Of the Elephant Train, and What Met Them at the Trees
The papers covering this period find the Collective newly arrived at Bombay, their sea voyage behind them and the business of the subcontinent pressing in on all sides.
After high-tea, G&T, and some discussion in the shaded courtyard of the Esplanade Hotel, the party decided to accompany Captain Leighton to the Bombay Club, where he was to meet his superior in the Political Department, Colonel Charles Radclyffe.
At the Bombay Club
At the club they learned that there had been reports of active dacoits on the roads north of Bombay. Colonel Radclyffe was also embarrassed to admit that some decommissioned Snider-Enfields had gone missing from the Bombay Magazine, and that these needed to be recovered if possible. Naturally he wanted this done discreetly due to potential damage to British prestige, particularly as the arms had been promised to some princely states. The Colonel also confirmed that the respected Subedar Vikram Shirke was absent without leave, and should be found and court-martialled. The Captain asked if anything had been heard from Colonel Montgomery, who had been house-sitting the Captain's bungalow, and Radclyffe confirmed he had not heard from Montgomery in weeks. This news only stiffened Arbuthnott's resolve to travel to Leighton's bungalow as soon as was feasible, even if that involved travelling on the Sabbath. The Captain said he would see to arrangements β an elephant train was agreed to be the most sensible mode.
Preparations at the Esplanade
The party got their affairs in order β the Professor having established a rapport with one of the many attentive servants at the Hotel β the superlative Gopa β who arranged for a darzi to take the measurements of the Professor, and prepare him a safari suit, some pyjamas, jodhpurs and a native kurta. Sergeant Tomlinson, seeing the wisdom in this, and indeed the thriftiness of it, asked Gopa and the darzi to take his measurements too. Soon, there were many of the more progressive guests at the Esplanade doing the same.
Archibald, disappointed not to have seen Birdie since disembarkation, left a note asking for the pleasure of her company after breakfast the following morning. Captain Leighton decided to forego his intent to take his beau Miss Cunningham and her mother Elvira along with him to his bungalow. The talk of dacoity and the fact that his valet Akshan had not joined them at the quayside β and Colonel Montgomery not being seen or heard from β reinforced his protective instincts. The Captain expressed hope to see Emily before she traveled to her father's station in Calcutta.
Sandy decided to leave Spencer in the Esplanade Hotel while the rest of the party traveled north. Spencer would keep hold of the artefacts and papers the party had gathered since the death of the 10th Viscount of Arbuthnott and his entire Vigilance Committee at the Ghost Station Massacre. He would also look after Samson, who was struggling somewhat to acclimatise.
Unfortunately for Archie, Birdie had to disappoint him β she was viewing rooms in the Fort district of Bombay. The more worldly of the men had their suspicions as to the implications of this, and the Professor strongly advised his friend not to tell Miss Robinson where they were heading, in case this news travelled into less desirable company.
The Elephant Train
After Sunday breakfast the party travelled by tonga to the native barracks, where a section of Sepoys awaited them, along with three elephants: Kandula, Mammo, and Abbas; and their mahouts: Taahid, Mohan, and Rehman. The Captain, his Lordship, and Amin would travel on Kandula, while the Professor and Sergeant Tomlinson would travel with Mohan on Mammo. The baggage would be transported on Abbas.
The thrill of the elephant ride was tempered a little by the threat of dacoits, but either the news was over-egged, or the elephants and military escort were enough to deter any attempts, as the two-day journey passed without molestation. Archie and Caractacus were lucky enough to spot a cobra curled in one of the overhanging trees, and instructed Mohan to avoid it. Amin spotted a leopard watching them from the trees β the Captain thought about taking a potshot but Amin persuaded him otherwise.
The party passed a village on the way to the bungalow, a goat tied to a stick in the middle of the cluster of huts, which the monsoon surely must wash away each year. First-time travellers to India were struck by the extreme poverty of the villagers. Doe-eyed children stared as the Feringhees and their escort passed, for only Sahibs and Rajas travel by elephant.
The Approach
As the party approached the location of the bungalow, Archie and the Captain spotted the body of a beaten and butchered native. There was a noise of someone β or something β crashing through the jungle toward them. Those with firearms levelled them. A terrified figure, bleeding profusely, broke from the trees and collapsed to the ground, yammering something to the Sepoys in Hindi, which the Professor was able to ascertain something of. The poor Indian kept screaming two words: 'Hazaar Jawaan! Hazaar Jawaan!' β the Thousand Young! The Captain leapt to the ground, followed by his Lordship, Amin, and Archie. Seeing that there were Angrezi Sahibs present, the bleeding man spoke some English before passing out: 'The Colonel-Sahib needs help. We are under attack for weeks. Many come. The Black Goatβ¦' Sergeant Tomlinson provided some swift bandaging to his wounds to prevent him dying at their feet. The Captain ordered the Sepoys into the trees, while he attempted to pick up the dying native to follow them. The Professor, perhaps wisely, had remained on the elephant.
These papers extend to Tuesday, the fourteenth of November, 1893; the party arrived at the approaches to Captain Leighton's bungalow, the jungle close about them and the nature of what awaits as yet unknown.
β The Editor