Chapter IX

Beware, my Lord--there’s treason in the camp.
Go you not forth unarmed: men whisper low,
And shrug their shoulders, and the finger place
Upon the lip mysteriously.

HINDOO DRAMA.

Bochari was, for the moment, astounded at the firmness exhibited by the emperor. But he felt that he had no time to lose in taking his measures; the question now concerned his own personal safety much more than that of the prince, whose life was in the balance a few moments before. Proceeding to his tent with the omrahs, whom he had gained over to his party by largesses, and promises of high promotion, he charged two of them to take Chusero under their care, and attended by an escort of Orcha rajaputs, whom he had lately taken into his private pay, to set out at once for the fortress of Gwalior, where they were to detain the prince until further orders.

These arrangements were put into a course of execution with so much expedition, that before the high-chancellor could discover the tent in which the prisoner had been confined, since his arrival in the camp, the latter was on his way to the prison designed for him by Bochari.

But the precautions of the Persian did not stop here. The presence of Kazim in the camp, instead of being any longer subservient to his purposes, was calculated, on the contrary, in every way to thwart them. The ascendancy of that dignitary in the council, was already apparent; and the new position in which the death of the subah had placed Nourmahal, would, of necessity, add so materially to the chancellor’s influence over the mind of the emperor, that all would be lost unless the most vigorous steps were adopted, and that too without a moment’s deliberation. Bochari having intimated these dangers to his confederate omrahs and rajaputs, they assembled together in his tent.

“You are perfectly aware, my friends,” said he, “that whatever outcry may be raised against us for the contrivance to which we were obliged to have recourse, in order to obtain an entrance into the subah’s castle, it was one without which that fortress, in itself impregnable, never could have been captured. The results justify all that we have done.”

To this assertion his associates readily assented.

“I pledged myself to participate with you in the perils of that enterprise. I was the first to quit the palanquins, to reconnoitre the apartments of the castle, and to advance into the gallery. I have the happiness to believe, that it was chiefly through my discharge the arch-traitor fell. You know that I apprehended Chusero with my own hand--and you will do me the justice to believe, that no motives, except those arising from my deep interest in the welfare of the empire, and my determination, that you shall receive the great rewards due to you for your zealous co-operation with me on this important occasion, could have induced me to expose your safety and my own to the hazards, in which for several hours we were involved. Had we been discovered before the moment for action arrived, can you doubt that we, and not the enemies of the emperor, should have been the victims?”

“It was but the turn of the dice,” said one of the omrahs. “We won--and we must now maintain our position, or we shall soon be trampled in the dust.”

“The high-chancellor, you have observed--you, my lords, who were present just now in the council--completely controls the emperor. Nourmahal’s charms--and all must acknowledge that they are unrivalled--will place the empire entirely at the feet of that family. There is no act of sorcery which she will not put into requisition, in order to prepare her way to the throne.”

The rajaputs drew their scymitars, and evinced, by their manner, that they were prepared to execute any directions which the commander would be pleased to give them.

“No, not yet. The moment has not arrived for measures of this description. We cannot but know, that however hateful to us the chancellor may be, and however incompatible with our just hopes his influence with the emperor, there is a certain weight attached to his name and office, which might operate to our prejudice if we were known to have adopted any steps against him of a summary nature.”

“His language in the council,” remarked one of the omrahs, “is not to be tolerated. It was clearly treasonable.”

“Treasonable, beyond all doubt,” said Bochari; “and Nourmahal can also be considered in no other light than as a principal actor in the late rebellion, seeing that she remained in the castle during the time, when her consort was engaged in actual revolt against the emperor upon the Sutledge, and afterwards at Lahore.”

“Moreover,” added the omrah, who had spoken before, “has she not now fled, instead of submitting to the emperor, as it would have become a faithful subject to do?”

“Our duty, therefore, is,” said Bochari, “to place the father and daughter under arrest--to have them conveyed to Agra, whither the emperor and army will forthwith return--to have the culprits regularly arraigned for high treason--and to impose the responsibility of convicting or acquitting them upon the lawful tribunals of the empire.”

A buzz of approbation followed this suggestion, and measures were taken on the instant for acting in conformity with it. But before the confederates separated, they asked what course was to be adopted, in case the emperor should not give his assent to these proceedings.

“Leave that to me,” said Bochari; “I will secure you against any opposition in that quarter.”

The high chancellor, who had gone forth from the emperor’s pavilion in search of the prince, speedily returned with an account that Chusero had been just seen to quit the camp, attended by a body of rajaputs. Jehangire immediately directed the commander to be summoned to his presence; but the officer despatched on that duty, having been prevented for some time from approaching Bochari’s tent by the guards surrounding it, he was obliged to wait until the confederate council was broken up. Bochari did not hesitate to obey the summons.

“What have you done with my son, slave?” exclaimed the emperor, in violent agitation.

“That which was due to his rank, and to your wishes, sire,” answered Bochari, with consummate coolness.

“Explain.”

“It was your majesty’s pleasure that his life should be preserved. Your standard is planted on the citadel of the castle. There is no longer a rebel force in this province. The army, having nothing further to do here, is preparing to accompany your majesty to your capital, where the exigencies of public affairs demand your presence. The prince has preceded you, attended only by an escort suitable to his station, and I am here, your slave, as you deign to designate me, ready to execute your majesty’s further orders.”

Jehangire looked bewildered. He examined Bochari’s countenance for a moment or two, not knowing whether he should credit this statement, or order the Persian under arrest.

“Why was my son not brought to me, at all events, before he quitted the camp? Did you not know how I loved him? Did you never feel the yearning of a father’s heart to behold the countenance of a long lost child?”

“It was his own desire to postpone the meeting for some days. His sense of shame, he said--”

“Let him be recalled--take horse, my lords,” said Jehangire, turning to two of the omrahs in waiting; “fly after my son with the speed of lightning. Bring him thither; he shall go with me to Agra, in my palanquin. Insolent man, to assume this authority without even consulting me.”

The omrahs proceeded to execute the emperor’s mandate; but they returned in a few minutes to his presence, and stated that the square outside the pavilion was densely crowded with cavalry, who would not permit them to pass through.

Bochari turned pale, but still remained firm.

The omrahs drew their swords, and placing themselves between the emperor and the commander, declared their belief that designs were entertained against his majesty’s life. They entreated him to retire. Jehangire, hearing a tumult without, drew his knife, and cutting his way through the screen of the pavilion, entered the bathing-tent which was behind his sleeping apartment. Meantime the pavilion was filled with armed men.

“I accuse Kazim Ayaz of high treason,” said Bochari, in a loud and commanding voice. “Guards, do your duty!” The chancellor was immediately surrounded by rajaputs. The commander, followed by several of the confederate omrahs, with drawn swords, went in search of the emperor, who, having called all the attendants in waiting to his assistance, appeared in front of them with his bared scymitar, resolved to defend himself to the last. He raised the weapon to attack Bochari, when, perceiving that his nobles and attendants were disarmed by the intruders, he dropped his point and said, “I am betrayed.”

“Say, on the contrary, my sovereign, that you are saved--saved from machinations of which you had no conception.”

“What is the meaning of all this? What have I done, that I am placed in this situation?”

“Conspirators had planned your destruction, sire. We have frustrated their designs. The moment it was known that the prince had arrived a prisoner in the camp, many of the omrahs, who had throughout the war taken every occasion to exhibit their malignity against me, sought his presence, and tendered him their allegiance. Your chancellor, even in the council, dared to throw out the most infamous insinuations against me; your life--my life--were no longer secure from danger.”

“For myself I have no fear,” said the emperor. “The attachment of the nobles to my son, is but a pledge of their fidelity to me--a fidelity too, of which I have too many proofs to doubt it for a moment.”

“If your majesty feel so assured upon this point, then all that it remains for me to do is to place myself under your protection.”

“Be certain of that. Is there any thing further which you can desire? If not, it is my pleasure that you should withdraw.”

“These omrahs, also, who stand behind me.”

“What do they require?”

“Full security for themselves and for me; without it we will not retire.”

“Name your terms, Bochari. I did not expect this treatment from you. I have always appreciated your services.”

“Your words in the council, sire--your words in the pavilion, when you were pleased to vilify me by the appellation of slave, did not indicate a very strong remembrance of my poor services to the empire.”

“I own I was offended--outraged in my feelings by the sudden removal of my son.”

“Nay, sire, I presume not to make any remark upon your strange language, or stranger manner to me--a traitor was by your side to whom I impute both.”

An officer here entered the tent, and having informed the commander that the troops were on the march, that all the tents were struck, and that persons were in waiting to take down his majesty’s pavilion, Bochari ordered his horses to be brought.

“These proceedings,” said Jehangire, “are altogether most extraordinary. Well, let my horses be brought also.”

“Sire! mine are wholly at your service.”

“If I be still emperor of Hindostan, and have a horse which I can call my own, I shall mount him.”

Jehangire’s desire, upon this point, having been complied with, he and Bochari rode slowly away together in the midst of a strong troop of Orcha rajaputs, but in a direction different from that which the great body of the army had taken.