"I speak but as I am bidden, sahib. Her Highness entreats you to warn that Sahib and his friend to put no trust in the fair words of Sher Singh—and this not so much because he is treacherous, though treacherous he is to the very depths of hell, as because he is weak. He sees it is not to his interest to provoke a war with the English at this moment, but he is entirely dependent on his Sirdars—by reason of his faulty title to the throne, and his non-fulfilment of the promises made to them before his accession—and they have no care for him and his safety. They have sent out messengers again, since those sent throughout Granthistan returned without promises of help, and are seeking to enlist Abd-ur-Rashid Khan of Ethiopia, promising him the city of Shah Bagh, which is to him as the apple of his eye, if he will invade Granthistan from the north when the rising begins. Let the Sahibs then beware, for blood once shed is not to be gathered up from the ground, and Sher Singh is not the man to defend his guests if the city be howling for their death."
"I will warn them," said Gerrard. "And now come and lodge in our camp for this night, and in the morning go your way and carry my respectful thanks to her Highness."
"It is forbidden, sahib. I depart immediately, to report to my mistress that I have performed her errand."
"So be it, then. Carry my deepest salaams to her Highness," and
Gerrard went on towards the camp. After supper he told Nisbet and
Cowper of the warning he had received for them. It caused no surprise.
"It's quite true about Abd-ur-Rashid," said Nisbet. "Ronaldson caught one of his messengers sneaking about in his camp near Shah Bagh, trying to corrupt his escort. That may have been in view of this very plan for a general rising, but he thought it was one of the usual schemes for getting hold of Shah Bagh again."
"If Abd-ur-Rashid and the Granthis can manage to agree, we are likely to come off badly," said Cowper.
"But they won't," said Nisbet. "The thieves are bound to fall out."
"After a time," said Gerrard, "but they may make it very unpleasant for you first. And suppose your Granthis take sides with the Agpuris? I took Granthis into Agpur and brought them out again, but then I had had them for some time first. I wish you knew more of your escort, and they of you."
"My dear fellow," said Cowper, yawning, "we know at least that no Granthi is to be trusted. They are a set of nimuk harams,[2] and we shan't trust them. Sir Edmund chooses to trust Sher Singh, as he would any native that ever walked, but that's all the goodness of his heart, and we ain't going to be led away by it. Forewarned is forearmed."
[1] Enough.