Amy Vivian's Ring, or the Heir to a Curse

Chapter I Brothers Of The Roomal

The soft haze of evening was already en veloping the little encampment of a party of travellers at the resting ground of Sunghur, on the road between Kurtpore and Jullabad, in the North-West district of India, and the smoke ascended in straight columns from their cooking fires, so absolutely still was the air amid the trees beneath whose shade they had passed the hot hours of the day ; for, though the month was October and the rains had but lately ceased, the sun possessed a scorch ing power not to be despised even by the hardiest denizens of that warm and sunny A *>$ Amy Vivian's Ring land. The faint smell of the roadside acacia trees, mingled with the more pungent odour of the burning fuel and of the condiments that were thrown into the cooking pots, would have been felt by many to be almost sicken ing ; yet that was evidently the last thought that occurred to any of the men who were now watching with eager and hungry eyes the completion of their interesting labour.

Truly the spot they had chosen was well suited to their purpose, even if that pur pose were merely rest from the mid-day heat and the enjoyment of the customary evening meal.

A beautiful mangoe tope threw a dense shade over the turf beneath, while the little striped yellow and black squirrels sat up quaintly or chased each other with lightning speed from tree to tree, and rapid flights of brilliant green paroquets dashed, shrieking noisily, into the air when disturbed among the branches by some ugly lungoor, or possibly by a huge tree-snake whose embrace they dreaded more than even the active and far-reaching monkey's relent less clutch. ' Ah, but this is magnificent ! ' cried one of the group, an old and handsome fellow, tall, with an aquiline nose, and a mouth shaded by a heavy grey moustache, the ex pression of whose benevolent face would at once inspire confidence in the heart of a stranger. ' I call this the supreme moment of our day — the moment that rewards us for all the anxieties as well as all the dangers of our hazardous profession.' He gave the pot on the fire in front of him a stir, bending over it lovingly, and draw ing in with his breath the fragrant smell that was sweeter to him at that moment than the scent of roses. ' You are barely entitled to your dinner to-night, Nasir,' replied the dark-complexioned and sinister-looking individual of perhaps five and-forty whom he had addressed, and whose lowering brows and heavy jowl contrasted strangely with the other's clear and open countenance. 'There's no chance of your professional services being needed just at present, to judge from appearances, at least, and I wonder you are so happy and light hearted.' The old man smiled. ' I have learnt to be a philosopher,' he said simply, ' and so will you have done by the time you are my age, friend Lulla.

When work fails I like to enjoy myself, and *S Amy Vivian's Ring the opportunity for practising our art is certain to come round again, as long as there are men and women left in the world.' The two speakers were evidently on the most intimate terms, being indeed the princi pal persons of this party of four, while the others, who were younger men, seldom opened their lips, when they did so taking care to assume a deferential air, as if merely echoing the words that had fallen from their superiors. It was not easy to judge from the appear ance of the little group, now beginning quietly and contentedly to enjoy their repast, exactly what class they belonged to, for they could hardly be soldiers, and seemed equally unlike those of the trading or of the almost in numerable artificer castes. Nor, indeed, would any one of them have felt it a compliment to be confounded with artisans, or shop keepers, or any such common and ordinary folk. ' Our art is at a discount just now,' growled Lulla, savagely, ' and we have been misinformed, grossly misinformed, as to the progress of this party we were expecting : whose fault is it that such a mistake has arisen ? ' Ere the other could answer, the speaker sprang to his feet, upsetting the vessel in front of him, and stood staring out with an anxious eye far beyond the spot where they were dining. ' What moved ? ' he muttered under his breath in a startled tone. ' I swear I saw the flutter of a garment there — there, behind the trees, near the water.' The elder man looked up. ' Your fancy, Lulla !

And yet it may be, after all, that he whom we expected is coming.' He whispered this hopefully, but Lulla had, without a word, crept away through the wood, and, passing swiftly from tree to tree, had reached its extreme boundary without encountering a living thing save a brilliantly painted lizard, which, with a rapid move ment of its flexible tail, wriggled off into the long grass at his approach. At the further end of the clump of trees stood an ancient temple, small indeed, and entirely in ruins, but still distinctly to be traced amid the sand-heaps that now covered a good portion of its foundations. All that remained of this edifice above ground was a broken stone wall several feet thick, at right angles to which stood three lofty pillars, com- **§ Amy Vivian's Ring posed of huge masses so deftly fitted each upon the other that they seemed at first sight to consist of one immense block apiece.

This triad of columns stood at the edge of a sheet of water which, though evi dently deep at this point, stretched away to a distance of a mile or more, till, gradually lessening in volume, it became lost in the sandy plain beyond. The lake, for so it might be called, had possibly, at some previous time, been joined to the broad and rapid river that ran at no great distance ; but now its waters were undisturbed by any such con nection, and, owing to its retirement and absolute stillness, were the resort of herons, cormorants, and every description of water fowl. Lulla paused a moment at the edge of the water, then peered cautiously behind the over shadowing columns ; but nothing suspicious meeting his eye, he returned presently to his companions, only half satisfied at the result of his search, and with his temper considerably ruffled by the interruption.

It required no effort on Nasir's part to read in a moment the disappointment on his friend's face. ' Your imagination played you false after all, my brother,' said the old man, helping himself to an enormous morsel of chuppattie and swallowing it with gusto, ' and there's really no one near us, and no chance of an adventure for us ere we smoke our hookah to-night.' ' Fate has declared against us,' replied the other with disgust, ' and we shall starve if matters do not mend, and that quickly too.' ' Yet our friends on the other side of Kurtpore seemed certain this merchant had started for Jullabad, with his wife and daughter,' continued Nasir, with persistence. ' And carrying his gold mohurs all strapped securely round his waist — his capacious waist,' said the other reflectively. 1 Ah, well ! we may yet have a squeeze of that tempting throat of his,' smiled old Nasir, ' for there's no knowing when they may arrive, though 'tis certain they must pass this way, the whole family of them.' ' Our luck has deserted us entirely,' growled Lulla, ' and you know why as well as I do ; nay, you yourself were at the bottom of the whole thing.' ' Now, don't hark back to that wretched ring, for that, I know, is what is in your mind +§ Amy Vivian's Ring — what is always in your mind,' said the other deprecatingly. ' Curse the ring and whoever wears it ! ' cried Lulla, gulping down a big draught from his brass lotah ; ' and curse all who touch it, or even let their eyes rest upon it ! ' ' Gently, my brother,' murmured the old man in a soft voice ; ' you let your anger carry you away.' ' And curse you for losing it ! ' persisted the incensed Thug. ' While I wore that ring it lent my wrist such wonderful strength that a giant's neck was like putty in my grasp.' ' And so it will again,' said Nasir, cheerfully, ' if only you will cheer up and have faith in Kali.' ' Never !

Fool that I was to lend it you even for a single night ! ' ' Well, the ring may be restored to us some day, and then our lucky star will shine on us again.' ' Nonsense, Nasir. You have lived long and know the world ; go and tell the women such stuff" as this, but don't attempt to pass it off on me!' The old fellow looked at him reproachfully. ' Now you are insulting me, brother,' he muttered. ' Talk to the women ! Yes, I talk now and then to the mem-sahibs when I read their hands and tell their fortunes, but is not this practice useful, especially when other things fail? Does it not bring gold into our waist bands and food into our stomachs ? ' Lulla laughed cynically. ' I have a good mind to give up the roomal,' he said ; ' it's too slow for us in these days.' 1 Why, what would you do, my own Lulla, if your inherited occupation were gone ? ' asked his companion in astonishment. ' Kali will yet help us if we trust her and despair not.' ' You preach to me of Kali,' echoed the other scornfully. ' Who has served her best, I wonder ; you, with your fortune-telling and the few hundreds of sacrifices you have offered her, or I, with the thousands of victims I have strangled ? — Kali indeed ! ' ' Yes, yes, Lulla, you have done great things, and our deity is well pleased with you ; but "once a Thug — always a Thug," and you would never really desert the brotherhood, I feel certain ? ' Nasir's brow lowered as he put this question, and Lulla hastened to set his doubts at rest. *§ Amy Vivian's Ring 'No, no,' he cried, 'you mistake my mean ing.

Like you, I am a born Thug — a Thug zada. Never will I prove false to my craft and calling ; but there are other and more modern modes of practising it, and ways that are quite as sure of success.' ' I see,' rejoined the old man, brightening up ; 'I guess what you point to.' ' Ah ! Is there not sense in the idea, old friend ? Will it not be well to try the effect of some of these subtle and secret means by which a dozen, ay, or a score of men can be put to death at one swoop, and no one be a bit the wiser ? ' Nasir's eyes glistened for a moment while his confederate spoke ; but it was in a grave tone that he replied, — ' I have all my life been accustomed to the roomal, my brother, and have found it a certain instrument when used as we use it. Oh ! the joy of the moment when, stealing quietly be hind one's victim, who is chatting cheerily and suspecting nothing, one artfully throws the roomal round the neck, draws it tightly across the throat, and, with a sharp turn of the wrists, cleverly squeezes the life out of the helpless wretch, who dies, perhaps with a wriggle and a faint gurgle, perhaps silently, and without even a kick !

Whe-w-w ! — what can be more pleasing to Kali than that ? ' For a moment the other man's gloom was dissipated, and he looked really happy. ' No clumsy spilling of blood, no wounds, no traces of the deed ! ' continued Nasir, with satisfaction. 'Everything cleanly and decently transacted, and, in a minute or two, acting as we do and each strangling his pre-arranged victim, there is reclining around a silent circle of corpses whom we can divest of their money and their ornaments at leisure, and without scruple — for what further use have the lately departed owners for their treasures of silver and of gold ? ' ' Ha, ha ! ' laughed Lulla, ' what use, indeed ? That's a capital description, old man, of the scenes we love, and of what we had hoped to see here to-night, if only that rich old travelling merchant had put in an appearance.' ' The fat scoundrel ! ' murmured Nasir ; ' and I had so reckoned on having my hands busy about him ! ' He spoke musingly, while his fingers and wrists moved automatically, as if tightening the noose round the neck of his prostrate and quivering victim. ' But we should have spared the children, eh, *>$ Amy Vivian's Ring Nasir ? ' said the other, after a pause. ' No need to strangle them, you know, for the boys would have fetched a good price as slaves, even if we had not brought them up to our own profession ; while the girls — well, we know there is always a demand for them, and — ' ' Yes, yes, my brother,' interrupted Nasir, ' we would not cruelly cut short the life of any except where it is necessary to our purpose, and, the parents being gone, we could afford to be tender and kind to the young ones.

Ah, Lulla ! how I love children, and especially the unlucky offspring of those unfortunates whom we have had to remove ! ' Lulla smiled grimly as he answered. ' You are a quaint old man, Nasir, and I don't wonder at the favour with which you are received by the sahib-logue when you go amongst them, with your bland and charming smile and your handsome, guileless face ! ' ' How kind you are, Lulla, to speak so ! ' returned the other ; ' but surely I have no reason to complain, for the mem-logue are very ready to show their pretty hands to me, that I may decipher what is written there of the past and present, and may unravel the strange mysteries of the future.' ' And all the time how little they think you are silently spying out the land,' said the younger man, with a short laugh. ' You are wonderfully shrewd, my brother, and it is not surprising this knowledge of palmistry has stood you in such good stead.' ' One must live,' observed Nasir, as he took his last mouthful and lay back contentedly against the nearest tree, while the two inferior men finished the food that remained, ' and I am thinking of going to Jullabad to try what this old game of mine will produce.

There will be more mem-sahibs there soon, as they are certain to come out from Belat now the cold weather has begun. What say you, my friend ? ' ' 'Tis sickening,' grumbled the other man, ' that this prize has failed us, just, too, when we needed so badly the gold that might have been ours. Can the fellow have been warned in any way, or is it, in truth, that a blight has fallen upon us ? ' Old Nasir shook his head. ' I understand not how it is,' he murmured, washing his mouth out after a final application to the lotah. ' We have observed all the rites. We have followed the information our brothers sent us from Kurtpore. We have sacrificed freely and unstintedly to Kali. It is a puzzle, then, to know where the fault lies.' •^ Amy Vivian's Ring Lulla saw his opportunity, and spoke with decision. ' I will tell you,' he said eagerly, ' what my counsel is.

Let us take up this new method. Let us try this poison which is so much spoken of, and which, given in the curry or the cakes or the sweetmeats that we shall make, will render a whole group of our fellow travellers unconscious in a few minutes without any effort on our part, and will place them and all they possess at our mercy.' ' Yes, I see your meaning, brother,' returned Nasir, nodding his head as his friend unfolded his new idea to him. ' This datoora has a marvellous power, and one especial advantage of it is that, if death is not produced, the signs given can be ascribed with certainty to drunken ness, for those who are so poisoned lose alike the powers of their mind and body, and seem to move like wretched imbeciles who have lost all sense and all control over themselves.' ' One would think you yourself had tried your hand with this new gift to us,' cried Lulla, in amazement. ' I quite long already to experiment with it, and feel certain great success will attend us.' ' Not so fast, dear brother,' said the elder man deprecatingly ; ' not so fast, I say.

There seem to me to be two reasons against this method, the first of which is that it is not so certain in its results as the old plan that has for years served you and me so well.' ' You are prejudiced, like all old men,' returned Lulla, with an impatient gesture. ' Nothing can be easier, I assure you, nor safer in the end.' ' Ary, bhai, but you are obstinate ! ' cried Nasir, smiling. ' Do you set yourself up against me, with all my hardly-gained ex perience ? ' ' What other fault, then, can you find with that which I propose ? ' asked Lulla, with a sullen look. ' Poison can be detected after death, I tell you,' continued his friend, ' whereas with the roomal there is nothing, hardly a mark even — on dark skins, at least.' ' You are ridiculously bigoted,' returned the other angrily, ' and will suffer for it.

This Tyndall-sahib, who is now at the head of the police at Jullabad, is a very clever young fellow, and has had great experience in Thuggee ; in deed, he has been brought here specially to stamp out the practices in which you and I have become such proficients. I ask you seriously, then, to consider what I am putting before you, o? Amy Vivian's Ring and to learn from me this newer system, which, I assure you — ' ' What was that ? ' cried Nasir, in his turn starting forward and fixing his gaze on one of the pillars of the old temple. 'There was, undoubtedly, the whisk of something — was it animal or man? — over there. I am certain I saw it, and cannot be mistaken.' The younger Thug, noiselessly rising, again stole through the wood, gliding by the trees like a shadow till he gained the ruins on the border of the lake ; but all was still and quiet, no movement being perceptible on the land or water, no living creature to be seen. ' Your old eyes have deceived you, as mine did me a few minutes ago,' he said presently, returning to his confederate and taking his seat beside him ; ' there's nothing there — how could there be, for the place is uninhabited ? ' 'I'm not wrong — of that -I am sure,' returned Nasir, whose scared face showed the alarm he was still under. ' Perhaps a monkey ran along to the water to drink,' said Lulla, darkly ; ' at any rate, there's nothing moving now, and I begin to feel sleepy after our excellent dinner.' ' Something did move,' retorted Nasir, ob stinately, ' but whether man or beast I know not.' ' Well, it does not much signify,' droned out his companion ; ' those fellows have set us a good example, which I am about to follow.

Just listen to their snoring ! ' The two other men were indeed in a happy state of unconsciousness, and soon Lulla's heavy breathing announced that he too had passed into the land of dreams. But Nasir was far from feeling satisfied, and it was not till the night had considerably ad vanced that he at length, drawing his blanket round him, gave himself up to the slumber he so longed, yet feared, to take. And there was reason in his fear, for the party, as it lay there, was not unobserved, though it were difficult to define the exact character of the little unearthly creature that, by the uncertain light, picked his way through the tope, and silently examined their prostrate forms as if seeking rapidly to take in all the main features that distinguished the group ; difficult, too, to know why this strangely, de formed and wizened dwarf, having with eager eyes completed his task, stealthily withdrew again towards the temple beside whose shelter ing pillars old Nasir had in truth caught a passing glimpse of him. E

Chapter II The Burra Khana

The Thug, Lulla, was not far wrong, for Captain Arthur Tyndall, who was in charge of the Thuggee operations at Jullabad, was a very able young officer, and had gained much experience in the detection of this kind of crime during a five years' service in Central India. In addition to having a good under standing with a whole network of informers in the locality of his former exploits, he had unearthed one of the smaller gangs that had been a terror to travellers through Kurtpore and Jullabad, though even yet the roads were terribly unsafe, and every now and then a horrible murder, or group of murders, startled the Commissioner and his staff, who resided at the latter station. Mr Vivian, C.S., had risen in that province from the lowest grade to the highest, and now ruled as Commissioner with a firm and sagacious hand over a population of hundreds of thousands, The Burra Khana So who regarded him as their father, and as the veritable king of their country, for he was the highest representative of the governing power that ever met their eyes.

None was ever more respected ; none in the whole country that occupied so high a position was equally loved. Mr Vivian was a widower, and childless, but there had lately joined him from England a distant young relative, whose education had just ended, and whom he welcomed with warmth to his house at Jullabad, and placed at once at the head of the large establishment there. This girl, Amy Vivian, orphan as she was, had gained his full affection, and it was therefore natural that she should, at his express desire, call him ' uncle,' and in adddition should be to him almost as a daughter. Miss Vivian at this period was but eighteen, yet every day witnessed a quiet, imperceptible increase of her influence over the Commissioner, whose admira tion of her was shown in every word and deed of his, and in all his conduct towards her.

Nor was she unworthy of his love and confidence, though occasionally a reserve of manner and an abstraction of tone or of look would take possession of her, which could hardly be accounted for by the circumstances or the surroundings of the moment. *>$ Amy Vivian's Ring Arthur Tyndall was a frequent visitor at the ' burra sahib's ' bungalow, for business often took him to the Commissioner's office, which was close to the house, and nothing, therefore, was easier or more natural than to look in on Amy Vivian and arrange for a drive or ride or game of badminton. Jullabad was a quiet and humdrum enough station, and, the military cantonment being at some three miles' distance, to have the entree of that hospitable house was a privilege not to be despised ; a privilege, however, which had its dangers, veiled though they were under the most charming of masks.

It was the night of one of those ' burra khanahs ' that frequently took place at Mr Vivian's, and several of the officers and their wives had driven over to partake of his good fare and to hear his niece's delightful singing. Dinner was announced, and yet everyone had not arrived. ' God bless my soul, Amy, where is Tyndall ? ' cried Mr Vivian, looking round. ' I saw him only an hour ago, and he spoke as if he were coming to-night.' ' Oh, yes, uncle, he will be here, no doubt, but something may have detained him at the last moment,' said his niece, in no uncertain tone. The Burra Khana Sfr ' Well, we had better not wait, I should say.' ' No, I am sure he would prefer that we should sit down, so let us go into dinner,' replied she, rising. At this moment Tyndall hurriedly entered the room, apologising for being late, and saying that a sudden and unexpected call had detained him.

Whether by chance or by design he found himself next to Amy Vivian at dinner, while on her other side sat Donald Lee, the Assistant Commissioner, a man greatly esteemed in the service, and an especial favourite with Mr Vivian.

For some reason Lee did not appear at ease, and even the lively Mrs Quiller, wife of Major Quiller of the Dashers, who was his next neighbour, found it difficult to rouse him. ' I hear you are to have an accession of ladies immediately, Mr Lee,' said Mrs Quiller; 'and of course you will have to do something to make Jullabad a more jolly place than it seems to be at present.' ' I don't know about that,' returned he, smiling faintly ; ' I shall soon be going into the district on tour, so I don't quite see how I can be expected to take much part in any festivities here.' ' Oh, nonsense ! ' cried Mrs Quiller, flirting Amy Vivian's Ring her fan and looking very slily at her neighbour ; ' I hear Mrs Thorp's sister is a really beautiful girl, and feel certain Captain Tyndall will try to get up a ball or theatricals, or something of that kind, before many weeks are over.' ' Tyndall is a go-ahead fellow, and a great favourite with the ladies,' remarked Lee, looking uneasily at the man he spoke of, who certainly appeared to be on very intimate terms with Amy Vivian. ' How far Miss Anstruther's coming will affect him may be doubtful, but there is no question about his present infatuation, I should say.' The latter part of this sentence was spoken almost under his breath, but Mrs Quiller's sharp ear caught sufficient to make her look at Tyndall more narrowly than she had yet done, when it became apparent to her how marked was his attention to the beautiful Amy, whose predilection for him was apparent from the smiles with which she received each word he uttered. ' I don't know what may be your real opinion of India,' she was saying, ' but you certainly do credit to this much-abused country.' > ' It has agreed very well with me, Miss Vivian, and as I am intensely interested in my work, I don't feel inclined to give it up just yet,' he rejoined, in a tone of some satisfaction. ' I am glad to hear that,' said Amy, simply ; ' for I am sure you are very useful here — my uncle has remarked that several times to me.' Tyndall could not conceal a look of pleasure at this compliment, spoken so openly and naturally by the girl. ' Mr Vivian is very kind,' he murmured, bowing slightly, ' and we have always got on admirably together ; for, indeed, who would not with such a man as he is ? ' ' Yes, truly,' she said, looking affectionately along the table at the Commissioner. ' He is the dearest man, the most indulgent of uncles.' ' And yet, Miss Vivian, after all these years I feel it is high time I went home to see my people.' She sighed. ' You call England " home," no doubt.

Now, I was such a big girl when I was sent to Europe, that it seemed to me like coming among old friends again to return ; yet I was very happy while there, and was treated most kindly by all my cousins.' Her words were simple enough, yet there was a certain reservation in their tone, and as her beautiful eyes met Tyndall's he fancied he detected in them a look, whether of annoyance *>§ Amy Vivian's Ring or of suspicion he could not at the moment understand. This girl's features were, as the young officer thought, the most perfectly formed he had ever seen ; her light golden hair and fair complexion seemed, indeed, in striking contrast to her full brown eyes, shaded by their darkly fringed lids ; but the pose of the head on the delicate neck, and the noble air with which she carried herself, marked her as one of nature's choicest beauties.

While these impressions came thickly on Tyndall, she raised her hand to her cheek. A shapely hand, long and rather thin, the tapering fingersunadorned by rings, except the third, on which might be noticed a dull gold hoop, evidently of native workmanship. Yet a peculiarity in that hand struck him immediately, for the creases at the joints were marked darkly, as if there were a brown stain over them, and this stain was most apparent when the fingers were extended. For the rest, the hand was white enough. ' Then you were born in India, Miss Vivian ? ' said Tyndall, looking as unconcerned as possible. ' I had no idea of that till this moment.' ' Had you not, indeed ? ' she replied quickly, the strange look again coming over her. • Yes, my father was quartered in Central India in those days, and there my earliest years were spent.' Perhaps it was as well that at this moment Mr Vivian glanced at his niece, and the ladies rose ; nor was it till an hour afterwards that Tyndall, when looking for Amy, found her under the stars in the garden, where several of the guests were seated, having their fortunes told by a handsome old native, well versed apparently in the art of chiromancy. ' Now, Amy, it's your turn,' cried Mrs Quiller, gaily. ' We are all longing to hear your fate, and Nasir, as you know, seldom makes a mistake when he is well paid.' The old Thug, for it was truly he, salaamed low, as if half comprehending this compliment.