The forest near Dongurh. By the •waterfall.

Enter Captain and soldiers escorting Comol Cumary, Coomood,
Nirmol and Ishany in palanquins.

ISHANY (from her palanquin)

Set down the palanquins. Captain, make void
This region; here the princess would repose
Beside the murmuring waterfall awhile
And breathe into her heart the winds of Dongurh.

Exit Captain with soldiers and palanquin-
bearers. The girls leave their palanquins.

COMOL CUMARY

Coomood, this is the waterfall we loved
To lean by, singing to the lyre the deeds
Our fathers wrought or listening silently
The soft continuous roar. Beyond that bend
We shall see Dongurh, — Dongurh, our delight
Where we were children, Coomood.

COOMOOD CUMARY

Comol, our tree's
All scarlet, as if splashed with crimson fire,
Just as of old.

COMOL CUMARY

O it is Spring, and this
Is Dongurh.

ISHANY

Girls, we must not linger long.
Our Scythian, missing us, may take the hills.

NIRMOL CUMARY

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.

COMOL CUMARY

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
Its sweetness with delight, as if it had a soul
To love you.

COMOL CUMARY

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.

NIRMOL CUMARY

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. 

COMOL CUMARY

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.

ISHANY

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.

SHOUTS OUTSIDE

Bappa! Bappa! Ho Sheva Ekling!

CAPTAIN (shouting within)

Lances, lances, Rajpoots! Bearers, to the palanquins!

COMOL CUMARY

Bappa!

NIRMOL CUMARY (laughing)

You'll have that talk with Bappa yet,
Comol.

COOMOOD CUMARY

Oh, let us flee! They swarm towards us.

ISHANY

Stand firm! Our gallant lances soon will prick
These bold hill-foxes to their lairs. Stand firm!
We should but fly into the mouth of danger.

COMOL CUMARY (climbing on to a rock)

You Gods! our Rajpoots all are overwhelmed
Before they used their weapons. What next, Ishany ?
Shall we sit still to be made prisoners ?

ISHANY

Get swiftly to your palanquin. The bearers
Run hither. Flee towards the valley road!
It may be that the swords of Ichalgurh
Range there already.

COMOL CUMARY

Shall I escape alone ?

Page – 762

ISHANY

Ah, save the glory of Edur from disgrace
Of savage handling!

Enter the palanquin-bearers fleeing.

Halt! Take your princess, men,
And flee with her into the valley road.

IST BEARER

The funeral fire in the mouth of your princess! Every man save himself.

Exit with most of the bearers.

2ND BEARER

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.  

NIRMOL CUMARY

Quick, Comol! or are you longing for your palaver with Tangle-locks?

Comol enters the palanquin.

COOMOOD CUMARY

What will become of us ?

NIRMOL CUMARY

We shall become
Bheel housewives. After all, a Scythian throne
Was better.

ISHANY

We have our weapons to befriend us yet.
Coomood, look not so pale.

NIRMOL CUMARY

See, see, Ishany!
The Bheels are leaping down upon our rear.

Page – 763

ISHANY

Quick, bearers, bearers.

NIRMOL CUMARY

It is too late. She's taken.

Enter Kodal and Bheels.

KODAL

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.

ISHANY

Stab any who comes; let not these lumps of dirt Insult your Rajpoot bodies with their fingers.

KODAL

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.
Enter Sungram.

NIRMOL CUMARY .

Off, savage! I will have no tongue-skewerer for my husband.

SUNGRAM

Release her, Kodal. Lay not thy Bheel hand
Upon a Rajpoot virgin. Maiden of Edur,
Expect no outrage. We are men who keep
Some tincture of manners yet, though savage hills
Harbour us and our looks and deeds are rugged
As the wild land we dwell in.

NIRMOL CUMARY

I grant you that. If you are the master-jockey, the winners of this

Page – 764

handicap are no such rank outsiders after all.

KODAL

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.

SUNGRAM

Mutineer!

(draws his sword)

ISHANY (rapidly approaching the bearers)

Slip off unnoticed while they brawl; run, run!
O save the princess!

2ND BEARER

We will do our man's best. Silently, men, and swiftly.

KODAL

I boggle not for your sword, Rajpoot. Taste my arrows.

Exeunt bearers with Comol in the
palanquin. Bappa and Prithuraj enter
from the other side.

BAPPA

Now, what's the matter, Kodal?

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.

BAPPA

They shall be obedient, Kodal. Leave them to me.
Remember Sungram's your commander, brother.
What, you, a soldier, and break discipline!

Page – 765

KODAL

I am your soldier, Bappa. Sungram, you shall have your Rajpootny. I am a soldier, Rajpoot, and know my duty.

COOMOOD CUMARY

Is this the Bheel ? ,the rough and uncouth outlaw ?
He has a princely bearing. This is surely
A Rajpoot and of a high-seated blood.

BAPPA

Which of you's Edur's princess ? Let her stand
Before me.

ISHANY

Who art thou that speak'st so proudly
As if a Rajpoot princess were thy slave,
Outlaw?

BAPPA

Whoe'er I am, you are in my hands,
My spoil and captives. Speak, which is the princess ?

COOMOOD CUMARY

Out of thy grip and now almost in safety,
Chieftain, upon the valley road.

ISHANY

Coomood,
Thou hast betrayed thy sister by thy folly
And into vilest shame.

COOMOOD CUMARY

At least I'll share it.

Exit.

BAPPA

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. 

BAPPA

Nay, mend it, — intercept the fugitive.

Exit Kodal with Bheels.

The other too has fled? but she's on foot.
Sungram and Prithuraj, lead these fair captives
Into their prison. I will go and seize
The runaways.

ISHANY

They are not for thee yet,
Hill-cateran, while I stand between.

PRITHURAJ

O here's

A Rajpoot spirit.

BAPPA

Foolish girl, canst thou
Oppose the storm-blast with a dove's white wings ?

As he goes out, she strikes at him with a
dagger; he seizes her wrist and puts her by.
Exit Bappa.

PRITHURAJ

Thou hast a brave but headstrong spirit, maiden.
It is no savages to whom your Fates
Are kind, but men of Rajpoot blood and nurture.
Have I your leave?

He lays his hand on her wrist.

Page – 767

ISHANY (sullenly)

You take it in these hills
Before the asking, as it seems.

(throwing away her dagger)

Away,
Thou useless helper.

PRITHURAJ

Very useless, maiden.
When help is needed, ask it of my sword.

ISHANY

You play the courteous brigand. I shall need
No help to cast myself out of the reach
Of villains' courtesies.

PRITHURAJ (lifting her in his arms)

'Tis not so easy.
Must I then teach you you're a prisoner?
Come, be more patient. You shall yet be glad
Of the sweet violence today we do you.

He carries her out.

SUNGRAM

Must we follow in the same order ?

NIRMOL CUMARY

By your leave, no. I turn eleven stone or thereabouts.

SUNGRAM

I will not easily believe it. Will you suffer me to test the measure ?

NIRMOL CUMARY

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

SUNGRAM

Why, take me for brother Balaram then. Is not your name Revaty?

NIRMOL CUMARY

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