Page 136 - NEW_English_Spring 7

‘Yes, I saw them, Amma,’ he said. ‘They spoke to me. They were following some soldiers
who were going to join Tantia Tope. Father and Rajbir are there.’

‘I wish we had news,’ his mother said.

‘Yes Amma, it is hard to live without news. First to face our folk and then to face the
English. I told our people but I did not tell the English. They did not know that I cannot
see. Oh Amma, is there nothing I can do?’

That night Sukhram could not sleep. It seemed as if by not sleeping, by suffering, by
thinking, he could help the others. So, he built up a battle in his head—by the feel of the
sweating necks, imagining of horses, by the sound of rifle bolts, the crackle of shots, the

sound of hooves, and the rattle of chains. Suddenly he sprang up. ‘Amma, Amma,’ he
shouted. ‘I have had a dream. It is my brother on horseback. He is riding hard.’ He ran to
his mother. He felt her sitting up in bed. ‘The gun,’ he said, ‘get me
the gun!’

She pushed the rifle into his hand. He opened the bolt and
closed it. The cartridge slid into the breach.

He found the door and opened it. The
approaching horse had not slowed down.

‘Light the lamp,’ Sukhram said.
‘Then come and stand beside
me.’

He stood in the middle of the
doorway. His bare feet gripped
the stone floor. His gun was

held across him, ready to raise.

‘Stop or I shoot,’ he shouted. ‘It is
Rajbir’s horse, but it might not be Rajbir,’ he thought.
‘Sukhram—Sukhram, what are you doing with the gun?’ It was Rajbir.

‘What is it, Rajbir?’ his mother asked.

‘Amma, I have no time to explain. I have come to fetch Sukhram. Tantia Tope needs him.’

‘Tantia Tope? You are taking Sukhram to the war? What can Sukhram do?’

‘Yes. What can I do?’ Sukhram asked.

‘I’ll tell you on the way. Come here.’
bolts: sound of the locking/unlocking
Sukhram went towards the horse and felt for his brother’s action of a gun
leg. He held the stirrup with one hand and put his foot breach: a gap
stirrup: loop on each side of a horse’s
into it. His brother had his left hand. He was up. saddle

136