CHAPTER LIX.

THE KUBBEER-BUR.

Or the remnant of this murderous band, few of whom escaped unhurt from the balls and bayonets of my gallant Light Bobs, two only were now visible; but these were mounted upon fleet and powerful horses, of the celebrated breed from the banks of the Beemah, and the rapidity of their flight from the scene of action, evinced their speed and freshness. From their dress and accoutrements, these fugitives were evidently chiefs of eminence, and apparently brave fellows; for, though unable to struggle any longer against an overpowering foe, they waved their hands in scorn and defiance, and called upon us, with every abusive epithet which their language so abundantly supplies, to follow if we dared.

Jaded as my trusty Arabs were, after the exertions of the previous day and night, I would have willingly allowed these two fellows to escape, and even have stomached their insolent bravado; but I was driven almost to madness by seeing that one of them bore a female on the pommel of his saddle, and the other held a child in his arms.

Satisfied in my own mind, that these could be no other than the lady and infant heir of the general, the cherished objects of our search, I dashed the rowels into the panting sides of my generous steed, who sprang forward as if imbued with my own feelings, and bore me in headlong chase after the foe, determined to die rather than suffer my still-adored Julia to continue at the mercy of such ruthless villains.

Without waiting to see if I was followed by any of my party, on I went in full career, over hill and dale, through dell and dingle; under the branches of lofty trees, that cast a deep shadow on the ground, and anon exposed to the fervid rays of the sun, where the barren heath and the rocky desert lay in our path. Still, however, I gained not upon the chase; and it vexed me sorely to perceive that, although my Arab was at the full stretch of his somewhat exhausted powers, the Pindarries were evidently restraining the fleetness of their noble steeds, husbanding, as it were, their strength and activity for a more deadly push, while, ever and anon, they would salute me with a volley of oaths and imprecations, exclaiming “Feringhee Banchoot! Teereemaukachoot!" and other equally brutal and offensive terms. And yet they must have felt that their lives were in my hands; for, with my trusty rifle, I had frequent opportunities of bringing them down. But I was withheld by the apprehension of injuring those dear beings whose lives I would gladly save at the risk of my own. I shouted, however, the name of Julia, till my bosom ached with the effort, to let her know that help was nigh; and her cries in return were a sufficient proof that she heard and understood my object. Nay, I once thought I could catch upon the gale the name of Blake, in imploring accents; but this must have been fancy, for, though

conscious of the pursuit, she could not possibly be aware that the pursuer was one who had once been, and perhaps still was, so dear to her heart.

On, on we went in full career; the powers of horse and men being multiplied, as it were, by the maddening excitement of the chase: bounding over steep and dangerous nullahs, and dashing through foaming torrents, which now frequently obstructed our way, indicating our vicinity to some great stream of which they were the tributaries. Once I thought myself sure of my prey; for the horse on which poor Julia rode made an awful stumble in crossing one of these streams, and my heart leaped to my mouth at the apprehension of her danger. But the noble beast recovered himself, and, as if ashamed of the slip he had made, redoubled his efforts, shaking his head and champing the bit, as if determined to pluck the reins out of his rider's hands.

On, on we went, reckless of dangers and heedless of obstructions; the fugitives apparently anxious to keep only a certain distance, and no more, between them and their pursuer, while I made every effort, but in vain, to diminish that distance. When we first started in this unequal chase, and for some time after, the shouts and cries of battle still rang in our ears; and an occasional volley, or a few dropping shots, seemed to indicate that the work of death was not yet terminated. But all these sounds had now ceased; and nothing was to be heard but the clattering of the horses' feet on the rocky soil, or the braying of a deer, or the crowing of the jungle-cock in the distance. My horse was one sheet of foam, and the perspiration rolled down my own face in streams, as we laboured through the deep soil of some cotton-grounds, which sorely tried the blood and bottom of my Arab; for his strength had long been decaying, while the steeds of the enemy still seemed to retain their pristine freshness and vigour.

At length, we came to a long, sloping eminence of broken, rocky ground; and here it was that the fugitives seemed determined to exhibit their superior powers: for, with a shout of defiance, and a volley of curses, they urged their horses to a final effort, and the gallant steeds bounded upwards as if they carried a feather-weight. Enraged at the prospect of being distanced, which now seemed inevitable; excited almost to frenzy by seeing Julia wave her scarf as they gained the top, and stood out in bold relief against the sky, I cncouraged my Arab with voice and hand; and nobly the generous animal responded to the call, for in a few elastic bounds we also gained the summit of the ridge.

Oh! what a glorious prospect opened to my astonished gaze! The mighty Nerbudda winding its majestic course through a boundless expanse of woodland scenery of unequalled magnificence; its turbid waters, swollen by the rains which had just set in to the eastward, overflowing its sedgy banks; while the awe-inspiring solitude and silence that reigned on every side were unbroken; and nothing human was in sight to jar with the immeasurable grandeur of nature in repose, but the two Pindarries, now urging their horses with all their might directly towards the wild-rolling current.

Upbraiding myself for the involuntary transport which had caused

a momentary delay, I again took up the chase, satisfied that now, at last, I must soon have the enemy at bay; for any attempt to cross the boiling flood before us on horseback, encumbered as they were, must have been fatal to all. I tightened my reins, grasped my rifle more firmly, set my teeth for a final effort; and, recommending my soul to a just and merciful Providence, I dashed forward, utterly regardless of what became of its earthly incumbrance, in the stern and sacred path of duty.

A screen of tall sedges that grew upon the banks of the river had now hidden the enemy from my view: but, having marked the spot at which they had disappeared, I directed my course thither; when, to my astonishment, as I drew nigh, the two horses came galloping out without riders, caracoling, and flinging their hind legs in the air; while their bridle-reins, being fastened to the pommels of the saddles, showed that their escape was not accidental, but the customary trick of the Pindarries, when hard beset. My two gentlemen had, doubtless, sought concealment in some cavern or hollow in the river's brink; and their steeds were thus let loose, to find their way, as best they could, to one or other of their numerous haunts in this wild and savage district.

Determined, however, to find the enemy, or perish in the attempt, I plunged into the midst of this bed of reeds, shouting "Julia! Julia!" to the utmost compass of my voice; but nothing responded to my call. Raging with excitement, onward I pushed my noble steed, following the narrow track which led through this dense and lofty bed of reeds, till I came, at length, to the water-side; when, amidst the angry current, about two hundred yards distant, I beheld the two Pindarries, skilfully and energetically rowing one of those coracles, or circular boats made of wicker-work, and covered with untanned hides, so common on the rivers of India.

Julia and her infant were nowhere to be seen. They were probably, I thought at the bottom of the coracle; but the Pindarries were more than half exposed to view, as they urged the boat, in its circular motion, through the mass of waters, towards an island in the middle of the stream, entirely overgrown with what appeared to me a tope of magnificent trees, whose foliage extended down, like a vast umbrella, even into the very waters of the Nerbudda.

A shout of triumph, and another round of insulting epithets, rang from the two Pindarries-but it was the last they uttered in concert; for, bringing the butt of my trusty rifle to my shoulder, I took a steady aim, and one of the two fell to rise no more. Unluckily, my other barrel had been discharged in the action, or his companion would have shared his fate; but, before I had time to reload and fire again, the surviving Pindarrie had whirled his light bark beyond the range on which I could certainly calculate, and he got off scot free.

My only hope now, was to swim my horse across the foaming flood, to the island; an attempt perilous enough in itself, exclusive of the reception I might expect from the Pindarrie on the other side. But courage mounteth with occasion: I wet my own lips with my brandy flask, poured the remainder down the throat of my horse, who

neighed loudly, as if invigorated by the draught; tnen, springing again upon his back, I plunged into the world of waters.

And a desperate struggle we had in that boundless waste, as it then appeared to me, of "rolling and foaming billows." The monsoon had just set in, and with more than ordinary violence; the rains on the mountain range in the upper part of the valley of the Nerbudda, had, therefore, swelled the thousand tributaries of that noble stream, which was now every moment increasing in width and volume, inundating the lower grounds, and isolating the more lofty portions of its banks, whose rocky and wooded summits now appeared like so many islands in the vast expanse.

The current was powerful; but I made my Arab breast its impetuosity, that we might not be carried down lower than the coracle; and, in this respect, we had the advantage of the Pindarrie, who, being reduced to his one oar, was driven bodily to leeward. Our progress was thus vexatiously slow; but I evidently gained upon the chase-so much, indeed, that the villain once or twice handled his matchlock, as if determined to give me its contents. Apparently, however, not thinking the opportunity a good one, he laid it by again, and resumed the oar. This reminded me that I had discharged both my barrels; and I reloaded them as speedily as I could under the circumstances, being half immersed in water, and requiring all my undivided efforts to keep my horse up against the rapidity of the current.

We were now nearing the island, whose vast screen of foliage, though it looked beautiful and refreshing to the eye, long dazzled with the blaze of Oriental noon, was in other respects discouraging, from the facilities for escape it must necessarily afford the fugitive. The latter had got into a current of the river, with whose peculiarities he seemed perfectly well acquainted, which carried him with immense velocity towards the shore; with very little further exertion on his part, he speedily touched the bank, jumped out, and moored his frail bark to the stem of a tree whose branches overarched him, as they bent downwards and dipped their foliage in the stream.

Having thus secured his vessel, the Pindarrie lost no time in seizing upon his prey. Getting into the coracle again, he lifted the insensible Julia upon his shoulder, trussed the poor infant under his arm, and, even thus encumbered, sprang nimbly upon the shore, and disappeared in the windings of the forest.

Maddened at the idea of his thus escaping with his precious spoil, I urged my horse forward to redoubled exertion; while, as he snorted and pawed the flood, he seemed anxious to give me one last proof of unconquerable spirit and fidelity. But, alas for my gallant Arab! it was his last; for, as he raised his head aloft, in a sudden and convulsive effort to reach the shore, a ball from the matchlock of the concealed Pindarrie, which was well aimed for my body, struck him in a vital part behind the ear, and with a gasp and a plunge, he sank into the boiling flood, carrying me down with him, while the Pindarrie's shout of triumph rang bitterly in my ear.

Fortunately, I had presence of mind, in that critical moment of

my fate, to stretch my arm out at full length, so as to keep my rifle above the water; then slipping my feet out of the stirrups, I struck out with my left arm, and speedily rose to the surface.

The current was carrying me rapidly past the spot where the Pindarrie had disappeared; but being a powerful swimmer, I soon reached the shore and never did a poor drowning wretch bless Providence so heartily for escape-the preservation of my own life weighing but little in the scale, when compared with the exulting hope of still rescuing by beloved Julia from the fangs of this atrocious fiend.

I now examined the priming of my rifle, and was delighted to find it perfectly dry: I had thus a double death in my hand; and, with renewed vigour from my involuntary bath, I set forward with as much celerity as the obstacles I encountered permitted.

But, much as I had been struck with the dense magnitude of the foliage in which this solitary island was embowered, I was still more amazed to discover, on landing, that it did not spring from many distinct and separate trees, but from one gigantic banyan, whose enormous branches, spreading out horizontally, sent their shoots down to the earth. There taking root, they grew to almost equal size with the parent stem, and propagated in their turn fresh stems, shoots, and branches, in singular and endless variety.

I had often read in the "Wonders of India," of the Kubbeer-bur, or gigantic banyan-tree, which covered a whole island in the Nerbudda, and was capable of giving shelter to ten thousand men; this, it seems, was the identical spot in which I now so unexpectedly found myself.

In silent awe at the marvellous works of creation, I wandered amidst the mazy labyrinth, which lay before me in fantastic vistas; at times resembling the rude outlines of natural grottos, and at others, the lofty and pillared aisles of a gothic cathedral; while a stray sunbeam, breaking through the foliage, produced that dim, religious light which an oriel window might admit; and the solemn and impressive silence that prevailed might lead one to anticipate the pealing of an organ, to speak peace and comfort to the suffering and world-weary, and lift the enraptured soul to heaven.

But it was not by the divine pealing of an organ that the silence of the banyan-tree was at length interrupted; but by a long and wailing cry, that seemed to issue from a breaking heart; followed by a succession of agonizing shrieks, that too clearly spoke the deadly extremity of the sufferer.

Maddened at the sound, I sprang forward with a velocity that nothing could retard; and ere long I beheld a scene which for a moment sent the life-blood retreating to my heart. Julia was kneeling in an imploring attitude at the feet of the Pindarrie, who held her infant, naked, and with its head downwards, in his left outstretched arm; while with his right he brandished his tulwar, ready to strike the fatal blow upon the screaming innocent, if the decision of its hapless mother was adverse to the demands of the ruthless monster who was now the uncontrolled master of her destiny.

There was not an instant to be lost. The time required for clear