On The Road To Simla

: The Coming Conquest Of England

Almost quicker than could have been expected, considering the heavy work

imposed upon the telegraph wires, the communication arrived from Berlin

that Captain Heideck should, for the time being, do duty in the Russian

army, and that it should be left to his judgment to take the first

favourable opportunity to return to Germany.



He forthwith waited upon the commanding general, was initiated into his

new rol formally and by handshake, and was in all due form attached as

captain to the detachment that was commanded to proceed to Simla.



The next morning the cavalcade set out under the command of Prince

Tchajawadse.



Their route led across a part of the battlefield lying east of Lahore,

where the battle between the sepoys and the pursuing Russian cavalry had

principally taken place.



The sight of this trampled, bloodstained plain was shockingly sad.

Although numerous Indian and Russian soldiers under the military police

were engaged in picking up the corpses, there still lay everywhere

around the horribly mutilated bodies of the fallen in the postures in

which they had been overtaken by a more or less painful death. An almost

intolerable odour of putrefaction filled the air, and mingled with the

biting, stifling smoke of the funeral pyres upon which the corpses were

being burnt.



The greater part of the Russian army was in the camp and in the city.

Only the advance guard, which had returned from the pursuit of the

fleeing English, had taken up a position to the south of the city. The

reinforcements which had been despatched from Peshawar, and which had

been impatiently expected, had not yet arrived.



Heideck heard that about 4,000 English soldiers and more than 1,000

officers were dead and wounded, while 3,000 men and 85 officers were

prisoners in the hands of the Russians. The losses of the sepoy regiment

could not at present be approximately determined, as the battle had

extended over too wide an area.



Prince Tchajawadse, although showing the same friendly feeling towards

Heideck, now adopted more the attitude of his military superior. He

narrated during the journey that the Russian army was taking the road

through the west provinces, and would leave the valley of the Indus, and

the country immediately bordering it, unmolested.



"We shall march to Delhi," he said, "and then probably advance upon

Cawnpore and Lucknow."



The detachment was unable to make use of the railway which goes via

Amritsar and Ambala to Simla, because it had been to a great extent

destroyed by the English. But the rapidity of the march naturally

depended upon the marching capabilities of the infantry. And although

Heideck could not fail to admire the freshness and endurance of these

hardened soldiers, they yet advanced far too slowly for his wishes.



How happy he would have been if, with his squadron, he had been able

to make a forced march upon the road which the unhappy Edith must have

taken!



On the second day after their start, the blue and violet peaks of the

mountains were silhouetted in the distance. It was the mountainous

country lying beneath the Himalayas, whose low summer temperature

induces the Viceroy and the high officials of the Indian Government

every year to take refuge from the intolerably hot and sultry Calcutta

in the cool and healthy Simla. Moreover, the families of the rich

English merchants and officials living in the Punjab and the west

provinces are accustomed to take up their quarters there during the hot

season.



The vegetation as they advanced became ever richer and more luxuriant.

Their way led through splendid jungles, which in places gave the

impression of artificially made parks. Hosts of monkeys sprang about

among the palms, and took daring leaps from one branch to the other. The

approach of the soldiers did not appear to cause these lively creatures

any appreciable fear, for they often remained seated directly over

their heads and regarded the unaccustomed military display with as

much inquisitiveness as they evidently did with delight. Parrots in gay

plumage filled the air with shrill cries, while here and there herds

of antelopes were visible, who, however, always dashed away in rapid

flight, in which their strange manner of springing from all fours in the

air afforded a most strange and delightful spectacle.



On the third day a gay-coloured cavalcade crossed the path of the

detachment. They were evidently aristocratic Indians, who in the

half-native, half-English dress were seated upon excellent horses,

a cross-breed between the Arabian and Gujarat. At their head rode a

splendidly dressed, dark-bearded man upon a white horse of special

beauty.



He halted to exchange a few words of civil salutation with the Russian

colonel. When he had again set himself in motion with his lancers, soon

to be lost to view in the thick jungle, the Prince motioned Heideck to

his side.



"I have news for you, comrade! The aristocratic Indian with whom I just

spoke was the Maharajah of Sabathu who is on the look-out for his guest

and friend, the Maharajah of Chanidigot, who is engaged on a hunting

expedition."



"The Maharajah of Chanidigot?" Heideck exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

"The rogue is then really in our immediate neighbourhood?"



"The hunting-camp that the two Princes have formed lies directly in our

line of march, and the Maharajah has invited me to camp this night there

with my men. I have really more than half a mind to accept his kind

invitation."



"And did you not inquire about Mrs. Irwin, Prince?"



The Colonel's face assumed at Heideck's question a strangely serious,

almost repellent expression.



"No."



"But it is more than probable that she is in his camp."



"Possibly, although up to now every proof of that is wanting."



"But you will institute inquiries for her, will you not? You will compel

the Maharajah to give us news of her whereabouts?"



"I can, at most, politely ask him for information. But I cannot promise

you even that with certainty."



Heideck was extremely surprised. He could not explain in any way the

change in the Prince's demeanour. And he would have been inclined

to take his strange answers for a not too delicate jest, had not

the frigid, impenetrable expression of his face at once excluded any

suggestion of the sort.



"But I don't understand, Prince," he said, surprised. "It was only a few

days ago that you were kind enough to promise me your active support in

this matter."



"I am to my regret compelled to cancel that promise; for I have received

strict instructions from His Excellency to avoid everything that can

lead to friction with the native Princes, and that my superiors laid

great stress upon a good understanding with the Maharajah of Chanidigot

was not known to me at the time of our conversation. He was the first

who openly declared for Russia and whose troops have come over to our

side. The happy issue of the Battle of Lahore is perhaps in no small

degree due to him. You understand, Captain, that it would make the worst

possible impression were we to come into conflict with a man so needful

to us for such a trifling cause."



"Trifling cause?" Heideck asked earnestly, his eyes sparkling with

excitement.



"Well, yes, what appears to you of such great importance is, when

regarded from a high political point of view, very trifling and

insignificant. You cannot possibly expect that the political interests

of a world empire should be sacrificed for the interests of a single

lady, who, moreover, by nationality belongs to our enemies."



"Shall she then be handed over helpless to the bestiality of this

dissolute scoundrel?"



Prince Tchajawadse shrugged his shoulders, while at the same time he

cast a strange side-glance at Heideck, who was riding beside him, which

seemed to say--



"How dense you are, my dear fellow! And how slow of understanding!"



But the other did not understand this dumb play of the eyes; and, after

a short pause, he could not refrain from saying in a tone of painful

reproach--



"Why, my Prince, did you so generously procure for me permission to take

part in this expedition if I was at once to be doomed to inaction in

a matter, which, as you know, is at present nearer my heart than aught

else!"



"I do not remember, Captain, to have imposed any such restraint upon

you. It was purely my own attitude as regards this matter which I wished

to make clear to you. And I hope that you have completely understood me.

I will not, and dare not, have anything officially to do with the affair

of Mrs. Irwin, and I should like to hear nothing about it. That I, on

the other hand, do not interfere with your private concerns, and

would not trouble about them, is quite a matter of course. It entirely

suffices for me, if you do not bring me into any embarrassment and

impossible situation."



That was, at all events, much less than Heideck had expected after the

zealous promises of his friend. But after quiet reflection he came to

the conclusion that the Prince could, as a matter of fact, scarcely act

otherwise, and that he went to the utmost limits of the possible, if he

did not absolutely forbid him to undertake anything for the advantage of

the unhappy Edith. Heideck's decision to leave not a stone unturned to

liberate the woman he loved was not thereby shaken for a moment, but he

knew now that he would have to proceed with the greatest circumspection,

and that he could not reckon upon anyone's assistance--an admission

which was not exactly calculated to fill him with joyous hope.



After a short march the detachment reached the spot lying immediately

at the foot of the first hill, a wide space shaded by mighty trees, upon

which the Maharajah had erected his improvised hunting-camp. A great

number of tents had been pitched under the trees. A gay-coloured throng

of men surged amongst them.



It was perfectly clear to Heideck that he could not himself search the

camp for Edith Irwin without exciting the attention of the Indians,

thereby at once compromising the success of his venture. And he had no

one to whom he could entrust the important task, except the faithful

Morar Gopal, who, in spite of all the terrors of war, had also followed

him on this march to Simla, although Heideck had offered him his

discharge, together with the payment of his wages for several months

more.



Accordingly, after the signal had been given to halt and dismount, he

took him aside and communicated to him his instructions, at the same

time handing him a handful of rupees to enable him to give the necessary

bribes.



The Hindu listened with keen attention, and the play of his dark, clever

face showed what a lively personal interest he took in this affair

nearest his master's heart.



"Everything shall be done according to your wishes, sahib," he said, and

soon afterwards was lost to view among the innumerable crowd of the two

Indian Princes' servants and followers.