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Gil the Gunner; or, The Youngest Officer in the East, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 21 |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. Bubbling over with excitement, I was not long in finding Brace, whom I took aside and told of the plan. He stood with knitted brows in perfect silence, hearing me to the very end, and then, feeling chilled and disappointed, I looked into his stern face, and said-- "Then you don't think it will do?" He did not speak for a few moments. Then he gripped my wrist with all his might. "Gil," he said huskily, "it almost stunned me. The idea is as grand as it is simple. It is certain of success. My dear boy, what a brain you have!" "Oh no," I said hastily; "it was not I. It was poor Craig. He thought of it the day before yesterday, but I only got to know of it this morning." "I wish it had been you," said Brace. "But never mind; it is glorious. Craig will have saved us and our reputation far more than he thinks for." "Then he ought to be rewarded," I said. "Of course!" "Then you will put the plan in force?" "Directly, my dear fellow," cried Brace, excitedly. "There, I must be calm, and make my plans." He stood thinking for a few minutes, and then turned to me. "Yes," he said, "that will do. Now then; you will take the men, and--" "Oh no," I cried, "don't send me away. I must be in it, Brace." He looked at me searchingly. "It's a daring thing to do," he said. "And you are very young yet, my lad." "But I brought you the idea." "Yes; but carrying it out is another thing. Mr Haynes must come." "Oh no," I cried passionately. "It wouldn't be fair to me. Besides, it would be with my horses." "The Queen's horses for the time being, my boy. Don't you see that it will require strength and dash?" "Yes; and I feel as if I could dash into it." "But the risk?" "Never mind the risk, Brace," I cried excitedly. "Pray, pray, let me be in it." "Very well," he said--and my heart leaped. "You shall go; but follow my orders to the smallest point, and don't let your excitement get the better of you." "No; I'll be calm," I said. "Then there is no time to lose; they will be out soon, this cool pleasant morning." He took a few steps to one side, and gave the order to the men to fall in. The men saw that something was on the way, and sprang to their places, when Brace ordered the three horses to be saddled and bridled. This was quickly done, and by that time, and while they were being tethered to the nearest trees, the men had buckled on their belts, and taken the carbines from their rustic stand among the undergrowth. Then there was a dead silence, and Brace signed to me, and then marched off Haynes towards the edge of the forest, while I followed. When we got to the border, and stood by the plain with the rajah's town on our right, and the level extending to the left, till the forest swept round about a mile away, Brace pointed out a spot in the curve of verdure, where some half-dozen large trees towered up. "You see those, Haynes?" said Brace. "Yes." "March all the men to that spot, and form an ambush at the foot of those trees. Be quite ready for us when we join you." "What are you going to do?" "Silence, and listen to my orders," said Brace sternly. "You will march the men there in single file by keeping just at the edge of the forest, where it is more open; but the greatest care will be necessary so that you are not seen from the town. If you are, the plan is spoiled." "Right; I'll be careful. I understand. When am I to attack?" "When I or Vincent give the word. You ought to be at that spot in less than an hour, in spite of dense growth." "Yes; I'll be there." "Keep your men hidden, and whatever you see take place, don't stir, even if we are taken prisoners." "Well--I'll obey orders, sir." "That is good. Now then, back to your men; and, mind, it is of vital importance that you carry out my orders to the smallest item." "You may trust me," said Haynes, quietly; and it was the soldier speaking now to his superior. The friendly, easy-going ways of brother-officers were gone, and we stood together watching him till he disappeared among the trees. For a few moments Brace made no movement, but stood as if plunged in thought. Then, turning suddenly, he moved to the very edge of the forest, and leaning forward gazed intently at the town, whose houses looked bright in the morning sun, and among which were throngs of white-clothed people emerging here and there. We could see the guns too glistening in the sun, but no sign of armed men excepting the sentries, whose swords glittered as they walked to and fro. "Why, Gil," said Brace, drawing a long breath, "how satisfied they seem of their safety; a squadron of lancers would capture those guns with ease." "And we are going to capture them without," I said. "Hist! what was that?" "Haynes giving an order to march," I said. "No; some one coming this way! Well, what is it?" he cried to a man who came on at the double, and saluted. "The lieutenant, sir," replied the man. "Will you come at once?" "Something wrong," I heard Brace mutter, as he strode back through the trees to where the men were drawn up with Haynes in front. "Now, what is it?" said Brace, sharply. "Why are you not gone, sir?" "I thought it my duty to stop and see if you would change your plans," replied Haynes. "The prisoners have escaped." "What?" cried Brace, excitedly, as he ran his eyes along the men. "Who were on duty?" "The men were _all_ ordered to fall in," said Haynes. "Yes; quite right. Oh, what a blunder!" added Brace, excitedly, beneath his breath. Then turning to me--"Gil," he murmured, "our plan is thwarted." "Don't give up yet," I whispered. "But they will have gone to the town and given warning of our presence." "They may have fled in another direction." Brace was silent for a few moments, and then he said quickly-- "Well, it need not interfere; we should be obliged to move off, but must alter our plans a little." He spoke to Haynes, who gave the orders for four men to fall out. The litter was seized, Sergeant Craig carefully lifted upon it, the doctor looking on wonderingly; and then, as the men raised the handles, Brace spoke again. "Dobbs," he said sharply, "fall out and take charge of the horses." The lad stepped back, and as he did so a gleam of sunshine through the trees made his trumpet flash for a moment. The next he was standing by the beautiful animals which were impatiently champing their bits and pawing the ground. Then Brace made Haynes a sign, and the men turned right face, and with Haynes at their head, filed off, the bearers falling in with their load, and the doctor looking undecided. "Follow the wounded man, sir," said Brace, and the doctor immediately took his place at the end of the little column, while we stood watching them till they had disappeared among the trees. "We may succeed even now, Gil," said my companion; "but once more, while there is time, speak out frankly to me as if I were your brother; the trumpeter cannot hear. Do you feel--well, to be plain--frightened?" "I suppose so," I said. "It's a curious nervous sensation." "Then give up, and follow the men, and I'll go alone." "You said I was to speak to you as if you were my brother," I said. "Yes." "Then I will speak," I said through my teeth. "It is to my brother, and not to my commanding-officer. I won't. I'll go with you now if I die for it." And all the time the feeling of dread I felt was horrible, and worse than all was that the feeling grew. Brace caught my hand and wrung it. "Well done!" he said in a low voice. "I can see. I know the sensation; but that's the way. Fight it down." "I'm trying," I said, huskily; "but I wish I was not such a coward." "I don't, Gil," he said, smiling, "There, now we have a horrible task before us to wait nearly an hour. Dobbs, follow us with the horses, and keep about twenty yards behind." He advanced to the three noble beasts, and began to examine their bridles, and then tightened their girths himself, before saying shortly, "Now forward," and, carrying the scabbard of his sword, he led the way once more to the edge of the wood, where, after taking care that we were carefully screened, he swept the plain with his eyes, and then took out his glass. "Yes, that will do," he said to the trumpeter, who had stopped with the bridles of the horses in his hands and a look of eager excitement in his eyes, as he evidently anticipated riding that day instead of a long weary tramp. Brace used his glass and watched the town, making comments to me from time to time. "All very quiet," he said. "Our lads must have an hour, for they may find the tangle very hard to get through." There was a long pause, during which he was almost constantly watching the place with his glass. And how that scene is imprinted in my mind; the beautiful fringe of green trees, where we stood in the shade, and before us the broad plain bright in the fresh morning sunshine, and wreaths of mist still floating over it, but being rapidly dispelled by the sun, though the distance still looked hazy and of a delicious blue. There on the right was the village or town, dotted with the figures of the white-robed Hindus, whose arms flashed now and then, as they moved here and there. "If they will only give us a full hour, Gil," said Brace. "How long have our men been gone?" "Not a quarter yet," I said. He uttered an ejaculation full of impatience, and began watching again. "I'm between two fires," he said at last. "I am eager for them to come out before those scoundrelly sepoys give the rajah warning; and I am longing for them to stay for a full three-quarters of an hour yet. What a dilemma. It is terrible." Just then there was the sound of a horse plunging and squealing, and we turned to where the trumpeter held the three. "That would ruin us if they were passing," muttered Brace. Then aloud, "Keep them quiet, my lad. What are you doing?" "Beg pardon, sir; did not move. Mr Vincent's horse, sir, a bit playful. They're all so fresh." We patted and quieted the beautiful animals, and left them again to resume our old place, to find that all remained still. There was no excitement, and we could see nothing to suggest that there had been an alarm, and men were coming out to attack us or a retreat had been ordered. But as we watched, we suddenly saw a man in white riding the beautiful gaily caparisoned Arab, which even at that distance I recognised as the rajah's charger. He was passing along in front of some buildings, and my heart beat faster as I felt that at last the time was rapidly approaching for action. "How long do you think it is now since they started?" said Brace, in a hoarse voice. "Half an hour," I replied; and I did not recognise my own voice, it sounded so husky. "Hah!" sighed Brace, still using his glass. Then, after a few minutes-- "They're turning out," he said. "Yes; and there is no sign of hurry;" and he kept on telling me as, by the help of the glass, the confusion I could see was cleared; and the leading out of horses, and falling in of men, was described, "They're going through it all exactly as if they were our troop," said Brace, bitterly. "We've let them see our training, and trained them, too, to some purpose. Hasn't another quarter of an hour gone yet?" "No," I said; "not more than ten minutes." "It seems like ten hours. Hah! Trumpeter, keep those horses quiet, on your life." There was a neighing and stamping and trampling mingled with the breaking of bushes, and then all was quiet again; while I felt an intense longing to mount my Arab, and gallop as hard as that beautiful creature could go. "You can see them plainly now?" said Brace. "Oh yes; quite plainly," I replied, as I saw the limbers brought out, each by its six horses, and the men drawn up ready, some on foot, the rest mounted, and holding the horses of the dismounted gunners, two of whom, however, would in each case mount to their seats on the limber. "Where is the rajah?" said Brace, impatiently. "I can't see him. Can you?" "No." "Then those scoundrels of sepoys must have reached the place, and, instead of their coming out to drill to-day, they will retreat once more." Just then came the squealing and trampling of the horses again, and I had to run back and help poor Dobbs, whose face was scarlet. "I can hardly hold them, sir. The flies are beginning to worry them, too." "Only a little longer, Dobbs," I said. "Pray--pray try and keep them quiet." I tried hard to soothe my restive charger, which whinnied after me impatiently as I went away again, just as if the poor brute felt disappointed because I had not mounted and ridden him off. But they were pretty quiet when I left them, and I rejoined Brace, who was trembling with excitement. "It must be nearly an hour now," he said to me appealingly. "Yes, it must be," I replied. "And Haynes ought to be ready. It will take a few minutes, too, which will all be in their favour. But the scoundrels don't come out; and, though I can see the rajah's Arab, I can't see him. Take the glass and try yourself." I caught the glass from his hand, and swept the ground, to see that the six guns were all out in front, the long line of horses ready with their riders, and the drivers already seated, waiting for the limbering up, each team of glossy creatures breaking up the regularity of the line. "No," I said, returning the glass. "I can't see him." "But you could make out his horse?" "Yes, plainly." "Gil," said Brace, after a pause, "our hour must be up; and we could act at once if they came out. But there is something wrong." "I hope not." "And I; but I'm afraid. Is your pistol charged?" "No," I said. "Then load, man, load. Heaven knows I don't want to destroy life; but we are fighting for our queen and country, and for the thousands of women and children who may soon be at the mercy of these men." I hastily dragged my cartouche-box round, and charged my pistol, and when this was done, looked at Brace, as if asking for further commands. "Is your sword sharp?" "Yes, very," I replied. "Good. Recollect, lad, that you may have to use it; and then you must strike or give point--do so with vigour. Your life or mine may depend upon it." "I'll try, and do my best," I said huskily. "I know you will, Gil; and may God help us!" There was another long period of watching before he spoke again. "It is of no use, lad," he said. "My fault; and I have upset as splendid a plan as was ever conceived, by letting those prisoners escape. They must have reached the place, and are giving the rajah the information of danger to him and his being so near. It's all over; they will not drill to-day." "But we can follow them up, and get another chance," I said soothingly. "No, lad," he replied, "never again. Knowing that he is pursued, he will be too watchful. Our chance is gone." "Look there," I said, steadying my eyes with my hand; "isn't that the rajah mounting? I can't see, but I saw something flashing in the sun." "Yes," cried Brace, in a trembling voice. "It is--it is; and he is riding out to the front. Look, there is the order. The men have limbered up, and mounted. There, again. Hurrah! they are in motion. Do you see? they are coming out into the plain. Gil, lad, your hand. He cannot have got the warning, or they would follow the road. Now, may Heaven help our good cause, bring us safely through to-day's peril, and help us to acquit ourselves like British soldiers and like men." _ |
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