Chapter XXX: The Last Resort

Marian Hildreth committed a serious mistake in not making known the strange occurrence of the night before. Had she told of it, the history of the succeeding few days would have been wholly changed.

But the rest remained in ignorance, and the young lady herself never dreamed of the true explanation.

The morning brought the awful shock of the death of George Harkins. Father, mother and daughter wept and mourned him deeply, for he had endeared himself to all by his nobility of nature.

"We will bury him," said Dr. Avery, when all were present, excepting Luchman, who remained at his post.

"How can that be done?" asked the missionary.

"We will carry him in there," replied Avery, pointing to the smaller apartment, occupied by Marian and her mother the night before. "What more fitting tomb can be given to him? It was here he fell while defending us, and here we will make his sepulcher. In a temple consecrated to idolatry we place the body of a Christian, which will give a sanctity to this infernal pile of stones that they never could have possessed otherwise."

Accordingly it was so done. The stiffened form was borne within the smaller chamber by the missionary and the surgeon, while the ladies, in the solemn twilight of the temple, looked on with moist eyes and swelling hearts.

It was laid tenderly upon the stone floor, and, kneeling at the head of the body, the missionary offered to Heaven a touching and pathetic prayer, while the faces of the rest were bent, and their hearts throbbed in unison with the fervent petition of the good man.

Then they came forth and closed the door, which they hoped might remain sealed until opened by the angel's trump on the resurrection morn.

The duty to the dead, so far as it was capable of fulfillment, had been done, and the living were confronted by the problem of their own safety. Luchman, when questioned, told them to eat all they wanted, if it took the last morsel of food, since the coming night was to be the last spent in the ruins.

The native gave no explanation, but was so positive that the others acted upon his counsel. None was particularly hungry, though all partook, and the portion sent out to the guide was all that was left.

There was less need of food than of water. Only a little was drank by each, but it drained the lota, and their thirst was aggravated rather than satisfied.

Another long, hot, seemingly endless day broke upon them. The flaming sun rose once more in the brassy sky, its rays glowing with a fervor that made all nature gasp and pant.

Looking out from their refuge, the Ghoojurs were seen in the distance, beyond rifle shot, but still vigilant Luchman went out of the temple and climbed to the most elevated portion of the ruins, so as to gain the best view. He spent some time among the limbs of the twisted trees, and carefully scrutinized every part of the landscape.

On the one hand was the grove, and beyond that the jungle. In the shade of the former, Wana Affghar and most of his ruffians were waiting, while in the opposite direction, and distant only a couple of hundred yards, was the gleam of a broad but muddy stream. Trees were growing on its banks, and the current was seen only at intervals through the interstices of the vegetation.

Had any one watched the brown countenance of the native he would have noted that his gaze was fixed for a long time in the direction of the stream. It was apparent that he felt that if any possible hope remained to the fugitives it was there. The river was more friendly than the jungle.

Such had been the belief of the guide during the preceding evening, and he had made an effort, unknown to Avery, to extend his reconnaissance to the water, but the Ghoojurs were there, as he feared. They could not have failed to note how tempting it would be to the fugitives, and they took care to guard it well.

No doubt they were still doing so, crouching among the tall grass along the bank, and at the base of the overhanging trees, their black eyes turned eagerly in the direction of the ruined temple, anxious that the hated Feringhees should venture within their reach.

Luchman was convinced of another fact: if Wana Affghar had received any re-enforcements, they did not number more than one half his original force.

This was strange, since it would seem to have been impossible to prevent the spreading of the news that a party of Europeans were shut up in the old temple, thus bringing a continually increasing swarm to the spot; but in some way or other, as Luchman believed, the brigand chieftain had kept his secret, and the situation was the same now as at the beginning.

Across the dark countenance passed an expression that told of bitter hopelessness and desperation, as he slowly made his way down from his perch and joined his friends below.

Under heaven their hopes were centered upon him. He was the instrument that had brought them safely through many perils to this point, and he alone was to lead them to safety, if such an achievement was within the reach of human attainment.

The entire company gathered in the arched way, for after a night spent in the close apartments they longed for the fresher air, which could be secured only by running some risk from the stealthy shots of their enemies, who might choose to expose their own lives in the attempt to reach the Feringhees.

The refugees hoped, since the rainy season was not far off, that some disturbance of the elements would bring a cloudy night, or one in which the moon would be hidden to such an extent that it would give some faint chance of success with their desperate venture.

A slight vapor in the west raised expectations, but it proved similar to that which sometimes hovers over the burning wastes of the Sahara. As the heat of the day intensified, it became thinner, and finally vanished.

Late in the afternoon all were thrown into alarm by the appearance of Wana Affghar to make a charge upon the temple. He galloped out at full speed from the edge of the grove, followed by his horde of ruffians, and rushed directly for the entrance way.

Mr. Hildreth and Dr. Avery cocked their guns, and awaited the moment when their aim would be sure. Luchman placed his hand upon his pistol, and stood like a bronze statue, his eyes fixed upon the advancing brigands. The ladies withdrew beyond the reach of any flying bullets.

But the demonstration amounted to nothing. When the leader had brought his men to a certain point, their courage failed them, or the chieftain changed his mind.

They stopped, talked violently for a few moments, and then melted like the cloud in the western sky. They did not stay where they were, but fell back until in the shelter of the trees again.

"A lame and impotent conclusion," remarked the surgeon, with a scornful laugh; "their courage melted like snow in the sun."

Luchman believed that most of the Ghoojurs took part in the idle display, though no doubt the guard remained by the river, so as to meet any flight of the fugitives in that direction.

The result was accepted as evidence that the enemy would not make any attack at all. Why should they do so, when they had but to wait a brief while longer, and avoid all personal danger?

Meanwhile, the retreat of the ladies to the interior did not prove as safe as was expected.

Naturally they paused near the door leading out from the arched passage, watching and listening with anxious hearts. A slight noise caused Marian to turn her head, when she saw the muzzle of a gun pushed through one of the circular openings that admitted light into the place. She and her parent stood in direct range. Catching the arm of her mother, she drew her toward the frightful weapon. The two were thus placed below its range, since the musket could not be depressed enough to reach them.

The barrel was cautiously advanced until nearly its whole length was visible. Had the ladies remained by the door, they would have seen the murderous face of a fierce Ghoojur, as he wrinkled his brow in the effort to pierce the twilight within.

He was still glaring like a beast of prey, when the sharp crack of a pistol rang through the apartment, and with a rasping scream the Ghoojur went over backward, his skull bored by a bullet from the pistol of Luchman the guide.

The latter caught a faint sound just as the party retreated from the front, and, suspecting something of the kind, he ran back just in time to perforate the Asiatic, who had shoved his gun so far into the interior that it dropped from his nerveless grasp as he went over backward, and fell with a ringing sound upon the flinty floor below.

"God has sent us another weapon," was the cool remark of Luchman, who strode across the apartment, picked up the gun, and walked outside without another word.

When a quarter of an hour passed and brought no news from the front, the ladies timidly ventured out again.

"All danger is ended for the present," said Mr. Hildreth; "they got ready to charge, but changed their mind."

"Are they not likely to change it again?" asked his wife.

"Not to the extent of opening battle with us: why should they do so, when they can attain the same end without the least risk to themselves?"

At this moment Luchman straightened up, and, compressing his thin lips, said,

"It is in vain, sahibs; it is death for us to stay here longer; the lives of you all are worth more than the Star of India."

"The life of any one of us is worth more than that."

"Then, sahib, I shall go out and meet Wana Affghar face to face, and offer to give him the diamond, if he will let us go."

"When will you do that?" asked the astonished Avery.

"Now, sahib; let all gather around me where we are not so close to the entrance, and I will make known my plan."

The party quickly grouped themselves near Luchman, who made known his extraordinary scheme.