At the Point of the Bayonet

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The tent was handsomely furnished. A large carpet covered the
ground. There was a bed, four large chairs, and a table; while
between the outer and inner walls of the tent was a bath. As soon
as they halted, one of the troopers rode into the village and
purchased fowls, rice, ghee, and condiments for the use of the
escort, who were all Mahommedans.

Harry found, to his satisfaction, that another set of waggons had
started that morning for the next halting place; and that he would
find everything ready for him there. This was a great satisfaction,
for he had feared that the work of taking down and packing the
tents would delay his start in the morning, and that at the end of
the day's ride he would have to wait some hours before the tents
came up; whereas by the system of double carriage, he would not be
delayed.

The head man told him that his party would start in the morning, as
soon as the cart could be packed; that fresh bullocks would be
hired at the village where he would halt, and would travel all
night, so as to be in readiness for him when he had accomplished
another stage; and that this process would be continued until they
reached Nagpore.

Chapter 9: A Popular Tumult.

The journey was performed without incident. Harry enjoyed it much,
for this luxurious method of travelling was quite new to him and,
three weeks after leaving the coast, they arrived at Nagpore. On
the previous day the native officer had been sent on, beforehand,
to inform the rajah of the arrival of a high officer of the
Governor General's; and had taken on a letter from Lord Mornington,
accrediting Harry to act in his name. Accordingly, when the party
arrived within a mile of the town, they were met by two officers of
the rajah; who welcomed him in his name, and said that a residence
had been prepared for his use and that of the escort. They were
surprised at Harry's perfect knowledge of their language for,
hitherto, British agents who had come to Nagpore had had but very
slight acquaintance with it, and had had to carry on their
conversation by means of an interpreter.

The town was large and straggling and composed, for the most part,
of native huts built of mud. There were, however, a few brick
houses, the property of flourishing traders. The palace was a large
square edifice, without any architectural adornments. Trees grew
everywhere in the streets and, in the distance, the town had the
appearance of a forest.

Harry was conducted to one of the largest brick houses in the town.
A host of sweepers had been at work, carpets were laid down, and
furniture placed in the principal rooms. He had no doubt that it
had been requisitioned from its owner by the rajah for him, and the
furniture supplied from the palace. The principal rooms were on the
upper floor, and there was ample accommodation for the escort
below.

Harry requested the officers to ascertain when the rajah would be
ready to receive a visit from him, and they returned with word that
he would receive him, in private audience, at eight o'clock that
evening. Accordingly at that hour, followed by four of his
troopers, he rode to the palace. A guard of honour was drawn up at
the entrance, and saluted as he passed in. The entrance hall and
staircase were lined by attendants, and all bowed profoundly as he
passed. He was conducted to a large audience chamber, where the
rajah, attended by his principal officers, was seated.

The conversation was of the usual ceremonial kind, the prince
expressing his satisfaction that the Governor General should have
sent one of his officers to confer with him, and assuring Harry of
his goodwill and friendship towards the English; while Harry, on
his part, expressed the strong desire of Lord Mornington that the
relations between him and the rajah should be continued unbroken,
and that nothing should ever occur to disturb their amity. The
presents sent by the Governor General were then brought in and
displayed, and appeared to give much satisfaction to the chief.

After the durbar was over, the latter told Harry that he would
receive him, privately, at ten o'clock next morning. On arriving at
that time, he was shown into the prince's private apartment, and
there explained to him the Governor General's desire that he should
join the confederacy between the Nizam and the English.

"I have no quarrel with Tippoo," the rajah said. "At present, none
can say how the affair will end. All say that the Peishwa has
agreed to assist Tippoo. He is a match, and more, for the Nizam;
while we know not whether the English company, or Tippoo, is the
strongest. Should I remain neutral, the Peishwa and Tippoo might
eat me up."

"That is true, Rajah; but you must remember that, in the last war,
the English showed that they were much stronger than Tippoo; and he
was glad to make peace with them, by giving up nearly half his
territories. We are much stronger now. Ships arrive each day with
more and more troops and, believe me, Tippoo will assuredly be
unable to stand against the English power, even if he were backed
up by the whole strength of Poona.

"Of course, we know that messages have been sent to you by Tippoo,
and that he has promised you a large slice of the Nizam's
dominions, if you will invade them, and so prevent him from aiding
the English."

Harry saw, by the change in the prince's countenance, that he was
surprised to find that his negotiations with Tippoo were known to
the English Government. He replied, however:

"It is true that Tippoo has sent to me, but I have given him no
answer. The matter is too important to be settled in a hurry.
Certainly, Tippoo's offers were very advantageous."

"I can understand that they were tempting, Rajah; yet they entailed
a war against the English and the Nizam, when they had finished
with Tippoo. Instead of gaining territory, you would find that much
of yours would be lost.

"But undoubtedly, were you to join us, the Governor General would
show that he was not unthankful for the service, and your
assistance would be handsomely recompensed."

"What does the Governor General offer?"

"He is desirous of knowing what your own views are, Rajah; and he
will assuredly meet them, if possible."

"I have not thought of it, yet," the prince said. "I must talk the
matter over with my councillors. We are good friends with the
Peishwa, also with the Nizam, and with Tippoo. We know that the
English are a great people; but we have had nothing to do with
them, save that complimentary messages have been exchanged.
Therefore it is not a matter upon which one can come to any hasty
decision."

"The Governor General would wish you to think the matter over well,
before deciding, Rajah; and indeed, there is no occasion for undue
haste, seeing that the English army is still lying near Madras, and
is not yet ready to advance. Therefore I will leave the matter for
the present; believing that, in your wisdom, you will be able to
see how matters are likely to go; and whether the English Company,
or Tippoo, are likely to be your best friends."

It was nearly a fortnight before Harry heard again from the rajah.
The latter had returned his visit, and sent over presents of
sweetmeats and food to his guests. At the end of that time he came
in, one evening, with only two attendants.

"I have come to speak to you on this matter, privately," he said.
"My ministers are altogether divided in opinion. Some say we should
fight against Tippoo, who is a cruel and implacable foe, and who
has slaughtered all the Hindus in his territory who refused to
embrace his religion. Others say it is better to be friends with
him, for it seems that these white men intend to eat up all India.
Already they have taken the Carnatic and Bengal, now they want to
take Mysore. What will they take next?

"For myself, I wish well to the English. Though there are few of
them, they are brave and strong; but my council know of the offer
that Tippoo has made us and, unless I can show them that the
English are also ready to give us material advantages, I shall not
be able to persuade my chiefs that our interest must lie in an
alliance with them."

"That is so, Rajah, and if you will inform me what are your
expectations, I will see how far they tally with those which the
Governor General has authorized me to offer."

"I am not greedy," the prince said. "I wish only to have what is
fair and just. I think that our aid is worth two crores of rupees
(200,000 pounds) and that the Company should put me in possession
of the lands of Purseram Bhow, together with the land that lies
between us and Malwan, including the territories of the Rajah of
Bhopal."

"Your demand," Harry said gravely, "is so far beyond what I was
authorized to offer you, that I fear it is altogether useless for
me to submit it to the Governor General. He would, I am sure,
consider that, in naming such terms, you had resolved to make
acceptance impossible."

"That is by no means my intention," the Rajah said. "Nothing could
be further from my thoughts; and in order to secure an alliance
that, I believe, would be advantageous, I might be able to make
some slight concession."

"I will send off a messenger, then, submitting your offer and
asking for instructions, and requesting that I may be allowed to
meet you, by further concessions on my part; but I fear that,
strained as the English treasury is by the preparations for the war
against Tippoo, it would be impossible for the Company to pay the
sum you name; nor do I think that they would be disposed to
guarantee you the territory of Bhopal, seeing that we have no
quarrel with the rajah of that country.

"No doubt, they might be willing to grant you a portion of the
territories of Mysore, lying on the other side of the Godavery,
which would be as valuable as Bhopal."

As the rajah, himself, was still uncertain as to which side it
would be most advantageous to take; and as he thought that the
campaign against Tippoo would last for many months; he offered no
objection to Harry's proposal. The latter sent off two troopers,
the next day, with a letter to Lord Mornington saying that as the
rajah's demands were, he knew, altogether out of the question, he
had sent them to him simply to gain time; hoping that, before the
answer arrived, the army would have gained such successes over
Tippoo as would induce the prince to greatly modify his terms. The
troopers were charged not to use undue haste, but to travel
quietly, at a rate not exceeding twenty miles a day.

Two months passed. The rajah was in no hurry, for the two parties
among his councillors were so evenly divided that he was by no
means sure that, even if he wished it, he could put his army in
motion, in support of either the English or Tippoo; and in the next
place, he believed that the latter would win, and was reluctant in
the extreme to take any step that would draw down upon him the
vengeance of the Lord of Mysore. He occasionally saw Harry and,
although he expressed his anxiety for the return of the messengers,
Harry could see that this feeling was only feigned, and that at
heart he was not sorry that he was not yet called upon to decide.

At the end of a month, Harry had received a letter from the
Governor General, brought by a messenger in the disguise of a
peasant. It only said:

"March 6th, 1799.

"The army has left Vellore. On the 11th the Nizam's contingent also
marched, as has that from Bombay. By the 1st of this month all
should have reached the plateau--the Bombay army at Sedaseer,
forty-five miles west of Seringapatam; and the main army about
eighty miles east of that town. By the end of the month, both
should be before Tippoo's capital. Siege will probably occupy a
month.

"Even if Berar decides against us, its army cannot arrive in time
to aid Tippoo. Therefore, if you can extend the negotiations for a
month after you receive this, your mission will have been
fulfilled."

This messenger had, of course, been sent off before the arrival of
the troopers in Calcutta and, if Lord Mornington's calculations
were correct, Seringapatam would be invested before they could
return. Three days later, indeed, a report reached Nagpore that
Tippoo had fallen upon the advance guard of the Bombay army, and
had been repulsed; and on the 27th he had attacked General Harris,
and had again been defeated; and that on the 28th the main army had
forded the Cauvery, and had marched to Sosilly.

This news caused great excitement in the town, although
Seringapatam was generally supposed to be impregnable and, as the
English had failed to take it during the last war, it was believed
that, after another futile siege, they would be forced to fall back
again from want of food, as they did upon the previous occasion.

The rajah, like the majority, believed that Seringapatam could defy
any assault; and that, surrounded as the British army would be by
the Mysore cavalry, they would very speedily be forced to retire;
and that, although Tippoo might have yielded to the wishes of his
general, and attempted to check the advance, it could have been
with only a portion of his army.

Including the contingent furnished by the Nizam, the Bombay army
amounted to forty-three thousand men. Tippoo was credited with
having at least twice that force, and his uniform successes against
his neighbours had created a belief that he was invincible. The
rajah, therefore, was well content to let matters rest, until more
decisive news reached him.

It was on the 7th of April that the messengers returned, with a
letter:

"We no longer want active assistance from Berar. The army is within
striking distance of Seringapatam, and a few thousand native horse,
one way or another, will make but little difference. You have done
very well in gaining two months, by referring the matter to me. The
rajah's demands are, of course, ridiculous. He is evidently playing
a double part and, if we were defeated tomorrow, would join Tippoo
and attack the Nizam. You can still, however, offer him five lakhs
of rupees; but do not guarantee him any additional territory.

"The Peishwa is acting in precisely the same way. The army that was
to come to our assistance has not yet moved; and he, like Berar, is
simply awaiting events at Seringapatam."

The rajah came in that evening.

"I hear that your messengers have returned, sir."

"Yes; I am sorry to say that the Governor General considers your
demands are altogether excessive. The treasury is almost empty and,
were he to guarantee you an extension of your dominions, it would
bring on a war with the Peishwa and the Rajah of Bhopal; but he is
willing to pay five lakhs of rupees, to cover the maintenance of
your troops while in the field."

The rajah flushed with anger.

"It is altogether insufficient," he said.

"I do not say that is the final offer, Rajah; that is the offer I
am authorized to make, in the first place. Possibly, if you are
willing to make concessions of a reasonable kind, I may be able to
meet you--and you must remember that the friendship of the Company
is of no slight advantage, and would assuredly be of infinite value
to you, were your territory invaded by Scindia and the Peishwa.
These may, at any moment, make up their differences. Purseram Bhow
may again become the commander of the Peishwa's army and, after the
manner in which your troops have, for the last two or three years,
raided his jagheer, he would be your bitterest enemy."

Harry saw that this consideration made a powerful impression upon
the rajah, and the latter said:

"I must think these matters over. The sum that you offer is
altogether insufficient, and cannot be entertained for a moment.
However, there is time for reflection."

During the next four weeks, Harry saw the rajah occasionally; but
the latter made no attempt to talk business. He was evidently
undecided, in his mind, as to the best course he should take. He
feared Tippoo more than he feared the English, and he still
believed that the latter would assuredly fail in capturing
Seringapatam. Tippoo's offers, too, had been considerably higher
than those of Calcutta, as he had promised him a large slice of the
Nizam's dominions for his assistance. He had therefore determined
to reject the English offer, and to march into the Nizam's country,
as soon as he heard that the besieging army had fallen back.

Harry's suspicions that this was the case were, to a certain
extent, confirmed by the fact that bodies of armed men began to
arrive, in considerable numbers. He felt that his own position was
beginning to be precarious, and the native officer commanding his
escort brought in almost hourly reports of what was passing in the
city. The population was a mixed one, and nearly divided between
Hindus and Mahommedans. The latter naturally sympathized altogether
with Tippoo, while the former were in favour of taking no part on
either side.

So matters continued until the 10th of May, when a horseman rode
into the town, with the news that Seringapatam had been captured by
the British, and that Tippoo himself was killed. A feeling akin to
stupefaction was excited by the news; and it seemed, at first, that
it must be false, for it was incredible that Tippoo, with so strong
an army, should have been unable to defend the fortress that, as
was believed, could withstand any attack, however formidable, for
four months.

[Illustration: As he rode through the streets he saw . . . how
fierce a feeling of resentment had been excited by the news.]

The rajah sent at once, to ask Harry to visit him. As he rode
through the streets he saw, by the scowling faces of the Mahommedan
soldiers, how fierce a feeling of resentment had been excited by
the news that the native officer had brought in, a few minutes
before. The rajah was deeply agitated.

"Have you heard the news, sahib?"

"I have, Rajah."

"And do you think it possible?"

"Perfectly; indeed, I have been expecting it for some days, but I
supposed the English general needed time to bring in provisions
from the country round, to form his plans, and construct his
batteries."

"To me it is astounding!" the rajah said, walking up and down the
room.

"Of course," Harry said, "the proposal that I made to you cannot
now be carried out; and I do not feel myself justified, under the
changed position of things, in continuing the negotiations."

"I always intended to help the English," the rajah went on.

"No doubt, Rajah. I have noticed, for some time, that you have been
gathering a large force here; but you have given me no indication
for what purpose it was intended."

"It was intended, of course, for service with the English," the
rajah said, "and it would have been set in motion, as soon as the
negotiations were completed."

"At any rate, Rajah, in spite of the temptations offered you by
Tippoo, you have remained neutral. This will be considered in your
favour, and I can assure you that there will be no breach in the
friendship between yourself and the English; matters will merely
remain as they were, before this war commenced."

"Except that the Nizam will become more powerful than before," the
rajah said.

"That will no doubt be so, for he will certainly take a
considerable share of Tippoo's dominions. But that need not trouble
you. I know the desire of the Governor General has always been for
peace. He was driven into this war, by the failure of Tippoo to
carry out his undertaking to release all European prisoners in his
hands, and also by the great preparations he was making to regain
territory that he had lost. But it cannot be to the interest of the
Company that the Nizam should use his increased power to be a
scourge to his neighbours; and I can promise you that any wanton
aggression, on his part, will be regarded with displeasure, and
probably lead to their interference in your behalf.

"Now, Rajah, I must remind you that I am here as your guest, and I
rely upon you to protect me. As I came through the streets, the
attitude of the Mahommedan soldiers was very threatening; and I
should not be surprised if they attempted to attack the house. I
need not say that any outrage upon the escort of a British agent
would be tremendously avenged; and that you would be more easily
forgiven, had you taken the part of Tippoo, than if you allow me
and my escort to be massacred."

"I will take immediate steps for your safety and, should any
attempt be made, I shall come with my household guards to your
assistance. A squadron of them shall ride back with you, now, to
prevent any insult being offered to you in the streets."

"I will relieve you of my presence, tonight," Harry said. "I do not
wish to be an object of strife between you and your people, and
will therefore take my farewell of you, at once. I shall have
pleasure in informing the Governor General of the steps that you
have taken to provide for my safety."

"And give him the assurance that my disposition is wholly friendly,
and that I rely on nothing so much as to secure his friendship, and
to remain on the most amicable terms with him."

Harry had no doubt that the assurance was given in earnest. The
fall of Seringapatam, and the death of Tippoo, had been a terrible
shock to the rajah; and even the fact that he had missed his
opportunity of allying himself with the English, was as nothing to
the thought of what would have happened had he declared for Tippoo.

The rajah at once gave orders for a squadron of his horse to mount,
and continued his conversation with Harry until they were ready in
the courtyard. Then, bidding adieu to the prince, the latter
mounted, and was escorted through the streets by the cavalry guard.

But although their presence prevented any attack being made on him,
the lower class groaned and yelled, and he had no doubt that, had
it not been for his escort, he would have been murdered on his way
back.

Directly he arrived he called the troopers to arms, and told them
to barricade the gates, and to be ready to take post at the
windows, in case of assault. Looking out, he saw that the rajah's
men had taken up their position in front of the house.

A great crowd soon began to gather there. Most of the men were
evidently soldiers, and had arms in their hands. Loud shouts were
raised, and it was not long before a musket was discharged, quickly
followed by others. The native officer in charge of the guard
ordered the soldiers to seize those who fired but, as his men
pressed their horses forward, the crowd closed in upon them,
breaking their ranks and rendering them powerless.

While this had been going on, the men of Harry's escort were hard
at work in getting up the paving stones of the yard, and piling
them against the gate. The lower windows were all barred and, as
there was no entrance except by the front gate, it was felt that
they could hold the house for some time.

As soon as the guard were swept away, a portion of the crowd
attacked the gate with showers of stones, while a heavy musketry
fire was opened at every window. So heavy was this that Harry would
not allow the troopers to show themselves there, but posted them
behind the barricades of stone against the gates so that, when
these yielded, they might be able to open fire whilst showing only
their heads over the top line of stones.

Harry regretted, now, that he had not, when he returned from the
rajah, at once ordered his men to mount and cut their way through
the mob. A few at least might have escaped though, doubtless, they
would have been pursued by the irregular cavalry. As it was he felt
that, although they might sell their lives dearly, they must be
destroyed to a man, unless the rajah sent assistance to them. That
he would endeavour to do so he felt sure, for the massacre of a
British envoy, and his escort, was certain to bring the English
troops to Nagpore, sooner or later; and no assurances that the
rajah had done all in his power to save them would be accepted as
sufficient.

The house stood in a garden, which extended some distance behind
it; and it was here that the horses were picketed. The front gate
was a very strong one, and was certain to resist all attacks, for
some time.

Harry called off half his men, and set them to work at the wall at
the end of the garden, which was only constructed of dry mud;
directing them to make a hole large enough for a horse to pass
through. At this side all was quiet, the people in the native
houses there having gone round to the front, to watch what was
doing. Harry stood there for a few minutes, watching the men at
work, and saw with satisfaction their heavy tulwars rapidly cutting
through the soft wall. He told them that, when they had finished,
four of them were to remain to guard the hole, in case any might
try to force their way in; and the rest were to return, to aid
their comrades at the gate.

He had no great fear that the attempt would be made to enter in
that direction, for the windows in the back of the house were, like
those in front, large; and anyone attempting to climb the walls and
enter the garden would be liable to be shot down from the windows,
as they could not be covered, as were those on the other side, by a
fire kept up from the houses outside. The entrance into the garden
from the house was made by a small door, at the bottom of a
staircase leading from what had been the zenana, for the gardens
were always considered the special domain of the ladies. There was
another small door for the servants' offices, used by the men who,
early in the morning, went in to keep the garden in order.

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