1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net
1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net 1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net
78 A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR in her drawn and suffering face; besides, he had heard something of the treatment she had received from the little herd to whom the girl had shown many kindnesses, and who had been truly shocked to see her bound and ill-treated as she had been the morning she had wriggled down the stairs in terror at being deserted and left to starve. “I owe you no payment except one that you shall not fail to receive in him,” the injured father had said. “I would shoot you now, here, in cold blood, traitor that you are, but that is the reward due to a soldier, and a man – and not to such as you. But mark my words, it may be long in coming, but your fate is sealed. You shall not die in your bed.” The girl was weak and weary. Not so weary, however, but that, b y putting her foot on her father’s, she could mount his horse and ride home behind him. CHAPTER XV A WARNING DREAM IT was a wild rainy night. Black clouds were tearing across the sky running races with one another, so it seemed, to see which would first reach and cover over the moon, which, on her part, kept making the most valiant efforts to remain unhidden, and light up the sad world on which she was trying to shed her soothing rays. Generally, she was
79 A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR over-mastered, but every now and then her smiling face revealed itself, making her brightness the more apparent after her temporary seclusion. The village among the Hazara hills was wrapt in sleep. Not a sound was to be heard, save the rushing of the might y wind as it sought out every nook and corner, and blew its piercing blast through ever y crevice. Suddenly Ghulam Hossain was startled from his slumbers. A shadow differing from those cast by the clouds had fallen across his pillow, and even in his sleep this keen mountaineer knew the difference. He sat up hastily, at the same time feeling fo r his gun, which la y beside him, then realised that it was Gul Begum who stood beside him. “Get up, get up quickly, father,” she said impetuously; “take the boy at once and fly.” Ghu lam Hossain jumped up and felt for his pistols and his knife. The y were all in place, just as his gun had been. “What is it? Who is there?” he asked eagerly. “I don’t know. I have not seen nor heard, but hasten – hasten – fly to the mountains while there is time. There is no good trying to fight. You have not time to call even such men as are left in the village to arms. I have had a dream.” Ghu lam Hossain sat down again, replaced his gun and sighed, but Gul Begum hurried on, half pulling him up again on to his feet as she spoke. “Oh, it is no joke. Don’t be too proud to heed, father. Take the warning that has been sent. I dreamt there was a storm – Hark! do you hear it raging? Just such a storm as this that shut out all other sounds. Then suddenly I heard a sound of crackling through the storm, and knew that the place was on fire, and then I felt the flames first on my face and then all over me, such a scorching fire that I cried out for very pain, and started up and roused you and told you to fly, but you were sound asleep, and when you woke, you heard only the storm and no t the crackling of the fire, and would not heed me at first, but sat smiling there, just as you are smiling now. Then suddenly you heard the roar of the fire, far above that of the storm, and you rose hastily and took the boy. Hark! what is that?” Ghu lam Hossain was on his feet in an instant; he too had heard something, and seizing his gun, stood listening, then wakened the boy that lay beside him. “Horses’ hoofs at midnight,” he murmured, and was going towards the door. “No, by the roof, father, b y the roof across the shed, that is your only chance. That’s how I saw it in my dream. Fly! fly! they are
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78<br />
A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR<br />
in her drawn and suffering face; besides, he had heard something of the<br />
treatment she had received from the little herd to whom the girl had<br />
shown many kindnesses, and who had been truly shocked to see her<br />
bound and ill-treated as she had been the morning she had wriggled<br />
down the stairs in terror at being deserted and left to starve.<br />
“I owe you no payment except one that you shall not fail to receive in<br />
him,” the injured father had said. “I would shoot you now, here, in cold<br />
blood, traitor that you are, but that is the reward due to a soldier, and a<br />
man – and not to such as you. But mark my words, it may be long in<br />
coming, but your fate is sealed. You shall not die in your bed.”<br />
The girl was weak and weary. Not so weary, however, but that, b y<br />
putting her foot on her father’s, she could mount his horse and ride<br />
home behind him.<br />
CHAPTER XV<br />
A WARNING DREAM<br />
IT was a wild rainy night. Black clouds were tearing across the sky<br />
running races with one another, so it seemed, to see which would first<br />
reach and cover over the moon, which, on her part, kept making the<br />
most valiant efforts to remain unhidden, and light up the sad world on<br />
which she was trying to shed her soothing rays. Generally, she was
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