burlesques-第50章

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

free　through　this　somewhat　dangerous　ordeal。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

until　I　should　mount。



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

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

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

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

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

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

trepidation　of　what　I　was　about　to　encounter。



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

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

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

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

imprisoned　between　the　golden　bars　of　his　teeth！〃



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

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

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

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

Bahawder！〃



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

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

his　thoughts。〃



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

strong　and　swift　in　flight。〃



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

wag　in　his　way。



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

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

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

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

changes　that　fall　to　the　lot　of　the　soldier！



I　suppose　everybodyeverybody　who　has　been　in　India；　at　leasthas

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

Hindustanee　wordsbobbachy；　general；　bahawder；　artilleryman。　　He

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

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

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

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

innumerable　daughters：　a　match　which；　according　to　the　Chronique

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

honesty　and　love　of　repartee。



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

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



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

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

fills　my　bosom　with　the　darkest　forebodings。〃



〃You　could　not　then　see　the　Gujputi　alone；　and　stab　him　with　your

dagger？〃



＇Here　was　a　pretty　conspiracy！＇　　〃No；　I　saw　him；　but　not　alone；　his

people　were　always　with　him。〃



〃Hurrumzadeh！　it　is　a　pity；　we　waited　but　the　sound　of　your　jogree

（whistle）；　and　straightway　would　have　galloped　up　and　seized　upon

every　man；　woman；　and　child　in　the　fort：　however；　there　are　but　a

dozen　men　in　the　garrison；　and　they　have　not　provision　for　two

daysthey　must　yield；　and　then　hurrah　for　the　moon…faces！

Mashallah！　　I　am　told　the　soldiers　who　first　get　in　are　to　have

their　pick。　　How　my　old　woman；　Rotee　Muckun；　will　be　surprised　when

I　bring　home　a　couple　of　Feringhee　wives；ha！　ha！〃



〃Fool！〃　said　I；　〃be　still！twelve　men　in　the　garrison！　there　are

twelve　hundred！　　Gahagan　himself　is　as　good　as　a　thousand　men；　and

as　for　food；　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes　five　hundred　bullocks　grazing

in　the　court…yard　as　I　entered。〃　　This　WAS　a　bouncer；　I　confess；

but　my　object　was　to　deceive　Puneeree　Muckun；　and　give　him　as　high

a　notion　as　possible　of　the　capabilities　of　defence　which　the

besieged　had。



〃Pooch；　pooch；〃　murmured　the　men；　〃it　is　a　wonder　of　a　fortress：　we

shall　never　be　able　to　take　it　until　our　guns　come　up。〃



There　was　hope　then！　they　had　no　battering…train。　　Ere　this

arrived；　I　trusted　that　Lord　Lake　would　hear　of　our　plight；　and

march　down　to　rescue　us。　　Thus　occupied　in　thought　and　conversation；

we　rode　on　until　the　advanced　sentinel　challenged　us；　when　old

Puneeree　gave　the　word；　and　we　passed　on　into　the　centre　of　Holkar's

camp。



It　was　a　strangea　stirring　sight！　　The　camp…fires　were　lighted；

and　round　themeating；　reposing；　talking；　looking　at　the　merry

steps　of　the　dancing…girls；　or　listening　to　the　stories　of　some

Dhol　Baut　（or　Indian　improvisatore）　were　thousands　of　dusky

soldiery。　　The　camels　and　horses　were　picketed　under　the　banyan…

trees；　on　which　the　ripe　mango　fruit　was　growing；　and　offered　them

an　excellent　food。　　Towards　the　spot　which　the　golden　fish　and

royal　purdahs；　floating　in　the　wind；　designated　as　the　tent　of

Holkar；　led　an　immense　avenueof　elephants！　the　finest　street；

indeed；　I　ever　saw。　　Each　of　the　monstrous　animals　had　a　castle　on

its　back；　armed　with　Mauritanian　archers　and　the　celebrated　Persian

matchlock…men：　it　was　the　feeding　time　of　these　royal　brutes；　and

the　grooms　were　observed　bringing　immense　toffungs；　or　baskets；

filled　with　pine…apples；　plantains；　bandannas；　Indian　corn；　and

cocoa…nuts；　which　grow　luxuriantly　at　all　seasons　of　the　year。　　We

passed　down　this　extraordinary　avenueno　less　than　three　hundred

and　eighty…eight　tails　did　I　count　on　each　sideeach　tail

appertaining　to　an　elephant　twenty…five　feet　higheach　elephant

having　a　two…storied　castle　on　its　backeach　castle　containing

sleeping　and　eating　rooms　for　the　twelve　men　that　formed　its

garrison；　and　were　keeping　watch　on　the　roofeach　roof　bearing　a

flag…staff　twenty　feet　long　on　its　top；　the　crescent　glittering

with　a　thousand　gems；　and　round　it　the　imperial　standard；each

standard　of　silk　velvet　and　cloth…of…gold；　bearing　the　well…known

device　of　Holkar；　argent　an　or　gules；　between　a　sinople　of　the

first；　a　chevron；　truncated；　wavy。　　I　took　nine　of　these　myself　in

the　course　of　a　very　short　time　after；　and　shall　be　happy；　when　I

come　to　England；　to　show　them　to　any　gentleman　who　has　a　curiosity

that　way。　　Through　this　gorgeous　scene　our　little　cavalcade　passed；

and　at　last　we　arrived　at　the　quarters　occupied　by　Holkar。



That　celebrated　chieftain's　tents　and　followers　were　gathered　round

one　of　the　British　bungalows　which　had　escaped　the　flames；　and

which　he　occupied　during　the　siege。　　When　I　entered　the　large　room

where　he　sat；　I　found　him　in　the　midst　of　a　council　of　war；　his

chief　generals　and　viziers　seated　round　him；　each　smoking　his

hookah；　as　is　the　common　way　with　these　black　fel