
 
 ' Hot irons are substituted in the place of blisters, by the eastern native 
 ^ractitionei-s. 
 
PANDURANG HART. 
 
 I said that it was late in the day, and I had had neither food nor 
 rest. I urged the man to postpone the audience until the morn- 
 ing, or obtain Nagoo's consent so to do. He replied that he dare 
 as soon propose delay to a tiger. " What ! " I exclaimed ; " is the 
 deputy so fierce a fellow? " " Indeed he is," answered the man ; 
 ^' and he has met with something very unpleasant lately, which 
 has terribly ruffled his temper." This was almost sufficient to con- 
 vince me that Nagoo was, after all, the man I feared ; and that his 
 recent incarceration in the chamber of the cave was the cause of 
 his present irritation. I followed the messenger like a criminal 
 going to the tree : every limb trembled as I approached the 
 residence of the tyrant. There was just light enough to discover 
 the features of some one in the room ; and what was my joy at 
 beholding, not the mysterious short man whom I feared, but a 
 TDerfect stranger to my eyes ! 
 
 " Come hither, fellow ! " was the first address of the self-import- 
 ant deputy. " So you have had a touch of cholera, I understand ? " 
 " I have," I replied ; " and but for your learned doctor, I must 
 have died." " Well, we could have spared you, I suppose ; we 
 have dunces enough in this place : to have lost a scholar would 
 have sadly grieved us ! " It was fortunate I knew the real character 
 of Nagoo, and his views in so addressing me ; for any one who 
 was not in the secret would have fallen into the trap laid for him, 
 and have boasted of his learning. "I wish I could read and 
 write," I replied ; "for then I should not be under the necessity 
 of carrying a match-lock." " Then you don't read, eh ? but you 
 wish to learn, do you?" ''Not I, now," was my answer; ''I am 
 too old to begin." " Perhaps it is as well you should remain in 
 ignorance ; you will find you can do better than a scholar. A 
 soldier does not need a head to understand : ears to hear orders, 
 eyes to see an enemy, and hands to fight him, are all he wants.. 
 What is the cause of a war to him ? he must fight, be it right or 
 wrong." Nagoo then asked if I should like to be employed out^ 
 side or inside the fort ? Of course I chose the outside service , 
 giving as my reason, that there was greater pay and more variety 
 in that service. ''And greater risk, too," said Nagoo. I replied 
 I could fight ; and as to risk, I ran no greater than my comrades. 
 
PANDURANG HARI 
 
 231 
 
 He then said I might draw upon him for my pay whenever I 
 wanted it ; and that he would advance any moderate sum for me, 
 and draw my pay monthly himself. I thanked him, though I 
 would have been gladly excused this kindness, as I could get my 
 money through the regular channel ; for I saw Nagoo intended 
 to cheat me, and involve me in pecuniary obligations. I then 
 took my leave. 
 
 I next proceeded to the guard-room, where the havildar 
 demanded what he called tobacco-money — customary when a 
 recruit entered the garrison. This demand I paid. Soon after, 
 sundry other fees were required of me on different pretences, 
 which I was obliged to give my consent to pay at some future 
 period, not having a rupee left in my possession. I was ex- 
 ceedingly angry with myself, for allowing my fears to master my 
 judgment as I had done, and for submitting to be blistered and 
 physicked when there was no occasion for it. Though the 
 description of Nagoo did correspond with that of the short man 
 I had immured, and whose fate involved me in a horrid un- 
 certainty ; yet, had my fears allowed me time to reflect, I must 
 have felt that Nagoo and the short man could not have been the 
 same person ; because I had been employed to gain admittance 
 to the fort, which neither of my employers was daring enough ta 
 attempt. Moreover, had the short man been the jummahdar's 
 deputy, he would have been, of all others, the best calculated, 
 from his situation, to have liberated Sagoonah and her aunt 
 Some apology, however, I may claim, when the manner in which 
 I left the men at the cave is considered ; and what would liave 
 been the result of their finding me, should they, by any chance, 
 have escaped death, and have fallen in witli me. 
 
CHAPTER XXI, 
 
 N the fort, I met, as might be expected, with Fuzl Khan, 
 with whom I claimed acquaintance. He was astonished 
 at seeing me there ; and I longed to hear his adven- 
 tures, and how he escaped from the Pindarees and fell into the 
 hands of the English sepoys. Having got leave of absence for a 
 few hours, to go to the town below the hill, we entered a liquor- 
 shop, where Fuzl Khan told me that the Pindarees, having been 
 defeated and driven in every direction, he, with difficulty, got 
 away. I then asked after Mahadeo. Fuzl said he was a pious 
 Pindaree — heart and soul in the cause — and that he had kept a 
 very sharp look-out after the new comers ; that he grew enraged 
 beyond bounds, when he found that Nanna and myself had fled ; 
 and, suspecting that Fuzl Khan would do the same, he narrowly 
 watched until he put spurs to his horse, and then fired his pistol 
 at him ; but the ball passed over his shoulder, and left him un- 
 touched. What his fate was afterwards, Fuzl could not tell, but 
 concluded he fell in the general massacre that followed ; for, as 
 he had since heard, the whole horde was neatly cut to pieces. I 
 was disappointed in being thus left in a state of uncertainty 
 respecting the son of the pretender to the Sattarah throne; though 
 I took care not to let Fuzl Khan know the cause of my anxiety 
 respecting him. Fuzl had fallen in with a havildar's party of the 
 regiment of sepoys from which he had deserted, and being 
 recognised, was instantly seized; but Scindea's soldiers had 
 taken the whole party, and rescued him, and finally brought 
 them to the fort, where he was released by the killehdar, and 
 taken into Scindea's service, in which he was happy in calling 
 me comrade. 
 
 222 / 
 
PANDURANG hArI 233 
 
 Fuzl was still the same sort of fellow as before. He indulged 
 in repeated glasses until the fumes got into his head, and then the 
 events of his former life all crowded upon him. He imitated the 
 rage of the old cazee, who had eaten the dog's-tail soup ; then 
 he would turn grave and play over again his old agonies at losing 
 his money, falling upon me as if I had been the boy who won it 
 from him at eki beki ; next he would laugh heartily, and cry out, 
 '' grind ! fry ! fry ! grind ! " as if his father and mother were 
 actually present, and carrying on their old altercations, as he had 
 detailed them in the fort of the Pindarees : all this ended in }• ...^ 
 falling down insensible. I left him at the liquor-shop and returned 
 to the fort, where I learned that Nagoo had been in(|uiring 
 after me. I thought it my duty to proceed immediately to his 
 house, and I was instantly admitted. He seemed pleased to 
 observe my ready attention to his wishes ; and beckoning me to 
 him, said, " Pandoo, I have work for you ; can you be secret ? " 
 " Speak," said I, " and behold your slave." " So you all say," 
 rejoined Nagoo ; " but you must keep my secret as close as the 
 oyster does the pearl." " I will keep it closer," I replied ; " for 
 the pearl is often, by the indefatigable fishermen of Ceylon, 
 wrested from its innermost cell. From me, neither artifice nor 
 violence shall wrest your secret." He was greatly pleased at this 
 speech, and even condescended to present me with betel-nut and 
 paun-leaf. Calling me into an inner apartment, and desiring me 
 to sit down, he began by saying, " Pandoo, there is a woman " — 
 (oh, how my heart beat !) — " there is a woman on whom I have 
 bestowed thousands of rupees in golden ornaments." This woman 
 I thought must be Sagoonah. " Sagoonah ! " I exclaimed, com- 
 pletely forgetting myself. " No, no," said he, " her name is not 
 Sagoonah; but no matter — this woman is my wife." What a 
 cruel disappointment for me ! " Yes, my wife ; why do you stare 
 so ? is it wonderful I should have a wife ? " " Oh no," I replied ; 
 " but it seems strange you should want to get rid of her." " No, 
 no, Pandoo, I did not say anything of the kind ; I only repent 
 having given her so many ornaments, and I want to get them back 
 a?ain — that's all I mean : tliere is nothing strange in that, you 
 
224 PANDURANG HArI 
 
 know." "No, but why not demand them of her?" This, he 
 said, would look shabby, and he should be laughed at ; he wanted 
 to get them all back, and not let her know who it was had them. 
 This is not shabby at all, I thought to myself. The narrow- 
 minded wretch then told me he had a plan in his head which 
 might succeed for doing this : that she was going a short journey, 
 and would take her ornaments and money with her ; I was to 
 enact the robber, and strip her of all her gold and jewels to the 
 last grain, and bring them to him, and I should be well rewarded, 
 "j. -.'-omised obedience, though secretly determined to disobey. 
 Nagoo told me, that though obedience was my duty, he would 
 merely wish that I should act as his friend in the present affair, 
 because it was one of secrecy, and strictly confidential. This I 
 admitted ; but still I requested a companion or two, because a 
 robbery such as he requested was seldom performed by a single 
 individual. Nagoo hereupon observed, that he had no intention of 
 trusting me alone — that he had a young man devoted to his 
 interest, and he designed he should accompany me. 
 
 Having finished his nefarious business, as he thought, in the 
 most advantageous manner for gaining his object, he arose and 
 issued some orders to a servant who waited without ; and in a 
 short time this able assistant made his appearance in the person 
 of my friend, Fuzl Khan, scarcely recovered from the effects of 
 his yesterday's debauch, though doing the best he could to 
 conceal them from observation. " Come hither," said Nagoo.^ 
 " Rain^ Ram, M,ha,raj\'' replied Fuzl Khan, bowing to the earth, 
 and nearly falling on his nose. " Why, how now, friend 1 " 
 exclaimed Nagoo, " that was indeed a low bow : what is the 
 matter with you?" "Oh, my lord, I have — I mean, I am 
 delighted with your summons, and cannot contain my joy." 
 ''Well, then, here is a young man," pointing to me, "who pants 
 for employment, and also for a clever companion, and I know no 
 one more able than yourself to effect the object I have in view." 
 Here Fuzl Khan exhibited enthusiastic joy, and bowed again, 
 until his nose almost came in contact with the earth. Nagoo 
 then whispered to Fuzl his base plan respecting his wife ; and 
 Fuzl, who did not, it was evident, comprehend a single syllable 
 
PANDURANG HARf. 235 
 
 of the conversation addressed to Iiim, once more made his ex- 
 travagant salaam. Our employer first whispering to me, bade me 
 keep a strong check upon Fuzl Khan's conduct ; and then 
 whispered to him, no doubt, nearly the same thing respecting me. 
 We were next furnished with passports to carry us from the 
 fort and through the town. Nagoo told us that his wife would 
 set out on the following evening, and we took leave. When wc 
 were fairly out of the house, Fuzl Khan came close to mc, and 
 asked what the old fool had been talking about all the time we 
 had been with him. I told him he was about to seize his 
 enemy's wife. Fuzl Khan observed, he had heard something 
 said about a wife, and inquired if he did not also talk about her 
 ornaments. I replied, that he said she would be an ornament to 
 the fort, as she was very beautiful. Fuzl Khan then reeled home 
 to his lodgings, and I walked to mine. 
 
 At this time I lodged at the dwelling of an old camel-driver, 
 and expected I might gain some valuable information from him 
 respecting Sagoonah and her aunt. The old fellow had appeared 
 very cautious, and only answered my distant (questions by a surly 
 grunt, something like that of one of his own camels. I ventured 
 to say I had met with an old goatherd, who had informed me 
 that the women had come to his cottage in the glen. I thought 
 this piece of information might have drawn out the old fellow, 
 and made him communicative ; still he replied only by his usual 
 grunt, nor did it seem possible to render him conversable upon 
 any point. Being heartily tired, I went to my mat immediately 
 on my return from Nagoo. Just as I had fallen asleep, I was 
 suddenly awakened by hearing a number of voices near me ; and 
 the old camel-driver entered my apartment, accompanied by 
 several soldiers, who desired mc to get up and follow them. I 
 turned to mine host and asked an explanation of this unlooked- 
 for affair ; the only reply I could obtain was tiie old rascal's 
 usual grunt. I made up my mind, therefore, to go with the 
 soldiers, as resistance was fruitless. They took me to the 
 killehdar of the fort, who told me he had sent for me in con- 
 sequence of hearing from the camel-driver that I could give posi- 
 tive information respecting the two females who had escaped from 
 
226 PANDURANG hArI, 
 
 thence. I was aghast at being questioned so suddenly on the- 
 subject, and assured the killehdar that he had been misinformed \ 
 that if I could give him any information, I should be happy to do 
 so. I related what the goatherd had told me, from which the 
 killehdar was not an atom the wiser, and I was dismissed with an 
 half-angry, half-disappointed look. On returning to my lodgings 
 I passed a bastion of the fort, where I heard persons conversing 
 hard by. The moon broke forth just at the moment from behind 
 a dense cloud, and I distinctly saw two men on the spot whence 
 the voices proceeded. Determined to listen to what they said, 
 as it seemed that something of more importance than usual must 
 have brought them together at such an hour and in such a place, 
 it being close to a lonely fbwer, I turned back, and reached the 
 rampart over their heads by a circuitous route. I was soon within 
 hearing of them again. One seemed to be in a great passion, 
 whilst the other laboured to soothe and tranquillise him. " Who 
 could have fastened the door?" said the more irritable of the 
 two. " That I know not," replied the other ; " but I found it 
 
 so, and on opening it " " Well, well, you told me that before, 
 
 why repeat it ? " '' It is useless, it is true, to do so ; but I have 
 no doubt Kokoo will re-appear, though the other will never see 
 the hght again." " But are you sure it was he ? " " It is impos- 
 sible I can be certain ; but the place is known only to those twa 
 persons, and one is a corpse." " And a corpse shall he be who- 
 deprived me of his services." " Who," said the other, " was it 
 that left him there ? " "I know but one fellow, he who thwarts 
 all my actions — Pandurang Hari." " Indeed ! why then he is in 
 your power ; he is at present a soldier of this garrison." " Of 
 this garrison ! " said the other with surprise ; " you deceive me : 
 let me be certain of this ere I rest." " It is very certain, for I 
 swear I saw him but yesterday at Nagoo's house ; but how can 
 you tell that it was Pandurang who locked the secret door ? " 
 " It is no matter whether he did it or not — he is my enemy, and 
 
 stands in my way, and must " Here the voice died into a 
 
 whisper, and I could hear no more. What was my agitation and 
 alarm, however, at discovering that one of the two was Cabbage 
 Gousla, for it was almost impossible to mistake his voice. This 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 22-J 
 
 fortunate discovery enabled me to prepare for my safet>'. I went 
 home to bed, and called Fuzl Khan very early, desiring him to 
 accompany me, without loss of time, in pursuit of Nagoo's wife. 
 He got ready immediately, and I quitted the fort, much to my 
 gratification. It formed no part of my plan to suffer Fuzl Khan 
 to aid in rifling the deputy's wife, nor in allowing him to see I did 
 not rob her. On our way, we passed near the liquor-shop where 
 Fuzl Khan had before been, and I took care to purchase tvvo 
 botdes of arrack and carry with us. As soon as we entered the 
 jungle leading to the goatheid's glen I feigned fatigue, and sat down 
 under a tree. I then produced the liquor ; of which Fuzl Klian 
 had no more objection to partake than I had to give, and he soon 
 began to talk and laugh as usual. At length he fell down insen- 
 sible, and I was left to my own reflections. My first was, how it 
 would be practicable for me to escape Cabbage ; the next, how I 
 should explain to Nagoo's wife the nefarious scheme of her hus- 
 band, and yet not make him my mortal enemy. At length, I was 
 obliged to leave the matter to chance, and quietly await the 
 approach of the ensuing evening. It was sunset when Fuzl Khan 
 awoke, quite recovered from the effects of the arrack, which I had 
 given him too early in the day. He was almost as sober as if he 
 had taken nothing, and perfectly recollected, to my disappoint- 
 ment, that we were to make a woman prisoner. Finding 
 it impossible to quiet him, I was obliged to ofler him fifteen 
 rupees to act exactly as I should direct, and assure him there 
 would be no risk in deceiving Nagoo. He objected, however, 
 that he should get only fifteen rupees, and I should make perhaps 
 five hundred ; for, of course, he supposed I meant to rob the 
 woman of her ornaments, and he should expect half of whatever 
 was taken. I assured him he should have half of whatever I took 
 from her, and this pacified him. We now pushed on our way, 
 determined to await the coming of the woman on the other side 
 of the second jungle, not far from the fatal cavern in which the 
 secret chamber was situated. 
 
 We reached a spot near the entrance of the cave, and soon 
 heard the sound of a tattoo's feet, and the jingle of bullock's 
 bells. It was, as I expected, Nngoo's wife and attendant. Not- 
 
228 PANDURANG HARI. ^ 
 
 withstanding my entreaties to Fuzl Khan to keep quiet when we 
 came up with her, he rushed upon her, and began to threaten her, 
 draw his sword, and swear. He then seized the gold ornaments 
 on her neck with a savage eagerness, of which I had not before 
 supposed him to be capable. I saw it was high time I should 
 interfere, and coming up with my sword in hand, I told him to 
 desist, or I would sever his head from his body. The poor 
 wom.an shed tears of gratitude, and threw herself at my feet. I 
 raised her up and restored her ornaments. Among the hair was 
 some braided up with silver wire. This singular ornament 
 struck me immediately, and I determined to inquire the means 
 by which it came into her possession. At present there was no 
 time for this. I therefore begged her to be composed, and 
 offered to conduct her to a place of rest. I led her into the 
 cavern, followed by Fuzl Khan, whom I represented as my 
 servant, and for whose ruffian-like treatment of her I made many 
 apologies. The gloom of the cave did not permit me to behold 
 the face of the lady ; but her voice was exceedingly melodious 
 and sweet, so much so, I felt^that the lips that uttered them must 
 be beautiful. Having spread a mat in a retired corner, I called 
 her attendant, who followed her on a bullock, and bade him cook 
 some rice, and pay her every attention. I found the old rascal, 
 to my great surprise, whispering with Fuzl Khan. By this time 
 I had concluded he had been bought over by Nagoo, and that 
 the conduct of Fuzl Khan was no more than he had expected ; 
 besides I observed he had kept aloof and never offered his 
 assistance. This circumstance alone was sufficient to prove to 
 me that the fellow was a villain in league with his master. The 
 whispering I have mentioned continued until I went up to them 
 with my sword in my hand, and declared if they touched the person 
 of the lady, or approached her with a hostile intention, I would 
 run them both through the body. To my amazement Fuzl Khan 
 turned round and demanded who I was that pretended to dictate 
 to them ; called me a traitor for promising to serve my master 
 Nagoo, and then to thwart him i>s much as lay in my power. 
 "What, villain!" cried I, "would you rob a defenceless 
 female?" "You are wonderfully considerate," be replied; 
 
PANDURANG HARL " 229 
 
 *'what else are we come all this way about? what reward 
 
 shall we get for not robbing her?" "The reward of a quiet 
 
 conscience," I answered. Fuzl Khan and the old attendant 
 
 upon this burst into a loud fit of laughing ; and the former at 
 
 fast said, " By Allah and the holy Imam, those trinkets shall be 
 
 mine," pointing at the same time to the ornaments of the terrified 
 
 woman, who sat in inexpressible terror. I then told Fuzl Khan 
 
 he must first pass me, and I put myself in an attitude of defence. 
 
 He did not lack courage, though he never showed it but in a 
 
 bad cause, and drawing his sword he made a lunge at me, which I 
 
 parried with difficulty. It was so dark we could scarcely see each 
 
 other, and before we had made more than two or three passes, the 
 
 attendant came into the cave with a lighted torch, which he held 
 
 up on high. We fought desperately, and the old villain taking 
 
 advantage of my being fully occupied, stuck his torch in a fissure 
 
 of the rock on one side the cavern, and falling on the woman, 
 
 began to plunder her. I did not hesitate a moment, but, leaving 
 
 my antagonist, rushed on the old miscreant, and with one blow 
 
 felled him to the ground. Fuzl Khan returned the compliment 
 
 by cutting me over the shoulder ; fortunately it was the left, and 
 
 he did not thereby disable my sword-arm. Furious with pain 
 
 and anger, I turned upon him, and cut him over the wrist of the 
 
 right arm. His weapon fell to the ground, and I made him beg 
 
 for mercy, which he did without delay. I tied his hands behind 
 
 his back, and proceeded to pacify the lady, who was screaming 
 
 dreadfully. Having done this, I turned over the body of her 
 
 old attendant, whom I had well punished for his villainy in 
 
 attempting to rob his mistress. He was a corpse ; not a pulse in 
 
 his body beat ; his jaw was fixed, and death was in his coun- 
 
 tenance; in short, he was past all power of doing ill again in this 
 
 world. I felt no remorse for what I had done ; for how could I 
 
 take to heart the exit from the world of such a treacherous wretch, 
 
 even though it was by my own hand. 
 
 Fuzl Khan lay groaning with pain, as he well might ; for ] 
 found that, in my hurry, I had placed the rope which tied his arms, 
 in the wound which he had received from my sword. I now 
 removed the cord, and then began to think of the state of my own 
 
 p 
 
230 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 wound. Nagoo's wife applied water and bandages, and dressed 
 it in the best way it could be done under existing circumstances 
 I next took the torch, and approached the secret chamber-door 
 which was behind the idol. The bolt was drawn back, by which 
 it was clear some one had visited the place. I attempted to open 
 it without success, until I remembered there was a secret spring, 
 which I searched for minutely in vain. I despaired of obtaining 
 an entrance, and returned to search for some instrument whereby 
 I might force the portal, though it was very unlikely I should find 
 one. I was obliged to break off the bough of a tree hard by, 
 which cost me some labour, and I returned and battered the 
 small door with it as violently as I could. It remained immove 
 able until I had nigh given up the attempt ; when most likely a 
 fortunate blow touched the secret spring ; the door flew open, 
 and, grasping the torch, I entered the cell, from whence a most 
 noisome stench proceeded, which, however unpleasant in itself, 
 was grateful to me, when it convinced me that my enemies were 
 no more. Still anxious to have ocular demonstration of the fact, 
 I entered; but saw the mouldering body of only one person \ it 
 was that of the tall man : the body of his companion was nowhere 
 to be seen. How could the short man possibly have escaped ? I 
 asked myself a hundred times ; and how could the tall man have 
 remained behind ? Who liberated him ? I could discover no hole 
 in the roof, floor, or sides of the chamber, so that the door must 
 ihave been the place of escape. To ruminate long was useless : I 
 was glad to leave this chamber of death, and just as I came to the 
 door, what was my surprise at seeing a man's hand on the bolt, 
 in the very act of closing it, and thus consigning me to the doom 
 to which I had left others. The horror of my situation came 
 upon me in a moment, and I thrust the blazing torch on the hand 
 that was thus ready to seal my destruction. The pain made the 
 ■fingers let go their hold; and throwing open the door, who 
 should stand before me in the cavern but Fuzl Khan ! He it was, 
 indeed, who had so nearly sealed up my life for ever. He had 
 freed himself from his bonds, and having watched my motions, 
 very cunningly hit upon the expedient of locking me in the 
 chamber, and thus of having everything his Q\Mn way. He saw that 
 
PAXDURANG HARI ,,, 
 
 the plunder of the female must be his own. The pain he suffered 
 from the burning torch was more than equal to that from tlie cut 
 of my sword on his other arm. He groaned bitterly with his suffer- 
 ings, and I was about to inflict instant death upon him, when he 
 cried and prayed so hard for mercy, that I contented myself with 
 again binding him, and, for greater security, fastening him to the 
 idol's leg. Leaving him there to his meditations, I sought the 
 poor woman, who could hardly yet believe herself secure. I suc- 
 ceeded in tranquillising her mind, and then proceeded to dispose 
 of the body of the old man ^vhom I had slain. About this there 
 could not be much difficulty : and lifting up the torch in one 
 hand, I proceeded to drag it to the secret chamber by the leg 
 with the other ; where, before I safely bestowed it, I examined 
 afresh the cords with which I had bound Fuzl Khan. I then 
 entered the cell, and placed the body by that which lay decaying, 
 and closed up the portal. 
 
 On approaching the woman, I entered into conversation with 
 her, and she requested me to accompany her to the end of her 
 journey. This I could not undertake to do; but I informed her 
 of the plot which had been got up against her, in a quarter from 
 which she had little right to expect such an attempt to be made. 
 I told her that the object was solely the ornaments which she 
 carried about with her, and I advised her to be upon her guard 
 for the future, as some stratagem would no doubt again be had 
 recourse to for a purpose similar to the present. I now look an 
 opportunity of remarking to her the singular trinket to which I 
 have before alluded : I begged her to allow me to see it. She 
 immediately complied ; and, on examination, I found the work- 
 manship delicate and handsome, having six silver knobs ver>' 
 conspicuous upon it. I begged to know how she obtained the 
 ornament, and she informed me it was a present from a female 
 with whom she became acquainted in the fort of Asseerghur. 
 " Poor creature," said she, " she was a prisoner there, and had no 
 friend but me." Her name I eagerly asked ; and she replied it 
 was Sagoonah. How I felt at the hearing that name again, and 
 in having tidings of her so lately ! '• You did, indeed, befriend 
 her then ? " said I, " and have now tenfold reason to thank 
 
232 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 heaven for having enabled me to befriend you — to serve one who 
 has showed kindness to her, who is so dear to me ! " " You then 
 are no doubt the Pandurang Hkri of whom I have heard her 
 speak ? " I repHed that I was, and would give worlds, did I 
 possess them, to know where I should again meet with her ; but 
 that I began to fear she had forgotten me. " Very far from it,'^ 
 said the wife of Nagoo; "that hair entwined with silver, was- 
 studded as you see with six knobs, intended to denote the six 
 happy months she spent with you at Kandeish, in peace and 
 comfort." Upon hearing this, I pressed the precious relic to my 
 lips and kissed it with rapture. I was so pleased, that Nagoo's 
 wife begged my acceptance of it, and I with eagerness took it 
 and deposited it next my heart. 
 
 I learned that both Sagoonah and her aunt had been very 
 cruelly treated when in the fort ; that they were nearly starved, 
 and had no clothes save an old blanket each : that she herself 
 taking compassion on them, had sent them food and clothingy 
 the latter of which, she since learned, had never reached them, 
 having been intercepted or stolen by those who guarded them. 
 At length she obtained permission to visit them, and having- 
 compassion on their misfortunes, aided them in effecting their 
 escape. When I inquired if she knew whither they were gone, 
 she told me it was doubtful, though she had good reasons to- 
 imagine they had taken the road to Guzerat, as they felt certain 
 that tranquillity nowhere awaited them in the Deccan. I next 
 inquired if she knew to what part of Guzerat they intended tO' 
 go, and she said she thought to Baroda, but that it was not their 
 intention to remain there long. She, moreover, said that, as 
 they had no means by which to live, they purposed to procure 
 work if possible as a means of subsistence. 
 
 This was indeed opportune and valuable information. Guzerat 
 was indeed an enormous distance ; but what was distance in the 
 way of true love ? Nagoo's wife now begged me to accompany 
 her a few coss on her road, until she was clear of the jungles. 
 This I agreed to do, and nothing more remained than how to- 
 dispose of Fuzl Khan. Approaching him, therefore, I said, 
 " Listen, Fuzl Khan ; it would be much more to your advantage 
 
PAXnURAXG HARL 
 
 to be my friend than my foe, and now I give you a final moment 
 to decide. If you do not choose to do so sincerely, you had 
 better make peace with the idol, for I promise you enough of his 
 company shall be yours. If, on the other hand, you are sorry 
 for your past conduct, and swear to behave as you ought to do 
 in future, I will release you, and give you one hundred rupees in 
 consideration of your disappointment in not getting your orna- 
 ments — that is, provided you will accompany me to Guzerat." 
 "What!" he exclaimed, "to Guzerat? to my own country? then 
 I am your man for ever; release me, and I will swear to be 
 faithful to you." He then reiterated his promises. His weakness 
 prevented his accompanying us through the jungles, and it was 
 arranged that I should return and call for him in the evening. 
 The morning dawned, and though fatigued for want of sleep, I 
 set off with Xagoo's wife from the cavern, and proceeded to 
 escort her through the jungles. Having cleared them and 
 arrived on the wide plain beyond, I took my final leave of her. 
 and returned 
 
CHAPTER XXI I. 
 
 N my return to the cavern, I was met by Fuzl Khan, who 
 had been eagerly looking out expecting my arrival. He 
 informed me he had been witness to a most singular 
 scene since my departure — a scene that would astonish me, I 
 begged him immediately to make me acquainted with the par- 
 ticulars. Feeling weak and exhausted, he said that he retired to 
 a remote corner of the cavern, and lay down to try and obtain the 
 best repose his wounds would allow him. He had scarcely closed 
 his eyes, when he heard a gruff, coarse voice say, "It is impossible, 
 you must have deceived me." "I swear," answered a second 
 voice, " I did not deceive you ; I liberated Kokoo myself, and 
 left him weak and faint in the cavern awaiting your arrival." 
 "Well, well," said the first, "I can see for myself" Both then 
 proceeded to the little door leading into the secret chamber; 
 "and I suppose," said Fuzl Khan, " they entered it immediately; 
 but they soon came out. One was in a violent rage, and said to 
 the other, * You are a vile liar, you have deceived me ; how should 
 both bodies be at this moment rotting in the chamber, if what you 
 say be true? Did not you tell me you saw but one, and that you 
 yourself liberated Kokoo ? ' The other man replied he knew not 
 what to say, but that if they found Kokoo where he had left him, 
 he hoped conviction would follow. ' Show me the fellow, then,' 
 said the first speaker. They both now proceeded towards the corner 
 of the cavern where I lay. There was little or no light in that 
 part, but still there was enough to discover a human figure reclin- 
 ing upon a mat. ' 'Tis well,' said one of the men ; ' he sleeps ; 
 but how came there to be two bodies in the chamber ? ' This was 
 a difficulty they could neither of them solve. The man who 
 appeared to be superior, then came up to me and cried out, 
 
PANDURANG HARh 235 
 
 ' What, ho ! Kokoo ! asleep while there is so much work abroad ? 
 Awake ! thou lazy varlet. Come, come, the birds are flown to- 
 wards Guzerat ; be quick, and follow them.' 
 
 " It may be easily imagined that I lay in no very pleasant state 
 of feeling. I did not dare to confess I was not Kokoo, nor 
 could I give any satisfactory account of m)self, or how I came 
 there. The man shook me by the arm, and cried out, ' Come, 
 Kokoo ; surely thou art not as dead as thy friend ! * I started as 
 if from a sound sleep, not wishing them to believe I had over- 
 heard any part of their conversation. * Who in the name of 
 Ishwur have we here ? ' said one of the fellows ; * bring me a 
 torch ! ' One was lighted, and they held it close to my face. 
 ' Why, you miserable, half-starved, Musselman dog ! ' cried one, 
 who was in the garb of a gossein ; * where did you come from ? 
 and where is Kokoo ? ' ' Who is Kokoo ? I don't know any- 
 thing of a person so named. I never heard of the man you ask 
 for before.' ' Come, come, my friend,' said one of the men ; 
 *you must not feign ignorance; I left him here, and now I find 
 you in his place.' The gossein then got into a violent rage, and 
 began to accuse his companion of having deceived him. A 
 violent altercation ensued, which ended in the gossein stabbing 
 the other man in the side, after which he went away, muttering curses 
 and imprecations upon him. I have been very anxiously waiting 
 your arrival," continued Fuzl Khan, " as my situation was not a 
 very agreeable one. I wonder who this Kokoo is?" I replied 
 that I believed he was the devil, for it seemed impossible to get 
 the upper hand of him. I described his person to Fuzl Khan, 
 and told him to be on his guard, and give me immediate intelli- 
 gence should he ever chance to f:ill in with him. He promised 
 me obedience in everything, but did not fail to remind me of the 
 one hundred rupees I had promised him. 
 
 I desired him to accompany me immediately, and took my 
 way towards the tree where I had buried the silver ornaments. 
 It was necessary to go through the glen where the goatherd's 
 cottage was situated ; and, before we reached it, the darkness 
 of evening came upon us. As we passed the cottage, I fancied 
 I saw two men enter it. I had little doubt but one of them 
 
236 PANDURANG HArL 
 
 was Cabbage Gousla, while the other in all probability was 
 Kokoo, whom he had somewhere fallen in with. If I could 
 have depended upon Fuzl Khan, I would not have hesitated an 
 instant in entering the place and watching their motions. As I 
 was circumstanced, I thought it better to pass on a little way, 
 conceal myself, and watch, by which means I might learn some- 
 thing to my advantage. I desired Fuzl Khan to proceed, and 
 await my coming at a place which was easily recognised. He , 
 instantly obeyed, and I continued in ambush, watching the door 
 of the cottage, from whence the two men soon came out, taking 
 the road to Asseerghur. They passed the tree near which I had 
 concealed myself, and I could clearly hear Cabbage's rough voice 
 cry out, "The old villain is fled, but I will ferret him out. 
 Foiled in all my plans ! I will not be so much longer. Curses 
 on that Pandurang Hkri, the sneaking rascal ! It must have 
 been he who locked you up in the cave. What idiots you were 
 to let a stranger into our secrets ! " "It was all Salla's work," 
 his companion answered, "not mine." "Well," said Cabbage 
 Cousla, " he has paid dearly enough for his rashness and folly. 
 
 What we now have to do is" 
 
 I could hear no more of the conversation of these men ; but I 
 was in great fear lest they might overtake Fuzl Khan, and, recog- 
 nising him for the man whom they had left in the cavern, use him 
 ill, or probably question him too closely, when he might inadver- 
 tently bring up my name as his fellow-traveller. I kept, therefore, 
 as close as I could in their rear, only allowing them time to get a 
 small advance of me in the road. I then proceeded towards the 
 place where I had appointed to meet Fuzl Khan. On arriving 
 there I could not find him, and began to conjecture a thousand 
 things, and to despair of doing so at all ; when, looking over the 
 plain, I saw a man approaching me at a distance, seemingly in 
 full speed. On his coming nearer I saw it was Fuzl, who told me 
 he had been overtaken by two men, one of whom answered the 
 description I had given him of Kokoo. He said they had very 
 closely questioned him as to his business in the jungle, but had 
 not recognised him as the slumberer in the cavern. Not knowing 
 what reply to make to their questions, he told them he was about 
 
PANDURANG hArI 237 
 
 to join his master, Nagoo, in the fort. They asked him if he was 
 acquainted with a person of the name of Pandurang H-iri ? He 
 repHed that he was, and said Pandurang was at present in the 
 fort, where he had left him only the day before. Upon this the two 
 men hurried on their way, muttering together. He heard them 
 say, " This time he shall not escape ! " Fuzl Khan immediately 
 hastened to communicate the information to me. I then thanked 
 him for the adroit way in which he had deceived the two men, 
 and proceeded to the tree where I had buried my treasure. I 
 thought it best, however, to await the dawning of day before I 
 searched for it, and proposed to my companion to rest ourselves 
 awhile. In the morning I went to the tree, and, digging, soon 
 discovered, to my great joy, that the ornaments were all safe. I 
 gave my companion the two silver bangles, with which he was 
 highly pleased; and by thus keeping my promise, I attached him 
 more strongly to my interests than I could have done by any other 
 method, and I hoped to find him a useful person in pursuing my 
 future objects. 
 
 I was strongly impelled, on a sudden recollection of what took 
 place at the cavern during Fuzl Khan's absence, to return, and 
 try if I could discover who it was had been the victim of Cabbage 
 Gousla's revengeful passions. I therefore proposed it to Fuzl 
 Khan, as there was reason to think the unfortunate man had 
 not been killed, but only severely wounded, though there could 
 be little doubt but his death was intended. My companion 
 replied that he had seen quite enough of that dark and horrible 
 place, and had no great inclination to set his foot in it again. I 
 would not go alone, and Fuzl Khan seemed determined not to 
 accompany me. At length I prevailed upon him to go as far as 
 the entrance with me, and to leave me the task of looking for the 
 wounded man. We set off, my companion being somewhat in a 
 surly humour. We had the whole day before us, and there was 
 nothing to be apprehended from thieves in the jungles, all of 
 which we cleared in good time ; so that a large portion of day- 
 light remained after we had reached the cave. Fuzl Khan still 
 determining not to enter the gloomy place, I went in, and 
 groped in every corner a good while, but found nothing, and 
 
238 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 returned to my companion, who advised my lighting a torch^. 
 as so much of the cavern was impervious to the Hght of day. 
 We had no torches with us, but we set fire to some sticks that 
 Afforded but a bad substitute for them ; and Fuzl described the- 
 place where the man had been stabbed, but refused to enter and 
 assist me. I now recommenced my search, and was at the point 
 of giving it up, when, my light being extinguished in a dark part 
 of the cave, I stumbled over something which I soon found was 
 a human body. Whether it was dead or alive, I had no means of 
 ascertaining. I called to my obstinate companion in vain, being 
 determined to be satisfied. I therefore took the body by the 
 leg, and drew it as gently as I could to the mouth of the cave, 
 and, in so doing, fancied I heard a deep groan. This gave me 
 hope that I might yet be of some assistance to the unhappy 
 object of Cabbage's vengeance. On getting into the air, I found 
 tliat the wounded man was suffering more from loss of blood 
 than the depth of his wound. The latter had, however, ceased 
 bleeding, and we contrived to bind up the wounded side with 
 the sufferer's turban. The air, and a mouthful or two of fresh 
 water, seemed to revive him. He opened his eyes heavily, as if 
 with effort, gazed vacantly around him, and then shut them 
 again, seeming as if he was in some horrible dream. Fuzl Khan 
 did not scruple to render every assistance in his power now we 
 were outside the mouth of the cavern ; and by his care and my 
 own united, we at last contrived to infuse a little more life into- 
 the object of our solicitude. Of speech he was not yet master ; 
 sustenance and unremitting attention seemed indispensable to 
 restore it to him. Where we then rested nothing could be pro- 
 cured ; and I proposed to Fuzl Khan that we should construct a 
 litter, and lay him upon it, by which means we might convey him^ 
 to some village, and obtain for him the necessaries, without 
 which his recovery could hardly be calculated upon. My com- 
 panion immediately assented to this proposition. We went to- 
 work, and, in a very little time, completed our task. 
 
 We lifted our patient on the litter, and slowly took the road 
 towards Kandeish. The nearest village was that in which the' 
 durhm sallah was situated, where I first saw Gabbage Gousla's 
 
PANDURANG HARL 239 
 
 tvvo men. We reached it before dark, and deposited our burthen 
 there ; and while Fuzl Khan went in search of rice, milk, fire- 
 wood, and other necessaries, I remained by the wounded man. 
 Fuzl soon returning, a fire was made, and provisions cooked ; but, 
 unfortunately, the object of our care could not raise his head, 
 much less swallow food. We therefore covered him securely, 
 and ate our own rice and milk, expecting to find him a 
 corpse by the morning. The thought of this disappointment 
 prevented my closing my eyes all night; but my companion, 
 whom nothing could ruffle, lay snoring in perfect obli\'ion of 
 ever}'thing, and utterly indifferent as to who might live or die. 
 
CHAPTER XXII I. 
 
 HE following morning I heard, or fancied I heard, a 
 rustling proceeding from the corner where the object 
 of my care on the preceding day was reposing. I 
 crept softly towards the place, the light not being yet sufficient 
 to distinguish objects at a little distance, and, to my surprise, 
 found the wounded man sitting upright. I lost not a moment 
 in awaking Fuzl Khan, and desiring him to get a fire and 
 w^arm some milk. He immediately attended to my first request, 
 but hesitated about my second ; when I discovered that he had 
 drunk all the milk the preceding night. This being the case, 
 I despatched the greedy rascal for more. The wounded man 
 seemed as if he wished to articulate; but I desired him to 
 desist, lest the exertion should bring on a relapse and bad 
 symptoms. I washed his face, arranged his hair; and, on 
 the daylight coming full upon his countenance, being now 
 cleaned from the dirt and soil of the floor of the cavern, 
 what was my astonishment on recognising my old companion, 
 Nanna, who had been Trimbuckje's servant, and was taken 
 prisoner with myself by the Pindarees ! I was now more than 
 ever anxious for the return of his health and speech. I longed 
 to know how he could have become an instrument of Cabbage 
 Gousla's. He did not seem to recognise me, nor could it, in his 
 present deplorable state, be expected. On the return of Fuzl 
 Khan with milk and provisions, I desired him to approach the 
 wounded man, and see if he could not call his features to 
 recollection. He replied he had seen the face before, but he 
 did not recollect where or when. I reminded him of our being 
 taken by the Pindarees, and that the present helpless object of 
 
 240 
 
PANDURANG HARf. ^ 241 
 
 our care was my companion at the time, and had been one 
 of the audience when he, Fuzl Khan, told his own history in 
 the ruined fortress. Fuzl observed how much he was changed, 
 looking attentively at him, and thought it would be a miracle 
 if he ever recovered. I had strong hopes of seeing him reinstated 
 again. We washed his wound, and bound it afresh with the 
 best cloth we could obtain. We gave him the warm milk, 
 and soon found that these little oftices contributed to benefit 
 our patient, who by and by dropped into a profound slumber. 
 I now went to the potaifs house, and related to him the 
 deplorable state of the wounded man, and how we had acci- 
 dentally discovered him in the solitary cavern. I stated that, 
 as the durhm sallah was a public place, I feared it was very 
 ill calculated to afford him the quiet necessary in his situation. 
 The potail offered me a room in his own house, and I very 
 thankfully accepted it. When Nanna awoke, we lost not a 
 moment in removing him thither. The potail placed him in 
 a comfortable bed, and his wife promised to pay him every 
 attention in her power. The truth is, we produced an impres- 
 sion of our consequence on the potail's mind much to our 
 advantage. Fuzl Khan strutted about with his silver bangles, 
 affecting an air of great importance; and I thought it not 
 amiss to wear some of my ornaments, — all which made the 
 potail judge it right to treat us with every attention and 
 respect. The first day of his removal to the potail's, our 
 patient did not utter a word, the effort seeming to be still far too 
 great for him. 
 
 In the meanwhile, I found the potail a very communicative 
 person, and well versed in public affairs. We entered upon 
 politics and the state of the war. " Ah ! " said he, " poor Badjcraa 
 is like a hunted hare. He never sleeps two nights in the same 
 place. The very idea of the Toope Wallas being near him, makes 
 him issue orders for marching ; so that his men, cattle, and 
 elephants are jaded to death." I inquired where Trimburkje 
 then was. The potail called him a scoundrel, and wished he had 
 been dead before the Peeshwa knew him, for to him he owed 
 his do\\Tifall. " Downfall ! " I inquired, with surprise ; *' do you 
 
242 PANDURANG hArI 
 
 imagine him to be indeed ruined, and that all hope is past of his 
 being reseated on the musnud of Poona ? " " He is ruined be- 
 yond redemption," said the potail. "Trimbuckje has deserted 
 him, of course, and is anxious only for his own safety. Poona is 
 wrested from the Peeshwa; Scindea is defeated at Aheidpoor; 
 and Asseerghur is about to be stormed. We must all now become ' 
 ryots* of the Toope Wallas." " AVe must then do the best we 
 can," I replied; "we shall find ourselves more peaceable, and 
 they who will labour will have their reward. The thieves and 
 turbulent will be kept quiet. We must submit to what we can- 
 j inot avoid. The spear of the Pindaree will be changed into the 
 ploughshare of the coombie" ^ " This is very true," said the 
 potail ; " but what is to become of our venerable Brahmins, and 
 our men of rank ? What will they say to lose their offices, and 
 be circumscribed in their power ? Their pensions, their profits, 
 and jageers,^ will be curtailed and regulated, if not taken away. 
 The Toope Wallas may manage tolerably well as governors ; but 
 the worst thing is, they will never allow any bellies but their own 
 to be filled." " You potails, coolcunnies, &c., will no doubt, even 
 under your new masters, contrive to reap tolerable harvests." " It 
 is true, we may for a year or two," said the potail ; " but after 
 that time I fear the ryots will begin to lose their respect for our 
 authority, and to comprehend that they can have their complaints 
 attended to. Farewell, then, our ancient and established usages 
 — our golden times of prosperity ! There will be no farming out 
 of districts then ; no agreeing with a coombie for half his produce, 
 and getting three-fourths ; no fees ; no fines ; no bargaining with 
 soucars and bankers, to keep the coombies eternally in their books. 
 We must not flog them, and torture, after the manner of our 
 fathers, those who are obnoxious to us. It will be a new state of 
 things ; I think the oldest always best.'-' " I have learned," I 
 replied, "that there are people who have other opinions upon 
 those subjects ; but I confess I am not competent to enter into 
 an argument upon them. I wish you success most heartly, my 
 friend. May your undertakings flourish, and your country also ! " 
 I had scarcely uttered these words, when an unusual bustle 
 
 * Subjects. "^ Cultivator. ' Grants of land. 
 
PANDURANG HArI 243 
 
 was heard in the \illage, and an hircarrah on a camel rode up to 
 the potail's house, calling out, "The Peeshwa ! the Peeshwa! 
 Provisions, provisions ! or your heads shall answer ! " The potail 
 was in great consternation, and promised to do all in his power 
 towards assisting the fugitive prince. A sumptuous palanquin, 
 •borne by eight bearers, who appeared ready to fall to the earth 
 from fatigue, came up directly aftenvards. The Peeshwa 
 alighted from it, and rushed into the potail's house. He threw 
 himself in despair upon the ground, wailing bitterly. How differ- 
 ent from his appearance when I last saw him in his palace, 
 surrounded by Brahmins and officers, train-bearers and courtiers, 
 in all the insolence of power ! Then, indeed, I trembled in his 
 presence. And well I might tremble, for I was assuming a char- 
 acter, the discovery of which would have annihilated me. Now I 
 looked upon the once awful Peeshwa with pity and contempt, 
 and thought how a little time since he strutted in his kinkobs and 
 diamonds, like a gaudy peacock. He was deeply humbled, 
 even to the very dust, watering the cow-dunged floor of the 
 potail's house with tears of repentance and distress. His 
 few attendants, as miserable as himself, were worn out with long 
 marching. They came, however, to his side, imploring him to 
 arise and rouse his spirits, puffing up the valour of his troops, his 
 own greatness, and whispering hopes that could never be realised. 
 Badjerao then assumed the monarch once more. He arose and 
 issued some orders with a hea\y heart. The camp lay without 
 the village, and was well provided with rice and necessaries. The 
 Peeshwa went through his ablutions, put on the silk vest in which 
 he uniformly dined, and was monarch once more, until a courier 
 galloped into the village, cr>'ing, "The Toope Wallas ! the Toope 
 Wallas ! " Badjerao forgot his dinner, and bade his palanquin be 
 off directly. His followers, unfed and unrefrcshcd, were obliged 
 to resume their duties ; and in half an hour the whole aswarr)-, 
 with horse and foot soldiers, camels, elephants, and bullocks, were 
 clear out of the village. 
 
 The potail came to me when they were gone, wearing a face o! 
 mirth, and well satisfied with himself. From this I judged that 
 the Peeshwa had rewarded him for his trouble and provisions. I 
 
244 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 congratulated him, therefore, on his good fortune, asking him the 
 amount of his present. *' Present ! " said he, " no, no, I have re- 
 ceived no reward ; that is a part of his business Badjerao never 
 remembered in his Hfe." I then observed it was fortunate the 
 Enghsh were so near, as their approach had rid him of so many 
 troublesome guests. The potail smiled, and said, " The English 
 are far enough off, my friend. This was all a contrivance of my 
 own. I foresaw ruin to us all, when the runaways came to my 
 village, if I suffered them to stay long ; and instead of procuring a 
 stock of provisions for so many hungry mouths, I sent a fellow a few 
 coss off, with orders to ride into the village furiously just as the 
 soldiers were eating their dinners, and give the alarm which you 
 have heard. I knew the name of Toope Wallas would scare the 
 poor Peeshwa out of our precincts, and set him flying again ; and, 
 considering the road he has taken, it is ten to one but he will fall 
 in with them. He has gone towards Ashtee, to which I have 
 heard the English are approaching. Did you ever see such a 
 pusillanimous man calling himself a fighting king ? " I observed 
 he did not bear his misfortunes with either manly or kingly forti- 
 tude ', and I inquired where Gokla, his great general, was. The 
 potail said, " Gokla is a brave man, but must persuade his rabble 
 followers to fight before he can do anything ; and without a few 
 thousands like himself, he can do nothing for the Peeshwa's for- 
 tunes. We shall soon hear of some battle ; and rely upon this 
 truth, it will be the last Badjerao's troops will ever fight." I 
 could not but admire the potail's ingenuity in getting rid of sa 
 many hungry vagabonds, who never dreamed of remunerating him 
 for the expenses they heaped upon him. 
 
 All being again quiet in the village, I visited my patient Nanna, 
 and found he was mending fast, though still very feeble and ill. 
 He asked me where he was. I assured him in very good hands, 
 and that he should be taken care of He seemed sensible of the 
 kindness shown him, and said he had nearly given up all hope of 
 being restored to life. His Avound was deep, and well aimed by 
 the villain that gave it ; but, when he next met him, he would 
 convince him that there was another dagger more unerring. " This 
 is my reward ! " said Nanna. I desired him to be composed for 
 
PAND URANG HARJ: 245 
 
 the present, as he could give me an account of his disasters when 
 he was better able to converse. He thanked me, and said he 
 had but little to tell. " I served one villain," said he, " whom I 
 deserted to follow a greater ; and my wages have been a stab in 
 the side, which but for your kind aid must have been my death. 
 You shall find, however, that your kindness shall not be forgotten; 
 for I swear to serve you, wlioever you may be, provided you are 
 not engaged in murder or other bad deeds, wliicli I now from my 
 ver>^ soul abhor." I assured him I was not engaged in any such 
 schemes, and that possibly he might have it in his power to aid 
 me materially. He squeezed my hand, and fell into a deep 
 slumber. I left him, and, on going away, met Fuzl Khan, who 
 said, "^Vho do you think I have met? Mahadeo, the first Pin- 
 daree, who is at this moment actually an officer in the Peeshwa's 
 army." I asked him if he was certain of this. He repHed he 
 was ; hat he made himself known, and should have had more 
 conversation with him, but for the peremptor}' orders of the 
 Peeshwa to march without a moment's delay. This was \Qxy 
 satisfactory intelligence to me ; because I felt certain ^^ahadeo 
 was in the land of the living, and I knew where, though I had 
 hoped he was no more. 
 
 The next time I visited Xanna was on the following morning. 
 He had not yet appeared to remember me. Finding him much 
 refreshed by sleep, I begged him to tell me the particulars of his 
 history, as far as the time when he was left wounded in the cave. 
 He accordingly began — " You have, no doubt, heard of such a man 
 as Trimbuckje Danglia?" " I have," I replied ; " and know him 
 to be a sad villain." " He is indeed bad ; but there are even 
 worse men than he — for instance, the fellow who wounded me 
 in the cave. But to proceed. I served Trimbuckje Dangha." 
 " And so have I," was my observation. Nanna hereupon said, 
 " Ah ! I know tliat voice ; — let me look full in your face. Thou 
 art indeed Pandoo ! Didst thou but know how I have been 
 hunting after thee to work thy destruction, thou wouldst not save 
 my hfe ! But, henceforth, I am thine for ever! Listen, then: 
 Trimbuckje, although we aided him in his escape from Thannah, 
 never gave us the stipulated reward. This I did not so much 
 
 Q 
 
246 FANDURANG HARL 
 
 grieve about; but he intrigued with my wife; so that I became 
 the laughing-stock of all his household. Full of indignation;, 
 I vowed revenge ; and he shall find I can remember my vow. 
 In the moment of my highest rage, I was met by Gabbage 
 Gousla, a hanger-on in Trimbuckje's train. I related all my 
 injuries to him. The watchful and cunning Gabbage blew the 
 sparks of vengeance which lurked in my bosom into a flame. 
 Listening to his artful incitements, I grasped the dagger which he 
 wore, and half presented to me, and swore I would plunge it 
 into Trimbuckje's heart. Gabbage grinned a horrible smile of 
 triumph, and bade me be sure of my blow. I was to meet him 
 at a particular spot as soon after the murder as it was possible for 
 me to reach it. I reiterated my promises of punctuality, and we 
 separated. At the hour of twelve, I ascended cautiously the nar- 
 row staircase leading to Trimbuckje's apartment. I opened his 
 door, and entered the chamber. He slept soundly. My dagger 
 was raised for the blow, when a noise in an adjoining chamber 
 awoke my victim, who turned round just as my weapon descended 
 upon his breast. The point only grazed his arm, upon which he 
 awcke, and cried out for succour. I had not a moment to lose,, 
 but rushed down the staircase, and gained the street. I was soon 
 joined by Gabbage Gousla, to whom I related my ill success. He 
 bade me secrete myself in his house, and await until he could find 
 out what steps would be pursued to apprehend the murderer. On 
 the following day, he told me I was suspected, and that persons 
 were on the search for me. ' Save me ! save me ! ' I cried to 
 Gabbage. That, he said, depended upon myself ' Serve me^ 
 and I will save you/ said this arch-fiend. I inquired how I was 
 to do this. Gabbage told me that he demanded my services ; 
 but, if I failed to obey him, he would give me up to the enraged 
 Trimbuckje. I observed I was indeed in his power, and that if he 
 spared me I would serve him. ' Then,' said he, ' you must again 
 grasp your dagger, and take care this time that it strike home.' 
 On asking whom I must strike, Gabbage told me Pandurang Hari. 
 I asked if he meant my old fellow-servant. ' The same,' growled 
 the villain. ' Go to the village of which Trimbuckje is ma5:ter, 
 and, at an uninhabited mansion near the great tank, you will meet 
 
PANDURANG JJARl. 247 
 
 with persons who will instruct you how to act The least deceit 
 or deviation from your duty will cost you your life ! Come, dis- 
 guise yourself!' Having said this, he brought me the dress of a 
 Jungum priest ; and, being equipped in a perfect disguise, he 
 sent me to the village before mentioned, where I arrived in safety. 
 I found the house, and two ferocious-looking fellows in it. One 
 was a very tall man, the other short and thick. They led me, by 
 a secret passage, into a room on the ground floor, the windows of 
 which looked into a court-yard, and were very small. They soon 
 proceeded to business, being well apprized of the orders which I 
 had received from Cabbage. They told me I was fi.xed upon to 
 murder you, because they themselves were ignorant of your per- 
 son, and were besides too much engaged in other matters. These 
 they communicated to me to be the apprehension of two women 
 who were in custody at the fort of Asseerghur. Money 
 was then given to nie, and I was informed that you had 
 actually been seen in the village that day, and in all pro- 
 bability would be at the collector's oflice on the following 
 morning. A knock at the door of the room alarmed my 
 companions, and one of them, the tall man before mentioned, 
 went out by a secret passage, which led by a staircase to the 
 upper rooms. He fired his pistol, but all was silent. " "I 
 know that very well," I observed to Nanna; "and he ver>' 
 nearly saved you the trouble of using your dagger.'' *' Then 
 it was you who knocked at the door?" continued Nanna. 
 "It was, my friend," I replied. "Had my companions been 
 aware of this, you would have been sacrificed to their ven- 
 geance," said Nanna. "I fear nothing could have presened 
 you. I would have tried to screen you from their fury ; for my 
 promise to obey Cabbage was only a subterfuge, by which I 
 hoped to escape from immediate ruin, being, as I was, com- 
 pletely in his power. As I live, I would not have harmed 
 you, nor, to save my own life, imbrue my hands in the blood of 
 an innocent and unoffending man, who had, moreover, been 
 my friend. As soon as we were convinced all was quiet, we 
 separated. I was to dog you to a convenient place out of the 
 villa<^c and murder you, my companions promising to meet 
 
248 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 me at Asseerghur, where I was afterwards to assist in liberating 
 and carrying off the two women, that they might be delivered 
 from the clutches of one tyrant to be thrown into the power of 
 another. Cabbage himself was expected to meet us there, with 
 proper persons, to whom the two women were to be given in 
 charge. I was unable to find you in the village, though I remained 
 two days searching for you ; and I finally proceeded towards 
 Asseerghur, as I was promised a reward by my employer, if 
 I was faithful to his interests. At Asseerghur I saw you, just 
 as you came from under the hands of the doctor. Before I 
 could determine what step to take, Cabbage Cousla made his 
 appearance. How he gained an entrance into the fort, I cannot 
 conjecture. I did not know whether he was aware of your being 
 there also ; perhaps he might himself have seen you. I dared 
 not conceal my knowledge of your being so near ; and, meeting 
 him by appointment under one of the bastions, I informed him I 
 had seen you, but that the fort was not the place to commit the 
 deed in, and that I was determined to await his arrival. He 
 grumbled his displeasure at my not having effectually prevented 
 your appearance there at all ; and insinuated that I had either 
 betrayed or neglected his interests. He dismissed me with an 
 imprecation, but not before I had acquainted him with the fate 
 of my two associates, whom, I should have told you, I met with 
 again, in a very singular manner. Passing the cave which, but 
 for you, would have proved my sepulchre, I heard the most 
 piteous yells and cries, as if some dreadful crime was perpe- 
 trating. I entered, and distinctly heard sounds proceeding 
 from behind the idol, then the fall of a heavy substance, and all 
 was silent. Shortly after commenced a knocking, as if some 
 one was endeavouring to get out. Cries and groans began 
 again, and I approached close to where they seemed to issue 
 from, and calling out aloud, asked what was the matter ? * Oh, 
 let me out ! ' cried a faint voice ; ' I am famished ! ' I withdrew 
 the bolt, but the door would not open. The captive, whom I 
 knew by this time to be Kokoo, instructed me to press one of 
 the knobs under the bolt — which I did, and the door flew open. 
 Kokoo rushed out, nearly overcome by weakness and hunger. I 
 
PANDURANG HARL 2.19 
 
 asked him where his companion was, and he told mc his dagger 
 had done the business for him. I shuddered at the coldness 
 with which he related this. He explained the circumstances 
 to me, which were matter of great astonishment, relative to the 
 way in which he and his companion had been imprisoned by a 
 fellow M-hom they had trusted with their secrets. Kokoo re- 
 mained in the cave, being too weak to leave it ; I proceeded to 
 Asseerghur, and requested Cabbage's immediate presence at the 
 cave. Kokoo said that the scanty provisions they had in the 
 chamber were soon expended between him and his companion, 
 and that then they began to quarrel, and drew their daggers, and 
 he, Kokoo, being quickest, thrust his into the tall man, who fell 
 Hereupon I hinted the possibility of his not being dead. Kokoo 
 bade me go and see, if I pleased, but that neither man nor devil 
 should ever tempt him to enter that infernal place again. I then 
 went myself into the stone room, and found the man (juite gone. 
 Cabbage was pleased to learn that one of his vile instruments 
 was living, and desired me to accompany him, and bring Kokoo 
 to the fort, and afterwards to take measures for putting you out 
 of the way. On our arrival at the cavern, Kokoo was not to be 
 found ; and, on going into the inner chamber, behind the idol, 
 how was I surprised, to find two bodies in the place of one that 
 I had left when I set out \ Cabbage was in a violent rage, and 
 swore I had deceived him throughout. I begged him to search 
 the cavern minutely ; and I thought we must meet with Kokoo, 
 and thus it would be proved I was sincere. In the place where I 
 had left Kokoo, we found another man, who had been somehow 
 v.'ounded. Here Cabbage lost all self-command, and stabbed 
 me in the side ; then muttering imprecations over me, took his 
 departure. In the state in which I was left, you found me ; and 
 to your exertions I owe my present renovation to light and life.'' 
 I now informed Nanna that I had immured the two slaves of 
 Cabbage in the chamber. On hearing this, he applauded me 
 for my promptness, and regretted that he had been the instru- 
 ment of effecting the liberation of the most formidable villain of 
 the two. I then told him that the man he found in Kokoo's 
 place was Fuzl Khan, the second Pindaree, whose tale had so 
 
250 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 amused us in the ruined fortress. Nanna -svished immediately 
 to see him, and Fuzl Khan came. Nanna immediately began to 
 thank him for lending his assistance in preserving him. Fuzl 
 candidly confessed he did not merit them ; for the horrors of the 
 cavern were so strongly impressed upon his mind, that he would 
 not venture in again, and refused to accompany me. I told 
 Nanna that his wound was partly owing to me, as I had placed 
 the other dead body in the chamber, and related what had taken 
 place to induce me to do so. We were both struck with the 
 wonderful coincidences which had again brought us together, 
 and at the recollection of the events which had occurred since 
 we met before. 
 
 Among the other questions which I put to Nanna in our various 
 conversations, while he was in a convalescent state, I asked if he 
 knew why Cabbage sought my life ? He told me that Gabbage 
 was aware of my affection for Sagoonah ; but that, while I lived, 
 he could scarcely hope to accomplish his purposes, whatever they 
 were. Nanna said he was ignorant of the objects of Gabbage ; 
 but that, since he had been at Sattarah, he was more than ever 
 desirous of destroying me. Upon expressing my wonder at his 
 hearing anything at Sattarah that could affect me, Nanna said he 
 did not know what ; but I ought, he thought, to keep out of his 
 way. I knew this was not an easy thing to do, for he was every- 
 where in an incredibly short space of time ; and that were I to 
 change my name, walk naked, or be clothed like a sultan, he would 
 unerringly recognise me. Nanna remarked, however, that, except 
 Kokoo, all his agents were ignorant of my person ; but that 
 Kokoo must remember me as long as he lived, and be incited to 
 find me out, to revenge my having locked him in the chamber, 
 besides the motive of the wages promised by his iniquitous em- 
 ployer ; these were strong inducements to a man so bloodthirsty 
 to hunt me down. I told Nanna that I intended to go to 
 Guzerat. He immediately said that our meeting Kokoo there 
 would be certain, as he was going after the women, who had fled 
 thither. I observed that he could not be of much use there, as 
 he did not know Sagoonah's person ; but Nanna contradicted me, 
 and stated that he was one of the ]:)ersons employed to murder 
 
PANDURANG HARI, 
 
 2;i 
 
 her. I now informed Xanna of all that had taken jjlace at Poona, 
 and of my adventures as a magician ; of my taking Sagoonali 
 under my protection, and the subsequent incidents I had met 
 with, at which he was astonished. He could liardly believe I 
 was the person who had caused so much noise tliere in my 
 disguise, and ruined Habeshee Kotwall. 
 
 There was one thing for which I could never account in ni) 
 own mind, and that was, the reason that induced Cabbage Gousla 
 at first to seek the destruction of Sagoonah, and afterwards to try 
 to preserve her life. This Nanna cleared up to a certain extent 
 by desiring me to recollect, that when Cabbage sought to assas- 
 sinate her he was in the interest of Trimbuckje Danglia, and had 
 no knowledge who or what the girl was. He was fully aware of 
 the imposition practised upon the Peeshwa relative to the pre- 
 tended guilt of Habeshee Kotwall, as he was in the confidence of 
 Trimbuckje. He also guessed (knowing the a/Tair of the girl) 
 that the pretended magician must have obtained his knowledge 
 from some authentic source. I'he girl had escaped his clutches, 
 but she might somehow or other have fallen into those of the 
 magician. I found from Nanna that I was very closely Avatchcd, 
 and traced to a village about a coss from Poonx On receiving 
 the report of his spy. Cabbage himself repaired to the village, and 
 returning in great perturbation, set out immediately for Sattarali, 
 from whence he quickly returned, and gave orders that the girl at 
 the cultivator's cottage should be seized. It was discovered that 
 she had fled, and his rage knew no bounds. All the infonnation 
 that could be obtained was, that slie had taken the road to Seroor. 
 Little was said before Trimbuckje's servant, whom (iabbagc had 
 employed as his spy, because he wished Trimbuckje to imagine 
 Sagoonah really dead. A person was despatched after the fugi- 
 tive, but Nanna never heard the result of the j)ursuit. 
 
 This result I told him, and also how narrowly Sagoonah and 
 her aunt had escaped. On expressing my wonder that Gablwge, 
 with all his art and his numerous agents, had never yet succeeded 
 in entrapping Sagoonah, Nanna said it might be accounted for by 
 Trimbuckje's servant, who had acted as a spy in wat( hing me, 
 having informed his master that the girl was living, and that Cab- 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 bage had some particular views respecting her. Trimbuckje 
 seized a favourable moment to quarrel with Cabbage, not allow- 
 ing him to know how well informed he was regarding Sagoo 
 nah's existence. They separated, and Cabbage then discovered 
 that Trimbuckje was aware the girl was alive, — for he found all 
 his craft and cunning opposed by Trimbuckje's power, — and that, 
 although the latter was a prisoner in Thannah, his influence in 
 Kandeish was such, that measures were taken at that very time 
 to seize the girl and her aunt. I was summoned away to attend 
 Trimbuckje immediately, not for the value of my services, but 
 that I might thwart Trimbuckje's scheme ; for he had begun to 
 think me a very shrewd kind of fellow, and clearly saw that I had 
 advanced my own ends, and made a tool of him first, by getting 
 away Sagoonah from him, and, in the second place, a situation and 
 reward. He retaliated, however, by condescending to affect a 
 particular predilection for me, and I in return planned his escape 
 from Thannah, which, when effected, he not only failed to be 
 grateful for, but sent expresses to Kandeish to deprive me of my 
 place. 
 
 In this way things, until now unaccountable to me, were cleared 
 up. I recollected the warning of danger given me by a soldier at 
 the guard-room in Kandeish, and that after this I went to the 
 deserted mansion, where I was so near being shot. Nanna could 
 not inform me how it was that Cabbage and Trimbuckje became 
 reconciled to each other, but supposed, being both involved in 
 schemes of villainy, it was not worth while for them to counteract 
 each other any longer. It appeared that the sun of Trimbuckje's 
 power was for ever set, and the Peeshwa crushed, past all hope 
 of again governing. Cabbage, therefore, had latterly found it no 
 longer his interest to adhere either to one or the other, and 
 having nothing to fear from their power, relied at present upon his 
 own cunning and a few hirelings, ready instruments of his designs, 
 to get Sagoonah into his hands. "You," said Nanna, "are one 
 great obstacle in his way, and you he is determined to remove. 
 Kokoo is his head assassin, and he it was who cut to pieces the 
 Shastree from Cuzerat. This shameful murder was planned by 
 the Peeshwa himself, aided by Trimbuckje, and executed by 
 
PANDURANG IIAkI. 253 
 
 Kokoo.'' I could not help obsciving, here, how unfortunate for 
 me Nanna's arrival at the cave, and the release of Kokoo, had 
 proved. " It proved also very unfortunate for me," said Nanna ; 
 "where he went I cannot guess, but had he remained where he 
 proposed, I should not have been wounded, and been brought to 
 the brink of the grave." I asked if there was no way to escape the 
 villain's fury, in case I fell in with him. Nanna seemed to think a 
 bribe would have done it, had I not drawn the fatal bolt upon him, 
 but that no money would purchase his good-will under present 
 circumstances. He advised me to go well armed, and be very 
 circumspect in my movements at all times ; that if I went to 
 Guzerat, or remained in the Deccan, he would be there also. I 
 asked Nanna if he would accompany me thither, and told him 
 my design was to get into some employment, the profits of 
 which I would share equally with him and Fuzl Khan, and we 
 should then be better able to provide for our mutual security. 
 Besides, Nanna might obtain some place in the service of the 
 English Government, and thus we should live in quiet. Nanna 
 promised never to desert me, as I had preser\ed his life. He 
 considered himself bound to do what he could for me ; and we 
 agreed to go well armed, and never to be farther apart from each 
 other than we could possibly avoid. This would be some 
 security against Kokoo and his employer, whose oi)on attacks 
 were least to be feared. Fuzl Khan swore to be faithful to us, 
 and to travel with us wherever we might direct our steps ; and wc 
 promised, in return for his sharing our hazards, that he should 
 partake in our comforts. He possessed animal courage, and 
 though his honesty was not the most pure of its kind, and his 
 youthful propensities still had a fast hold upon him, we had no 
 reason to think he would turn out a traitor to our cause. I now 
 felt my mind more at ease than it had lately been, and antici- 
 pated a joyful interview with my Sagoonah. 
 
 On consideration, it appeared dangerous for us to remain much 
 longer where we then rested. Gabbage was too near us, and I 
 recollected that his son Mahadeo was also at hand. They mi^'ht 
 chance to meet, and unite their forces against us. I deemed it 
 prudent to keep m.y knowledge of the real designs of Gabbage to 
 
2 54 PANDURANG hArI. 
 
 myself, and to seem ignorant of his views towards the musnud of 
 Sattarah, because the remotest chance of a man being in power 
 secures to him mone}^ and follov^^ers. After all, Nanna was a 
 Mahratta, and it is a peculiarity in the character of this people- 
 that the hope of being provided for, even at a future time, 
 operates very strongly upon their minds, though I had no reason 
 to think such would be the case with Nanna. As to Fuzl Khan, I 
 knew he would set off in a moment, on the shadow of such a hope. 
 
 On inquiring for my friend the potail, I found him busily 
 employed in indemnifying himself for the losses he had sustained 
 by the passage of the Peeshwa's army through his village. He 
 was screwing the cultivators and villagers to the last pice; 
 taking money from one, cattle from another, and had actually 
 in pawn the wives of two poor fellows at once, while the hus- 
 bands were endeavouring to borrow money to satisfy his 
 rapacity. It was not my business to interfere, though I with 
 difficulty beheld the scene unmoved. I informed my host that 
 we intended to quit him immediately, and begged him to furnish 
 us with a tattoo to carry the wounded man. He did so very 
 readily, and I paid for it with some of my silver ornaments, 
 presenting him with an ankle-chain as a remuneration for his 
 hospitality. Fuzl Khan, who was possessed of great ingenuity, 
 told the potail, on setting out, that he had better take good 
 care of his money, as he had overheard a plot to deprive him of 
 it. He described to him very accurately the persons of Gabbage 
 Gousla and Kokoo, as the conspirators. This he did to prevent 
 the potail giving them any information as to our movements, 
 should they come to question him about us. Knowing their 
 persons, he would naturally refuse to admit them under his roof, 
 and they would go away just as wise as they came. I highly 
 approved Fuzl Khan's trick, and we set off, intending to take the 
 short way to Guzerat through the Kandeish jungles. 
 
 Our first stage was to Trimbuckje's once flourishing village, 
 where I had held a situation, and where stood the house in 
 which Sagoonah had resided, which was now inhabited by 
 soldiers and all classes of people. We alighted at a durhm 
 ■sallah, where several horsemen were assembled. These were 
 
PAynrj^ixG harI 255 
 
 in the service of the English, and were conversing very freely 
 on the affairs in which they were engaged. We soon found 
 that they were in search of Trimbuckje, and that considerable 
 rewards were offered to any one who would give information 
 whereby he might be apprehended. Upon finding this to be 
 the case, Nanna called me aside, and said, " Now is my time 
 for revenge ; I know where Trimbuckje is concealed, and I 
 will unkennel him from his hole, and take good care he knows 
 who it is that ruins him." "Are you certain?" I asked him in 
 return. "Can you be sure of pointing out the place?" lie 
 assured me he could, but that he was not yet strong enough, 
 and would wish to enjoy another night's rest before he accom- 
 panied the Toope Wallas to the place. He remarked that if he 
 gave information that night, the English would not rest until he 
 delivered the villain up to them. At this moment the public 
 crier came by, offering a reward of five thousand rupees to any 
 person who would bring information to the English resident at 
 Kandeish where Trimbuckje Danglia might be found. Xanna, 
 confident the secret was in his bosom alone, apprehended no 
 danger by waiting until the morning. We ate our supper, threw 
 ourselves upon our mats, and enjoyed a sound repose 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 HE next morning, Nanna, being refreshed by an 
 unbroken sleep, called me over where he was lying, 
 and told me he was determined to proceed im- 
 mediately to the tent of the English Resident, and demand 
 an audience. He had reflected upon the step which he proposed 
 to take, and found his resolution rather strengthened than 
 weakened, in consequence of what had presented itself to his 
 mind upon the subject. It appeared to me highly necessary 
 that he should first ascertain whether Trimbuckje was actually 
 at that moment in the hiding-place he suspected, as otherwise we 
 should appear in a very ridiculous light before the English 
 commandant. This I stated to Nanna, who, being of the same 
 opinion, proposed he should start alone towards the place where 
 we suspected our enemy was concealed ; and I promised to await 
 his return at a particular spot, which I indicated to him. He 
 departed accordingly, and promised to be with me again before 
 nightfall. During Nanna's absence, I strolled with Fuzl Khan 
 into the neighbourhood of the village, and seeing the English 
 horse formed in a line, and an officer examining the horses and 
 accoutrements, whom I had seen at Bombay, I approached 
 pretty close, and found him to be the man whom I supposed at 
 this time to be the husband of Jane Bebee. He did not seem to 
 recollect me, and I was not very anxious to attract his notice. 
 He had since become a cavalry officer, and I have no doubt was 
 a very active one. 
 
 In the evening Nanna came back, and told me Trimbuckje 
 was in his secret abode. He made sure of this, because he had 
 watched several men into the building, of whose faces he had a 
 perfect recollection ; and he thought, from the preparations and 
 
 256 
 
PANDURANG JIARL 257 
 
 bustle he observed, that matters were arranging for his removal. 
 This being the case, not a moment was to be lost ; and we pro- 
 ceeded to the tent of the English Resident, and obtained an 
 audience. I desired Nanna to enter, awaiting myself the result 
 of the conference on the outside. He very soon came back, and 
 the Resident immediately began to issue orders. The cavalry 
 officer was sent for, and a second came with him. After a short 
 conversation, they went away, and quickly returned at the head 
 of two hundred men, accompanied by mussalchees or torch-bearers. 
 Nanna was mounted, and desired to lead the way. We followed 
 him across ravines and broken ground, until we came to an 
 ancient stone building in a ruinous state, and thatched with straw. 
 Nanna now advised that half the men should dismount, and that 
 twenty of them should endeavour to obtain an entrance, by a way 
 he would point out, into the courtyard of the i)lace. The officers 
 declared if he played any tricks with them, he should be shot 
 through the head on the spot. Nanna vowed fidelity, and led the 
 way. Not a torch was yet lighted, though care was taken to be 
 ready to do so at the moment the word was given for the purpose. 
 We passed through a cow-shed, the wall of which, being of mud, 
 was broken down in a moment. We were now in the yard, 
 where we heard the bells of bullocks jingling, a sign that the 
 inhabitants of the place were upon the point of decamping. Pro- 
 ceeding straight for^vards, we came up to an elephant, whose 
 keepers were fast asleep. The sagacious animal, aware of strangers 
 being near him, rattled his chains and set up a tremendous yell, 
 which awoke his keepers, and gave the first alarm to the inmates 
 of the place. The torches were now lit up at once, and the con- 
 sternation of the inhabitants at the blaze may be easily anticipated. 
 Some of Trimbuckje's men resisted our advance, and an obstinate 
 battle ensued, which ended in their speedy destruction ; others, 
 throwing open the great doors, attempted to fly, but were cut off 
 and killed by the English horse stationed without. Still no Trim- 
 buckje made his appearance. Nanna then led the way to the 
 interior of the building, where we found the wives of Trimbuckje, 
 and many other females, all of whom begged for mercy, which 
 was extended to them. They swore, however, on being questioned. 
 
258 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 that Trimbuckje had departed from them two days before. We 
 were not to be so easily deceived. Nanna still led on, through 
 passages and dark rooms, until we came to an iron door, which 
 was forced open ; but Trimbuckje could not be found. Nanna 
 himself was now at a loss, but we determined on searching every 
 hole and chamber; and, ascending a small narrow staircase 
 leading to a tower, we were opposed by a single man armed with 
 a spear, who prevented our going higher. Sounds were heard 
 from above, as if some one was attempting to break through the 
 wall, and we had no doubt it was Trimbuckje himself. The 
 EngHsh officer got impatient, for every knock seemed as if it 
 brought the object of our search nearer to freedom. The spear, 
 how^ever, effectually prevented our ascending, and it was so rapidly 
 thrust down and drawn back again, that we could only see the 
 hand that guided it at considerable intervals. At length one of 
 the troopers rushed forwards, and received the point of the 
 weapon in his breast. The man who held it having some difficulty 
 in extracting it speedily from the trooper whom he had trans- 
 fixed, exposed his person to the view of one of the English officers, 
 who discharged his pistol at him, and he fell dead instantly. The 
 trooper having been removed out of the way, we were enabled to 
 push fonvard into a stone-room above, where we could see nothing 
 but straw upon the floor, with several heaps of charcoal and fire- 
 wood. Not doubting but some one lay concealed there, the officers 
 gave orders to set fire to the straw, upon which a groan was heard 
 from under it, and the once formidable Trimbuckje Danglia made 
 his appearance. Finding that resistance was vain, he quietly 
 surrendered himself. Nanna was the nearest person to him when 
 taken, and cried out, " Trimbuckje, I am avenged — if you ever 
 again climb into power, make your dependants your friends, and 
 not your enemies ! " The fallen man spoke not a word in reply, 
 but suffered himself to be led down the staircase. Having joined 
 the troops without, we went back to the village by torch-light, 
 and reported our success to the English Resident, who con- 
 sidered Nanna fully entitled to the reward offered for Trimbuckje's 
 apprehension. 
 
 I hinted to Nanna my fears tliat, now he was so enriched, lie 
 
PANDURANG HARI, 259 
 
 would leave me to journey alone to Guzerat. He appeared tt> 
 feel hurt at my surmise, and said that I mistook his character 
 greatly. Part of his reward he received down ; the remainder ho 
 left in the hands of the Resident, which he begged to be allowed 
 to draw for by a bill of exchange from Guzerat, or elsewhere. 
 He was fixed in accompanying me still, because I had saved his 
 life, and he had promised to serve me in return ; and also out of 
 regard to his own safety, for he could not deem himself secure in 
 the Deccan, especially when it was known that he had betrayed 
 Trimbuckje to the English. This man had many adherents, and 
 his wife would very probably urge them on to revenge. ^Vll that 
 Nanna required me to do, was to carry some of his rupees that 
 he meant should be expended for our mutual benefit I could 
 not help expressing my admiration of his conduct to this noble- 
 spirited fellow, and declaring that I had never set my eyes on a 
 fellow-being before who would act so kindly towards me. Trim- 
 buckje litde knew the value of the dependant he had ungrate- 
 fully requited. " None of your flatter}-, Pandoo," cried Nanna. 
 "Mahrattas use it when they are most bent upon mischief; and, 
 if you continue in this strain, I shall fear you are plotting some- 
 thing against me. Enough of this. Now, as to our companion 
 Fuzl Khan ; you remember his own history of himself, and the 
 depravity he makes no bones of displaying. His inclination 
 seems naturally bent upon grasping what was not his own. Do 
 you think we can safely trust him ?" I answered that I feared he 
 was an incorrigible fellow, and I had never seen him exliibit 
 signs of amendment ; but were we to dismiss him at that place, I 
 was well aware, from his disi)osition, I should bitterly repent the 
 step. I proposed taking him with us to Guzerat, his own 
 country, where, being once more arrived, he would not evince a 
 desire to return to the Deccan ; the company of his Mohammedan 
 friends would so occupy him, that he would (juickly cease to be 
 anxious for ours. 
 
 I could not help asking Nanna what had made him thus 
 suddenly think of Fuzl Khan. He told me that, on returning to 
 the place where we put up the preceding night, he found Fuzl 
 Khan busily ransacking his bag. He might have saved himself 
 
26o PANDURANG HART. 
 
 that trouble, as it appeared there was nothing in it, being as 
 empty as when first made. I could not help admitting that he 
 was an incurable knave, and hoping that he would not be quite 
 as familiar with our bags on the road we were going. " I shall 
 take good care of mine," said Nanna, " for I will not leave it in 
 his power ! I abhor such pitiful practices ; and, if I were to 
 catch him doing so, he should suffer for it. If we were enemies, 
 and he sought to overreach us that he might ruin us the more cer- 
 tainly, one might call him a clever fellow ; but to filch from com- 
 panions and friends is contemptible ! " The conversation ended 
 by our both agreeing to keep a sharp look-out after his conduct 
 
 In the morning we set out, giving Fuzl Khan to understand 
 that Nanna only was purse-bearer, and that we had but little in 
 the bag. " Little ! " ejaculated Fuzl Khan ; " come, that will not 
 do for me. You forget I heard the reward cried for the dis • 
 covery of Trimbuckje ; and you have not received it ? Not that 
 I can claim any part of it ; but to tell me you have got but little, 
 that won't do, my friend." " Why, Fuzl," said Nanna, " do you 
 suppose I .would carry five thousand rupees through the Kandeish 
 jungles?" "No," he replied, ''I am not such a fool as that 
 either ; but I may fairly conjure you have a thousand at least, 
 between you both." " Curse the fellow," said Nanna, " he is a 
 conjuror in reality; well, I call one thousand rupees little 
 enough." "Do you, indeed?" said Fuzl Khan; "I do not. 
 That's all — a thousand rupees ! " '' Listen, my friend," said 
 Nanna ; " whether we have one or five thousand, you will make 
 yourself content. We shall give you your rice, and pay your 
 travelling expenses, and no more. By Ishwar, if I discover you 
 peering into my bags again, I will run you through the body ! " 
 " I peer into your bags ! " said Fuzl Khan, as if surprised — " I 
 attempt to rob any one ! By Allah and the twelve Imaums, it is 
 false ! It is true I looked into your bag ; but it was only in 
 search of a mouse, which I saw take shelter among your things. 
 My rice having been devoured by these vermin, I determined on 
 catching the first I saw. Me a thief, indeed ! Recollect, I am 
 one of the faithful — Allah hound I " ' We could not help laugh- 
 
 ' God forbid. 
 
PANDURANG HART. 261 
 
 ing at the rogue's ridiculous subterfuge about the mouse. Nanna 
 obser\'ed, " What you have told us, Fuzl, may be very true, but 
 recollect, the next time a mouse runs into my bag, he is safe 
 under my protection ; and you will, therefore, await my presence 
 before you molest him." " By all means," answered Fuzl Khan, 
 " as it is your wish. I have no desire to be rat-catcher to the 
 party." "Your actions belie your speech, however," observed 
 Nanna ; " but remember that in travelling with us as our friend, 
 let neither mouse nor rat tempt you to become our enemy, or 
 you shall repent it ! " Fuzl Khan made no reply, and we pro- 
 ceeded on our journey. 
 
 The only circumstance which gave me any regret on quitting 
 the Deccan, was the not having time to gain any information 
 respecting the goatherd of the glen, to whom I determined to 
 wTite, under cover, to Shewdhut Wanee, informing him I had 
 gone to Guzerat ; but that, previous to my departure, I had 
 learned nothing of importance to communicate to him. The 
 first place of any note we arrived at on our journey was Nasik, 
 from whence I despatched my letter to Indore. I trusted it 
 to a soucar of Nasik, who promised to forAvard it by his own 
 messenger. In passing through the jungles, Nanna was obliged 
 to hire a palanquin and bearers, the fatigue being otherwise too 
 great for him. We heard at Nasik that Badjerao had fallen in 
 with a part of the English troops at Ashtee, and not being able 
 to escape fighting this time, a desperate battle took place, in 
 which his general, Gokla, was killed. Badjerao, taking advan- 
 tage of the confusion, as usual, decamped, closely followed by his 
 enemies. His name was detested by the Brahmins of Nasik, as 
 being both weak, wicked, and cowardly. Ever\' one was glad he 
 was defeated ; but all were sorry the English were the conquerers. 
 The capture of Trimbuckjc Danglia was also known, and had 
 given universal satisfaction. 
 
 Everything being arranged for continuing our march, and hav- 
 ing hired tattoos and bearers (the latter not much relishing the 
 passage through the jungles), we set out. The bearers grumbled, 
 and seemed to feel real alarm lest the fever should attack and 
 carry them off on their route ; no one, according to them, had 
 
 R 
 
262 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 ever escaped it, and it was going into certain destruction. They 
 asserted, also, that the jungles were haunted by Bheels and tigers, 
 and that if we valued our lives we had better not venture into 
 them. We were deaf to all their remonstrances. On our jour- 
 ney, and during the very first evening, Fuzl Khan began to be 
 alarmed, mistaking the trees for Bheels, and every solitary bush 
 for a tiger. The first day neither Bheel, fever, nor tiger arrested 
 our progress ; the second was also free from interruption, and in 
 one day more we should have cleared this dangerous tract of 
 country. We were congratulating ourselves in the evening at 
 our good fortune in having got through them, or very nearly 
 so, when we were surrounded by Bheels armed with bows and 
 arrows, who began at once to rifle us of everything we possessed, 
 making us all prisoners together, lest we should inform against 
 them to the authorities at Guzerat. Nanna parted with his 
 money very reluctantly. Fuzl Khan, who had nothing to lose, 
 met his fate with the most cheerfulness. The palanquin-bearers 
 were escorted back to Nasik by the Bheels, while we were 
 conducted to the haunts of these remorseless robbers. Why 
 they detained us so long, and took us with them, I cannot tell, 
 unless they imagined Nanna to be a person of rank, for whom 
 they might obtain a ransom. Our arms were tied behind us, and 
 we were led through the thickest part of the jungle, across 
 ravines, and down precipices, through bog and water, until we 
 came to a cave of extraordinary size. There one of the Bheels 
 gave a loud whistle, and lights were seen emerging as if from the 
 centre of the earth. A trap-door had been raised, and two tall 
 black men appeared, to whom we were given in charge, and by 
 whom we were thrust through the door with brutal violence, and 
 led down stone steps to a second door, which opened into a 
 long, damp passage. " Surely," I exclaimed to Nanna, " they 
 mean to bury us alive in this dismal hole ! " Neither Nanna 
 nor Fuzl Khan uttered a syllable in reply, terror had so over- 
 powered all their faculties. We proceeded until we came to 
 a second passage branching off from the main one to the right 
 hand. Into this last we went about twenty yards, when a 
 strong door being opened on one side of it, they forced us 
 
PA\D URANG JL \ AV. 263 
 
 mto a dark and damp cell, and, shutting the door, left us to our 
 
 reflections. 
 
 We had been in the cell about an hour, when a man opened 
 the door, and thrust in to us some dried grain and i)lantains, 
 which we eagerly devoured. Water was also given us, of which 
 neither Nanna nor myself could partake, not knowing who might 
 have drunk out of the pot containing it. We passed a most 
 miserable night, anxiously hoping that the coming day would 
 restore us the blessing of liberty ; for more we could not expect. 
 The prison door was opened early in the morning, and v.c were 
 told to arise and follow our gaoler. We readily complied, and 
 ■were conducted through the narrow passages, and up the stairs 
 leading to the trap-door. At length we found ourselves in the 
 cavern, in which twenty Bheels were assembled; before the chief 
 )f whom we were led. He called to us, and bade us approach, 
 and we obeyed. "Well, how like you your prison? What think 
 you of our caverns above and below ? What, silent ! They are 
 to be your apartments until death release you, without you 
 lurnish us with another thousand nipees ; you may then proceed, 
 promising not to reveal our retreat." We assured the chief we 
 had no more money, as he must know that we were only poor 
 travellers. "Very poor indeed!" said the chief; "only a 
 palanquin and a thousand rupees ! Not much like poverty 
 either ! " Xanna then confessed that he had rendered the 
 English a service, and that this money was his reward. "What 
 was the service?" inquired the Bheel. Nanna, not knowing 
 whether Trimbuckje was not a friend to the band, was at a loss 
 what answer to make, until, risking everything, he let out the 
 real secret. " So, then, your reward was five times greater than 
 we discovered about your person ? Down with the other four 
 thousand, or you return to the dungeon !" Nanna said he had 
 -not got it with him. " Vou did not throw it away?" said the 
 other; "you know where it is to be had?" "No," Nanna 
 rejoined; "it is in the hand of the English Resident, to be 
 <irawn by bill." " Well, then, you must give me a bill for it, 
 made in my favour, my good friend, before you stir a step from 
 hence." This was a sad blow to us all ; but our lives were 
 
264 FANDURANG HARL 
 
 dearer than the treasure, and they would have been sacrificed 
 had we refused. " This is but just," said the chief; " for Trim- 
 buckje would have been under our protection, which we agreed 
 to afford him for five thousand rupees; and as you prevented 
 our getting it from him, we must get it from you. Ho ! bring 
 paper, pens, and ink. You, prisoner, frame your draft in favour 
 of Gondia Bendage Punumchund, at sight, and I will myself be 
 the bearer." Nanna drew the draft, and demanded to be re- 
 leased. "Not so fast," said the other; "you must await my 
 return. All you have been telling me may be false ; and then how 
 foolish shall I be not to find you here on my return ! No, you 
 must remain; but it shall not be in your dungeon below, but 
 in this apartment ; and be careful how you attempt to escape." 
 
 I now supplicated the chief that I might be allowed to 
 prosecute my journey, having nothing to do with the money- 
 transaction. After some consultation, my request was granted^ 
 on promising not to betray the Bheels to any Europeans in 
 Guzerat. The chief now led us to comfortable chambers, not, 
 however, remarkable for over-cleanliness. Some papers lay 
 about on the ground, and he sat down to finish a letter. When 
 he had done, he gave a loud whistle ; an attendant answered 
 the call, and he inquired if Sumboo was returned. A reply in 
 the negative made him seem angry, and he petulantly thrust his 
 papers into a box in the corner of the room, the lid of which he 
 closed with great violence, crying, " When the tardy scoundrel 
 comes back, tell him his delay may be attended with serious con- 
 sequences. Yet stay ! I will await his return." He then paused, 
 and, reflecting a Httle time, said, turning to Nanna, "When does 
 the English Resident leave Kandeish ? " "I believe immediately," 
 replied Nanna. He then desired that two Bheels might get 
 ready to accompany him, and that if Sumboo arrived while he 
 was absent, he should not stir from the cavern until he, the 
 chief, came back. He next gave orders for our being strictly 
 guarded. I reminded him of his promise to myself that I should 
 depart. He replied, " True : you may go ; and the next time 
 you pass this way, bring no money with you." I bowed in 
 silence, and he quitted the cavern. 
 
PANDURANG IIARL 265 
 
 When we were left to oursclvos, Nanna reproached nie for 
 being so anxious to depart, leaving him behind. " My dear 
 friend," I said to him ; " who knows what may happen if I go 
 away ? It is possible I may be of material benefit to you, though 
 it is hardly probable that such will be the case. I deemed it 
 prudent to secure the chiefs consent to my departure for this 
 reason ; but, if you don't agree in my views, I will most readily 
 remain with you, and await the result." Nanna, convinced I had 
 no intention of deserting him, or acting unkindly towards him, 
 began to consider how our temporary disunion might be con- 
 ducive of mutual benefit. All that we could arrange was, that I 
 should prepare some place for him at Baroda. As this was not 
 of sufficient moment for causing a separation, the arrangement 
 was cancelled, unless some accident should eventually render 
 it necessary to put it in practice. This evening we enjoyed 
 the privilege of cooking our own rice, and drawing water 
 in our own pots, from the cavern well. The room we occu- 
 pied being quite dry and comfortable, compared with that 
 in which we had passed the preceding night, wc enjoyed a 
 sound sleep. 
 
 Early on the following morning, I awoke, my fellow-prisoners 
 being still asleep ; and, not knowing what to do for amusement 
 until they joined me, I employed myself in examining the room 
 in which I was, and ever>'thing around it. There was nothing 
 worth notice, except the box in which I had seen the Bheel 
 fling his papers. It was of very curious workmanship, apparently 
 formed out of the root of some species of tree, of a very hard 
 wood. I tried the lid, which, to my great surprise, I found un- 
 fastened. The inside was lined with iron. The papers ver\- 
 naturally attracted my chief attention. These I set about 
 examining ; but they were very difficult to decipher, being ill- 
 written in a most barbarous kind of Mahratta. They contained 
 nothing of any interest to me in my jjresent circumstances ; and 
 I was about to close the box again, when the newly-penned 
 letter of the Bheel chief caught my eye. It seemed written with 
 great care, and I contrived to decipher it without much difficulty. 
 Its contents were as follow : — 
 
266 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 " To his highness, the all-powerful Guicowar, lord and sove- 
 reign of Guzerat, Mulharia Bheel sends his faithful brother, 
 Sumboo, to the throne of excellence, claiming from thence the 
 promised reward for services performed by the Bheels, whose 
 words are sacred. For this purpose, Mulharia Naique begs his 
 highness to consider his promises and the Bheel's services, and 
 give to his trusty servant and relative the sum of six thousand 
 rupees, as agreed upon by his highness. On failure, Mulharia 
 Naique promises his highness not a village in his dominions shall 
 enjoy quiet for a single week together. The enraged Bheels are 
 already dissatisfied at the money not having been paid them 
 through the two messengers which have been already sent to 
 demand the same. No bills will be taken ; the ready money is 
 demanded, and if not sent, will be collected by force from the 
 villages in Guzerat. 
 
 (Signed) " Mulharia Bheel Naique." 
 
 Upon the perusal of this insolent letter, a thought struck me 
 which might be productive of great advantage to us. As I was 
 to have my liberty, could I not take it with me, and, on my 
 arrival at Baroda, personate Sumboo, and gain the rupees myself? 
 I communicated this scheme to Nanna, as soon as he awoke and 
 Fuzl Khan could be got out of hearing. Nanna was as cunning 
 as myself, and suggested the same plan, before I opened mine, as 
 soon as he read the letter. Our only fear was lest the chieftain 
 on his return should discover the loss of the letter before Nanna 
 could get clear off. It struck me it would be better to copy the 
 letter ; but, on reflection, this did not appear safe, as it was evi- 
 dent this was not the first application of the kind, and the 
 difference in the handwriting would be very readily seen. Nanna 
 agreeing with me in this, we arranged that he should not lose a 
 moment in quitting the cave, as soon as the chieftain would grant 
 him liberty. It was very natural to suppose that the Bheel would 
 call for his rice after his journey ; so that Nanna would be out of 
 his reach long before the loss of the letter could be discovered. 
 I folded it up, and directed it, imitating the writing in the inside 
 as well as I could. Not finding any gum to close it with in the 
 
PANDURANG IIARI. 267 
 
 loom, I determined to do that at Siirat, wliicli was the lirst pl.u c 
 I should arrive at in journeying. 1 made a hearty mtal, and 
 then reminded the Bhcels of the permission given me by their 
 chief to depart. They demurred, and made a good deal of 
 difficulty about it; but at length I succeeded. Before my 
 departure, I had another conference with Nanna regarding the 
 place of our meeting. This was to be at a durhin sallah known 
 to Fuzl Khan, who directed me how to find it ; and calculating 
 the time which the Bhcel chief might take in going and returning, 
 and the time necessary to be consumed in travelling to Baroda, 
 we hoped to meet on the sixth day from our separation. I 
 cautioned Nanna against inquiring for me in Baroda, in case I 
 might not succeed ; for his enquiries would only show the people 
 he was connected with me, and might involve him in dirtlculty. 
 I gave the same caution to Fuzl Khan, who was instructed to 
 search for me, but on no account to describe my person, or ask 
 any one about me. The next thing was how to dispose of the 
 money, in case we should obtain it ; and it was agreed I should 
 deposit it with a banker at Baroda, giving him one per cent, for 
 taking care of it. 
 
 I now set out and reached the opening of the cavern, 
 when it struck me that the person of Sumboo might be 
 known at Baroda. I wished to consult Nanna upon this 
 point, but the Bheels would not let me go back. " Well, 
 Pandoo," thought I to myself, "you must rely upon your 
 own wits should any suspicion alight upon you." I was now 
 in a hideous jungle, alone, and opposed to the two powerful 
 enemies of man — tigers and fever, and with only a little raw 
 rice and grain in my bag. How could I reasonably expect 
 a fortunate issue to my business? or rather, how could I, at 
 present, make certain of my life? In respect to Nanna and 
 Fuzl Khan, I gave up every hope of again effecting a junction 
 with them, or even beholding them any more ! and how 
 slight was my cliance of ever seeing Sagoonah again ! Thus, 
 uneasy in mind and body, I continued to follow the track 
 towards the main road, from which tlie path to the cavern 
 of the Bheels deviated. With some difficulty I found the 
 
268 PANDURANG HARi. 
 
 right track, and, to my i,nd^,scribable joy, cleared the jungles 
 before night came oi^ A vast plain lay before me, and 
 before complete darkness set in, it was quite impossible to 
 guess the way before me. It appeared my wisest plan to 
 remain in the place I then was until morning; yet the heavy 
 dews alarmed me, especially as I was hourly expecting an 
 attack of fever, which, if it did not carry me off, might retard 
 the objects I had in view, or delay me so long, that I should 
 not dare to show myself in the character of a Bheel demanding 
 money. It was likely Sumboo would have anticipated me, in 
 which case detection would be certain. I went on, therefore, 
 right or wrong, leaving it to day to discover which. A light 
 soon appeared ; it was a most welcome sight. I proceeded at 
 a double rate towards it. I made no doubt it was a hut, where 
 I might find shelter ; but was sadly disappointed to discover I 
 was on the banks of a river, and that the light proceeded from 
 the dying embers of a funeral pile, — some corpse having been just 
 burned, according to custom. 
 
 I approached nearer the spot, and something close to the 
 fire attracted my attention ; it appeared dark, and almost 
 shapeless. Presently I saw it move. "What can it be, that, 
 at such an hour, hovers round the ashes of the dead ? " I eagerly 
 called out. A hoarse and hollow voice cried, " Who speaks ? " 
 It was a female, and I went up to her, saying, " Why, good 
 woman, what can bring you here, at this hour, to watch the 
 dead ? " She replied, " To watch the dead ! " concluding with a 
 sort of laugh; "watch the wood you mean ! " "What, wretched 
 creature ! art thou stealing from the dead ? " I exclaimed ; for I 
 perceived by this time that she was a low-caste Dheeria, who 
 make a practice of picking up the half-burned pieces of wood 
 from funeral piles, and carrying them home to their own fire- 
 places for domestic uses, even cooking their victuals with them. 
 " Rob ! no ; I rob not the dead ! The corpse has done with 
 the wood now. Here is all that remains," said she, holding up 
 the skull; "wood won't burn that!" Here the old creature 
 went on raking the wood together, which she ti^d up in a coarse 
 cloth. " It is a rare time for us now ; the cholera morbus has 
 
rAXnUKAXG HART. 269 
 
 sent me wood from twenty funeral piles ! I have collected a 
 stock that will last me a good time." Disgusted with the hag's 
 remarks, I begged her to tell me where I was, and how far from 
 any village. " Follow me ! " she exclaimed, kindling a torch at 
 the almost expired flame ; " follow me, and I will show thee." I 
 obeyed her, and soon saw the lights of a large village, where, on 
 my arrival, she directed me to a durhm sallah, into which I 
 entered with a pleasure I cannot describe. I ate my dried 
 grain, and some rice which I cooked, and, laying myself down 
 soon fell into a profound slumber. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 AROSE early on the following morning, and attended 
 to make piija to a deity hard by, where I found a. 
 number of persons assembled for the same purpose. 
 Being a stranger, the eyes of all the inhabitants of the village- 
 present were directed towards me, and more than one of them 
 was exceedingly anxious that I should give some account of 
 myself 1 refrained, however, from satisfying their curiosity, 
 and they suffered me to return to the dulirm sallah unmolested. 
 I there inquired the way to Surat, and was little pleased to find 
 that I could not travel thither in less than two days. Not 
 intimidated by the intelligence, and firm to my object, I set 
 out with a good resolution, and had not gone far when I over- 
 took several bullocks with their drivers, employed in the con- 
 veyance of grain, and found, like myself, they were bound to 
 Surat. These drivers very readily gave me permission to 
 accompany them ; and, as we proceeded, we grew more friendly, 
 until one of them offered me a seat upon his beast, and thus 
 saved me many a weary footstep. I reached Surat about the 
 time I expected ; and, contrary to my former custom among 
 bullock drivers, met with no adventure on the road. 
 
 Surat was crowded with ships and vessels of all kinds. I 
 found it a great place of traffic, and frequented by most of the 
 merchants of the East, as well as the West ; rich, populous, and 
 busy. I took the first opportunity of examining the city, as I 
 had never before been within the walls. It bore the remains of 
 its former grandeur, though the principal streets, or what had 
 once been so, in the Moghul Serai, were narrow and exceedingly 
 dirty. This was the first time I had ever been in a city, the 
 inhabitants of which were principally Musselmen. The filth of 
 
 270 
 
PAXDURAXG HARL 271 
 
 these people around their habitations struck me very forcibly, 
 and made me thankful I was among the followers of liralima. 
 
 After rambling in the Aloghul Serai, I entered the common 
 bazaar, which is on the outside of the old city wall. The miser>% 
 dirt, and stench I encountered there was the most disgusting sight 
 my eyes ever beheld. Kabob frj'ing (which recalled Fuzl Khan's 
 mother to my recollection) was carr>'ing on in ever}- comer. 
 The numbers of old women roasting and frying, polluting the 
 very atmosphere with their abominations, would almost exceed 
 belief The meat at the butchers-stalls, the bread at the baker's, 
 the ver\- sweetmeats, were covered with impurities. The men 
 were one-half of them drunk, though, as ;Mohammedans, they 
 were forbidden strong liquors — so much for their imperfect 
 obedience to an imperfect religion ! How far more exalted and 
 sincere are the followers of Brahma ! The women were bold, 
 carried themselves coarsely, and seemed to be all slatterns. 
 Quarrelling was heard from morning till night in ever)' comer of 
 the place, and the followers of the Faithful in Surat appeared to 
 me the vilest class of men I had ever sojourned amongst The 
 English, to whom it belonged, seemed either incapable of en- 
 forcing cleanliness by their authority, or had given the object up 
 as a hopeless task. Leaving the bazaar, I saw not far off a large 
 building, which they informed me was the jail, and that it was 
 only just erected. The adawlut, or court-house was close by, and 
 again recalled Fuzl Khan, and his troubles there, to my recol- 
 lection. The judge was considered, on the whole, to be a lair 
 sample of the profession everywhere, having his prejudices and 
 svTnpathies as well as other men. Woe to those, however, who 
 fell under his dislike, and still more under the hatred of a vaga- 
 bond Parsee in authority beneath him, but a much greater man 
 than his master. By superlative cunning and hypocrisy, this 
 Parsee had the good fortune to persuade men that he was as truly 
 honourable and just as he appeared. He had filled several 
 situations in all branches of the service — in the revenue, justice, 
 customs, police, and commerce. With his long experience in so 
 many departments, and without the inclination, who could be 
 more honest ? The English werc^either aware of this, or in ignor 
 
272 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 ance of the character which reaiiy uelonged to the fellow — the 
 reader must decide which of the two was really the case. During 
 my residence here, this obsequious and artful knave gave a grand 
 nautch, or dance, to which the heads of the different departments 
 were invited. The use of these invitations was, not to pay a . 
 compliment to the English, which they were silly enough to 
 imagine, but designed to add to his own importance by the 
 presence of the strangers, which fully compensated for the 
 expense incurred in their company, as they seldom remained more 
 than half-an-hour. The influence acquired in consequence, was 
 used in facilitating the extortion of money from the inhabitants, 
 or in evading the payment of their just debts. In either case, 
 who would dare grumble, when the judge himself was the inti- 
 mate friend of the party against whom complaint was to be 
 made ? The judge came to his dance, ate his sweatmeats and 
 conseiTes, praised his children, and returned his embrace. 
 Would any one be fool enough to complain against him ? Such 
 was the result of the feeling in the place; and whether the 
 reasoning was false ' or true, the poor people dared not run the 
 risk of making the attempt. Thus, as usual, the great ends of 
 justice were defeated by the means taken to dispense it. 
 
 I remained no longer at Surat than was necessary for re- 
 covering myself after my journey ; I left so thoroughly dis- 
 gusted with all I heard and saw there. I journeyed on until 
 I reached Broach, the birthplace of Fuzl Khan. If I found 
 Surat a filthy residence, how much more disgusting was this place ! 
 It seemed the concentration of all the dirt in the country, the 
 centre of every beastly and disgusting habit. A native-born indi- 
 vidual not only ruled or managed the people, but his superior 
 also. It was painfully ludicrous to hear how the wise and 
 proper regulations of the Government were constantly evaded 
 or set at nought, by the very person employed and paid to see 
 them enforced. The confidence reposed in vagabonds with the 
 high-sounding names of sudr aumeen, foujdar, sheristadar, vakeel, 
 &:c., exhibited a great degree of folly. Whoever has attained one 
 of these titles is very certain to make his fortune quickly ; and I 
 longed for one of the appointu:ierits where ease, and comfort, and 
 
PANDURANG HARf. 273 
 
 competence were insured by a little address in screwing the 
 people. But I must pass over other particulars of my journey, 
 and take up my story from the time I entered Haroda, this being 
 an interval of some days from my leaving the den of the Bhcels. 
 
 The English Government was just at this period vcr)' suspicious 
 of the Guicowar, having reason to fear he would join the con- 
 federated powers of the Deccan. Not thinking news of this 
 nature could be of any moment to me, I neglected to make par- 
 ticular inquiries respecting any change of affiiirs that might have 
 happened in the court, and made my way directly to the palace. 
 At Broach I had taken care to provide myself with the bow, arrows, 
 and garb of a Bheel, and took the character as well as I could, 
 covering myself with a cloak, that I might not be known for one 
 in the streets of Baroda. On entering the palace, I solicited an 
 audience of the Guicowar, which was refused until I stated my 
 errand, and the object of my visit. This I whispered in the ear 
 of an attendant, and the name of " Mulharia Bheel" acted like 
 magic. I had an audience immediately ; but when in the pre- 
 sence of the Guicowar, my courage very nearly failed me. All 
 the horrors I felt when personating the magician before the 
 Peeshwa at Poona now came upon me again. It was impossible, 
 I knew, to recede ; and therefore I mustered courage to present 
 the letter of the Bheel chief, saying that Sumboo having expired 
 suddenly, and Mulharia being pressed for time, I had been 
 deputed to convey the letter. The Guicowar upon this called in 
 his secretary, who with difficulty made out the contents of the 
 epistle. After it had been read, both of them eyed me in a very 
 pointed way, and retired into an inner apartment. I would have 
 given double the sum I came to demand, had I possessed it, to 
 have got clear out of the palace. In about an hour's time the 
 Guicowar returned, and desired me to await his reply a little 
 longer. Hearing an unusual bustle in the court below, I ven- 
 tured to peep through the window, and, to my consternation, 
 beheld the British Resident there, whose arrival caused the guard 
 to be turned out, and I witnessed the pomp with which he was 
 received upon his entrance to the palace. Something now struck 
 me that this visit was connected with my demand for the money; 
 
274 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 and on the Resident entering the room in which I was, and 
 looking me very hard in the face, I was confirmed in the truth of 
 my conjecture. "Well," thought I, " my doom is fixed !" The 
 Guicowar having called me to him, the carpet was turned back 
 that I might not pollute it, and I approached him. " Listen," 
 said he ; " your master has taken a most unlucky time to make 
 his demand upon me." Thinking his highness was going to plead 
 his inability to pay, or frame some excuse to evade doing so, I 
 plucked up courage, and said, " And most unlucky it will be for 
 you and your villages if the demand be not complied with. You 
 have read the letter, and must be aware of the consequences of 
 non-compliance." " Insolent scoundrel ! " cried the Guicowar ; 
 " I will not only not comply with the audacious demand, but will 
 make the bearer of it shorter by a head. Guards, seize that con- 
 tumacious rebel ! — confine him in the lowest dungeons of the 
 palace, and await my further orders respecting him ! " I was 
 instantly disarmed, and dragged down to the dungeons. A pretty 
 business have I made of it, I reasoned to myself. All is now 
 over 1 They brought me such provisions as a Bheel v/ould not 
 have refused, but which it would have polluted me to touch. 
 Such was the consequence of my assuming a false character. The 
 bearer of them appeared inclined to be communicative, though in 
 a sarcastic way. He cried, " Thou great deputy of Sumboo, and 
 ambassador of Mulharia, eat thy fill to-day, to-morrow thou wilt 
 die. What an idiot you were to come and thrust your 
 neck under the axe in the way you have done ! Did you 
 not know that the Guicowar and the English are now 
 become sworn friends, and have entered into fresh treaties, 
 in which they jointly engage to put down you rebel Bheels? 
 The Guicowar now does not heed your threats — you can no more 
 intimidate him. O you ass ! if your master had not known this, 
 his ambassador should have had wit enough to have discovered 
 it in Baroda, before he rushed into the very jaws of his enemy." 
 I now saw how needful it was to have inquired into the state of 
 political affairs before I rashly made my demand. " My friend," 
 said I, " is it certain I am to die to-morrow ? " " Ay," he replied, 
 " and ten thousand more. of your gang, if we could lay our hands 
 
PANDURANG JIARL 275 
 
 upon them. I always thought the Bheels were cunning fellows, 
 but you are no specimen of their superior sagacity ; Ram, Ram, 
 thou Bheel ass ! " On so concluding, he left me, as may be very 
 easily guessed, in no enviable state of mind. There seemed no 
 hope for me, either of mercy or escape. The next day came ; my 
 j^aoler appeared again, but did not open his lips to me. Another 
 and another passed away, in solitude and suspense. At length I 
 was summoned to appear in presence of the Guicowar and his 
 ministers. The English Resident was present ; and I made up 
 my mind, should they sentence me to die, that I would fall at his 
 highness's feet, and relate the whole affair as it really stood. To 
 my indescribable joy, however, the Guicowar began by saying he 
 would spare my life upon one condition, namely, that I should 
 accompany the soldiers to the haunt of the Bheels as a guide, by 
 which means they might be surprised and taken. **I know," 
 said he, " that some of you thieves will often prefer dying to dis- 
 covering the haunts of your associates ; but do you be wise, and 
 you ^vill preserve your life ; be foolish, and you perish." The 
 English Resident repeating the promise that my life should be 
 spared, I fell do\\Ti and related all that had befallen me : how I 
 had been robbed by the Blieels ; in what manner I had gained my 
 money (taking on me the name of Nanna), and the scheme I had 
 planned to get reimbursed. I concluded my relation by stating 
 that I would with all my heart conduct the troops, as far as I 
 could recollect the road, to the haunt of the robbers. All who 
 were present were astonished and amused at my tale, and at the 
 attempt to deceive both the Bheel and Guicowar. The Resident, 
 hearing I was the man who caused Trimbuckje to be ajiprehcnded, 
 instantly became my friend. 
 
 I was now sent back to my dungeon, and ordered to hold 
 myself in readiness to march with the troops in two days' time. 
 I rejoiced in this delay, as I thought it would give my com- 
 panions time to be off from the cavern before the soldiers sur- 
 rounded the entrance, othenvisc I feared they would be put to 
 the sword with the rest. I enjoyed a sound sleep on the 
 ensuing night, though the harassing and pain of mind I had 
 undergone did not lend me to expect it. My gaoler came to 
 
276 FANDURANG HART. 
 
 me on my return to my prison, and said, '' So you are no Bheel, 
 after all ? Well, I thought as much ; a Bheel would have been 
 a little more circumspect in presenting such a letter to the 
 Guicowar. You are a shrewd fellow, though, for all that 
 blunder ; by Ishwar, you were very nigh pocketing the cash. A 
 week earlier, and the Guicowar durst not have refused your 
 demand. Come, as you are a Hindoo, you shall, if you like,, 
 cook your own food. Never counterfeit a Bheel again ; it is a 
 most hazardous character — scarcely safe in the jungles, much 
 less within the walls of a palace." I thanked him for his advice, 
 and promised to regard it as long as I lived,, in which it may be 
 taken for granted I was sincere, as I bitterly repented my late 
 exploit. When the fellow left me, I began to fear that my chance 
 of meeting Nanna again was very little, unless he should hear a 
 rumour of the events which had occurred at the palace. In that 
 case, I conjectured he would wait in Baroda my return with the 
 soldiers ; for I most anxiously looked forward to the day when I 
 should again see my friend, and tell him from what cause our 
 plot miscarried. 
 
 Two days had elapsed, and on the third I was ordered by my 
 masters to get ready for setting out. I replied that I had na 
 preparations to make, and that I was ready on the instant. I 
 added that I only waited their pleasure, and that they would have 
 no difficulty in finding me at my post, for being found at which I 
 must confess my obligation to them. At length I was led out, 
 placed on a horse, and ordered to proceed, and lead the way at 
 the head of a strong detachment of horse and foot soldiers, com- 
 manded by European officers. These very civilly informed me 
 on starting, that they had orders to shoot me through the head, 
 if I failed in my promise to conduct them to the right place. I 
 told them I was certain I could take them within a coss of the 
 spot ; but I could not answer for my memory explaining to me 
 every turning and winding of the jungle, as if I had been an old 
 inhabitant of the place, and that I trusted they would not expect 
 me to do things that might be impossible. I swore I would do 
 what I could to lead them direct to the spot, and assist them all 
 in my power. They bade me lead on, and I set forward. We 
 
PAXDURANG JIARI. 277 
 
 were followed through the city by crowds of inquisitive persons 
 eager to get a sight of the sham Bheel, as they denominated me. 
 I felt so much shame that I covered my head with a cloak, so 
 that my eyes only could be seen, and thus proceeded beyond 
 the city walls. Every house and window was filled with females 
 anxious to get a sight of me. It was nearly at the limits of the 
 city, and as we were emerging from a narrow lane, in which a 
 dwelling stood solitary and detached, when, going towards the 
 gate, I cast my eyes to the upper windows crowded with females, 
 all laughing at the cavalcade, and (what language can describe 
 my astonishment !) I beheld my dear Sagoonah, who was one of 
 the anxious and inquisitive spectators awaiting the arrival of the 
 sham Bheel. I could scarcely keep my seat on horseback at the 
 discovery. To see her, under such circumstances, for the first 
 time after our separation, and to be unable to approach her and 
 fold her to my bosom I — that she should see me thus a prisoner, 
 dependent only on the will of others, and doing only what thev 
 commanded me to do, cut me to the heart. My consolation was. 
 that she could not possibly recognise me, and my hope that, in a 
 day or two, I might return again to Baroda and behold her free. 
 I was happy indeed when I reflected that I was forced to conceal 
 my person, and that she could not witness the degradation to be 
 mine. I grew so dejected in a little time, that my escort began 
 to think me an impostor. Why did I not push on with spirit ? 
 they repeated to each other ; I must therefore dread the termina- 
 tion of the journey. '' Well may he be afraid," said one soldier, 
 ••'for the idea of a brace of bullets through his head oinnot be a 
 very cheering one." "Oh, he will not be hurt," said another, 
 ^'if he lead us to the place and perform his promise." "True," 
 replied the first speaker, " but I will wager a rupee he is leading 
 
 us " " What ? " said a third. " Why, where he does not 
 
 know himself.'' " We shall see," cried another voice, " if we arc 
 to be made fools of, and led through those unhealthy jungles for 
 nothing ; if we are, I hope I shall be employed to blow out his 
 brains." These observations, or similar ones, were constantly 
 making, and I was forced both to hear and to bear them in 
 silence. I was in no very enviable situation, for I might easily 
 
 s 
 
278 PANDURANG HlRi. 
 
 go wrong through the difficult, narrow, and overgrown paths 
 which we had to pass along. This, as if to inflict still more tor- 
 ture upon me, was happening, just as I got a glimmering of hope 
 and happiness once more, by the discovery of Sagoonah. My 
 thoughts added to my pain; — the shadow thus cast over my 
 dream of bliss, the miscarriage of my plan, no friend near me, and 
 scarcely able to congratulate myself on my escape from the 
 jungles and fevers, before I was again compelled to breathe their 
 pestiferous atmosphere, with a brace of pistols close to my head, 
 ready to be discharged whenever the caprice of the holders 
 should be inclined so to do, I had just escaped from the 
 hazards of the wild beasts, to fall into the hands of men far more 
 savage ! Could I forbear from appearing dispirited ? 
 
 We continued our march, until, in due course, we reached the 
 jungles, in which, after we had proceeded for two days, we 
 arrived at the place where Nanna, Fuzl Khan, and myself had 
 been captured by the Bheels. To the right of the spot lay the 
 narrow path by which we were led, and I headed the soldiers in 
 that direction. The underwood thickened, and the path became 
 every step more difficult. I could not see an inch before me. 
 The vegetation rose far higher than our heads, and was very 
 dense, and in some places united above us. I was still tolerably 
 confident we were in the right way ; yet I was not without my 
 fears upon the subject, for we passed several turnings to the right 
 and left. At length we came to a gentle ascent, which I remem- 
 bered I had gone over, not far from the cave. My spirits rose, 
 though I feared what might be the fate of my old companions 
 during the attack, should they by any chance expose themselves ; 
 but I thought my own safety was now secured. I bade the sol- 
 diers be on the alert; and I had scarcely so cautioned them^ 
 before we were involved in the gloomy shadow of the rock in 
 which the cave was situated. It towered high in the air above 
 lis, rough and craggy ; at the base was an arch which spanned the 
 entrance to the stronghold of the Bheels. A party of the soldiers 
 dismounted, and drew up in a crescent around the entrance, 
 while another forced its way in. The alarm was speedily spread 
 to the inmost recesses of the hold. The Bheels resisted valiantly, 
 
PANDURANG IIARI. 279 
 
 and the work of death began. Mulharia, with his powerful arm, 
 made wonderful efforts to cut his way through the party that first 
 entered, and succeeded ; but he was shot outside the cave. The 
 whole band were speedily overpowered and slain, except two, who 
 were badly wounded, one of whom informed me that there wer{ 
 two prisoners in the vaults below. I tliere found Nanna and 
 Fuzl Khan. It appeared that the British Resident, suspecting 
 the bearer of Mulharia's forced draft, refused to pay the money ; 
 and the latter, enraged, had subjected them to a severe imprison- 
 ment, and threatened their lives. Nanna inquired how he saw 
 me there with soldiers ; but I told him it was no moment for ex- 
 planation then, and bade him follow me to the daylight I led 
 my two friends forth to the officers commanding the detach- 
 ment, introducing them as my companions in misfortune, and 
 begging they might be allowed to accompany us back to 
 Baroda. ]\Iy request was immediately acceded to ; and all being 
 anxious to quit the jungles, we set out for Guzerat on our 
 return. The officers commanding told me I was at liberty to 
 go wherever I pleased, they having no orders to take me 
 back with them, in the event of my i)erforming my promise. I 
 begged, however, to be allowed to proceed with them, to which 
 they agreed. 
 
 Nanna, Fuzl Khan, and myself brought up the rear of the 
 party; and the soldiers being a little in advance, Fuzl Khan 
 said, " Nanna, after you went, told me of your scheme. How 
 have you succeeded? Have you secured the money of the 
 Guicowar ? " " Let us hear all about it," said Nanna ; '' how 
 came you here with soldiers?" I speedily satisfied their curio- 
 sity, and related the danger I had encountered. " If," said Fuzl 
 Khan, '' you had deigned to consult me on the subject, I could 
 have told you how the affair would terminate. These Guzerat 
 rajahs never come down with cash; nothing but mortars and 
 nine-pounders can extract it from them. Mulharia, of course, 
 tried all he could to frighten the Guicowar out of his money; 
 but he knew there was little or no chance of succeeding ; and 
 for you two fellows, who pretend to be so sharp and cunning, to 
 be entrapped by a Bhecl's paltry scrawl, I am surprised at you ! 
 
28o PANDURANG HARI 
 
 Consult me the next time, I pray you. I am not such a fool as 
 to have acted as you did, and can see as far forward as any one. 
 But you are a bold fellow, I must allow, to enter a palace, and 
 act the part of a Bheel there ! I wonder your head was not 
 struck off on the spot ! '' There was much good sense in Fuzl 
 Khan's remark, and both Nanna and myself found, on reflection, 
 that his observations were unanswerable. 
 
 We at length reached Baroda in safety, and put up at a com- 
 fortable durhm sallah. I now informed Nanna that I had seen 
 Sagoonah looking from a window in the part of the town which I 
 have before mentioned. He advised me to lose no time, but to 
 repair thither at once, and make inquiries, offering to accompany 
 me. I accepted his offer, and we proceeded together to recon- 
 noitre the house. I cannot describe the transport I felt when we 
 set out, and I hoped to clasp my beloved girl once more to my 
 heart. What was my disappointment on finding that Sagoonah 
 and her aunt had set out four days before, and taken the road to 
 Surat ! that they lived with a rich old grain-dealer, who provided 
 for them — Sagoonah's aunt acting as his housekeeper. Having 
 nothing more to detain us in Baroda, I determined to follow 
 their steps. Fuzl Khan was charmed at the idea of once more 
 seeing Broach, which lay in our route ; for, in returning from the 
 jungles, the soldiers took a nearer way back to Baroda than by 
 passing through Surat and Broach — so Fuzl Khan had missed 
 seeing his native city. Before we set off, Nanna wished to 
 obtain some money by drawing a bill on the British Resident ; 
 but not one of the sahoukars or bankers would cash it unless he 
 found security for its payment, or until a reply could be got from 
 Kandeish. This he could not do; and thus every chance of 
 getting money at Baroda vanished. It was possible I might 
 overtake Sagoonah at Broach ; and therefore I went to the 
 house where I had seen her, and inquired the name of the 
 grain-dealer with whom she was travelling. They told me he 
 was called Hurrychund Doolabdass, a very infirm old man, 
 whose love of money was so great, he would not leave off trade 
 while he had an eye left, or leg remaining to stand upon. In 
 consequence of his age, he travelled very slowly, and there was 
 
PAXnUKAXG hArL 281 
 
 ever}' reason to think I should overtake him at Broach. If wc 
 were fortunate enough to do this (which Nanna agreed to try by 
 forced marches), there could be no doubt the old merchant 
 would advance the cash upon the draft of Nanna on the Resi- 
 dent, as Sagoonah would, no doubt, answer for our characters. 
 We accordingly set out, without a single rupee in our pockets. 
 Fuzl Khan was the llrst to complain of hunger, and declared he 
 could not walk another coss' without something to eat. Just at 
 this moment we met some bullock-drivers, and begged a little 
 rice or grain of them, which they kindly gave us on explaining 
 our necessities ; and thus we contrived to reach the end of our 
 first day's march, very much fatigued. 
 
 ' About two miles. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 E arrived at Broach without any incident of note occurring 
 to us, and entered safely into that sink of filth and 
 abomination. I made inquiry at the grain-dealer's 
 bazaar for Hurrychund, the merchant; and, to my great joy, 
 heard he was then sojourning at the house of one of the 
 principal grain-dealers. I lost not a moment in going thither; 
 and at last, folded Sagoonah in my arms. Her joy at seeing me 
 was excessive. She thought I had forgotten her, or deserted her 
 for some other girl. "At one time I would doubt your con- 
 stancy," she said ; " and then I thought you might be a prisoner, 
 or, perhaps, no more. Tell me all — tell me where you have been, 
 and why so long separated from us ? " I observed to her that 
 my sufferings had been great, but that I had abated nothing in 
 my affection for her, and had vowed to find her out if I searched 
 the world over for her ; that now I had succeeded, and we would 
 part no more. Her aunt was also overjoyed at seeing me, and 
 immediately cooked a very comfortable repast for me, a luxury I 
 had not enjoyed for many a day before. I begged leave to in- 
 troduce Nanna, and went and fetched him. I found him in the 
 house, endeavouring to negotiate his draft with old Hurrychund, 
 who refused to make him an advance, until assured by Sagoonah 
 that we were not swindlers, and that he might rely upon my word, 
 Nanna gave a bill upon the British Resident at Kandeish, but 
 took only one hundred rupees. Nanna came to dine with us ; 
 and, on introducing him, I pointed him out as being one to 
 whom we were indebted for the removal of one of our foes, 
 Trimbuckje Danglia. "Thank Heaven!" said the lovely girl; 
 "he is no longer to be dreaded; he has, indeed, been an in- 
 veterate enemy ! " 
 
 282 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 We had finished our conversation' and were just going to dine, 
 when a sudden dizziness of head came over me, and my brain 
 seemed to whirl round. Fever succeeded, and I found the 
 pestiferous air of the jungles had begun to act upon my con- 
 stitution. My late march on foot, joined to my anxiety of mind, 
 had, no doubt, contributed to increase its virulence. Instead of 
 enjoying the company of Sagoonah, I was doomed to toss on a 
 bed of fever, and to writhe in delirium. Day after day the fever 
 continued to visit me. Sometimes the cold fit would make my 
 jaws chatter, and seem to freeze my blood ; then a burning heat 
 would parch up my mouth, and bring with it temporar)- madness. 
 How long I continued in this state, I cannot tell ; but I found 
 myself one morning in a violent perspiration, and felt better. 
 The first person I knew was Sagoonah, watching me like a Peri 
 — anxiety in her countenance, and her tenderness standing in her 
 eyes. The sight almost repaid me for my sufferings ; and I was 
 about to speak, when she anticipated me, by desiring me not to 
 make an effort too great for my strength, and, pressing my 
 emaciated hand, bid me be composed. At the foot of my bed 
 was an Englishman, who, I learned, was my doctor, and that his 
 skill had brought me back from the brink of the grave. As soon 
 as I was well able to converse, I inquired for Nanna, and found 
 that he was also slowly recovering from the fever. Of Fuzl Khan 
 nothing was known, though it appeared he had escaped it, as a 
 Mohammedan had, I found, called daily to make inquiries after 
 me. I requested the next time he called I might see hira. The 
 doctor soon pronounced me out of danger, and I thanked him 
 most gratefully for the care he had bestowed upon me. He 
 asked if I could account for the attack — if I knew any cause ? 
 I thereupon gave him the history of my visit to the jungles, and 
 my return, and advised him, should duty or inclination lead him 
 to visit the Deccan, by all means to avoid the jungles of 
 Kandeish. He assured me he should do so most scrupulously, 
 for he had never, or rarely, witnessed a sj^ecies of icxoi more 
 violent than that from which I was recovering. He told me that 
 Xanna's restoration was certain, but slow, he not having had 
 attentions bestowed upon liim similar to those on me by 
 
284 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 Sagoonah ; nor had he taken his medicine regularly, or he would 
 have been further advanced in a state of convalescence than he 
 then was. From this, I learned the additional value of female 
 kindness. Again and again I thanked and blessed the girl to 
 whom I owed so much, and whose unremitting attention had 
 rescued me from the grave. 
 
 I now gained fresh strength daily, and had a great desire to 
 hear from Sagoonah her history while we were separated from 
 each other ; I therefore besought her to give me a minute detail 
 of her sufferings and adventures, promising to relate mine in 
 return 
 
 She thus commenced : — " After your departure, we resided in 
 the village, and nothing interrupted our peace for a considerable 
 time. At last a religious old woman called on my aunt one day, 
 and endeavoured to persuade us to visit the temple to perform 
 our devotions. My aunt consented to go on the following day. 
 The woman said that there was the same night to be a grand 
 ceremony, when every one should attend, and advised us to be 
 there at an hour she named. We agreed to this, and she left 
 us, evidently much pleased at getting our consent. After she was 
 gone, I ventured to hint my suspicion to my aunt that all was not 
 right, and that I distrusted this old hag. I called to her recol- 
 lection the warnings you gave us against admitting religious 
 mendicants into the house, and declared my determination not to 
 go to the temple, either by day or night. My aunt now began 
 to open her eyes, and suspect all was not correct, upon calling to 
 mind several things in the woman's conduct which had not struck 
 her at the time, particularly a suspicious anxiety on the subject. 
 In consequence, we did not attend the ceremony, but stayed at 
 home. On the following day, the old woman called again ; but 
 we had previously given orders that she should not be admitted, 
 and she went away highly incensed. A gossein next tried to gain 
 admittance, but without success, as we were of course on our 
 guard against the whole tribe. We now never ventured to stir 
 from home, and admitted no strangers. All our precautions, 
 however, were useless ; for violence effected what fraud had been 
 ^mable to perform. Our house was one night surrounded by 
 
PANDURANG hArL 2S5 
 
 armed men, and we were dragged from our beds, and borne off 
 on horseback at a rapid rate. Tlie persons who committed this 
 outrage were in the employ of Trimbuckje, and we had no power 
 to do anything but submit to our lot. In due time we reached 
 Asseerghur, into the citadel of which we were conducted, and 
 locked up for the night in a narrow cell. In the morning we 
 were taken before the killehdar, who was smoking his hookah. 
 He asked me if I was not a fool to refuse the brilliant offers of 
 Trimbuckje Danglia. I told him that as I had refused the still 
 more brilliant offers of the Peeshwa, it was not probable I should 
 accept those of his slave. The killehdar then said, '* Insolent 
 girl ! you shall repent this contumacious conduct. Remember, 
 in a week's time I shall call again upon you for an answer ; and, 
 if you still remain an enemy to your own happiness, we must try 
 other means to force a compliance." We were now dismissed, 
 and again locked up in the cell, and fed upon the coarsest grain. 
 Our guards were sullen, or I should have asked why we were not 
 at once conveyed to Trimbuckje Danglia, and what necessity 
 there was for detaining us longer in Asseerghur. In the course of 
 a week, a compassionate woman, the wife of the jummahdar 
 deputy, visited us, and we learned from her that Trimbuckje was 
 involved at that time in much difficulty, and could not at the 
 moment receive us. In fact, we found that he was actually a 
 prisoner, though he hoped soon to be set free, when he would no 
 doubt turn his thoughts towards me. We lingered in our cell 
 week after week, almost stanx-d, and clothed with miserable 
 blankets. At length we found that Trimbuckje had escaped, and 
 would soon appear in the Deccan again. We now thought that if 
 there was a possibility of escape we should try it now ; for, should 
 Trimbuckje arrive in the fort, we should be irretrievably ruined. 
 The only thing was how we could effect such a thing, confined 
 and watched as we were. We could come to no determination, 
 until the female who had before taken compassion on us came 
 again, and gave us provisions and sundry articles of comfort We 
 lamented our hard fate to her, and she pitied our sufferings. This 
 led us to indulge the hope that through her means we might con- 
 trive some mode of escape. Our intimacy increased daily, and we 
 
:86 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 at length ventured to hint our wish that she would assist us in 
 obtaining our enlargement. She lent a favourable ear to our applica- 
 tions, but declared her inability to be of service. We acknowledged 
 ou*- obligations to her for her repeated kindness; and, as a token of 
 remembrance, I presented her with some of my hair braided with 
 silver wire, which she said she should carefully preserve for my 
 sake." Here I interrupted Sagoo nah, by telling her I had seen 
 the trinket, which was very dear to me, and I wore it next my 
 heart until the Bheels robbed me of it. I now explained how it 
 came into my possession, relating my adventure with the ver}- 
 woman to whom she was under such obligations, and my having 
 preserved her from being plundered ; which she was overjoyed to 
 hear. Sagoonah then resumed her story : — " One day the wife 
 of the jummahdar's deputy communicated to us a plan by 
 which we effected our escape. My heart beat with joy at the 
 idea of getting beyond the walls of the fortress, and I fell at the 
 feet of our deliverer, kissing them with rapture. She raised me 
 up, and bid us be cautious, staling that she had obtained per- 
 mission for us to visit her at her house that day, and in the 
 evening she intended going down the hill to pay her devotions to 
 her god, when she was always attended by two of her retinue, whose 
 clothes she proposed we should wear, and thus pass the gates 
 without suspicion. Her own ser\-ants were to take our charac- 
 ters, and be conducted to the prison in our stead. As soon as 
 the affair was discovered, and the servants were found not to be 
 what they represented, they would be discharged. If the mistress 
 was suspected, her husband would only be fined, and she herself 
 come off with a scolding. This plan was duly carried into effect. 
 We paid our visit to the lady, who took us through the gates in 
 safety. How my heart beat when I found myself outside the fort ! 
 We took a hasty and grateful farewell of our kind friend, 
 thanking her wilh tears of joy. She advised us to fly from that 
 part of the country with all expedition. We followed her advice, 
 and made for the jungles, near which, at a late hour of the night, 
 we came to a glen, where was the habitation of an old goatherd. 
 We knocked at his door for admittance ; but when he found we 
 had escaped from the fort, he was very anxious for our departure, 
 
r.LWL'RAXG JIARl. 287 
 
 fearing he might suffer if it were known he had afforded us shelter. 
 Very early the next morning, before he arose, we again set off, and 
 struck into a road on the left, among ragged pathways and water- 
 falls. Whether we were travelling on the right road we could not 
 tell ; but trusting to fortune, and being sensible that every stej) 
 took us farther from the place of our captivity, we kept on until 
 we came to a river, so shallow as to allow us to ford it. Here 
 my aunt became so much fatigued, she could proceed no further. 
 We therefore sat down under a tree, and ate some dried grain 
 which the goatherd had given us, and drank water from the 
 river. When somewhat refreshed, we renewed our journey until 
 evening gathered in around us. We fortunately met some 
 bullock-drivers, and my aunt asked the men if we were on the 
 right road to Guzerat, and how far we were from Nasik. To 
 our great disappointment, we learned that Nasik was three da)'s' 
 journey from the spot we then stood, and that there was only one 
 village on the way. I called out in despair to my aunt, * .\rr>' 
 Mousee, what shall we do ? ' * By Ishwar,' said one of the 
 drivers, * I have heard that voice before ; * and coming up to me, 
 rudely uncovered my face, saying, * Ah ! my little traveller ; what, 
 is it you again ? Where is your protector now ? ' You may con- 
 jecture what my fears were at the moment, when I state that this 
 fellow was the impertinent bullock-driver who accompanied us 
 from Poona to Seroor, and pretended you were gone fonvard. 
 ' I have got you now,' continued the scoundrel, ' and shall take the 
 liberty of cany^ingyou with me as far as Asseerghur. 'Tis strange 
 if I don't turn a penny of you some way or another.' On hearing 
 Asseerghur named, my aunt screamed ; upon which the driver 
 said, ' I see how it is — you have escaped from thence. This is 
 fortunate for me ; I shall be sure of a reward for bringing you 
 back again. So come, mount my bullock, my pretty girl, and 
 make up your mind to return whence you came.' So severe a 
 disappointment quite overcame me, and I fell senseless to the 
 earth. At this moment a man on horseback came up, desiring 
 to know the cause of the delay. He was a grain-dealer, accom- 
 panying the laden beasts. I begged him to interfere and release 
 us, sa\ing we were unfortunate women seized by the driver ; upon 
 
288 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 which the latter declared I was his wife, whom he had lost for a 
 long time, and that now, having found me, he determined upon 
 never quitting me again. I declared it was all false, and fell at 
 the merchant's feet, as did my aunt, telling him the fellow wanted 
 to get a reward for bringing us again into a captivity from whence 
 we had escaped, and that we preferred death to returning to the 
 fort. The merchant, fearing we should delay his cattle, and he 
 lose his market, ordered the fellow to let us go immediately and 
 to proceed. The driver, though very sullen, was forced to obey, 
 grumbhng to us that he would be even with us yet — some one 
 should soon be after us. We thanked our deliverer, who recom- 
 mended us to call on Hurrychund Doolabdass, in that place, who 
 was about to proceed to Surat, and he probably would allow us 
 to follow in his suite. He also directed us on the way to Nasik. 
 We begged his name, by means of which perhaps Hurrychund 
 might sooner notice us. He told us he was called Toolseram, 
 and so bade us farewell. 
 
 "Being now free of the impertinent driver, we once more 
 indulged hopes of a safe arrival at Guzerat, and made use of 
 every effort to gain the first halting-place, which was a miserable 
 durhm sallah, without a village near it, or any kind of comfort 
 whatever. I need not tire you with a detail of our sufferings on 
 our journey, but merely state that, after encountering the most 
 severe hardships, we reached Nasik. Our first care was to find out 
 Hurrychund, in which we succeeded. We communicated to him 
 the circumstances by which we became known to Toolseram, the 
 grain-dealer. He congratulated us upon our escape, and offered 
 us lodgings for the night, stating that, in a day or two, he should 
 proceed towards Guzerat, and if we pleased we might accom- 
 pany him. We cooked our rice, and my aunt, out of compliment, 
 sent the old merchant some sheeree pooree (a dish in the making 
 of which she excelled). Hurrychund was so pleased, that he 
 declared no one else should cook for him in future but my aunt, 
 and she has ever since superintended his household affairs, and 
 cooked his victuals herself. We reached Baroda in safety, travel- 
 ling by easy stages, not through the jungles, but by a more 
 circuitous route. At Baroda we lived in a narrow lane " ■ 
 
PANDURANG HArI 389 
 
 Here I interrupted her by saying I knew that, for there I saw her. 
 " Saw me ! " said Sagoonah, " and would not come to me ! O 
 Pandurang ! " I said I would have given worlds to have flown 
 to her arms ; but when she heard the circumstances under which 
 I was situated, she would acquit me of neglect. I inquired if 
 she did not remember the sham Bheel. and informed her that I 
 was the person — the very sham Bheel whom she laughed at from 
 the window. Sagoonah hereupon made me relate all the circum- 
 stances that had taken place since we met before, which I now 
 found myself strong enough to do. 
 
 Sagoonah was much struck with the history of Mahadeo, the 
 first Pindaree, and made me relate it over again to her aunt. 
 The latter declared her firm belief that Cabbage had murdered 
 his nephew, to whom Sagoonah had been betrothed. " Ay," cried 
 I, " and his brother also, the poor boy's father." She said she 
 very much doubted that, for she had heard from good authority 
 that he had escaped the vengeance of Gunput Rao. I then con- 
 tinued my history, and made them laugh heartily at the tale of 
 Fuzl Khan. When I stated that the plan of old Cabbage was to 
 force Sagoonah to marry his son Mahadeo, the women were both 
 astonished at the old scoundrel's knavery and art. Sagoonah 
 declared she would die sooner than be wedded to the son of 
 such a fiend, though he were to be crowned king of the world. 
 They now more valued the state of security in which they found 
 themselves, and congratulated one another on their lucky escape 
 from Asseerghur. The women were also rejoiced to find that 
 their rich relation was at present in existence at Sattarah, though 
 the belief of his having entered deeply into the views of the pre- 
 tender to the musnud, Cunput Rao, greatly embittered the 
 pleasure they would otherwise have felt, as it was impossible, 
 under such circumstances, that they could ever approach him. 
 We talked over the mysterious appearance of the old goatherd of 
 the glen ; and from the words which I had overheard Cabbage 
 use, it struck us as very probable he might be that villain's 
 brother, and the rightful successor to the musnud of Sattarah. 
 This surmise gathered strength from the concern he displayea 
 when I informed him that Cabbage still lived, and from this 
 
290 PAND URANG HARI 
 
 information it was that he gathered he was not in security where 
 he then resided. The rest of my adventures amused the women 
 much, but they censured me severely for acting the part of the 
 Bheel at Baroda, and were astonished how I could present the 
 letter, without first seeing my way clear as to the state of matters 
 at court. The certainty that the bullock-driver would give 
 information to , Gabbage respecting the women greatly annoyed 
 us. He would be sure to find the gossein at Asseerghur, and 
 Kokoo we were certain would be after us, whether the driver 
 gave information or not. 
 
 Our conversation was concluded by our receiving a message 
 from Nanna, whom I was able to inform that I was much better, 
 and hoped soon to see. The fever had not yet left him altogether, 
 and he was still very low. Fuzl Khan also called to learn how I 
 was : and when Sagoonah saw him, she could not help smiling at 
 the recollection of his extraordinary adventures. I had now been 
 nearly twenty days on the bed of sickness, and Nanna very 
 nearly as many. Fuzl Khan had no money, nor any means of 
 subsistence. He succeeded pretty well at first among his old 
 Mohammedan acquaintance. His father had gone to Surat, and 
 had set up a grinding-shop there. Nanna advanced him a few 
 rupees, as he was useful to us on many occasions. One par- 
 ticular duty we assigned him, which was to watch all strangers, 
 and see if he could discern Kokoo or Gabbage in the town. We 
 accurately described their persons to him, and he promised to 
 use his utmost vigilance. I also made him promise he would 
 not engage either in puchees or eki beki, but keep quiet until we 
 could get him some situation. At length, I found myself 
 perfectly recovered, and thought it was become time to seek out 
 the means of obtaining a livelihood. Sagoonah spoke to Hurry- 
 chund for me, who in a little time procured me the situation of a 
 A\Titer under the Nazir of the udalut or court of justice at Broach. 
 
 The Nazir is a perpetual sheriff, and executes writs and sum- 
 monses to all the parties required to attend in civil and criminal 
 cases. Nanna contrived, by paying enormous fees, to get 
 employed in the police department, so that thus, doubly armed 
 with authority, we conceived ourselves a fair matc"^: for Kokoo, 
 
PAXDURANG HARI 291 
 
 should he venture to appear at Broach with any hostile intentions. 
 Fuzl Khan was made a peon in the udalut, and thus we were all 
 provided for. 
 
 The system adopted by the English government for the ad- 
 ministration of justice, however admirable in theory, is in many 
 respects liable to perversion by those who carry it into effect. 
 The artful agents of the court-house were perpetually on the look- 
 out to take advantage of ever)^ new regulation or decision of the 
 judge. '^\.\ duty was to make out the summonses, and copy 
 papers of importance. Nanna was also fully employed, and for 
 three months we enjoyed uninterrupted peace. News reached us 
 from the Deccan that Badjerao had surrendered to the English, 
 w^ho were now its sole masters. Broach, and all the stations in 
 Guzerat, continued in their usual quiet state. The deposed king 
 of Sattarah was once more placed upon his musnud by the all- 
 conquering English ; but his health was in such a precarious 
 state, it was supposed he could not enjoy his newly-recovered 
 power for any length of lime. I heard also that a person named 
 Gunput Rao, attended by his son, had openly declared himself 
 successor to the throne, and that on the demise of the present 
 rajah, there was no doubt but the English would acknowledge his 
 claims, no one appearing to dispute them. This intelligence was 
 of great consequence to Sagoonnh, who now more than ever 
 ^vished to keep out of her uncle's reach. We still remained in 
 peace at Broach, and I will now take the opportunity of letting 
 the reader know the nature of the duties which my new situa- 
 tion required, and give a brief account of the manner in whicli 
 the English organised our court. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 HE court of Broach consisted of the judge, a registrar, 
 and an assistant-registrar — all Englishmen acquainted 
 with the native languages. The first, of course, from 
 a longer residence in the country, was the most experienced man 
 of the three, and was accordingly at the head of the department. 
 Before the judge, suits involving any amount were tried ; before 
 the registrar, only those which did not exceed five hundred 
 rupees. Independently of the decision of civil suits, the 
 registrar's business was to register all bonds and deeds of im- 
 portance, receiving a fee of two rupees for every bond so 
 registered. The assistant-registrar was generally a young man, 
 lately arrived in the country, to whom the management of a few 
 easy suits, of small amount, was intrusted, upon each of which a 
 regulated fee was paid. The registrar also received established 
 fees, in proportion to the amount of suits decided by him ; but 
 the judge received a regular income, and had no fees of any 
 description. The judge also decided criminal as well as civil 
 causes, and was consequently employed every day in the year. 
 Some of my countrymen, who knew nothing of the true state of 
 things, imagined these officers had nothing to do but 'amuse 
 themselves, and make money — they were greatly in error; the 
 duties were most laborious, and the pay scarcely adequate to the 
 labour performed. Two days every week, suits were filed, 
 numbered, and distributed to the persons authorised to decide 
 upon them. In a city like Broach or Surat, the file was never 
 clear, although the judges worked hard every day. New cases 
 constantly poured in, much faster than the old could be got rid 
 of; and without the greatest attention and regularity, the file 
 would accumulate so great a number of causes for hearing, that 
 
 292 
 
PANDURANG HARL 293 
 
 no judge could get through it. A reader and \vriter belonged to 
 this court. The first read the plaintiffs petition. The judge then 
 called for the defendant's reply; which, being read, was entered, 
 as well as the petition, in the record book by the attendant's 
 writer, whose business it was to number and enter every docu- 
 ment read before the judge. After the answer of the defendant 
 was read, a second statement was heard from the plaintiff, and 
 then a rejoinder from the defendant ; but no other documents 
 were admitted. The plaintiff was then called upon to prove his 
 assertions, which he did by parole or documentary testimony, 
 and after him the defendant was called on to disprove them. 
 The judge then gave judgment. 
 
 Supposing the parties involved in a suit are not confident in 
 their own skill and management of their affairs on the trial, the 
 government vakeels, or pleaders, natives of the country, were 
 ready to plead for them, and conduct their cases through. 
 Everything was done with the greatest order and regularity : no 
 confusion, no squabbling, or pulling off turbans, or coarse abuse 
 was allowed. All had equal access to the judge in his regular 
 and appointed turn. O my poor countrymen of the Deccan, I 
 used to think, how differently these matters were managed with 
 you ! No feeling or bribery was allowed at Broach, no gratuities 
 to greedy arbitrators and potails, &c. But, with all its ex- 
 cellences and advantages, the good intentions of the govern- 
 ment were too often perverted even there, and unsuspicious 
 judges imposed upon. Still, such cases were rare, and, if 
 detected, were severely punished. The mode thus adopted at 
 Broach, and the wish to render strict justice to all, were so much 
 approved by the people, that they contrived to keep the files 
 of the respective courts crammed full. There were not persons 
 wanting who urged this as as an argument against the very way 
 in which the English administered justice, urging that it pro- 
 moted litigation, and advising that the people should keep to the 
 old rules of their fathers. Such a class of fatuitous rcasoners is 
 never wanting in any country, to fling dirt upon improvements, 
 and extol custom beyond common sense. The old system of 
 arbitration, which I may hereafter touch upon, being tlic in- 
 
294 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 stitution of past times, was that v hich those who did not take 
 the trouble to examine into the reason of things extolled to the 
 skies. The singular circumstanct ^ ' of my life threw me into 
 many situations, wherein I had * pportunities of making my 
 observations on both systems. Bi't I must first mention here, 
 that the inhabitants and subjects of the government at Broach, 
 and the neighbouring places, were in general very well satisfied 
 with the dispensation of justice made for them. Trade flourished, 
 and each individual felt secure in his property. That the estab- 
 lishment of the udalut, or court of justice, was the reason that 
 causes were increased, is very incorrect. Justice had not before 
 been attainable, and the people were obliged to endure wrong, 
 for which they had no redress. When they found that injustice 
 could no longer exist with impunity, they poured their grievances 
 into the court. It might, therefore, as well be asserted that the 
 erection of an hospital was the cause of an increase of sickness, 
 as that giving the people an opportunity of gaining justice was 
 the cause of the increase of applications to the courts. From 
 the judge at Broach, an appeal lay to the superior court of Surat, 
 called the court of appeal, and from thence to the sudr udalut at 
 Bombay ; what more could be wished or desired ? The criminal 
 code of regulations was equally good. The judge, though he had 
 the power of committing a felon, did not try him. A circuit 
 court was established, and one of its members went round to the 
 different stations and held a jail delivery ; so that the committal 
 by the resident judge, was frequently no more than for safe 
 custody till trial, when the prisoner was set at liberty. 
 
 Through the interest of Hurrychund, I at length obtained the 
 situation of pleader in the court of udulat, in the registrar's 
 department, and was now quite a man of consequence. Nanna 
 continued attached to the police, and Fuzl Khan was still a peon, 
 and carried a sword. Old Hurrychund had a nephew, who was 
 lately married at Surat. The new-married couple arrived at 
 Broach to visit him, and I was invited to dine with them on the 
 first day of their arrival. The bride was accompanied by her 
 mother ; the former named Beema Bhae, and the latter Anundee 
 Bbae. Beema was in height and figure very like Sagoonak 
 
PANDURAIsiG HARL 295 
 
 Nanna was invited at the same time, and we had a very pleasant 
 party. Before we separated, Hurrychund proposed giving a 
 dinner to the caste of IManvarrys, of which he was a member. 
 His nephew having no objection, invitations were sent out the 
 following day, and the dinner was fixed to take place in four 
 days' time. All the caste, save one individual named Premje, 
 were invited. This person was considered an outcast, for some 
 cause which I never heard explained. The dinner was accord- 
 ingly given, and about one hundred and twenty Marwarr>'s 
 partook of it. In the middle of the dinner, a man entered the 
 room among the guests, and demanded why he was excluded, 
 saying, he was a Marwarry, and would come also. iVll was 
 immediately bustie and confusion, and the party demanded that 
 he should be excluded or turned out. Poor Premje seemed in a 
 dreadful passion, but it availed him little ; he was turned away 
 by the company unanimously. Temporary booths are erected 
 before the doors of persons giving entertainments at Broach; 
 and, indeed, in many other parts of Hindustan, and the street is 
 for the time blocked up. Premje, though ejected from the 
 booth, would not go away, but stood on the outside, grumbling, 
 and asserting his right to be invited to the dinner. At length, 
 some of the guests were favourably inclined towards him, and 
 said that Hurrychund had treated him harshly; that since the 
 alleged charges (for which he was now excluded) had been made 
 against him, he had been seen at dinner with Gopaldass, the 
 banker ; and that was precedent enough for giving him an invita- 
 tion on the present occasion. Being myself seated near the 
 entrance of the booth, I heard Premje declare he would bring 
 an action against Hurrychund, for fixing such a stigma upon 
 his character; and with this threat he departed. The entertain- 
 ment being over, I acquainted Hurrychund with Prcmjc's threat; 
 who laughed, and said, "Well, Panduo, if he does bring his 
 action, recollect I retain you for my counsel, and hope you will 
 get him worsted." I thanked him for his good intentions towards 
 me, and told him, if Premje did put his threat into execution, 
 I would do my best in his behalf. The following day was the 
 first filing day in the court; and, true to his threat, Premje thrust 
 
296 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 in his petition, or rather declaration, against Hurrychund — which 
 was admitted and numbered in the usual way, and a day was 
 appointed for hearing the cause. Premje's vakeel was a clever 
 fellow, named Atchoo Bhae, who, as soon as he knew his 
 opponent was to be Pandurang, the Mahratta pleader, snapped 
 his fingers exultingly, and declared he would beat me so 
 hollow, that I should be ashamed ever again to show my face in 
 court. In the evening, I visited Hurrychund, my client, and 
 informed him that Premje had actually commenced proceedings 
 against him, and begged him to furnish me with materials for his 
 defence. The first question he asked me, was the amount of 
 damages laid ; and I informed him that the sum was five 
 hundred rupees, and that the cause would be tried before the 
 registrar. " 'Tis a large sum," said Hurrychund, " and you must 
 speak loud, Pandoo, and do your best." I promised him I 
 would exert myself to the utmost; and was beginning to take 
 down the heads for the defence, when one of the Nazir's peons 
 entered, bearing a summons to Hurrychund, who was obliged 
 to accompany him, to put in security for his appearance at the 
 day of trial. This having been accomplished, the old merchant 
 returned, and duly instructed me how I was to proceed, and 
 conduct the defence. My attention from the civil side of the court 
 was drawn away, just as I had left Hurrychund, to the criminal 
 department. As I quitted the door I met a mob approach- 
 ing, and heard a voice calling out (which I knew to be Fuzl 
 Khan's), begging me to save him and his friends from ruin. 
 On inquiry, I discovered that he and two of his Moham- 
 medan acquaintance had committed a theft, and were all appre- 
 hended, and expected to find bail in Plurrychund's house; 
 in which they were disappointed, as I refused to interfere with 
 the old man in their behalf— they were, I knew, such determined 
 reprobates. Fuzl and his companions were consequently led 
 away to prison. These true believers had for some time carried 
 on a system of gambling, and were at last reduced to the ex- 
 tremity of committing a theft to raise funds for the support of 
 themselves and their malpractices. The words of Fuzl Khan's 
 mother, that eki beki would be his ruin, were thus verified. I 
 
PANDVJ^AAG IIARL 297 
 
 immediately repaired to Nanna, and informed him of both these 
 affairs. That of Premje he considered of most importance ; as 
 to the second, he contented himself with the obserwation, that 
 Fuzl Khan ought to have been hanged long ago ! I replied, 
 as to that, it was not for us to pass judgment upon him, as we 
 were far from being immaculate ourselves. Nanna did not much 
 relish this remark, though he could not deny its justice ; and he 
 therefore turned off the conversation, and began to inquire 
 particulars concerning the action with Premje. As I was pleader 
 on the side of the defendant, I deemed it prudent to say as little 
 on the subject as I could, and carefully to avoid letting out any 
 part of the defence. I contented myself, therefore, with re- 
 marking, that I was confident of success; and I left him, 
 expressing a hope, that as Fuzl Khan came soon under his 
 department, he would try and do all he could for him. He 
 nodded assent ; but Nanna was too much of a Mahratta to take 
 trouble without a fee for any one ; and as poor Fuzl could not 
 bestow one, I was pretty certain no one would aare a rush about 
 him. For my o\mi part, however willing I might be to ser\'e him, 
 I dared not risk offering a fee to carry into effect my good 
 intentions respecting him, holding the situation I did ; he was, 
 therefore, left to his fate. 
 
 The day of the trial of Hurrychund's cause came on. Tlie 
 court was crowded ; even the windows were filled with spectators 
 of all descriptions, anxious to see the new pleader, and hear the 
 arguments used to exculpate Hurrychund. The moment the 
 opening of the cause took place, AtchOo Bhae, the pleader for 
 'ihe plaintiff, came forward, holding his client Premje by the hand. 
 I approached alone, Hurrychund not choosing to be present. 
 We stood in front of a large desk, at which the registrar sat He 
 was a little mean-looking man, very ill tempered. I never saw a 
 more strange mortal. He looked like some of our deities, red- 
 haired, with gooseberry eyes, and a great belly. Pie was so sour, 
 that I was half afraid to address him. The declaration against 
 the defendant was read. It complained that Premje Bohun, a 
 Mar^varry merchant, and inhabitant of the city of Broach, where 
 he had resided for many years, gaining an honest livelihood by 
 
298 PANDURANG HArL 
 
 trade and fair dealing; had ever adhered to the rules of the 
 caste to which he belonged, and had been admitted to all as- 
 semblages of caste, within or without the city walls, until the fifth 
 day of the current month, when Hurrychund Doolabdass invited 
 the whole of the Marwarry caste to a dinner, in celebration of the 
 marriage of his nephew, Goolchund. In consequence, the whole 
 caste assembled at Hurrychund's house ; and, in booths erected 
 for the occasion, partook of the entertainment so given ; but that 
 he, Premje, was excluded, as he did not receive any invitation; 
 and that his character was much injured, and he was much 
 aggrieved in consequence. That, hoping the omission was un- 
 intentional on the part of Hurrychund, he proceeded to the place 
 of feasting, and entered the booth ; from which he was rudely 
 turned out, and ordered to go away. That he, therefore, sought 
 compensation in damages for the injury sustained by him in loss 
 of character, to the amount of five hundred rupees. This sum, 
 if recovered, he intended to expend in giving a dinner to his 
 caste, and in promoting every object that could tend to reinstate 
 him in his former place in society, and thus remedy the injustice 
 done him by the conduct of the defendant. 
 
 To this allegation I answered as follows : — " First, that he set 
 forth he had ever adhered to the rules of his caste, and had been 
 admitted to the assemblages of the Marwarry tribe on all occasions, 
 until neglected by Hurrychund. Now, as to this point, no reply 
 need be made, as the dinner was one, not given by Hurrychund, 
 the defendant, to celebrate the marriage of his nephew : the dinner 
 was not a caste dinner given by Hurrychund, but a private feast; 
 given and paid for by his nephew, Goolchund ; consequently, 
 the present defendant could not be called upon to pay damages 
 for a neglect of which he had not been guilty. This assertion 
 could be proved by witnesses. It is admitted that Premje 
 was not invited; but, if he had sustained any injury, he must 
 sue the nephew and not the uncle : " I consequently prayed 
 that the plaintiff might be nonsuited. I next called my wit- 
 nesses, who were persons present at the dinner; and they 
 proved that the invitations sent to them were not in the name 
 of Hurrychund, but of his nephew. Other witnesses proved 
 
PANDURANG JfAkl 299 
 
 that Goolchund paid them for the various articles supplied 
 to the entertainment. 
 
 The above was a defence which the plaintiff was not prepared 
 to meet. The ugly little judge, after asking a few questions, non- 
 suited Premje, adjudging him to i)ay all costs. Premje went 
 away, determined to commence an action against Goolchund, 
 the nephew : an arrangement we were not sorr>- for, as it would 
 bring more fees into court. Hurrychund was pleased at my 
 having put Premje to so much expense for nothing, and richly 
 enjoyed the fellow's blunder. Sagoonah, too, congratulated 
 me on my success in my first attempt; and the pleasure it 
 seemed to give her was a spur to further diligence in my 
 professional exertions. 
 
 Before the second suit was commenced, Fuzl Khan was brought 
 to trial. He had been imprisoned from the moment he was ap- 
 prehended. The circuit judge arrived, and held his court at the 
 udalut in great pomp, attended by the registrar and the moulavee, 
 the cazee,* and two shastrees.2 It appeared that Fuzl Khan, in 
 his capacity of peon, was employed to attach the property of a 
 cloth-merchant, and ordered to keep guard over it. They who 
 ordered him on this service little knew his character, or they 
 would not have employed him on such a duty. Instead ot 
 guarding the property, he admitted two of his gambling associates 
 to the warehouse, and all three helped themselves to the choicest 
 muslins, kinkobs, and other fine articles. They were detected by 
 one of the party wearing a rich muslin turban, and the other dis- 
 posing of a shawl for half-price at a pa\Mibroker's. Fuzl Khan's 
 house was searched ; and stolen property being found there, he 
 was apprehended immediately. AH three were found guilty, and 
 sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour on the roads 
 for one year. The next time I encountered my friend Fuzl, he 
 was working in the registrar's garden, with irons on his legs. The 
 fellow was singing away very merrily ; but, when he saw me, he 
 stopped and began conversation, reproaching me with having 
 abandoned him in the needful moment. I satisfied him it was 
 out of my power to have assisted him, or I should have rejoiced 
 » Mohammedan law-officers. * Hindoo law-officers. 
 
300 PANDURANG HArj:. 
 
 in being able to do so, and thus prevent his becoming the sad 
 spectacle he now was. I gave him a few pice and went my way. 
 The time for the new trial of Premje against Goolchund drew 
 near. I was prepared to defend the cause. At the hour fixed 
 the court was crowded, and the windows filled with people. 
 One of these windows looked into the yard, and being open, a 
 number of persons stood on the outside, and thrust in their heads. 
 The window was exactly opposite the place in which I stood to 
 plead. Goolchund himself was present, and full of anxiety lest 
 he should have to pay five hundred rupees. He repeatedly 
 prompted me to speak loud and to the purpose. The declaration 
 was read, and was the same as the first, with the alteration of the 
 name of the defendant. I had to prove that the dinner was not 
 a marriage-dinner ; because that must, according to rule, have 
 been given at Surat, where the ceremony took place. It was, 
 moreover, necessary to prove we were fully justified in not invit- 
 ing the plaintiff, even if it were considered a caste meeting. To 
 do this, I could prove the plaintiff had, on a former occasion, 
 been overlooked at a great meeting of the caste at the house of a 
 principal Marwarry, who give a dinner on the death of his father. 
 Moreover, I could prove the plaintiff an outcast, having com- 
 mitted some fault which rendered him unfit to be admitted among 
 the good and correct men of his tribe. .. The plaintiff, on the other 
 side, was prepared to rebut this evidence respecting himself The 
 witnesses on my part were sharply cross-examined by Atchoo, the 
 pleader on Premje's behalf, and we all'eyed each other as if fife 
 and death depended on the issue of the trial. Goolchund 
 was constantly pulling my sleeve, and proposing many silly 
 questions to be put to the plaintiff and his witnesses. At length 
 we got so far that I rose to address the court. I stated that I 
 could produce a witness whose testimony would not leave a doubt 
 on the mind of the judge as to the character of the plaintiff; 
 and having heard him, the issue of the trial could not be other- 
 wise than favourable to us. Having spoken to this effect, I cast 
 my glance towards the persons who were looking in at the 
 window, purely from accident ; but how can I express the agita- 
 tion and alarm I felt when, among the group, I recognised 
 
PANDURANG HARL 301 
 
 Kokoo, with the ass-drivcr by his side ! My papers fell from my 
 liand — I stood without motion. A trembUng came over me ; 
 and, notwithstanding my cHent, Goolchund, pulled my sleeve 
 nearly to pieces, my eyes remained fixed on the window, from 
 wliich I had no power to take them. At length I saw they were 
 gone, and picked up my papers ; but I still gazed around me 
 bewildered, until the registrar demanded what was the matter. 
 Goolchund replied, the people at the window disturbed me; 
 upon which they were ordered to retire, and the window was 
 closed. The registrar then called on me to name the important 
 witness I stated I should call. Goolchund named him to me, 
 but I pronounced the name in a most confused manner. He 
 appeared, however, and was sworn in ; but I had not a question 
 to put to him — all had been driven from my recollection. I 
 confounded Premje with Goolchund, and vice versd. Of these 
 things Atchoo took the advantage, and urged the badness of my 
 cause from the ill way in which I was able to support it He 
 pulled my poor witness so to pieces, that he deposed things the 
 very opposite to what I intended he should have done. Gool- 
 chund endeavoured to speak, but was not allowed, as I was his 
 vakeel, and only one of us could be heard. At length the judge, 
 tired at the delay and confusion which I had caused, decided in 
 favour of Premje, and ordered Goolchund to pay the sum of five 
 hundred rupees, with costs of suit. After this decision, we of 
 course could not be heard there, but we were told we might 
 appeal to the judge's court if dissatisfied. Thus ended a cause 
 which, had not my attention been called away by the sight of an 
 object so terrible to me and mine as Kokoo, I felt certain I 
 should have gained. I had now to submit to the ill-humour of 
 Goolchund, who hinted I had been bought over by the opposite 
 party. Hurrychund also looked very cool upon me, and was 
 extremely dissatisfied. 
 
 On my returning home, Sagoonah inquired what, in the name 
 of Vishnu, could have so paralysed me; how I failed, and what 
 was the cause of my agitation. She besought me to tell her what 
 it was that struck me speechless in the court. I said, " \Vhen 
 you are in danger, my dear Sagoonah, it is impossible I can 
 
302 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 attend to anything besides." The frightened girl now inquired 
 how she could be discovered in danger in the midst of my 
 pleadings. I communicated to her the cause of my alarm, and 
 that I had recognised Kokoo, and his companion the driver, at 
 the window of the court-room. I entreated her to keep within 
 doors, and never to exhibit herself in the streets. I also begged 
 her to explain to Hurrychund how I had been alarmed, and the 
 cause of it, which occasioned the loss of his nephew's suit. She 
 promised me I should be reinstated in his favour, for she had 
 great influence over him; and before night came, I found she 
 had performed her promise successfully, for old Hurrychund 
 became as affable and good-natured as before. Goolchund, how- 
 ever, still continued to wear a long face, which he altered a little 
 upon my talking to him respecting his cause ; repeating my regret 
 at its failure, which could not have happened under any other 
 circumstances than those which I related to him. I advised him 
 by all means to appeal against the decree of the registrar ; for 
 although it was not common for the judge of the upper court to 
 hear fresh evidence on a cause, yet, upon my representing 
 how I had been interrupted in my defence, it was probable 
 he would waive the general custom, as an exception, owing 
 to very peculiar circumstances, and grant the admission 
 of fresh evidence. Goolchund shook me heartily by the 
 hand, and declared he would give notice of appeal on the 
 following day. 
 
 When Goolchund quitted me, Nanna came in, full of anxiety, 
 to hear the cause of my failure in court. When I told him, he 
 said he was not sur^Drised at it, for the sight of such an inveterate 
 foe seeking one's life, at all times appalling, must have been 
 particularly so at such a critical moment, and was enough to 
 bewilder the strongest and most courageous man. Nanna 
 advised me never to go out after it was dark, or venture at 
 any time beyond the city walls. Day after day passed away, and 
 all was quiet : neither Kokoo nor the driver appeared. The 
 appeal case was heard in due course ; I having furnished 
 affidavits, stating how I had been interrupted, and that important 
 evidence, which would have decided the cause the other way, had 
 
2\iM)URAXG IIARL 303 
 
 not been heard, the judge granted the request. I was not per- 
 mitted to plead, because I belonged to the lower court ; but the 
 cause was ably conducted. After a long hearing, the decree of 
 the court below was reversed, and Goolchund was successful, to 
 the inexpressible chagrin of Prenije and his friends. Old Hurr)'- 
 chund was so pleased at the issue of the appeal, tliat he gave a 
 nautch ' on the occasion, to which all the most respectable of his 
 caste were invited. 
 
 ^1* 
 
CHAPTER X X V I I L 
 
 T the nautch mentioned in the last chapter, an excursion 
 to the island of Kubbeer Burr was proposed. This 
 S place is situated some way up the river Nerbudda, and 
 is remarkable for being entirely covered by one large banyan 
 tree. The branches of this tree growing downwards, take root, 
 and become each of them a distinct trunk. From these, other 
 branches droop in like manner to the ground, and thus traverse 
 over and shade from the sun an immense space of ground, nearly 
 two thousand feet in extent. It is deliciously refreshing, during 
 the hot weather, to walk under the green arches formed by this 
 tree, and enjoy the shade and coolness. Walk joins to walk, 
 among green festoons, and a labryinth of leaves and branches. 
 Nothing could be more agreeable than parties made to spend the 
 day on such a spot. The distance was but a pleasant sail, and 
 the relaxation from business, and a due attention to the impor- 
 tant duties of eating, drinking, talking, and smoking, were 
 anticipated by all who were to join in the excursion with no small 
 delight. As there was but little preparation necessary, matters 
 were speedily arranged for starting. The women were to ac- 
 company us — a measure which I opposed in vain, dreading the 
 machinations of Kokoo, who, I was convinced, remained lurking 
 in the neighbourhood, waiting a fit opportunity to consummate 
 his nefarious plans. Sagoonah was extremely desirous of seeing 
 the island, and endeavoured to persuade herself there was no 
 danger in going thither, protected as she would be by us and twC 
 or three udalut peons. Goolchund's wife and mother were to 
 accompany us, and therefore Sagoonah was determined to 
 venture. Finding argument of no avail, I gave up the point, and 
 prepared for the excursion. It was fixed to take place on the 
 
 304 
 
PANDURAXG IIARI. 305 
 
 third day after the appeal cause came on. Hurrychund sent 
 everything we could need to the island the day preceding, and 
 spared no expense to render the whole party as comfortable as 
 possible. At an early hour in the morning, we set out on our 
 excursion. It happened to be an Hindoo holiday, and no 
 business was transacted at the court-house; so I requested 
 Nanna to accompany us, and we both went, well armed, and, 
 each attended by two armed peons, escorted the females to the 
 boat. It was at the hour of five in the morning, it being 
 necessary to go up with the tide. Owing to the darkness of the 
 hour, which the morning mist increased, it was impossible to 
 distinguish Sagoonah from Becma, Goolchund's wife, their 
 figures were so much alike, and both enveloped in dark 
 shawls. After a few hours' sail we saw the island, to the great 
 joy of Beema and her mother, who were both ill from the boat's 
 motion. It was agreed that those who were tired of the voyage 
 should land at once, and ramble about the island, or enjoy them- 
 selves in the shade. On landing, I was much struck with the 
 remarkable tree, having never seen one half its size in any part 
 of the Deccan. There seemed to me to be a thousand trunks, 
 supporting an immense roof of foliage of a deep green. Not a 
 ray of the sun could penetrate through it ; all under it was in 
 shadowy silence. The great drawback to our pleasure was, that 
 the place abounded in snakes, so that we were ever in fear of 
 trampling upon them, and of getting bit. This would not have 
 been the case, however, without frequent warnings, as the boat- 
 men and servants enchanccd the danger by man'ellous stories of 
 the venom of these reptiles, as proofs that it was more powerful 
 here than in any other part of India. One of them related a talc 
 of a person struck dead at encountering the fiery eyes of an 
 immense serpent covered with hair, that reached in length from 
 one side the island to another. As if to help out the mar\-cllous 
 narration, a large cobra di capello bruslicd away from us among 
 the underwood at the moment, and so alarmed the females, that 
 we moved in another direction, taking a different path, and one 
 more beaten. Our presence in this unfrequented place seemed 
 to cause great consternation among the monkeys and birds, which 
 
3o6 FANDURANG HARL 
 
 haunted it in vast numbers, and of all varieties. The screams of 
 the disturbed and affrighted fowls as they flew off, and the chatter 
 and grin of the monkeys, that, peeping amid the branches of the 
 trees, seemed mocking our power to take them, were highly 
 amusing. Though all creatures besides seemed to flee us, the 
 bat hung by his enormous wings in certain dark hollows of the 
 trees and densely 'shaded boughs, apparently insensible of our 
 presence. The coolness, and the additional feeling of gloom 
 thrown over the deeper recesses of the foliage, were far from 
 being agreeable on this account. The bats differed much from 
 those which visit our streets and houses in the city, being 
 immensely large, and measuring three or four feet from wing to 
 wing when extended. They call them in the Deccan wur wagool. 
 In all my wanderings, I never before saw such a sight. They 
 hung with their heads downwards in every direction by hundreds, 
 suspended from small hooks at the extremity of their wings. 
 After a short ramble under this magnificent tree, we found our- 
 selves almost close to the landing-place where our boat lay. Some 
 of the party, while we took rice for our first repast, proposed 
 remaining on the island, and others were for sailing a little further 
 up the river and returning to dinner. Those with whom the 
 water disagreed, naturally were for keeping upon the land. 
 Sagoonah and her aunt were so much pleased with the sail to the 
 island, that they expressed a wish to proceed a short way up the 
 stream, and rejoin their female friends in an hour or two. 
 Sagoonah, her aunt, Nanna, two peons, and myself, therefore 
 embarked to take a little more pleasure on the water. The 
 time passed so pleasantly, that we did not reflect upon the dis- 
 tance the wind and tide were carrying us. At length the tide 
 turned, and the boatmen advised us to avail ourselves of its 
 assistance, and return to the island. Unfortunately the wind 
 was full in our teeth, and we could make no way but with the 
 oars ; our boat also was large and heavy. Not being prepared 
 for this disappointment, and having but three sailors and two 
 oars, one of which afterwards snapped in using it, our progress 
 was very slow. Sagoonah's aunt had fortunately a little dried 
 grain and bread with her, of which we partook. Without oars. 
 
PANDURAXG HARI. 
 
 we were obliged to hoist our sail, and tack and wear, hoping to 
 reach the island before the tide again turned; but in this wc 
 were disappointed We made no distance, and were tossed 
 about to no purpose. The females became ill, and our party w^is 
 miserable enough- WTie%the tide turned, we were obliged to 
 take down our sail and anchor, to pre\ent be ick 
 
 again; this we did pretty near the shore, and t: _ted 
 
 what was best to be done. It was now six o'clock in the evening, 
 
 and we seemed without a pot ' ' ' ..re 
 
 the rest of our part)' must be us 
 
 they must, as there was no other boat to convey them home. I 
 now proposed sending the two peons on shore to procure oars, 
 and four stout fellows to row us to the island. The peons set 
 off, while Xanna and myself guarded the females, who were 
 alarmed, and stood much in need of rest Hour after hour 
 passed away, and it was ten o'clock before the peons returned, 
 bringing with them only three oars, but no men to assist ; they 
 reported that it was with great difficulty they procured these. 
 There being no remedy, we determined to make the best 
 use of the oars we could, and, weighing anch^ - with all 
 
 cur strength against the tide. With every -. gained 
 
 X little, till the tide again turned in our favour. This 
 was at twelve o'clock at night A miserable day of pleasure 
 we had, toiling at our oars, and Nanna vowing he would ne\'er 
 go boating again for pleasure. At length we saw lights at the 
 island, and the men set up a loud shout, which was answered by 
 our friends, who were no doubt tired enough. About two oVIock 
 we set our feet on shore, and found all wailing and m. 
 
 The first person we saw was old Hurr}chund, beatii^^, .... ...^ast 
 
 and tearing his clothes, at the same time aying, "Oh, my 
 nephew, wife, and her mother, all gone I " I demanded whithec 
 The old man exclaimed, would to Ishwar he knew — " Some 
 villains had borne them off." He then demanded where I had 
 been so late, exclaiming every moment, "What a ^ ure 
 
 — miser}-, miser)' ! " I begged him to explain : .^ut 
 
 the old man could only weep and beat his l^east One of the 
 j)eons whom I had left with the party on the island, to whom I 
 
3o8 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 appealed for Information, told me that, hour after hour passing 
 by, and not seeing anything of us, they went in parties round 
 different points of the island, to see if they could espy us 
 coming. About six in the evening Hurrychund's nephew, 
 with his niece and her mother, being absent, he bade them go in 
 quest of them. He did so, and on arriving at the end of the 
 island, was just in time to see a boat push off, well manned, and 
 to hear the screams of the females on board. The boat went 
 against the tide to Broach, but, owing to the number of hands on 
 board, it moved away rapidly. He returned immediately to 
 Hurrychund, and told him what he had seen. The old man was 
 struck dumb with terror and alarm. Pursuit was impossible, for 
 there was no boat, and they became more anxious then ever for 
 our arrival. Hour after hour passed, till it was too late to pursue 
 them, if there were hands and oars to overtake them. Nanna, 
 during the recital, declared his belief that Sagoonah, her aunt, 
 and myself, were the persons whom the villains intended to seize ; 
 but that, it being dark, they had not been able to distinguish the 
 one from the other. I fully coincided with Nanna in opinion, 
 and rejoiced at our escape, though I sincerely bewailed the fate 
 of our friends. Hurrychund ordered the boat to return to 
 Broach, as the tide would soon again become adverse, and not a 
 moment should be lost. Having embarked, we rowed, fatigued 
 as we were, and reached the city by five o'clock in the morning, 
 having had twenty-four hours of everything but pleasure. Appli- 
 cation was immediately made to the police to pursue the villains 
 who had carried off Hurrychund's relatives. Parties were des- 
 patched by land and water to endeavour to obtain tidings of them. 
 Leaving Nanna to watch over Sagoonah and her aunt, I embarked 
 with a strong party to scour the river, entertaining but a faint hope 
 of success. Well knowing the sanguinary disposition of Kokoo 
 (who, I felt certain, was the agent in the affair), I feared that, 
 finding he had missed his prey, it would instigate him to commit 
 violence on the unhappy peisons who had fallen into his clutches. 
 We made inquiry of every boat which came up the stream if the 
 people had seen an open boat well manned, or had heard the 
 screams of women proceeding from any vessel on the river. We 
 
r AND LIRA NG JIArI. 309 
 
 were unifonnly answered in tlie negati\e, and began lo despair of 
 obtaining any tidings of Goolchund and his wife. At length we 
 found ourselves opposite a bungalow, or house, built by an English 
 gentleman, who resorted there when sickness rendered a change 
 of air useful, the sea breeze being very sensibly felt at that place. 
 We could not return to Broach until the tide changed, and I de- 
 termined to go on shore, and wait its turn at the bungalow. Wc 
 accordingly anchored ; but no sooner was the anchor dropped, 
 then we were hailed from the bungalow by a voice which I recog- 
 nised to be Goolchund's. We immediately landed, and joined 
 him at the front of the house, expressing our pleasure at meeting 
 him once more. He bade me come in, and he would tell me all 
 that had happened to them. I eagerly inquired if his wife and her 
 mother were safe; and he answered me by throwing open the 
 door of a room, where I saw them quietly seated on the floor, 
 eating dried grain. They were much pleased at seeing me, and 
 begged me to sit down by them. 
 
 Goolchund now proceeded to relate the circumstances of their 
 capture. They had gone round the island to see if they could 
 find us, or rather to look out for us returning down the river, 
 when they were suddenly seized by a number of men, who bore 
 them to a boat, and put off from the shore. The thing was so 
 sudden, that they were all astounded, and it was some time before 
 they could recover themselves. The men rowed with all their 
 force for some miles, until they were past Broach ; having taken 
 the precaution to gag the women, and thus prevent their screaming 
 while passing the city walls. A small boat now met them, from 
 which a shrill whistle was heard, and answered by those who were 
 in the boat with us. The little boat then ran alongside ours, and 
 two men came on board us, having a lantern. One of them 
 was a short man, with light hair ; the other taller, having a dark 
 complexion. As the light flashed across the boat, I could 
 distmctly perceive our late opponent in the law-courts, Premje, 
 who instantly ordered the light to be put out, and began a very 
 earnest conversation with the short man, who had just entered 
 the boat. Goolchund was seriously alarmed to find himself thus 
 in the power of an enemy, of whose resentment it was impossible 
 
 U 
 
310 PAAWURANG HArI 
 
 to foresee the extent. At length they reached the bungalow, and 
 cast anchor opposite to it. They were then landed, and com- 
 pelled to walk up the bank to the house, in a room of which they 
 were locked. The villains who had taken them off prepared to 
 sleep in the hall ; their prisoners also lay down, but could obtain 
 no repose, for Goolchund heard one of their guards say, " Do ? 
 why, kill the fellow, to be sure ! Did he not try to subject me to 
 the most cruel and lingering death — even to starvation?" 
 " Impossible !" said another voice, which was Premje's ; "he has 
 never been away from Guzerat in his life." "Aye, aye! but I 
 know better," replied the first speaker; "he shall be food for 
 fishes, on our way to Bombay." Goolchund here made a violent 
 knocking at the door, and two men entered the room in which 
 they were confined ; one of them was Premje, and the other a 
 shorter person. They inquired the cause of the uproar. Gool- 
 chund informed the short man he had heard their conversation, 
 and was anxious to convince him of his error. He desired him to 
 look in his face with the lantern close, and say if he had ever seen 
 him till then. He did so, and in a moment exclaimed, " Death 
 and fury ! have we had all this trouble for nothing ? What fellow 
 have we here ? " Goolchund then told him his name, and he 
 said, " You will soon, perhaps, be set at liberty ; — but, though 
 disappointed in my man, the women are in my power." Gool- 
 chund assured him that one of them was his wife, and the other 
 her mother, entire strangers to him. Upon this the short man 
 called out, " Rajoo ! get up, you lazy rascal ! and come hither 
 instantly ! " Upon this the taller man of the two, who had come 
 on board us from the little boat, came in, rubbing his eyes. The 
 short man whispered something to him, and then bade him ap- 
 proach the females, and say if the young one was not Sagoonah. 
 Goolchund then saw through the whole affair, and comprehended 
 the mistake which had been committed ; and that Sagoonah, her 
 aunt, and myself, were the persons they intended to carry off. 
 The man who had been sleeping approached the females, and 
 after a minute inspection, cried out, " Alas ! we have caught the 
 wrong birds ! " The short man's rage knew no bounds ; taking 
 Premje by the collar, he dashed him with violence against the 
 
PAM)UKAXG IIARI. 311 
 
 wall, and hurried out of the bungalow, summoning together his 
 men ; and, going on board, they weighed anchor, and were far 
 away before the morning dawned. It was clear Prcmje was the 
 agent in this affair, he having a grudge against Goolchund ; and, 
 conceiving him and his \vife the persons wanted, he was, doubt- 
 less, active enough in his exertions to effect the object in view. 
 Though sorely bruised, he fled from the house, and was not seen 
 there aftenvards, nor was it likely he would venture to enter 
 Broach again. 
 
 I then explained to Goolchund who the short man was, and that 
 his face had prevented my succeeding in court in gaining his cause ; 
 that I had no doubt of his object being myself; and that, had 
 he succeeded, I should have been food for fishes too certainly. 
 Goolchund thought I had had a narrow escape, and then bade 
 me explain the cause of our absence from the island, which I did 
 in every particular. 
 
 The whole party now embarked in my boat, and one tide 
 carried us back to Broach. We reached the city about six 
 o'clock in the evening. Crowds of persons were in waiting to 
 receive us. The whole city had heard of the outrage committed, 
 and every one was anxious to know where the missing persons 
 had been discovered, and who took them away from the island. 
 I had previously advised Goolchund not to say a word about 
 Premje being concerned, until we had communicated with old 
 Hurrychund; we therefore reported to the multitude, that we 
 were ignorant of the persons and motives for committing the 
 outrage upon us. This only increased the public curiosity, and 
 many false reports were circulated respecting the affair ; at length 
 the people, by some accident, hit upon the truth, or so much ot 
 it as established, that as Premje had been an opponent of 
 Goolchund's in court, and the latter having gained the cause, 
 the former had hired persons to carry off and murder his 
 antagonist and wife. Premje's disappearance from the city at 
 the time caused this statement to be believed. The MarAvarry 
 caste crowded around Goolchund, and desired him to swear by 
 the holy cow whether or not Premje was in the plot. Goolchund 
 acknowledged that he had seen Premje in the party which 
 
312 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 caiTied himself and his wife away from the island. Tlie Mar- 
 warrys, upon this, combined, and surrounded Premje's house, 
 which they would have razed to the ground, had not a strong 
 body of police been sent to protect it from their rage. It now 
 became necessary that Goolchund should proceed to the police 
 court and formally depose against Premje ; this he did, whilst I 
 escorted home the females, and hastened to relieve the anxious 
 mind of old Hurrychund. Thus terminated our pleasure-party 
 to the island of Kubbeer Buric 
 
CHAPTER XXIX, 
 
 X human life one misery is certain to be followed by a 
 train of half a dozen. The discomfiture of our ex- 
 cursion to the island was followed by the illness of old 
 Humchund, who had been too long exposed to the night air 
 for one of his advanced years. He caught from the damps a 
 severe fever, which in three days carried him off. A funeral, 
 instead of a wedding, was now ordered to be prepared in booths 
 in the front of his house. The sudden demise of the old man 
 was a sad blow to us all. I had myself been fanciful enough to 
 suppose he would recover from the attack ; but, on the third day 
 after it took place, on returning from the court, I saw the kind 
 and emaciated old man stretched on the fatal bed of aisa > grass, 
 and I was convinced no hope of his recovery remained The 
 old man was, in fact, deathstruck, and had no more time 
 allowed him than was sufticient to make a few donations to 
 his survi\ing friends and relatives. Among the former was 
 Sagoonah's aunt, to whom he bequeathed five hundred rupees 
 
 None of the sacred water of the Ganges being at hand, the 
 ceremony of sprinkling his head was omitted from necessity, but 
 the sola gratjia' stone was placed near him, and all the ceremonies 
 performed which the friendship of his relations could prompt, 
 and had the means of executing. Holy strains were chanted, 
 and sacred hymns poured into the ear of the dying ; leaves of 
 hallowed trees were scattered over his head, and every attention 
 
 ^ WTien the death of a Hindoo is certain, and no hope remains, he is laid 
 on a bed of grass, called cusa. 
 2 A small black smooth stone, perforated by worms, or, as the Hindoos 
 
 believe, by Vishnu, in the shape of a reptile. 
 
314 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 religiously paid him in his expiring moments. As soon he as was 
 dead, the body was washed, perfumed, and decked with flowers ; 
 a ruby put into his mouth, together with coral, and small pieces 
 of gold thrust into his nostrils and eyes. Goolchund, the nearest 
 relative, as usual, brought the cloth sprinkled with fragrant oil, 
 and threw it over the corpse. Two hours afterwards they con- 
 veyed the body to the funeral pile; it was raised up by his 
 relatives, and placed on a wooden bier for the procession. It 
 now moved slowly on, with fire and food borne before it in an 
 unbaked earthen vessel, accompanied by the sound of drums, 
 cymbals, and wind and stringed instruments. The funeral passed 
 out through the eastern gate of the city to its place of destination. 
 The corpse being laid upon a bed of cusa, with its head towards 
 the south, the relatives of the deceased bathed in the river, on the 
 banks of which the funeral pile was to be prepared. They then 
 began to mark out lines, upon which the wood was placed. The 
 pile being ready, they washed the body, clothed it in clean linen, 
 rubbing it with perfumes, and then placed it on the wood with 
 the head to the north. Goolchund then threw the cloth over the 
 corpse, and taking up a lighted brand, invoked all the holy 
 places, saying, " May the gods, with mouths of fire, consume this 
 body !" He then walked three times round the pile, looked 
 towards the south, and dropping on his left knee, applied a torch 
 to the wood near the head of the corpse, while the attendant 
 priests recited the proper prayers. During the time the wood 
 was consuming, several of the relations of the deceased having 
 taken seven pieces of the wood, walked slowly round the pile and 
 threw them over their shoulders upon the fire, saying, " All hail 
 to thee who consumeth flesh !" All who had folloAved or touched 
 the body were obliged to walk round the pile, keeping their left 
 hands towards it, but not looking at the fire. They then pro- 
 ceeded to the river, bathed, and returned home in procession, 
 having performed many minor ceremonies, such as sipping 
 water, &c., too minute to mention. On arriving at the house of the 
 deceased, the funeral cakes were baked, and food put aside on a 
 leaf for the crows. Cake was thrown into the water, and milk 
 ^nd water were suspended at the door of the house in earthen 
 
rANDURAXG HArI 315 
 
 vessels every evening, until the time of mourning expired. This 
 endured for ten days, and mournful days tliey were to us all. 
 
 Sagoonah and her aunt lived with Beema, and Anundee her 
 mother, but as the latter intended to go to Surat, it was necessary 
 to make some new arrangements. At length, Nanna procured 
 lodgings for Sagoonah and her aunt in a very retired quarter of 
 the city, and Beema and her mother took leave of us, and 
 proceeded to Surat, leaving us melancholy enough at their 
 departure. The uncertainty we were in respecting Kokoo, was a 
 great drawback upon our comfort. Sagoonah, knowing the 
 imperious necessity for concealment, resigned herself to the 
 alternative of close imprisonment in her lodgings, with a placidity 
 which more than ever incensed me against her persecutors, and 
 raised her still higher in my esteem. Business had become 
 scarce at the court, and I consulted Nanna as to whether we had 
 not better proceed elsewhere to some other court where the 
 Mahratta language was used, whereby we should gain many 
 advantages that Guzerat did not afford us. Nanna being of my 
 opinion, I informed Sagoonah that we intended to proceed to 
 the Northern Concan, in hopes of obtaining practice as pleaders 
 in that court. Neither Sagoonah nor her aunt were particuhrly 
 desirous of remaining in Broach, and they both acquiesced 
 immediately in our plans for the future. Whether we should 
 proceed by sea or by land was the next point ; and we finally fixed 
 upon the latter mode, hoping we should not be molested by 
 Kokoo or his agents. I informed the judge of the reasons which 
 induced me to quit his court. He approved of my plans, and 
 gave me a letter to the judge of the Concan, in which he also re- 
 commended Nanna. Just as we were taking leave, the nazir 
 came running in, reporting that a prisoner Jiad escaped who was 
 employed in working upon the roads ; he had knocked down the 
 guard, and disencumbered himself of his irons. The judge 
 inquired the name of the man ; and, to my surprise, I found it 
 was Fuzl Khan. " Where did this fellow come from ? " in- 
 quired the judge. "He came with these two Mahrattas," was 
 the reply of the nazir, pointing to us. " Indeed ! " observed the 
 judge; "and these two are just going away, and their friend is 
 
3i6 FANDURANG HARL 
 
 departed ? It appears very suspicious. I fear you have aided 
 the fellow in breaking prison." We were much hurt at such a 
 suspicion, though we could hardly wonder at its being entertained. 
 We most earnestly assured the judge we cared nothing about the 
 fellow, and had taken no interest in his affairs. The judge said 
 there was certainly no proof of our conniving at or assisting in his 
 escape, and he would not detain us. He advised us not to be 
 seen in the fellow's company again on the English territory. Wc 
 bowed, and retired. On the outside of the court we saw the 
 guard whom Fuzl Khan had knocked down. The poor fellow's 
 teeth were literally driven down his throat. Fuzl had used his 
 irons as the weapon of offence. Nanna observed that he was a 
 desperate man, and I agreed that he was more so than I had 
 apprehended ; but I said I thought he must be speedily retaken. 
 Nanna imagined he was too clever a fellow for that ; but we both 
 agreed never more to have anything to do with him if he came in 
 our way. 
 
 Everything being in order, we set out on our journey. Sa- 
 goonah and her aunt were seated in a small covered cart drawn 
 by bullocks ; Nanna and myself were mounted upon tatoos. We 
 started at an early hour in the morning, that we might reach 
 Surat at night, resting an hour or two at Khim to refresh our 
 cattle. From the latter place, where we enjoyed a comfortable 
 meal, we set forth again for Surat. The bullocks being knocked 
 up, our journey was delayed so much, that darkness came on 
 before we arrived near Surat. We had passed two travellers on 
 the road on foot, who now overtook us, so slow did we proceed. 
 These two men seemed very suspicious characters ; if we stopped 
 they did the same, and sometimes they kept up with us by 
 running. Nanna was convinced they were not common travel- 
 lers, but had some sinister motive for thus following us. We 
 watched them narrowly ; but as they did not offer to molest us 
 in any way, we took no other notice of them, and soon entering 
 Surat, we hoped to lose sight of them entirely. In this, however, 
 we found ourselves mistaken; for while we were assisting the 
 women to alight from the carriage at a comfortable lodging which 
 Nanna had procured, the two travellers posted themselves one on 
 
PjypURAXG ffARl 
 
 each side of the door, and having seen us enter, hastened away 
 down the street. "Who can these fellows be?" inquired Sa- 
 goonah. "They once opened the cloth which covered the 
 carriage, and peeped in." I swore, by Ishwar, had I known this 
 before, I would have prevented their ever attempting it a second 
 time. I requested her not to be alarmed, as we should keep a 
 good look-out I endeavoured to persuade her they would pro- 
 bably cease to follow us any further, as Surat might be the phcc 
 of their destination. Not^vithstanding all I said, Sagoonah was 
 evidently alarmed. Nanna and myself agreed to keep guard by 
 turns outside her chamber, and to strike down any one who 
 might attempt to enter or to molest us. 
 
 After we had dined, Nanna went out to hire fresh cattle for the 
 ensuing day; and, on his return, the females retired to their apart- 
 ment Nanna took post at their door for the first half of the 
 night. At one o'clock he awoke me, saying all was quiet I 
 took his place, and remained there until morning ; but nothing 
 occurred to disturb us. The cattle were ready ; and, having taken 
 breakfast, we once more set out, unattended by any pr)ing travel- 
 lers, so that I began to hope we had rid ourselves of them 
 entirely. Nousarry was the first stage, and there we thought of 
 remaining all night, the females complaining of fatigue. What 
 was my surprise, on alighting, to find the two mysterious travellers 
 posted there ! and before I could demand the reason of their 
 thus molesting us, they were off. This conduct was now a sub- 
 ject of serious alarm to us all, and I determined, should they 
 fallow us to Damaun, to take some measures for eluding them. 
 We also thought it prudent to travel only by short stages in the 
 day, so as not to run the risk of being benighted. In this 
 manner we proceeded, and were sure to behold the travellers 
 posted at the durhm sallah where we alighted. At length we 
 reached Damaun, a large fortified place belonging to the Portu- 
 guese. As before, the two men were watching our arrival there. 
 On seeing this, I thought it high time to consult on some method 
 of eluding their watchfulness, and therefore determined on taking 
 a boat, and proceeding by sea the rest of the distance. We could 
 never have a better opportunity than at Damaun, for it was a 
 
3i8 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 seaport, and boats of all sorts were riding in the harbour. The 
 travellers, conceiving we should still proceed by land, would set 
 out before us, as they had hitherto invariably done, and would be 
 at a loss when they missed us at the following stage. This plan 
 was agreed to. Nanna went and hired a boat as secretly as 
 possible, and early in the morning we went on board and set sail. 
 The boat we had hired was called a pattamar : it was a large one, 
 and had a cabin for the females. On the third day, we saw 
 Bassein, the chief place in the Northern Concan, whither I deter- 
 mined on going. A better boat than ours for sailing came after 
 us, as we supposed from Surat, and hailing us, asked whither we 
 were bound? I desired the tindal, or steersman, to answer, 
 " Bombay." The strange boat now ran so close to us, that I 
 could recognise the faces of all on board; and what was my 
 vexation in discovering the two men who had before followed us, 
 muffled up in dark shawls ! It thus seemed impossible to avoid 
 them. Nanna proposed shooting them ; but, aware of the con- 
 sequences of such a proceeding on the territory of the English, I 
 begged him not to think a moment of such a step. The strange 
 boat now passed us, and I desired the tindal to put into Bassein, 
 which he had no sooner done, than I had the mortification to see 
 the strange boat put about, and run for the same port. '' We 
 must submit," I observed ; " let the fellows follow us if they will \ 
 we must be prepared for them ; and what more can be done ? " 
 
 We landed at Bassein, procured lodgings, and, as early as con- 
 venient, I presented my letter to the English gentleman there, 
 who, on perusing its contents, advised me to proceed to Thannah. 
 The court was held there, and he was going to that place in a 
 very short time, and would then do all in his power for me. In 
 consequence of this, we left Bassein, and reached Thannah by 
 water, seeing nothing of the two men, who, I hoped, had departed. 
 At Thannah we waited until the judge arrived, when I made my 
 salaam to him ; and he promised me a vakeelship as soon as 
 a vacancy occurred, which he daily expected. It happened, un- 
 fortunately, that an old inhabitant of Thannah was candidate for 
 the place also, and in consequence, I was regarded with an evil 
 eye; and I even heard that some plan was on foot to ruin my 
 
PANDURANG HARL 319 
 
 expectations. One day the judge sent for me, and said, " So you 
 wish to be a pleader, do you ? " I repHed in the affirmative. 
 *'Why," said he, you must be the most impudent follow in the 
 world ! I understand you were once a common peon in Bombay, 
 engaged in a dreadful conspiracy to murder the treasurer, and 
 was, in consequence, expelled from the island ! " I denied it 
 stoutly, and said it was all a base fabrication of my enemies, and 
 the man who was a candidate for the pleader's place. " Well," 
 said the judge, " we will see ; call in the man who says he >nll 
 swear to this would-be vakeel." A man now came fonvard, whom I 
 knew to be one of the mysterious travellers ; he was wrapped up in 
 his coarse black shawl. On approaching the judge, he uncovered 
 himself and made a salaam, which afforded me an opportunity of 
 seeing his face. The features were familiar to me, but I could 
 not call to mind where I had seen them, or on what occasion. 
 The judge asking his name, he replied it was Gumbia. This was 
 enough to enable me to remember that he was the vcr)- man 
 expelled from Bombay with myself, and who left me to return 
 thither and search for my treasure. I now felt that my hopes of 
 the place here were frustrated. The fellow deposed to a thou- 
 sand falsehoods ; swore he himself was in the plot, and was 
 expelled Bombay at the same time that I was, and for the same 
 crime. The judge said he also conceived it his duty to send me 
 from Thannah, and desired me to go in two days' time, or he 
 should be forced to compel me to do so. This was a fatal blow; 
 but what was to be done but to obey ? I returned home, and as 
 I entered the house the traveller Gumbia overtook me, and, 
 giving me a fiendish grin, hurried away. I did not relate to 
 Nanna or to the females the reason of my failure ; but informed 
 them the judge had preferred another man, and it was desirable 
 v>'e should all proceed to the Deccan once more. 
 
 After my failure, I had some conversation with Sagoonah 
 relative to my hopes respecting herself I told her, on our 
 arrival in the Deccan, I was determined to discover whether 
 the boy to whom she had been betrothed was living or not 
 If I could satisfactorily prove this, I demanded whetlier she 
 would longer refuse me the right of affording her legal protection. 
 
320 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 She put her hand into mine, saying, " But prove he is no more, 
 and this hand is yours." I then told her we must proceed to 
 Sattarah, for there only could anything be learned that was 
 satisfactory upon this subject, so important to us both. "What !" 
 cried Sagoonah, " to Sattarah ? to my rich uncle, who will take 
 me from your protection ? " " Not so," I said; " he must not be 
 acquainted of your being there." " He will — he will know ! " 
 replied Sagoonah \ " I must not even accompany you to the 
 Deccan. My aunt and I will proceed to Bombay, and await 
 tidings of you there." I could not but acknowledge the good 
 sense of this arrangement. To prevent their being followed to 
 Bombay, Nanna hit upon a most ingenious scheme, by which the 
 two spies, cunning as they were, must be infallibly deceived. 
 His plan was to procure two other women for hire, and get them 
 into the house over-night. In the morning these women, muffled 
 up, were to accompany us across the river to the Mahratta 
 country. The travelling spies would follow us as usual, imagining 
 the women to be the same who accompanied us from Guzerat. 
 Sagoonah and her aunt might then set off for Bombay, where 
 they might provide themselves lodgings ; for it would occasion 
 suspicion were he or I to go there for that purpose, and return 
 again. We all thought this an admirable plan, and agreed to 
 adopt it without delay. Nanna procured two women, as like 
 Sagoonah and her aunt in figure as possible, and got them slyly 
 into the house. They willingly engaged in our service, when 
 we imparted to them the business for which they were wanted, 
 and accepted our terms ; but they could not help expressing 
 their wonder at the reason of our taking them to Sattarah with 
 us, merely to send them back again. We promised to explain 
 the why and wherefore at some future time ; and we kept them 
 shut up for the night, so that they might not guess there were 
 any other females than themselves in the. house. Nanna pro- 
 ceeded to^the bazaar, and openly demanded bullocks and tatoos 
 for the following morning. On returning, he informed me that 
 one of the spies was at the kotwall's office when he gave orders 
 for the beasts ; and that we might rely upon it, they would be 
 near us on our march next day. 
 
I'AXJJC'KAXG IIARL 
 
 This was the last night of my being happy in the presence ot 
 Sagoonah ; for all I knew, it might be the last time of my life 1 
 The next day we were to be separated from each other ; and who 
 knew but it was for ever? We neither of us closed our eyes 
 until the hour of parting came. I agreed to let her hear from me 
 by a messenger, so as not to trust to letter-communication ; and 
 the more, as she could not read, and must get that done for her, 
 which might put others in possession of our secrets. She desired 
 me to send the messenger to Sunkersette Baboolsette, the great 
 goldsmith at Bombay, and inquire for her under the name of 
 Beema Bhae, and the messenger would receive proper directions 
 where to find her. I thought this method the best that, under 
 the circumstances, could be devised, as I could thus, at any 
 time, be certain of her being concealed, and yet communicate 
 anything I wished to her. Not liking that we should be seen 
 taking leave of each other, we parted at daybreak, with heavy 
 hearts. I then threw myself for a few minutes on a mat, en- 
 deavouring to compose myself, before Nanna called me to 
 set out upon our journey. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 ANNA soon came to me, and bade me get ready to 
 start. We set off on foot, with the two women muffled 
 up ; and crossing the river, found bullocks and tattoos 
 in readiness on the opposite banks. The drivers led us through 
 passes, over hills and rugged places, till, after a fatiguing journey, 
 we reached Campowley — a small village at the foot of the Ghauts. 
 The heat here being intolerable, we determined to set off again 
 as early as possible the following morning. The spies had not 
 made their appearance during the whole of the preceding day. 
 This gave us considerable alarm, fearing our plot might have 
 been discovered, and the women were still watched by the 
 villainous agents of our foes. I began to fancy vSagoonah and her 
 aunt pursued by them to Bombay, or, what was even more to be 
 feared, prevented from reaching that place. Our fears on this 
 head were fortunately groundless ; for, in the morning, when we 
 arrived on the summit of the Ghauts, Ave saw the two spies in 
 conversation together. Turning round, and seeing us approach, 
 they walked forwards at a rapid rate. We congratulated ourselves 
 on the success of our plot, and cautioned the two women, should 
 we pass the men who had gone forward, to muffle themselves up 
 carefully, and with evident fear and perturbation. They promised 
 obedience ; and, having baited our cattle, and taken some refresh* 
 ment ourselves at Candala (a village on the summit of the Ghauts), 
 we once more journeyed onwards. The fresh breeze from the 
 Deccan was most exhilarating after the heat of the lower land, 
 and both Nanna and myself were charmed at once more setting 
 foot in our own country. Before we reached the next stage, we 
 passed the two travellers, who were sitting under a tree eating 
 dried grain. The women, as they had promised to do, muffled 
 
 322 
 
miVnC/A'.LVG JJAKI. 
 
 themselves up in apparent haste ; and we saw the men cost very 
 significant glances at each other as we went by. I now imagined 
 Gumbia's companion to be the mischievous ass-driver, as, from 
 his height and figure, he very much resembled him. 
 
 We reached Poona on the following day, and the two spies 
 were, as usual, posted at tlie door where we alighted. The 
 women entered the house, well mufilcd up, and then the two 
 scoundrels went their way. On my way to Sattarah, I had no 
 occasion to visit Poona ; but I thought it prudent to ascertain, in 
 the best way I was able, the state of affairs at Sattarah before I 
 went thither. I found that the rajah was still very ill, and that 
 the pretender, Gunput Rao, though he was acknowledged by the 
 English, was opposed by another man, who declared himself to 
 be his elder brother, but who had not yet appeared publicly in 
 that character. His name alone, it was reported at Poona, had 
 enlisted many persons on his side ; and that, in consequence, 
 Gunput Rao had been raising soldiers to crush the elder brother 
 as a pretender. The latter had assembled a valiant body of troops 
 to support his own cause ; but the two parties were not likely to 
 come to blows until the decease of the present rajah. The name 
 of the claimant to the wSattarah musnud, by right of his seniority, 
 was Sevaje ; and the people guessed he was concealed somewhere 
 near Sattarah. I was advised, if I went to that place, to be as 
 silent as possible in regard to political affairs, as there were many 
 bloodthirsty villains abroad, who found means to get rid of all 
 who spoke adverse to the party they supported, whenever oppor- 
 tunity was favourable for it. I pretended every^vhere at Poona 
 the utmost indifference as to the different claimants to the 
 musnud. I stated to those of whom I made inquir)-, that I was 
 going to Sattarah merely to seek employment, and that I should 
 enter into the service of neither of the parties striving for the 
 mastery. Nanna advised me not to proceed to Sattarah, because 
 Kokoo was no doubt there, with (iunput Rao ; and his disap- 
 pointment again respecting the women would cause him to seek 
 me out more perseveringly, and to sacrifice me to his vengeance. 
 This advice was worth regarding ; and, having made Nanna fully 
 acquainted (as his conduct warranted me in doing) with the cir- 
 
324 PANDURANG HART. 
 
 cumstances of Sagoonah, I begged him to go to Sattarah, and 
 make every inquiry possible respecting the youth to whom she 
 had been betrothed. I agreed to remain in Poona, and await 
 his return. 
 
 The foregoing plan being fixed upon, Nanna prepared to set 
 out. He proposed that we should start together ; and when the 
 two spies were some way on the road before us, I should suddenly 
 return to Poona with one of the women. Nanna, when he over- 
 took the travellers, was to cry aloud to them for protection, 
 declaring a gang of rogues had forcibly taken away his companion 
 and one of the females. The woman with Nanna was to play 
 her part, by crying, tearing her hair, and other symptoms of grief 
 By this means there could be no doubt but the spies would be 
 deceived. The travellers would not think of returning to Poona, 
 but would imagine the pretended rufhans were some of their own 
 gang, employed by Gabbage or Kokoo. If that should be the; 
 case, they would most likely proceed to Sattarah at once ; and 
 should they seize the woman, it was time enough then for them 
 to find out their mistake, and let her go again. The plan appeared 
 to me useful for confusing the two emissaries; and we all left 
 Poona the following day, concluding the travellers, as usual, were 
 on before us. At the part of the road agreed upon, I turned back 
 with the youngest woman to Poona. Unfortunately, this day the 
 spies were behind us instead of being in front, as we made sure 
 they were. After travelling a few coss back, we met them face to 
 face. The woman muffled up, and so did I ; but they recognised 
 us, and stood and looked after us for some time. The separa- 
 tion seemed to confuse them, and they appeared to hesitate which 
 party they should follow — Nanna's or mine. I left them, how- 
 ever, in apparent uncertainty ; for both the woman and myself 
 being mounted on tatoos, we flogged the animals, and set off in 
 good speed to Poona — the beasts quickening their pace, as they 
 knew it was their road home. By this means we left the travellers 
 a good distance behind us in a few minutes after we had started. 
 On arriving at Poona, I dismissed the woman, after paying her 
 the stipulated reward. She was a stranger to her companion who 
 had gone forward to Sattarah ) and I was careful to recommend 
 
PANDURANG HAlO. 
 
 her immediate return to Thannah, in order to prevent any intel- 
 ligence being obtained from her respecting myself, if she remained 
 in Poona, where I designed to sojourn for a short time. The 
 woman took my rupees gratefully, and we parted. 
 
 The first step I took was to change my appearance as much as 
 possible. I got shaved, and disguised myself as well as I could, 
 and then sought a very retired lodging. In the house in which 
 I fixed myself, lived a hanger-on at the court of the English col- 
 lector. This collector was an officer of the army ; collector and 
 judge at the same time. A desire from my past experience and 
 knowledge of the law at Broach, led me to examine into the state 
 of its administration at Poona, upon finding I possessed such an 
 opportunity, and having, moreover, little or nothing else to occupy 
 my time. My fellow-lodger, like many others, gained a livelihood 
 by knavery and chicanery in the arbitration suits ; he held his 
 nocturnal meetings, and met his arbitration-gangs at all hours of 
 the night. His name was Loochajee, and he managed to be con- 
 cerned in almost every cause. His intentions in this respect 
 were admirably seconded by the prevailing system of administering 
 justice by arbitration. He contrived to enrich himself by plunder- 
 ing both plaintiffs and defendants. I will endeavour to give my 
 readers an account of the system of punchayet or arbitration, said 
 to be far superior to the system of justice enforced in Guzerat, 
 which I have elsewhere explained. It will then be easy to judge 
 which of the two systems is best adapted to afford real and sub- 
 stantial justice. At Poona there was no regular judge, as in the 
 courts of Guzerat ; — a collector of the revenue, with two assistants, 
 was expected to do everything. In the administration of justice 
 he obtained the assistance of a punchayet, consisting of five 
 arbitrators — a plan said to be highly approved of by the natives, 
 it being their own customary mode of settling disputes; but, if a 
 better mode were pointed out, it does not seem to me that they 
 would despise it. Trials by punchayet flourished most during the 
 power of the great Poona minister, Xanna Furnavesc, when no 
 files of undecided suits were ever heard of. The difference be- 
 tween that time and more recent ones was, that then three-fourths 
 of the declarations of suits were never allowed to be put on 
 
 X 
 
TANDURANG HARI 
 
 the file — a very simple method of keeping it clear. Under the 
 English, almost every plaint was admitted and referred to 
 arbitration : the consequence of this being, that a sufficient 
 number of persons to sit on arbitrations could not be found ; and 
 tho^e who did sit had no pay, either from the litigating parties or 
 from the Government. A Tew respectable merchants and others 
 had no objection to sit now and then upon a punchayet ; but it 
 could not be expected that such would sit every day in the year, 
 and leave their owes, concerns entirely, to settle the business of 
 others gratis. Even supposing they were paid for their services, 
 the fee would most likely fall short of the profits arising from 
 their own exertions in their daily avocations. A marked man, or 
 having the reputation of ability, would be constantly called upon. 
 The punchayet consists of two persons named by the. plaintiff, 
 and two by the defendant, the Government nominating the fifth 
 or umpire. The latter I never could discover to be of much use. 
 He was designed to see fair play, and prevent delay ; but in the 
 event of two arbitrators being for the plaintiff and two for the 
 defendant, the case could only be settled by the umpire, who was 
 always expected to decide it one way or another. If he allowed 
 an award that was unjust, he was called to account for it. If he 
 reversed or interfered with the opinions of the two arbitrators, 
 either for plaintiff or defendant, he was severely censured for 
 so doing. His office was thus completely neutralised. At length, 
 no respectable natives would sit as arbitrators ; and the court 
 was, in consequence, haunted by fellows like my fellow -lodger, 
 Loochajee — men who could write and read, and were respectable, 
 as far as external appearance went, but in reality were depraved 
 and unprincipled. By such men came, at last, to be decided the 
 claims of the inhabitants of Poona for justice. The method by 
 which they turn their trade to account is, by first securing a large 
 retaining fee from the disputants who nominate them, and then 
 they contrive to follow up the first fee by numerous others ; so 
 that the richest man is almost sure to win his cause. Oftentimes 
 the arbitrators are all in league, and divide whatever comes to 
 the net in equal portions — in this case they apply themselves 
 to sumjao, the defendant. In Poona this word has several 
 
rAXnUKAXG JIARJ. 
 
 327 
 
 meanings — such as, to buy a person over, to talk over, or to 
 persuade ; but it is meant also to threaten an individual, and in 
 that sense it is generally used by the arbitrators when in combina- 
 tion. The different arbitrators come to the defendant, and state 
 that they have determined he shall pay to the plaintilT a certain 
 sum of money. He objects, and they tell him he had better 
 comply, and say before the umpire that he is satisfied ; for, if he 
 does not, they will fix the sum to be paid at double the amount, 
 and then he must pay, or go to a gaol by their decree. This is 
 denominated the sumjaoing system ; and the poor defendant has 
 the option of paying a comparatively small sum of money by his 
 own free-will and consent, or of agreeing to be ruined by a decree 
 of the court. The arbitrators having been well fee'd on both sides 
 before they read a paper in the cause, put on their law)er-like 
 looks, and lead the unlucky defendant before the umpire in the 
 court-room. The foreman of the party presents the decree, and 
 the umpire asks if the party is satisfied. The poor devil, 
 knowing the power of the arbitrators, joins his hands, and 
 answers, " Ho,m,ha,raj," — yes, my lord. He is then ordered to 
 pay the money forthwith, and the arbitrators, like my fellow- 
 lodger, retire to hunt down fresh game. Sliould these men be at 
 any time detected in their malpractices, it is a matter of indiffer- 
 ence to them, as they have no character to lose ; and, should 
 they be marked out and never employed again, they think them- 
 selves lucky in having made what they have contrived to secure. 
 
 Another class of persons who, I found, turn a penny by the 
 sale of justice, are the hangers-on of some inferior offices of the 
 courts, who just cook up cases, and then make the disputants 
 believe that, through their interest, their cause will be admitted 
 without delay. The Mahrattas, well aware of the difticulty that 
 existed under tlieir old government of getting heard, think that 
 the same difficulties exist under the new, which is contrar)- to the 
 fact. An agent sat daily to receive petitions, not one of which 
 was presented without a gratuity being i)aid to some hanger-on in 
 the court, who had pretended to the petitioner he either will or 
 has spoken to the officer of justice in his favour, and that he may 
 advance and lay his document safely on the table, and rely it will 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 be received and attended to in consequence of their interference. 
 In Guzerat, where the Government receives all fees for admitting 
 suits according to the amount sued for, every one knows what he 
 has to pay on filing his suit ; and, at all events, feels confident it 
 will be attended to in turn. Notwithstanding all the pretended 
 advantages of the arbitration system, the files of causes were soon 
 found swelling to a prodigious size ; for, though there were two 
 or three gangs of arbitrators appointed, they were so dilator}', 
 that business accumulated faster than they despatched them. 
 But, though little was effected in the way of despatch, these 
 judges were ever ready to take a fresh fee or a new cause. Thus, 
 my fellow-lodger had twenty cases on hand at once, on all of 
 which he had taken care to pocket the money. Should he be 
 detected, he well knew he was safe on the credit side of the 
 account, while his clients would have to fee his successor, and be 
 duped twice over. At length, a gentleman was appointed to the 
 office, who saw into the devices of this class of men. They 
 determined, however, to get rid of him at all hazards. They 
 collected together charges against him that were groundless in 
 themselves, but which they offered to substantiate ; and he was 
 recalled, for their benefit and his own ruin. 
 
 A military individual was placed at the head of the civil depart- 
 ment at Poona; another of the same profession at Sattarab, 
 Ahmednugur, and Kandeish ; these were selected for their know- 
 ledge of the Mahrattas and their language. Yet this could hardly 
 be true ; for I heard of far better scholars in the two Concans, 
 who could write a Mahratta letter and read an answer in that 
 tongue; whereas not one of these military Englishmen in the 
 Deccan could understand the contents of a letter, unless it were 
 read to him by an attendant clerk ! In consequence, the latter 
 might read whatever he pleased to make the contents of the 
 document in his hand to be. In the Concan, gentlemen not of 
 the military profession conducted all their business in the Mah- 
 ratta tongue ; while those of the Deccan transacted theirs in bad 
 Hindustanee, so as not to be comprehensible to either Deccan 
 Brahmin, or Deccan Coombie. The former were therefore 
 infinitely better fitted for the purpose of judges than the latter,. 
 
 i 
 
P.LXnURANG HAR}. 329 
 
 and it seemed to me bad policy in the Government not to see this. 
 As to the punchayet system, it will not do, if the English wish to 
 distribute justice to the inhabitants, and do not wish to discourage 
 applications for redress, and thus force the people to settle their 
 own differences among themselves. I found those civil-military 
 men so eager to call in arbitrators, that they proceeded to try 
 criminal as well as civil cases by them. The folly of this, how- 
 ever, became too apparent to be long allowed, and the Govern- 
 ment issued its orders to discontinue the trial of criminals by 
 this method. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 FTER remaining in Poona some weeks, and hearing 
 nothing from Nanna, I became very anxious respecting 
 the future, and finally determined to set off for Sattarah 
 myself. I was convinced something very unexpected had 
 occurred, to prevent my receiving tidings from that quarter. 
 Delay, too, was prejudicial to my future views ; and therefore, 
 muffling up myself one dark evening, and taking my sword 
 and dagger, I left Poona, travelled all night for better conceal- 
 ment, and in the morning crept into a shed, eating only bread 
 and dried grain. I left my hiding-place at night, and again 
 proceeded onwards, thus effectually concealing my movements. 
 On the morning of the third day I reached Sattarah, where I 
 found everything quiet. One evening I went into a temple to 
 make puja to the god ; I stayed a much longer time than was- 
 customary, because I imagined I might hear something in- 
 teresting respecting public affairs from the people who repaired 
 thither. In this expectation I was disappointed, as I heard 
 nothing that could be of the least service to me. The bell tolled 
 before I prepared to leave the consecrated spot, and the small 
 lamp burning before the image expiring, all was darkness. I 
 groped my way towards the threshold, and had just crossed it, 
 when the sound of voices struck my ear. It was evident the 
 persons speaking intended to enter the temple, not to make piija 
 to the god, but to discuss some secret transaction. As I 
 imagined their conversation might relate to politics, I became 
 anxious to gain some information ; and having just sufficient 
 time to do so unobserved, I re-entered the temple and concealed 
 myself in a corner. The two persons entered, and seated them- 
 selves in the centre of the building. One of them began by 
 
 330 
 
 i 
 
PAXDURANG HAKI. 
 
 exclaiming, " So you are just as clever a fellow as your com- 
 panion ; you have been all this time at Poona, and have not 
 found out that Pandurang H^ri ! " *' What could I do ? " replied 
 the other fellow, whom I knew to be Gumbia ; "he eluded me, 
 as I before explained to you." ''Shame on you," obser\-cd the 
 first speaker, whom I knew to be Kokoo, *' to dog them all the 
 way from Guzerat, and then to lose sight of them within two 
 days* march of Sattarah ! Then, again, your sagacious com- 
 panion, the bullock-driver, to bring us a woman no one ever 
 saw or heard of before — an old hag, that it would be common 
 charity to drown ! Sagoonah is no doubt in Poona, and that 
 devil Pandoo is with her. You say you met them returning 
 thither, and pursued them, and that your companion pursued 
 the other man and woman, whom nobody knows or cares about. 
 However, I shall take good care of the man, and will not release 
 him until he gives me information whereby I may secure his 
 friend and Sagoonah." "We shall get them yet," said Gumbia ; 
 
 " there is plenty of time yet to " '' I^olt, idiot ! " cried Kokoo, 
 
 " there is not a moment to be lost. Who knows but the rajali 
 may die to-morrow ? and has not Sagoonah's uncle declared he 
 will not advance a rupee to Gunput Rao until the latter shall 
 produce his niece, and she is married to iMahadeo ? This Sevaje 
 is also supposed to be in Sattarah, ready to produce his claims 
 to the throne ; how, then, is there time to spare ? Now, what 
 stupid wretches have you two been ! '' " Not so fast," cried 
 Gumbia; "did you never miss catching the birds yourself at 
 Broach ? " " Yes," said Kokoo, " because I depended on that 
 sneaking villain Premje. Would I had knocked out his brains ' " 
 " Perhaps you have," observed Gumbia, *' I fear not," said 
 Kokoo. " Have you any tidings resi)ecting Sevaje, or his place 
 of concealment ? " " None," was the reply. " That is the old 
 answer," said Kokoo ; " done nothing, and know nothing, and 
 still expect to be paid ! I see it is useless to trust such scoundrels 
 as you are. Gunput Rao must be independent of the rich 
 banker, and strike a blow with the means he already has in his 
 possession." •' He will fail then," said Gumbia. " Scoundrel ! 
 say that again," retorted Kokoo, "and it shall be your death. 
 
332 
 
 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 He shall not fail ; though we wade through rivers of blood, either 
 he or his son shall sit on the Sattarah musnud." " But Sevaje 
 has a party also," said Gumbia. " He has," replied Kokoo, " and 
 they inarch to-morrow night for a stronghold to the southward, 
 and will be cut to pieces on the way. Do you know the fortress 
 where they now are ? " " Yes," replied Gumbia, " on the high 
 hill, eight coss from hence." "Well, then," observed Kokoo, 
 " they quit that place, and must pass through deep ravines. Our 
 troops will meet them hemmed in there, and annihilate the 
 presumptuous followers of the unwary Sevaje. Hasten you to 
 Hossein, my brave Mohammedan lieutenant, and bid him pre- 
 pare and meet me on the open plain at noon to-morrow." The 
 two villains then left the temple. 
 
 I determined, as soon as I could, to proceed to the hill- 
 fortress, and apprise the garrison of the designs of Kokoo. I 
 left my hiding-place much grieved at finding Nanna had fallen 
 into the hands of our enemies. It was more than probable 
 Cabbage would again see him, and, remembering his former 
 conduct towards him, complete that which it was not his fault 
 was not finished when he stabbed him in the cave. I should 
 have been most happy to overhear the place of his confinement ; 
 but Kokoo did not mention it, and it was impossible for me to 
 make the discovery without some cue. I felt sure Nanna would 
 never betray me or Sagoonah. I could only hope that chance 
 might conduct me to the place where he was detained, and that 
 I might, by some means or other, be enabled to effect his libera- 
 tion. I was not at an equal loss to know where the troops of 
 Sevaje were posted, and I accordingly hastened to the hills, on 
 the summit of the highest of which stood a strong fortified tower. I 
 ascended the rugged path that led to the gates of the fort. On 
 arriving at them, I knocked for admittance, and an old man thrust 
 out his head from a loophole over the door, and inquired who had 
 disturbed his slumbers. " Slumbers ! " I answered, " who would 
 expect to find any one asleep within these walls ? If this be the 
 case, awaken the garrison, and let me have an audience of the 
 commandant." " That thou hast already," said the old man, " and 
 for one very good reason — I am the only person it contains." 
 
PAXDUKAXG JIArI y^-^ 
 
 " \\Tiat ! " I cried, " arc not the troops within ? " " No, I tell 
 you,"' said the old fellow ; " they left me in the dead of night." 
 " Then all is safe," I extlaimed ; " I came to apprize them of 
 their danger on their march through the ravines." " They must, 
 then, by this time, have met with it or avoided it," observed the 
 old man : '' but who are you that appear to be so vastly knowing, 
 and unaccountably kind to our troops?" "Hush!" I replied, 
 in a whisper ; " this is no place for politics. If you will admit 
 
 me into the fort " " Stay a minute," cried the wary old fellow ; 
 
 " you do not take me for such an ass, do you ? Get you gone 
 from hence instantly, or you shall have a matchlock bullet or a 
 Bheel's arrow after you ! Ho ! begone." So saying, he pointed 
 the muzzle of a matchlock through a loophole towards me, which 
 caused me to use no little expedition in getting away. I made 
 the trusty old guard a salaam when I got at random-shot distance, 
 and soon reached the plain. 
 
 Whether the troops had left th^ fortress or not, I could not 
 presume to decide. It was probable the guardian there had mis- 
 informed me on purpose, conceiving me a spy in the employ of 
 Gunput Rao. Knowing Kokoo was in Sattarah, and seeing little 
 chance of obtaining intelligence respecting the youth to whom 
 Sagoonah had been betrothed, I determined upon taking advan- 
 tage of the present moment to proceed to Indore, in hopes of 
 once more falling in with the goatherd of the glen, or of gaining 
 some intelligence respecting him from his friend Shewdhut 
 Wanee, to whom he had before referred me. It was the 
 current report that Sevaje (whom I had strong reason for believing 
 to be my old friend the goatherd) was concealed at Sattamh. 
 This, however, was but report, and tlicre was no chance of my 
 arriving at a certainty upon the subject, without proceeding to 
 Indore and making the needful inquiry, and learning, if he were 
 really at Sattarah, how I was to discover him. I had no time to 
 lose, and therefore I travelled as fast as I could towards the city, 
 for I had no money to hire tatoos ; and, after a si.\ days' laborious 
 march, I entered Indore. I had expended my last ruix?e ; and, 
 hungry and wretchedly fatigued, I presented myself before 
 Shewdhut Wanee. A thousand times I regretted having fallen 
 
334 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 in with the Bheels, and being plundered of the silver ring given 
 me by the goatherd. I felt that the friends of the old man were 
 obliged to be exceedingly cautious respecting the knowledge of 
 him, circumstanced as he must be ; and that, without some un- 
 deniable proof of my acquaintance with him, I should not be 
 trusted even by Shewdhut. Upon my requesting an audience of 
 Shew^dhut, a lean meagre form lifted up his head from his 
 account-books, and said, " I am Shewdhut Wanee, brother ; what 
 do you want?" I replied I came in search of an old man, for 
 whom I had a sincere regard ; who bade me, should I wish to 
 communicate with him, apply here. " Old man ! apply to me ! " 
 cried Shewdhut; "why, I don't keep old men!" "You are 
 right," said I, "to be cautious ; but, rely upon it, I am no 
 deceiver ; for this old man gave me a ring (which I described to 
 Shewdhut), and said that, upon showing it, you would conduct 
 me to him." Upon my saying this, he shut his book, and, looking 
 me very closely in the face, beckoned me to follow him into the 
 interior of his dwelling. I obeyed, and Wanee, upon our being 
 seated, held out his hand for the ring, which he bade me produce. 
 I was now compelled to relate by what unforeseen accident I had 
 been deprived of this valuable token of my identity. I ended 
 by expressing my hopes that my description of the old man, and 
 of the ring he had given me, would be a sufficient proof to him 
 that I was no deceiver, but a sincere friend, who panted to serve 
 the recluse wdth all my heart. The Wanee would not refuse me 
 his confidence, but he gave it me very warily and cautiously. He 
 said he recollected the recluse had mentioned to him something 
 about a young man whom he was anxious to see ; but that, it 
 being a long time ago, he had quite forgotten what he said. " You 
 must know, young man," continued Shewdhut, " that the person 
 you seek is not in Indore." I told him I expected as much; but 
 I asked if he was not at Sattarah ? Wanee said he was, and he 
 was about to join him there ; and, if I would go also, he would 
 be my guide. This was singularly fortunate for me, and I 
 expressed my readiness to attend him thither immediately. He 
 proposed to leave Indore in two days, and I promised to be-. 
 punctual in my attendance upon him for that purpose^ 
 
FAXDURAXG IIARI. 3^i5 
 
 Before I rose to depart, I begged Wanee to inform me whether 
 the ralations of Sawunt Rao, my old benefactor, were still in 
 Indore. " They are," said he ; " but how dost thou know 
 these people ? " "I knew Sawunt Rao," said I, " and served in 
 his army." "Indeed!" observed Wanee, "and what is your 
 name ? " I replied, " Pandurang HJlri." He then asked if I was 
 Sawunt's adopted son, and if he left me any money when he 
 died. I answered according to the facts, adding, that I must 
 except a kurdoorah chain found on me when I was a child. 
 Wanee then inquired where the chain was, and I told him it 
 remained with the relatives of Sawunt. " It must be ! " said 
 Wanee to himself, musing as if about some mysterj'. " Young 
 man, you must possess yourself of this chain, and take it with 
 you to Sattarah. Ask me no questions. But stay — it may not 
 be ! yet it is strange — an embossed chain, say you ? " I nodded 
 in the affirmative, very naturally wondering at the same time to 
 what all the mystery tended. He then bade me describe the 
 clasp. I replied it had a snake's head, with two rubies for eyes. 
 " It is what I thought ! " said Wanee ; " we must be off to-morrow, 
 my young friend. He who first bound that chain round your 
 loins pants to behold you." I asked who that was, with some 
 eagerness. Wanee answered, " He whom you seek, the recluse 
 of the glen — your father ! " " The recluse, the old goatherd, ray 
 father?" I exclaimed. "O good Wanee, bring me to him ; let 
 me clasp him to my heart ! Have I, indeed, found a parent ? 
 Say, is it Sevaje ? " " Silence ! let not that name pass your 
 lips. Walls have ears," said W\inee, " and whispers are often 
 carried upon the air: silence alone is security. It is the 
 same whom you knew — the goatherd, the recluse; and ere 
 long he will welcome you as a king and a father ! " " Then 
 Ishwar be praised ! " I rejoined, " and nerve my arm to crush all 
 his enemies. Has my father given up every hope of finding 
 me?" I inquired. "He has long since despaired of doing so," 
 said Wanee : " often has he conversed with me upon the fatal 
 events which tore you from him ; and has frequently alluded to 
 the embossed chain, which he himself fastened around your 
 waist on ihe dreadful night of your separation." I then demanded 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 if Wanee had all along been the friend of my unfortunate parent. 
 He answered in the affirmative, and that he saved my father's 
 life ; but bade me seek to know no more at that moment. " Yes," 
 I cried, " I must hear more. Did my father mention a girl who 
 was betrothed to me ? " Wanee replied that he did. I eagerly 
 demanded " if he knew her name ? " " This," said Wanee, " I 
 never heard him mention. But from him you shall yourself 
 learn more, if, indeed, as you appear, you are in reality his son. 
 Let us hasten to regain your chain, and then push on to Sattarah, 
 where your father now sojourns." "Thanks," I cried, "my best 
 friend ! and may the great Dum reward you for all your 
 goodness ! " 
 
 We set out accordingly for the house of Sawunt Rao's widow, 
 and, being introduced into her apartment, I made myself known 
 to her. She arose immediately, and welcomed me with much 
 sincerity. After I had made inquiries respecting the health of 
 her family as well as her own, I asked her respectfully for the 
 silver chain left me by her husband. She desired us to seat our- 
 selves, and withdrew, saying she had not forgotten her promise to 
 take care of it for me. In a few minutes, she returned with it in 
 her hand. Shewdhut examined the silver kurdoorah minutely, 
 and declared openly his opinion it was the identical chain he had 
 so often heard spoken of before. He desired the widow to tell 
 him what her husband said when he presented me with the chain. 
 The widow replied, that he said he bequeathed the chain to me, 
 because it had been found on my person when a child, and he 
 had preserved it in the hope it might lead to a discovery of my 
 parents. Shewdhut observed that he was now convinced all his 
 surmises were correct respecting me. The widow expressed her 
 hope I should soon discover my friends, and was curious to learn 
 whether I had already found any clue to my parents. Wanee 
 said he hoped we had, but that it would be wrong to be too 
 sanguine, and that she should in due time be made acquainted 
 with the result of our inquiries. 
 
 Wanee now requested me to return with him to his dwelling 
 to sleep that night, saying he had a comfortable apartment for 
 the accommodation of his friends. Sleep, as it may naturally be 
 
 i 
 
 J 
 
PAXDURAXG IIARL 337 
 
 supposed, was a stranger to my eyes ; and I lay all night restless, 
 and haunted with reflections on the strange disclosures which 
 that day had brought to light by means of Shewdhut Wanee. I 
 could not believe it possiJjle that I, a poor houseless wanderer, 
 could be the lawful successor to a musnud ; that in a short time 
 I should clasp a fother to my heart, when I had been so many 
 years a desolate outcast. This was a happiness which I never 
 could have conjectured to be in store for me ! I moreover re- 
 flected that it was probable I was the being to whom Sagoonah 
 had been betrothed; for though Wanee did not recollect the 
 name of the girl, I felt almost convinced it could be no other. 
 This idea was the source of infinite delight. Was it a delusion? 
 It might be, but it was much more probably a reality, than my 
 being the son of Sevaje, and a prince. When I reflected upon 
 my affinity to Gabbagc, I shuddered at his crimes, and thought 
 how little I imagined, when listening to Mahadeo's tale in the 
 Pindaree fort, that the relater was my cousin, who had sworn to 
 persecute me. These reflections kept me awake during the 
 whole night; and, as soon as it was morning, I went to the 
 door of Shewdhut's room. Not hearing him stir, I called out, 
 and was answered by his wife, of whom I demanded whether 
 her husband was ready. She replied he had been gone out an 
 hour before. "Gone," said I, "and not called me? Impos- 
 sible ! " " He went to the temple," replied the woman, alarmed, 
 "to make puja, intending to return and summon you to attend 
 him on his journey to Sattarah." I inquired how long it was 
 since he left his chamber; and she answered, "a full hour." 
 I ran immediately to the temple. The morning was clear and 
 beautiful ; and with breathless haste I entered the edifice — but 
 I could find no Shewdhut there ; and I was leaving the place in 
 despair, when, to my surprise and horror, I discovered spots of 
 blood upon the pavement. Some one, it immediately struck 
 me, had murdered him, and carried off his body. How was I 
 doomed to bitter disappointment ! The motive which led to 
 such an act could not be plunder, it was evident ; for at such a 
 time it was not likely Wanee would have had money about his 
 person. I searched everywhere around the temple without 
 
PANDURANG HARI 
 
 effect. The traces of blood disappeared at the entrance of the 
 building, so that on the exterior there was no mark or track to 
 direct the pursuit. I hastened back to Shewdhut's wife ; and, 
 with tears in my eyes, related what I had seen, and my fears of 
 the worst having happened. I bade her hope, however, that it 
 might not be the blood of her husband, and that he might still 
 return. She began immediately to beat her breast and tear her 
 hair, screaming in so frantic a manner at the same time, that 
 her neighbours rushed in from all quarters to demand the cause 
 of her loud lamentations. "Oh! my husband, my husband!" 
 were the only words she could utter ; while I informed the by- 
 standers of the event which we had too much reason to fear 
 must have happened, requesting some of them to accompany 
 me, and try if we could get any further tidings of Wanee, who, 
 if alive, it was reasonable to surmise could not be very far distant. 
 All bewailed the fate of their late neighbour, but not one volun- 
 teered to accompany me in search of the lost man — so very 
 careful was each individual present of his own security. 
 
 Disgusted at such conduct, and impatient of delay, I sallied 
 forth again from the house with my sword in my hand, and once 
 more entered the temple. I saw no one there, and then I pro- 
 ceeded to search a small grove at the back of the building. The 
 grass was trodden down apparently by several footsteps ; thence 
 I tracked feet to the open plain, where I entirely lost the marks. 
 I continued my search until evening unsuccessfully, and I then 
 returned to the distressed wife of Shewdhut, disconsolate and 
 unhappy. I found the poor woman stretched on her bed, almost 
 exhausted by weeping and sorrow. I feared to disturb her j as, 
 by having nothing comforting to communicate, I should but add 
 to her sorrow. I sat down on the threshold of the door, meditat- 
 ing on Shewdhut's disappearance, and thinking that my hopes of 
 beholding my father were now almost annihilated. Still I deter- 
 mined to proceed to Sattarah, and spare no labour, when there, 
 to find out Sevaje's present concealment. Having the kurdoorah 
 in my possession, I could not fail of being acknowledged by him 
 as his son, if I really were so, although the presence of Shewdhut 
 would have facilitated the means, and hastened the time of inves- 
 
PAXDCKAXa JIARI. 
 
 339 
 
 tigation. Fastening my turban under my chin, and putting on 
 my shoes, I was leaving the street in which the house of Shewdhut 
 was situated, when, to my astonishment, I was surrounded by a 
 crowd of Wanee's friends, who made me their prisoner, calling 
 mc Shewdhut's murderer. It was in vain that I endeavoured to 
 convince them of their mistake : they hurried me to the police- 
 office, where, the whole affair having been investigated, I was 
 fortunately released. I call myself fortunate, because, on being 
 charged with such a crime by a mob, I did not get more ill-usage, 
 and was suftered to depart. I did not go in peace notwithstand- 
 ing, although the kotwall released me; for the people still 
 maintained their firj: opinion o. my beivig, dircc.ly or indirectly, 
 concerned in Shewdhurs murder; and I was hooted, hissed and 
 pelted out of the city, as if I had been the greatest criminal that 
 had ever been within its walls. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII, 
 
 ^EING once clear of the people and in the open fields, to 
 which I had run until my breath began to fail me, I 
 was surrounded by night, which had begun to close in 
 before I was clear of the city. I still, however, continued my 
 journey towards Sattarah, until I was overcome with weariness 
 and fatigue. I threw myself down under a tree, and sank, almost 
 worn out, into a sound slumber. I was awoke by the loud 
 snorting of an elephant, which, with its driver upon his neck, was 
 proceeding along the road. As I was rousing myself, the mahou- 
 hut called out, " Hollo, brother ! what — asleep in the jungles at 
 this time of the year ! I replied, travellers wearied by long 
 marching had no choice left, and the shelter of a tree must, in 
 such cases, be put up with. " Whither art thou going ? " asked 
 the driver. I told him to Sattarah. " Well, that is fortunate," 
 rejoined the mahouhut, " for I am bound there also, and will give 
 you a ride upon the elephant." I thanked him, and tapping his 
 animal upon the head, he cried, " Kneel down." The huge 
 creature obeyed, and I clambered up his side, and when seated, 
 the animal arose with us at command. It was the first time I 
 had ever rode upon one of these sagacious beasts. The elephant 
 was sometimes troublesome, in which case the mahouhut thrust 
 his goad into the hole of a wound behind the animal's ear, which 
 he said he never suffered to heal, and it instandy had the good 
 sense to become submissive. The mahouhut observed, that he 
 had another sore place which he probed when he wanted the 
 animal to quicken his pace, and another when he wanted to make 
 him scream, or utter a salaam in praise of his lord and master. 
 I inquired his master's name, and he informed me it was Holkar's 
 dewan, or prime minister ; adding, " and a good master he is, for 
 
 S40 
 
ave all act as we like, and fill our bellies by doing the people to the 
 extent of our fancies." Thus the mahouhut scarcely ever ceased 
 chattering about one thing and another every minute of the 
 journey, except when he called out to his elephant, Chul, chul, or 
 *' walk on quick," accompanying the word of command with a kick 
 behind the creature's ear. The beast went along snorting and 
 puffing at a brisk rate, and the driver would begin to talk to me 
 again. I inquired what news there was at Indore. "Oh, nothing 
 particular," replied the fellow ; " an old wanee,' they say, has been 
 murdered (chul, chul, Baba !), and it is supposed a stranger, who 
 lodged in his house, is the guilty person ; but our kotwall could 
 see no ground for the charge, and released the stranger, who was 
 no doubt very glad to get off. For my part, if he really did kill 
 the old grain-seller, I think he did a good act ; there are too many 
 of these miserly old rascals in Indore, and the grain is so dear, a 
 poor man must almost star\-e." I remarked, I did not think that 
 Avas his case, for he appeared in excellent condition. " Me? no, 
 no, old Fiitteh gudgc* here gives me half his flour and ghee daily, 
 and he must be fed, let grain be at what price it may. You know 
 it would little redound to my credit to mount my lord on a lean 
 brute." I obser\ed that what he said was true, nor would it 
 redound to his lord's credit to be driven by a lean mahouhut. 
 •' Exactly thus," replied the driver ; " and thus Futteh and myself 
 are, you observe, in condition, not among the spare creation. 
 
 This mahouhut was a merry good-natured fellow, and at any 
 other time I should have entered into and enjoyed his jokes ; 
 but now, recent events, and my anxiety for the future — the idea 
 of finding a father, or of being crossed by some mischance in my 
 endeavours to penetrate to his retreat, pressed upon my mind. I 
 could not long continue to feign an enjoyment of the fellow's wit, 
 and to put on a jocularity that must sit but very awkwardly upon 
 me. The driver soon perceived I was not his match in spirits, 
 and that I often relapsed into silence and thoughtfulness. He 
 would then console himself with a song, stopping frequently in 
 the midst of his ditty to cry out to his elephant, " Chul, chul, 
 
 ' Or shopkeeper. 
 
 "- Epithet applied to the elephant, meaning "victorious." 
 Y 
 
342 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 Baba ! " The last halt we made, before reaching our destination, 
 was at a small village, where the driver purposed to dine, together 
 with his beast. He being a Mohammedan, I could not dine 
 with him ; but he said he would give me some raw rice, if I would 
 accompany him to the grain-shops in the small bazaar. Having 
 fastened the elephant's hind leg by a chain to a tree, and put a 
 rope round his fore legs, we entered into the bazaar. To observe 
 the airs the fellow put on, he might have been taken for the 
 dewan himself, instead of his mahouhut. He twisted his mus- 
 tachios, and cocked his turban on one side, folding his arms 
 akimbo before a grain-shop, where, in the midst of a few half- 
 filled baskets of grain, sat crossed-legged a stan'ed meagre Mar- 
 warry, the owner of the shop. " Ho ! you skin and bone Mar- 
 warry," cried the driver, " up with you, and supply my lord the 
 dewan's elephant with rice, ghee, flour, d^wd^jagi-ee? Be quick, I 
 say, or, by Allah, I will show you how my elephant serves those 
 who will not feed him." " Arry deo, hoi, hoi,'^ ^ cried the grain 
 merchant ; " I have no rice, no ghee, no flour, no jagree. Your 
 beast would eat up all in the village." " Silence, you rascal," 
 cried the mahouhut, " or I will report you on my return." " In- 
 deed," said the poor devil," you must go to the potail ; I have no 
 supply of what you demand. Good driver, don't distress me;, 
 go," added he, in a low whisper, " to the shop of Laldass in the 
 next street, his granaries are full of everything you want." 
 " Weh, well," answered the mahouhut, " if he has not any, I shall 
 return to yoii." We then went on to Laldass ; but he having, 
 probably heard of the great devourer that was come into the vil- 
 lage, and knowing that if he parted with his grain he would never 
 be paid for it, had carefully shut up his shop. In a violent rage,. 
 the mahouhut returned to the Manvarry ; but he, taking advantage 
 of our absence, had done the same thing before we could return 
 to him, and most carefully secured the avenues that led to his 
 rice and flour, in the midst of which he had no doubt taken up 
 his quarters. The mahouhut then went to the potail, sayings 
 " Here I am ; do you choose to feed us ? " ''What can I do? " 
 
 ' Coarse sugar. - An exclamation. 
 
PAX/H'J^AXG IfARL 343 
 
 replied the poor fellow ; " I cannot make grain." " Very well, 
 my friend," said the driver, " you know the consequences !" The 
 potail shrugged up his shoulders, and said he was helpless; for the 
 grain-dealers had shut up their shops. " Then, by Allah," said 
 the mahouhut, *' they shall soon be opened." Having said this, 
 he went to the place where he had left his beast tied up, and 
 roviring for his food. Loosening his chain and ropes he scrambled 
 upon his neck, and rode him up to the shop of Laldass, which 
 was merely the verandah of a house, closed up with a number <3f 
 narrow planks that served for shutters. The elephant stood close 
 with its enormous head touching the shutters, and his rider called 
 out, " Ho ! within there, I want rice." " Chawid nu,hut'-' ' cried 
 a voice from within. " Bring flour then," said the mahou- 
 Iiut. '' Attah nii,hue;'* was the reply. "Ghee then." '' Toop 
 nu,hue,'" z answered the shopkeeper with a hearty laugh, as 
 if it was a good joke. '• Give me jagree then," said the 
 driver. '' Gor nu,hue^' * responded the shopkeeper. " I will 
 see if you tell truth then," answered the mahouhut ; and 
 placing his heels behind tlie ears of his elephant, and goading 
 him in one of the sore places he had before mentioned, he 
 exclaimed, " Tor dallo, Baba, zoor se.'' * The cunning animal, as 
 if it knew the flour was behind the shutters, butted at them with 
 full force, and crash they went to pieces in an instant, and 
 discovered Laldass in the midst of plenty, tumbling affrighted 
 over his baskets of grain. " Oh, mercy 1 mercy ! " he cried ; 
 " here is flour, ghee, rice, and sugar, good mahouhut, take what 
 you want." " Rascal," cried the driver, " I have a great mind to 
 make the elephant squeeze the breath out of your miserable body. 
 for giving me so much trouble. Come, fill my sacks, or I will 
 not spare you." The women of Laldass now came forward, and 
 filled the bags with everything he wanted, for which they did not 
 get a single rupee in return. The bags being placed on the ele- 
 phant's back, the animal walked majestically away, the maliouhut 
 saying to the poor devil of a grain-dealer, "' Perhaps I shall not 
 report you on my return to Indore, provided you have a second 
 
 ' No rice. ' No flmir. ' No ghee. 
 
 ^ No sugar. * "Break it to pieces, old fellow, with all your might" 
 
344 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 supply ready for me as I come back. Don't give me this trouble 
 again." The family bowed in silence. We now sought the 
 potail, who had provided wood for us, and some sugar-canes for 
 the elephant to eat while the bread was baking ; and we once 
 more secured the animal, and left him to munch them, while we 
 attended to our own cookery. " Did you ever see such rascals ? " 
 said the elephant-driver. " They would no more mind seeing me 
 and my elephant starve, than you would mind seeing them 
 hanged." " Not they," I replied ; " but, it is well we are not 
 out of Holkar's dominions ; for, were we in those of the English, 
 we should, I fear, be made to repent our feat." " Perhaps we 
 should," answered the fellow ; " but as the case stands, we have 
 nothing to do with the Toope Wallas, and I heartily wish they 
 were driven out of India." "'We must fight harder than we have 
 yet done to accomplish this," I rejoined ; " but were it not for 
 the bad management of your master and the other rajahs and 
 rulers, these foreigners would never have done what they have. 
 Holkar, Badjerao, and Scindea, are always ready for war, and 
 when it begins they run away from it. This is the way the Toope 
 Wallas have got so firm a hold among us, and we shall, I fear, 
 never live to see the end of it." '' What you say may be very 
 true," answered my companion; "but hang me if I know 
 anything about the matter; but I do know that, as long as I 
 drive an elephant, he shall not starve, come what may." We 
 pursued this discourse no further ; and as soon as the elephant 
 had devoured his bread, rice, and sugar, we continued our 
 journey. Nothing more occurred until we perceived the hill on 
 which the seven-towered fort of Sattarah' stands. I then deemed 
 it prudent to alight, and thanking the mahouhut for his kindness, 
 I walked, well muffled up, into the city. 
 
 In the streets I saw groups of ill-looking fellows conversing, 
 and their appearance convinced me there was something of im- 
 portance about to take place. In one part two men passed me 
 at a quick pace ; one of whom I felt certain was Cabbage Gousla. 
 They were out of sight in a moment ; but, from their hurried 
 
 * Called Sattarah, or Sath-Istara, or the Seven Stars, or Pleiades, from its 
 seven towers. 
 
PAXnURAXG HARI. 345 
 
 manner, I hvid a conviction that mischief could not be far off; — 
 perhaps some plot was on the eve of explosion, as my intelligence 
 respecting the state of affairs gave me good reason to surmise 
 would be the case. Having no money and little food, I deter- 
 mined to fast until the next day, and I rambled about until I 
 reached a durhm sallah, which was, very fortunately, unoccupied. 
 Here I took my silver kurdoorah, and secured it about my person. 
 It was too small to go round my waist, but I wound it twice 
 round my arm, getting the snakes' heads to meet with some 
 difficulty, and fixing them by the small screw attached to the 
 ornament. I had scarcely done this before I heard voices 
 approaching; and presently some men entered, carrying spears 
 and matchlocks. Seeing me sitting unemployed, they cried, 
 " Ho, brother ! — do you M-ant a job ? if so, come with us, and 
 load yourself with some of these weapons." I inquired whither 
 they were going ; — they told me where pay was to be had. I 
 asked who were their employers ; and they said they were persons 
 who would either be kings or beggars ; but upon my questioning 
 them further, they told me that was neither here or there, but bid 
 me jump up and assist them, for it was no time to be idle. I 
 desired them first to tell me whom I was to serve ; and one of 
 them cursed me, and said, * Shoot him ! he is one of Gunput's 
 spies ! " " Hold ! " I cried ; " I am not inclined that side the 
 question, anyhow." The men then bade me come along. I 
 piled several matchlocks on my shoulders, and followed them 
 through ravines and over hills, until we came to a ver}' consider- 
 able cavern. Here one of them gave a loud whistle, which was 
 answered by one more shrill, and of longer continuance, from 
 within. Not a word was spoken by my guides, until a light 
 gleamed from a recess of the cave. One of the men then said, 
 taking my wrist, " Come on, but utter not a word." The bearer 
 of the light now approached us; and, seeing me, asked mc 
 who I was. One of my companions answered that the load 
 was too heavy for them, and they had therefore hired me. Some 
 whispering then took place between the men who arrived with 
 me and the person who bore the torch, which ended in the 
 latter addressing me nearly to this effect :— " Stranger, you 
 
346 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 are at liberty to return from whence you came, or to enter 
 the cavern. If you choose to go away, here is your hire; 
 if you prefer to remain with us, you must not depart until 
 certain circumstances dissolve our band, in which, provided 
 you will enlist, we shall be happy to accept your services ; but 
 you must not flinch from the cause you have embraced, you 
 must bind yourself by a solemn oath to be faithful to our cause, 
 and to promote our objects even to death." I begged him to 
 admit me, and to state to me the nature of the service in which 
 they proposed I should embark. I said I was fearful lest I 
 should enter a den inhabited by Gunput Rao and his party, in 
 whose cause I would not engage; but if I did so, and found after 
 all that I was admitted of a party I could not support, — how 
 could I retract? To suppose no worse, after what I had said, 
 the cavern must be my prison until the present disputes were 
 settled. I said I had no objection, should an opportunity be 
 afforded me of so doing, to take a conspicuous part in fighting 
 for the unfortunate Sevaje, whom I had every reason to suppose 
 I was bound in honour to serve ; but to fall into the hands of his 
 opponent would, indeed, be a dreadful thing for me. The torch- 
 bearer, seeming to feel my embarrassment, desired me not to act 
 in too great a haste. " No deceit is ever practised here," said he; 
 " the troops of Sevaje fight in open and honourable warfare, for 
 no guile is suffered in his name ; and it is the same in all other 
 matters in which his followers engage." The name of Sevaje and 
 these statements (which I was conscious no agent of Gabbage 
 would use or make), determined me how to act. I made a 
 motion to the torch-bearer to lead me on, and delivered to him 
 my sword, as a sign I submitted to an engagement on his side of 
 the question. He then led me, with the other men, over several 
 rugged places, until we came to a wide stream that flowed subter- 
 raneously through the cave ; across this a door presented itself, 
 studded with iron spikes of enormous dimensions. On a signal 
 being given from without, the door was gradually lowered, until 
 it formed a bridge across the stream. We passed over, and 
 entered a spacious place — so much so, indeed, it seemed as if 
 the whole hill had been excavated to form the apartment. In 
 
PANDURANG hARI. ;,4 7 
 
 this excavation there sat twelve men, partly in armour, and before 
 them were provisions of all kinds. A hum of numerous voices 
 was heard, proceeding from different passages on the right and 
 left hand of the hollow or great chamber, which I immediately 
 conjectured to be Sevaje's stronghold. Who knew but he might 
 himself be there, or one of the twelve men before me ? I was so 
 intent in regarding their features, and so occupied with my 
 thoughts, that I did not hear one of them address me, until I 
 was pulled by the sleeve by the torch-bearer, who stood at my 
 side. Having satisfied my own mind Sevaje was not among 
 them, I craved pardon for my abstraction ; and one of them 
 repeated his question, demanding my name. I determined to 
 use no deceit, lest, on being discovered, I should not be trusted 
 in their affairs ; I therefore replied, " My name is Pandurang 
 Hilri." Several voices spoke at once — "Is it possible ?" cried 
 they. "Am I known, then," I responded, "by any of this 
 gallant band?" "Your name," said the first speaker, "is fa- 
 miliar to us ; — you have enemies, but your lucky star has led you 
 here. We have certain information of persons lying in wait for 
 you at Poona, where, it is reported, you have concealed a girl 
 named Sagoonah. Not being acquainted with your person, we 
 deemed it fruitless the attempting to find you out, and warn you 
 of your danger and of the secret attacks of your enemies. But 
 how did you come from Poona hither, and escape the assassins 
 that lurked about for you ? " I informed them in return tlut I 
 came not from Poona, but from Indore. They inquired if I 
 came alone. I said an unhappy man, who I feared was no more, 
 was to have accompanied me. They asked his name, and I told 
 them Shewdhut Wanee. " By Ishwar ! the ver>' man," cried the 
 chief of the party. " But say, how know you he is no more ? 
 How were you acquainted with him ? " I told him my life had 
 been one unfortunate scene of disappointments and hardships ; 
 that I had been hunted through the world by an unrelenting 
 enemy, who had sworn to take my life. I had fled to Guzcrat 
 from the Deccan, but I was allowed no rest ; my enemies followed 
 me closely, and dogged me back to my own country. I had been 
 tricked by knaves, robbed by Bheels, and pursued by assassins ; 
 
34S PANDURANG HAUL 
 
 that it so happened, as I was flying from the latter, I fell in with 
 an old man, a goatherd, in a glen near Asseerghur, whose life I 
 by chance discovered was in jeopardy. I made this circumstance 
 known to him ; we conversed together, and were mutually pleased. 
 I thought his resignation, and manners, and hidden misfortunes, 
 most touching ; I swore to serve him, should it be ever in my 
 power to do so. He told me he should quit the glen, and pro- 
 ceed to Indore, where lived a Wanee, named Shewdhut, who, on 
 my producing to him a silver ring which he left with me, would 
 conduct me to the place of his retreat. Circumstances after- 
 wards made it necessary for me to visit the goatherd, from whom 
 I conceived it possible I might learn something regarding an 
 unfortunate and persecuted girl already named ; that I went to 
 Indore for this purpose, had an interview with Shewdhut, whom 
 I convinced I was no impostor, and he, at length, told me that 
 the goatherd was not at Indore, but at Sattarah, whither he was 
 himself proceeding. I then mentioned the disappearance of 
 Shewdhut Wanee, and the reasons I had for believing him to 
 be murdered. 
 
 The chief of the party heard me conclude my story, with 
 melancholy in his countenance at the fate of Shewdhut. The 
 whole twelve now whispered to each other in so low a tone, I 
 could not catch a single syllable of what they said. The chief at 
 length begged me to retire for a short time, but to await their calL 
 The torch-bearer arose, and, opening a little side-door, desired 
 me to follow him. I then entered a small square chamber, 
 covered with mats, on which he bade me be seated, and left me 
 to reflect on my singular adventure. In about an hour I was 
 summoned again into the presence of the council, the chief of 
 which desired me to be seated in front of him. I obeyed, 
 and he then commenced by stating that they had resolved to< 
 ask me a few questions more, which I might or might noti 
 answer, as I saw fit ; but that, in answering them, there was every 
 probability of benefiting myself Moreover, having heard my 
 answers, they could better determine how far to intrust me with 
 the secrets connected with their cause, and the object they had 
 in view. I bowed assent, and they proceeded : — " Have you 
 
PANDURANG IIARI. 34; 
 
 any reason to believe that the goatherd you mentioned is any 
 other than a private individual ? " I answered, " I have every 
 reason to believe him to be Sevaje, the lawful successor to the 
 musnud of Sattarah." They then bade me state my reasons; 
 and, fearing to hint at the chance of my being his son, lest it 
 should not be so after all, and I should be esteemed presump- 
 tuous, I answered, *' that Shewdhut had dropped some pretty 
 strong hints to me, and some expressions had escaped him, from 
 which I gathered that such was the case — indeed, I felt certain 
 of it." They then inquired who Sagoonah was. I replied, " A 
 girl betrothed to a young man who has never been heard of." 
 '• How came she under your protection ? " I answered, " She 
 is not under my protection ; she lives with her aunt. I am ac- 
 quainted with them, and wished to marry the girl ; but the 
 uncertainty as to the fate of her betrothed husband prevents our 
 union." They then inquired where I first knew her, and I told 
 them how I had rescued her from the hands of murderers, and 
 had aided in concealing her from them to this day. They next 
 questioned me if I knew any of the murderers, and I told them 
 that one was named Gabbage Gousla, who was also an enemy of 
 mine. "Indeed," cried the chieftain. " Know you aught of this 
 Gabbage ? " I replied, " Yes, that he was Gunput Rao, the pre- 
 tender to the musnud of Sattarah." "Has he a lawful right ? " 
 inquired one of the twelve. " None," I answered ; " he is a 
 villain and a murderer ! " " How can you speak so positively ? " 
 questioned the chief. I replied, " Because I heard his history 
 from the mouth of his own son, Mahadeo." "This is very 
 strange ! " exclaimed several of the council at once. " It is so," 
 I remarked ; " for, at the time I heard the son say this, he had 
 no idea he ever should meet his father again, or be in any con- 
 dition to aspire to the throne — he was then a roving Pindarce." 
 
 After this I was desired to withdraw again to my seat in the 
 small chamber. I remained there another hour, when I was 
 again summoned. " Young man," said the chief, " knowing so 
 much of the history of Sevaje and Gunput Rao as you do, 
 whose cause will you espouse ? " I replied that of Sevaje, and 
 that I would serve him honestly and faithfully with all my heart ; 
 
.35<=> PANDURANG HARL 
 
 that he should have no more devoted adherent, no stauncher 
 supporter. " You see, then," he added, " men before you now 
 who will die for Sevaje ; if you are sincere, will you enrol your 
 name among ours, and take the oath we shall prescribe ? " I 
 answered that I would. Upon this a naked sword was presented 
 to me, and I was desired to repeat the following words : — " I 
 swear by the holy cow, by lire and by water, to aid and assist 
 Sevaje Owdhut in his attempt to reign in Sattarah ! I devote my 
 heart and body to his cause, and I will oppose and contend, even 
 to death, with his enemies, on water or land ; that neither cold 
 nor heat shall deter me from pursuing them, nor mountains nor 
 rivers be obstacles to turn me aside from this my purpose ; that 
 neither rewards nor threats shall bias me to the cause of the 
 traitor Gunput Rao, or his son Mahadeo ; but that the last drop 
 ■of blood in my veins shall be to Sevaje ! And I bind myself 
 also to obey his officers, and aid and assist them in battle and 
 council, should my services be so needed ; and if I fail, or act 
 contrary to this advice, may Ishwar judge me ! " I then touched 
 the sword, and was allowed to retire. 
 
 No great while after this, the chief, or he who seemed to lead 
 the council, came to me, seated himself by my side, and entered 
 at once into conversation. Among other things, he told me he 
 thought I must be curious to know how my name became so 
 well known to them, but that the fact was their spies had over- 
 heard a man named Kokoo, a chief of Gunput Rao's force, 
 propose my assassination. From the conversation of this man 
 and of others, it was evident I was considered a person of some 
 consequence, whom it was very desirable to remove out of the 
 way ; hence the surprise of the council at hearing my name. I 
 observed that Kokoo had an enmity to me from a private cause, 
 and wholly independent of his zeal for the cause of his employer. 
 I then narrated my adventure at the cavern. The conversation 
 finished by my receiving the offer of the command of fifty men, 
 who were trained to the duty of both horse and foot soldiers 
 that they might act as circumstances should require. I accepted 
 the command with gratitude, and requested his name, that I 
 might acknowledge his commands as my superior. His name, 
 
PANDURANG HART. 
 
 he said, was Naroba Taitia," a jagheerdar, who had been deprived 
 -of his estates unjustly by the present rajah of Sattarah. Seeing 
 no chance of obtaining justice by supporting (iunput Rao, he had 
 hnked himself with the other side, and would stand or fall with 
 it, as he could rely on Sevaje's justice. 
 
 I now ventured to inquire a little how our public affairs stood, 
 and what were our resources. I found the troops were more 
 numerous than the money at hand would maintain, and that the 
 death of Shewdhut was a loss in this respect, as he had always 
 supplied Sevaje with cash. How Gunput Rao could discover 
 this was a mystery ; but there seemed little doubt he had been 
 murdered by Gunput's agency. The chief of the council left me 
 soon after this, hoping I should attend them on the morrow. In 
 the meantime, I had an opportunity of obser\'ing everything that 
 -was going on in the cavern, and that there were nearly three 
 hundred men scattered about, all cheerful, confident, and to 
 appearance very well appointed. I found that an equal number 
 were assembled at another stronghold a few miles off, and that 
 as Gunput Rao was known to have no more than four hundred 
 followers, we hoped to profit by our superiority in numbers, as 
 well as in valour. I inquired where Sevaje then was, and found 
 he was in Sattarah, though Gunput Rao believed him in one of 
 his strongholds. I found orders came from him daily, and that 
 a despatch was then hourly expected from him. He had very 
 fortunately a sincere friend at the court, who held the office of 
 dewan, and daily informed him of every proceeding known there. 
 By this means Sevaje was aware of Gunput's intentions, as the 
 reigning rajah was no stranger to any of them, and befriended 
 Gunput. 
 
 The next morning, on the assembling of the council, a shrill 
 whistle was heard from without. All were eager to learn what 
 orders the messenger had brought. The draw-bridge being 
 lowered, an hircarrah appeared, and taking off his turban, pro- 
 duced a sealed roll. The chief of the council took it, and 
 reading the contents, first dismissing the messenger from the 
 chamber, he told us that if ever we struck a decisive blow, now 
 ^vas our moment. It appeared that Gunput Rao had for some 
 
352 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 time been petitioning the rajah to restore him his estate, which 
 had been long ago sequestrated upon his disappearance. Not 
 content with doing this, he had also successfully claimed his 
 brother's, on pretence of his having been murdered. Moreover, 
 on giving, or promising to give, to the minister of the rajah an 
 enormous sum of money, he had obtained an order on the 
 treasury for the arrears of both estates, as annually collected 
 from the time of their sequestration. This money was to be 
 issued to him the next day, at the hour of five in the evening, 
 and he would no doubt convey it immediately to his stronghold, 
 and thereby raise an overwhelming force, which it would be 
 madness in Sevaje to resist. The latter therefore wished, as the 
 despatch stated, that the band assembled in the cavern should 
 march against a fortified village, which was named, on one of 
 Gunput's estates, and destroy it while the troops at Sevaje's other 
 hold should lie in ambuscade for the treasure of Gunput on the 
 road from Sattarah. If these two attacks succeeded, the fol- 
 lowers of the party attacked would be paralysed, and a favourable 
 reaction be thereby produced in favour of Sevaje. The chieftain 
 concluded by requesting us all to arm. This was received with 
 cheering, and the cavern rang with the animated shouts. The 
 despatches further stated that Canooje, who commanded at 
 Sevaje's other fort, would be with us on the morrow to arrange 
 the plan of attack. Orders were then given to afford him the 
 most rapid access, and the council broke up. All now prepared 
 for the events of the next day ; the arms were put in order, the 
 ammunition examined, and every heart seemed elated with the 
 prospect of being actively employed, some perhaps with the hope 
 of plunder as well as of glory. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 |EFORE the day broke, I was awoke l)y a sentinel, who 
 called me to attend the council, for Canooje had 
 arrived. I hurried to the groat chamber, and was 
 introduced to this chief, with whose courageous and lofty presence 
 I was much struck. His deportment was noble, his air military, 
 and his countenance elevated and pleasing. I found that the 
 determination to place Sevaje upon the Sattarah musnud had 
 originally proceeded from him, and that it was by his interest and 
 efforts all the principal jagheerdars, of whom the council consisted, 
 had joined to aid in the cause. It was now settled that, at four 
 o'clock in the afternoon, we should storm the fortified village 
 belonging to Gunput Rao, whilst Canooje's division was placed in 
 ambuscade among the ravines, within five miles of Sattarah, 
 through which the treasure of Gunput Rao must pass ; and, 
 having made themselves masters of it, bring it to the stronghold 
 as the nearest place of safety. Our division was ordered to 
 despatch intelligence to Canooje, while he remained in ambush, 
 of the result of our attack on the village ; at the same time, if we 
 failed, we were to remain and blockade the place, to prevent the 
 garrison having a communication with the detachment that 
 escorted the treasure. Thus the corps that formed the escort 
 could not be increased in strength, and the chance of the dis- 
 comfiture of our design was more remote. 
 
 The plan of attack being thus finally arranged, Canooje left us 
 to return to his troops. When I found that the whole of our 
 strength in the cavern was ordered to march on the village, I 
 suggested the prudence of leaving a party behind to protect it 
 
 I observed that the enemy would hardly omit to attack it in our 
 
 353 
 
;54 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 absence, for we should not have marched far before Gunput Rao's 
 spies would convey to him intelligence that the cavern had been 
 vacated, and that on our return we should run the chance of see- 
 ing it occupied by the enemy, which would be an effectual damper 
 to our successes elsewhere. This suggestion was properly weighed, 
 and ordered to be carried into effect by a majority of voices. 
 Fifty men were left with a jummahdar for this purpose. If we 
 arrived before the village at the hour of four, we should probably 
 prevent the garrison from sending out a reinforcement to support 
 the treasure party. In case the party had marched, we could 
 then attack it in the open plain on our advance towards the 
 village, or leave a party for this purpose concealed in its 
 line of march. We determined therefore to move forwards 
 directly. All became bustle and preparation. I collected 
 my men, saw that they were properly armed and accoutred, 
 that their swords, shields, daggers, and matchlocks were in 
 order, and that they were well supplied with ammunition, 
 scaling-ladders, and ropes ; for we had no cannon to breach 
 the village walls. When we mustered and marched away, 
 I was much pleased to see the regularity and sobriety of our 
 brave comrades, many of whom had been soldiers under the 
 fallen Peeshwa Badjerao, and were happy to be employed on the 
 present occasion, when their pay was punctual, and they were 
 well supplied with the needful munitions. Those on the side of 
 Gunput Rao were men of the same order, but not headed by 
 ofiicers as experienced or respectable as ours, but by desperadoes 
 like Kokoo, who looked to future reward and aggrandisement 
 from him whom they supported, but were themselves among the 
 unprincipled and dishonourable. Upon our arrival at a deep 
 hollow, we halted and concealed ourselves in it, sending out 
 scouts to watch the motions of the inhabitants and garrison of the 
 village against which our operations were directed, and which 
 was only distant from us abort two miles. Our spies soon 
 returned, and informed us that one hundred men had left the 
 village, and taken the road to Sattarah, which passed by the place 
 where we lay concealed. We observed them approaching ; and, 
 with a jummahdar and about a hundred men, I rushed from our 
 
rAX/)iJ<A\G JIARL 355 
 
 ambush upon the unprepared soldiers of Gunput Though taken 
 completely by surprise, they recovered and ranged themselves in 
 fighting array, keeping up so constant a fire from their matchlocks, 
 that we could not attack them sword in hand as we intended. 
 Their commander, however, having made them fire a volley, 
 thinking to terrify and disperse us, our jummahdar ordered us to 
 charge the instant their pieces were fired, and before they could 
 reload, or even draw their swords, we were on them. Nearly 
 every one of them was cut down, and our victor)- was complete. 
 We learned from the prisoners that the village contained about 
 one hundred and fifty men, who were entirely unprepared for a 
 hostile attack. Naroba, in consequence of our success, was in 
 high spirits, and gave orders to march directly upon the village, 
 which we did at once, compelling the prisoners to guide us with 
 their arms tied behind them. On our arrival before the gates, we 
 summoned the garrison to surrender. A shower of arrows was 
 the only answer we received, upon which, placing our ladders 
 against the mud wall of the fort, we mounted to the attack. I 
 led the storming-party sword in hand. We found a number of 
 Bheels had been mustered for the defence of the place, whom 
 Gunput Rao had but lately taken into his service. These fellows 
 galled us dreadfully with their arrows ; but as our plan was to close 
 with them, we gave them few opportunities, after our once 
 effecting a lodgment on the walls, of using their fatal weapons. 
 The fort of the village was very small, and the garrison, taken by 
 surprise, was cramped for room and in confusion. Part of them 
 made a sortie, some for the purpose of fighting, and others of 
 running away. Naroba at the head of his corps met them, and 
 having borne down all opposition outside the walls, was coming 
 up as I pursued the enemy out at the gate. The Bheels stood 
 outside inactive, fearing to discharge their arrows, and wound 
 their own men, intermingled with ours. I now attacked the 
 Bheels, who, with the party tliat had been so anxious to make a 
 sally from the fort, attempted to return and enter it again ; but I 
 placed my men before the gates, ordering them to resist to the 
 last any body of the enemy that should attempt to force an 
 entrance. The enemy seeing this, with great alertness ran to the 
 
,56 PANDURANG HARI 
 
 scaling-ladders, which still remained against the wall, and tried to 
 force an entrance by their means. These intentions were quickly 
 seen by Naroba, who sent round fifty men to keep a flanking fire 
 along the wall as they descended inside, while another party per- 
 formed the same manoeuvre on the outside. By this means they 
 were tumbled headlong do^vn in every direction. The Bheels, 
 finding their own party worsted, sought for safety in flight to their 
 native wilds. The other soldiers without the walls, seeing there 
 was no hope of success, fled for their lives. Everything being 
 thus in our possession, and not an enemy left before us in less 
 than an hour after we began the attack, we proceeded to plunder. 
 But we could discover only a few pots and pans. There was, it 
 it true, a good supply of grain, of which we carried ofl" all we 
 could find the means of conveying away. 
 
 Whilst some of the men were hunting for plunder, they reported 
 that they had found a prisoner in a subterraneous cell, and bound 
 to the wall by a strong chain. Thinking the unfortunate being 
 was some enemy of Gunput Rao, I obtained permission from 
 Naroba to release him before we quitted the place to march back. 
 I thought it possible he might perhaps give us some information 
 of importance, and I went myself to his place of confinement, 
 which was dark and damp. Not a sound save the clank of the 
 unfortunate prisoner's chains could even be heard in it. A 
 soldier was sent for a torch to show us the way, and soon return- 
 ing we reached the spot. On placing the torch so as to see 
 his countenance, what was my surprise at observing my old and 
 tried friend Nanna. " Nanna ! my dear friend, is it you, indeed, 
 that I behold in this horrible dungeon ? Speak ! you cannot 
 have forgotten me." In a voice feeble and faint, he replied, 
 "What, Pandurang ! is it you — a friend, and here?" "It is 
 in truth," I answered ; " thanks to the gods who conducted me 
 hither." I bade them break his chains, which was soon done, 
 and Nanna and I were speedily in each other's arms. " Am I 
 in a dream ? " said Nanna. " How came you here — can it be 
 real ? " I told him this was not a time or place for explanation, 
 that I must lead him to my comrades, who would rejoice with 
 me in the preservation of a friend. Nanna was weak, and it was 
 
PAXDURA.YG HArI. -,57 
 
 with difficulty we got him to walk up into the air, the sudden 
 effect of which made him faint. A little of our attention speedily 
 recovered him, and I related to Naroba the friendship that had 
 existed between us. He congratulated me on the event, giving 
 his hearty assent to Nanna's accompanying us to the cavern. I 
 confess I longed to hear the particulars of his captivity. Curiosity 
 was a leading characteristic in my disposition, and I thought he 
 must also feel not a little curious to know how I came into my 
 present situation. 
 
 The total destruction of the fort would have required more 
 time than we could spare, or safely afford to remain while our 
 other detachments were in the field, and their operations a 
 matter of uncertainty to us. We contented ourselves with 
 demolishing the gates, and as much of the walls as time allowed, 
 and then returned to the cavern, having lost ten men, and others of 
 our number being badly wounded. I myself received a sabre cut, 
 which, though not dangerous, gave me great pain. It was late 
 before we reached the cavern, and upon making the well-known 
 signal, we were admitted once more. We found, as I had 
 apprehended, that during our absence a party of the enemy had 
 attempted to carry the place, but had been repulsed by the 
 guard, which but for me would not have been left to protect 
 it. The detachment which had gone in search of the treasure 
 had returned, not so successful as we hoped it would have 
 been. Canooje stated that he had lost twenty men, and that, 
 although he had seized the money, to his great disappointment 
 there was not half the sum he expected. He had learned from 
 the prisoners, however, that the bulk had been conveyed away in 
 a different direction ; and that, his men not being in a condition 
 to pursue it, they had returned with about seven thousand rupees 
 in their possession. The money was well escorted, and it 
 appeared that if we had not cut up the intended reinforcements, 
 Canooje would not have attained his purpose as easily as he did, 
 perhaps not at all. The news of our victory was no small thing, 
 however, in our favour, and tended much to lessen the con- 
 sequence of Gunput Rao, and to damp the spirit of his followers. 
 Our wounded having been attended to, and every care in our 
 
358 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 power shown them, we stretched our fatigued limbs on our mats, 
 and sought a refuge in sleep from our past labours. In the 
 morning a council was held, to consider what steps had best be 
 taken in pursuance of out objects. Canooje first proposed 
 sending out spies to obtain intelligence of the movements of 
 the enemy ; but this was overruled until the receipt of another 
 secret despatch from Sevaje. It seemed necessary, as • wc had 
 lost so many men, to send our considerate agents to obtain 
 recruits for our detachments. This was immediately done ; and 
 Canooje, after giving a full account of our recent proceedings, 
 and the capture of the treasure, in a despatch to Sevaje, marched 
 away from us with his well-appointed troop. 
 
 There being nothing of moment to occupy me, I hastened to 
 Nanna, who was already showing he made progress in his re- 
 covery from the effects of his barbarous imprisonment and ac- 
 companying starvation. I related to him the particulars of my 
 history since we quitted each other, and with which the reader 
 must be already so well acquainted as to be able to recall them 
 to recollection. Nanna in his turn informed me that, on arriving 
 at Sattarah, he lodged the woman who accompanied him in an 
 obscure house, which was the same night surrounded by the 
 agents of Gunput Rao, who forcibly carried her off; but the next 
 morning she returned, saying the people who took her away had 
 released her. Nanna stated that, being intent upon finding out 
 whether the boy to whom Sagoonah had been betrothed was 
 living or dead, he lost no opportunity of inquiring into the 
 matter ; but finding it in vain, he left Sattarah for the purpose of 
 joining me at Poona. In his way thither, he was surrounded by 
 ruffians, who bound him fast, and conducted him to the fort from; 
 whence we had rescued him. There Kokoo examined him, and 
 desired him to tell where Sagoonah was concealed ; he also made 
 strict inquiries respecting myself. Nanna would answer none of 
 his questions, but remained silent ; upon which he was sentenced 
 to imprisonment in the dungeon, and 7iatchne rotee : ' this was to 
 endure until he should betray his friend. Having said he was 
 determined not to do so, he was in addition chained to the wall 
 ^ Bread made of the coarsest grain. 
 
PAXDURAXG IIARL 35,^ 
 
 wlierc he was found. I hereupon pressed this trusty friend to my 
 heart, and related to him all I had formerly omitted in giving him 
 a sketch of my history. I also let him know the probable situa- 
 tion I stood in with Sevaje, the lawful successor of the Sattvirah 
 musnud. Nanna was struck with wonder on hearing this part of 
 my history. After standing with his mouth wide open, he said, 
 " I alwviys thought you were a great scholar, but never dreamed 
 of your being a prince at the same time — let me fall prostrate ! " 
 "Not so fast, my dear friend,'' I cried ; '' it is not quite so certain 
 I am a prince ; and, if I should be, it is more than probable I 
 shall never be in a situation to receive the homages of my friends 
 in the way you would deliver yours." " You shall be, though," 
 said Nanna ; " and may I live to behold you on a throne, and to 
 say another star is added to the Pleiades, and that Sattarah shall 
 henceforth be Atarah ! " * I could not help telling Nanna he 
 had already made great progress in the language of a courtier; 
 that he perhaps acquired it from his enemies while a prisoner, 
 and they had been practising flattery, and the arts of rising at 
 court, upon the strength of their expectations. " I shall need," 
 said I, " a deal of polishing, my good friend, before I can be 
 compared to the dullest star in the heavens, as you would agree 
 with me in thinking, were you acquainted with the whole of my 
 history, which perhaps I shall one day unfold to you. Predju- 
 diced as you are in my favour, you would shake your head upoD 
 me were I seated on a musnud, if you knew everything. Nanna 
 was going to reply by a second essay in courtiership ; but 
 it was so disagreeable a thing to my ear to be addressed 
 in this gross way, that I thought, if ever I reached such high 
 honour, it would then be full time enough to suffer the infliction 
 of its hollowness, as some balance for the glory of the situation. 
 Besides, I really felt conscious of my demerits, and all the flattery 
 in the world could not make me change my opinion of myself; 
 for I knew what my own conduct had been in numerous instances. 
 It is true I was brought up and educated by menials and base 
 wretches of every description ; I had been cast upon the stream of 
 life to float along by myself, as necessity or fancy directed ; I had 
 I - I Atarah, or eight stars. - 
 
360 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 been persecuted wrongfully, and obliged to resort to mean artifices 
 oftentimes for existence itself. This had been the case in youth, 
 when passion is warmest and reason possesses but little influence, 
 I knew that the few good actions of my life were overborne by 
 the many bad ones. Still I was comforted that I had bought 
 experience, and been enabled to see the advantages of a steady, 
 correct, and uniform line of conduct. Villainy, I was convinced, 
 had but a short day, and upright intention would ultimately 
 triumph in every ^circumstance of life. Mahrattas are for the 
 most part bad men — cunning, insidious, and self-interested ; but 
 they were ever unfortunate enough to be badly governed. The 
 bad examples of their kings and rulers were ever before them ; 
 and the corruption and vices of lesser persons in authority con- 
 taminated the people, who are always profligate or virtuous 
 according to the way in which they are governed. I observed to 
 Nanna that I had a deep dread at the idea of being called upon 
 to govern ; and the only chance I should have of success would 
 be to follow the example of my father, who I hoped I should see 
 for many years fulfilling his duties, and thus I might become his 
 scholar. My friend Nanna, upon this, observed that I talked like 
 a book, and that what I said must be true. He would only ask 
 me, ignorant as he was, to be allowed to bask in the sunshine of 
 my favour. I could not help laughing, but told him he might 
 rely upon it, I should never forget him. I said he must not be 
 too sanguine; that I intended the same day to consult with 
 Naroba upon this subject, and upon the propriety of my making 
 a visit to Sevaje, as I felt unhappy at being kept so long in sus- 
 pense. I desired Nanna not to let a word drop upon this business 
 in the cavern, as he respected my friendship, and, anywhere else, 
 not to let a word respecting it escape him. He promised me all 
 I required, stated his determination to be faithful to my cause, 
 and left me. 
 
 There were many solid reasons why I did not wish to make 
 public that it was probable I was so nearly related to Sevaje. One 
 reason was, that it seemed to me possible Gunput Rao might be 
 induced to consent to a public inquiry, or an arbitration of the 
 question between my father and himself, and that the right of 
 
PAXDURANG HARl. 
 
 the lawful successor might be settled this way ; for he would per- 
 haps be induced to abide by such a decision as long as he thought 
 Scvaje alone was living, as, after his death, Mahadco would 
 infallibly succeed to the musnud. On the other hand, were Gun- 
 put Rao to discover I was living, nothing would induce him to 
 abide by any decree excluding him and his son. With these 
 notions on my mind, I went to Naroba, and earnestly requested 
 I might be allowed to visit Scvaje, having matters of importance 
 to communicate to him. Naroba replied that he himself could 
 have no objections, but that he considered it his duty to mention 
 the request to Sevaje, in the first instance, and tlicn he would 
 immediately communicate his answer to me. I was of course 
 obliged to consent to this step being first taken, and I patiently 
 awaited an answer from Sevaje, which could not occupy a long 
 period of time in communicating. Naroba and myself, in the 
 interim, made the best use of our leisure. We had the sword- 
 practice among our soldiers every day, rendering them as expert 
 as possible in the use of their arms. I aftcr^vards found the 
 benefit of these lessons, as will be seen in the sequel. I also 
 exercised myself in every possible way ; but, from the exertion, 
 I found the wound in my arm intlame, and become exceedingly 
 painful. At the time an answer arrived from Sevaje I was in 
 very great pain ; but the reply being such as was consonant with 
 my wishes, I determined that even the serious appearance it had 
 begun to put on should not deter me from my visit to him, whom 
 I had so much reason to believe was my father. I stated my 
 readiness to depart, and Naroba procured me a guide, desiring 
 me to put on an appearance as unsoldierlike as possible. The 
 first guide was to conduct me to a second person, through whose 
 means I should gain admittance to Sevaje, unsuspected by the 
 enemy. I obeyed every suggestion made, and followed my guide 
 with a palpitating heart to a small wood, at a considerable dis- 
 tance from our stronghold. My guide tapped at the door of a 
 miserable hovel, which was opened by a lean, tall, emaciated old 
 woman, who instantly admitted us upon seeing the person of him 
 who conducted me. There was something in the appearance of 
 the old hag which at first led me to suspect treacher}*, and my 
 
362 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 suspicions were not laid asleep on my seeing the guide and old 
 woman, head to head, in a close whisper. I thought this was 
 unnecessary, where all present were friends, and my bosom be- 
 came filled with vague suspicions everything was not right. The 
 guide now went away without uttering one word to me, and the 
 old hag seated herself opposite to where I sat ; but no eifort of 
 mine could induce her to enter into conversation. She mumbled 
 unintelligibly to herself until I began to get impatient, and begged 
 her to lead the way whither I designed to go. She turned her 
 head round and pointed to the sun with her shrivelled finger, and 
 then to the western quarter of the heavens, from which I judged 
 we must not set out for Sattarah until after the sun had set. It 
 wanted full three hours' space of it yet, and being fatigued, and 
 my wound very painful to me, I spent my time in no very 
 agreeable way ; for not a single word could I get in the way of 
 conversation from this mysterious old woman. I threw myself 
 on a mat to try and sleep ; but sleep fled far from me, and I 
 could only indulge in dreams of what the future might have in 
 store for me, and fall back upon my own thoughts for a means 
 .of employing a short period that passed away slow as ages. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 T length, the sun having gone down blood-red, and left 
 that tranquil gloom which so quickly covers the earth 
 on the departure of an Indian day, the old woman 
 tapped me on the shoulder with a long stick. I arose and 
 followed her. Age made it necessary for her to proceed slowly, 
 and a complete ignorance of the point to which she was leading 
 me, impelled me to keep pace with her. My impatience could 
 ill brook the tediousness of such a mode of travelling. A man 
 just hoping to behold his parent, from whom he had been 
 separated nearly the whole of his life, might be excused for an 
 anxiet}' to press onward and realise his anticipated hopes ; I 
 therefore offered to procure a litter for her, or even carry her on 
 my back, so that we might not linger away all night in our march 
 to the city. The woman made no reply to my offers, but merely 
 shook her head ; and I was compelled to proceed at a snail's 
 pace coss after coss, so that it was past eleven o'clock ere we 
 entered Sattarah. My conductress took me through the principal 
 streets, until we came to a shop where they sold sweetmeats, and 
 there she purchased several bits of burnt sugar. \\'e then visited 
 a baker's, where she bought bread; and the fruit bazaar, where 
 she obtained cocoa-nuts, betel-nuts, and pomegranates. In the 
 last place she purchased a basket to hold what she had bought, 
 and placed it upon my head ; so that, in my present dress, I had 
 exactly the appearance of a cooly or porter, and was completely 
 disguised. I followed her still in silence as before, and she led 
 me, to my great surprise, towards the hill on which stands the 
 seven-towered fort of Sattarah. Obser\'ing my astonishment, she 
 for the first time told me to address her as mother, but not utter 
 a single syllable to any one I might see in her presence. The 
 
 363 
 
364 PANDURANG HArI 
 
 old creature clambered the hill with difficulty ; and when we 
 arrived at the gate of the fort she knocked with her stick, and a 
 sentry opening the wicket demanded who was there. She re- 
 plied, " Only old Bhowanee and her son." " Ah ! mother," said 
 the sentry, " I thought you had forgotten us : how do you sell 
 your sweetmeats ? Come in." So saying, we entered; the basket 
 was taken from my head, the contents examined, and some pur- 
 chases made. We were then allowed to proceed to the house of 
 the officer who had the charge of the arsenal, an octagon building 
 in one of the seven towers. The old woman was admitted im- 
 mediately, and a whispering dialogue began with the officer, which 
 convinced me they were well acquainted. After some little 
 further delay, I was beckoned into an inner room, and the officer 
 resident in the house began to remove a large ammunition-box 
 which stood in the centre of the chamber. I was wondering 
 what could be the meaning of this, and to what it all tended, 
 eagerly looking out for the end of the mystery, and almost sus- 
 pecting foul play, when, I imagine, the man touched some secret 
 lock or bolt, for a door in one of the corners of the room flew 
 open, and discovered a flight of stone stairs, which my con- 
 ductress descended, motioning me to remain where I then was. 
 The resident in the house retired, and I was left in a most 
 uncomfortable solitude, not wholly divested of fear, when I 
 recollected many circumstances in my past life that, less sus- 
 picious in appearance, had led me into trouble. It was not 
 without pleasure, therefore, that in a short time I heard the old 
 woman returning, and greeted her haggard face at the top of the 
 staircase. From thence she beckoned me to follow her, and I 
 found myself quickly in a very comfortable square stone room. 
 She then opened another door in the wall, through which she 
 disappeared, and again left me in solitude. I now threw off my 
 coat, and lay down upon a mat, the wound in my arm torturing 
 me severely. I had not been reclining many minutes before the 
 door through which my conductress had passed opened, and she 
 again entered, followed by a venerable old man, who bore a lamp 
 in his hand, the dim radiance of which did not suffice to give me 
 at first a correct view of his features. Before he noticed me he 
 
rAXDCJLlXG J/AKJ. "/,5 
 
 whispered something to tlie woman, wlio reascended the staircase, 
 and closed the trap-door, as I judged from the sound. 
 
 I was now alone with him who was most probably my father. 
 ^Vllat my sensations were at that moment can I ever forget ? 
 Hope, fear, pleasure, pain, seemed to have possession of me at 
 the same instant: filial awe, reverential regard, a respect for 
 royalty, came upon me, and robbed me of all power of utterance ! 
 One minute would decide my fate, and oist the die of my life — 
 raise me to honour, or dash me into the lowest deep of misery ! 
 The old man, turning towards me, now said, " What, young and 
 valiant man, wouldst thou with me? I have heard of thy bravery 
 in my cause, and I cannot fear treachery from a brave man ! I 
 have, therefore, admitted thee to my seclusion. What wouldst 
 thou, young man, with me?" As he spoke, the light flashed 
 upon his features, and I recognised the old goatherd of the glen. 
 " I would claim acquaintance, my lord," I observed ; " we have 
 met before." " Ah ! where, where ? " he hastily inquired, stoojv 
 ing at the same time to examine my features, as I was sitting 
 cross-legged on the mat. " Truly," continued he, " I have seen 
 that face before ; come to the light, let me be certain." So saying, 
 he bade me arise, and I obeyed. " Yes," said he, " I have seen 
 that face before." " I think in the Asseerghur glen," I responded. 
 " In the glen ! " said he. " What ! art thou the youth to whom 
 I gave a ring? " I told him I was the same ; and, mindful of my 
 promise, had sought him in Indore in vain, and had now sought 
 further, and found him in Sattarah. "And dost thou then take 
 so great an interest in my fate as to follow me from place to 
 place ? This is kindness I have been of late little used to. But 
 your arm bleeds ! I fear I am the cause of much bloodshed. Say, 
 where got you that frightful wound ? " I observed, it was a mere 
 scratch, the consequence of my own rashness. " Rather of your 
 valour," said he ; " for I guess how it is ; but it must be bound 
 up, and thus the blood staunched." So saying, he drew my coat, 
 which I had taken off, over my shoulders, and began to bind it 
 round my wounded arm. This sudden and unexpected act made 
 me bare my right arm, on which was fixed the silver kurdoorah. 
 He started, and exclaimed, " \\*hat ! what do I see ? Nay, I am 
 
366 PANDURANG HArY. 
 
 blind — my eyes are old, and fail me ! It cannot be ! — let me 
 look again. It is the same ! Where got you that chain ? — speak ! 
 torture me not a moment longer ! " " It is my own," I replied, 
 " and I feel I am in the presence of him who first bound it round 
 my loins." " My son, my son ! " cried the old man, as I fell upon 
 my knees and called him father ! A moment was passed in deep 
 silence, which ended in a shower of tears, that, streaming down 
 my father's venerable beard, fell warm upon my head. I can 
 make no attempt to describe my feelings at that moment, or to 
 do justice to the scene. It was a feast of unspeakable joy to my 
 heart — a moment worth years of adversity ! 
 
 As soon as the old man was more composed, he requested to 
 know by what accident I had learned that his recognition of the 
 chain would warrant me in concluding I was his son. I related 
 to him all that Shewdhut Wanee had informed me of. At the 
 name of Wanee he wept aloud, and desired me to state the par- 
 ticulars of his disappearance, as he understood from Naroba I 
 could give him every particular respecting it. I then entered 
 into the melancholy detail once more. It was frequently 
 interrupted in the recital, by his tears and bitter invocations 
 against the perpetrators of the deed. He then referred to the 
 kurdoorah, and exclaimed, " Oh ! that was a night of horrors, 
 when I put this chain around thy infant body ; it was a bloody 
 deed, my Jeoba ! " " Is Jeoba, then, my name ? " I eagerly 
 inquired. " It is thy name, my son, and happy was the day to 
 me that gave thee birth ; for, notwithstanding the machinations 
 of my most deadly foes, Heaven has brought thee to my arms I '* 
 " May you be successful against your enemies ! " I now observed, 
 in order to lead away the conversation from myself. ''Your 
 claims to the musnud of Sattarah are just, and you have stout 
 hearts devoted to you, my father, among your troops." " Ah, my 
 son ! would this dispute might be settled amicably ! Would that 
 Gunput Rao, your unnatural uncle, could be induced to acknow- 
 ledge my claims, and forego further bloodshed ! " " As long as 
 he believes I am not forthcoming," I replied, " he might show a 
 readiness so to do, and waive his claim until after your decease, 
 when Mahadeo, his son, would succeed to the musnud." "Then 
 
must our present relationship remain a secret," said my fiither. 
 " I have applied to the English Government to interfere and 
 adjust our quarrel : or, if they refuse to do so, that they will allow 
 their agent here to api)oint an arbitration, and see that all is fairly 
 and honourably conducted. Thus Gunput will not dare to 
 commit any outrage, should the decision be given in my favour; 
 although, by his mtrigues, he will endeavour to effect all that 
 bribery and influence can accomplish, to secure in his interest 
 the persons to whom the settlement of the cause is entrusted." 
 " Justice, however, must prevail," said I ; ** and, when you are 
 acknowledged the real successor, then will I openly, and not 
 until then, address you as my father." 
 
 Sevaje assenting, we turned to other matters; and he de- 
 manded how it was possible I had been preserved, amid the 
 perils I must have undergone, and then miraculously appeared 
 at so critical a time ? I replied that no one but he who sought 
 for my destruction could account for my escape in infancy, and 
 that in due time I would relate to him all my history, and the 
 minute events of my chequered existence, which had so singu- 
 larly brought me into the arms of a father and a king. I 
 remarked that of the particulars of his quarrels with his relentless 
 brother, Gunput Rao, I had also acquired some knowledge. My 
 father was in amazement, and could scarcely credit this. I 
 observed also that I had it from the best authority — no less than 
 that of Gunput Rao's own son, and my cousin Mahadeo, at a time 
 when neither of us had a knowledge of our affinity. I now re- 
 lated to my father all I had heard from Mahadeo respecting the 
 conduct of his brother, and he proceeded to inform me of the 
 earlier part of my history. He told me that after I was betrothed 
 (here I interrupted him, to inquire to whom, and whether to a 
 girl named Sagoonah ?) to one who was now no more, or, if alive," 
 fallen into the hands of Gunput Rao. I again proceeded, " Oh, 
 say not so ! she is safe ! AVe love each other with a fervour 
 equal to that of Ixilaand Mejnoun," though little did we imagine 
 we had been betrothed in our infancy." " This is indeed extraor- 
 dinary," observed my father. " Where could you have met her ? 
 ' The Romeo and Juliet of the East 
 
368 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 How could you have fallen in with her ? " I said I would unfold 
 all to him when he had done relating his own history. 
 
 " The will of great Dum be accomplished ! " said my father, 
 who then proceeded : — " After you had been bethrothed to Sa- 
 goonah, the rage of Gunput Rao, your uncle, knew no limits, and 
 put on such a deadly appearance, that I conceived it prudent to 
 quit my place of residence, and retire with you (then an infant, 
 and my only offspring) to a small estate which I possessed in the 
 Chandore territory. Having some business to transact previously 
 at Indore, I visited it for the purpose, and left it one rainy even^ 
 ing. With the ready money I had about me, I purchased there, 
 for you the silver kurdoorah, which I thought remarkably elegant,- ! 
 and fastened it around your waist myself. Proud of the ornament, 
 you frequently tottered beside me, until I feared you would be j 
 fatigued before you would let me take you up in my arms again. | 
 After sunset, about the space of an hour had elapsed, when we | 
 were surrounded by armed men, among whom I discovered your i 
 revengeful uncle. * Seize the miscreant ! ' he cried ; ^ bear away 
 that child— obey your orders ! ' At that moment you were forcibly 
 taken from me, and your uncle's dagger entered my body. The , 
 ruffians departed immediately when I fell, to satiate themselves | 
 (so I reflected, for I had full possession of my senses) with your i 
 innocent blood. I shortly became insensible, and knew nothing 
 more, until I found myself stretched upon a comfortable bed and ; 
 watched with great solicitude. I shall pass over the many days . 
 that elapsed before I recovered, and merely inform you that the i 
 kind man to whom I owe my life was Shewdhut Wanee, of Indore. - 
 He told me he had been to Oogein, and on his return found me j 
 weltering in my blood. Discovering signs of life, he placed me i 
 in the hands of two coolies who were attending him, and de-i 
 spatchcd his servants in search of the assassins. It need scarcely 
 be repeated that all search after them proved ineffectual. You i 
 may now not be surprised at my sorrow on hearing of the fate ! 
 of Shewdhut, and that for his interference in my concerns he j 
 lost his life. He knew my rank and expectations ; he was well ' 
 acquainted with my misfortunes, and promised to afford me all ! 
 the help in his power, on liis return from Marwar (for which he i 
 
r.LVDURAXG JIARL 369 
 
 shortly set out), provided I had not succeeded before that time 
 in obtaining justice on my enemies. As the rajah of Sattarah 
 was deposed, it did not then seem tlic most ehgible time for 
 asserting my claims ; and, not wishing to criminate my brother, 
 or try to gain redress against him or security for the future, wliile 
 the issue of my application might be doubtful, I determined to 
 live as a recluse, until affairs at Sattarah became more favourable 
 to my views. Should such a time arrive, I thought I might 
 intimidate Gunput, by threatening to expose him and bring him 
 to justice if he threw any obstacles in my way. Alas ! I little 
 knew the implacability of his disposition, the desperate daring of 
 his character ! 
 
 ''After living some years in retirement, I visited Shewdhut, 
 who told me he was going to Sattarah on his mercantile affairs ; 
 and I requested him, at the same time, to try and gain intel- 
 ligence of Gunput and his plans, and particularly to discover, if 
 possible, whether you were alive and with him, and what were 
 the reports that had been circulated respecting our disappearance. 
 He promised to use his utmost exertions to discover what I 
 required. On his return, I once more emerged from the woods, 
 and went to his house. He stated that his brother had placed 
 himself upon a litter, and had been thus conveyed to Sattarah, 
 pretending he had been waylaid while in company with me, that 
 our lives had been attempted, that, in defending myself, I had 
 held up my child, which was stabbed to the heart ! In short, 
 that he himself was left for dead, and i)lundered of cver}'thing 
 valuable about him ! It appeared that he acted his part mar- 
 vellously well ; every one gave him credit for shedding tears of 
 genuine sorrow ; especially as he exhibited a letter, puq)orting to 
 be \^Titten by his ' dear brother ' at Indore, inviting him thither 
 for the express purpose of settling all their disputes, and arranging 
 for ever the causes of the unhappy differences that had subsisted 
 between them, and stating his own claims to the throne to be 
 false. This letter, Shewdhut told me, bore my signature ; and so. 
 well was it imitated, that no one doubted its being a faithful 
 document, and none, therefore, were likely to disi)ute the talc 
 my brother had imposed upon them. That he miglu the better 
 
370 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 deceive the people, he gave out that it was his determination to 
 resign the world ; and with his son Mahadeo, he had left Sattarah, 
 and not been heard of there from that time. 
 
 " Such was the account which Shewdhut brought me, and 
 which, I must confess, struck me with amazement. Why Gunput 
 should resign the world, possessing the ambitious views he did, 
 was a problem beyond my power to solve, even by conjecture. 
 In all likelihood, finding he could not succeed whether I was 
 living or dead (there being no hope of the rajah again sitting on 
 the throne at that time), he made up his mind to quit Sattarah* 
 lest some unforseen event should develop his ferocious attempt 
 on my life and on that of my son. Shewdhut could tell me no 
 more of you than what I have stated already ; namely, that 
 having used you as a shield to cover my own body, you had been 
 stabbed, and thus perished. Nothing new occurred to me for 
 some time. I selected the glen of Asseerghur for my place of 
 retreat, known only to Shewdhut. One day a gossein begged 
 admittance to my cottage, and ever ready to shelter a weary 
 traveller, I admitted him. He told me his name was Gabbage 
 Gousla. His manners were singular, and, to me, unaccountably 
 strange. He did not remain long, and I thought little about it, 
 except that he disguised his features as much as possible, and 
 spoke a very few^words, and those apparently in a feigned voice. 
 It was not until conversing with you on the same spot, and your 
 informing me Gunput Rao walked the earth in the disguise of a 
 gossein, and with the name of Gabbage, that I knew it. The 
 truth then flashed upon my mind ; I felt certain that he must 
 have recognised me, and this at once accounted for his con- 
 strained and odd manners." 
 
 After mentioning that nearly about the same time two females 
 had taken shelter in his cottage, who, I informed him, were 
 Sagoonah and her aunt, my father continued : — " Feeling 
 certain," said he, " that my cruel brother meditated a fresh 
 attack upon my life, I left my place of refuge, and once more 
 bent my steps to Indore ; there my friend Shewdhut concealed 
 me. The war was then raging, and I felt assured that, if the 
 English were disposed to act with justice, they would not fail to 
 
PANDURANG IIARI 371 
 
 reinstate the deposed rajah of Sattarah. It turned out that they 
 did so ; and I therefore requested Shewdhut to gain for me some 
 intelligence upon which I could rely, respecting the plans and 
 objects of my wicked brother. He confirmed me in the surmises 
 that I felt, in consequence of your information in the glen. 
 Shewdhut went further than I had commissioned him to do; for, 
 learning from some disaffected jaghecrdars at Sattarah, that tlicre 
 was much doubt as to the truth of my being really dead, and they 
 evincing great partiality towards me, and equal abhorrence at the 
 idea of my brother becoming king, he told one of them, named 
 Canooje, that I was then alive at Indore. Canooje, much pleased 
 at this intelligence, left Sattarah with Shewdhut, and presented 
 himself before me, urging me to come for^vard, and assert my 
 right to the musnud ; he assured me that there was a powerful 
 party ready to support my cause. Thus encouraged, I consented 
 to make the attempt ; and, finding the present rajah was in a 
 sickly state, and that no time must be lost, I promised to enter 
 Sattarah in secret ; and, when a sufficient number of men were 
 raised and organised to support me, I agreed that I would openly 
 declare myself. 
 
 ''A curious circumstance occurred about this time, which tended 
 strongly to confirm me in my new resolution. It was during 
 Shewdhut's second absence at Sattarah, that an old woman came 
 to Shewdhut's house. She perceived that I avoided her, as I 
 necessarily did all strangers. She called out after me, saying, 
 ' Why fly you from your friends, my lord, the king ? ' ' King ? ' 
 I ejaculated. ' Ay, king ! ' she replied ; ' for he who claims a 
 throne shall not succeed, and who has not claimed, may ; I shall 
 follow you.' After she was gone away, I heard she was considered 
 a witch at Indore, and that her name was Dhankin Bhowanee." 
 Here I interrupted Sevaje by saying, " Bhowanee ! why that is the 
 name of her who conducted me to these chambers ! " " The 
 same," said my father ; " and a most useful channel of communi- 
 cation I have found her, between myself and the band in the 
 cavern. I am at a complete loss to discover what her motives 
 are for serving me so zealously ; but there is no doubt we shall 
 one day discover. Her appearance removes suspicion ; no one 
 
372 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 suspects her of being a messenger of mine, and her services have 
 been most important." I then remarked upon the strangeness of 
 the circumstance, and inquired how my father himself obtained 
 admittance to the fort. He said, " By chance : a relation of my 
 wife's was the officer in charge of the arsenal ; and Bhowanee, 
 assuming the character of a dealer in fruits and vegetables, intro- 
 duced herself to him, and informed him of my existence ; also 
 requesting him to aid in secreting me for a short time. He 
 readily gave his consent, and I followed the old woman in the 
 character of a porter to this place. To deceive the sentinels, my 
 friend here sent another man down the hill with the woman, 
 dressed much as I was ; and thus my presence is not suspected, 
 and I am, perhaps, in a place of greater security than elsewhere. 
 By means of Bhowanee, I have been enabled to convey my wishes 
 to Canooje, Naroba, and my other brave friends and officers. 
 Your stay here now must be short ; but we may soon hope to 
 meet again under better auspices. Before you depart, however, 
 you must inform me of everything respecting Sagoonah ; for she 
 has an uncle, a rich banker here, who has engaged himself on the 
 side of Gunput, and is determined to bestow her hand on his son 
 Mahadeo." " My dear father," I answered, "be assured she is in 
 safety, and beyond the reach of both Gunput and her uncle ! 
 She is now in Bombay, and I am anxious to send her intelligence 
 respecting myself ; for it is long since I have done so, and her 
 bosom is torn by a thousand conflicting doubts and ap- 
 prehensions respecting my safety." My father then said he 
 would procure me a trusty messenger, who would safely take what 
 I had to communicate ; but that, not being present nor within 
 call, it would be better I should give him my message, and he 
 would take care it was forwarded, instructing the hircarrah him- 
 self I consequently gave my father the necessary information to 
 convey. I was about to depart, when I heard that the old woman 
 was gone, but had left word she would await my arrival at her 
 lonely hut. Dressed as a servant of the keeper of the arsenal, 
 with whom I set off, I accompanied him as far as the city, and 
 then, bidding him adieu, hastened to Bhowanee's hut. 
 
 I now felt like a new man; my spirits vrcre raised and my 
 
PANDURANG HARL 373 
 
 heart lightened by my interview, so that I was ahiiost a different 
 being. I was no longer f:itherless, but had become of importance 
 in society ! I felt that happiness might yet be mine, and I 
 bounded over the road with astonisliing alacrity. Just as I 
 reached the wood in which the hut of old Bhowanee stood, a 
 cassid or letter-carrier passed me. Knowing he was the bearer of 
 the English post, and on his way to Poona, I hailed him, and 
 asked what the news were. " The rajah is dead ! " he replied ; 
 and continuing his pace too fast for me to keep up with him, I 
 could learn nothing more. I now felt that this was to me a most 
 awful crisis. Now must we either stand or fall for ever ! and the 
 importance of this intelligence so occupied my thoughts, that I 
 was close to the old woman's hut before I imagined I had gone 
 half the distance. I found her within, and communicated to her 
 what I had heard from the cassid. She told me she had heard 
 the evening before that the rajah was not expected to live many 
 hours. I begged her to proceed, and show me the way to the 
 cavern. She said, in reply, that she must hasten away to Sat- 
 tarah, lest Sevaje should wish to communicate with Naroba on 
 the affair, and that I must patiently await her return. This was 
 a delay I little expected, but to which I was obliged to make up 
 my mind. It was evening before she returned j and then she 
 bade me follow her, and she would conduct me to the guide who 
 would see me safe to the cavern. She led the way to a rude 
 hovel ; and knocking at the door three times, a man appeared, 
 to whom she gave her despatches, and, pointing to me, turned 
 away towards her own habitation. On my arrival at our place 
 of security, I informed Naroba of the death of the rajah. He 
 observed that the time was now come to bestir ourselves, but first 
 proceeded to read the despatches from Sevaje, which he found 
 contained the same intelligence. Sevaje also acquainted him that 
 he had prepared a document to be presented to the ministers and 
 the British Resident, claiming his right of succession to the 
 throne, and adding that he hoped Gunput Rao would be pre- 
 vailed upon to submit the dispute to arbitration, and thus prevent 
 tumult and bloodshed. He further required us to remain in 
 peace, and we should receive early intelligence from him of th^ 
 
 2A 
 
374 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 result of the requisition which he had made. He further stated 
 that, if his proposal were agreed to by the opposite party, he 
 should nominate Naroba as one of the punchayet, to which his 
 claims should be submitted. In order to induce Gunput Rao to 
 come more readily into the measure, Sevaje had pledged his word 
 to bury in oblivion the attempt that had been made by Gunput 
 upon his own life, and the murder of his child. He concluded 
 by saying that he eagerly awaited the reply of Gunput, and that 
 he had every hope the dispute would be terminated without 
 further bloodshed. If it were not, he had left no means untried 
 towards its being done peaceably ; and he was clear of all the 
 consequences that might arise out of a different line of conduct 
 on the part of his brother. Upon receiving Gunput's answer, 
 Sevaje promised to forward another despatch. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV, 
 
 SHALL henceforth relate the progress of events as they 
 unfolded themselves. The reader of these my memoirs 
 will understand that all which I detail as having taken 
 place before I again meet my father, I glean from the despatches 
 which almost daily reached us from Sattarah, or from the direct 
 communications of those concerned, unless it may be anything in 
 which I was personally concerned. Gunput Rao took several 
 days to consider the contents of my father's communication. 
 With the conviction of my non-existence, he at last consented to 
 an arbitration, relying on my father's promise of not divulging, 
 either on the trial or aftenvards, the attempt made upon his life ; 
 and further, that as my father's troops had deprived him of great 
 part of the an-ears of the estate, that he should not be called 
 upon to refund any money that might appear to be against him 
 and in my father's favour. This being agreed to on the part of 
 Sevaje, the preliminary conditions were signed by both parties. 
 Naroba was nominated on the side of my father, and the rich 
 banker, Sagoonah's uncle, on the part of Gunput Rao. The two 
 others next named were my father's friend, who filled the office 
 of dewan at Sattarah, and Lucknuchund Baboolchund, the farmer 
 of Gunput's estate. The British Resident presided as umpire. 
 This last arrangement was vehemently opposed by Gunput ; but 
 the Resident declared no arbitration should take place unless he 
 were present as umpire, and Gunput was obliged to submit. 
 Naroba now prepared to leave us to proceed to Sattarah and sit 
 in the court of punchayet, and I requested leave to accompany 
 him part of the way thither, as I was now able to find my way 
 back to the fort or cavern without a guide. Unwilling to make 
 any display of pomp or parade, Naroba determined to proceed 
 
 1370 
 
S'J^ PANDURANG HARL 
 
 on foot. We set out accordingly one morning very early ; and 
 just as we were entering a deep valley, which led by the shortest 
 cut into the main road, old Bhowanee appeared, spreading wide 
 her shrivelled arms, and crying, " Stop, stop ! there is danger in 
 the glen — advance, and you die ! " I observed to Naroba, " Can 
 this be possible ? Can Gunput Rao act so treacherously as to 
 murder one of my father's arbitrators in so public a manner?" 
 " I tell you true," said the old woman ; " hasten round yonder 
 hill. From thence there is an open and safe path; 'tis a 
 long way round, but delay not a moment." We thanked her,, 
 and offered her a present of some gold ; but she turned away 
 from it, saying, " Away ! — avarice guides not my actions — 
 away, away !" 
 
 " This is a strange being," I remarked to Naroba, as soon as 
 we were out of her hearing \ " what is the reason she takes such 
 an interest in Sevaje's aifairs ? " He said, in reply, no one knew, 
 but the time would probably soon arrive when she might be 
 brought to explain her motives. He commented severely on the 
 treacherous act of Gunput Rao to waylay him, and observed that 
 it must be noticed ; for he had no claim now to be treated with 
 like an open and honourable disputant, but to be crushed and 
 put to death for an assassin. I observed that this was very 
 true, but we could not prove anything against him beyond 
 the words of the old woman, and they would have but little 
 weight in the court. Naroba seemed convinced I was right, 
 saying nothing in reply, moved forward in silence. On arriving 
 at the hill on which Sattarah stands, I bade him farewell, hoping 
 he would let me hear from time to time how the business pro- 
 ceeded, which he promised to do, and we separated. 
 
 Our band in the cavern was now commanded by a sirdar named 
 Jysing, a Rajpot of great valour and personal strength. Nothing 
 occurred for two days after my return from Naroba. At length a 
 desptitch came, announcing his safe arrival, and that the arbitra- 
 tion had sat once upon the cause for which they were summonei^ 
 and that both disputants had entered into an engagement to abidt 
 by the judgment given. It appeared that Gunput had brought 
 up the old story of the washerwoman again, and endeavoured to 
 
FAXDUJ^ANG IIARI. 377 
 
 prove my father basely born ; so that, from the nature of the 
 investigation required, the business was Hkely to continue a 
 long while in hand. At length the conclusion took place, and 
 the award was made out ; but the umpire, aware of the hostile 
 forces of each party being in the vicinity, declared he would not 
 announce it until the armed bands of both parties appeared before 
 the palace gates, and surrendered their arms. In the despatch 
 which communicated this intelligence, Naroba mentioned his 
 having written to me expressly some days before, and given me 
 joy on the event of the trial. It was therefore clear that my 
 father had made known to him the relation in which we stood to 
 each other,'^conceiving, as the matter at issue was nearly con- 
 cluded, there could be no danger in so doing. I was at a loss, 
 however, to account for the non-receipt of such a letter. I feared, 
 as it had miscarried, it had fallen into the hands of Gunput or his 
 party. Still I apprehended no danger, even if this ferocious man 
 should discover my near connection with Sevaje, as the business 
 was settled, and he had bound himself to abide by the decree of 
 the arbitrators. 
 
 At last the day that was fixed for our marching upon Sattarah, 
 to deliver up our arms before the palace gates, arrived. The 
 award was still a secret to all but the arbitrators ; and they had 
 been kept in the palace, lest through their means it should by any 
 chance be made public. The anxiety manifested by the people 
 was at its highest pitch of excitement, and crowds awaited the 
 arrival of the hostile bands with great anxiety. Jysing, although 
 about to surrender up his arms, determined to keep up the dignity 
 of the soldier to the last moment, and ordered every man to be 
 prepared as if going to battle on the morrow. In consequence of 
 these orders, swords were sharpened, horses caparisoned, and 
 armour examined and securely buckled on ; so that we made, on 
 the whole, a very imposing show. Two hundred of the number 
 were mounted, and the remainder acted as infantr)'. I was 
 mounted on Naroba's Arab war-horse, and never felt so proud 
 and elated in my life. At length I thought my miseries were 
 over ; I was no longer to be a wanderer over the country — an 
 outcast, without a place to repose in ; but I might look fonvard 
 
37^ PANDURANG HARL 
 
 to quiet and enjoyment. We proceeded to the open road by the 
 hill, where I had last parted from Naroba ; the spot was about 
 four miles from Sattarah. When we had got round the hill to a 
 place where w^e could command a view of the road, we saw the 
 corps of Gunput Rao proceeding slowly towards Sattarah. On 
 seeing us approach, they halted, and held out a white flag as a 
 token of amity, and we did the same. We naturally imagined 
 from this, that they were anxious w^e should all arrive together, 
 and at the same moment, under the gates of the palace, and we 
 accordingly approached them, greeting them as friends. When 
 we were nearly close to them, however, Jysing, w^hose eye was 
 upon the slightest movement among them, espied the sword of 
 their commanding-officer or chieftain half unsheathed as it were 
 impatiently. Convinced there was treachery before him, he gave 
 his men the word to halt, and draw their swords, but not to 
 advance, acting solely on the defensive, and awaiting the inten- 
 tions of the enemy. Nanna was close by my side, and said, 
 '' Pandoo, we shall have hot work — we shall be attacked ! " The 
 words were scarcely spoken before the conduct of Gunput became 
 clear, by his cavalry forming, and charging us with great fury. 
 Our men were dreadfully exasperated at such unheard-of treachery. 
 They received the charge like well-trained soldiers, furious as it 
 was ; and our detachments w^ere so nearly equal, for Canooje's 
 corps had no yet joined us, that we were horse to horse in the 
 cavalry and nearly man to man in the infantry. The latter having 
 discharged a volley at each other, flung away their matchlocks, 
 drew their swords, and fought hand to hand. At a distance, 
 giving his orders, stood my treacherous uncle Gunput ; while his 
 son Mahadeo, and Kokoo, his chief officer, led on his men. 
 Nanna speedily got engaged with Mahadeo. Both were 
 mounted, and fought with deadly anger. Nanna was an excel- 
 lent swordsman, and Mahadeo had acquired no small dexterity 
 among the Pindarees. While they were in the height of their 
 combat, Kokoo observed me near, and singling me out, made a 
 furious charge upon me. He sat his horse firmly, and approached, 
 shaking his two-edged sword, and gnashing his teeth with 
 passion. When he came up to me, he cried, "I have found 
 
J\LV7yC'/^.lXG JfARI. 
 
 thcc at last, thou would-be king!" His horse was tall, and 
 my little Arab wheeling at the instant he came up to mc, to 
 avoid the shock which would have overturned us, he passed 
 me with the impetus of his horse's motion ; and before he could 
 wheel round to face me again, I was close in his rear. This gave 
 me a great advantage. I had now reason to rejoice at my good 
 sword practice; for whatever skill I possessed, I knew I should 
 have occasion for it with Kokoo, who was a skilful swordsman 
 and a bold enemy, but rather too forward and choleric. He 
 cut at me with such fury at first, I could do little more than 
 parry his blows. Of the state of the combat around me I knew 
 nothing. Kokoo's violence, however, got the better of his skill ; 
 he began to strike slower, and give me the opportunity of cutting 
 at him occasionally, though without effect. At length we ceased, 
 as it were by a tacit and mutual consent ; and while thus taking 
 breath, I perceived a reinforcement of the enemy approaching. 
 My heart sickened at the sight, and I made up my mind not to 
 perish unrevenged : when I heard the cry of " Canooje ! " from our 
 own men. This revived me a little. " We shall still retrieve our 
 fortune," thought I ; and raising my sword, I became the aggres- 
 sor in attacking my antagonist. Kokoo's eyes flashed fire ; he 
 defended himself dexterously, and soon converted my attack into 
 a defence, by severing the reins in my left hand, so that my well- 
 trained horse was no longer manageable. I saw my danger, 
 instantly dismounted with a spring towards the rear of Kokoo's 
 animal, and thrust my sword into its flank at the same instant, 
 and all as it were by one effort. Horse and rider both fell ; but 
 Kokoo was on his legs before I could touch him, and being both 
 now upon an equality, we hacked away without mercy. I had 
 the advantage in height, and my antagonist in strength. At last 
 he wounded me in the left shoulder by a slanting blow, and at the 
 same moment I succeeded in cutting the cloth that fastened on 
 his turban, just grazing his chin. The turban soon fell off; 
 while, enraged beyond measure, he dealt a blow at me which had 
 settled for ever all our enmity, had not I luckily contrived, more 
 by chance than design, to receive it on my shield, which it pene- 
 trated half through, though made of rhinoceros' hide. I^ly nex/ 
 
3 So PANDURANG HARL 
 
 cut, however, made at his bare head, before he could recover his 
 guard, told home. My superior stature gave me more power in 
 striking that part of the body than any other, and my sword 
 entered his uncovered skull with such violence that it snapt in 
 my hand ! From Kokoo I had no more to dread ; and taking 
 up the weapon that dropped from his unnerved and yet quiver- 
 ing fingers, I was enabled to breathe a moment in comparative 
 safety again. 
 
 Nanna, who had been as obstinately engaged as myself with 
 my cousin Mahadeo, was the first object that caught my view. 
 He was standing with his uplifted sword over Mahadeo, who lay 
 stretched on the ground, mortally wounded. The combat still 
 raged around me, save in the immediate spot where Nanna and 
 Mahadeo had fought. Resting on my sword a moment, ere I 
 went to the assistance of my friends on the other part of the 
 ground, I saw old Bhowanee rush past me towards the spot 
 where lay the fainting Mahadeo. She uttered something which 
 I was too distant and too much occupied to hear ; but Nanna 
 told me afterwards that she screamed out, "Thou art there — 
 thou art dying ! Thou knowest me (which it appeared Mahadeo 
 did, by his horror at her presence). Did I not tell thee I should 
 exult over thee one day? Did not I tell thy father the sod 
 should be thy only crown — the grave thy palace — the dust thy 
 bed of state ? Govindah, my son, thou art avenged ! " She was 
 the same hag whom Mahadeo described he had encountered amid 
 the terrors of the pit, where he buried the carcoon. The dying 
 man seemed as if he would have answered her, and muttered 
 something which could not be understood ; while, having spoken 
 the foregoing words, Bhowanee walked as quickly away as her 
 aged and shri^velled limbs would allow. 
 
 But to return to the battle, which still raged with great 
 bitterness. Gunput Rao finding Kokoo had fallen, rushed 
 among the combatants, and incited his party to fresh exertions. 
 Age did not seem to slacken his courage, nor remorse to make 
 terrible to him the prospect of danger. Just at this period, and 
 before victory had declared itself for either party, a strong body 
 of English cavalry came down upon us and, commjinding us to 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 3S1 
 
 desist, made us all prisoners, with Gunpiit Rao at the head of his 
 party, who seemed mortified to the quick, and bit his hps with 
 rage. Canooje was killed, and Jysing. was badly wounded; I 
 had received several slight scars, besides that which Kokoo 
 inflicted upon me. Nanna escaped unhurt ; but almost all our 
 jummahdars were badly wounded, and we had seventy men 
 killed. Our antagonists also suffered severely; Kokoo and 
 Mahadeo, with four of their chieftains, were killed, and sixty 
 men, besides twenty badly wounded. Thus terminated this 
 bloody conflict, so wickedly planned by my cruel uncle, who had 
 no doubt obtained a knowledge, by some secret means, of the 
 result of the arbitration being in Sevaje's favour, and also of my 
 being in existence. What his ultimate object was in thus 
 attacking us I could not conjecture, unless he was actuated by 
 revenge alone ; for, if he had succeeded in annihilating our 
 whole force, my father was still safe in Sattarah. Gunput Rao 
 would not, therefore, have been one step nearer a throne ; for 
 had Mahadeo sundved, his fathers conduct, after our destruction, 
 would have operated to prevent his succession. The violation 
 of his word to the English Resident, and his attacking us so close 
 to Sattarah, would have been sufficient to effect this. 
 
 The officer in command of the English troops would not be 
 supposed to know which party were the aggressors. We were 
 all obliged to submit to be his prisoners, until he received orders 
 from the Resident how to dispose of us. Gunput Rao marched 
 at the head of the whole party, guarded closely; behind him 
 were Nanna and myself ; and then came the other officers indis- 
 criminately. In this order we arrived at the city gates, and were 
 just entering, when Bhowanee crossed our march, in front of 
 Gunput Rao, and pointing at him, set up a hideous scream, 
 between a laugh and a shriek, and mingled among the crowd. 
 My uncle's countenance saw her not unmoved, but he uttered 
 not a syllable. The multitude followed us to the durbar, and 
 the whole city was in the utmost consternation. 
 
 It appeared subsequently that Gunput Rao's plans extended 
 beyond the attack of our party. We learned that Sevaje, dcemino- 
 it proper he should appear at the head of his friends, as Gunput 
 
382 FANDURANG HARI. 
 
 Rao was to appear with his folloAvers in person, had left Sattarah, 
 and was proceeding to meet us on our road, when he was sur- 
 rounded by ten men of Gunput's corps, who were taking him off, 
 when the EngUsh came up with them, released him, and sent him 
 back to Sattarah with a guard. How the British troops came so 
 opportunely to the spot where we were engaged, I did not at first 
 discover. It appeared afterwards that the Resident, in order to 
 give all the effect possible to the development of the award to the 
 parties and people, and to confer all the dignity he could upon 
 the proclamation of a successor to the musnud, had ordered the 
 troops out accordingly, and they were under arms, waiting the 
 arrival of the hostile parties. The delay in our appearance 
 occasioned a strong suspicion that everything was not correct, 
 and that, on the part of Gunput Rao, there was some foul play. 
 Apprehensions were also entertained for the safety of my father, 
 who had been seen to set out alone to join his soldiers. The 
 Resident was deliberating on what step he should take, when 
 intelligence was brought to the durbar that Gunput Rao's troops 
 had attacked those of Sevaje on their march. A strong detach- 
 ment of cavalry was instantly sent off, with orders to protect 
 Sevaje, who was on his way to meet his troops, unsuspicious of 
 treachery. The English cavalry soon came up with Sevaje, who 
 had been made prisoner by Gunput's party, freed him, and sent 
 him back to the cit}^, escorted, as before stated, by a guard. The 
 remainder arrived in time to prevent further bloodshed, and to 
 make all on both sides prisoners. 
 
 Upon our arrival at the mansion of the English Resident, we 
 were ordered to lay down our arms ; and, as soon as it was dis- 
 covered that we were not the aggressors, we were all released, 
 both officers and men. Gunput Rao was kept a close prisoner, 
 and his men were marched off to a distance in separate parties, 
 so as to disperse them as far from each other as possible ; and 
 then, after being v/arned not to be found again in arms, they were 
 set at liberty. My father was sitting near the Resident when I 
 entered the hall, and. on seeing me, rushed into my arms, 
 exclaiming, " My son, my son ! " The Resident had heard of 
 me before, and was consequently not unprepared for what he saw, 
 
PANDURAXG HAUL 
 
 He congratulated my father upon once more beholding me. 
 Faint from fatigue and loss of blood, I was obliged to retire, and 
 was conducted to my bed. The proclamation of the true suc- 
 cessor to the Sattarah musnud was deferred until the following 
 day, that I might not be excluded from a participation in the 
 ceremony. 
 
 Gunput Rao, in the meanwhile, was outrageous at being de- 
 prived of his liberty. He demanded to be set free; but no 
 attention being paid to his requests, he at last maintained a 
 sullen silence. Unfortunately for him, another cause had arisen 
 to add to the heavy vengeance that hung over his head. A con- 
 spiracy was detected at Poona to excite a rebellion, and induce 
 the inhabitants to throw off the British yoke. The conspirators 
 also were discovered to be carrying on certain treasonable 
 practices beyond that city. Several of the ringleaders, among 
 whom were a Brahmin and a goldsmith, were blown from guns, 
 by the orders of the British Resident. Some of the conspirators 
 could not be found. One, however, was known to be Gunput 
 Rao, the aspirant to the Sattarah throne ; and his friends at Poona 
 only awaited the tidings of his success at Sattarah, to carry into 
 execution the most violent of their measures. Such was the state 
 of affairs, when an express arrived from Poona, on the day my 
 father was to be proclaimed, ordering the Sattarah Resident to 
 arrest and detain Gunput Rao, until proof could be produced 
 against him. The Resident, upon this, had my uncle brought 
 before him, and openly charged him with malpractices at Poona. 
 Gunput, seeing all was known and concealment useless, boldly 
 acknowledged his share in the plot, and that he was one of the 
 conspirators. He was remanded to prison, and his confession 
 reported to the Resident at Poona ; while a separate despatch 
 announced the decision of the arbitrators respecting my father, 
 and the outrages of Gunput, together with his attempt to murder 
 us many years ago. The Resident communicated this part of 
 the despatch to my father, demanding if it were the truth. 
 Sevaje replied he would rather be silent upon his brother's 
 crimes, and most particularly upon those he now alluded to; 
 but he was compelled to acknowledge the report was but too 
 
384 PANDURANG HArI 
 
 true. The Resident urging him still further, he related the 
 whole affair. 
 
 The royal succession was announced with great pomp. I was 
 just able to go through the ceremony, seated by my father's side, 
 though the proclamation was not long in reading. It was read 
 in the Mahratta and English languages ; after which discharges 
 of cannon and volleys of musketry resounded on every side. My 
 father held a durbar the same day, and all the principal natives, 
 with most of the English officers, attended it, and offered my 
 father their congratulations upon this happy event, which had 
 thus put a termination to his long sufferings, and placed him at 
 lart upon the musnud. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 N the following day, the English Resident requested an 
 audience of my father. He appeared before him with 
 a melancholy countenance, and, after the customary 
 compliments had passed, informed him that the fate of Gunput 
 Rao was decided, he having received instructions to cause him to 
 be blown from a gun within twenty-four hours after the receipt of 
 the order. My father shed tears at hearing the sentence which 
 was to be executed upon his enemy. Still he felt that enemy 
 was his brother, connected with him by the closest ties of con- 
 sanguinity, which, though the other had outraged, it became him 
 not to forget. He could scarcely repress his grief within proper 
 bounds on perusing the order, and, with a fervency of manner 
 that did honour to his heart, he implored a commutation of the 
 sentence. I seconded the petition ; for, independendy of a wish 
 that his life might be preserved on my father's account, I was 
 very anxious to learn from my uncle a full and true account of 
 his crimes. By this means the world must be convinced of the 
 injuries we had individually received, and of our indisputable 
 claims to the throne. I mentioned the different characters in 
 which I had encountered Gunput Rao in the strange vicissitudes 
 of my past life ; and also that he had been the agent of the mur- 
 der of the shastree, at the instigation of Trimbuckje Danglia, this 
 being a point which I knew the British Government was most 
 desirous of casting some light upon. The Resident conceived 
 that a full and clear elucidation of this affair would be a plea that 
 might possibly preserve my uncle's life ; and in case Gunput would 
 make a full confession, he promised to bring the consideration of 
 tlie matter before the Poona Resident, upon our petitions in the 
 culprit's favour. There was also this advantage attending the 
 
PANDURANG HARL 
 
 preservation of the criminal's life — namely, that the English would 
 thus become masters of the full extent of the treasonable con- 
 spiracy at Poona in all its ramifications, and be thereby the better 
 enabled to crush any minor associations to which it might have 
 given rise, and to which they had no cue that would open a dis- 
 covery. In the meantime, sentence of death was pronounced upon 
 Gunput. The effect it produced upon his mind baffled all our pre- 
 vious calculations respecting him. AVe had expected an exhibition 
 of that callous indifference to danger, that disregard to con- 
 sequences and recklessness of the future which had always seemed 
 to form a part of his character. The very reverse was the 
 fact. Perhaps the constant state of excitement in which he 
 had lived, and the high hopes cherished by ambition, had kept 
 up his fierce spirit through his long career of guilt and wicked- 
 ness. Baffled at last, and no longer stimulated by the prospect 
 of success, his spirit had given way; he was unable to rally, 
 and sank into despondency. However this might have been, 
 upon his being brought up before the Resident, he seemed 
 overcome with the horror of his situation. Pale and trembling, a 
 cold perspiration crept over his frame ; his knees tottered, his lips 
 shook, and the agitation he evinced on hearing his sentence, 
 showed that he was no longer an object of fear. He with difficulty 
 kept himself from falling to the earth ; and, when ordered back 
 to his cell, he was obliged to be supported. My father was not 
 present ; but I attended the scene, and shall never forget it. The 
 mind that outrages every human obligation, that has smiled at 
 murder, and followed the dreams of a flagitious ambition ; the 
 hand that has been dipped in blood, and the heart fertile in the 
 conception of crime, has in this life but one step to sink, but one 
 moral degradation more, and that is, that it should meet the evil 
 it has often inflicted upon others like a coward, when it falls upon 
 itself. Seeing me, the offender meanly supplicated my interference 
 to preserve his wretched life, and I more than ever despised him 
 for it ; yet I was not unmoved, particularly on account of my 
 father. I turned away my head, and made the miserable wretch 
 no reply. On retiring, I reflected upon my present situation corn- 
 Dared with that of my uncle. The vindictive, relentless Gabbage 
 
PANDURANG HARl. 3S7 
 
 Gousla was changed indeed ; he, who had so long, so mercilessly 
 persecuted me, now sued mc for his life ! Alas ! w^hat mercy 
 did he ever extend to a victim ? Nevertheless, I determined to 
 do all I could to preserve him. I went to my father, whom I 
 found closeted with the Resident, prior to sending off the de- 
 spatches for Poona, in which our prayers and requests were 
 to be transmitted. As soon as my father saw me, he said, " He 
 will be spared, my son ; I feel that he will be saved, if his 
 proud spirit will allow him to make a full confession of all 
 his enormities." 
 
 The event showed that my father was correct in his opinion. 
 The EngHsh Government took up the subject in the view I had 
 formed, willing to oblige a brother, and to develop secrets which 
 Gunput only could unfold concerning their own affairs. The 
 sentence of death was commuted into imprisonment for life, pro- 
 vided a true and ample confession was forthcoming on the part 
 of the culprit, to commence from the day he quitted Sattarah for 
 the purpose of destroying my father and myself, to that of his 
 imprisonment. My father thanked and embraced the British 
 Resident for his kind intercession, and said, with tears in his 
 eyes, that, had his unhappy brother met the fate to which he had 
 been sentenced, his own remaining years would have been passed 
 in unremitting sorrow. The Resident now put an end to the 
 subject, by saying that he felt confident this act of mercy con- 
 ceded to his wishes on his ascending the throne, would be an 
 earnest of his future clemency to his subjects, and that he hoped 
 his highness's reign would be a long and prosperous one. 
 
 The confession of Gunput Rao was to take place in public, in 
 the event of his accepting the conditions proposed to him. The 
 "ilesident sent for him under a strong guard, and the hardened 
 sinner approached with the full idea of meeting his sentence. 
 The gun which was to blow him to pieces, and scatter his 
 mangled remains over the earth, was loaded before his eyes. 
 The match was lighted ; and slowly, and witli trembling knees, 
 he drew near the fatal instrument. His countenance was haggard, 
 his eyes deeply sunk ; fear made rigid every feature, and his pale 
 and dry lip told that the fever of his soul had dried up all the 
 
S^S PANDURANG HARI 
 
 moisture from his tongue. On being brought before the Resident, 
 and informed of the conditions of his pardon, he seemed over- 
 come by the unexpected event ; and at length, clasping his hands 
 in agony, he exclaimed, " Spare my life, and I will confess every 
 act and deed in which I have participated ! " Methought at that 
 moment he appeared more hideous than I had ever before beheld 
 him. He was informed that though his life was spared, he would 
 be imprisoned in the fort of Ahmednugur for the remainder of 
 his days. He bowed very low, even to the earth, and was then 
 taken back to recover himself, having been informed of the day 
 he was to make his confession, and unfold the dreadful catalogue 
 of his enormities. 
 
 By this time I was become very impatient to hear about 
 Sagoonah, and to clasp to my heart one who had shared with me 
 in many of the vicissitudes of my adverse days. I despatched a 
 suitable escort to Parwell to meet her, having first sent a message 
 to Bombay to apprise her of the joyful news of my unexpected 
 elevation, and to express my anxiety that she should participate 
 with me in the prosperity that attended my steps. She arrived 
 at the time I expected her. Our meeting was too full for descrip- 
 tion ; it was steeped in a joy that can be felt but not described — 
 it was a sort of ecstasy, which is too like delirium for sober lan- 
 guage to paint. Sagoonah was struck with no less wonder than 
 pleasure, to find that I was the youth to whom she had been 
 betrothed, and that her spouse was a prince. Women love show 
 and splendour, and she was almost bewildered with delight. She 
 put a thousand and a thousand questions to me; her eyes, 
 brilliant and deathly dark, sparkled, to think she might be ere 
 long a queen ! Never before in Hindustan did man and wife 
 meet as we met. Now were all our troubles and escapes 
 rewarded, and become but subjects to jest upon, or beguile an 
 idle hour in relating ! In the meanwhile, our fondness increased 
 every hour ; and I should occupy time and space to little pur- 
 pose, were I to attempt a relation of all we said and promised 
 each other. My father was highly gratified by the beauty of 
 Sagoonah, and not less by her modest good sense. He gave his 
 blessing, over and over repeated ; and an early day was appointed 
 
PAXDURAXG IfARL 
 
 for our nuptials, provided the Brahmins gave their consent, 
 as they are so tenacious of their rights of nominating the time of 
 all weddings. 
 
 While my father and I were awaiting tl>e hour to proceed to 
 the durbar, and hear the confession of my uncle, I could not 
 help asking him how the arbitrators on the other side came to 
 decide so suddenly in our favour. He informed me, that, finding 
 Sagoonah's uncle to be one of them, and that he adhered to 
 Gunput Rao solely in the hope of marrying his niece to 
 Mahadeo, it was quietly hinted to him that I was yet alive, and 
 the betrothed spouse of Sagoonah. The banker finding this to 
 be really the case, like a genuine trader, thought it more to his 
 advantage to affect a show of his sense of justice, and serve his 
 views and credit with the public at the same time. He did not, 
 indeed, care which married his niece, provided a prince was 
 secured, and he therefore veered round to the party likely to be 
 strongest. Thus the other arbitrator of Gunput was left in a 
 minority at once. The solitary arbitrator, not wishing to stand 
 alone, or side with a falling cause, signed his name to the award, 
 without remark or observation. 
 
 Sagoonah was introduced to her rich uncle, who made her a 
 number of complimentary speeches on her approaching nuptials. 
 I left her at his house, the durbar being assembled to hear Gunput 
 Rao relate his confession ; and I promised Sagoonah to give her 
 every particular as soon as it was concluded. Tlie Resident, 
 many officers, men of rank, sirdars, jagheerdars, Brahmins, and 
 pundits, were present, assembled around my father. The latter 
 entered, and I followed, both of us dressed in a rich suit of 
 kinkob, with a string of pearls, and a diamond sprig in our 
 turbans. We were preceded by chobdars and mace-bearers, who 
 vociferated our praises in the usual strain on entering the court ; 
 and my father took his seat on a velvet cushion, embroidered 
 with gold. I sat at my father's right hand, and the Resident on 
 his left. When every one was seated, the culprit was sent for. 
 In a few minutes, the door of a side-passage unfolded. There 
 was a stillness in the durbar, as if the world were dead. Every 
 eye was fixed on the culprit, who seemed confused at first by the 
 
 2 B 
 
390 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 number of the auditory, but soon recovered a little, and took the 
 place assigned him, with a guard on each hand. His lip was 
 wan, and his cheek withered by anxiety, age, and apprehension. 
 He began the following confession, with a tremulous voice but 
 strong accent, at times hurriedly, and then with great delibera- 
 tion, as if he were fearful of his recollection failing him : — 
 
 " In what I am going to say, my interest cannot lie on the side 
 of truth or falsehood ; for enough is already known of my actions 
 to prevent my concealing any part of the scenes in which I have 
 been an actor from motives of shame ; the worst, perhaps, is 
 already known. I shall state the simple truth ; the fear of the 
 world's anathema cannot affect me in a dungeon ; and the good 
 appearance I once endeavoured to keep up, and the holy char- 
 acter I attempted to sustain, I even then used as subterfuges or 
 cloaks for my deep-laid designs. I had flung everything on the 
 hazard of a die, and fortune has betrayed me. I now, therefore^ 
 may well submit to my destiny ; and, where a knowledge of my 
 life and actions may be useful to others, unhesitatingly reveal 
 the secrets of my past years ; not that the advantage of others 
 concerns me, but that, by so doing, I purchase life, which, in its 
 very dregs, is dear to me, and the only thing that I can say I feel 
 an attachment for in the world, now that my dreams of ambition 
 are ended. Vain dreams, that dazzle to destroy ! If I have 
 appeared overcome, subdued, humbled, it is because I feel I am 
 worse than nothing ; that even hope has forsaken me, that the 
 preservation of my life is all I have now to obtain, and that it 
 only remains for me to spend my future hours in solitude and 
 chains. Still, time may reconcile me to these. But, to die ! no,. 
 I could not die ! 
 
 " They told me that in my infancy I was considered of a way- 
 ward and obstinate disposition \ yet I showed an aspiring temper. 
 It may or may not have been so ; education and intercourse with 
 the world change our natural dispositions. It suffices, that on 
 my arrival at man's estate, my ambition and haughty conduct 
 involved me in many disputes. One of these I will relate : — My 
 estate lay close to that of my brother Sevaje ; and, being always 
 anxious to increase my own property by any means, I claimed a 
 
PAXJ^ I -RAXG J/ A Kl. v> r 
 
 piece of land belonging to my brother as my own. Sevajc refused 
 to give it up to me. The cause was tried by a punchayet ; and, 
 by address and bribery, I got a decree in my favour, and secured 
 the land. It was not long after this that my wife brought me a 
 son, whom I named ^Nlahadeo ; but she died in childbed. I was 
 exceedingly grieved at her loss, and had scarcely recovered a 
 little from the affliction into which it had plunged me, when I 
 found that my son was carried off from his nurse, and could not 
 be found. He was, however, soon after brought to me, having 
 been picked up floating down a neighbouring river in a basket 
 The person who found him was a young man named GovindaJi. 
 Judging of my brother's disposition by my own, I readily imagined 
 that this was his act, committed in revenge for the loss of his 
 property. I therefore meditated a deadly retaliation, and con- 
 sulted a friend how I should proceed to effect it. This friend it 
 was who first conceived the idea of throwing a stigma on my 
 brother's birth, and thus enabling me to lay claim to the right of 
 the eldest son ; by which means, should the deposed rajah be rein- 
 stated, I might, on his death, succeed to the musnud. Hence 
 sprung all my crimes. This little seed of ambition, sown in a 
 soil so congenial to its growth, rapidly sprung up like a rank 
 weed, and I fed upon it to intoxication. Years passed away, and 
 notwithstanding unceasing attempts to fix a blot on my brother's 
 birth in such a way that it should be latal to his right.s, I could 
 not succeed; he was still considered the eldest son, and 
 everywhere respected and beloved. It happened that my 
 brother had a son as well as myself, though considerably 
 younger than mine, named Jcoba. The child was seldom seen 
 by any one ; and, deadly enemies as my brother and myself 
 were, it was not likely he would ever come into my sight, unles.s 
 by some extraordinary accident. My friend and adviser, whom 
 I have before mentioned, informed me one day that my brother 
 had sought the hand of a girl named Sagoonah for his son Jeoba. 
 This information greatly enraged me ; for, though the father of 
 Sagoonah was poor, he ranked high in his caste, l)eing no less 
 than a Nagga Brahmin, and much respected by the people. 
 Before my brother's proposals were accepted, I presented myself 
 
392 PANDURANG HARl. 
 
 to the father of Sagoonah, and made an offer in behalf of my 
 son Mahadeo. The father immediately mentioned to me the 
 proposals made by my elder brother, and said that at present he 
 could give neither of us an answer, as he must have time to con- 
 sider well so important an affair. This reply did not entirely 
 deprive me of all hope, and I remained quiet, determined that 
 the father of the girl should not have any rational grounds for 
 objecting to my alliance. I was, however, disappointed ; the girl 
 was betrothed to my nephew, instead of my son. This stung me 
 deeply, my pride was wounded, and I vowed deep unrelenting 
 vengeance on both father and son. I swore I would crush them, 
 sweep them from the earth, annihilate them ! Sevaje, knowing 
 well my disposition, determined to quit his estate, and retire to 
 Chandore, having occasion to visit Indore first, upon business. 
 I obtained intelligence of his design ; I knew he must pass 
 through a jungle ; and there, with two hired ruffians, I waylaid 
 him and his child. The latter I wrested from him, and gave to 
 my followers, desiring them to carry my orders into effect at a 
 little distance ; and, as soon as they had turned their backs, I 
 stabbed my brother, who instantly fell. I was going to repeat 
 my blow as he lay on the ground, to make assurance doubly 
 sure ; but, hearing a noise, as of persons approaching, I ran away, 
 I knew not whither. In my path I saw something white, which 
 I found to be the boy, whom my followers, probably also in 
 alarm, had flung down, but had not destroyed, as I intended 
 they should have done. I snatched up the child, intending to 
 have murdered it in a deep ravine that lay at no great distance, 
 when I heard voices and footsteps very near. I felt certain that 
 my brother's body had been seen, and I was pursued. I ran, to 
 get clear of my pursuers, without knowing whither, and found 
 myself, at last, close to some bullocks, apparently harnessed for 
 marching, though not a single attendant was in sight. My 
 pursuers gained upon me ; and to be caught with the child in 
 my arms would be to make detection certain, while it also 
 impeded my flight. I had scarcely time to throw the boy among 
 the bullocks, which were standing together in a knot, there being 
 no hedge, ditch, or copse near, where I could leave him, and 
 
PANDURANG HARL 393 
 
 recover him, so as to make sure of his death. The pursuit still 
 continued, until I entered a village, where there was a well, a 
 little out of the road. Some bushes hid me from sight a moment, 
 and I went down the steps, and stood upon the lowest. My 
 pursuers passed by into the village, and thus missed me. 
 
 " I remained in the well the best part of the night. All was 
 quiet ; and, as I knew if I delayed until the dawn I should be 
 found by the people who would come for water, and thus the 
 villagers suspect me, I mounted the steps before day, and, once 
 more in the fields, retraced my road, thinking I might recover 
 my nephew ; but I either mistook the path, or, if I did not, I 
 could discover no bullocks, nor even marks of their feet, the way 
 I travelled. I was thus foiled in respect to the child, whom I 
 long considered dead, or brought up in some lowly cabin, and 
 ignorant of his parentage, and that, therefore, I should hear 
 nothing more of him. My surprise was great, a few days ago, 
 to find, by means of an intercepted letter, that he was in existence, 
 and well acquainted with his parentage. I was still more struck, 
 w^hen I recollected how frequently I had fallen in with him, 
 whilst wandering about as a gossein, in years past, and how I 
 have persecuted and lain in wait for him. My reasons for having 
 done this will be seen in the sequel of my confession ; at present 
 I will continue my history, from the time of my brother's 
 attempted murder, and the loss of his son. 
 
 " I now began to fear that inquiry would be made into the 
 sudden disappearance of my brother and his child. I knew I 
 should be immediately suspected as an accessary to it ; and there- 
 fore caused myself to be carried into Sattarah in a litter, having 
 previously cut myself in several places, and having my garments 
 stained with blood. I gave out that my brother and myself had 
 been attacked by ruffians, that I had fortunately escaped, but that 
 I feared my brother and his son had fallen by their hands. I 
 had taken the precaution to forge a letter as from my brother, 
 inviting me to join him at Indore ; so that I foncied no suspicion 
 attached itself to me. The father of Sagoonah, however, was by 
 no means satisfied with my statement of this affair, and openly 
 declared he would investigate the matter most strictly. I was in 
 
394 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 a great fury at this conduct upon his part ; and I determined, as 
 I had gone so far in the case of my brother, I would not hesitate 
 to take my revenge upon him. My guilt in this case was never 
 even suspected, so adroitly was the affair managed : I removed 
 him out of the way by poison. His wife became a suttee, and I 
 saw her ascend the funeral-pile of her husband ; I saw the fire 
 envelop her; and I heard her shriek of death pierce through the 
 red fierce flames with inward delight, when I reflected that no 
 one thing now stood in my way to thwart my projects ! " — [Here 
 the auditory of Gunput uttered a groan of horror, but no one 
 spoke. He paused a moment, and resumed his narrative.] 
 
 " The orphan, Sagoonah, was left unprotected ; but some 
 charitable persons conveyed her to her aunt, at Poona. She had 
 an uncle ; but, as he resided in Marwar, and had never seen her, 
 and she, perhaps, had never heard his name, the roof of her 
 aunt was her only secure refuge. This aunt was a very poor 
 Avidow ; and, by a singular coincidence of circumstances, I was 
 very nigh staining my hands with the blood of her niece, though 
 at the time little suspecting who my victim was. By an event no 
 less strange, the girl was rescued and protected by the very man 
 to whom she was betrothed — by Jeoba, my nephew, whom I had 
 often met under the name of Pandurang H^ri. But to return to the 
 Tegular chain of my history. After the funeral of Sagoonah's father 
 and his wife, I saw no chance of our family succeeding to the 
 inusnud of Sattarah, and I repented deeply the supposed murder 
 of my brother ; for that he was murdered I had not the smallest 
 doubt. Being looked upon with an evil eye by many persons in 
 society, I pretended to bewail my brother's loss, and gave out my 
 intention of becoming a sunyasse, and retiring from the world. 
 I very soon afterwards carried my intention into effect, having 
 farmed out my estate, which, however, the Government seques- 
 trated, as soon as my absence and the course of life I had adopted 
 ■were known. This act reduced me to real poverty, and I was 
 also under the necessity of becoming a gossein. I caused my son 
 Mahadeo to enter into the same mode of life, and we were regu- 
 larily consecrated by a religious recluse, and duly commenced 
 ■our wandering state of mendicity. Meeting with a set of gosseins, 
 
PANDURANG IIARI. 395 
 
 we joined them, and, conducting us to a cavern, they produced 
 their ganga and opium, and began to smoke. The pipe was 
 offered to me, and I inhaled the somniferous vapour until my 
 head became affected, and I fell down insensible. On awaking, 
 I found my son had departed ; nor could I obtain any tidincr,s of 
 him for many years, though I wandered everywhere in search of 
 him. The prayers of the Peeshwa for a son bei-ng heard, he gave 
 a grand feast to all the gosseins, from every part of India, who 
 would come. I readily attended, and there first saw his confidant, 
 Trimbuckje Danglia. He was then in the zenith of favour, and 
 homage was paid to him by all present ; but whether there was 
 more reverence in my manner of saluting him, or he discovered 
 in my eyes a beam of wickedness that corresponded with his o\\ti, 
 and a talent that might be useful to him, I cannot tell ; it suffices 
 that, after the feast was over, he sent for me. I waited upon him, 
 and he demanded my name. I told him it was Cabbage Gossein 
 — this was the name by which I went, after taking up a religious 
 habit ; but I was commonly styled Cabbage Gousla, from my 
 supposed habits of avarice. Trimbuckje told me he was in want 
 of a gurii, a religious instructor, to his household, and made me 
 the offer of the situation, which I gladly accepted, and took up 
 my residence in Poona. 
 
 " I soon discovered that Trimbuckje was vcr)' careless on the 
 score of his religious duties ; like many statesmen who keep up 
 an hypocritical show of regard for their established creeds, but 
 in reality are of no religion at all. It was an excellent plea, how- 
 ever, for my being closeted with him frequently, and thus I 
 became a ready sharer with him in all his schemes of villainy. 
 There being a great meeting of our tribe at Indore, I procured 
 leave of absence, and proceeded thither. On returning, I entered 
 the hut of a recluse whom I met at Indore, and who j^romised 
 to join me the following day. In his hovel I smoked ganga, and 
 fell into a deep sleep, from which I was awakened by feeling 
 water flung in my face. When I came to myself, I found that 
 a traveller had discovered the hut to be on fire, had removed 
 me from danger, and extinguished the flames. This traveller 
 appeared to me a young man without money or emplo\Tnent, and 
 
39^ PANDURANG HARL 
 
 apparently of such a pliable disposition, that I conceived, with a 
 little tutoring, he might become very useful to me at Poona. I 
 persuaded him to turn gossein on the spot, and to follow me. 
 His name was Pandurang Hari. In stripping him to besmear 
 him with dirt and ashes, I discovered he had a long bag of 
 rupees tied round his waist, I made no observation to him on 
 the discovery, but secretly determined the money should be mine 
 by some means or other. We sallied forth on the road to Poona^. 
 not now thinking it worth my while to await longer the owner of 
 the hut, who had delayed beyond the time fixed for his return. 
 On the road, I instructed my pupil in the art of raising money by 
 begging. One method of extortion is by letting the blood flow 
 from some part of the body, or by threatening to use a dagger ; 
 the person so threatened, knowing that ill fortune is the conse- 
 quence if he causes the blood of a gossein to flow, is instantly 
 alarmed, and pays his mite. Thus we impose on the public 
 credulity, and thus the greater part of the religious mendicants 
 gain their profits. Not in the present instance desirous to wound 
 myself, I proposed to my pupil that he should undertake the cere- 
 mony, whilst I collected the money. Pandurang Gossein was 
 not the soft fellow I expected to find him ; for, on desiring him 
 to cut, he drew the knife across my arm instead of his own. I 
 raised a mob directly, and accused him of an attempt to murder 
 me for my share of the money which he carried. His rupees 
 were thereupon taken from him, and he was ordered to quit 
 Poona. Having secured his cash, I had made the best bargain. 
 and felt glad the fellow was gone, as he was much too sharp 
 for an instrument such as I then wished. 
 
 " I now joined Trimbuckje again, and remained in his service 
 some time ; when a difference occurring between us, I quitted 
 him and went to Bombay, where I gave out I was deeply skilled 
 in magic. I had not resided long in that city when my services 
 were required to conjure to death an Englishman in office there. 
 The person who brought me the written proposals was a peon in 
 the police office, who, to my great wonder and amazement, I dis- 
 covered was my old acquaintance, Pandurang H^ri. I owed him 
 a grudge, and when the affair was discovered, which from the 
 
PANDURANG HARL 397 
 
 incautious conduct of the parties it was very soon, I did not hesi- 
 tate to implicate him in the plot, and he was imprisoned in con- 
 sequence. I was put into a room out of the common gaol, from 
 which I contrived to escape in the night by bribing a police peon 
 \vho had cliarge of the chowkee. 
 
 " I felt that Bombay was no place for me to remain in one 
 hour longer, and I got clear off to Poona again. There interest 
 induced me to seek a reconciliation with Trimbuckje. He be- 
 came friendly again, and placed me once more upon his establish- 
 ment. Nothing of moment occurred, until one day when the 
 Peeshwa went to the Motee-baugh, when it appeared that he saw 
 a pretty girl at a window. He became desirous of obtaining her 
 for his harem, and Trimbuckje was despatched for the purpose of 
 making her an offer to that effect, on the part of the Peeshwa. 
 On getting a view of her features, Trimbuckje became enamoured 
 as well as his master, and neglected his employer's interest for 
 his own, proposing to take her under his protection. The 
 girl refused indignantly, and threatened to make the Peeshwa 
 acquainted with the way in which she had been treated. Had 
 she done this, Trimbuckje must have been ruined ; I was there- 
 fore employed to silence the girl effectually, and I engaged three 
 gosseins of infamous character to assist me. We enticed her to 
 a lonely house in the suburbs, where we prepared to stab her ; but 
 none had the heart to do it, and my companions seemed anxious 
 to save her. Upon this I rushed into the apartment where we 
 had secured the unfortunate girl, and grasped her throat with a 
 violence I considered sufficient to occasion her death by suffoca- 
 tion. I then opened the window and we threw her out, purposing 
 to go round and convey the body to the river, and there fling it 
 in. Before we could get to the back of the house where the win- 
 dow looked, we were necessitated to make a circuit of some 
 distance ; and on our arrival under the window, what was our 
 surprise to discover the body gone ! We were now all of us terribly 
 alarmed. We lit torches,, and proceeded to hunt about, even ta 
 the bank of the river. We had distinctly heard a splash, and 
 concluded that the girl, having recovered enough to get upon her 
 legs, and run she knew not whither from her fright, had made 
 
398 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 off unconsciously in the direction of the water and fallen in, or 
 plunged in upon seeing us in pursuit. Still we were in doubt 
 whether she was dead or not. Upon returning to Trimbuckje, 
 I told him his orders had been executed, and he liberally 
 rewarded me, and hoped he should hear no more of the murder. 
 ■On the following day, to my great dismay, the aunt of the sup- 
 posed murdered girl, by some unaccountable mode, obtained 
 admission to the palace, and to the Peeshwa's presence, to 
 whom she related the circumstances of the death of her 
 niece as far as she knew. The Peeshwa, finding the 
 murdered girl to be no other than she whom he was desirous 
 of placing in his harem, was enraged beyond measure, and 
 pledged himself to discover the murderer of the old woman's 
 niece. Trimbuckje was in great alarm, and I was in no less 
 fright, and we were considering how we could best ward off 
 the blow that seemed impending over us, when a stranger 
 desired to be admitted to him. I was not then present, but what 
 passed I knew from Trimbuckje. The stranger offered to crimi- 
 nate Habeshee Kotwall, a decided enemy of Trimbuckje's. He 
 appeared to know every particular of the murder, and it must 
 have been he, whoever he was, that carried off the body from 
 beneath the window. I did not understand that he stated the 
 girl had escaped death, by which I concluded she was really no 
 more. I never saw the stranger until the day when, in the 
 character of a magician, he entered the palace to accuse the 
 Habeshee to the Peeshwa. I then determined to get a glance at 
 his face, and going round by a private passage which led to the 
 Peeshwa's closet, where the magician was seated, what was my 
 surprise to discover, under all his disguises of paint and dress, 
 my old acquaintance Pandurang Hari ! I was so struck I could 
 scarcely tear myself away, and I was, I believe, nearly discovered 
 by the Peeshwa. Pandurang in this affair acted entirely on our 
 side, and in our favour; it was not therefore my interest to 
 thwart him. I awaited the result of his plans, which ended in 
 the conviction and death of the Habeshee. Well, I thought to 
 myself, this is a very clever fellow. How much was I mistaken 
 in thinking otherwise of him ! There remained some mystery 
 
rANDURANG HArI 
 
 199 
 
 about the affair to be fathomed still, and I determined to watch 
 the steps of Pandurang very closely. Observing Pandurang 
 frequently gain access to Trimbuckje, I caused a man named 
 Suntoo to watch his steps, and report to me his place of abode, 
 the houses he visited, and the individuals who resided with him. 
 He obeyed my orders ^\ath great exactness, and one day informed 
 me that he had watched Pandurang into the house of a poor 
 cultivator at a small village near Poona, and also that two strange 
 women were living in the same house. I instantly bade him 
 conduct me to the place, and watching my opportunity, I appeared 
 one day in presence of the women during the absence of Pandu- 
 rang. Not having seen the features of the girl on the night of 
 the intended murder, I could not be positive she was the person 
 who escaped from me ; but having seen the aunt cr)'ing before 
 the palace gates, I instantly recognised her. Appearing before 
 them as a mendicant, I dared not ask any questions ; but, being 
 presented with a handful of rice, I departed. On my return to 
 Poona, I made the most minute inquiries respecting the females 
 -who lately resided near the Motee-baugh, and to my astonishment 
 learned that the girl had come from Sattarah, and that the aunt 
 was a poor widow woman who had resided for a long time in 
 Poona. Could this girl be Sagoonah ? If it were she, I rejoiced 
 in her miraculous escape, for I had deeds of horror enough on 
 my conscience, without adding the weight of the child's murder 
 to that of the father ! 
 
 "Anxious to know how affairs went on at Sattarah, I left 
 Poona, and journeyed until I came to a large tank, in which 
 I bathed and refreshed myself The shades of evening now 
 gathered fast around me, and, fully aware that I could not 
 reach Sattarah that night, I began to look around for some 
 place of shelter. I found a lonely cottage with a light in the 
 -window, and being attired in the habit of a gossein, I did not 
 hesitate to request a lodging for the night. An old woman 
 opened the door, and what was my surprise on recognising in her 
 person the mother of a boy who saved my son from a watery 
 grave ! I addressed her, saying I had seen her face before. 
 * Indeed ! ' she demanded ; ' where ? ' * Near Sattarah,* I replied. 
 
40O PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 She looked, but did not recollect my features. I inquired after 
 her son Govindah. She answered in a mournful voice, ' He is 
 dead ! ' * And so young ! ' I observed ; ' surely disease could 
 not so roughly handle him ? ' 'A villain handled him ! ' she 
 replied. * What, murdered ! ' I exclaimed, ' who could have 
 had an enmity towards him ? She answered, ' The wretch whose 
 life he saved from the waters — he killed his preserver.' ' Speak ! 
 who mean you ? ' I asked. ' Your son, Mahadeo — your son,' 
 said she, looking me full in the face ; ' and art thou, indeed, 
 Gunput Rao ? — thou hast a son as great a fiend as thyself ! ' 
 * Dost thou know where my son is ? ' I eagerly questioned her. 
 ' Canst thou tell me where he is to be found ; years have 
 passed since I beheld his face?' 'Question me not further 
 about your miserable child ; he lives, no doubt — where, or how, 
 I neither know nor care,' she answered. I again urged her to 
 explain to me where I should find my son, and expressed my 
 belief he could not have committed such a deed. She told me 
 to speak no more to her on the subject, for her brain maddened 
 at the recollection of it ; and she bade me quit the place before 
 sunrise. Finding it impossible to learn anything more from her 
 respecting him, I retired to my apartment, and in the morning 
 pursued my journey to Sattarah. The distance being short, I 
 arrived about noon. While in the city, I found that Sagoonah's 
 uncle had returned from Manvar ; but that he intended to go 
 thither again in about a year's time with an immense capital. I 
 contrived to get introduced to his notice, and found him a man 
 of haughty and aspiring ideas ; but before I mentioned to him 
 my knowledge of his niece, I made more inquiries in the town 
 concerning her, and the result was a firm conviction on my part 
 that the girl I had seen at the cultivator's cottage, under the 
 protection of Pandurang H^ri, was the very same to whom my 
 nephew had been betrothed. The report that the rajah would 
 be reinstated on the musnud happened about this time, and 
 kindled in my ambitious mind the desire of securing myself 
 succession, though how to effect this object did not then appear 
 by any means clear to me. 
 
 " My visits to Sagoonah's uncle at length became very frequent. 
 
FANDURANG HARI. 401 
 
 and I at last ventured to mention him his niece, advising him to 
 take her home and aggrandise himself and her by marriage. He 
 assured me he was perfectly willing so to do, if he could find her out; 
 but all attempts for that purpose had hitherto proved abortive. 
 ^ Could I but find her,' he said, ' some rich jagheerdar would 
 doubtless seek her hand in marriage, on account of my wealth, and 
 the purity of her caste.' I told him he might soar higher than 
 a jagheerdar, for a prince might be proud of such a wife. 
 'Princes,' he obser\^ed, 'are not so plentiful, and it seems the 
 relatives of the present rajah are all dead.' I told him not all, 
 for the nearest of them stood before him. He inquired if I was 
 Sevaje. I told him no — he was no more; but that I was his 
 brother, Gunput Rao, and claimed the right of succession to the 
 throne. The banker then asked if my son lived also. I told 
 him he did, and, with his consent, should have his niece in mar- 
 riage. He was much surprised at what I related, but told me I 
 talked as if his niece were close at hand, demanding if I knew 
 anything of her. I told him I did, and that I wished I had as 
 accurate information respecting my son ; but I pledged myself to 
 find him out and deliver his niece to him, provided he pledged 
 himself to compel her to marry my son, and aid us with his 
 wealth in attempting the sovereignty. The banker, who looked 
 no higher than a landholder for his niece, instantly agreed to my 
 proposal, and promised his niece and his coffers should be at my 
 command. He bade me first haste and secure his niece, giving 
 me full authority to do so, and to bring her to Sattarah. After 
 some other topics were touched upon, I took my leave and 
 hastened to Poona, imagining I could pounce upon Sagoonah 
 without much trouble. But in this I was mistaken; for Pan- 
 durang H^ri, having obtained a situation under Trimbuckje 
 Danglia in Kandeish, had left the cultivator's cottage, and pro- 
 ceeded to his station. I despatched a shrewd gossein after them ; 
 but, although he actually had them at one time in his power, he 
 let them slip through his fingers, having been wounded by a bullock- 
 driver, with whom he found it necessary to form an acquaintance. 
 I employed divers stratagems to make Sagoonah quit her home 
 •in Kandeish ; but, being now on her guard, she never ventured out. 
 
402 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 " Trimbuckje requiring my presence about this time, I could 
 not proceed to Kandeish, but was obliged to depend upon my 
 hirelings. The business upon which I went related to the mur- 
 der of a shastree, who was on his way from Guzerat to the court 
 at Poona. The particulars of this murder I can state when 
 required; I shall only now say that he was murdered; Trim- 
 buckje was suspected, and his person demanded by the British 
 Government. In this predicament he consulted me, and I 
 advised a quiet submission to his fate ; and that, as his life was 
 not to be forfeited, there was every hope he might escape from 
 his prison again. I recommended him to select the most cunning 
 of his followers, amongst whom was Pandurang Hari, whose 
 name I mentioned, being anxious for his removal from Kandeish, 
 to enable me to succeed in my plans relative to Sagoonah. Trim- 
 buckje also appeared anxious that Pandurang should accompany 
 him ; and his anxiety was so evident, that I could not help 
 mentioning it to several of his most confidential attendants. I 
 learned, to my mortification, that Suntoo, whom I had first set as 
 a spy at the cultivator's cottage, had recognised the parties, and 
 made Trimbuckje acquainted with the existence of Sagoonah. 
 Hence his anxiety to deprive her of the protection of Pandurang 
 HarL I now saw plainly I should have to contend with Trim- 
 buckje Danglia, and oppose my cunning to his force. During 
 my last interview with him before his apprehension, he was 
 pettish and quarrelsome, and I was haughty and insolent, which I 
 then felt I might be, he being a fallen star. He resented my 
 conduct, bade me depart and never appear before him again; 
 and I withdrew in a rage. Pandurang Hari arrived, and set off 
 with Trimbuckje to Thannah ; and, as soon as they were gone, I 
 proceeded to Kandeish, where I found Trimbuckje's power had 
 outdone my craftiness. Sagoonah and her aunt had been forcibly 
 seized and conveyed to Asseerghur, the killehdar of which place 
 was a sworn friend of Trimbuckje's. 
 
 " Nothing daunted in my determination, I returned to Poona, 
 and once more journeyed to Sattarah, to report to the banker my 
 failure. I said, ' Neither your niece nor my son are yet found ; 
 I hope, nevertheless, to recover the former very soon, and then 
 
FANDURAXG IIAKI. 403 
 
 deliver her into your hands.' The banker expressed his regret at 
 the circumstance, saying he left it all to me, as he was about taking 
 a second journey to Marwar; and, on his return, he should hope 
 to find both the young man and woman awaiting his arrival at 
 Sattarah. Pleased at finding the banker still confided in me, I 
 promised to spare no pains to do as he desired during his absence, 
 particularly as his niece was running up and down the country 
 under the protection of a vagabond. 
 
 " I found it impracticable to get the women out of the fort, 
 and therefore awaited very impatiently the d*;liverance of Trim- 
 buckje out of the hands of the English, and his re-appearance in 
 the Deccan ; for I never doubted but he would contrive, in some 
 way or another, to effect his escape. In this idea I found I was 
 ultimately correct. Trimbuckje, requiring the help of a friend, 
 sent a messenger to me, desiring I would procure horses to be 
 ready near the Thannah river. Not understanding the message 
 delivered by the men sent, I journeyed to Thannali as a gossein, 
 where I soon found out the intentions of the captive. I deter- 
 mined to aid him, that I might once more get admitted to his 
 household, by which means alone I should be able to fathom his 
 intentions towards the women at Asseerghur. I was the more 
 ready to aid in his escape, from finding that he only was to 
 escape, and that his followers would remain prisoners ; so that 
 Pandurang Hari could not interfere with my future views 
 respecting the females. Trimbuckje escaped, and tied to Kan- 
 deish. The Pccshwa corresponded with him ; but Trimbuckje's 
 day of glory was over, and I found it a useless loss of time to 
 dangle after him, and mingle in his train ; yet hardly knowing 
 what step to take, I stayed with him until the sudden arrival of 
 Pandurang Hari and one of his servants, who had been left be- 
 hind at Thannah. The name of the servant was Xanna. He in- 
 formed us of their having been seized by a horde of Pindarecs, 
 and of the events which occurred in a ruined fortress. The 
 fellow related the story of a Musselman, named Fuzl Khan, 
 which amused Trimbuckje highly. Finding this, he related the 
 story of another of the band, who was a Hindoo, and, to my 
 astonishment, proved to be my own son, Mahadeo, of whom 
 
404 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 Nanna could give me no account, after his escape from the 
 Pindarees himself. Pandurang H^ri was coldly received by 
 Trimbuckje, who viewed him as a rival with Sagoonah, and 
 wished him at the bottom of the sea. Not getting any reward 
 for planning Trimbuckje's escape, as was promised him, he quitted 
 us, and I have reason to believe, went to Kandeish, where he had 
 left Sagoonah and her annt. Trimbuckje said, when he quitted, 
 ' He will find what he deserves at the village.' I therefore felt 
 convinced orders had been sent there to put him out of the way, 
 if he appeared again. I felt great pleasure at this, because, in 
 that case, an obstacle in my way would thus be removed. 
 
 " I was so fully assured of the necessity of getting rid of this 
 Pandurang Hkri, that I determined to have him assassinated my- 
 self, should Trimbuckje fail to do it. I was meditating how I 
 should best carry my intentions into effect, when Nanna, boiling 
 with rage, informed me that Trimbuckje, instead of rewarding 
 him, as he promised, for aiding in his escape, had repaid his 
 services by intriguing with his wife, and that he determined to be 
 revenged upon him at any risk. Anxious to secure such a tool 
 to aid me in my purposes, and to follow up my plans respecting 
 Pandurang Hari, I affected to enter into his feelings, and so blew 
 up yet higher the feeling of revenge that still lurked in his bosom, 
 until he swore to murder Trimbuckje, by stabbing him when 
 alone. I did not imagine he would succeed ; but, whether he 
 succeeded or not, the attempt would answer every end I had in 
 view. He failed, and came to me for protection. I offered to 
 save him if he would swear to serve me. He dared not refuse 
 my terms; but consented, at my instigation, to murder Pan- 
 durang Hkri. For this end I concealed him for the time, and 
 then sent Nanna, for the purpose of hunting him down, to Trim- 
 buckje's village, in Kandeish, whither I knew he had proceeded. 
 At the village, I informed Nanna he would sec two active agents 
 of mine — men of singular courage, and with hands that had much 
 blood on them — one a robber by profession ; the other, named 
 Kokoo, not at all his inferior, having a head to contrive, and a 
 hand to execute any mischief To these men I had intrusted 
 the rescue of Sagoonah and her aunt from the power of Trim- 
 
PAXDURANG HARl 405 
 
 buckje, and felt almost certain of success, anxiously awaiting 
 intelligence from them. Trimbuckje Danglia's importance 
 being gone, his friends and train fell off from him one by one, 
 and by and by he absconded, no one knew whither. Not 
 hearing from Kokoo or Xanna, I determined upon proceeding 
 towards the fort of Asseerghur myself; in passing which, I 
 found the women were no longer there, having made then 
 escape. In going through a deep glen, where there was but 
 one small hut, being thirsty, I demanded admittance. The 
 door was opened by an old man, in whom I recognised my 
 brother Sevaje, whom I believed dead long ago. I mentioned 
 my name, received what I requested to drink, and departed. At 
 times I had ^sished the blood of a brother lay not upon my 
 head ; now, when I saw him alive, a formidable obstacle to my 
 views, I wished him out of the way most heartily ; and hastening 
 to Kokoo and his companions, I unfolded all my plans to them, 
 and made them swear to murder the inhabitant of the glen as 
 soon as possible. I thus buoyed myself up with the hope of 
 learning that Pandurarg had been despatched, the women 
 secured, and my brother, the goatherd of the glen, as he \*-as 
 styled, really destroyed On my arrival at Asseerghur, Nanna 
 crossed my path, and we agreed to meet under the fort. Instead 
 of hearing from him that my plans had succeeded, I was morti- 
 fied at discovering that Pandurang Hari had not been found, that 
 the women had escaped, and that Kokoo and his companions 
 had been shut up in a cell, and left to star\e to death- My 
 anger knew no bounds, and it was some time before I could 
 understand that Kokoo was living, but that his companion was a 
 corpse. I immediately set out with Xanna to the place where 
 this affair took place, because Kokoo was waiting my arrival 
 there. On entering a dark cavern, Xanna led me to a small 
 chamber, where he told me the body of Kokoo's companion lay, 
 and that we should find him in another comer of the cavern. I 
 entered., and, to my amazement, found two dead bodies instead 
 of one. It struck me Xanna was deceinng me, and I looked 
 upon him as a traitor. Instead of finding Kokoo, we discovered 
 a sick man, a stranger. Upon this my rage rose to madness ; 
 
 20, 
 
4o6 PANDURANG HARL 
 
 and, drawing my dagger, I struck Nanna with it in the side, and 
 left him for dead. I now retraced my steps to x\sseerghur by the 
 road that led through the glen ; and, on looking into the hut of 
 Sevaje, I found Kokoo there, the door open, and my brother, the 
 goatherd, fled. Kokoo was overcome with weakness after his 
 incarceration, and was resting against the wall. It appeared that, 
 owing to Kokoo's want of caution, they had enlisted Pandurang 
 Hari himself to assist them ; who, having heard all their designs, 
 had fastened them into the cell at the cavern, and left them to perish. 
 " Kokoo was in a desperate rage to be so duped, and he swore 
 vengeance, while I encouraged his relentless humour. We pro- 
 ceeded back towards Asseerghur, where I intended to give 
 Kokoo necessary rest. On our way we met with a gossein, whom 
 I had despatched to trace out Sagoonah. He gave me informa- 
 tion of her having been seen by a bullock-driver whom he knew, 
 and that they were gone towards Guzerat. The bullock-driver 
 stated that he might have brought them to Asseerghur, but for 
 his employer, who, when he stopped them, released them, and 
 suffered them to go their own way. This was two months prior 
 to that day. Kokoo soon after volunteered his services to pro- 
 ceed after them to Guzerat with the gossein who hoped to over- 
 take the bullock-driver in his return to Nasik. The latter was 
 able to identify the persons of the women. I then bent my own 
 steps towards Poona. The war was at its height ; and, as the English 
 had possession of Poona, the probability of the Sattarah rajah being 
 reinstated became greater, and my hopes of success proportion- 
 ably strengthened. On my arrival at Poona, I connected myself 
 with several dissatisfied persons, and soon found myself involved 
 in treasonable conspiracies. My amazement may be conceived, 
 when the conspirators introduced me, at one of our meetings, 
 to a young man, who, they informed me, was the successor to 
 the Sattarah throne, and one of the most active among them. 
 This young man proved to be my unhappy long-lost son, Ma- 
 hadeo, who was equally surprised at meeting his father again. 
 WTien the conspirators were made acquainted with our affinity, 
 they became more sanguine than ever ; for, on my succeeding to 
 the throne, through the aid of the EngHsh, my first act was to 
 
PAXDURANG HARl 407 
 
 have been to their injur)^, by an attempt to retake Poona. The 
 particulars of this conspiracy are here." [Gunput now handed 
 them in AVTiting to the Resident.] " While we were arranging 
 the proceedings in this conspiracy, Kokoo returned from Guzerat, 
 informing me that he had been disappointed at Broach, by the 
 seizure of two strange persons, instead of Pandurang and Sagoonah. 
 He had left spies over them, being obliged to remove from the 
 neighbourhood himself, from motives of personal safety. These 
 spies followed a man and woman to Sattarah, and we secured 
 them ; but found we had obtained a strange female, of whom we 
 knew nothing, and a man, whom I ordered to be imprisoned, 
 until we could get from him some account of the motions of 
 Pandurang Hari and Sagoonah. 
 
 " I had heard my brother Sevaje was in Sattarah, but where 
 concealed I could never discover. It was reported he had 
 assembled near six hundred men, determined to fight for the 
 crown on the death of the rajah. I called a council, and it was 
 resolved that we should also increase our numbers ; for the pay 
 of wliom I proposed that I should, by some sacrifices, obtain the 
 arrears of my estate-rents and of my brother's, from the time of 
 their sequestration. We discovered that my brotlicr received his 
 money from Shewdhut Wanee, of Indorc, and that the best 
 method to cut off these resources was to despatch Wanee out of 
 the way. This Kokoo did with his own hand. My brother's 
 partisans, however, attacked my treasure, and deprived me of a 
 great portion of it. I thus began to despair of weakening his 
 forces, and at length acceded to his proposal of the trial by pun- 
 chayet of our respective rights, not for an instant supposing he 
 was aware of his son's existence. Finding matters, in this respect, 
 the reverse of what I expected, I repented the giving my assent 
 to this mode of settling our claims, and despatched a party to 
 cut off Naroba, on his way to the arbitration. By some means 
 my plan miscarried. Naroba was a shrewd and keen fellow, and 
 I dreaded his influence and penetration. I had considered 
 Sagoonah's uncle my staunch friend ; but, to my suprise, he all at 
 once became cool, and seemed to have no longer any zeal in my 
 behalf. The decree, too, I found, before it was promulgated, 
 
4o8 PANDURANG HARI. 
 
 was not in my favour. My troops also had captured despatches 
 from Naroba to the commander in Sevaje's stronghold, and with 
 them a letter to Pandurang Hari. What was my astonishment 
 at discovering, from its contents, and the congratulations mingled 
 up in it, that he was the Prince Jeoba, the son of Sevaje, and the 
 successor to the musnud ! ' Now,' thought I, ' the sovereignty 
 is gone from me for ever ! but, if I cannot mount the throne, 
 neither Sevaje nor his son shall. I will strike a blow to effect 
 this, if we all perish together ! ' 
 
 " I summoned Kokoo, and we arranged that, when our re- 
 spective corps met to enter the city, we should charge Sevaje's 
 troops. Understanding my brother would proceed to join his 
 men in person, we waylaid him, and got him into our power. 
 How he was rescued I need not tell. From the conflict I alone 
 survive ; my son, Kokoo, all my principal confidants, have fallen ! 
 I now stand alone. My dream of ill-starred ambition has 
 vanished ! That which cost me so much toil, anxiety, and crime, 
 is as if it had never been ! No longer excited by criminal hope, 
 or supported by the perpetual attraction to the great object of my 
 wishes, my spirit has fallen back upon itself It is indifterent to 
 any state of things with life, and henceforth it must be occupied 
 by corroding reflections, and that bitter anguish of the soul which 
 scorches, but consumes not — which tortures, but will not destroy I 
 I bow, therefore, to that fate which it cannot be said I have left 
 one effort untried to thwart ; and, when I enter the dungeon where 
 the remnant of my wretched hours is to be passed, I shall reflect 
 that I am but another victim added to those who have been 
 sacrificed in the pursuit of the objects of a criminal and too 
 daring ambition ! " 
 
 Such was the miserable history of my uncle's guilty career. 
 The whole of it was reduced to writing, and the part which he 
 gave in added to it, containing the details of the murder of the 
 shastree, and the conspiracy at Poona. When the durbar broke 
 up, I hastened to Sagoonah, to lay before her the particulars 
 of my uncle's confession. I took the same opportunity of relating 
 my own adventures, previous to the time when I rescued her 
 from the hands of the assassins. My father, who was present, 
 
PANDURANG HARI. 409 
 
 severely chid me for many of my actions, and read me a lecture 
 on the crimes of my juvenile days. Except pleading the mode of 
 my bringing up, and the people with whom I associated — the 
 rabble of the camp, and the society of those who, like myself, 
 were dependent upon chance for existence — I could offer no de- 
 fence, and bowed to his censures. On his retiring, I remained 
 alone with Sagoonah, both of us anticipating the pleasures of the 
 future, and our union in those bonds which death, in Hindustan, 
 can scarcely be said to break asunder. 
 
 In a few days, my father determined upon going in state to the 
 Temple of the Preserver, to make puja, and I prepared to 
 accompany him. Crowds of his subjects were assembled to 
 behold their new sovereign, and among those present I observed 
 Fuzl Khan. How he found his way to Sattarah I could not 
 imagine ; but, on my return to the palace, I sent for Nanna, and 
 got him to make some inquiries respecting Fuzl. Nanna told me 
 that he had been some days in Sattarah, and having heard that 
 Pandurang Hari was a prince, determined upon getting a sight of 
 him, hoping he should not be entirely forgotten. I sent for him, 
 and the fellow came, making as many salaams to the very ground 
 as he made to Nagoo in the fortress of Asseerghur, before he 
 sent us out to plunder his wife. " How," said I, " came you in 
 Sattarah ? " " Since your highness saw me at Broach, with irons 
 on my legs," he replied, " much has happened to me. The 
 dulncss of a convict's life was by no means suitable to my 
 disposition, a high-spirited Musselman as I had always been. 
 Your highness will not, therefore, censure me for having dashed 
 out the teeth of my guard, with the irons placed on me for 
 securing my presence, and then taking to my heels. I wandered 
 about the country for some time, till I found myself at Jumboo- 
 seer, where a number of boats lay at anchor. I hired myself to 
 the tindal of one of them ; and, in the character and capacity of 
 a sailor, I arrived at Bombay. There I left my master, and 
 wandered about the Deccan, until chance led me to Ahmed- 
 nugur, where I was imprisoned upon a false charge. In the same 
 gaol with myself were several Bheels, who were imprisoned for 
 life. These men got hold of the muskets of the sepoys, and 
 
41 o FANDURANG HARl. 
 
 some cartridge-boxes of the sebundees, a militia corps, and by 
 these means expelled their guards, and took possession of the 
 gaol, amusing themselves with firing the muskets into the air. 
 The magistrate of the place, however, becoming alarmed, sur- 
 rounded the prison with troops, so that escape was impossible. 
 No greater mischief had been done by this frolic of the prisoners, 
 than the waste of a few rounds of musketry, which showed, if 
 bloodshed had been intended, the unhappy prisoners would have 
 known better than to destroy their means of defence for amuse- 
 ment. The officers on the outside called to them to open the 
 doors; but the prisoners, enjoying their fun, paid no attention to 
 the mandate. Horrible to relate ! the doors were then blo\vn 
 open with a six-pounder, and a whole corps marched into the 
 gaol, which corps was commanded to put the unresisting pris- 
 oners to death. I could not conceive such a dreadful example 
 would have been made by those who pride themselves upon 
 their humanity, as the Toope Wallas are accustomed to do. 
 The poor, naked, defenceless men crouched up in one corner 
 of the gaol, having thrown away the muskets with which they 
 had been frolicking ; and, never making a show of resistance^ 
 were fired upon, from the distance of a few yards only, as 
 they were begging for mercy. I was, fortunately, perched upon 
 a wall, and escaped the effects of this merciless and barbarous 
 act. Twenty were shot dead, and twice as many wounded. The 
 English Government, it was thought, could never sanction this 
 inhuman act ; but it appears that those in authority were very 
 well pleased with the civil officer's conduct. It is strange that 
 the Toope Wallas boast of their desire to do justice, but never 
 take notice of complaints against their agents in cases similar to 
 the present. The officer makes his own report of his own con- 
 duct ; and this they take, in all cases, to be true, and boldly 
 uphold it in the teeth of fact ; because, if he had not been a true 
 worthy man, they would not have employed him ! Moreover, the 
 prisoners in this case were but black rascals, and the gaol wanted 
 thinning ; so that the prisoners commenced their frolic at the 
 most convenient time. As for myself, I descended from the 
 wall, and was thrust into a cell, and deemed a lucky fellow to 
 
PANDURANG HARL 411 
 
 have escaped. A cart came the next day, and took away the 
 bodies of the slaughtered men, as well those who had as those 
 who had not to do with the tumult, and carried them to the 
 pftace of interment, in which it was desirable to bury the recol- 
 lection of these murders at the same time. My term of im- 
 prisonment having expired, I was set at liberty, and found my 
 way to Sattarah, to throw myself at your highness's feet." Fuzl 
 Khan having thus concluded his history, I observed to him that 
 it was impossible I could employ one on whom no dependence 
 could be placed ; but I advised him to enter as a soldier, and 
 if his conduct w^ere correct, I would take care he should not 
 want promotion and encouragement, for I should keep him care- 
 fully under my eye. He bowed and went away, looking sullen 
 and disappointed. 
 
 I afterwards inquired into Fuzl Khan's extraordinary history of 
 the massacre of the prisoners, and I found it was too correct. 
 How the magistrate would have been enabled to justify himself 
 to the Government, had he been accused, I cannot tell. The 
 latter would have relied upon his official statement, perhaps, and 
 the matter would have been just as it was. I mentioned it to 
 one Englishman, who showed great reluctance to enter into any 
 conversation upon the subject, or even to hear it mentioned, 
 and many of his countrymen seemed equally indisposed to make 
 it a subject of conversation. Hence I conjectured that this 
 wicked deed was not thought much higher of among the Toope 
 Wallas than by ourselves ; and that it was not likely to add much 
 to the reputation of their countrymen in the East or West. Per- 
 haps the silence of so many upon this subject, should the fore- 
 going surmise not be correct, may be attributed to the known 
 modesty of our conquerors, who never indulge themselves in 
 anything like a boasting, even of their most valiant acts ! It 
 would also, no doubt, be presumptuous to suppose that anything 
 but dire necessity, and a wholesome regard for the security of the 
 city and gaol (so deeply involved as they must have been ! ) 
 could have led a magistrate to a measure of such unparalleled 
 and monstrous severity. 
 
 The next step which I took relative to myself was the holding 
 
412 PANDURANG HARl 
 
 a consultation of Brahmins respecting my marriage, which, they 
 were of opinion, should be celebrated as early as possible, 
 -with the same forms adopted on our betrothment. On the day 
 nominated, I proceeded to the residence of Sagoonah's uncle, 
 with whom she was residing ; and having been welcomed in due 
 custom as a guest, he presented me with the hand of my beloved, 
 which I took with rapture. The priests then bound our hands 
 together with grass, after the usual way, and I threw the cloth 
 over my bride, which was, in the present case, of unusual rich- 
 ness ; the corner of it was fastened to my garments, and I made 
 the oblations to fire, while my bride dropped the rice into the 
 flame as her offering. The bride having stepped upon the sacred 
 .stone, we both walked round the fire (I cannot help relating every 
 particular of a ceremony, though so well known, because it was 
 one so important to myself) ; and, before the ceremony was com- 
 pleted and irrevocable, the Brahmins made Sagoonah go through 
 the tedious seven steps, the Brahmins using a text of the holy 
 writings to each : the first step for food, the second for health, 
 the third for religion, the fourth for happiness, the fifth for cattle, 
 the sixth for wealth, and the seventh and last, for priests to per- 
 form sacrifices. I then approached my bride on the completion 
 of her task, saying, " May none interrupt us ! " Next, I was 
 obliged to address the spectators, and say, " This woman is 
 auspicious ! approach, and view her ; and, wishing her v/ell, de- 
 part to your homes." The spectators being gone, I remained, 
 as usual, three days in the banker's house ; and, on the fourth, 
 conducted my bride, in great pomp, to my own residence, where 
 my father awaited her arrival, and received her with great solem- 
 nity, ending all with oblations to fire. 
 
 What more can I have to record, the perilous and varied years 
 of my life being past, and having arrived at a tranquil and 
 secure haven ? I have performed my promise, as recorded in the 
 first chapter of this my history. My readers now know my real 
 birth and parentage, and the difficulties and troubles I had to 
 encounter from my youth up to the present happy period. Should 
 the reverses, which it is often the destiny of man to encounter, 
 reduce me from the elevation of the musnud to private life again, 
 
J'ANDURANG HARL 413 
 
 or should my future years be filled with eventful circumstances 
 of a public or private nature, I may once more intrude myself 
 upon the world. For the present, then, my labours are over ; I 
 cease to write, and seek, in repose, to scrutinise my errors, and 
 enjoy that peace which, at one period of my life, I thought fate 
 had never destined to be mine. 
 
 I composed these memoirs of myself to leave behind me, for 
 the benefit of my children, a testimony of their father's vicissitudes 
 in life. Now, while I am writing, I have one child, a son, whom, 
 in compliment to my early protector, Sawunt Rao, I have named 
 Pandurang Hari. — Courteous reader, farewell ! 
 
 thf: end. 
 
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