Page:True Tales of Indian Life - Dwijendra Nath Neogi.pdf/17

Rh risk his all—even life if need be—to wipe out this insult to his father and at the same time frustrate the tyrant in his unholy purpose. Anxious not to associate anyone with him in an enterprise which he thought could only end in death, he set out for the Moghul capital alone and without a word to anyone.

On his way he met an old Shikh carter and his son, both of whom knew him and had also heard of his father's cruel death, and the still more cruel fate to which the body was destined. These poor men were loyal and devoted followers of the guru, and it was not long before they divined the purpose his young son had in proceeding to Delhi, which was, at the time, a veritable death-trap to all Shikhs. Foreseeing the great danger to which Gurugovinda was about to expose himself, the old Shikh reasoned with him thus: "I implore you, my holy one, not to go to Delhi except at the head of an army of your valiant Shikhs, to avenge the death of your father and our leader. But as there is now no time for that, we beg of you to remain here and let us go in your stead. Do not forget that you are now the only hope and stay of a whole nation. We beseech you not to risk your life, nay, throw it away as surely as one who stabs himself through the heart of set purpose."

The youth was at length prevailed upon by these and other arguments to return home, leaving to the carter and his son the hazardous enterprise which he had undertaken. Straightway the father and son turned their bullocks' heads towards the imperial city, and after a journey of some days reached it. Then, disguising themselves as Mussalmans, they entered it at nightfall. Wishing to attract as little attention