Daniel G. Brinton - "The Annals of the Cakchiquels"

Franz Grillparzer - "Die Argonauten"

Edward William Thomson - "Old Man Savarin and Other Stories"

Stephen Gwynn - "The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke V1"

Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

At the Point of the Bayonet

G >> G. A. Henty >> At the Point of the Bayonet




"I have no doubt that you are right, Mr. Lindsay. Is there anything
new at Poona?"

"Yes, Colonel; and as it will be generally known in two or three
days, there can be no harm in my telling you. Scindia has made Nana
Furnuwees a prisoner, by an act of the grossest treachery. He has
killed almost all his principal adherents and, when I got away, his
troops were engaged in looting the town."

"That is grave news," the colonel said. "So long as Nana was in
power, it was certain that Scindia could not venture to take his
army, out of his own country for the purpose of attacking us; but
now that Nana is overthrown, and Scindia will be minister to the
Peishwa, we may expect troubles."

"Not at present. Scindia's army has, for months, been without pay.
He has no means of settling with them and, until he does so, they
certainly will not move."

"I do not think that would detain him long, Mr. Lindsay. He has
only to march them into other territories, with permission to
plunder, and they would be quite satisfied. He certainly can have
no liking for the Rajahs of Berar or Kolapoore, for both of them
assisted Nana to regain his power; and an attack upon them would,
at once, satisfy vengeance and put his troops in a good temper."

"But there is no doubt that the Peishwa will find it much more
irksome to be under Scindia's control than that of Nana. And were
Scindia to march away, he would at once organize an army, and buy
Holkar's aid, to render himself independent of Scindia."

"They are treacherous beggars, these Mahrattas," the colonel said.
"They are absolutely faithless, and would sell their fathers if
they could make anything by the transaction.

"Then you do not know yet whether you are to return?"

"No; I shall see the Governor again, tomorrow morning; and shall
then receive orders."

"I will have some dinner sent over to your quarters, from the mess.
Do not have too much light in the room, or your colour may be
noticed by the servant. I will let the officers know that you have
returned. No doubt many of them will come in for a chat with you.
As no one can overhear you, I do not think that any harm can be
done by it."

"I think not, Colonel."

"I will tell them," the colonel went on, "that you are on secret
service; that you will tell them as much as you can safely do, but
they must abstain from pressing you with questions. We all know
that you have been acting as assistant to Mr. Uhtoff, because it
was mentioned in orders that you had been detailed for that duty;
but they know no more than that, and will doubtless be surprised at
your colour. But you can very well say that, as you had an
important message to carry down, you thought it best to disguise
yourself."

"That will do excellently, Colonel; and I shall be very glad to
have a talk with my friends again."

After leaving the colonel, Harry went to his own room; where he
found Soyera, who had been fetched by Abdool.

"I am sorry to say that I am going away, almost directly, mother,"
he said; "but it cannot be helped."

"I do not expect you always to stay here, Harry. Now that you are
in the Company's service, you must, of course, do what you are
ordered. I am glad, indeed, to find that, although you have been
with them only a year, you are chosen for a post in which you can
gain credit, and attract the attention of the authorities here."

"It is all thanks to the pains that you took to prepare me for such
work.

"I don't expect to be away so long, this time. And indeed, now that
Nana Furnuwees is a prisoner, it does not seem to me that there can
be anything special to do, until some change takes place in the
situation, and Scindia either openly assumes supreme power, or
marches away with his army."

That evening, Harry's room was crowded with visitors. The news of
the treacherous arrest of Nana Furnuwees excited the liveliest
interest; and was received with very much regret, as Nana was
considered the only honest man of all the ministers of the native
princes, and to be friendly disposed towards the British; and all
saw that his fall might be followed by an important change in the
attitude of the Mahrattas.

Two days later, Harry returned to Poona. The next eighteen months
passed without any very prominent incidents. In order to furnish
Scindia with money to pay his troops, and to be in a position to
march away, Bajee Rao agreed that Ghatgay should, as Scindia's
minister, raise contributions in Poona. Accordingly, a rule of the
direst brutality and cruelty took place. The respectable
inhabitants--the merchants, traders, and men of good family--were
driven from their houses, tortured often to death, scourged, and
blown away from the mouths of cannon. No person was safe from his
persecution, and the poorest were forced to deliver up all their
little savings. The rich were stripped of everything, and
atrocities of all kinds were committed upon the hapless population.

Bajee Rao countenanced these things, and was now included in the
hatred felt for Ghatgay and Scindia. Troubles occurred between the
Peishwa and the Rajah of Satara, who refused to deliver up an agent
of Nana whom he had, at Bajee's request, seized. As Scindia's
troops refused to move, Purseram Bhow was released from captivity
and, raising an army, captured the city of Satara, and compelled
the fort to surrender; but when ordered by Bajee Rao to disband the
force that he had collected, he excused himself from doing so, on
the plea that he had no money to pay them, or to carry out the
promises that he had given them.

Scindia himself was not without troubles. In addition to the mutiny of
his troops, the three widows of his father who, instead of receiving
the treatment proper to their rank, had been neglected and were living
in poverty, sought an interview with him; and were seized by Ghatgay,
flogged, and barbarously treated. Their cause was taken up by the
Brahmins, who had held the principal offices under Scindia's father;
and it was at last settled that they should take up their residence at
Burrampoor, with a suitable establishment. Their escort, however, had
received private orders to carry them to the fortress of Ahmednuggur.

The news of this treachery spread, soon after they had left the
camp; and an officer in the interest of the Brahmins started, with
a troop of horse which he commanded, dispersed the escort, and
rescued the ladies. These he carried to the camp of Amrud Rao,
Bajee Rao's foster brother; who instantly afforded them protection
and, sallying out, attacked and defeated a party of their pursuers,
led by Ghatgay himself.

Five battalions of infantry were then sent by Scindia, but Amrud
attacked them boldly, and compelled them to retreat. Negotiations
were then opened, and Amrud, believing Scindia's promises, moved
his camp to the neighbourhood of Poona. But, during a Mahommedan
festival, he and his troops were suddenly attacked by a few
brigades of infantry; which dispersed them, slew great numbers, and
pillaged their camp.

Holkar now joined Amrud Rao, who had escaped from the massacre. The
Peishwa negotiated an alliance with the Nizam. Scindia sent envoys
to Tippoo, to ask for his assistance. Bajee Rao did the same, and
it looked as if a desperate war was about to break out.

All this time, Harry had been living quietly in the Residency,
performing his duties as assistant to Colonel Palmer, who had again
taken charge there. There was no occasion for him to resume his
disguises. The atrocities committed by Ghatgay, in Poona, were
apparent to all; and at present there seemed no possible
combination that could check the power of Scindia.

Colonel Palmer, however, had several interviews with Bajee Rao, and
entreated him to put a stop to the doings of Ghatgay; but the
latter declared that he was powerless to interfere, and treated
with contempt the warnings, of the colonel, that he was uniting the
whole population in hatred of him.

The rebellion under Amrud, and the adhesion of Holkar to it, seemed
to afford some hope that an end would come to the terrible state of
things prevailing; and Colonel Palmer became convinced that Scindia
was really anxious to return to his own dominions, where his
troops, so long deprived of their natural leaders, were in a state
of insubordination. If the Nana were but released from his prison
at Ahmednuggur, something might be done, he said. He might be able
to supply sufficient money to enable Scindia to leave; and the
alarm Nana's liberation would give, to Bajee, would compel him to
change his conduct, lest Nana should join Amrud and, with the
assent of the whole population, place him on the musnud.

"Nana is the only man who can restore peace to this unhappy
country," he said to Harry, "but I see no chance of Scindia
releasing a prisoner whom he could always use to terrify Bajee,
should the latter dare to defy his authority."

Harry thought the matter over that night and, at last, determined
to make an attempt to bring about his old friend's release. In the
morning he said to the Resident:

"I have been thinking over what you said last night, Colonel, and
with your permission I am resolved to make an attempt to bring
about Nana's release."

"But how on earth do you mean to proceed, Mr. Lindsay?"

"My plans are not quite made up yet, sir. In the first place, I
shall ask you to give me three weeks' leave so that, if I fail, you
can make it evident that you are not responsible for my
undertaking. In the next place, I shall endeavour to see Nana in
his prison, and ascertain from him whether he can pay a
considerable sum to Scindia for his release. If I find that he is
in a position to do so, I shall then--always, of course, in
disguise--endeavour to have a private interview with Scindia, and
to convince him that it is in every way to his interest to allow
Nana to ransom himself. He is, of course, perfectly well aware
that, in spite of Bajee's assurances of friendship, he is at heart
bitterly opposed to him; and that the return of Nana, with the
powers he before possessed, would neutralize the Peishwa's power."

"It would be an excellent thing, if that could be done," the colonel
said; "but it appears to me to be an absolute impossibility."

"I would rather not tell you how I intend to act, sir; so that, in
case of failure, you can disavow all knowledge of my proceedings."

"Well, since you are willing to undertake the risk, and
unquestionably the Bombay Government would see, with great
pleasure, Nana's return to power, I will throw no obstacle in your
way. You had better, to begin with, write me a formal request for a
month's leave to go down to Bombay. Is there anything else that I
can do, to aid your project?"

"Nothing, whatever; and I am much obliged to you for acceding to my
request. If for no other reason than that my success should have
the effect of releasing the inhabitants of Poona, from the horrible
tyranny to which they are exposed, I shall be willing to risk a
great deal to gain it.

"I shall not leave for a day or two, as I wish to think over all
the details of my plan, before I set about carrying it out."

Going into the city, Harry went to the spot where the proclamations
of Scindia were always affixed. These were of various kinds; such
as forbidding anyone carrying arms to be in the streets after
nightfall; and that every inhabitant should furnish an account of
his income, in order that taxation should be carefully distributed.
To these Scindia's seal was affixed.

One such order had been placed there that morning. A sentry marched
up and down in front of it, lest any insult should be offered to
the paper. Satisfied that this would suit his purpose, he called
Abdool to him, and explained what he wanted.

"It will not be till this evening, for I want, before that step is
taken, to collect a party of ten horsemen to ride with me to
Ahmednuggur and back. By this time you know a great many people in
the town and, if I were to pay them well, you should have no
difficulty in getting that number."

"I could do that in half an hour, sahib. There are a great number
of the disbanded soldiers of the Peishwa's army who are without
employment, and who would willingly undertake anything that would
bring them in a little money."

"Well, you can arrange with them, today. They must not attract
attention by going out together, but must meet at the village of
Wittulwarree."

The next morning, Harry went to the shop of a trader who was, he
knew, formerly employed by Nana, and purchased from him a suit such
as would be worn by an officer in Scindia's service. Then he wrote
out a document in Mahratti, giving an order to the governor of
Ahmednuggur to permit the bearer, Musawood Khan, to have a private
interview with Nana Furnuwees. This done, he told the resident that
he intended to leave that night.

Colonel Palmer asked no questions, but only said:

"Be careful, Mr. Lindsay, be careful; it is a desperate enterprise
that you are undertaking, and I should be sorry, indeed, if so
promising an officer should be lost to our service."

"I will be careful, I assure you. I have no wish to throw away my
life."

When evening came on, he went to his room, stained his skin from
head to foot, put on the caste marks, then dressed himself in the
clothes that he had that morning purchased and, at nine o'clock,
left the house quietly with Abdool. At that hour Poona would be
quiet, for the terror was so great that few people ventured into
the street after nightfall.

When they approached the house on which the proclamation was fixed,
they separated. Harry went quietly to the corner of the street, a
few yards from the spot where the soldier was marching up and down,
and listened intently, peeping out from behind the wall whenever
the sentry was walking in the other direction. Presently he heard a
smothered sound, and the dull thud of a falling body.

He ran out. Abdool had crawled up to the other end of the sentry's
beat, and taken his place in a doorway. The sentry came up to
within a couple of yards of him, and then turned. Abdool sprang out
and, with a bound, leapt upon the sentry's back and, with one hand,
grasped his musket.

Taken wholly by surprise, the sentry fell forward on his face,
Abdool still clinging to him. He pressed his knife against the
soldier's neck and said that, at the slightest cry, he would drive
it home. Half stunned by the fall, the soldier lay without moving.

[Illustration: Harry ran up to the proclamation and tore it down.]

Without the loss of a moment, Harry ran up to the proclamation and
tore it down, and then darted off again. Abdool, springing to his
feet, brought the butt end of the soldier's musket down on his
head; and then, satisfied that a minute or two must elapse before
the man would be recovered sufficiently to give the alarm, he too
ran off, and joined Harry at the point where they had separated.

"That was well managed, Abdool. Now we will walk quietly until we
are outside the town as, if we met some of Scindia's men, they
would question were we hurrying."

In a few minutes they were outside the city; and then, running at a
brisk pace, they reached the Residency. They were challenged by the
sentry but, on Harry giving his name, he was of course allowed to
pass.

He went quietly into his room and lighted a candle. Putting his
knife in the flame he heated it, and then carefully cut the seal
from the paper on which it was fixed, placed it on the order that
he had written and, again heating his knife, passed it along under
the paper, until the under part of the seal was sufficiently warmed
to adhere to it. He placed the order in an inner pocket, put a
brace of pistols into his sash, and buckled on a native sword that
he had bought that morning; then he went out again, and found that
Abdool had the horses in readiness, with two native saddles, with
embroidered housings such as was used by native officers; which he
had, by Harry's orders, purchased that morning in the bazaar.

They at once mounted, and started at a gallop for Wittulwarree.



Chapter 8: Nana's Release.


At the entrance to the village Harry found the ten troopers, whom
Abdool had engaged, standing by their horses. He gave the order for
them to march and, at a brisk canter, they started for Ahmednuggur.
It was a ride of some forty miles and, when they approached the
town, they halted until the sun rose and the gates of the city were
opened.

They then rode in. The men were left at a khan, Abdool remaining
with them. They had been told, if questioned, to say that their
leader, Musawood Khan, was an officer high in the service of
Scindia.

Harry took two of the troopers with him, and rode to the governor's
house. Dismounting, and leaving the horse in their charge, he told
one of the attendants to inform the governor that he was the bearer
of an order from Scindia, and was at once shown up.

The governor received him with all honour, glanced at the order
that Harry presented to him, placed the seal against his forehead
in token of submission; and then, after a few words as to affairs
at Poona, called an officer and ordered him to accompany Musawood
Khan to Nana Furnuwees' apartment. This was a large room, at an
angle of the fortress, with a balcony outside affording a view of
the country round it; for the governor, knowing how rapidly and
often the position changed, and having no orders save to maintain a
careful watch over the prisoner, had endeavoured to ingratiate
himself with him, by lodging him comfortably and treating him well.

The officer opened the door and, when Harry had entered, locked it
behind him. Nana Furnuwees was seated at the window, enjoying the
fresh morning air. He looked listlessly round, and then rose
suddenly to his feet, as he recognized his visitor.

"What wonder is this," he said, "that you should be here, Mr.
Lindsay, except as a prisoner?"

"I am here as one of Scindia's officers," Harry replied, with a
smile, "although he himself is not aware of it, in hopes of
obtaining your freedom."

"That is too good even to hope for," Nana said, sadly.

"In the first place, sir, are you aware of the state of things in
Poona?"

"I have heard nothing since I came here," Nana said. "They make me
comfortable, as you see but, except for the daily visit from the
governor, I have no visitors; and from him I learn nothing, as he
has strict orders, from Scindia, not to give me any information of
what happens outside these walls; fearing, no doubt, that I might
take advantage of any change, to endeavour to open communication
with one or other of the leaders.

"Before you tell me anything else, please explain how you managed
to enter here."

"That was easy enough, sir. I simply wrote out an order, to the
governor, to permit me to have a private interview with you. I tore
down one of Scindia's proclamations, and transferred his seal from
it to the order that I had written; dressed myself, as you see, as
one of his officers; got together ten mounted men, to ride as my
escort, and here I am."

"You will be a great man, some day," Nana said, looking at the
tall, powerful figure of his visitor, with its soldierly carriage.

"Now, tell me about affairs. I shall then understand better why you
have run this risk."

Harry gave him a sketch of everything that had happened, since his
confinement.

"You see, sir," he said, as he concluded, "how the situation has
changed. Amrud is nominally acting with his brother's approval, but
there is no question that Bajee fears him. Amrud is in alliance
with Holkar. Purseram Bhow is at liberty, at the head of an army,
and a nominal conciliation has taken place between him and Bajee.
The latter has incurred the detestation and hatred of the people of
Poona and, most important of all, Scindia is really anxious to get
back home, but is unable to do so owing to his inability to pay his
troops and, willing as Bajee might be to furnish the money to get
rid of him, he is without resources, owing to the fact that the
taxation wrung from the people has all gone into the pockets of
Scindia, Ghatgay, and his other favourites.

"The question is, sir, whether you would be willing to purchase
your liberty, at a heavy price. I think that, if you could pay
sufficient to enable Scindia to satisfy his soldiers, he might be
induced to release you."

"How much do you think he would want?"

"Of that I can have no idea, sir. Of course, he would at first ask
a great deal more than he would afterwards accept."

"Yes, I should be ready to pay," Nana said, after considering for a
minute. "As a prisoner here, my money is of no use to me, nor ever
would be; but I could pay a large sum, and still be wealthy."

"That is what I wanted to know, sir."

"But why do you run this risk?" Nana asked.

"For several reasons, sir. In the first place, because you have
honoured me with your friendship; in the second, because I would
fain save the people of Poona from the horrible barbarity with
which they are now treated; and lastly, because the Government of
Bombay would, I am sure, be glad to hear of your reinstatement, as
the only means of restoring peace and tranquillity to the Deccan."

"How will you open this matter to Scindia?"

"I have not fully thought that out, sir; but I have no doubt that I
shall, in some way, be able to manage it, and intend to act upon
his fears as well as upon his avarice."

"But you say that Ghatgay is all powerful, and he would never
permit an interview to take place between a stranger and Scindia."

"From what I hear, sir, Scindia is becoming jealous of Ghatgay's
power, and disgusted both by his imperious manner and by his
atrocities in Poona--against which he has several times protested,
but in vain. If I am to obtain an audience with Scindia, it must be
a secret one."

"But there will surely be great danger in such a step?"

"Doubtless it will not be without danger," Harry said, "but that I
must risk. I have not yet determined upon my plan, as it would have
been useless to think of that, until I had seen you but, as that
has been managed so easily, I fancy that I shall have no great
difficulty in getting at him. Once I do so, I feel certain that I
shall be able to convince him that his best policy is to free you,
and place you in your old position as the Peishwa's minister as, in
that case, you would be a check upon Bajee Rao, and would be able
to prevent him from entering into alliances hostile to Scindia."

"Well, Mr. Lindsay, you have given me such proofs, both of your
intelligence and courage, that I feel sure that, if anyone can
carry this through, you will be able to do so; and I need hardly
say how deeply grateful I shall be, to you, for rescuing me from an
imprisonment which seemed likely to terminate only with my life."

"And now I had better go, sir," Harry said. "It is as well that our
conference should not be too long a one."

"Well, goodbye, Mr. Lindsay! Even if nothing comes of all this, it
will be pleasant for me to know that, at least, I have one faithful
friend who was true to me, in my deepest adversity."

Harry went to the door, and knocked. It was immediately opened by
the officer who had conducted him there, and who had taken up his
post a short distance from the door. He led Harry back to the
governor, who pressed him to stay with him; but he replied that his
orders were to return to Poona, instantly.

After this interview, he went direct to the tavern where the
soldiers had put up, ate a hasty meal, and then mounted and rode
out of the town. When ten miles away, he halted in a grove for some
hours, and then rode on to Poona. Arrived within a mile of the
town, he paid each of the men the amount promised, and told them to
re-enter the town separately. Then he secured a room for himself in
a small khan, just outside the city and, sitting there alone,
worked out the plan of obtaining an interview with Scindia.

He then told Abdool to go quietly to the Residency, and to bring
out the Brahmin's dress he had before worn. In the morning, Abdool
went out to Scindia's camp with a letter which, when Scindia came
out of his marquee, he handed to him. There was nothing unusual in
this, for petitions were frequently presented in this way to rulers
in India.

As he did so, he said in a low voice, "It is private and important,
Your Highness;" and instead of handing it to one of his officers,
Scindia went back to his tent to read it.

It stated that the writer, Kawerseen, an unworthy member of the
Kshittree Brahmins, prayed for a private interview with His
Highness, on matters of the most urgent import. Scindia thought for
a moment and then, tearing up the piece of paper, went out and, as
he passed Abdool, who was waiting at the entrance, said:

"Tell your master to be here at half-past ten, tonight. The sentry
will have orders to admit him."

Abdool returned at once to Harry, and delivered his message.

"That is good," the latter said.

"You will take me with you, sahib?"

"Certainly, Abdool, if you are willing to go. There is some danger
in it and, should Scindia give the alarm, you may be of great
assistance, by cutting down the sentry before he can run in. Take
your pistols and tulwar, and bring another sword for me. If I can
once get out of the tent we shall be fairly safe for, in the
darkness and confusion which will arise, we shall be able to make
off quietly. We will ride there, and fasten our horses in that
grove that lies about a quarter of a mile from the camp."

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