predatory life; and whose limbs and faces were all more or less scarred by the fangs of the sylvan prey or the weapons of the enemy. Their manners were joyous, and even licentious; their gestures were full of spirit and energy, and the style and purport of their conversation indicated a total recklessness of the accidents of the world, and an enthusiastic devotion to their Chief. It was a novel and startling position for the noble Kistna to be placed in; surrounded as he was by his sworn, hereditary and ruthless foes; but the great stake he was playing for braced up his nerves to the accomplishment of his task; and the ready compliance he yielded to the wishes of the Chief, indicated the fixed resolution of his soul, to sacrifice all personal feeling to the safety of the incomparable being, who now solely depended upon his judgment and firmness for a release from her almost hopeless and deplorable captivity. The loud buz of conversation, in which all were eagerly engaged, and the joyous laughter that ran round the merry circle, were suddenly hushed beneath the magic influence of the Yogie's lute and voice, whose rich melodious tones broke on their astonished ears with a burst of harmony altogether new and delightful to the hardy and unsophisticated Bheels, who had never been accustomed to anything superior to the hacknied ditties of the Bhaut. He sang the wars of Rama, and the glorious delivery of Sita from the tyrant of Serindib; the insult to Droopdevi which led to the deadly feuds of the Yadus; and the Rape of Canouj, which subjected the Hindoo to the dominion of the Islamite. In all his varied strains he chaunted with a poetic fervour, that won the hearts of his auditory, the influence of those beings whose beauty has overturned kingdoms, and commuted the sceptre to the pilgrim's staff; who watch and guard our infancy, are the companions and solace of our manhood, and the soothing nurses of our declining years. A cheer of admiration followed the performance of the Yogie, which made the lofty hall ring again, and many a bumper was quaffed to his health; some even carrying their enthusiasm so far as to rise from their seats, and stagger towards him for the pleasure of grasping his hand and giving it a hearty shake. The one-eyed Bheel, indeed, was so inspired by the united influence of wine and music, that he expressed a wish for the presence of some of those delectable creatures whose charms had been so feelingly sung by the Yogie; and the idea was caught up instantly, a dozen rugged voices shouting at their highest pitch, "A nautch! a nautch !" "Brother soldiers," said Kempé, willing to gratify his devoted followers on the eve of so important an expedition, "you shall have a nautch, the very best the Droog can afford: and, more than this, you shall be honoured with the presence of my future queen; whose melancholy has been miraculously cured by this holy pilgrim, and who will doubtless be happy to display her peerless charms to her devoted soldiers and loving subjects." This was an effect of his musical powers which the Yogie by no means anticipated; and he could not for a time believe that Kempé was serious in his proposition. To his infinite mortification, however, the Chief, who was now in a high state of excitement, despatched a messenger to the summit of the Droog; to command the immediate attendance of Lillah with a troop of Bayaderes, and to request the presence of the Begum of Mysore at the royal banquet. In the course of a few minutes the messenger, whose zeal appeared to have lent him wings, returned from the Haram, and informed the Chief that Lillah and the Bayaderes were preparing to attend his summons, and would descend speedily to the Banquet chamber; but that her highness the Begum had decidedly refused compliance with his wishes. "How!" exclaimed Kempé, stamping with rage at so humiliating a refusal in the presence of his captains, whose high opinion he was now more than ever solicitous to maintain. "Did you say the Begum had refused to attend my summons ?" "In the most decided, and, may it please your highness, I might almost say, in the most contemptuous manner," replied the messenger. "By the eternal Doorga!" exclaimed Kempé, almost frantic with passion, "she shall come. Worthy Rungapa, you shall have the honour of conducting her hither." The Bhaut, in a mild and tremulous voice, ventured to remonstrate with the Chief; and begged that, for that night, he would not insist on the presence of the Begum. But he preached to the winds; for the stormy soul of Kempé was all in commotion, and the wine which he drank in large rummers rendered him totally deaf to reason and argument. The Bhaut, therefore, finding his efforts fruitless, begged to be excused from the mission; as his great age and feebleness rendered the ascent of the Droog, particularly at night, extremely painful to him, and even dangerous. "Rest in peace, old man," cried the Chief in a voice of anger, "I forgot your age and weakness; but here," he cried, laying his hand on Vega's shoulder, "here is a messenger, young, active and willing, who shall convey her highness hither with the speed of an antelope." To his astonishment, however, Vega remained as if glued to his seat, with his arms folded, and his eyes fixed on the ground. "Why! how is this?" cried the Chief, with a yell of surprize and indignation. "Didst thou hear me, Vega, or art thou both deaf and drunk?" "May it please your highness," replied Vega, "I have heard you distinctly, and with sorrow." "Hal" cried the Chief, with a ferocious stare. "With submission," continued Vega, "I think her highness might be spared to-night from witnessing a scene like this." "Hal" reiterated Kempé. "And as I know you would regret to-morrow her exposure to such an indignity, I think it better she should not be brought hither against her will." "Traitor!" shouted the Chief, dashing his clenched fist into the face of the Bheel, with a violence that made the blood gush from his mouth and nostrils; "base cullion, darest thou dispute my orders? Seize him, guards, and bear him to the loftiest pinnacle of the Droog: there let him lie, unsheltered and unfed, until my leisure enables me to award him an adequate punishment." A general commotion took place in the assembly: the merrymakers arose in a confused mass, and drew their daggers; understanding but very imperfectly the cause of their Chieftain's wrath, and supposing that some attempt had been made upon his life. In all probability, therefore, poor Vega would have fallen a victim under the effervescence of zeal and liquor; but, fortunately for him, the guards, who were rather more sober than the guests, rushed in, and seizing the culprit, bore him off to his lofty place of confinement. This was a solitary group of rocks, appropriated to heinous offenders, that crowned one of the summits of the Droog; the other being occupied by the Haram of the Chief. Up rose then the one-eyed Bheel, and holding fast by the table to support his tottering limbs, he spake as follows: May it please hiccup your highness-you shall never-hicwant a friend while I can-hic-stand. I'll bring the Begum-hic— curse me if I don't." Here he waved his arm to evince his zeal, and losing thus his principal support, down he tumbled on the floor, amidst shouts of laughter from his companions; some of whom, in the effort, went also, as if to keep him in countenance. But Kempé was not to be turned aside from his purpose: his pride was up, and the dogged nature of his disposition urged him on to the accomplishment of his object far beyond the bounds of prudence and propriety. He declared therefore that, as some of his followers were traitors, and the rest drunken sots, he himself would go for the Begum, and bring her to a proper sense of the duty she owed to the sovereign of Savindroog. The Yogie now saw it was time for him to interfere: hitherto he had kept aloof from the contest, waiting for the moment when it should attain such a head and consistency as might enable him to direct the storm to some useful purpose. That period had now arrived, but the safety of the Begum entirely depended on the coolness and prudence of his conduct: any attempt to stop the Chief in his frenzied state of excitement would, he knew, be fatal both to her and himself; his resolution was, therefore, instantly taken, to yield to the folly of the moment, accompany the Bheel to the summit of the Droog, and there act with the promptness and decision required by the exigency of the case. He accordingly coincided fully in the opinions of Kempé, and even requested permission to attend him; for, he suggested, the magic lute might be necessary to sooth any temporary irritation in the mind of the Begum, whose perfect cure, it was possible, might not have been yet thoroughly effected. 66 Gramercy, old boy, for your offer," cried the Bheel, warmly grasping the Yogie's hand. "Though a perfect stranger, you have done me more service than all my churls together. Come along then, in Doorga's name, and we'll give the Begum a serenade she little dreams of." Fortunately for the staggering Chief, the moon was at the full, and shone with unwonted splendor on the steep and dangerous path that led upwards to the Haram: though, even with the assistance of the brilliant luminary, his motions were so uncertain and tottering, that it was next to a miracle he did not topple over the tremendous pre cipice, and thus put a period at once to his turbulent life and singular adventures. But, exclusive of his inebriety, there was a danger of which the Bheel was utterly unconscious: for, close upon his footsteps, followed one whom he thought numbered with the dead, the avenging Kistna; full of life and vigour, and his breast inflamed with all those feelings of revenge inspired by wrongs and outrages of such unpardonable atrocity. They were alone, and the slightest effort of the Rajpoot's powerful arm would suffice to accomplish a speedy and a just retribution: but his noble nature disdained to take advantage of the weakness of his foe; and, with his accustomed chivalry, he resolved to await a more generous opportunity, when the Bheel, in the full possession of his faculties, should present an enemy more worthy of his avenging arm. They arrived at length at the Haram; and obtaining immediate admittance, they proceeded towards the apartment of the Begum, which the Chief entered abruptly and without being announced. Lachema was sitting in the verandah, gazing on the brilliant orb of night, and indulging in those happy thoughts and joyous anticipations with which the existence, and actual presence at the Droog of her lover had inspired her breast. A well grounded confidence in his discretion, judgment and bravery, had dissipated all those clouds of despair and gloomy forebodings which had so long oppressed her mind; and the conviction that he was at that moment strenuously engaged in some plan for her deliverance filled her bosom with a delightful calm, to which it had been long a stranger. But the abrupt intrusion of the Bheel, at such an hour, scattered at once the happy delusion in which she had been indulging; and such, indeed, was the confusion of her faculties, at so unexpected and alarming an event, that she did not immediately perceive he was followed by the Yogie, who was also partially concealed by the obscurity of the chamber. With a voice of indignant surprise, the Begum demanded the reason of so unwonted an intrusion on her privacy; and the Bheel, endeavouring to steady himself, answered her to the best of his ability: "Highness," said Kempé, "your loving subjects-hic-await your beauteous-hic-presence at the banquet" To her horror and dismay, the Begum now perceived that Kempé was by no means sober; and, in a voice of mingled alarm and disgust, she desired him to quit her presence instantly, or dread the consequences. 66 "Dread a fool's cross bow !" exclaimed the Bheel, with the idiotic laugh of a drunkard, am I not your-hic-lord and master, my pretty-hic-queen of the jungle? Nay, if you frown on me-hicI must use some-hic-gentle force, so-hic-here goes, my fawneyed maid." The Bheel staggered forward, for the purpose of executing his threat; but, quick as lightning, the Begum rushed out of the verandah, crossed her little garden, and sprang upon the terrace that constituted the very edge of the awful precipice; holding on by a slight iron pillar, fixed in the rock to support the railing, the only thing that now stood between her and the terrific gulf beneath. The fearful position of the Begum imparted to her attitude an air of sublimity, as her lovely form stood out in bold relief against the sky, which was brilliantly illumined by the full radiance of the moon ; and her voice broke the silence of the night in thrilling tones of sweetness and majesty, as she cried to the astonished Bheel: As for "Monster! quit my sight, or in a moment I plunge into eternity!" Scarcely had the words passed her lips when the tall figure of the Yogie emerged from the obscurity, which had hitherto concealed him from her view; and the loved melody of his lute, sounded on her ear as the harbinger of hope, and the assurance of protection. Kempé, the sudden and fearful action of the Begum had completely sobered him with a cry of horror he sank on his knees; and, holding up his hands, he implored her to descend from her perilous position. "Never," cried the Begum, with a voice of fixed determination, "until you swear by your gods that you will instantly quit my sight, and never again intrude without permission." "By the awful names of Doorga and Mahadeo!" exclaimed Kempé, trembling with alarm for the safety of his lovely captive, "I will obey, in all respects, the wishes of the fawn-eyed maid." He then arose from his knees, and, accompanied by the Yogie, quitted the apartment of the Begum; who, being assured by Nelleeny that she had secured the doors against any further intrusion, descended at length from her terrific position; and, sinking on her couch, yielded to a copious flood of tears, called forth by the conflicting emotions of so fearful and extraordinary a scene. CHOREEN AGRA!* OR, THE WANDERING HARPER. BY MRS. CRAWFORD. CHOREEN AGRA! my mountain maid! That spring to kiss thy fairy feet, Choreen agra! my mountain maid! Choreen agra! my mountain maid! To music by Miss Eliza Courtenay. |