"None shall take the Prince's life,—the tiger must be caged alive."
The Prince could hear no more. Osman Khan had spoken these words.
The Prince's arms relaxed and hung loosely down; from his grasp, his sword fell down with a clang. He fell senseless over the body of a Pathan slain by him.
Some twenty Pathans rushed to rob the gem which crested the Prince's turban, but Osman Khan said in a voice of thunder,
"Don't touch the Prince, on peril of your lives."
All desisted. Osman Khan and another soldier took up the Prince and laid him on the couch. It was a moment before that Jagat Singha indulged in the fond hope of one day sitting on that couch in company with Tilottama after their nuptials. That couch now became his bed of arrows (Sarasayyá).[1]
After setting down Jagat Singha, Osman enquired,
"Where are the women?"
Osman did not see Bimala and Tilottama. When the soldiers rushed into the room the second time, she read the future; and finding no other means, had hidden herself with Tilottama under the couch.
"Where are the women?" said Osman not finding them. "Search through the castle. The attendant woman is fearfully clever; and I shall be ill at ease should she escape. But have a care. Let no rudeness be shown to Virendra's daughter."
Some of the soldiers went to the other parts of the castle: one or two began to look about the room. After searching
- ↑ It is a classical image.
