The Taming of the Jungle. Doyle Charles William

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СКАЧАТЬ Bullocks. And when goeth the Thanadar thither?" inquired Ram Deen.

      "Belike he is there now."

      "Oh, that a man were here to take the mail to Kaladoongie to-night!" exclaimed Ram Deen.

      "The man is here," piped the little carrier, "if some one will tend my cattle till I return."

      "That will I," said the bunnia, with the stress of Ram Deen's eyes on him.

      When the mail-cart drove up Ram Deen took the reins, with Biroo, wrapped in a blanket, between his knees, whilst Goor Dutt climbed to the back seat. The big dog, Hasteen, ran beside the mail-cart and woke the jungle echoes with his bark.

      "How didst thou fare last night, coach-wan ji?" asked the bunnia, next evening.

      "As should innocence wronged, and avenging strength."

      When none of those sitting round the fire spoke, Ram Deen went on: "As we came nigh to the path leading to Nyagong, Biroo turned his face thereto and spat vehemently; and I said, 'Son of mine, canst thou lead me to Nyagong?' and he replied, 'Of a surety; the path is here.'

      "Thereat we got down from the cart – Biroo and I; and I bore the bugle hanging at my side and a stout bamboo club in my hand. As we picked our way along the jungle path, Hasteen ran beside us, growling; and when the moon gave light I saw the crest on his back bristling, and his teeth gleamed through his lips.

      "When we reached Nyagong I put an armful of grass on the fire that was still smouldering in front of the Jemadar's house, and, as the flame leaped up, I blew upon my bugle. Straightway the village watchman, who had been sleeping in his hut, after the manner of his kind, came running forth bravely; but when he saw who it was that stood by the fire he salaamed, and whined, saying, 'Great pity 'tis that Ram Deen, Lord of Leopards, should be put to the trouble – and at this unseasonable hour! – to return to our village this small villain and budmash, who is worse than the evil eye.'

      "For answer, I felled him to the ground, and Hasteen stood over him. So he dared not move.

      "Then came the Jemadar and the men of the village and stood round us; and the former said, 'Wah! Ram Deen, coach-wan, is it well to disturb peaceful folk at night and rouse them from their sleep? What wouldst thou with us?'

      "'Justice to this little one, whose father and mother ye and your people have slain,' I answered.

      "'And what of my son, found dead, and with teeth-marks about his throat?' he asked.

      "'Jemadar Sahib,' I replied, 'Kali Mai gave thy son, her follower, fitting end. As he lived, so he died. 'Tis well.'

      "'Dog!' he exclaimed; 'darest thou to speak thus to me in front of mine own people?' And he ran upon me.

      "So I took him by the beard and laid him at my feet; and the men of Nyagong feared to help the Jemadar, for Hasteen growled fiercely over him.

      "'Fetch the bunnia,' I demanded; 'and lose no time, O Swine of the Terai, or I give your Jemadar to the dog.'

      "They brought him trembling before me, and he folded his hands and bowed his head in the dust at my feet, crying, 'Ram dhwy! ram dhwy! the great and strong are ever merciful. What wouldst thou with me, coach-wan ji?'

      "'The bhalee of raw sugar,' I answered, 'from which this man-child's mother got her death.'

      "'She died of Terai fever, Most Worshipful, as the old woman who was with her will tell thee.'

      "'Nevertheless, Biroo and I will go to thy shop with thee, in the matter of that sugar, whilst the dog seeth to the Jemadar. Proceed.'

      "'But, Coach-wan Bahadoor,' said the Jemadar, 'thou wilt not leave me to be devoured by this beast?'

      "'Lie very still, Jemadar Sahib, very still. The dog is a good dog, and was never known to harm an honest man. But let no one come to thine aid, lest there be nothing of thee left to take to the burning ghat.'

      "'Go away, brothers,' wailed the Jemadar to his people; 'go away, lest evil befall me.'

      "But I said, 'Nay, not so. Stay till I return, O Village Thugs, for I would speak with ye.'

      "At the bunnia's hut Biroo pointed out the bhalee from which he had received the portion of raw sugar whereof his mother had eaten; but the bunnia denied, saying that he had already sold all that remained of that bhalee. So I broke off a piece of it and gave it to the bunnia, saying, 'Eat!' Whereat he clasped my knees, begging for mercy, and I knew Biroo had not erred.

      "'Swine-born!' said I, 'set panniers on thy ass.' And when the ass was brought to the door of the hut I made the bunnia load it with such produce as he had, till it could scarce stand.

      "'I am fain to borrow fifty rupees of thee, bunnia ji, on behalf of this motherless child,' I said.

      "Whereon he wailed, saying, 'Ram Deen, Compeller of Elephants, there is not so much money in all the village stalls of the Terai. What I have I will give thee;' and he laid one rupee and nine annas in my palm and a handful of cowries.

      "'He lieth, my father,' said little Biroo, drawing forth a cocoa-nut shell from beneath the bunnia's seat, – and it was full of silver!

      "'Bap re bap!' moaned the trader, ''tis all I have against mine old age; and the men of Nyagong despoil me; and my milch cow died last week. Aho! aho!'

      "'It is a very little child, bunnia ji; and consider he hath nor father nor mother. God will repay thee for thy kind loan to the orphan,' and I tied the money in the corner of my waistband.

      "'But, Ram Deen, Sun of Justice,' whined the bunnia, 'there be one hundred and thirty-seven rupees, some of it in gold mohurs, in thy waistband. Take fifty, and return the rest.'

      "'Thank Nana Debi, Bunnia Sahib,' I rejoined, 'for having put it in thy power to do so much more for the fatherless than thou didst first intend. It will comfort thee in thy old age to think thereon.'

      "'But this is robbery,' he said, desperately, 'for which I will have thee cast in the great prison at Bareilly.'

      "'There be gallows there, too,' I retorted, 'for such as put ground glass in gur, Mea ji. Ho, ho!'

      "So he said no more, but, at my command, put panniers on another ass, which I had in mind to have loaded by the men of Nyagong.

      "When we returned to the fire, the dog Hasteen and the Jemadar were as we had left them; and the Jemadar's teeth shook in his head with fear and cold. So I called Hasteen to me, and when the Jemadar had risen from the ground and put his turban on, I spake:

      "'O Jemadar, and ye, O men of Nyagong, I would have ye witness that I brought this bhalee of sugar from the bunnia's stall. Is it not so, O great mahajun (banker)?'

      "And the bunnia assented. So I placed the great lump of raw sugar in a bag which I had brought from the bunnia's shop. Then, at my bidding and in the presence of his people, the Jemadar sealed the bag with his seal, which was well known to the Thanadar of Kaladoongie.

      "Then I spake thus to those assembled there: 'Jemadar Sahib, and men of Nyagong, ye have brought shame on the Kumaon Terai, and, in the eyes of all men, ye have blackened the faces of those who dwell in this paradise of God. This child that ye see here – and he is a very little child and hath nor father nor mother – came amongst ye but a moon since, and ye slew those who fed and cared for him. And him – his milk-teeth still in his mouth – ye would have burnt to death СКАЧАТЬ