The Rajah of Patmandri: a Hindu romance

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THE RAJAH OF PATMANDRI A HINDU ROMANCE A snake-yard in a"pagoda. u Take care where yoifput your foot." Page 171. Fron tisfiicce. il tt%tft tjh: II "SALUTATION TO THE GENIUS OF LEARNING." THE RAJAH OF PATMANDRI A HINDU ROMANCE BY HENRY FRANCIS LONBON WILLIAM REEVES 185 FLEET STREET, E.C. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE A snake yard in a pagoda. " Take care where you put your foot " Frontispiece The cabin door opened, and the figure of a young girl wrapped in a loose gown appeared . . .12 Gibraltar Bay 30 A scene in Bombay. " Can I take leave ? " . .56 The Rani of Hullical Drug 87 The Rajput Prince alone, followed the movements of the huge mastiff, step by step, as it crept towards its intended victim 99 An arrow came flying through the air, and fell in front of the tigress 142 The hermit was seated, and a large black panther crouched at his feet 144 The Rajah of Patmandri 185 Kate went up to Leslie and turned round smiling at the girl A HINDU ROMANCE

Chapter I

The rain splashed in great drops against the windows of the railway carriage in which John Leslie was travelling from Waterloo to Southampton, on the 7th November, 1882, and as the train ran through Woking, past Guildford, and so on by the sand-hills of Surrey and Hants, he could see the fir tops bending to the south-west gale that was springing up. A fellow-traveller, sitting opposite him, was also looking at the rain and storm, and commenced to talk, as all Englishmen do, very cautiously, with a remark about the weather. "It will be rough at sea to-night." "Yes," said Leslie, "it looks bad. Your bag is marked 'Malta,' are you going by the P.&O. boat?" " I hope so," his companion replied, " by the Bellona." " 1 am going by the same steamer," remarked Leslie. And they became acquainted, and in due time the train dived through the suburbs of Southampton and arrived at the docks.

John Leslie had not much luggage, so he was quickly settled in his cabin, and amused himself until the steamer started by watching the arrival of the other travellers, and surmising their character and occupation. On a second visit to his berth, he found that he had a fellow-passenger to share it, bound for Egypt, whose luggage was marked Captain Price, H.M. 131st Regt. The good ship Bellona, E. Coleman, Com mander, went through the Needles in the afternoon with no other noise or sensation than the tremble of the screw," but as she opened the channel, a lively time began with the plates and crockery. Quartermasters went round fastening up the ports. The peculiar whistle of a gale was heard in the rigging. All doors from the saloon were made fast, so that .when John Leslie wanted to get an oilskin cap, he was obliged to go forward to get to his cabin.

That was, as was mentioned, shared by another, who had retired to his berth, and was trying to cure or keep off sea-sickness by the use of stimulants. A lower deck cabin in a storm, however large the steamer, has not much fresh air, and Leslie went on deck again, finding his way as best he could, but the roll and pitch of the ship was so great that he could hardly keep his legs. About ten o'clock the storm was at its height. The waves were short, and the screw that propelled the steamer was constantly out of the water, when it turned with rapid velocity, and in striking the water again, shook the ship from stem to stern. As John Leslie was making his way below again to "turn in" somewhere, he found his companion of the morning looking at the engines from the waist of the ship, from which their upper parts could be seen.

" I thought we should be in for it," said the latter, adding " it is pleasant to see the steady strokes of these fellows," pointing to the piston-rods, as amidst the turmoil, and the splash of the water, and the roll and creak of the ship, they beat up and down with monotonous regularity. "The engines _ are newer than the ship," said Leslie. "I expect the roll will be better soon ; I saw Ushant light away on the beam before I came down, and there is always a nasty tumble of the sea at the turn of the tide here." His companion looked at him. John Leslie did not look at all like a sailor. About five feet ten inches in height, slightly made, with a look of wire, and with a clean-shaved face, no one would suppose that he knew anything of the sea. " I am a Captain in the Navy ; my name is Brand," said his fellow-traveller, eyeing Leslie, and expecting no doubt some expla nation of the other's position in life, but he got none beyond this : " I have always remarked, when friends have given me a turn in their yachts, that the waves get larger as you get across the Bay of Biscay, and I daresay Coleman will lie to, when there is more sea room.

I am going to the saloon to try and sleep in a chair ; I have been in the Bellona before, she is a bad one at rolling." The ship continued on her rough way. Water in tons came over her sides on to the decks, but she was a mail steamer, so that the Captain would drive her as long as it was possible. Leslie had not been long in his chair when the ship gave a tremendous lurch. She seemed to be going right over, and the cries and noises from the cabins all round the saloon showed that luggage was rolling about and that passengers were ill. It was past eleven o'clock ; the stewardess had been working for several hours and claimed her rest, and as the ship became a little steadier, matters quieted down, except in a cabin the door of which was exactly opposite where John Leslie was sitting. From thence came cries, and sobs, and sounds, more than the usual woe and trouble of a first night at sea.

At first he had too much experience of travelling in steamships to do anything but mind his own business and get a short sleep, but the crying and agitation continued, and at last the cabin door opened, and the figure of a young girl wrapped in a loose gown tried to make its way, in the dim light of the saloon lamp, to the steward's bar, by holding on to the side rails, and leaning against the saloon tables. As she returned to the cabin a more than usually heavy lurch threw her down, and Leslie hastened to assist her to rise. " Can I do anything for you ? " he asked, after he had helped her to her cabin. " My sister is dreadfully ill," the girl The cabin door opened, and the figure of a young girl wrapped in a loose gown appeared. Page 12, replied ; " we have a native servant some where, but I cannot find him, and it is so dark in the cabin ; if it were not for the light in the saloon shining through the Venetians, we could not see anything."

When Leslie helped the girl through the door of the cabin he noticed that the berth was two cabins partly thrown into one, and that on the floor of both, boxes and baskets, parcels and bundles, and everything else was thrown down in hopeless confusion. " I want to see the doctor," said a feeble voice from the inner cabin, and there followed those painful sounds which showed that the speaker was really ill. " I will try and find your servant," said Leslie to the young lady he had helped, " if you will tell" me whose servant I am to ask for, but I suspect that a native of India has hidden himself away in the storm." " My sister's name is Mrs. Ruston," replied the girl, " she is not strong on shore, and she has been very ill from the moment we came on board." " Tell her to lie quietly on her back, and make her do so," said Leslie firmly.

" I am afraid that the doctor will not come for sea sickness." " I believe I shall die," sighed a faint voice from the inner cabin. " The stewardess cannot be found now," Leslie remarked, " but I will try to see the doctor." The girl asked, looking at Leslie very earnestly, " Is there any danger ? " " Oh no ! " he replied, " it will be better soon," but a worse roll than ever belied his speech. He went to find the ship doctor, and as he passed along the waist of the ship, Captain Brand was still there, looking at the engines. " I have just come from the deck," said the naval officer ; "the skipper says that he will lie to soon ; I have been, as you may suppose, many years at sea, but I never can get over some apprehension in a bad blow. There was a heavy sea came on board a few minutes ago, and injured some of the Lascars, and the doctor has been sent for; I heard something about broken legs."

" Then I shall not get him," said Leslie, " I want him for a lady in a saloon cabin, who seems to be very ill." " I do not suppose that you will," replied the sailor. " What was that from the engine room? 'half speed' I think. Hold on as she comes to the wind, he is bringing her to." John Leslie did not require the warning, but held on to the side rails. The ship came up to the sea, and as she struck the coming waves, trembled to her keel, but it was soon over, — in another minute she was riding easily. He went on to find the doctor, and found him engaged in feeling a native of India all over to see if any bones were broken. The man had fallen down the companion ladder, and was groaning as if his life was going. Leslie gave his message from Mrs. Ruston, but the medical man could not leave his patient at once.

" I cannot find out what is the matter with the fellow," said he at last, "and I must go and look after some Lascars who are hurt." "He looks like a native of Southern India," remarked Leslie ; " he has had his wind and sense knocked out of him by falling down, but I will be back in a minute and find out for you where he is hurt. Give me an order for a light in this sick lady's cabin, and for some ice, and I will say that you will come as soon as you can." Leslie got back to the saloon, and found a steward to light the cabin lamp and get him some ice. Having broken it into small lumps, he took it to the door of the berth and knocked ; the girl that he had seen before came to the door with an anxious face, saying that her sister was very ill and could take nothing. " Let her swallow these pieces of ice," he said, " slowly, piece by piece, until she is better ; she will probably sleep, and let me put your cabin to rights, you cannot move in it.

Is your servant a Madrassee ? " " Yes," replied the girl, " my sister en gaged him there when she came home last year." " Then I am afraid that he is so frightened as to be useless," remarked Leslie, all the time pushing the heavy boxes into their places in the cabin, and making everything as tidy as he could. The ship still rolled heavily, but in long even-timed rolls, so that it was possible to settle something. The girl had given the ice to her sister, and in a few minutes looked into the outer cabin, as Leslie was finishing the arrangement of the ladies' things, to say that she thought Mrs. Ruston was better. She herself appeared to be quite worn out, and Leslie tried to cheer her up by assurances that the worst of the storm was over. " The doctor will look in as soon as he can, but do you lie down.

There will be tea ready in a couple of hours, and I will tell the stewardess to come to you ; " and before she could thank him he had left the cabin. The native who fell down the hatchway B was still in the same place, moaning and groaning, and Leslie, to make out what was the matter, questioned him in English ; the man replied in Tamul, and finding that Leslie understood him, instantly became voluble. Gradually his moans became less and less, and the Englishman, treating him as a child, had just lifted him out of the way of the passers-by, when the doctor came back. " The fellow is all right now, doctor, he has forgotten broken bones, and is going to sleep." " Well done ! " said the medical man. " What have you done to him ? " " I happened to know the language ; he was praying to every deity and devil under the sun, and I talked him out of his fright," said Leslie.

" Do you know the language the Lascars speak?" asked the doctor, "for I cannot tell what is the matter with one of them, and can get no help. The Serang says the man wants a rope's end, but, by Jove, these beggars jump overboard if they are quite put out." ' You go and see No. 4 cabin, doctor, and when you come back we will talk about it." The doctor was not very long away, he reported that Mrs. Ruston was asleep. " The girl who opened the door said they were quite comfortable, thanks to a gentleman ; you, I suppose. My word, she has got a pretty face." " Do not bother about the Lascars to night," said Leslie, " I cannot go into the forecastle, for I know the smell of Lascars, and I am sure that every port is hermetically sealed, and without a port open I cannot stand it — I daresay I can help you in the morning — I cannot stand smells — that is my cabin, but my mate is ill.

Between that and other things, the air is simply foul." " But you must sleep somewhere," said the doctor. " Oh ! I can sleep like a top on the saloon floor or in a chair. What has become of Pearson ?" b " My predecessor ! you knew him, then ? said the doctor. " I came from Bombay to Malta in the Bellona two years ago," said Leslie, "but you have got a lot of new men." " Come to my cabin," rejoined the doctor, " you can have the locker, it is short for you, but come along, — the steward will have left me something, and we can share." " Thank you for the locker, but I am a bad hand at anything between meals," said Leslie, and he would not be persuaded, but stretched himself as he could on the locker. The doctor made some entries in a book and then looked round to speak, but his companion was fast asleep.

" Not long about anything," said the medical man, laughing to himself. " Mis sionary, I should expect ! face clean-shaved, that looks like a Roman. I suppose I shall know in the morning." The rattling of the cinders from the engine-room down the shoot through which they are thrown into the sea, and which passed just over Leslie's head, awoke him at five o'clock. He got up, rubbed the salt out of his eyes, and went on deck. The wind had gone down, but the sea ran in mountains, and the sky was ashen grey in colour. Full steam was on the ship, and the Bellona was running south, out of the stormy bay. John Leslie went below and got some coffee, and had a look at the Madrassee, who was in the same place and sleeping, and thought to himself : " I wonder how that Mrs. Ruston and her sister are getting on, and what the girl's name is ; what a gentle voice she had, and the doctor was right, she has a pretty face !

I will have a look at the list of passengers and find out her name. Here they are ! Cabin No. \, Mrs. Ruston, Miss Catherine Lane, for Calcutta. Now for a steward to swab out the cabin, and a bath." The day following that of the storm was fine, but the waves still ran high, and there were no passengers at the breakfast table except Captain Brand and John Leslie. Towards the afternoon the ship got into smoother water, and other passengers began to appear on deck — passengers for India, but not many — one or two for Egypt — some for Malta, but the greater number for Gibraltar, running away from the coming winter, and the fogs and the frosts of the British Isles. A few more appeared at the dinner table, and amongst others Catherine Lane. Mrs. Ruston and her sister were under the special care of Captain Coleman, so he made Miss Lane sit next to him, and was anxious in his inquiries about her sister.

The girl looked round the upper end of the dinner table as if wishing to meet someone, but John Leslie was not there, and for some time she could not see him. There was a wide gap at the table between those near the Captain at the top and the ship's officers, who were seated at the other end, a space occasioned by the absence of passengers who would have filled the table had they been well enough. At last Kate Lane caught sight of Leslie, seated at the very end, listening to some story of the doctor's, and to all appearance absorbed in it. As they arose after dinner, the Captain advised her to get on deck into the fresh air, and as soon as she could she did so. There was Leslie walking up and down with Captain Brand, but he took no notice of her, so she con cluded that he would not intrude.

The same routine happened on the follow ing day, only more passengers filled the table, and the Captain after dinner handed Kate over to the care of Mrs. Tate, a great Calcutta lady, Mrs. Ruston not being yet able to leave her cabin. Kate looked round for Leslie, but he was not to be seen, and she was surrounded by acquaintances of Mrs. Tate, and introduced to Captain Price, John Leslie's partner, in their cabin. As is usual on board ship, as soon as con versation could commence, and the sufferings each had undergone had been recounted, who and what each passenger was, was reviewed. Mrs. Tate had mentioned that Sir Charles Paget, the Chief Justice of Bengal, was on board, and wondered what had become of him, when the subject of their conversation appeared. He was a hale and hearty man, and travelled in a P. & O. steamer in great state.

No one knew better that he was Chief Justice than Sir Charles himself, and that it would have been exceedingly im proper for him to appear at table until the first effects of a sea voyage had dis appeared. As he came on deck Mrs. Tate rose to welcome him. John Leslie was seen at a distance, and Captain Price, who was telling Kate all about each and every passenger, said that Leslie and he shared a cabin. " Do you know who he is ?" said the girl ; " he was very kind to my sister the night we left Southampton. What a dreadful night it was ! " " I do not know," said Captain Price, " I fancy not much. I slept through the storm, but it was too much for my fellow-traveller, he could not stay quiet, but was about all night." The way in which this was said put Kate on her guard, and she asked no more questions.

The Chief Justice was leaving them, so Mrs. Tate returned to her gossip and patronage. She too noticed Leslie, for he had a remarkable face, and just then came on to the upper deck. Captain Price again repeated that Leslie was a sharer of his cabin. " Miss Lane wanted to know who he is," he continued. " No one seems to know, but I hear that he speaks the native languages like a nigger. 1 expect that he is some clerk to a wealthy firm, but he does not look like a half-caste." At that moment Sir Charles Paget caught sight of the object of their conversation, and walking across the deck seized him with two hands — it was clear that they were old friends — the Chief Justice made the other turn towards him, and looked peeringly into his face ; there were traces of great mental suffering there, and the old man shook his head as he took the younger man's arm to walk up and down the deck.

"That is no clerk!" said Mrs. Tate, "I must find out who he is ; here comes the doctor, we will ask him." " What do you want to know ? " inquired the medical man, for he had been sent for two or three times to the great lady's cabin, and foresaw entertainments at Calcutta and much else from her acquaintance. " We want to know who this Mr. Leslie is," replied Mrs. Tate. " What is he ? He seems to be a friend of Sir Charles Paget's." " I don't know," said the doctor, " but he is a strong linguist. We had some Lascars on the sick list after that storm, and I could not find out what was the matter with one of them. Their Serang said that it was nothing, the sick man only wanted rope's end, but I had enough of that once before at Singapore. One of the crew got ill and thought he was ill-treated, and jumped overboard ; so finding that Leslie could speak to the men all about their ailings— of course the ship's officers can speak about their work — I got him to go with me.

He would not go into the Lascar's forecastle, but had the man out. ' What was the matter ? ' he asked in what I could hear was educated Hindustani. The man would not answer, so Leslie with an air of authority sent for the Serang. What they said I could not make out, but the Serang had his master ; at last Leslie turned to me and said, ' I cannot tell you what it is, doctor, for you will laugh, and laughter will spoil the whole thing ; I am going to my cabin for something ' ; he returned with what seemed to be a bit of leaf rolled up, from this he read or pretended to read something, and gave it to the Serang with the gravity of a judge ; the sick man's eyes glistened, and he and the Serang disappeared. All I know is that the man came off the sick list ; there he is, cleaning the brass on the deck below."

" What was it Mr. Leslie gave him ? " asked Mrs. Tate, and many faces round asked the same question. "Well," said the doctor, "it seems silly. During the storm the man lost an amulet or charm which was tied to his arm, and when that was first put on, the mullah or priest told him that if he lost it he would certainly die. Leslie got an amulet that he said had been at Mecca, and had touched the prophet's tomb — he says he repeated some verses of the Kor&n, and these Mahommedans recognize the Arabic, without knowing what it means — anyway, as I tell you, the man was satisfied. I am sure Leslie gave it to the Serang, and he would not laugh about it. He said, ' These poor ignorant men believe something and you cannot destroy their belief — that fellow might have pined to death about it.' " " But who is he ? what is his business?" inquired Mrs. Tate again.

" He looks to me like a Roman missionary," said the doctor. " A Roman Catholic priest ! " echoed the great lady. " Depend upon it you are right. Sir Charles is a Roman Catholic ; that is what gives Mr. Leslie that sad look about the eyes, all priests have that." " I do not say that he is," exclaimed the doctor, getting frightened at his conjecture being so quickly taken up. " Depend upon it you are right," responded Mrs. Tate. " A Catholic priest ! " said Kate to her self. " A Catholic priest ! " and her face spoke of something like disappointment.

Chapter II

On the morning after the conversation last related, the Bellona arrived off the Straits of Gibraltar. The feeling in the air was delightful. It is not easy to put into words the sensations experienced by a person coming from a November day in London to a climate like that of the south of Spain in the same month. The sea had become perfectly calm during the night, as the steamer came down the coast of Portugal, and when her course was turned to the east to enter the far-famed straits, daylight showed signs of breaking. John Leslie had risen early to view the sun rise, and had called his friend, Captain Brand, as he went on deck. In a few minutes they both stood in the bow of the steamer. It was marvellous to see the light creep over the sea directly in front of them, but the twilight is short in November Gibraltar Bay.

Page 30. in those latitudes. In a few seconds the eastern glow began to stream over the water, showing the shores of both Europe and Africa on the left and right, as yet black in their outlines on the horizon. The sky above the land was of every colour, green and gold and orange, mingled with the reflection of the sea, impossible to describe. "This is worth getting up to look at," exclaimed Captain Brand. Leslie said nothing. He sat absorbed in the scene until the glint of the sun appeared above the horizon. This aroused him from his reverie. " If this colouring would last," he remarked, " I could watch it for hours, but here comes the sun, and I must have my bath." "That is practical enough," laughed his sailor friend. "What a fellow you are for water ! " The steamer was at her moorings in Gibraltar bay before breakfast, and after that there was a great bustle.

Many passengers were leaving the ship, and Captain Coleman announced that he should not sail again until five in the afternoon, thus giving an oppor tunity to those who wished it to go on shore for a run. Mrs. Ruston had summoned courage to be taken on deck after breakfast, and was ensconced in a long bamboo chair on the upper deck, with her sister by her side. She looked very pale and thin, and really suffered very much from sea-sickness. The least motion of the vessel was enough to make her ill, but she was very pretty. She had been married for some years to the Honourable Arthur Ruston, a member of the Supreme Legislative Council in India, a man much older than herself, — whom she ordered about as she pleased, and she was surrounded in public at Calcutta by a number of young gentlemen, whom she was wont to call, in private, her aides-de-camp.

Mrs. Ruston had been to England to escape the hot season in India. This was now over, and she was returning to Calcutta, taking out her only sister, Kate Lane, somewhat against the latter's wish. They were daughters of a Bengal civilian, but both their father and mother were dead, and they had no near relatives. Mrs. Ruston was no sooner settled in her chair than she asked her sister : " Do you see that Mr. Leslie ? " for having found out all she could about him from her native servant, she was piqued to learn more. Kate looked round ; she had seen John Leslie for a long time as he was talking to Captain Brand in the waist of the ship. "He is talking to a gentleman, I think a great friend of his, down there," replied Kate. " Send for him, please to send for him at once," demanded the married sister.

" Susie, dear ! " remonstrated the girl, " I do not think he wishes to know us. He has never come near me, and only sent the stewardess once to inquire for us." " My dear Kate ! " said the imperious little lady. "Just ask a steward to come here." The steward came. c " Be good enough to tell Mr. Leslie that Mrs. Ruston would be glad to see him." The man hesitated, and she continued " You know Mr. Leslie? " " Oh, yes ! " he said. " Then," with a wave of her hand, " please to give him my message." John Leslie came at once. Women have a power of changing their entire manner in a moment. They can swiftly read a character, while such a process takes the dull brain of one of the other sex many days to do so. Leslie's firm step and the decision of his clean cut features, as he approached, showed that he would never be an aide-de-camp, and nothing could have been more like a refined gentlewoman than the winsome manner in which Mrs. Ruston thanked him for his kindness and attention on the night of the storm.