PART III

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1944, 20 December 1884, Page 3 (Supplement)

PART 111

,49 AUBITIQtrS HA^QMHEDAIf. Wftriß AliKhah, a l^ohilla of the RohiUas, *nc| a descendant in the direct line from Qajher, th.9 Greit SfoguJ, ii ineditating on current ereptp in a spaoiom room in hi* p»laoe at Aligunge, named the KhoQihdil Bagh. <> ■ > > - < Want Ali Khan is a pensioner of that powerful body; the Honorable East India Company, : Be if in receipt of eight lakhi of rupeei per.annumf C but dpeiVpotasatisfy fip». ., /^tw*mjn%ua, 'se-think» the/tjime when he can .itrike for the" power ahd^MiJlipn , once ,helAby,hi» ancestors^ bburi r now; longliinc^ .

India when they were vassals only in name to the mighty Akbar and Jahangir, Though the company pay him a liberal pension, Waris Ali has an undying grudge against that honorable body. They refused to increase his pension by one half, notwithstanding his case was pleaded in the London courts by the ablest of Feringhi lawyers. When informed of the failure of his application Waris Ali smiled, said "Kismet," and, to all outward seeming, took the matter easily enough. He thought the more though for all that. Waris Ali, as you now see him, is evidently conveniently oblivious of one of the precepts of the Koran, that which forbids to all true believers the juice of the grape, fermented or otherwise. Waris Ali, howerer, has a theory of his own as to the literal meaning of the prophet's words. "Champagne," he says, "was not known in Mahomed's time. Therefore, it follows the prophet could not have forbidden the use of it." And he gulps down a deep draught of Clicquot to emphasise his argument, and heaves a sigh of profound satisfaction. The Nawab is a staunch ally of the English. He is a trusted and honored friend of Colvin Sahib, the Kesident, and a great favorite with the European officers of the station generally, to whom he has on several occasions shown the most princely hospitality. Seated on his divan, the amber mouthpiece of his hookah held lazily between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, he is evidently expecting a visitor, as denoted by his frequent impatient glances at the heavy folds of the cloied pindahs. The hookah stem drops from his fingers as an attendant announces — "Pultan ka Subahdar, Sahib." " Dakhil Kanye," says Waris Ali, and the attendant retires with a low salaam, to return immediately afterwards, ushering in the visitor. The new comer is anything but a prepossessing personage. Of medium height, inclined to obesity, with a heavy sensual face, a shaven double chin, beady black eyes, and heavy black moustache, trained to curl towards a large pair of ears, clean shaven fat cheeks, and of a forbidding expression, such was Nain Singh, senior subahdar, or native captain of the 70th Regiment of Native lafaatcy, the faithful sepoys of which tiusted corps were so implicitly believed in by Colonel Oldboy. Nain Singh was a Brahmin, of the Kschetriya, or soldier caste, and had eaten John Company's salt for over thirty years ; but, thinking perhaps the salt had lost its savor somewhat, he had made up his mind to be false to it, and Waris Ali, the Kohilla of the Kohillas, had found him a pliant tool to carry out his ambitious designs. Thus it resulted that these two opposite characters, a Mahomedan and a Brahmin, were leagued together against the Feringhi, the conqueror of both. Nain Singh advanced to the Nawab, and joining both hands together under his chin, made a profound salaam. The Nawab motioned him to be seated. " What news do you bring me, Subahdar ? " he inquired. " Your mightiness, my news is good. Everything is ripe to execute your wishes." " God is great," enunciated Waris Ali, taking another gulp at the Clicquot. " And the regiment ? " he enquired. "Is ready to execute your Highness' orders," was the rtply. " Your greatness has only to speak, and we obey." " Good ! Now listen to me." The Subahdar again made a profound salaam, and was all attention.

"These dogs of Kaffirs give a navtch, what they call a ball, on Thursday, some forty-eight hours hence." " Your Highness I " "And I presume some of your men will be on guard at the residency ? " " Two companies, Highness." " Who will be in command ? " " Your servant Nain Singh, the Ivschetriya,will be the senior native officer on duty." " And you can depend on your men ? " " To death, Highness." " Good again I lam also to be there. Colvin Sahib has specially requested my presence. Poor fool I It is to cement aur alliance, he says. He trusts me as the staunch friend and ally of the English ranee." Nain Singh smiled sardonically. " I shall take a hundred of my own followers with me as a guard, 'of honor., continued the Nawab'; but 200, n^ore will be armed and readj within the palace precincts, awaiting a. given signal." " Your Highness ! " " These Kaffirs do nothing without eating," continued the Nawab, "and at a certain hour sahibs and mem sahibs will retire to the supperroom to devour the flesh of pigs, which they call ham, and drink intoxicating drinks, the invention of Shaitan." Nain Singh nodded, and the Nawab took another gulp of the foaming wine that had remained a secret to the prophet. " While at supper the signal shall be given to you; your men must rush in, capture all the Feringhis and escort them here," "Why not shoot down the gpra logue (the white people) at once 1 It saves t^icae." " That does not si^it my plans, my worthy friend," 1 was tfie reply. " I will have no, violence, at least, not in the beginning. Tfou, quse understand ?" ' * "IJuUy, yqur Highnes^, b,ut delays are dangerous, and a musket-shot and a bayonet-stab is a very convenient way of disposing of an enemy." " That is my affair. Your business just now is to carry out my orders." " Your Highness shall be obeyed." Nain Singh gave the reply readily.but there was a peculiar look upon his sensual fa.cc, a,s though to say, after events might possibly occur in which the Nawab would, not perhaps haya All the say. "your oth,ar m,en,in.th.e lines? TheywUl all join in, J p,ras.u.me, a.t the given, signal." 1 " Yes, your Highness." " Bismillah ! Then the reign of the Kaffirs is well nigh over, and Aligunge will once more be in the possession of a true believer," said Wans All. " Your Highness has said little or nothing as to one subject." "And that is?" " Those Sikh Sowars o{ S,ut{on Sahib* Rissala. They iid,e witty th,e Feringhi, and are hostile egqal^y to Hindoo a.nd Mahommedan." " B.ut of wh,at use are they ?■ T-h,ey miisteif hut three hundred •a.bjes, a,\\ told, a.nd, a.s we take the station by surprise they will be cowed like the rest, and if they cannaii, escape will most likely thrqw. m their lot with us. Besides, th.«re are Mahominedahs in their ranHs," ■ "True, yout Highneis, ' hut Patham of the Punjab, every man of them, Truit not to th.em, they are at much your enemies a> the Fer)n||iAis „ihemselTC»«.'fi,i; -■■: t j;> < vu: \> <«' ,-< ;>{ s . Hi 'VW^tt, 5 |rjeq^;p^'eneiaiet, t I fearijthem^ot. We hare the »trongth on our « «idc,apd, ilj will bo

had better retire to your lines. You fully understand the part you and your men are to take on Thursday evening. See that none of you fail in your tasks. Most assuredly I shall not fail in mine." "It is well, your Highness." And with a profound salaam, the Brahmin Subahdar withdrew from the presence of the Nawab, while Waris AH drained the last drop of the " Clicquot," and, returning his hookah, lapsed into a rosy reverie as to the probable result of the Thursday evening's festivities. Had the Bohilla chief, however, possessed any knowledge of English literature, he might have remembered a certain couplet of a Scottish ploughman and poet named Bobbie Burns, which states that " The best laid schemes of mice And men Gang oft agleo." Waris Ali, however, was merely a Mussulman, a fatalist, and a conspirator. He fancied it all up with the English rag, and could not for a moment imagine that his craftily concocted schemes could fail. He smoked his hookah with intense satisfaction, opened another bottle of Clicquot, and remained wrapped in contemplation until the muezzin sounding from the minarets of an adjacent mosque warned him that evening was drawing on. Summoning his attendants, he gave orders for his carriage and escort to be put in readiness for his evening drive.