Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-25
CHAPTER VII.
In the Temple Of Vishnu.


the crowd of dark. threatening faces. He
patience, anger or fear. In his left hand
he carried a riding whip. but he made no
use of 1t except as an encouragement to
his well trained charger, whose nose and
broad breast forced passage, like ship
through the waves of a turbulent sea. al d
otherwise he was absolutely unarmed. A
spectator ignorant of the truth might
have taken him for an officer riding out
on some ordinary duty, so little d,l the
weight and seriousness of his real ezra nd
appear written on the strong face be-
meath the shadow Of the helmet.
There was no opposition to his progress.
His keen eyes noticed as he passed out
of the residential quarter that. "n the
contrary. the crowd formed a sort OF dis
ordered escort, which Surged rest;cssly
but silently about him. One man even
laid hold upon his hanging bride and led
the horse through the less dense pas
Sages: but the action was not g. friendly
one. and though no threats were uttered
Nicholson read a passionate bitterness
and distrust upon the faces that thrust
themselves across his path or sprang up
unexpectedly at his knee. For the most
part they were men well known to him
by sight. They belonged to q working
caste whose circles had supplied Nehal
Singh with his best workmen. though
here and there Nicholson caught sight of
the turbaned head of a small merchant
or the naked body of yogi.
1t was a significant fact that the worst
of Maruts population-the beggars.
thieves and vagrants-was mostly lack
ing. These men were the hope upon
which Nehal Singh had built his Utopia,
the Industrious. intelligent minority, and
these were they whom he was now call
ing about him by the power Of personality
and superstition. Nicholson knew enough
of the Hindu character to he we'll aware
that 1t was not the loss OF employment
nor of their small savings which had
brought them together and put their
knives I'm their hands ready to strike. The
Hindu accepts misfortune with the Ian
guild stoicism OF the fatalist; injury and
wrong rarely rouse him, especially. as in
this case. when 1t comes too indirectly
for him to trace the real fnjurer. But to
touch his religion Is to touch the inner
most sanctuary of his being. where are
stored the hidden fires of fanatic energy.
hatred and reckless courage. And Nehal
Singh was their religion, their Messiah.
the Avatar for whose coming their whole
nation waited. Hitherto he had led them
in peace and they had followed, though
other influences had been at work.
Even in this moment he still controlled
them. Nicholson felt that strong, I'M
seen hand held the crowd in that strange
silence beneath which rumbled and
SIOdncu TIE STOWiHS StOTIll. TIC lldu seen
dark hands finger the unsheathed knives;
he had seen them reluctantly fall away.
The hour had not yet come. Nehal Singh
waited. For what? For him? The idea
seemed absurd. and vet. as Nicholson felt
himself being swept on, II took stronger
hold upon his mind. and his faint hope of
success revived. He believed that. once
face to face with the prince, he would be
able to check the headlong disaster which
was bearing down upon them ALL They
@ itN nnIrv, nvaY1-
edged way Nehal Singh would listen to
him. He would be made to understand
that one adventurer and one heartless
woman do not make nation: that the
injury done him was far from irTeparable
A low exclamation close at hand reused
him from his rapid considerations. He
saw that the man who had hold Of his
horses bride had turned and with one
outstretched hand was pointing over the
heads of the crowd
Look, sahib look"'
Nicholson glanced in the direction indi-
Gated. They We're passing the site Of the
old bazaar. now a black. SCARED waste
OF machinery and disemboweled earth,
Nicholson remembered wildly the day he
had ridden there at Nehal Singh's side.
A breathless. eager humanity had worked
and shaved beneath the scorching sun, re-
doubling every effort as the fine COM
manding presence Of the young ruler ap-
peared among them. Then the clank Of
busy machinery had mingled with the
shouted orders Of the English overseers,
and Nehal Singh had turned to him with
grave pride and happiness.
See what your people have taught my
people," he said. ''They have taught
them to seek their bread from the earth
and to leave their dreams. This is only
the beginning. The time shall come when
they shall stand shoulder to shoulder with
their white brethren!'
How had the pQJ1ino nrOnhecv
been fulfilled The native at Nicholson's
side pointed finger of scorn and anger
at the silent. ruined waste.
"DeviIEnglish devilr' he said. la
conically, and continued on his way.
Nicholsons lips frightened. His own
words came back to him with a new sig
nificance: In strange country no one
is an exception" This Travers. this one
INSCRIPTIONS fortune hunter. needless of
everything save his own advancement,
had branded them all. He had undone,
with the help of needless woman, the
work Of generations Of heroic, honest Ia
Dor. Truly the chain Of individual re-
sponsibility is a long one.
Nicholson had left Col Carmichaers
bungalow at II O'Clock. The increasing
crowd and Stafford's prolonged absence
had urged him to instant and Independent
action. In the best of cases he had little
faith in the brother officers secret mis-
sion. Stafford was not the man to exert
any influence over the native mind. He
was the type of the capable and we'll
meaning English officer who. excellent
leader in his own country. is of small use
when face to face with Indian problems
of character and prejudice. Nicholson
had judged himself the better advocate
and having obtained the colonels reluc-
tant permission, he had at once started
for the royal palace. But his progress had
been painfully slow and he had made no
effort to hurry.
Any sign of anxiety or excitement
would have looked like fear to the sus-
picious. hate-filled eyes of the men who
swarmed about him, and whatever else
happened, they should not see an Eng
lishman afraid. The knowledge that he
rode there alone, the representative OF his
nation, added a greater dignity, a greater
firmness to his already calm and upright
bearing. 1t was no new situation for him
1t is never an exceptional situation in a
country where Englishmen are always in
the minority-and 1t inspired him. as it
had always done since his earliest lieu
tenant days. He knew that as he acted
looked and spoke, so would the image Of
his country be stamped upon the minds
of a hundred thousand and their chill
dren's children. There was no vanity, no
self-importance in this conception OF his
duty. 1t was stern, unbending accept
ance of his responsibility: and as in the
lonely fort upon the frontier. where he
month. over wild. antagonistic races, SO
now. unarmed and unprotected, he domi
mated over the fanatic rabbie by the pure
force Of a complete personality He was
TO all intents and purposes their prisoner,
but he rode there as their conqueror: and
that most splendid triumph Of all tri-
umphs-the unseen victory Of will over
Whitfield him with new confidence and
hope.