1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net

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A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR
dismounting, they will soon be in the yard, and you will be lost. You
would be but one man against perhaps hundreds.”
She rushed to the door and fastened it, then dragged a heavy chest that
at other times she could hardly have moved, and placed it across to
obstruct the entrance of any one from without, and so gain time. Her
father had taken the warning and was gone, carrying the boy with him.
“Here, open the door!” a rough voice called out, a few minutes later.
“Ho! there, are you all asleep?”
“Who’s there at this time of night, making so much noise?” the girl
said sleepily. “You can’t come in unless” – correcting herself hurriedly
– “there is anything wrong and you want something.”
“Aye, we do want something, and that something we will have; and, if
you don’t open to us quickly, we’ll pull down your house over your
heads and bury you in its ruins. Do you understand me?” and he
commenced hammering at the doo r with the butt end of his gun.
“You must wait a moment,” the girl called out entreatingly, “and don’t
make all that noise, you’ll wake the children, the y are asleep inside. If
you will be patient till I have fastened on my clothes I’ll call my
mother and we’ll move a great box that we pull across the door to
protect us at night. There is no need to force your way in, I’ll open as
soon as I can. Here, mother, help, there is some one at the door who
seeks admittance; help me with this chest.”
“Who is it?” asked the woman coming in, “and what’s the box doing
there? and where’s your –“
Gul Begum had seized her mother’s arm, and placed her finger on her
lips to command silence. Again, the same man outside began knocking
with his gun, and another made a great rush at the door, thinking, with
his whole weight, to push it in. But the door was of teak wood, and
Ghu lam Hossain had seen to the fixing of it himself.
“Wait, wait,” she said, “we are moving the chest, but it is very heavy;
when I have pushed it aside a little I will open the door so that you can
slip your hand through and help us from outside. But who are you who
come forcing your way in at night instead of seeking admittance in the
daylight?”
“We’ll tell you our business when we get in,” the same voice went on.
“Make haste and move that chest. What do you mean b y putting lumber
before the door in this way?”
“My father saw it put there before he went away,” the girl said quietly.
“He has it put there for our protection in case any one should try to
molest us in his absence.”