Chapter X: Ali Khan

But Dr. Avery underestimated the cunning of Ali Khan.

While the fugitives stood motionless beneath the spreading mango, the fearful cry fell upon their ears. Then it was that neither was able to move or speak and life stood still.

But the cry was uttered to save them. It was shouted by Ali, who heard the voices and descried the approaching forms. He saw the new peril as quickly as did the fugitives themselves, and, like a flash, he seized the single desperate means of saving them.

The cry of Ali, who was near the house, immediately brought the others, including the porter, around him, the two who had approached close to the fugitives instantly turning and running at full speed.

"I saw them! I saw them!" explained Ali, walking rapidly and in great excitement toward the entrance, and looking back over his shoulder, as if inviting the others to do the same; "the porter left his place to help in the search: while he was gone I saw the Inglese loge dart out of the entrance; they cannot be far away; let us hasten and we shall have them yet!"

The impetuosity of a man at such a time carries everything before it. A number of the mob were still lingering in the road outside, and, though none of them had seen the Inglese they all joined in the mad pursuit of a couple of imaginary fugitives.

Indeed the rush from the nawab's premises was so headlong that that worthy was exasperated. Two of the natives, as they converged toward the entrance, crashed through his choicest pineapples, plantains, pomegranates, guavas, oranges, lemons, limes, figs, dates, citrons, brinjalls, nollcolls, jasmines and roses with an enthusiasm that played sad havoc with them.

"Tum burra budmash ho! Jalde jao!" he shouted, running after them and savagely swinging his arms.

That these two scamps were impelled by pure malice was proven by their act in running against the nawab with such violence that he was knocked almost breathless to the ground. By the time the porter had helped him fa his feet, the marauders were out of sight.

"Thank heaven!" muttered Dr. Avery; "they are gone, and we have escaped by the narrowest chance that ever saved mortal from death----"

At that moment, the head of Marian drooped and he caught her as she sank to the ground. The reaction from the fearful tension caused her to swoon. Her escort let her gently down and rested her head against the tree, while he picked up the pistol that had fallen from her hand and hastily shoved it into his pocket.

The nawab, having recovered from his overthrow, had started through his garden to learn the extent of the damages done by his unwelcome visitors. He was of the belief that if two could inflict so much damage under his own eyes, the other three had not been much behind them.

He had not gone far when he checked himself with a "Wah! wah!" expressive of his amazement at sight of the two fugitives under one of his own mango trees.

Dr. Avery had been so occupied with looking after Marian that he did not observe the native's approach, until he heard his ejaculation. Leaning the head of his sweetheart against the trunk of the tree, he sprang toward the nawab and thrust the muzzle of his pistol into his face.

"One word and you're a dead scoundrel!"

The Mohammedan may not have caught every shade of meaning in these words, but the gestures and movements made them sufficiently clear for all practical purposes.

Like all of his people, he was a craven when cornered, and he began begging in the most abject manner for mercy. His actions were so pitiful that Dr. Avery easily understood his prayer was that no violence should be done him.

The faint of Marian was not serious. She quickly revived, and now hastened to the side of her escort.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"He is the owner of the grounds, I suppose, and he has done what the others could not do,--he has found us."

"But he has no thought of harming us; he is begging for his life."

"So I supposed, but I see no reason for granting it."

"O Baird, do not be so cruel! He has done us no harm; wait till I speak to him."

Thereupon she addressed him in Hindustani:

"We are fleeing from an angry crowd; we wish you no harm; we want only our own safety."

"What fools," exclaimed the nawab; "they should all be hanged! They have ruined my grounds, and now they seek the lives of the English. I am their enemy and your friend."

"Will you give us shelter from them?"

"Gladly; my house and all that I have are at your disposal. Stay with me until their madness is over; they will soon be punished."

Several causes led the young lady to do that from which, under other circumstances, she would have recoiled. She was so broken by the terrifying experiences of the last hour, and so impressed by the unexpected loyalty of Ali Khan, that she believed the declaration of the nawab.

"We have friends as well as enemies," said she, turning to her escort. "We found one a few minutes ago, and here is another."

"What are your grounds for suspecting that he is honest?" asked the surgeon, who placed little faith in the native.

"He insists that he is a friend to us; he is angry with the people who have trampled his shrubbery. He wants to punish them, and he asks us to take shelter with him until the trouble is over."

"I would trust him just as far as I would trust the devil and no farther, but you are faint, and it is safe to avail ourselves of his offer for a few minutes."