The coffee was poisoned, then—there could be no doubt as to her meaning; but how fearful were my sensations! Martin had his cup at his very lips—there was no time for caution. In an instant I had snatched it from his hand, crying, “It is poisoned; we are betrayed!”
The Chief sprang up like a tiger-cat; but Prabu, as if by instinct seeing through the whole conspiracy, dashed his own scalding coffee in Mahomed’s face. Then, with one blow of his creese striking him to the earth, he cried, “Forward, forward, sahibs, to our own men;” and so astonished at this sudden muck were the Chief’s people, that we had passed the cordon and reached our own men, ere one of the former could get to his feet.
“Those who have partaken of the coffee,” cried Prabu, “are poisoned—we are betrayed! Give the rogues a volley!” This order being instantly responded to by a deafening discharge of muskets, he added, “Now, run for your lives. Load as you go, for there are others at hand.”
And away we scampered helter-skelter towards the little river, never stopping until we had placed it between us and our pursuers; for that they would follow we had little doubt.
“By Jingo, old witch!” said Martin, as he stood wiping the perspiration from his forehead; “you are right again, and we have had a narrow escape.”
“Have the men partaken of the coffee?” I asked.
The answer was in the affirmative, and that many of them had been attacked by sickness; but, thanks to the fright and excitement, it had proved innoxious to the system. It had not, in fact, had time to render the circulation torpid, or, indeed, we should all have been lost.
I now told Martin that we were indebted for our lives to the little native girl.
“Heaven bless her, then, for this great return for our small kindness!” he exclaimed. “But, Claud, what cowards are we to leave her among these wretches! Nay, even now it may not be too late. Let us return, run a ‘muck’ among them, and bring her off.”
“Very quixotic and useless, my dear brother; for she is in no danger, as none know who cautioned us, and, doubtless, she will keep her own counsel.”