He wanted neither lands nor riches, but
Demanded Chandra and her lord alive.
And news of instant war had travelled far
And wide, the princes and the chieftains poured
Their loyal forces, ready to avenge
Their Moslem foes, who, for no cause, thus dared
Their city to invade so suddenly.
And Timma hastened with his wife at last,
And was with joy received by all, who lost
All hopes of ever seeing them alive.
And soon a council in the royal hall
Was held, to name a leader and decide
How best to strike at once th' advancing foes.
Many felt proud by Timma to be led
To victory in the field or glorious death,
And many too in that assembly said
That Bukka should not join their Hindu ranks,
For he would, in the midst of battle, join
The Moslem ranks and surely bring defeat
And ruin too upon their agèd king,
The noble Ramaraj of Vijiapore,
And cause their ancient kingdom's overthrow.
But said one counted high for wisdom there:
"_Do good, and so chide him that evil does_,
Is the oft-quoted saying of our true
And ancient faith, and this is but the war
For mastery 'tween different creeds and faiths,
And hence let Bukka forthwith come to fight
Against the common foes, who thus combined
To mar our ancient faith and change our lives,