Rujub, the Juggler - George Henty 11 стр.


I cant believe they would be mad enough to do that, Doctor; they have everything to lose by it, and nothing to gain, that is, individually; and we should be sure to win in the long run, even if we had to conquer back India foot by foot.

That is all very well, Bathurst; we may know that we could do it, but they dont know it. They are ignorant altogether of the forces we could put into the field were there a necessity to make the effort. They naturally suppose that we can have but a few soldiers, for in all the battles we have fought there have always been two or three Sepoy regiments to one English. Besides, they consider themselves fully a match for us. They have fought by us side by side in every battlefield in India, and have done as well as we have. I dont see what they should rise for. I dont even see whose interest it is to bring a rising about, but I do know that if they rise we shall have a terrible time of it. Now I think we may as well turn in. You wont take another peg? Well, I shall see you in the morning. I shall be at the hospital by half past six, and shall be in at half past eight to breakfast. You have only got to shout for my man, and tell him whether you will have tea, coffee, or chocolate, any time you wake.

I shall be about by six, Doctor; five is my general hour, but as it is past one now I dare say I shall be able to sleep on for an hour later, especially as there is nothing to do.

You can go round the hospital with me, if you like, the Doctor said, if you will promise not to make a dozen suggestions for the improvement of things in general.

Isobel Hannay came down to breakfast in high spirits upon the morning of the races. The dinner had gone off excellently. The dinner table, with its softly shaded lamps, and the Doctors arrangements of the flowers, had been, she thought, perfection, and everything had passed off without a hitch. Her duties as a hostess had been much lighter than she had anticipated. Mrs. Hunter was a very pleasant, motherly woman, and the girls, who had only come out from England four months before, were fresh and unaffected, and the other people had all been pleasant and chatty.

Altogether, she felt that her first dinner party had been a great success.

She was looking forward now with pleasant anticipation to the day. She had seen but little of the natives so far, and she was now to see them at their best. Then she had never been present at a race, and everything would be new and exciting.

Well, uncle, what time did you get in? she asked, as she stepped out into the veranda to meet him on his return from early parade. It was too bad of you and Mr. Hunter running off instead of waiting to chat things over.

I have no doubt you ladies did plenty of that, my dear.

Indeed, we didnt, uncle; you see they had had a very long drive, and Mrs. Hunter insisted on the girls going to bed directly you all went out, and as I could not sit up by myself, I had to go too.

We were in at half past twelve, the Major said. I can stand a good deal of smoke, but the club atmosphere was too thick for me.

Everything went off very well yesterday, didnt it? she asked.

Very well, I thought, my dear, thanks to you and the Doctor and Rumzan.

I had very little to do with it, she laughed.

Well, I dont think you had much to do with the absolute arrangements, Isobel, but I thought you did very well as hostess; it seemed to me that there was a good deal of laughing and fun at your end of the table.

Yes; you see we had the two Miss Hunters and the Doctor there, and Mr. Gregson, who took me in, turned out a very merry old gentleman.

He would not be pleased if he heard you call him old, Isobel.

Well, of course he is not absolutely old, but being a commissioner, and all that sort of thing, gives one the idea of being old; but there are the others.

And they went into the breakfast room.

The first race was set for two oclock, and at half past one Mrs. Hunters carriage, with the four ladies, arrived at the inclosure. The horses were taken out, and the carriage wheeled into its place, and then Isobel and the two Miss Hunters prepared to enjoy the scene.

It was a very gay one. The course was at present covered with a throng of natives in their bright colored garments, and mixed with them were the scarlet uniforms of the Sepoys of the 103d and other regiments. On the opposite side were a number of native vehicles of various descriptions, and some elephants with painted faces and gorgeous trappings, and with howdahs shaded by pavilions glittering with gilt and silver.

On either side of their vehicle a long line of carriages was soon formed up, and among these were several occupied by gayly dressed natives, whose rank gave them an entrance to the privileged inclosure. The carriages were placed three or four yards back from the rail, and the intervening space was filled with civilian and military officers, in white or light attire, and with pith helmet or puggaree; many others were on horseback behind the carriages.

It is a bright scene, Miss Hannay, the Doctor said, coming up to the carriage.

Wonderfully pretty, Doctor!

An English race course doesnt do after this, I can tell you. I went down to the Derby when I was at home, and such an assembly of riff raff I never saw before and never wish to see again.

These people are more picturesque, Dr. Wade, Mrs. Hunter said, but that is merely a question of garment; these people perhaps are no more trustworthy than those you met on the racecourse at home.

I was speaking of them purely as a spectacle; individually I have no doubt one would be safer among the English roughs and betting men than among these placid looking natives. The one would pick your pockets of every penny you have got if they had the chance, the other would cut your throat with just as little compunction.

You dont really mean that, Dr. Wade? Isobel said.

I do indeed, Miss Hannay; the Oude men are notorious brawlers and fighters, and I should say that the roughs of Cawnpore and Lucknow could give long odds to those of any European city, and three out of four of those men you see walking about there would not only cut the throat of a European to obtain what money he had about him, but would do so without that incentive, upon the simple ground that he hated us.

But why should he hate us, Doctor? he is none the worse off now than he was before we annexed the country.

Well, yes, that class of man is worse off. In the old days every noble and Zemindar kept up a little army for the purpose of fighting his neighbors, just as our Barons used to do in the happy olden times people talk of. We have put down private fighting, and the consequence is these mens occupations are gone, and they flock to great towns and there live as best they can, ready to commit any crime whatever for the sum of a few rupees.

There is Nana Sahib.

Isobel looked round and saw a carriage with a magnificent pair of horses, in harness almost covered with silver ornaments, drive up to a place that had been kept vacant for it. Four natives were sitting in it.

That is the Rajah, the Doctor said, the farther man, with that aigrette of diamonds in his turban. He is Oriental today, but sometimes he affects English fashions. He is a very cheery fellow, he keeps pretty well open house at Bithoor, has a billiard table, and a first rate cellar of wine, carriages for the use of guestsin fact, he does the thing really handsomely.

Here is my opera glass, Mrs. Hunter said. Isobel looked long and fixedly at the Rajah.

Well, what do you think of him? the Doctor asked as she lowered it.

That is the Rajah, the Doctor said, the farther man, with that aigrette of diamonds in his turban. He is Oriental today, but sometimes he affects English fashions. He is a very cheery fellow, he keeps pretty well open house at Bithoor, has a billiard table, and a first rate cellar of wine, carriages for the use of guestsin fact, he does the thing really handsomely.

Here is my opera glass, Mrs. Hunter said. Isobel looked long and fixedly at the Rajah.

Well, what do you think of him? the Doctor asked as she lowered it.

I do not know what to think of him, she said; his face does not tell me anything, it is like looking at a mask; but you see I am not accustomed to read brown mens characters, they are so different from Europeans, their faces all seem so impassive. I suppose it is the way in which they are brought up and trained.

Ages of tyranny have made them supple and deceitful, the Doctor said, but of course less so here than among the Bengallies, who, being naturally unwarlike and cowardly, have always been the slaves of some master or other.

You evidently dont like the Nana, Miss Hannay. I am rather glad you dont, for he is no great favorite of mine, though he is so generally popular in the station here. I dont like him because it is not natural that he should be so friendly with us. We undoubtedly, according to native notions, robbed him of one of the finest positions in India by refusing to acknowledge his adoption. We have given him a princely revenue, but that, after all, is a mere trifle to what he would have had as Peishwa. Whatever virtues the natives of this country possess, the forgiving of injuries is not among them, and therefore I consider it to be altogether unnatural that he, having been, as he at any rate and everyone round him must consider, foully wronged, should go out of his way to affect our society and declare the warmest friendship for us.

The Rajah was laughing and talking with General Wheeler and the group of officers round his carriage.

Again Isobel raised the glasses. You are right, Doctor, she said, I dont like him.

Well, there is one comfort, it doesnt matter whether he is sincere or not, he is powerless to hurt us. I dont see any motive for his pretending to be friendly if he is not, but I own that I should like him better if he sulked and would have nothing to say to us, as would be the natural course.

The bell now began to ring, and the native police cleared the course. Major Hannay and Mr. Hunter, who had driven over in the buggy, came up and took their places on the box of the carriage.

Here are cards of the races, he said. Now is the time, young ladies, to make your bets.

I dont know even the name of anyone in this first race, Isobel said, looking at the card.

That doesnt matter in the least, Miss Hannay, Wilson, who had just come up to the side of the carriage, said. There are six horses in; you pick out any one you like, and I will lay you five pairs of gloves to one against him.

But how am I to pick out when I dont know anything about them, Mr. Wilson? I might pick out one that had no chance at all.

Yes; but you might pick out the favorite, Miss Hannay, so that it is quite fair.

Dont you bet, Isobel, her uncle said. Let us have a sweepstake instead.

What is a sweepstake, uncle?

There was a general laugh.

Well, my dear, we each put in a rupee. There are six of us, and there are Wilson and the Doctor. You will go in, Doctor, wont you?

Yes; I dont mind throwing away a rupee, Major.

Very well, that makes eight. We put eight pieces of paper in the hat. Six of them have got the names of the horses on, the other two are blank. Then we each pull out one. Whoever draws the name of the horse that wins takes five rupees, the holder of the second two, and the third saves his stake. You shall hold the stakes, Mrs. Hunter. We have all confidence in you.

The slips were drawn.

My horse is Bruce, Isobel said.

There he is, Miss Hannay, Wilson, who had drawn a blank, said, as a horse whose rider had a straw colored jacket and cap came cantering along the course. This is a race for country horsesowners up. That means ridden by their owners. That is Pearson of the 13th Native Cavalry. He brought the horse over from Lucknow.

What chance has he?

I have not the least idea, Miss Hannay. I did not hear any betting on this race at all.

That is a nice horse, uncle, Isobel said, as one with a rider in black jacket, with red cap, came past.

That is Delhi. Yes, it has good action.

That is mine, the eldest Miss Hunter said.

The rider is a good looking young fellow, the Doctor said, and is perfectly conscious of it himself. Who is he, Wilson? I dont know him.

He is a civilian. Belongs to the public works, I think.

The other horses now came along, and after short preliminary canters the start was made. To Isobels disappointment her horse was never in the race, which Delhi looked like winning until near the post, when a rather common looking horse, which had been lying a short distance behind him, came up with a rush and won by a length.

I dont call that fair, Miss Hunter said, when the other was first all along. I call that a mean way of winning, dont you, father?

Well, no, my dear. It was easy to see for the last quarter of a mile that the other was making what is called a waiting race of it, and was only biding his time. There is nothing unfair in that, I fancy Delhi might have won if he had had a better jockey. His rider never really called upon him till it was too late. He was so thoroughly satisfied with himself and his position in the race that he was taken completely by surprise when Moonshee came suddenly up to him.

Well, I think it is very hard upon Delhi, father, after keeping ahead all the way and going so nicely. I think everyone ought to do their best from the first.

I fancy you are thinking, Miss Hunter, the Doctor said, quite as much that it is hard on you being beaten after your hopes had been raised, as it is upon the horse.

Perhaps I am, Doctor, she admitted.

I think it is much harder on me, Isobel said. You have had the satisfaction of thinking all along that your horse was going to win, while mine never gave me the least bit of hope.

The proper expression, Miss Hannay, is, your horse never flattered you.

Then I think it is a very silly expression, Mr. Wilson, because I dont see that flattery has anything to do with it.

Ah, here is Bathurst, the Doctor said. Where have you been, Bathurst? You slipped away from me just now.

Ive just been talking to the Commissioner, Doctor. I have been trying to get him to see

Why, you dont mean to say, the Doctor broke in, that you have been trying to cram your theories down his throat on a racecourse?

It was before the race began, Bathurst said, and I dont think the Commissioner has any more interest in racing than I have.

Not in racing, the Doctor agreed, but I expect he has an interest in enjoying himself generally, which is a thing you dont seem to have the most remote idea of. Here we are just getting up a sweepstake for the next race; hand over a rupee and try to get up an interest in it. Do try and forget your work till the race is over. I have brought you here to do you good. I regard you as my patient, and I give you my medical orders that you are to enjoy yourself.

Bathurst laughed.

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