SCENE V

In the forest.
Pratap, Ruttan and Rajpoots.

OUTSIDE

Bappa! Bappa! Ho, Sheva Ekling!

An arrow descends and a Rajpoot/alls.

RUTTAN

Still upwards!

ICHALGURH

Upwards still! Death on the height
Seats crowned to meet us', downwards is to dishonour
And that's no Rajpoot movement. Brother Ruttan,
We're strangled with a noose intangible.
O my brave Rajpoots, by my headlong folly
Led to an evil death!

RUTTAN

What is this weakness,
Chouhan of famous Ichalgurh ? Remember
Thyself, my brother. But a little more
And we have reached their wasps'-nest on the hills.

ICHALGURH

Not one alive.

Another arrow. A Rajpoot falls.

RUTTAN

I ask no better fate
Brother, than at thy side however slain,
Victorious or defeated.

ICHALGURH

We have acted

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Like heedless children, thinking we had to stamp

Our armoured heel on a mere swarm and rabble,

But find ourselves at grip with skilful fighters

And a great brain of war. Safe under cover

They pick us off; we battle blindly forwards

Without objective, smiting at the wind,

Stumbling as in a nightmare and transfixed

Ignobly by a foe invisible

Our falchions cannot reach, — like crows, like jackals,

Not like brave men and battle-famous warriors.

RUTTAN

Still on!

ICHALGURH

Yes, on, till the last man falls pierced
Upon the threshold that immures the sweetness
We could not save. Forward the Chouhan!

Enter Kodal.

KODAL

Halt!

A parley!

ICHALGURH

Speak, but talk not of surrender.

KODAL

'Tis that I'll talk of. I am Bappa's mouthpiece.
Rajpoots, you're quite surrounded. If we choose,
Our arrows buzzing through your brains can end you
In five swift minutes. Lay then at Bappa's feet
Your humble heads; else like mad dogs be skewered
And yelp your lives out.

ICHALGURH

Return unpunished; the name

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Of envoy guards thy barbarous insolence.

Enter Sungram.

SUNGRAM

You speak too insolently your message, Kodal.
Chouhan of Ichalgurh, thou art too great
To die thus butchered. We demand a parley
For courteous equal terms, not base surrender.

ICHALGURH

Thou art a Rajpoot; dost thou lead these arrows?

SUNGRAM

I lead the shafts that wear thee out; another
Surrounds the Scythian; but we are the hands
Of one more godlike brain.

ICHALGURH

With him I'll parley.

SUNGRAM

"Tis well. Go, Kodal, learn our chieftain's will.

Exit Kodal.

ICHALGURH

Young man, thou hast a Rajpoot form and bearing,

Yet herd'st with the wild forest tribes, remote

From arms and culture. Dost thou hide thy name too ?

SUNGRAM

I am a Chouhan like thyself, of birth
As princely. Ask the warriors of Ajmere
Who valiant Martund was; his sons are we,
Sungram and Prithuraj.

ICHALGURH

O youth, thy father

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Was my great pattern and my guide in war.
Brother and enemy, embrace me.

They embrace.

Sungram,
Who is thy captain? For the sons of Martund
Serve not a Bheel.

SUNGRAM

Thine eyes shall answer thee.

Enter Bappa and Kodal.

ICHALGURH

A noble-featured-youth! What son of Kings
Lives secret in these rugged hills ?

BAPPA

Chouhan
Of famous Ichalgurh, now if I'm slain
In battle, I can tell the dead I've seen thee,
Thou god of war. O let there be no hatred,
Hero, between us, but only faith.

ICHALGURH

Young chieftain,
Thou bear'st a godlike semblance, but thy deeds
Are less than noble. Hast thou not seized a princess
By robber violence, forced her with thee
To thy rude lair and threatenest her sweet body
With shameful mastery?

BAPPA

We are warriors, Rajpoot;

Two ways of mating only fit for us,

By mutual sweet attraction undented

To grow to oneness as they do in heaven,

Or else with lion leap to seize our bride

And pluck her from the strong protecting spears

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Taking her heart by violence. We mate not
Like castes unwarlike, from a father's hand
Drawing an innocent wide-eyed wondering child
Like cattle given or sold. This was the way
Of Rajpoots long before the earth grew aged;

And shall a Rajpoot blame it? Wherefore then rod'st thou
Clanging last morn from Ichalgurh in arms,
Pratap the Chouhan ?

ICHALGURH

Chieftain, I am pledged
To save the girl from thee.

BAPPA

But canst redeem
The vow with thy dead body only. Hero,
I too am sworn to keep her 'gainst the world.
Let us in the high knightly way decide it.
Deign to cross swords with me and let the victor
Possess the maiden.

ICHALGURH

O thou springing stem
That surely yet will rise to meet the sun!
Agreed. Let no man intervene betwixt us.

BAPPA
Kodal, restrain thy Bheels.

Exit Kodal. They fight.

RUTTAN

Bold is thy chieftain
To match his boyish arm against my brother!

SUNGRAM

He is a mighty warrior, but not age
Nor bulk can measure strength; the exultant spirit

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Facing towards glory gives the arm a force
Mightier than physical. He's down.

Ichalgurh falls wounded.

RUTTAN

Great Ichalgurh!
Who is this godlike combatant?

BAPPA

Surrender

My princess, Chouhan.

ICHALGURH

Thou hast her who deserv'st
Much more than her.

He rises.

Young hero who in thy first battle o'erbear'st
Maturer victors! Know Pratap the Chouhan
Unalterably thy friend. When thou shalt ask
My sword, 'tis thine.

BAPPA

Thou'rt wounded ?

ICHALGURH (binding his wound)

I have been worse
And ridden far to meet the foe. Another day
We'll share one rocky pillow on the hills
And talk of battles.

BAPPA

Pratap, I could but offer
A rude and hill-side hospitality.
But when I hold my court in mighty Edur
I will absolve thy morning's debt.

Enter Captain.

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ICHALGURH

Farewell.

BAPPA

Escort him, friend.

Exeunt Sungram, Ichalgurh, Ruttan and Rajpoots.

How speeds the battle; comrade,
There with the Scythians ?

CAPTAIN

It is finished, prince.
They fell in slaughtered heaps.

BAPPA

Prince Toraman?

CAPTAIN

Lay flat and bellowed. We'ld have taken him,

But Prithuraj, mad for the joy of battle,

Leaped on their foremost; while he hewed them down,

Like an untiring woodman, one giant Scythian

Crashing through bush and boulder hurled himself

Out of thy net; with him a loyal handful

Carried this Toraman.

Enter Prithuraj.

PRITHURAJ

Pardon my error,

Bappa.

BAPPA

It was a noble fault, my soldier.
We have done all we hoped. The amorous Scythian
Will not return in haste mid our green hills
To woo a Rajpoot maiden. Let us go.
I wonder when great Edur moves upon us.
I long to hear his war assail our mountains.

Exeunt.

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