1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net

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