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SCENE IV
The forest near Dongurh. By the waterfall.
Enter Captain and soldiers escorting Comol Cumary, Coomood,
Set down the palanquins. Captain, make void
Exit Captain with soldiers and palanquin-
Coomood, this is the waterfall we loved
Comol, our tree's
O it is Spring, and this
Girls, we must not linger long.
Purse-cheeks? Oh, he has lifted Mera the servant-girl to his Page 760 saddle-bow by now and is garlanding her Queen of Cashmere. I wish I were there to be bridesmaid.
That was a sweet touch of thine, Nirmol. But the child deserves her promotion; she has served me willingly. A Scythian throne is no great wages for service to a Rajpoot princess. COOMOOD CUMARY
How the hill gives you back your laughter, repeating
We have shaken them off prettily by turning away through the hills. Alas! my royal father will not greet his little empress this journey, nor my lady mother scent her blossom on a Rajpoot crest. They must even put up with their poor simple Comol Cumary just as she was, (aside) and as she will be until her heart finds its mate.
It is a sin, I tell you, Comol; I am mad when I think of it. Why, I came out to be abducted; I did not come for a quiet stroll through the woodlands. But I have still hopes of our Bheel cateran, our tangle-locked Krishna of the hill-sides; surely he will not be so ungallant as to let such sweet booty pass through his kingdom ungathered.
I would gladly see this same stripling and talk to him face to face who sets his Bheel arrows against our Rajpoot swords. He should be a man at least, no Scythian Toraman.
The presumptuous savage! it will earn him a stake yet for his last session. Were I a man, I would burn these wasps from their Page 761 nest and catch and crush them in my mailed gauntlet as they buzzed out into the open.
Bappa! Bappa! Ho Sheva Ekling!
Lances, lances, Rajpoots! Bearers, to the palanquins!
Bappa!
You'll have that talk with Bappa yet,
Oh, let us flee! They swarm towards us.
Stand firm! Our gallant lances soon will prick
You Gods! our Rajpoots all are overwhelmed
Get swiftly to your palanquin. The bearers
Shall I escape alone ? Page 762
Ah, save the glory of Edur from disgrace Enter the palanquin-bearers fleeing.
Halt! Take your princess, men,
The funeral fire in the mouth of your princess! Every man save himself. Exit with most of the bearers.
Halt, halt! We have eaten and shall we not pay for the salt? Yes, even with our blood. We four will take her, if we are not cut into pieces first. Into the palanquin, lady.
Quick, Comol! or are you longing for your palaver with Tangle-locks? Comol enters the palanquin.
What will become of us ?
We shall become
We have our weapons to befriend us yet.
See, see, Ishany! Page 763
Quick, bearers, bearers.
It is too late. She's taken. Enter Kodal and Bheels.
Whoever wants an arrow through his skull, let him move his shanks. Women, you are my brother Bappa's prisoners; we have need of some Rajpoot slave-girls for his kitchen. Take them, my children, and tie them.
Stab any who comes; let not these lumps of dirt Insult your Rajpoot bodies with their fingers.
Shut your mouth, Rajpootny, or I will skewer your tongue to your palate with an arrow. Knock their daggers out of their hands.
He lays his hand on Nirmol's wrist.
Off, savage! I will have no tongue-skewerer for my husband.
Release her, Kodal. Lay not thy Bheel hand
I grant you that. If you are the master-jockey, the winners of this Page 764 handicap are no such rank outsiders after all.
Because thou art a Rajpoot, must thou command me? To me, Bheels! Tie up these Rajpootnys, hand and leg like so many chickens. Heed., not Sungram.
Mutineer! (draws his sword)
Slip off unnoticed while they brawl; run, run!
We will do our man's best. Silently, men, and swiftly.
I boggle not for your sword, Rajpoot. Taste my arrows.
Exeunt bearers with Comol in the
Now, what's the matter, Kodal?
Why, Bappa, these new servant-girls of yours will not come to heel; they talk proudly. Yet Sungram will not let me teach them manners, because, I think, they are his aunt's cousins.
They shall be obedient, Kodal. Leave them to me. Page 765
I am your soldier, Bappa. Sungram, you shall have your Rajpootny. I am a soldier, Rajpoot, and know my duty.
Is this the Bheel ? ,the rough and uncouth outlaw ?
Which of you's Edur's princess ? Let her stand
Who art thou that speak'st so proudly
Whoe'er I am, you are in my hands,
Out of thy grip and now almost in safety,
Coomood,
At least I'll share it. Exit.
Ay, so? these maidens are but three. Kodal, Page 766 Four palanquins were on the road, thou told'st me. KODAL Sungram, give thy sword a twist in my guts. While I wrangled with thee, the best shikar of all has skedaddled.
Nay, mend it, intercept the fugitive. Exit Kodal with Bheels.
The other too has fled? but she's on foot.
They are not for thee yet,
O here's A Rajpoot spirit.
Foolish girl, canst thou
As he goes out, she strikes at him with a
Thou hast a brave but headstrong spirit, maiden. He lays his hand on her wrist. Page 767
You take it in these hills (throwing away her dagger)
Away,
Very useless, maiden.
You play the courteous brigand. I shall need
'Tis not so easy. He carries her out.
Must we follow in the same order ?
By your leave, no. I turn eleven stone or thereabouts.
I will not easily believe it. Will you suffer me to test the measure ?
I fear you would prove an unjust balance; so I will even walk, if you will help me over the rough places. It seems you were not Krishna after all? Page 768
Why, take me for brother Balaram then. Is not your name Revaty?
It is too early in the day for a proposal; positively I will not say either yes or no till the evening. On, Balaram! I follow. Exeunt. Page 769 |