Chapter Forty Eight.As soon as I could drag my eyes from Ny Deen’s mocking gaze, I looked round sharply for Dost, and a chill ran through me as I failed to see him. For the moment I hesitated to speak, in the hope that he might have escaped, and inquiries might only lead to his pursuit; but it was such a forlorn hope that I gave it up at once, and turned to speak to the rajah.“Where is my servant?” I said. “Salaman?” he replied. “No, no; my old servant, Dost.”“The man who was with you just now?”“Yes,” I cried.“I do not know,” replied Ny Deen. “I suppose killed, as the result of his rashness.”I gave him a glance full of horror, and then looked round at the crowd of armed men so fiercely, that the rajah spoke.“Where is the man,” he said. There was a dead silence, which I interpreted to mean that he had been killed.The rajah took a step or two forward, glaring round so savagely that one of the men who had seized us prostrated himself.“You have killed him?” said Ny Deen, in a low guttural voice, which made me shiver.“My lord, no. The man was seized, and in the fight he fell, and we thought him dead, for he was bleeding. Then we held the English lord here, and when we went to pick up the man, he was gone.”“Then he has escaped?”The man remained silent, and Ny Deen turned to me with his eyes full of mockery and a strange light, as they flashed in the glare of the torches.“Well,” he said, “are you satisfied?”“Yes,” I replied, “if it is true.”“It is true enough,” he said carelessly. “Come.”He signed to me to approach his side, and to my surprise, instead of my being led off as a prisoner, the rajah laid his hand upon my shoulder, and walked by me as if nothing had happened, right back to my room, when he threw himself upon the cushions and laughed.“You foolish boy!” he said good-humouredly; “how could you be so weak as to commit such a folly. I am angry with you, not for offending me, for I suppose it was natural, but for lowering yourself so before my people, forcing me to have you—the man I meant to be my chief officer—hunted like an escaping prisoner. You might have been killed in your mad climbing, or by my people by accident in a struggle. That man came and tempted you to go?”“I wanted no tempting,” I replied.“It is a pity,” he said, after a moment’s pause. “You degraded yourself, and you lowered me before my people.”“I want my liberty,” I cried angrily.“Well, boy, I offer you liberty,” he said quietly; “liberty and honour. I only stand in your way when I see that, in a blind madness, you are going to rush headlong to destruction. You do not know; I do.”I was silent.“Where would you have gone to-night,” he said, “supposing that you had not fallen and killed yourself, or been cut down by my guards?”“To my friends.”“You have no friends,” he said sternly. “You would have escaped, perhaps, to the wild country or the forest to starve, or to be killed by the wild beasts. No one would give you food, and you would scarcely have found one who would not have sought to slay you as an enemy. You say you would, have fled to your friends. Where are they?”“You should know best,” I said sullenly. “You have been fighting with them.”“Yes,” he cried, with his eyes flashing. “I have been fighting with enemies of my country. I have nothing to hide from you. I will tell you all, so that you may know, and see how mad it is for you to fight against the decrees of fate. Yes, I fought with those you call your friends to-day, and drove them before me till after sundown. My men are following them now to complete the pursuit, scattering them like dead leaves before the blast which heralds the monsoon. You heard the firing?”“Yes,” I said sadly.“And know that it grew more distant as they were beaten off, till they turned and fled. I came back then. I cannot fight with flying foes. It was a mad attempt, a last desperate struggle, just a little flashing up of an expiring fire. By now it is dead, and you will hear of them no more.”We both sprang to our feet, for, as he spoke, there was a crashing volley not far away—a volley such as would be fired only by well-drilled troops—and directly after there was another, followed by a scattered firing, and shouts rising up to a perfect roar.Ny Deen, who looked astounded, made for the door, and in my excitement I followed him; but he thrust me back, and turned to the guard standing beyond the hangings.“Your lives for his!” he thundered to them. “He does not leave this place.”The curtain was thrown between us, and I ran to the open window, to find the court full of troops hurrying here and there, while lights were flashing, and in the midst of the excitement the rattle of distant musketry was on the increase.“Crushed—scattered—where are my friends?” I said aloud. “Why, they are here. It is an attack upon the town!”I felt a little doubt as soon as I had uttered these words; but the longer I listened the more convinced I felt that this must be a surprise, and by degrees matters took their shape in my mind, thus accounting for the apparent ease with which the rajah had scattered his enemies.“It has all been a ruse—a piece of strategy,” I thought. “They have retreated, and drawn Ny Deen’s men right away, so as to weaken him, and now they have got back first, or this is another force.”As I stood at that window, I, for the moment, thought of throwing myself down, but the attempt would have been madness, for the moon was now up nearly full, and helping the torches to flood the place with light which flashed from the tank, and made the fountain resemble molten silver.I gave up the thought at once, for I could see a strong guard were watching my windows, and that I was carefully observed as I sat down and listened to the increasing roar away to my right, where the shouting, cheering, and yelling were mingled strangely with the bursts of firing which grew nearer.I seemed to see the fight going on, and grew more excited moment by moment, as I knew by the sounds exactly how matters progressed. For, as I judged, a body of infantry was fighting its way along a street, and every now and then a sharp volley was heard, followed by a tremendous cheer, which suggested to me that the men fired, and then made a rush forward, driving their enemies back; and then after a short space another volley was fired, followed by a fresh rush, and so on, the fusillade sounding each time nearer.“They are carrying everything before them,” I thought; for though there was plenty of firing in return, it was scattered and desultory, and, even if I could see nothing, I was perfectly sure that the defenders of the town were giving way, though perhaps only to make a more desperate stand as they were driven together.Then all at once my heart leaped, for there was the sound of a gun to my left, in the direction where I believed the great gate stood through which we had entered the town that night.Then another heavy thud came, and another as the guns were brought into action, and their point must be, I felt sure, to batter down the gate, to admit a fresh attacking force, whose duty would be to take the defenders in the rear.The effect on the guards in the court was startling. Several ran to the gateway to question the sentry there eagerly, and then return to their companions.Then came the rattle of musketry from the left, evidently in answer to the firing of the heavy guns which were battering the gates; but it had no effect, for the pieces were being served with the greatest regularity, and I listened eagerly, wondering whether it could be Brace’s troop, and how soon they would open a way for the infantry which I felt sure would be in support.At last I went away from the window, and began to walk excitedly about the room, but only to rush back again, as I heard a fresh volley of musketry in the distance, and on looking out saw a dull glow out over the walls of the palace, a light which grew brighter, and, as it increased, I knew that attackers or defenders had fired some house, the beginning of a work whose end it was impossible to foretell.I shuddered slightly, for I was a prisoner.“Suppose,” I thought, “this place should catch, and I found myself hemmed in!”I looked down at the depth below, and my eyes once more sought the hangings, as I recalled how I had thought of contriving a rope.The fire was increasing fast, the dull glow becoming each minute more vivid, till, when I reached out of the window, I could see orange-tinted clouds rolling up from the direction of the volley firing, whilst the shouting was certainly coming nearer.I felt as if it was impossible to bear this confinement longer, and it was only by forcing myself to dwell upon the varying fortunes of the fight that I was able to contain myself. There, on the one hand, was the attack upon the gate; there, on the other, the advance of the troops through the town, to which they must have obtained entrance by a surprise. And now I longed to be where I could see the varying fortunes of the fight, which at times I thought must be going in another direction.That was only a passing thought, for all at once the firing of the artillery ceased; so did that of the musketry opposed to it, and I listened breathlessly, wondering what was the cause.Had they failed to batter down the gate? and had they limbered up and retired?No; for, as the thought came, there was a sudden crash of musketry, volley after volley, and the incessant scattered firing of the defenders. Then, as I listened, a faint sound of cheering, increasing in loudness, reached my ears, and directly after I felt certain that the gate had been taken.A minute later there was no doubt about it, for I could hear the fighting right and left, and to my great joy, I knew that it must be going against the rajah’s men, who were retiring, and I soon found that the palace was the place for which they were making.First of all, there was a great deal of excitement in the court. Then a sowar came riding in to give orders to the officer in command, and while it was being executed, a gallantly-dressed chief dashed in, shouted some fresh orders, and directly after, quite in confusion, a regiment of sepoys doubled in through the gateway, and were then hurried in at an open doorway, opposite to where I stood watching.They had hardly disappeared before another regiment in better order marched in; and they too passed in through the same door, my doubts as to their object being soon at an end, for I heard them doubling along the roof, evidently manning it as a rampart; while, from a glimpse I caught through an open window, it was evident that the floor on a level with mine was also occupied by troops who were stationed at windows looking out upon the road.Another regiment, and directly after quite a mob of armed men came hurrying through the gateway to occupy every room and window looking outwards, while a strong force partially filled the court, the numbers being rapidly increased as the firing and cheering came nearer.It was all plain enough now; the rajah’s troops were being driven back, and were ordered to make a stand here at the palace, which lent itself well for the purpose, one side being protected by the river, while, as far as I knew, the entrance was only through the gateway, which could easily be blocked and held.“Till Brace came with the guns,” I thought.I had wished to see something of the fight; now I regretted my desire, for I foresaw that there was going to be a desperate struggle. The light of the fire was rapidly increasing, and a very short time had elapsed before there was a sudden rush, and a disorderly mob of fighting men came tearing through the gateway, wild, excited, torn, and yelling furiously.Then, as another volley was fired, I knew that the rajah’s men had been driven in, for a tremendous fire was opened from the roof away to my right, and I could see the smoke rising in a dense cloud.As this firing was kept up, the court gradually grew more packed. I could see mounted men come in, and before long I was able to make out the rajah, as he seemed to be giving orders, which resulted in a body of men rushing into the palace and returning bearing loads, which they piled up within the gateway, forming a breastwork, from behind which the men kept up a furious fire.Outside, the replies had quite ceased, and I found what it meant; the infantry were under cover, and the guns had been ordered up to batter in the gateway, and send its defenders flying before a rush was made.As I gazed down at the dense crowd of fighting men in the court, I shuddered, for, driven to bay as the sepoys were, and with no means of escape when the attack was made, the carnage would be frightful, and all the worse from the fact that the men would rush in and occupy the windows that looked upon the court from whence a sustained fire could be kept up on our men, one which would be frightful.All at once it struck me that perhaps now the doors of my apartments would be unguarded, and I ran to look; but, on drawing aside the hangings, there sat Salaman and four attendants, while behind them were at least twenty well-armed men.I went back, feeling that, whatever happened, these men would be faithful to their duty, though how I was to have got out of the palace and past the crowd of soldiers at every window and door, I had not stopped to think.I again returned to the window from which I had watched before, and stood gazing out at the crowded court where the men had now been reduced to something more like military order, and it was a wonderful sight to see the swarthy faces with their gleaming eyes, and the flashing weapons the men carried. The moon poured down its silver light to mingle strangely with the glare of the torches many of the men bore; while away to my right the burning houses sent a glow of orange so strong that the broad end of the court opposite to me gleamed as if the fire was there as well.It was a terrible pause that, and I knew that before long the attack would come, when the place would either be carried at once or its defenders starved into submission; for, though there was water in abundance, I did not believe there could be food to provide for a garrison.I was thinking all this when a voice behind me made me start, and face round to the speaker.“It is long hours since my lord has eaten,” said Salaman. “Shall I bring in some food?”“Who can eat at a time like this?” I cried; and I signed to him to go, turning back directly after, for I could hear a peculiar rattling sound in the distance which I knew well enough.It was what I had anticipated; they were bringing up the guns.Almost at that moment the firing from the roof recommenced, and was answered from different directions; but it ceased as quickly as it had begun, for all at once there was the dull echoing thud of a six-pounder, and a rush of men from the barricade in the gateway, through which a round shot plunged, striking the edge of the stonework arch, sending down a shower of fragments, in the midst of whose falling the shot struck the wall of the palace on my left, shivering the stonework there.No one attempted to man the barricades again, the task was too perilous, for gun after gun sent its iron messenger ploughing through the archway.As I stood there midway between the gateway and the wall on my left, at right angles to my window, I did not stir, for I knew that though the balls came by within ten feet from where I stood, none was likely to injure me. There was a kind of fascination in listening to the heavy report, and then instantly for the whistling of the ball as, after demolishing a portion of the barricade, it struck the wall with a heavy crash, and sent the splinters of stone flying.Opposite to me were the soldiers, densely packed, forming one side of the lane, down which the balls came plunging. Now and then one was deflected by the part of the barricade it struck, and it flew higher against the wall, or lower so as to touch the paving, and then ricochet; but the work was being thoroughly well done; and as I saw the great gaps made, and the clearance in the gateway, I knew the final attack must come before long.It was much sooner than I expected, for the firing from the roof suddenly blazed out furiously, and it was as if shots were being poured from every window, as a fierce roar literally followed the next shot—a roar of men’s voices, and beating feet, and my heart seemed for a moment to stand still, but then began to bound as I leaned out to watch the struggle, from which I could not have torn myself even to save my life.I could see nothing outside, only hear the coming of men, whose cheering was mingled with many a shriek and groan, as poor fellows dropped under the terrible fire poured down upon them. Then I saw the men within the court running round to defend the gateway; but ere they could fire a shot, there was the flashing of steel, and a little ridge of bristling bayonets appeared; their banners changed hands; the sepoys broke and rushed for the doorway and windows of the inner court; and in a wonderfully short time, so rapidly flowed in the stream of glittering bayonets through the archway, the court was cleared, and the firing came now, as I had expected, from the inner windows and the roof.I heard the orders ring out. “No firing! In with you, lads; the bayonet!” and with a rush, our men leaped in at the door, climbed in at the windows, and as the stream still flowed in through the gateway, the fighting was going on in room after room, and our foot regiment chased the flying sepoys from floor to floor, to finish the deadly strife upon the roof.It was horrible, but through it all there would come the remembrance of the horrors perpetrated by the savage mob and the brutal soldiery. There was a wild fascination about it, too, and I could not turn away, but stood with staring eyes and stunned ears, noting how the fire rapidly ceased, and wild cheering rose as room and roof were cleared.I was standing by the window full of exultation, triumphing in the bravery and daring of the Englishmen, who must have been outnumbered by six to one, when I heard shots close at hand, yells, shouts, and the rush of feet; and the next minute my attendants and guards came backing in, fighting desperately as much in my defence as for their own lives, for they were driven from room to room by half a dozen men of the foot regiment that had stormed the place, and then for the first time I recalled that I was standing there in turbaned helmet and regular Eastern uniform, girt with jewelled belts, and with a magnificent tulwar at my side.“They’ll take me for a Hindu chief,” I thought as, quick as lightning, I snatched out the blade.I was just in time.Half my defenders were down, the others had dropped from the windows in spite of the depth, and two men with levelled bayonets dashed at me.I did not think I could have done it, but I had worked hard at sword practice, and with a parry I turned one bayonet aside, avoided the other with a bound, and sent the man who would have run me through, down on his knees, with a terrible cut across the ear.The others turned upon me, but I had found my tongue.“Halt! Back, you idiots!” I roared. “I am a friend.”“Oh, bedad, an’ I don’t belave ye,” cried one of the party, as the others hesitated; and he held his bayonet to my breast. “Give up yez sword, or I’ll make a cockchafer of ye.”I turned his point, and cut at another man frantically, for they were too much excited to listen to explanations. But in another instant I believe I should have been bayoneted, if there had not been a wild cry, and a dark figure rushed between me and my dangerous friends.“Stop, he’s a sahib,” roared the new-comer, and I saw it was Dost.“Then he’s me prisoner, and that sword’s me loot,” cried the Irishman.“Stand back!” I roared. “I am Lieutenant Vincent, of Captain Brace’s troop.”I took off my helmet as I spoke, and the men were convinced.“Look at that now,” said the Irishman; “jest, too, when I thought I’d got a bit of lovely shpoil.”At that moment there was a rush of feet, and a tall grey officer hurried in, followed by another, and quite a crowd of men.“Have you found him?” cried the tall officer.“Oh, bedad, yis, colonel,” cried the Irishman.“What! the rajah?”“Yis, sor. There he is, only he shwears he’s a liftinant in a troop.”“That!” cried the officer; and then, in a choking voice, “Why, Gil, my boy, is this you?”I could not speak, only cling to him who had a thousand times nursed me in his arms.“Hold up, boy, be a man,” he whispered; but his arms tightened round me. “I thought you were dead, Gil,” he cried excitedly. “But why are you like this?”“I am a prisoner, father,” I said.“But the rajah?” he said excitedly. “Where is he?”“He left here an hour ago to head his men,” I said. “But, father, if you take him, defend him; he has been very good to me.”“Let’s take him first,” cried my father. “Now, my lads, forward! He must be somewhere in the place.”“Three cheers for the colonel’s boy!” cried the Irishman. “Your hanner should have been here a bit sooner to see him foight. Hi, Sam Raggett, get up and show the colonel your ear. You’re not half killed yet.”“Forward!” cried the colonel. Then to the officer with him. “Smith, take charge of my son. A sergeant’s guard, Gil,” he cried from the door. “Take off some of those things. You look like a sepoy chief. It is not safe with the lads like this.”He hurried after his men, and the young officer held out his hand.“Tell me,” I said quickly; “Captain Brace—my troop?”“Yonder, not a hundred yards away,” he said. “Didn’t you hear him speak?”“Yes,” I cried. “Thank Heaven, then, it was he.”“Let’s get out of here,” said my new friend; “but hadn’t you better change your clothes?”“He cannot, sahib,” said a voice behind me. “He has none here.”“Hallo! who are you?” cried the officer.“My servant,” I cried, as I laid my hand on his arm. “Dost, you saved my life.”“And he’ll have to save it again,” cried my new friend, “if we stay here. Come along, and let’s get among our men, for this palace swarms with the enemy yet.”Even as he spoke, a couple of shots rang out, and as they were aimed at us, we rapidly beat a retreat.
As soon as I could drag my eyes from Ny Deen’s mocking gaze, I looked round sharply for Dost, and a chill ran through me as I failed to see him. For the moment I hesitated to speak, in the hope that he might have escaped, and inquiries might only lead to his pursuit; but it was such a forlorn hope that I gave it up at once, and turned to speak to the rajah.
“Where is my servant?” I said. “Salaman?” he replied. “No, no; my old servant, Dost.”
“The man who was with you just now?”
“Yes,” I cried.
“I do not know,” replied Ny Deen. “I suppose killed, as the result of his rashness.”
I gave him a glance full of horror, and then looked round at the crowd of armed men so fiercely, that the rajah spoke.
“Where is the man,” he said. There was a dead silence, which I interpreted to mean that he had been killed.
The rajah took a step or two forward, glaring round so savagely that one of the men who had seized us prostrated himself.
“You have killed him?” said Ny Deen, in a low guttural voice, which made me shiver.
“My lord, no. The man was seized, and in the fight he fell, and we thought him dead, for he was bleeding. Then we held the English lord here, and when we went to pick up the man, he was gone.”
“Then he has escaped?”
The man remained silent, and Ny Deen turned to me with his eyes full of mockery and a strange light, as they flashed in the glare of the torches.
“Well,” he said, “are you satisfied?”
“Yes,” I replied, “if it is true.”
“It is true enough,” he said carelessly. “Come.”
He signed to me to approach his side, and to my surprise, instead of my being led off as a prisoner, the rajah laid his hand upon my shoulder, and walked by me as if nothing had happened, right back to my room, when he threw himself upon the cushions and laughed.
“You foolish boy!” he said good-humouredly; “how could you be so weak as to commit such a folly. I am angry with you, not for offending me, for I suppose it was natural, but for lowering yourself so before my people, forcing me to have you—the man I meant to be my chief officer—hunted like an escaping prisoner. You might have been killed in your mad climbing, or by my people by accident in a struggle. That man came and tempted you to go?”
“I wanted no tempting,” I replied.
“It is a pity,” he said, after a moment’s pause. “You degraded yourself, and you lowered me before my people.”
“I want my liberty,” I cried angrily.
“Well, boy, I offer you liberty,” he said quietly; “liberty and honour. I only stand in your way when I see that, in a blind madness, you are going to rush headlong to destruction. You do not know; I do.”
I was silent.
“Where would you have gone to-night,” he said, “supposing that you had not fallen and killed yourself, or been cut down by my guards?”
“To my friends.”
“You have no friends,” he said sternly. “You would have escaped, perhaps, to the wild country or the forest to starve, or to be killed by the wild beasts. No one would give you food, and you would scarcely have found one who would not have sought to slay you as an enemy. You say you would, have fled to your friends. Where are they?”
“You should know best,” I said sullenly. “You have been fighting with them.”
“Yes,” he cried, with his eyes flashing. “I have been fighting with enemies of my country. I have nothing to hide from you. I will tell you all, so that you may know, and see how mad it is for you to fight against the decrees of fate. Yes, I fought with those you call your friends to-day, and drove them before me till after sundown. My men are following them now to complete the pursuit, scattering them like dead leaves before the blast which heralds the monsoon. You heard the firing?”
“Yes,” I said sadly.
“And know that it grew more distant as they were beaten off, till they turned and fled. I came back then. I cannot fight with flying foes. It was a mad attempt, a last desperate struggle, just a little flashing up of an expiring fire. By now it is dead, and you will hear of them no more.”
We both sprang to our feet, for, as he spoke, there was a crashing volley not far away—a volley such as would be fired only by well-drilled troops—and directly after there was another, followed by a scattered firing, and shouts rising up to a perfect roar.
Ny Deen, who looked astounded, made for the door, and in my excitement I followed him; but he thrust me back, and turned to the guard standing beyond the hangings.
“Your lives for his!” he thundered to them. “He does not leave this place.”
The curtain was thrown between us, and I ran to the open window, to find the court full of troops hurrying here and there, while lights were flashing, and in the midst of the excitement the rattle of distant musketry was on the increase.
“Crushed—scattered—where are my friends?” I said aloud. “Why, they are here. It is an attack upon the town!”
I felt a little doubt as soon as I had uttered these words; but the longer I listened the more convinced I felt that this must be a surprise, and by degrees matters took their shape in my mind, thus accounting for the apparent ease with which the rajah had scattered his enemies.
“It has all been a ruse—a piece of strategy,” I thought. “They have retreated, and drawn Ny Deen’s men right away, so as to weaken him, and now they have got back first, or this is another force.”
As I stood at that window, I, for the moment, thought of throwing myself down, but the attempt would have been madness, for the moon was now up nearly full, and helping the torches to flood the place with light which flashed from the tank, and made the fountain resemble molten silver.
I gave up the thought at once, for I could see a strong guard were watching my windows, and that I was carefully observed as I sat down and listened to the increasing roar away to my right, where the shouting, cheering, and yelling were mingled strangely with the bursts of firing which grew nearer.
I seemed to see the fight going on, and grew more excited moment by moment, as I knew by the sounds exactly how matters progressed. For, as I judged, a body of infantry was fighting its way along a street, and every now and then a sharp volley was heard, followed by a tremendous cheer, which suggested to me that the men fired, and then made a rush forward, driving their enemies back; and then after a short space another volley was fired, followed by a fresh rush, and so on, the fusillade sounding each time nearer.
“They are carrying everything before them,” I thought; for though there was plenty of firing in return, it was scattered and desultory, and, even if I could see nothing, I was perfectly sure that the defenders of the town were giving way, though perhaps only to make a more desperate stand as they were driven together.
Then all at once my heart leaped, for there was the sound of a gun to my left, in the direction where I believed the great gate stood through which we had entered the town that night.
Then another heavy thud came, and another as the guns were brought into action, and their point must be, I felt sure, to batter down the gate, to admit a fresh attacking force, whose duty would be to take the defenders in the rear.
The effect on the guards in the court was startling. Several ran to the gateway to question the sentry there eagerly, and then return to their companions.
Then came the rattle of musketry from the left, evidently in answer to the firing of the heavy guns which were battering the gates; but it had no effect, for the pieces were being served with the greatest regularity, and I listened eagerly, wondering whether it could be Brace’s troop, and how soon they would open a way for the infantry which I felt sure would be in support.
At last I went away from the window, and began to walk excitedly about the room, but only to rush back again, as I heard a fresh volley of musketry in the distance, and on looking out saw a dull glow out over the walls of the palace, a light which grew brighter, and, as it increased, I knew that attackers or defenders had fired some house, the beginning of a work whose end it was impossible to foretell.
I shuddered slightly, for I was a prisoner.
“Suppose,” I thought, “this place should catch, and I found myself hemmed in!”
I looked down at the depth below, and my eyes once more sought the hangings, as I recalled how I had thought of contriving a rope.
The fire was increasing fast, the dull glow becoming each minute more vivid, till, when I reached out of the window, I could see orange-tinted clouds rolling up from the direction of the volley firing, whilst the shouting was certainly coming nearer.
I felt as if it was impossible to bear this confinement longer, and it was only by forcing myself to dwell upon the varying fortunes of the fight that I was able to contain myself. There, on the one hand, was the attack upon the gate; there, on the other, the advance of the troops through the town, to which they must have obtained entrance by a surprise. And now I longed to be where I could see the varying fortunes of the fight, which at times I thought must be going in another direction.
That was only a passing thought, for all at once the firing of the artillery ceased; so did that of the musketry opposed to it, and I listened breathlessly, wondering what was the cause.
Had they failed to batter down the gate? and had they limbered up and retired?
No; for, as the thought came, there was a sudden crash of musketry, volley after volley, and the incessant scattered firing of the defenders. Then, as I listened, a faint sound of cheering, increasing in loudness, reached my ears, and directly after I felt certain that the gate had been taken.
A minute later there was no doubt about it, for I could hear the fighting right and left, and to my great joy, I knew that it must be going against the rajah’s men, who were retiring, and I soon found that the palace was the place for which they were making.
First of all, there was a great deal of excitement in the court. Then a sowar came riding in to give orders to the officer in command, and while it was being executed, a gallantly-dressed chief dashed in, shouted some fresh orders, and directly after, quite in confusion, a regiment of sepoys doubled in through the gateway, and were then hurried in at an open doorway, opposite to where I stood watching.
They had hardly disappeared before another regiment in better order marched in; and they too passed in through the same door, my doubts as to their object being soon at an end, for I heard them doubling along the roof, evidently manning it as a rampart; while, from a glimpse I caught through an open window, it was evident that the floor on a level with mine was also occupied by troops who were stationed at windows looking out upon the road.
Another regiment, and directly after quite a mob of armed men came hurrying through the gateway to occupy every room and window looking outwards, while a strong force partially filled the court, the numbers being rapidly increased as the firing and cheering came nearer.
It was all plain enough now; the rajah’s troops were being driven back, and were ordered to make a stand here at the palace, which lent itself well for the purpose, one side being protected by the river, while, as far as I knew, the entrance was only through the gateway, which could easily be blocked and held.
“Till Brace came with the guns,” I thought.
I had wished to see something of the fight; now I regretted my desire, for I foresaw that there was going to be a desperate struggle. The light of the fire was rapidly increasing, and a very short time had elapsed before there was a sudden rush, and a disorderly mob of fighting men came tearing through the gateway, wild, excited, torn, and yelling furiously.
Then, as another volley was fired, I knew that the rajah’s men had been driven in, for a tremendous fire was opened from the roof away to my right, and I could see the smoke rising in a dense cloud.
As this firing was kept up, the court gradually grew more packed. I could see mounted men come in, and before long I was able to make out the rajah, as he seemed to be giving orders, which resulted in a body of men rushing into the palace and returning bearing loads, which they piled up within the gateway, forming a breastwork, from behind which the men kept up a furious fire.
Outside, the replies had quite ceased, and I found what it meant; the infantry were under cover, and the guns had been ordered up to batter in the gateway, and send its defenders flying before a rush was made.
As I gazed down at the dense crowd of fighting men in the court, I shuddered, for, driven to bay as the sepoys were, and with no means of escape when the attack was made, the carnage would be frightful, and all the worse from the fact that the men would rush in and occupy the windows that looked upon the court from whence a sustained fire could be kept up on our men, one which would be frightful.
All at once it struck me that perhaps now the doors of my apartments would be unguarded, and I ran to look; but, on drawing aside the hangings, there sat Salaman and four attendants, while behind them were at least twenty well-armed men.
I went back, feeling that, whatever happened, these men would be faithful to their duty, though how I was to have got out of the palace and past the crowd of soldiers at every window and door, I had not stopped to think.
I again returned to the window from which I had watched before, and stood gazing out at the crowded court where the men had now been reduced to something more like military order, and it was a wonderful sight to see the swarthy faces with their gleaming eyes, and the flashing weapons the men carried. The moon poured down its silver light to mingle strangely with the glare of the torches many of the men bore; while away to my right the burning houses sent a glow of orange so strong that the broad end of the court opposite to me gleamed as if the fire was there as well.
It was a terrible pause that, and I knew that before long the attack would come, when the place would either be carried at once or its defenders starved into submission; for, though there was water in abundance, I did not believe there could be food to provide for a garrison.
I was thinking all this when a voice behind me made me start, and face round to the speaker.
“It is long hours since my lord has eaten,” said Salaman. “Shall I bring in some food?”
“Who can eat at a time like this?” I cried; and I signed to him to go, turning back directly after, for I could hear a peculiar rattling sound in the distance which I knew well enough.
It was what I had anticipated; they were bringing up the guns.
Almost at that moment the firing from the roof recommenced, and was answered from different directions; but it ceased as quickly as it had begun, for all at once there was the dull echoing thud of a six-pounder, and a rush of men from the barricade in the gateway, through which a round shot plunged, striking the edge of the stonework arch, sending down a shower of fragments, in the midst of whose falling the shot struck the wall of the palace on my left, shivering the stonework there.
No one attempted to man the barricades again, the task was too perilous, for gun after gun sent its iron messenger ploughing through the archway.
As I stood there midway between the gateway and the wall on my left, at right angles to my window, I did not stir, for I knew that though the balls came by within ten feet from where I stood, none was likely to injure me. There was a kind of fascination in listening to the heavy report, and then instantly for the whistling of the ball as, after demolishing a portion of the barricade, it struck the wall with a heavy crash, and sent the splinters of stone flying.
Opposite to me were the soldiers, densely packed, forming one side of the lane, down which the balls came plunging. Now and then one was deflected by the part of the barricade it struck, and it flew higher against the wall, or lower so as to touch the paving, and then ricochet; but the work was being thoroughly well done; and as I saw the great gaps made, and the clearance in the gateway, I knew the final attack must come before long.
It was much sooner than I expected, for the firing from the roof suddenly blazed out furiously, and it was as if shots were being poured from every window, as a fierce roar literally followed the next shot—a roar of men’s voices, and beating feet, and my heart seemed for a moment to stand still, but then began to bound as I leaned out to watch the struggle, from which I could not have torn myself even to save my life.
I could see nothing outside, only hear the coming of men, whose cheering was mingled with many a shriek and groan, as poor fellows dropped under the terrible fire poured down upon them. Then I saw the men within the court running round to defend the gateway; but ere they could fire a shot, there was the flashing of steel, and a little ridge of bristling bayonets appeared; their banners changed hands; the sepoys broke and rushed for the doorway and windows of the inner court; and in a wonderfully short time, so rapidly flowed in the stream of glittering bayonets through the archway, the court was cleared, and the firing came now, as I had expected, from the inner windows and the roof.
I heard the orders ring out. “No firing! In with you, lads; the bayonet!” and with a rush, our men leaped in at the door, climbed in at the windows, and as the stream still flowed in through the gateway, the fighting was going on in room after room, and our foot regiment chased the flying sepoys from floor to floor, to finish the deadly strife upon the roof.
It was horrible, but through it all there would come the remembrance of the horrors perpetrated by the savage mob and the brutal soldiery. There was a wild fascination about it, too, and I could not turn away, but stood with staring eyes and stunned ears, noting how the fire rapidly ceased, and wild cheering rose as room and roof were cleared.
I was standing by the window full of exultation, triumphing in the bravery and daring of the Englishmen, who must have been outnumbered by six to one, when I heard shots close at hand, yells, shouts, and the rush of feet; and the next minute my attendants and guards came backing in, fighting desperately as much in my defence as for their own lives, for they were driven from room to room by half a dozen men of the foot regiment that had stormed the place, and then for the first time I recalled that I was standing there in turbaned helmet and regular Eastern uniform, girt with jewelled belts, and with a magnificent tulwar at my side.
“They’ll take me for a Hindu chief,” I thought as, quick as lightning, I snatched out the blade.
I was just in time.
Half my defenders were down, the others had dropped from the windows in spite of the depth, and two men with levelled bayonets dashed at me.
I did not think I could have done it, but I had worked hard at sword practice, and with a parry I turned one bayonet aside, avoided the other with a bound, and sent the man who would have run me through, down on his knees, with a terrible cut across the ear.
The others turned upon me, but I had found my tongue.
“Halt! Back, you idiots!” I roared. “I am a friend.”
“Oh, bedad, an’ I don’t belave ye,” cried one of the party, as the others hesitated; and he held his bayonet to my breast. “Give up yez sword, or I’ll make a cockchafer of ye.”
I turned his point, and cut at another man frantically, for they were too much excited to listen to explanations. But in another instant I believe I should have been bayoneted, if there had not been a wild cry, and a dark figure rushed between me and my dangerous friends.
“Stop, he’s a sahib,” roared the new-comer, and I saw it was Dost.
“Then he’s me prisoner, and that sword’s me loot,” cried the Irishman.
“Stand back!” I roared. “I am Lieutenant Vincent, of Captain Brace’s troop.”
I took off my helmet as I spoke, and the men were convinced.
“Look at that now,” said the Irishman; “jest, too, when I thought I’d got a bit of lovely shpoil.”
At that moment there was a rush of feet, and a tall grey officer hurried in, followed by another, and quite a crowd of men.
“Have you found him?” cried the tall officer.
“Oh, bedad, yis, colonel,” cried the Irishman.
“What! the rajah?”
“Yis, sor. There he is, only he shwears he’s a liftinant in a troop.”
“That!” cried the officer; and then, in a choking voice, “Why, Gil, my boy, is this you?”
I could not speak, only cling to him who had a thousand times nursed me in his arms.
“Hold up, boy, be a man,” he whispered; but his arms tightened round me. “I thought you were dead, Gil,” he cried excitedly. “But why are you like this?”
“I am a prisoner, father,” I said.
“But the rajah?” he said excitedly. “Where is he?”
“He left here an hour ago to head his men,” I said. “But, father, if you take him, defend him; he has been very good to me.”
“Let’s take him first,” cried my father. “Now, my lads, forward! He must be somewhere in the place.”
“Three cheers for the colonel’s boy!” cried the Irishman. “Your hanner should have been here a bit sooner to see him foight. Hi, Sam Raggett, get up and show the colonel your ear. You’re not half killed yet.”
“Forward!” cried the colonel. Then to the officer with him. “Smith, take charge of my son. A sergeant’s guard, Gil,” he cried from the door. “Take off some of those things. You look like a sepoy chief. It is not safe with the lads like this.”
He hurried after his men, and the young officer held out his hand.
“Tell me,” I said quickly; “Captain Brace—my troop?”
“Yonder, not a hundred yards away,” he said. “Didn’t you hear him speak?”
“Yes,” I cried. “Thank Heaven, then, it was he.”
“Let’s get out of here,” said my new friend; “but hadn’t you better change your clothes?”
“He cannot, sahib,” said a voice behind me. “He has none here.”
“Hallo! who are you?” cried the officer.
“My servant,” I cried, as I laid my hand on his arm. “Dost, you saved my life.”
“And he’ll have to save it again,” cried my new friend, “if we stay here. Come along, and let’s get among our men, for this palace swarms with the enemy yet.”
Even as he spoke, a couple of shots rang out, and as they were aimed at us, we rapidly beat a retreat.
Chapter Forty Nine.My appearance excited plenty of surprise as we reached the front of the palace, where a portion of my father’s regiment had now fallen in, the enemy having taken flight, and a couple of squadrons of lancers were in full pursuit. But in a very short time it was whispered through the regiment that I was the colonel’s son, and I was saluted with a cheer.Just then there was the clattering of hoofs, and an officer galloped up, “Where’s Colonel Vincent?” he cried; and I looked at him wildly.“Scouring the palace with a couple of companies of men.”“But the people are pouring out of the town, and only those lancers after them.”“He’s trying to catch the rajah.”“Got away safe,” cried the officer. “I want orders to pursue; I can’t stay here. Whom have you got there—the rajah’s son?”“Brace, don’t you know me?” I cried, in a choking voice.“Gil!” he shouted, and he swung himself off his horse, and rushed at me. “I thought I should never see you again. A prisoner?”“Yes, yes,” I cried.“But—”He loosened my hands.“You haven’t—? Oh, Gil, my lad!”That seemed the unkindest cut of all—to be suspected after what I had gone through; and I half turned away.Brace saw it as a confession that I had turned renegade, and his face was growing very dark as my father strode up.“Pursuit, Captain Brace,” he said; “the rascal has escaped.”Brace sprang into his saddle, and galloped away, while, in spite of my father being at hand, my heart sank, and I felt more miserable than I had been for days.
My appearance excited plenty of surprise as we reached the front of the palace, where a portion of my father’s regiment had now fallen in, the enemy having taken flight, and a couple of squadrons of lancers were in full pursuit. But in a very short time it was whispered through the regiment that I was the colonel’s son, and I was saluted with a cheer.
Just then there was the clattering of hoofs, and an officer galloped up, “Where’s Colonel Vincent?” he cried; and I looked at him wildly.
“Scouring the palace with a couple of companies of men.”
“But the people are pouring out of the town, and only those lancers after them.”
“He’s trying to catch the rajah.”
“Got away safe,” cried the officer. “I want orders to pursue; I can’t stay here. Whom have you got there—the rajah’s son?”
“Brace, don’t you know me?” I cried, in a choking voice.
“Gil!” he shouted, and he swung himself off his horse, and rushed at me. “I thought I should never see you again. A prisoner?”
“Yes, yes,” I cried.
“But—”
He loosened my hands.
“You haven’t—? Oh, Gil, my lad!”
That seemed the unkindest cut of all—to be suspected after what I had gone through; and I half turned away.
Brace saw it as a confession that I had turned renegade, and his face was growing very dark as my father strode up.
“Pursuit, Captain Brace,” he said; “the rascal has escaped.”
Brace sprang into his saddle, and galloped away, while, in spite of my father being at hand, my heart sank, and I felt more miserable than I had been for days.
Chapter Fifty.I stayed by my father, who, in the intervals of giving orders for the occupation of the palace by the troops, the planting of sentries and pickets, and the stoppage of all pillaging, told me how he, with his regiment and two squadrons of lancers, had joined the other foot regiment and Brace’s horse artillery. That plans had been made for the attack on Ahdenpore, the Maharajah Ny Deen’s chief city, and this had been carried out by one regiment of foot, half the horse artillery battery, and two troops of light horse, the rest, the larger part of the force, remaining at a distance quite out of sight.The object had been to make a bold attack, and if the rajah’s people gave way, to advance and send for help from the hidden force. But, if they fought stubbornly, to retire, and keep on making so sturdy a defence as should lure the rajah’s army on to a long pursuit, leading them right away from the town, which was then to be attacked by Colonel Vincent’s force while the greater part of the rajah’s men were away.This had all been carried out. The retreating party would be by this time retiring or holding its ground, and as soon as it was day, if the rajah’s men had not heard of the defeat through the fugitives from the town, they would be attacked, and taken between two fires.“But ought you not to advance at once, father?” I said. “Your men are flushed with success, and you are sure of meeting the enemy as he comes back.”He clapped me on the shoulder.“Good!” he said, looking at me proudly. “Quite right, if the men were fresh, but they are worn out with marching, fighting, and want of food. They must have a few hours’ rest.”“But if the rajah, with his fugitives, meets the returning force, and they come back and attack us?”“Let them,” said my father drily. “I wish they would, and save us a long march to-morrow morning.”“But,” I said, hesitating, and afraid to hear the news, in case it should be very bad, “mother and sister Grace?”We had by this time entered the palace, and naturally I had led my father to the room I had occupied.He looked very hard and stern as he drew a long deep breath.“They are in God’s hands,” he said.“Not dead, father?” I cried wildly.“Heaven forbid, boy!” he said excitedly. “I was summoned away with all who could be spared, to form a junction with the —nth and Brace’s troop. My orders were to take command, break up any bands which were collecting, and to keep an eye on Ny Deen, who has been a perfect firebrand through the country. I left as strong a garrison as I could at Nussoor, the place fairly provisioned and armed, and all the women and children are shut up in the Residency. But since I have been away with my little force I have had no communication with the place. We have been completely cut off, and it has been impossible to send or bring news.”“Then you know nothing of Nussoor?”“Nothing.”“But have you sent messengers?”“At least a dozen, Gil, my boy.”“How far is it?”“About sixty miles from here—perhaps seventy. Once this maharajah is taken, we shall go to the relief of the place.”Just then there was a loud shouting, and my father sent an orderly for news; but the cause of the noise was announced directly.The fire was gaining ground, and there was a possibility of its reaching the palace.My father, who had thrown himself upon the cushions to snatch a few minutes’ rest, sprang up.“Come, Gil,” he said, “you had better keep by me now, till your troop comes back. But have you no other clothes?”“None,” I said, “and I look like a enemy.”“No, no. A friendly native,” said my father, laughing, as he hurried out to where a number of buildings were blazing furiously, and a company of the regiment were busily engaged in trying to extinguish the flames.A few short, sharp orders were given, the men ceased their hopeless toil, and a sapper sergeant and a dozen men set to work to finish the task.This they did by making a way amongst the people who had not fled. A quantity of powder was obtained from the rajah’s magazine, and in less than half an hour, bags were planted here and there, several houses blown up, and all chance of the fire spreading was at an end.As the night wore on, with every one but the pickets snatching some rest, there were different little incidents full of excitement, officer after officer coming in to make his report to my father. First there was the lancer officer who had not succeeded in capturing Ny Deen, who, with a very strong body of men, had entered a forest many miles away, and so evaded further pursuit.Next came Brace, to announce that he had been too late to do any good in the darkness; but he had the news to impart that Ny Deen and his flying men had formed a conjunction with the little army which had been in pursuit of our men when the sham flight had been carried out.Toward morning, this information was endorsed by the arrival of the foot regiment with the half of our horse artillery troop, and the lancers, who had all performed their duty with very little loss.“Lie down and sleep, Gil,” said my father. “We shall have hard work to-morrow.”“But suppose the rajah comes back to-night to try and surprise us?”“He will not,” said my father quietly. “He would, but he will not get his men up to the work. Hallo! what’s this?”For at that moment a white figure entered the room, looking perfectly clean and neat.“Dost!” I exclaimed.“Who is Dost?” said my father.“My servant.”He had come to announce that a supper was spread in the outer room, and upon our going, there stood Salaman and three of his assistants, all of whom Dost had hunted out, and ordered to set to work.“Very tempting,” said my father; “but is all this safe?”“On my head be it, sahib,” said Dost, respectfully. “There is no poison in the meat.”The supper, which was partaken of by a dozen officers as well, being finished, we returned, after going the rounds, to my sleeping-chamber.“Go to sleep, Gil, boy,” said my father. “Our pickets will give plenty of notice if Ny Deen comes.”But I could not sleep for thinking of Brace, who had not been to the supper, and I wanted to make my position clear before my mind would be at rest.
I stayed by my father, who, in the intervals of giving orders for the occupation of the palace by the troops, the planting of sentries and pickets, and the stoppage of all pillaging, told me how he, with his regiment and two squadrons of lancers, had joined the other foot regiment and Brace’s horse artillery. That plans had been made for the attack on Ahdenpore, the Maharajah Ny Deen’s chief city, and this had been carried out by one regiment of foot, half the horse artillery battery, and two troops of light horse, the rest, the larger part of the force, remaining at a distance quite out of sight.
The object had been to make a bold attack, and if the rajah’s people gave way, to advance and send for help from the hidden force. But, if they fought stubbornly, to retire, and keep on making so sturdy a defence as should lure the rajah’s army on to a long pursuit, leading them right away from the town, which was then to be attacked by Colonel Vincent’s force while the greater part of the rajah’s men were away.
This had all been carried out. The retreating party would be by this time retiring or holding its ground, and as soon as it was day, if the rajah’s men had not heard of the defeat through the fugitives from the town, they would be attacked, and taken between two fires.
“But ought you not to advance at once, father?” I said. “Your men are flushed with success, and you are sure of meeting the enemy as he comes back.”
He clapped me on the shoulder.
“Good!” he said, looking at me proudly. “Quite right, if the men were fresh, but they are worn out with marching, fighting, and want of food. They must have a few hours’ rest.”
“But if the rajah, with his fugitives, meets the returning force, and they come back and attack us?”
“Let them,” said my father drily. “I wish they would, and save us a long march to-morrow morning.”
“But,” I said, hesitating, and afraid to hear the news, in case it should be very bad, “mother and sister Grace?”
We had by this time entered the palace, and naturally I had led my father to the room I had occupied.
He looked very hard and stern as he drew a long deep breath.
“They are in God’s hands,” he said.
“Not dead, father?” I cried wildly.
“Heaven forbid, boy!” he said excitedly. “I was summoned away with all who could be spared, to form a junction with the —nth and Brace’s troop. My orders were to take command, break up any bands which were collecting, and to keep an eye on Ny Deen, who has been a perfect firebrand through the country. I left as strong a garrison as I could at Nussoor, the place fairly provisioned and armed, and all the women and children are shut up in the Residency. But since I have been away with my little force I have had no communication with the place. We have been completely cut off, and it has been impossible to send or bring news.”
“Then you know nothing of Nussoor?”
“Nothing.”
“But have you sent messengers?”
“At least a dozen, Gil, my boy.”
“How far is it?”
“About sixty miles from here—perhaps seventy. Once this maharajah is taken, we shall go to the relief of the place.”
Just then there was a loud shouting, and my father sent an orderly for news; but the cause of the noise was announced directly.
The fire was gaining ground, and there was a possibility of its reaching the palace.
My father, who had thrown himself upon the cushions to snatch a few minutes’ rest, sprang up.
“Come, Gil,” he said, “you had better keep by me now, till your troop comes back. But have you no other clothes?”
“None,” I said, “and I look like a enemy.”
“No, no. A friendly native,” said my father, laughing, as he hurried out to where a number of buildings were blazing furiously, and a company of the regiment were busily engaged in trying to extinguish the flames.
A few short, sharp orders were given, the men ceased their hopeless toil, and a sapper sergeant and a dozen men set to work to finish the task.
This they did by making a way amongst the people who had not fled. A quantity of powder was obtained from the rajah’s magazine, and in less than half an hour, bags were planted here and there, several houses blown up, and all chance of the fire spreading was at an end.
As the night wore on, with every one but the pickets snatching some rest, there were different little incidents full of excitement, officer after officer coming in to make his report to my father. First there was the lancer officer who had not succeeded in capturing Ny Deen, who, with a very strong body of men, had entered a forest many miles away, and so evaded further pursuit.
Next came Brace, to announce that he had been too late to do any good in the darkness; but he had the news to impart that Ny Deen and his flying men had formed a conjunction with the little army which had been in pursuit of our men when the sham flight had been carried out.
Toward morning, this information was endorsed by the arrival of the foot regiment with the half of our horse artillery troop, and the lancers, who had all performed their duty with very little loss.
“Lie down and sleep, Gil,” said my father. “We shall have hard work to-morrow.”
“But suppose the rajah comes back to-night to try and surprise us?”
“He will not,” said my father quietly. “He would, but he will not get his men up to the work. Hallo! what’s this?”
For at that moment a white figure entered the room, looking perfectly clean and neat.
“Dost!” I exclaimed.
“Who is Dost?” said my father.
“My servant.”
He had come to announce that a supper was spread in the outer room, and upon our going, there stood Salaman and three of his assistants, all of whom Dost had hunted out, and ordered to set to work.
“Very tempting,” said my father; “but is all this safe?”
“On my head be it, sahib,” said Dost, respectfully. “There is no poison in the meat.”
The supper, which was partaken of by a dozen officers as well, being finished, we returned, after going the rounds, to my sleeping-chamber.
“Go to sleep, Gil, boy,” said my father. “Our pickets will give plenty of notice if Ny Deen comes.”
But I could not sleep for thinking of Brace, who had not been to the supper, and I wanted to make my position clear before my mind would be at rest.
Chapter Fifty One.The strange silence that reigned in the palace, the dying out of the fierce glare of the fire, and utter exhaustion, at last weighed down my eyelids, and I dropped into an uneasy sleep, but only to dream about escaping over the roofs with Dost, being captured, and then watching the terrible assault and carrying of the rajah’s house. From that I wandered into the meeting with my father, and fancied that I was going with him to Nussoor, where my mother and sister would not recognise me because Brace had been there first and told them I was a miserable renegade who had gone over to the rebels, and slain women and children with a tulwar whose hilt and sheath were covered with jewels.Oh dear, what nonsense one does dream when one’s brain gets into a fevered state.I was calling Ny Deen to witness to my perfect innocence, for he was somehow there at Nussoor, when my father suddenly said—“It is of no use, Gil. You may as well get up.”I started awake to see that his grey, worn face was bent down over me, and found that he was holding my hand.“You had better rouse up, and have a bath, lad,” he said kindly. “Your sleep is doing you no good.”“Oh, what a horrible muddle of a dream,” I exclaimed, as I sprang to my feet.“You should have undressed, my lad. You are bathed in perspiration.”Dost came in just then with coffee borne by Salaman, and I turned to him directly.“How did you escape?” I cried.“I was beaten down, sahib, and I managed to crawl away. I was not much hurt,” he added, with a smile.“I am glad,” I cried; and ten minutes later I was out in the court with my father, listening to the arrangements being made; and soon after I was audience to a little council of war in the rajah’s principal room, where it was arranged that two strong companies of the other foot regiment should garrison the palace, and hold it while a troop of lancers stayed back to help preserve order in the town.An hour later, they were forming a marching column to go out and give battle to the rajah and his force, which lay, according to spies, ten miles away, holding a patch of forest beyond the swift river which ran from there to this town.“Which will you do, Gil?” said my father; “come with me, or stay with the major who is in command here?”“I want to go back to my troop,” I said sharply; and as I spoke, Brace, who had before met me that morning, came in looking very careworn, and with his uniform almost in rags.“Ah, well,” said my father; “here is your captain.”I hesitated for a moment, and then walked across to Brace, who moved away to one of the windows.“You wish to speak to me, sir?” he said coldly.“Of course I do,” I cried passionately; “why are you so ready to condemn me unheard?”“Say what you wish to say; we march in five minutes,” he replied.I could not speak, for the hot sensation of indignation which burned within me.“You are silent,” he said, with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I am not surprised. I was making every effort possible, as soon as I heard through spies that you were alive, to rescue you; but when—”“Well, when what?” I said indignantly.“Since you take that tone, sir,” he retorted, “when I had the news brought to me that you were perfectly unhurt, and had accepted service with the rajah as his chief officer of artillery, why then of course I gave you up.”“Who told you that?” I said hotly.“One of the spies I sent in,” he replied coldly.“It was not true.”“Not true?” said Brace, bitterly. “Your appearance belies your words, sir. Why, were you not occupying rooms in the rajah’s palace?”“Yes; as a prisoner,” I said angrily.Brace laughed mockingly.“A prisoner in a newly designed artillery uniform, and wearing a magnificent sword and belts, evidently presented by the rajah, I did not know Ny Deen treated his prisoners so well; I thought he murdered them at once.”I tried to speak, but for some moments no words would come, and it was he who spoke first.“Well,” he said, “have you anything to say?”“Yes,” I said; “I want to come back into the troop. Can I have a horse?”“I have no means of looking after prisoners, sir,” he said. “You can only join your troop as a captured rebel against your queen.”I turned away, and found myself directly after face to face with Haynes and Doctor Danby; but as I went up, the former turned his back and walked away, while the doctor blew out his cheeks and looked very fierce at me.“Doctor,” I said, holding out my hand, but he did not take it.I laughed bitterly, thinking that they would all apologise to me some day.“Brace thinks I have not been wounded,” I said, signing to him to accompany me into another room.His whole manner changed in the instant, and he was looking at me with interest.“Eh? wounded?” he cried. “Let’s see. Ah, head. Humph! Only a bad crack. Healing all right. Put on your iron pot again, and don’t let it fret the place.”“Oh yes; that’s all right,” I said; “but my arm: shall I ever get the full use of it again?”“Arm? Let’s see.”I removed the loose tunic, and he turned up the delicate silk shirt I wore, to become wrapt at once in the interest of his profession, as he examined the wound carefully.“Brace says you have not been hurt, does he?” cried the doctor. “Tell him to mind his guns, and not talk about what he does not understand. Why, it’s a beautiful wound, my dear boy—a splendid cut. A little more draw in the cut, and the budmash who did it would have lopped it clean off. Here, who was your surgeon?”I told him.“Then he is a precious clever fellow, Vincent, and I should like to know him. By George, sir, he has saved your limb. Get back it’s use? Oh yes, with care. Why, my dear fellow, I should have been proud of saving an arm like that. Here, let me help you on with your dandy jacket. So you would be Ny Deen’s artillery general, eh?”I only gave him a look.“Not right, boy; but I suppose you could not help yourself. There, I must go.”We went back into the other room, where Brace, and nearly all the officers, had left.“Father,” I said, “Captain Brace will not have me back. Can I come with you as a sort of aide-de-camp?”“Of course. Yes, my boy; but try and keep out of danger.”The next minute we were following the column out over the bridge, the head wing already raising a long cloud of dust, the horse artillery rattling away in front, and the lancers off scouting in front, and sending out flankers, to take care that no approach was made on either side of the flying column.By my father’s orders, a magnificent horse had been brought from the rajah’s stables, and, mounted upon this, though I felt very sore about the treatment I had received, I was getting into excellent spirits; and as I was not to be a gunner, I was quite content to ride on in my dashing uniform, though I saw the cavalry and infantry officers exchange smiles.It was very early yet, and the plain was quite deserted, while the hot sun formed a haze that the eyes could only penetrate to a certain distance.Every one was on the look-out for the shimmering river and the patch of forest beyond, where we knew, from our spies, that the rajah had halted to gather his men together in as strong a position as he could find; and here my father expected that he would hold out while efforts were made to dislodge him from a place where our cavalry would be of no service. They would have to wait until the ranks were driven from among the trees, when the sharp charges of the lancers would scatter them in all directions.At last, river and green woods were in view, both welcome sights, with their promises of shade and bathing, to men parched by the torrid sunshine, and half choked by the dust turned up by elephant, camel, horse, and men’s trampling feet.I watched my father’s actions with all the interest of a young soldier, and saw how he divided his little force of cavalry, sending them forward, where they would be out of musket shot, but ready to slip like greyhounds on their swift Arab troopers, as soon as the mutineers broke out and tried to flee.Then he sent forward the horse artillery—and how I longed to be with them—and company after company of foot, to act as supports to save the guns from capture; and as soon as the troop had taken up position, we waited for the order to fire to be sent.But it was not despatched, for scores of the lancers came riding in, after galloping by the edge of the forest, to announce that the enemy was not there.The rajah seemed to have shrunk from fighting; and I wondered, as we advanced once more, and saw how strong the position had been, and how easily he could have beaten a force not a fourth of his number.We were not long in finding out the direction he had taken. A miserable-looking peasant announcing the way; and there it was plainly enough. There could be no doubt of it, for the dust was trampled, and plenty of traces lay about, showing that the little army must have been in rather a demoralised state.“Well, we must give him no rest,” said my father; and, in spite of the heat, the march was resumed, with halts wherever a village promised water. But, fortunately, a great part of our way was near the river, whose bends offered refreshment to the thirsty horses, camels, and elephants.Then on again till evening, when a halt was called at a good-sized village, once evidently a place of some importance, but now utterly desolate; the lands and gardens around trampled, and the traces of a large body of men having passed quite plain.Here there was nothing for it but to bivouac, and after the customary precautions had been taken, the men were ordered to eat their food quickly, and then lie down and get all the rest they could.The officers off duty followed their example, and I was asleep, too, when the bugle-call roused us in the middle of the cool moonlit night, and about half an hour after, we were all on the march again, a couple of natives having undertaken to act as guides as far as following the trail of the rajah’s army was concerned. The consequence was, that by the time the sun began to make its presence felt, we were many miles on our road.“How far shall you follow them?” I heard Brace ask the colonel.“Till I overtake them,” said my father, rather coldly. And I could see a determined look in his eyes which made me think of Ny Deen, and something like a hope that he might escape would come into my mind.On again, after a brief halt for refreshment, and about an hour before midday advantage was taken of a great mango tope for another halt; but as soon as the sun began to decline we were off again, with the track plain before us.Ah, it is slow work marching under a hot Indian sun; but no one complained, tramping steadily on with scouts well out in front, till it was dark, when there was another rest till midnight; and on again in the cool moonlight, with the men on the gun-limbers asleep, and those mounted nodding and swaying in their saddles, as if ready to come down. But no one fell, and the march seemed to me part of some strange dream, till the stars paled, and the orange sun came up, growing hotter and hotter, till we were all anxiously looking out for our next halting-place, and wondering how many more days must elapse before we should overtake Ny Deen.It was sooner than we expected, for somewhere about nine o’clock there was a little excitement on in front. There was a cloud of dust, and another, and a few minutes after we could see a native horseman, sword in hand, and with his round shield banging against his shoulders, where it was hung from his neck. He was splendidly mounted, and appeared to be galloping for his life to escape from half a dozen of our lancers, the scouts, who had evidently cut him off and turned him in our direction.He came straight for us, turning neither to the right nor the left, though there was plenty of room; and as he came nearer, we could see that his horse was sadly blown, so that it appeared as if the rider would be overtaken, and run through by the men in chase.“The fools! They must make him a prisoner. You, Gil, you are well-mounted, gallop out, and call to him to surrender. We may gain valuable information. Take care, and—”So spoke my father, and before he had finished, I was off at a gallop, glad of the excitement.I was only just in time, for one too-enthusiastic lancer was closing up, and would have given point had I not struck his lance aside and seized the sowar’s rein.“Surrender!” I shouted in Hindustani, and I pointed my sword at the blackened, dust-grimed fellow’s throat.“Surrender! Yes, of course,” he panted. “Take me to an English officer. I am an Englishman.”“Don’t you believe the treacherous dog, sir,” cried the foremost lancer. “He tried that on with us.”“Yes, you thick-headed idiot,” panted my prisoner angrily. “This is only a disguise. I know where the niggers are, if you want to kill some one.”I looked at him in wonder. “Why are you like this?” I said.“I have brought a message from Nussoor.”“Where?” I cried excitedly.“Nussoor. Who is in command here?”“Colonel Vincent,” I said.“Thank Heaven!” he cried; and he reeled in his saddle, but recovered directly. “I’m beaten,” he said. “A terrible long round to avoid the enemy. I had to go out the other side. It was a forlorn hope.”By this time my father and several officers had ridden up, and I exclaimed excitedly—“This is a messenger from Nussoor.”“Yes,” said my prisoner. “I was obliged to assume this disguise. Colonel Vincent, don’t you know me?”“Brooke! Ah, my dear fellow, what news?”“Bad; terrible. We were at the end nearly of our ammunition. Closely invested for many days past. People fighting like heroes; but they can hold out no longer. And, to make matters worse, that fiend, Ny Deen, is advancing on the place with a powerful force. I was nearly taken by his men.”“How far is Nussoor from here?” said my father hoarsely.“About fourteen miles, I should say.”“Then that is where he has been making for,” muttered my father. “And I not to know that it was so near.”It was all plain enough now. Knowing from spies that Nussoor was weakly guarded, and having lost his own city, Ny Deen was hurrying on to seize and entrench himself in another; one which would form a centre where his adherents might flee.Just then I caught my father’s eyes, and saw in them a terrible look of agony, which made me think of the horrors which had been perpetrated at these places where the mutineers had gained the upper hand.It had been horrible enough in the past; but now the rajah’s men were smarting from a sharp defeat. And I felt that they would make fierce reprisals on the hard-pressed garrison, all of whom would certainly be put to the sword.
The strange silence that reigned in the palace, the dying out of the fierce glare of the fire, and utter exhaustion, at last weighed down my eyelids, and I dropped into an uneasy sleep, but only to dream about escaping over the roofs with Dost, being captured, and then watching the terrible assault and carrying of the rajah’s house. From that I wandered into the meeting with my father, and fancied that I was going with him to Nussoor, where my mother and sister would not recognise me because Brace had been there first and told them I was a miserable renegade who had gone over to the rebels, and slain women and children with a tulwar whose hilt and sheath were covered with jewels.
Oh dear, what nonsense one does dream when one’s brain gets into a fevered state.
I was calling Ny Deen to witness to my perfect innocence, for he was somehow there at Nussoor, when my father suddenly said—
“It is of no use, Gil. You may as well get up.”
I started awake to see that his grey, worn face was bent down over me, and found that he was holding my hand.
“You had better rouse up, and have a bath, lad,” he said kindly. “Your sleep is doing you no good.”
“Oh, what a horrible muddle of a dream,” I exclaimed, as I sprang to my feet.
“You should have undressed, my lad. You are bathed in perspiration.”
Dost came in just then with coffee borne by Salaman, and I turned to him directly.
“How did you escape?” I cried.
“I was beaten down, sahib, and I managed to crawl away. I was not much hurt,” he added, with a smile.
“I am glad,” I cried; and ten minutes later I was out in the court with my father, listening to the arrangements being made; and soon after I was audience to a little council of war in the rajah’s principal room, where it was arranged that two strong companies of the other foot regiment should garrison the palace, and hold it while a troop of lancers stayed back to help preserve order in the town.
An hour later, they were forming a marching column to go out and give battle to the rajah and his force, which lay, according to spies, ten miles away, holding a patch of forest beyond the swift river which ran from there to this town.
“Which will you do, Gil?” said my father; “come with me, or stay with the major who is in command here?”
“I want to go back to my troop,” I said sharply; and as I spoke, Brace, who had before met me that morning, came in looking very careworn, and with his uniform almost in rags.
“Ah, well,” said my father; “here is your captain.”
I hesitated for a moment, and then walked across to Brace, who moved away to one of the windows.
“You wish to speak to me, sir?” he said coldly.
“Of course I do,” I cried passionately; “why are you so ready to condemn me unheard?”
“Say what you wish to say; we march in five minutes,” he replied.
I could not speak, for the hot sensation of indignation which burned within me.
“You are silent,” he said, with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I am not surprised. I was making every effort possible, as soon as I heard through spies that you were alive, to rescue you; but when—”
“Well, when what?” I said indignantly.
“Since you take that tone, sir,” he retorted, “when I had the news brought to me that you were perfectly unhurt, and had accepted service with the rajah as his chief officer of artillery, why then of course I gave you up.”
“Who told you that?” I said hotly.
“One of the spies I sent in,” he replied coldly.
“It was not true.”
“Not true?” said Brace, bitterly. “Your appearance belies your words, sir. Why, were you not occupying rooms in the rajah’s palace?”
“Yes; as a prisoner,” I said angrily.
Brace laughed mockingly.
“A prisoner in a newly designed artillery uniform, and wearing a magnificent sword and belts, evidently presented by the rajah, I did not know Ny Deen treated his prisoners so well; I thought he murdered them at once.”
I tried to speak, but for some moments no words would come, and it was he who spoke first.
“Well,” he said, “have you anything to say?”
“Yes,” I said; “I want to come back into the troop. Can I have a horse?”
“I have no means of looking after prisoners, sir,” he said. “You can only join your troop as a captured rebel against your queen.”
I turned away, and found myself directly after face to face with Haynes and Doctor Danby; but as I went up, the former turned his back and walked away, while the doctor blew out his cheeks and looked very fierce at me.
“Doctor,” I said, holding out my hand, but he did not take it.
I laughed bitterly, thinking that they would all apologise to me some day.
“Brace thinks I have not been wounded,” I said, signing to him to accompany me into another room.
His whole manner changed in the instant, and he was looking at me with interest.
“Eh? wounded?” he cried. “Let’s see. Ah, head. Humph! Only a bad crack. Healing all right. Put on your iron pot again, and don’t let it fret the place.”
“Oh yes; that’s all right,” I said; “but my arm: shall I ever get the full use of it again?”
“Arm? Let’s see.”
I removed the loose tunic, and he turned up the delicate silk shirt I wore, to become wrapt at once in the interest of his profession, as he examined the wound carefully.
“Brace says you have not been hurt, does he?” cried the doctor. “Tell him to mind his guns, and not talk about what he does not understand. Why, it’s a beautiful wound, my dear boy—a splendid cut. A little more draw in the cut, and the budmash who did it would have lopped it clean off. Here, who was your surgeon?”
I told him.
“Then he is a precious clever fellow, Vincent, and I should like to know him. By George, sir, he has saved your limb. Get back it’s use? Oh yes, with care. Why, my dear fellow, I should have been proud of saving an arm like that. Here, let me help you on with your dandy jacket. So you would be Ny Deen’s artillery general, eh?”
I only gave him a look.
“Not right, boy; but I suppose you could not help yourself. There, I must go.”
We went back into the other room, where Brace, and nearly all the officers, had left.
“Father,” I said, “Captain Brace will not have me back. Can I come with you as a sort of aide-de-camp?”
“Of course. Yes, my boy; but try and keep out of danger.”
The next minute we were following the column out over the bridge, the head wing already raising a long cloud of dust, the horse artillery rattling away in front, and the lancers off scouting in front, and sending out flankers, to take care that no approach was made on either side of the flying column.
By my father’s orders, a magnificent horse had been brought from the rajah’s stables, and, mounted upon this, though I felt very sore about the treatment I had received, I was getting into excellent spirits; and as I was not to be a gunner, I was quite content to ride on in my dashing uniform, though I saw the cavalry and infantry officers exchange smiles.
It was very early yet, and the plain was quite deserted, while the hot sun formed a haze that the eyes could only penetrate to a certain distance.
Every one was on the look-out for the shimmering river and the patch of forest beyond, where we knew, from our spies, that the rajah had halted to gather his men together in as strong a position as he could find; and here my father expected that he would hold out while efforts were made to dislodge him from a place where our cavalry would be of no service. They would have to wait until the ranks were driven from among the trees, when the sharp charges of the lancers would scatter them in all directions.
At last, river and green woods were in view, both welcome sights, with their promises of shade and bathing, to men parched by the torrid sunshine, and half choked by the dust turned up by elephant, camel, horse, and men’s trampling feet.
I watched my father’s actions with all the interest of a young soldier, and saw how he divided his little force of cavalry, sending them forward, where they would be out of musket shot, but ready to slip like greyhounds on their swift Arab troopers, as soon as the mutineers broke out and tried to flee.
Then he sent forward the horse artillery—and how I longed to be with them—and company after company of foot, to act as supports to save the guns from capture; and as soon as the troop had taken up position, we waited for the order to fire to be sent.
But it was not despatched, for scores of the lancers came riding in, after galloping by the edge of the forest, to announce that the enemy was not there.
The rajah seemed to have shrunk from fighting; and I wondered, as we advanced once more, and saw how strong the position had been, and how easily he could have beaten a force not a fourth of his number.
We were not long in finding out the direction he had taken. A miserable-looking peasant announcing the way; and there it was plainly enough. There could be no doubt of it, for the dust was trampled, and plenty of traces lay about, showing that the little army must have been in rather a demoralised state.
“Well, we must give him no rest,” said my father; and, in spite of the heat, the march was resumed, with halts wherever a village promised water. But, fortunately, a great part of our way was near the river, whose bends offered refreshment to the thirsty horses, camels, and elephants.
Then on again till evening, when a halt was called at a good-sized village, once evidently a place of some importance, but now utterly desolate; the lands and gardens around trampled, and the traces of a large body of men having passed quite plain.
Here there was nothing for it but to bivouac, and after the customary precautions had been taken, the men were ordered to eat their food quickly, and then lie down and get all the rest they could.
The officers off duty followed their example, and I was asleep, too, when the bugle-call roused us in the middle of the cool moonlit night, and about half an hour after, we were all on the march again, a couple of natives having undertaken to act as guides as far as following the trail of the rajah’s army was concerned. The consequence was, that by the time the sun began to make its presence felt, we were many miles on our road.
“How far shall you follow them?” I heard Brace ask the colonel.
“Till I overtake them,” said my father, rather coldly. And I could see a determined look in his eyes which made me think of Ny Deen, and something like a hope that he might escape would come into my mind.
On again, after a brief halt for refreshment, and about an hour before midday advantage was taken of a great mango tope for another halt; but as soon as the sun began to decline we were off again, with the track plain before us.
Ah, it is slow work marching under a hot Indian sun; but no one complained, tramping steadily on with scouts well out in front, till it was dark, when there was another rest till midnight; and on again in the cool moonlight, with the men on the gun-limbers asleep, and those mounted nodding and swaying in their saddles, as if ready to come down. But no one fell, and the march seemed to me part of some strange dream, till the stars paled, and the orange sun came up, growing hotter and hotter, till we were all anxiously looking out for our next halting-place, and wondering how many more days must elapse before we should overtake Ny Deen.
It was sooner than we expected, for somewhere about nine o’clock there was a little excitement on in front. There was a cloud of dust, and another, and a few minutes after we could see a native horseman, sword in hand, and with his round shield banging against his shoulders, where it was hung from his neck. He was splendidly mounted, and appeared to be galloping for his life to escape from half a dozen of our lancers, the scouts, who had evidently cut him off and turned him in our direction.
He came straight for us, turning neither to the right nor the left, though there was plenty of room; and as he came nearer, we could see that his horse was sadly blown, so that it appeared as if the rider would be overtaken, and run through by the men in chase.
“The fools! They must make him a prisoner. You, Gil, you are well-mounted, gallop out, and call to him to surrender. We may gain valuable information. Take care, and—”
So spoke my father, and before he had finished, I was off at a gallop, glad of the excitement.
I was only just in time, for one too-enthusiastic lancer was closing up, and would have given point had I not struck his lance aside and seized the sowar’s rein.
“Surrender!” I shouted in Hindustani, and I pointed my sword at the blackened, dust-grimed fellow’s throat.
“Surrender! Yes, of course,” he panted. “Take me to an English officer. I am an Englishman.”
“Don’t you believe the treacherous dog, sir,” cried the foremost lancer. “He tried that on with us.”
“Yes, you thick-headed idiot,” panted my prisoner angrily. “This is only a disguise. I know where the niggers are, if you want to kill some one.”
I looked at him in wonder. “Why are you like this?” I said.
“I have brought a message from Nussoor.”
“Where?” I cried excitedly.
“Nussoor. Who is in command here?”
“Colonel Vincent,” I said.
“Thank Heaven!” he cried; and he reeled in his saddle, but recovered directly. “I’m beaten,” he said. “A terrible long round to avoid the enemy. I had to go out the other side. It was a forlorn hope.”
By this time my father and several officers had ridden up, and I exclaimed excitedly—
“This is a messenger from Nussoor.”
“Yes,” said my prisoner. “I was obliged to assume this disguise. Colonel Vincent, don’t you know me?”
“Brooke! Ah, my dear fellow, what news?”
“Bad; terrible. We were at the end nearly of our ammunition. Closely invested for many days past. People fighting like heroes; but they can hold out no longer. And, to make matters worse, that fiend, Ny Deen, is advancing on the place with a powerful force. I was nearly taken by his men.”
“How far is Nussoor from here?” said my father hoarsely.
“About fourteen miles, I should say.”
“Then that is where he has been making for,” muttered my father. “And I not to know that it was so near.”
It was all plain enough now. Knowing from spies that Nussoor was weakly guarded, and having lost his own city, Ny Deen was hurrying on to seize and entrench himself in another; one which would form a centre where his adherents might flee.
Just then I caught my father’s eyes, and saw in them a terrible look of agony, which made me think of the horrors which had been perpetrated at these places where the mutineers had gained the upper hand.
It had been horrible enough in the past; but now the rajah’s men were smarting from a sharp defeat. And I felt that they would make fierce reprisals on the hard-pressed garrison, all of whom would certainly be put to the sword.
Chapter Fifty Two.In the eagerness of pursuit but small heed had been paid to the rajah’s course, and hence it was that my father, who knew little of this side of the city, had been so taken by surprise as to its being so near. And now, when every pulse was throbbing with agony, and one wish only was in his breast, he was forced to call a halt, and wait for three or four hours till the heat of the day was past, and the men had rested and refreshed their horses by a huge tank covered with lotus, and whose cool dark waters were evidently deep.He had kept on for a long time, but the halt was forced upon him by the terrible heat. Men were staggering in the ranks, one poor fellow dropped from his horse, and he unwillingly gave the word as we reached the tank where the men threw themselves down, while others schemed all kinds of contrivances to keep off the scorching heat. “We must rest for a few hours,” said my father.“It would be like courting defeat to throw the poor fellows against the rajah’s mob utterly exhausted by a twelve-miles’ walk through this fearful sun.”It was agreed that it would be madness for the infantry; but Brace proposed at a little council that was held, that he should hurry on with his troop, and that the officer in command of the cavalry should go with him in support.I saw my father hesitate for a few moments, while all eyes were turned upon him, and then he rose.“Yes,” he said; “it will create a diversion, and give hope to the poor creatures who are making so brave a struggle. What do you say, Brooke?”Mr Brooke, who was the commissioner of the place, exclaimed eagerly—“In Heaven’s name, send them! It will show them that help is near.”“An hour’s rest first,” said my father, “and then go.”“But the men, sir—” protested Brace.“I am not thinking of the brave fellows,” said my father, “but of their poor dumb beasts.”“Yes,” said Brace, “you are right;” and he went to see that the horses were being carefully tended—almost an unnecessary task, for our men were very proud of their mounts, and I followed him silently till he heard my step, and faced round to look at me angrily.“What do you want?” he said.“To ride with the old guns again,” I faltered in a choking voice.“It is impossible,” he said coldly. “The men would rise against you after what they know.”A flush of anger rose to my brow, and I felt my throat hot, as I cried angrily—“They would not. There is not a man amongst them who would believe me such a scoundrel as you and Haynes do.”Then my voice broke, and I turned to him appealingly.“Brace,” I cried; “indeed you are wrong. I would not stoop to beg of you like this, but you are going to their help. My mother and my sister are there, and I seem to see them holding out their hands to us to come and help them. I must come with you. If you say no, I shall gallop on by myself, and if they cut me down, well, I shall have tried to help those I love.”He had turned from me, but as my words, which I suppose were full of passionate excitement, fell upon his ears, he faced round and stared at me fixedly, as he raised his hand, hesitated, and then dropped it again.“Gil,” he cried, “swear to me on your honour as a soldier and a gentleman that you had not joined the rajah’s men.”The moment before I was humble and pleading, but these words, this tone of doubt, this demand for an oath drove humility to the winds, and I felt as if I would die sooner than degrade myself as he wished.“I will not,” I cried hotly. “I’ll swear nothing. I don’t want you to believe me. I thought you were a gentleman, and my friend.”“Then tell me as a brother-officer that I am really wrong.”“I tell you that you are a coward and blind,” I cried; “and sooner than humble myself, I’d do as I said, and die.”“Gil,” he said hoarsely, “you are right. I can’t go down on my knees to you here, but I do believe you, lad. I was blind and miserable, and disappointment made me doubt you more and more. Forgive me, lad; I own it. You couldn’t have been such a miserable hound.”I wanted to speak, but the words would not come for long enough. When they did, I could only whisper huskily—“May I go to my guns?”He nodded, for he could not speak either for a time.“Like this?” I said, making a sign towards my uniform.“Anyhow, as long as it is the lad I believed in from the first,” he half whispered; and then, in quite his old tone, “but we must ride and fire as we never rode and fired before. Now then, come and have a few words with the men.”I went with him, and he spoke three words, the men answering with a cheer, and I saw Dick Dobbs raise the trumpet, and Sergeant Craig take a run toward his horse, while Denny seemed to try and catch my eye.Then Haynes and Danby came up, and both shook hands, or, rather, asked me to shake hands with them, in a deprecating way, and soon after, as if it were once more a dream, I was in the saddle by the guns, listening to my father’s advice to Brace. He was to try and hold the rajah’s people engaged with the help of the cavalry, harassing them till the infantry could come up, but he was not to risk losing the guns.Just then, still in the costume of an ordinary budmash, but with his face washed clear of his black disguise, Mr Brooke rode up, and asked leave to join the advance.“Why?” said my father, abruptly.“I know every inch of the country for miles round, and I can land them close up to the Residency by the forest gate at the back,” said Mr Brooke, earnestly. “Besides, I should like to make a dash in and tell the poor shivering creatures I have brought them help.”“Go,” said my father, abruptly; and a minute later the dust was rising, the lance-points glittering, and the wheels of the guns and limbers were giving forth their peculiar dull, clattering rattle as we advanced at a trot across the burning plain.This pace was soon reduced to a walk, of necessity, so as to have the horses as fresh as possible when we went into action, and after a time the lancer captain reined back and joined Brace and Haynes, who were riding close by me, and Mr Brooke rode to us at a sign from Brace.“Now, gentlemen,” said the latter, “the question is, how our attack is to be made. Of course we can say nothing decisive till we find out whether the rajah’s troops are inside or outside the town.”“May I speak?” said Brooke.“Of course. You know the place,” replied Brace.“I am not a soldier, but I have had a severe lesson in fighting lately, and it seems to me that the only course open for you is to approach the town gates, or one of them, without letting your approach be seen, and then make a bold dash right into the little quarter defended by the Europeans.”“You forget that we are not infantry, sir,” said Brace. “We cannot fight our way through streets where every window and roof would be manned by mutineers. We should be all shot down, or in hopeless confusion before we were half-way there.”Brooke smiled.“I know the place, sir,” he said. “It is a walled and fortified city with gates, and the European quarter, where we have been besieged, is surrounded by open gardens, and there are wide roads from the north-west gate. You will find no enemy in the plain; they will have marched in by the north-east gate, the nearest to here. I can take you round unseen to the north-west, where, by a sudden dash of the lancers, the gate could be surprised, and they could charge right down the open road, followed by you and your guns right up to the Residency entrenchments, and obtain admittance with the guns before the scoundrels had recovered from their surprise. Of course they would come on again by hundreds or thousands; but your well-served guns can hold them at bay till the colonel comes up with his men.”Brace remained thoughtful for a few minutes.“This is quite opposed to the colonel’s ideas,” he said at last; “but it certainly sounds feasible, if we can pass the gate, and the road is open for the horse to charge.”“I guarantee that,” said Mr Brooke; “and if the manoeuvre is executed with spirit, it cannot fail.”“Then it cannot fail,” said Brace, with a smile. “What do you say, sir?” he continued, appealing to the lancer captain.“I say it is the wisest thing to do, always supposing the enemy is not outside. Then we ought to try to harass him only, and keep him engaged.”“But the rajah is clever enough to find out our weakness, and we shall be driven back further and further, till we can do comparatively little, I am afraid, but encourage our friends by the sound of our guns. The surprise is the plan—if it can be carried out. We will try.”Very little more was said as we advanced, keeping a bright look-out forward for cavalry, who would gallop back and announce our approach. Of people on foot we had no fear, for we could reach Nussoor long before them; and at last the broad track in the dusty plain left by the rajah’s force was quitted, Mr Brooke leading us off at an angle, and making for higher ground with patches of forest trees.Among these he made his way till, at the densest part, he pointed south, and announced that we were passing the city, which lay in a hollow about a mile away.But as he spoke, there was a sudden burst of firing, and, thrilled by this, we increased our pace as fast as the bad ground would allow, till we reached the edge of the open, park-like ground, where a halt was called, and the officers advanced cautiously to an eminence, where we dismounted and peered down to where, in a bowl-like depression a mile away, lay, with its beautiful white marble mosque and dome-shaped tombs of former kings, the city of Nussoor. Wall, gates, minarets, gardens with their trees both inside and outside the walls, all were before us as on a map; while, half a mile before us, a white, dusty-looking road wound across the plain toward a great gate.We were now on the opposite side to that by which Ny Deen would have entered with his troops; and as the smoke hung more heavily over the side of the town nearest to us, and the firing grew louder, we did not need Mr Brooke’s words to tell us that a fierce attack was going on against the brave handful of Europeans who were making a desperate endeavour to hold their own, in the hope that help might come; if not, to die fighting, and not trust to the cruel mercies of the mutineers.“We are still in time,” said Mr Brooke, hoarsely. “See, I can lead you round there by those trees, so that you can reach the road half a mile from the gate. Then a score of your swiftest men could dash up to the gate and hold it till the rest come up, but the place looks so utterly unoccupied that I feel sure the attention of all is upon the fight going on in the European quarter, and a bold dash will take you in.”“Yes,” said Brace, decisively; “we’ll try it.”“If I go down,” said Brooke, “for I shall go with the first men—take the broad road off to the left the moment you are through the gate. It is clear and good, and there will be nothing but an earthwork, with some guns planted by the enemy to play upon the houses. That is so low, that it will not stop you. If it is too high, you can pass it by going into the gardens to the right.”“You hear, Captain,” said Brace; “and you will select twenty men for the first advance.”“Yes,” he replied.The order was given to lower the lance-points, and we turned off to the right, and, following Brooke’s guidance, the twenty selected men led the advance, keeping well under cover till the dusty road was reached, both cavalry and artillery advancing as nearly in line as the rough ground would allow; then, as we faced to the left, and formed a column, the little troop went off at a trot, then at a gallop, and then raced for the gate, raising a cloud of dust sufficiently thick to hide our advance, the lancers first, four abreast, the guns last, at such a headlong gallop that the half-mile seemed nothing.In the midst of the wild excitement, the firing ahead sounded louder, and there were yells and shrieks which literally fired my blood; then I heard a few scattered shots and some yelling close at hand, which meant the lancers riding down the feeble opposition at the gate, which we seemed to reach a few moments later; and as we wheeled slightly to the left, along we tore down a wide, open road. Next there was a leaping and bounding of the guns and limbers over the low earthwork, and we were on our way again at a gallop toward a cloud of smoke, and the next minute the clash of arms, the yelling of men, the shouts and cheers of our lancers as they tore on, sweeping all before them, rang in my ears, while my brain swam in the giddiness produced by excitement. Amidst it all the trumpet sounded a halt, the men leaped from horse and limber, the guns were at once unhooked, and loaded with grape where we stood, close up to some walls and barricades, from beyond which came shouts and cheers which almost maddened us. Then, dominating these sounds, there came the beat of hoofs, as the lancers rode back, after forcing their charge as far they could, passed between the guns, and faced round, to form up behind us ready for a fresh charge on the wave of fierce enemies, beaten back for the moment, but now recoiling and coming back to the attack on the barricade, behind which our fellow-countrymen had been desperately trying to hold their own.I had a full view of this huge wave of savage humanity—inhumanity, I ought to say—as they came on at a rush, with eyes and weapons gleaming, their wildest passions roused, one vast mob of fighting men, a hundred yards—eighty—fifty yards away, when Brace’s order rang out, heard above the roar as of a storm raging on a rocky coast.Thenthud, and like the slow pulse-beats of doom,thud—thud—each gun spoke out from our little line, and at every flash there was a white puff of smoke, which slowly rose, and we saw beneath the vapour, how at each discharge of grape an open lane was torn through the savage crowd.But these closed up, and they still came on, those behind forcing those in front, till they were within twenty yards.Never had those guns been served with such rapidity before, nor with such regular motion. The men worked like machines, and as calmly, but our case was becoming desperate. Round after round tore through them, but with fanatical rage the survivors came on, and in another few moments we knew that they would be among us with their keen tulwars and sheltering shield.But not a man shrank. I knew it was hopeless to think of limbering up, and carrying off the guns; we should have been cut down at once; and rendered desperate by our position, every man at liberty pressed forward to try and defend the gunners, who still toiled on.“Why don’t the lancers charge again?” I thought, as I thrust savagely at a man who was making a cut at a gunner, and a cold feeling of despair began to attack me, as I thought of mother and sister behind the barricade over our heads, and that Brace’s gallant troop would be utterly cut to pieces, and the guns turned against my father when he advanced.“Ny Deen will get his wish,” I thought, as I thrust again with all my force and saved the life of the man who was ramming the gun beside me.“The lancers—where are the lancers?” I thought again; and at that moment a line of men came in among us, and formed a slight hedge of lance-points which darted rapidly out between the gunners whenever one was threatened. Half the men had been dismounted, and while they helped to keep the enemy at bay, a ragged volley suddenly roared above our heads where the brave defenders of the place had collected to give us their little aid.That volley was so fresh and unexpected that, blazing out as it did, close to the enemy, they fell back for a few moments. Only a few, but long enough to enable the men of one of the most crowded-up guns to send its charge tearing through the foe. Then another spoke, and, with yells of despair, the wave swung back a little. Another volley from the barricade staggered them more, and the fire of the guns increased in regularity, while all at once I found that we had more room; the lancers had been withdrawn. A few more shots into the mass made them waver. “Cease firing!” rang out, and the trampling of horses began once more, as the lancers passed through us, and hurled themselves at full gallop against the crowd.That finished the attack, for the enemy turned and fled, throwing into disorder reinforcements coming up; and as the lancers retired in single file, right and left, we played round shot between them, and finished the discomfiture of the attacking force, which rolled back into shelter among the houses at the back.Then, amidst frantic cheers, a portion of the nearest wall was thrown down, and the guns were dragged into the enclosure, the lancers followed into the shelter; and, as a part of our men repaired the breach, and the guns were mounted ready for the next advance, such a scene of weeping, shouting, and embracing took place as is beyond description, and can only be recalled with a choking sensation of the throat.I looked wildly round for the faces dear to me, but it was some time before I could make them out in the little crowd of haggard ragged ladies who had been obliged to crowd together in a mere cellar, so as to avoid the shot poured into the enclosure night and day.But there was no time for sorrow or joy. I had hardly embraced those dear to me when there was a cry raised that the enemy were coming on again, and as I was literally obliged to drag myself away from my sister, she, in her faintness from want of food, staggered, and would have fallen, had not an officer suddenly caught her in his arms.“Thank you, Brace,” I said, as he helped her to the door of the house from whence she had come. “My sister must have suffered horribly.”“Your sister, Gil!” he said; “that lady? Ah!”He twisted himself violently round as he uttered a sharp cry, and it was my turn to catch him in my arms as he was falling.“Not hit?” cried a familiar voice, and Danby hurried up as two of our men helped me to bear our leader to the door through which my sister had just passed; and there, sheltered from the bullets which had now begun to fly fast from a tall building a short distance away, the doctor made a rapid examination.“Well?” I said excitedly, “is he wounded?”“Badly,” whispered the doctor, “through the lungs, I’m afraid.”I could stay to hear no more, as I had to hurry off to the guns, for threatening shouts told me that the enemy were coming on again, and were heralding their approach by a terrific fire prior to the next assault.Fortunately there was ample shelter for the horses among the buildings, which had been fortified and enclosed by a strong earthwork and barricade under my father’s orders; and here, with the women and children for the most part in the partially underground cellarage of the Residency, the gallant little garrison had still held out after Brooke’s departure, in spite of their thirst, and the constant harassing attacks kept up by the enemy. They had again and again felt that all was over, but still kept up the struggle till a sudden commotion in the city, and the sight of fresh troops pouring in, seemed completely to crush out their last hopes. For they had clung to the belief that Mr Brooke would succeed in making their position known, and bring reinforcements, but these had come to the other side. There had seemed to be nothing left but to fight to the last, and, when the enemy mastered the barricades, to retreat to the building beside that where the women and children were, and apply a match to the magazine—finding death, but avenging it upon their cowardly foes, who must have perished by hundreds in the explosion, so large was the store of powder in the place.Our arrival had been in the nick of time, and a scene of frantic joy had ensued; but it was soon at an end, for the guns had to be worked again after a very brief period utilised in getting them into position.Still, small as was the reinforcement, it placed the powder-blackened, ragged, haggard men—soldiers and civilians—in a far better position, and they rushed to the batteries and loopholes, to help pour a rain of bullets on the advancing enemy, while the dismounted lancers worked guns which had been silent for want of help, and our six-pounders grew hot with the rapidity of the fire.“How long will the colonel be?” said Haynes, coming to my side for a few moments, our men needing no encouragement, but fighting the guns with a look of suppressed rage in their eyes, as if they were seeking to avenge the blow which had fallen upon their captain.“I cannot say,” I replied. “Certainly not till dark.”“Then he will be too late,” said Haynes, gloomily. “We shall never be able to hold out till then. Danby is getting busier every moment.”“Yes; it’s those black wretches on that big building,” I said, pointing at a place a little over a hundred yards away; and as I spoke, a bullet whistled by my ear. “They have some of their best marksmen there. Never mind; let’s show them we have good marksmen too.”He did as I suggested, and three of our guns were trained and shotted, two being aimed by Sergeant Craig and Denny, whom Brace had made corporal, during the past few days.“Quickly as you can,” I said, as shot after shot was fired from the roof of the building.It meant exposure for our men, but they did not heed it, and in ten minutes the top of the building was crumbling about its occupants’ ears, while a couple of cleverly sent shell completed their discomfiture, and they rapidly evacuated the place.It was only a temporary success, but it relieved us for the time, and enabled us to direct our attention to other dangers.The rest of that day is one horrible scene of confusion to me, as we worked on, burned by the sun, faint with the sickening smell of powder, and many falling beneath the rushing hail of bullets poured into the enclosure; but there was no sign of shrinking. The men had long before cast off their jackets, and worked on in shirt and trousers, always preserving their discipline, and trying their best to make their shot tell.Twice over I saw a figure on horseback appear directing the men—a figure I could not mistake, and man after man tried to bring him down, but he seemed to bear a charmed life. He was most prominent at an attempt to storm the place when, mad with fury, a column rushed forward bearing ladders and poles under one arm, whilst they waved their gleaming swords with the other. But as soon as we were certain of their approach, our light guns were slewed round, and such a condensed hail of grape was sent into them that when close up they reeled, wavered, and retreated again.Then, without cessation, the firing was resumed from every sheltered spot within range, and we waited for the night attack, one we were sure would come; and as we waited, the sun went down, the darkness began to approach rapidly, and there was not a man there, as he slowly ate his scraps of food, and drank the water brought round by the ladies, who did not feel that it would be our last night on earth.I was leaning against the wheel of the nearest gun, eating mechanically, and thinking that my father would be too late, for in the distance I could see sepoys gathering and marching forward as if for another assault, when a lady approached me with a cup and a vessel of water.“Will you drink, sir?” she said faintly.“Grace!” I exclaimed.“Oh, Gil, dear brother,” she sobbed; “must we all be killed?”“No,” I cried passionately; “there are too many brave fellows here. And cheer up; father must be close at hand. There, give me some water. How is poor Captain Brace?”“Don’t ask me,” she said, in a faint whisper. “I never thought to meet the brave friend you wrote of like this.”I had just drunk the water, and was handing back the cup, when Sergeant Craig, who was at the other gun, shouted—“Look out! They’re stealing up in the dark.”“Quick! Under cover!” I cried to Grace; and I ran her up to the shelter, and started back to the guns, which were already sending flash after flash into the growing darkness, but all in vain. Ny Deen had been preparing for an assault which he meant to be final and, heading his men himself, he brought them on in such force that I saw our case must be hopeless, and that in another minute they would be over the earthworks, cutting us down.“Quicker, boys! Quicker!” I cried, as the men fired. “Now rammers and swords. They’re on to us.”I felt a boy no longer, but as fierce a man as any there, for mother and sister were not twenty yards away, and I used the rajah’s sword with all my strength, saving poor Sergeant Craig from instant death by a sharp thrust.Then we were being borne back, and the sepoys and armed rabble were over the earthworks in several directions.“All over! Keep together!” yelled Haynes.“Old England for ever!” shouted Craig, still weak from his wounds, but fighting like the brave man he was, whencrash! and thencrash! and againcrash! volley after volley, such as could only be fired by a well-drilled English regiment, not two hundred yards away; and, encouraged by the sounds, our little garrison sent up a tremendous cheer, and, instead of giving way, beat their enemies back, while volley after volley came again. Then there was the sound of a bugle, a rattling British cheer, and we knew that our friends were coming on at the double, with bayonets at the charge.Taken in the rear, in spite of their numbers, this was too much for the mutineers, who turned and leaped back over the earthworks, seeking flight in a wild panic; while, a minute later, there was a glittering line of bayonets in the darkness, and our brave fellows came clambering over into the enclosure.I saw them coming, but I was sick and fainting, held up by Craig and Denny, as a bronzed face was thrust close up to mine.“Gil!—your mother—your sister?” cried my father wildly.“Safe! safe!” I said faintly.“Thank God we were in time!” cried my father. “But my boy—wounded?”“I—don’t know, father,” I gasped, as everything seemed to turn round, and then something blacker than the night came over me, and I knew no more for some time.
In the eagerness of pursuit but small heed had been paid to the rajah’s course, and hence it was that my father, who knew little of this side of the city, had been so taken by surprise as to its being so near. And now, when every pulse was throbbing with agony, and one wish only was in his breast, he was forced to call a halt, and wait for three or four hours till the heat of the day was past, and the men had rested and refreshed their horses by a huge tank covered with lotus, and whose cool dark waters were evidently deep.
He had kept on for a long time, but the halt was forced upon him by the terrible heat. Men were staggering in the ranks, one poor fellow dropped from his horse, and he unwillingly gave the word as we reached the tank where the men threw themselves down, while others schemed all kinds of contrivances to keep off the scorching heat. “We must rest for a few hours,” said my father.
“It would be like courting defeat to throw the poor fellows against the rajah’s mob utterly exhausted by a twelve-miles’ walk through this fearful sun.”
It was agreed that it would be madness for the infantry; but Brace proposed at a little council that was held, that he should hurry on with his troop, and that the officer in command of the cavalry should go with him in support.
I saw my father hesitate for a few moments, while all eyes were turned upon him, and then he rose.
“Yes,” he said; “it will create a diversion, and give hope to the poor creatures who are making so brave a struggle. What do you say, Brooke?”
Mr Brooke, who was the commissioner of the place, exclaimed eagerly—
“In Heaven’s name, send them! It will show them that help is near.”
“An hour’s rest first,” said my father, “and then go.”
“But the men, sir—” protested Brace.
“I am not thinking of the brave fellows,” said my father, “but of their poor dumb beasts.”
“Yes,” said Brace, “you are right;” and he went to see that the horses were being carefully tended—almost an unnecessary task, for our men were very proud of their mounts, and I followed him silently till he heard my step, and faced round to look at me angrily.
“What do you want?” he said.
“To ride with the old guns again,” I faltered in a choking voice.
“It is impossible,” he said coldly. “The men would rise against you after what they know.”
A flush of anger rose to my brow, and I felt my throat hot, as I cried angrily—
“They would not. There is not a man amongst them who would believe me such a scoundrel as you and Haynes do.”
Then my voice broke, and I turned to him appealingly.
“Brace,” I cried; “indeed you are wrong. I would not stoop to beg of you like this, but you are going to their help. My mother and my sister are there, and I seem to see them holding out their hands to us to come and help them. I must come with you. If you say no, I shall gallop on by myself, and if they cut me down, well, I shall have tried to help those I love.”
He had turned from me, but as my words, which I suppose were full of passionate excitement, fell upon his ears, he faced round and stared at me fixedly, as he raised his hand, hesitated, and then dropped it again.
“Gil,” he cried, “swear to me on your honour as a soldier and a gentleman that you had not joined the rajah’s men.”
The moment before I was humble and pleading, but these words, this tone of doubt, this demand for an oath drove humility to the winds, and I felt as if I would die sooner than degrade myself as he wished.
“I will not,” I cried hotly. “I’ll swear nothing. I don’t want you to believe me. I thought you were a gentleman, and my friend.”
“Then tell me as a brother-officer that I am really wrong.”
“I tell you that you are a coward and blind,” I cried; “and sooner than humble myself, I’d do as I said, and die.”
“Gil,” he said hoarsely, “you are right. I can’t go down on my knees to you here, but I do believe you, lad. I was blind and miserable, and disappointment made me doubt you more and more. Forgive me, lad; I own it. You couldn’t have been such a miserable hound.”
I wanted to speak, but the words would not come for long enough. When they did, I could only whisper huskily—
“May I go to my guns?”
He nodded, for he could not speak either for a time.
“Like this?” I said, making a sign towards my uniform.
“Anyhow, as long as it is the lad I believed in from the first,” he half whispered; and then, in quite his old tone, “but we must ride and fire as we never rode and fired before. Now then, come and have a few words with the men.”
I went with him, and he spoke three words, the men answering with a cheer, and I saw Dick Dobbs raise the trumpet, and Sergeant Craig take a run toward his horse, while Denny seemed to try and catch my eye.
Then Haynes and Danby came up, and both shook hands, or, rather, asked me to shake hands with them, in a deprecating way, and soon after, as if it were once more a dream, I was in the saddle by the guns, listening to my father’s advice to Brace. He was to try and hold the rajah’s people engaged with the help of the cavalry, harassing them till the infantry could come up, but he was not to risk losing the guns.
Just then, still in the costume of an ordinary budmash, but with his face washed clear of his black disguise, Mr Brooke rode up, and asked leave to join the advance.
“Why?” said my father, abruptly.
“I know every inch of the country for miles round, and I can land them close up to the Residency by the forest gate at the back,” said Mr Brooke, earnestly. “Besides, I should like to make a dash in and tell the poor shivering creatures I have brought them help.”
“Go,” said my father, abruptly; and a minute later the dust was rising, the lance-points glittering, and the wheels of the guns and limbers were giving forth their peculiar dull, clattering rattle as we advanced at a trot across the burning plain.
This pace was soon reduced to a walk, of necessity, so as to have the horses as fresh as possible when we went into action, and after a time the lancer captain reined back and joined Brace and Haynes, who were riding close by me, and Mr Brooke rode to us at a sign from Brace.
“Now, gentlemen,” said the latter, “the question is, how our attack is to be made. Of course we can say nothing decisive till we find out whether the rajah’s troops are inside or outside the town.”
“May I speak?” said Brooke.
“Of course. You know the place,” replied Brace.
“I am not a soldier, but I have had a severe lesson in fighting lately, and it seems to me that the only course open for you is to approach the town gates, or one of them, without letting your approach be seen, and then make a bold dash right into the little quarter defended by the Europeans.”
“You forget that we are not infantry, sir,” said Brace. “We cannot fight our way through streets where every window and roof would be manned by mutineers. We should be all shot down, or in hopeless confusion before we were half-way there.”
Brooke smiled.
“I know the place, sir,” he said. “It is a walled and fortified city with gates, and the European quarter, where we have been besieged, is surrounded by open gardens, and there are wide roads from the north-west gate. You will find no enemy in the plain; they will have marched in by the north-east gate, the nearest to here. I can take you round unseen to the north-west, where, by a sudden dash of the lancers, the gate could be surprised, and they could charge right down the open road, followed by you and your guns right up to the Residency entrenchments, and obtain admittance with the guns before the scoundrels had recovered from their surprise. Of course they would come on again by hundreds or thousands; but your well-served guns can hold them at bay till the colonel comes up with his men.”
Brace remained thoughtful for a few minutes.
“This is quite opposed to the colonel’s ideas,” he said at last; “but it certainly sounds feasible, if we can pass the gate, and the road is open for the horse to charge.”
“I guarantee that,” said Mr Brooke; “and if the manoeuvre is executed with spirit, it cannot fail.”
“Then it cannot fail,” said Brace, with a smile. “What do you say, sir?” he continued, appealing to the lancer captain.
“I say it is the wisest thing to do, always supposing the enemy is not outside. Then we ought to try to harass him only, and keep him engaged.”
“But the rajah is clever enough to find out our weakness, and we shall be driven back further and further, till we can do comparatively little, I am afraid, but encourage our friends by the sound of our guns. The surprise is the plan—if it can be carried out. We will try.”
Very little more was said as we advanced, keeping a bright look-out forward for cavalry, who would gallop back and announce our approach. Of people on foot we had no fear, for we could reach Nussoor long before them; and at last the broad track in the dusty plain left by the rajah’s force was quitted, Mr Brooke leading us off at an angle, and making for higher ground with patches of forest trees.
Among these he made his way till, at the densest part, he pointed south, and announced that we were passing the city, which lay in a hollow about a mile away.
But as he spoke, there was a sudden burst of firing, and, thrilled by this, we increased our pace as fast as the bad ground would allow, till we reached the edge of the open, park-like ground, where a halt was called, and the officers advanced cautiously to an eminence, where we dismounted and peered down to where, in a bowl-like depression a mile away, lay, with its beautiful white marble mosque and dome-shaped tombs of former kings, the city of Nussoor. Wall, gates, minarets, gardens with their trees both inside and outside the walls, all were before us as on a map; while, half a mile before us, a white, dusty-looking road wound across the plain toward a great gate.
We were now on the opposite side to that by which Ny Deen would have entered with his troops; and as the smoke hung more heavily over the side of the town nearest to us, and the firing grew louder, we did not need Mr Brooke’s words to tell us that a fierce attack was going on against the brave handful of Europeans who were making a desperate endeavour to hold their own, in the hope that help might come; if not, to die fighting, and not trust to the cruel mercies of the mutineers.
“We are still in time,” said Mr Brooke, hoarsely. “See, I can lead you round there by those trees, so that you can reach the road half a mile from the gate. Then a score of your swiftest men could dash up to the gate and hold it till the rest come up, but the place looks so utterly unoccupied that I feel sure the attention of all is upon the fight going on in the European quarter, and a bold dash will take you in.”
“Yes,” said Brace, decisively; “we’ll try it.”
“If I go down,” said Brooke, “for I shall go with the first men—take the broad road off to the left the moment you are through the gate. It is clear and good, and there will be nothing but an earthwork, with some guns planted by the enemy to play upon the houses. That is so low, that it will not stop you. If it is too high, you can pass it by going into the gardens to the right.”
“You hear, Captain,” said Brace; “and you will select twenty men for the first advance.”
“Yes,” he replied.
The order was given to lower the lance-points, and we turned off to the right, and, following Brooke’s guidance, the twenty selected men led the advance, keeping well under cover till the dusty road was reached, both cavalry and artillery advancing as nearly in line as the rough ground would allow; then, as we faced to the left, and formed a column, the little troop went off at a trot, then at a gallop, and then raced for the gate, raising a cloud of dust sufficiently thick to hide our advance, the lancers first, four abreast, the guns last, at such a headlong gallop that the half-mile seemed nothing.
In the midst of the wild excitement, the firing ahead sounded louder, and there were yells and shrieks which literally fired my blood; then I heard a few scattered shots and some yelling close at hand, which meant the lancers riding down the feeble opposition at the gate, which we seemed to reach a few moments later; and as we wheeled slightly to the left, along we tore down a wide, open road. Next there was a leaping and bounding of the guns and limbers over the low earthwork, and we were on our way again at a gallop toward a cloud of smoke, and the next minute the clash of arms, the yelling of men, the shouts and cheers of our lancers as they tore on, sweeping all before them, rang in my ears, while my brain swam in the giddiness produced by excitement. Amidst it all the trumpet sounded a halt, the men leaped from horse and limber, the guns were at once unhooked, and loaded with grape where we stood, close up to some walls and barricades, from beyond which came shouts and cheers which almost maddened us. Then, dominating these sounds, there came the beat of hoofs, as the lancers rode back, after forcing their charge as far they could, passed between the guns, and faced round, to form up behind us ready for a fresh charge on the wave of fierce enemies, beaten back for the moment, but now recoiling and coming back to the attack on the barricade, behind which our fellow-countrymen had been desperately trying to hold their own.
I had a full view of this huge wave of savage humanity—inhumanity, I ought to say—as they came on at a rush, with eyes and weapons gleaming, their wildest passions roused, one vast mob of fighting men, a hundred yards—eighty—fifty yards away, when Brace’s order rang out, heard above the roar as of a storm raging on a rocky coast.
Thenthud, and like the slow pulse-beats of doom,thud—thud—each gun spoke out from our little line, and at every flash there was a white puff of smoke, which slowly rose, and we saw beneath the vapour, how at each discharge of grape an open lane was torn through the savage crowd.
But these closed up, and they still came on, those behind forcing those in front, till they were within twenty yards.
Never had those guns been served with such rapidity before, nor with such regular motion. The men worked like machines, and as calmly, but our case was becoming desperate. Round after round tore through them, but with fanatical rage the survivors came on, and in another few moments we knew that they would be among us with their keen tulwars and sheltering shield.
But not a man shrank. I knew it was hopeless to think of limbering up, and carrying off the guns; we should have been cut down at once; and rendered desperate by our position, every man at liberty pressed forward to try and defend the gunners, who still toiled on.
“Why don’t the lancers charge again?” I thought, as I thrust savagely at a man who was making a cut at a gunner, and a cold feeling of despair began to attack me, as I thought of mother and sister behind the barricade over our heads, and that Brace’s gallant troop would be utterly cut to pieces, and the guns turned against my father when he advanced.
“Ny Deen will get his wish,” I thought, as I thrust again with all my force and saved the life of the man who was ramming the gun beside me.
“The lancers—where are the lancers?” I thought again; and at that moment a line of men came in among us, and formed a slight hedge of lance-points which darted rapidly out between the gunners whenever one was threatened. Half the men had been dismounted, and while they helped to keep the enemy at bay, a ragged volley suddenly roared above our heads where the brave defenders of the place had collected to give us their little aid.
That volley was so fresh and unexpected that, blazing out as it did, close to the enemy, they fell back for a few moments. Only a few, but long enough to enable the men of one of the most crowded-up guns to send its charge tearing through the foe. Then another spoke, and, with yells of despair, the wave swung back a little. Another volley from the barricade staggered them more, and the fire of the guns increased in regularity, while all at once I found that we had more room; the lancers had been withdrawn. A few more shots into the mass made them waver. “Cease firing!” rang out, and the trampling of horses began once more, as the lancers passed through us, and hurled themselves at full gallop against the crowd.
That finished the attack, for the enemy turned and fled, throwing into disorder reinforcements coming up; and as the lancers retired in single file, right and left, we played round shot between them, and finished the discomfiture of the attacking force, which rolled back into shelter among the houses at the back.
Then, amidst frantic cheers, a portion of the nearest wall was thrown down, and the guns were dragged into the enclosure, the lancers followed into the shelter; and, as a part of our men repaired the breach, and the guns were mounted ready for the next advance, such a scene of weeping, shouting, and embracing took place as is beyond description, and can only be recalled with a choking sensation of the throat.
I looked wildly round for the faces dear to me, but it was some time before I could make them out in the little crowd of haggard ragged ladies who had been obliged to crowd together in a mere cellar, so as to avoid the shot poured into the enclosure night and day.
But there was no time for sorrow or joy. I had hardly embraced those dear to me when there was a cry raised that the enemy were coming on again, and as I was literally obliged to drag myself away from my sister, she, in her faintness from want of food, staggered, and would have fallen, had not an officer suddenly caught her in his arms.
“Thank you, Brace,” I said, as he helped her to the door of the house from whence she had come. “My sister must have suffered horribly.”
“Your sister, Gil!” he said; “that lady? Ah!”
He twisted himself violently round as he uttered a sharp cry, and it was my turn to catch him in my arms as he was falling.
“Not hit?” cried a familiar voice, and Danby hurried up as two of our men helped me to bear our leader to the door through which my sister had just passed; and there, sheltered from the bullets which had now begun to fly fast from a tall building a short distance away, the doctor made a rapid examination.
“Well?” I said excitedly, “is he wounded?”
“Badly,” whispered the doctor, “through the lungs, I’m afraid.”
I could stay to hear no more, as I had to hurry off to the guns, for threatening shouts told me that the enemy were coming on again, and were heralding their approach by a terrific fire prior to the next assault.
Fortunately there was ample shelter for the horses among the buildings, which had been fortified and enclosed by a strong earthwork and barricade under my father’s orders; and here, with the women and children for the most part in the partially underground cellarage of the Residency, the gallant little garrison had still held out after Brooke’s departure, in spite of their thirst, and the constant harassing attacks kept up by the enemy. They had again and again felt that all was over, but still kept up the struggle till a sudden commotion in the city, and the sight of fresh troops pouring in, seemed completely to crush out their last hopes. For they had clung to the belief that Mr Brooke would succeed in making their position known, and bring reinforcements, but these had come to the other side. There had seemed to be nothing left but to fight to the last, and, when the enemy mastered the barricades, to retreat to the building beside that where the women and children were, and apply a match to the magazine—finding death, but avenging it upon their cowardly foes, who must have perished by hundreds in the explosion, so large was the store of powder in the place.
Our arrival had been in the nick of time, and a scene of frantic joy had ensued; but it was soon at an end, for the guns had to be worked again after a very brief period utilised in getting them into position.
Still, small as was the reinforcement, it placed the powder-blackened, ragged, haggard men—soldiers and civilians—in a far better position, and they rushed to the batteries and loopholes, to help pour a rain of bullets on the advancing enemy, while the dismounted lancers worked guns which had been silent for want of help, and our six-pounders grew hot with the rapidity of the fire.
“How long will the colonel be?” said Haynes, coming to my side for a few moments, our men needing no encouragement, but fighting the guns with a look of suppressed rage in their eyes, as if they were seeking to avenge the blow which had fallen upon their captain.
“I cannot say,” I replied. “Certainly not till dark.”
“Then he will be too late,” said Haynes, gloomily. “We shall never be able to hold out till then. Danby is getting busier every moment.”
“Yes; it’s those black wretches on that big building,” I said, pointing at a place a little over a hundred yards away; and as I spoke, a bullet whistled by my ear. “They have some of their best marksmen there. Never mind; let’s show them we have good marksmen too.”
He did as I suggested, and three of our guns were trained and shotted, two being aimed by Sergeant Craig and Denny, whom Brace had made corporal, during the past few days.
“Quickly as you can,” I said, as shot after shot was fired from the roof of the building.
It meant exposure for our men, but they did not heed it, and in ten minutes the top of the building was crumbling about its occupants’ ears, while a couple of cleverly sent shell completed their discomfiture, and they rapidly evacuated the place.
It was only a temporary success, but it relieved us for the time, and enabled us to direct our attention to other dangers.
The rest of that day is one horrible scene of confusion to me, as we worked on, burned by the sun, faint with the sickening smell of powder, and many falling beneath the rushing hail of bullets poured into the enclosure; but there was no sign of shrinking. The men had long before cast off their jackets, and worked on in shirt and trousers, always preserving their discipline, and trying their best to make their shot tell.
Twice over I saw a figure on horseback appear directing the men—a figure I could not mistake, and man after man tried to bring him down, but he seemed to bear a charmed life. He was most prominent at an attempt to storm the place when, mad with fury, a column rushed forward bearing ladders and poles under one arm, whilst they waved their gleaming swords with the other. But as soon as we were certain of their approach, our light guns were slewed round, and such a condensed hail of grape was sent into them that when close up they reeled, wavered, and retreated again.
Then, without cessation, the firing was resumed from every sheltered spot within range, and we waited for the night attack, one we were sure would come; and as we waited, the sun went down, the darkness began to approach rapidly, and there was not a man there, as he slowly ate his scraps of food, and drank the water brought round by the ladies, who did not feel that it would be our last night on earth.
I was leaning against the wheel of the nearest gun, eating mechanically, and thinking that my father would be too late, for in the distance I could see sepoys gathering and marching forward as if for another assault, when a lady approached me with a cup and a vessel of water.
“Will you drink, sir?” she said faintly.
“Grace!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, Gil, dear brother,” she sobbed; “must we all be killed?”
“No,” I cried passionately; “there are too many brave fellows here. And cheer up; father must be close at hand. There, give me some water. How is poor Captain Brace?”
“Don’t ask me,” she said, in a faint whisper. “I never thought to meet the brave friend you wrote of like this.”
I had just drunk the water, and was handing back the cup, when Sergeant Craig, who was at the other gun, shouted—
“Look out! They’re stealing up in the dark.”
“Quick! Under cover!” I cried to Grace; and I ran her up to the shelter, and started back to the guns, which were already sending flash after flash into the growing darkness, but all in vain. Ny Deen had been preparing for an assault which he meant to be final and, heading his men himself, he brought them on in such force that I saw our case must be hopeless, and that in another minute they would be over the earthworks, cutting us down.
“Quicker, boys! Quicker!” I cried, as the men fired. “Now rammers and swords. They’re on to us.”
I felt a boy no longer, but as fierce a man as any there, for mother and sister were not twenty yards away, and I used the rajah’s sword with all my strength, saving poor Sergeant Craig from instant death by a sharp thrust.
Then we were being borne back, and the sepoys and armed rabble were over the earthworks in several directions.
“All over! Keep together!” yelled Haynes.
“Old England for ever!” shouted Craig, still weak from his wounds, but fighting like the brave man he was, whencrash! and thencrash! and againcrash! volley after volley, such as could only be fired by a well-drilled English regiment, not two hundred yards away; and, encouraged by the sounds, our little garrison sent up a tremendous cheer, and, instead of giving way, beat their enemies back, while volley after volley came again. Then there was the sound of a bugle, a rattling British cheer, and we knew that our friends were coming on at the double, with bayonets at the charge.
Taken in the rear, in spite of their numbers, this was too much for the mutineers, who turned and leaped back over the earthworks, seeking flight in a wild panic; while, a minute later, there was a glittering line of bayonets in the darkness, and our brave fellows came clambering over into the enclosure.
I saw them coming, but I was sick and fainting, held up by Craig and Denny, as a bronzed face was thrust close up to mine.
“Gil!—your mother—your sister?” cried my father wildly.
“Safe! safe!” I said faintly.
“Thank God we were in time!” cried my father. “But my boy—wounded?”
“I—don’t know, father,” I gasped, as everything seemed to turn round, and then something blacker than the night came over me, and I knew no more for some time.