The Tremendous Adventures of Major GahaganThackeray, William Makepeace
History
The Tremendous Adventures of Major Gahagan
Thackeray, William Makepeace
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction
“He trembles! he turns pale,” shouted out Bobbachy Bahawder,
ferociously exulting over his conquered enemy.
“Dog!” shouted I—(I was sitting with my head to the donkey’s tail, and
so looked the Bobbachy full in the face)—“not so pale as you looked
when I felled you with this arm—not so pale as your women looked when I
entered your harem!” Completely chop-fallen, the Indian ruffian was
silent: at any rate, I had done for _him_.
We arrived at the place of execution. A stake, a couple of feet thick
and eight high, was driven in the grass: round the stake, about seven
feet from the ground, was an iron ring, to which were attached two
fetters; in these my wrists were placed. Two or three executioners
stood near, with strange-looking instruments: others were blowing at a
fire, over which was a cauldron, and in the embers were stuck prongs
and other instruments of iron.
The crier came forward and read my sentence. It was the same in effect
as that which had been hinted to me the day previous by the Grand
Vizier. I confess I was too agitated to catch every word that was
spoken.
Holkar himself, on a tall dromedary, was at a little distance. The
Grand Vizier came up to me—it was his duty to stand by, and see the
punishment performed. “It is yet time!” said he.
I nodded my head, but did not answer.
The Vizier cast up to heaven a look of inexpressible anguish, and with
a voice choking with emotion, said, “_Executioner—do—your—duty!_”
The horrid man advanced—he whispered sulkily in the ears of the Grand
Vizier, “_Guggly ka ghee, hum khedgeree_,” said he, “_the oil does not
boil yet_—wait one minute.” The assistants blew, the fire blazed, the
oil was heated. The Vizier drew a few feet aside: taking a large ladle
full of the boiling liquid, he advanced -
“Whish! bang, bang! pop!” the executioner was dead at my feet, shot
through the head; the ladle of scalding oil had been dashed in the face
of the unhappy Grand Vizier, who lay on the plain, howling. “Whish!
bang! pop! Hurrah!—charge!—forwards!—cut them down!—no quarter!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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