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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 33 |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. The doctor came the next day, and did not seem satisfied; the fact being that, on awakening, my mind was all on the fret. For I was always face to face with the thought of what had become of my mother and sister at Nussoor. Of course I sorrowed, too, about my father's fate; but I was not so anxious about him. He was a soldier, with some hundreds of trusty Englishmen at his back, and I knew that he would be ready to meet any difficulties. Then there was Brace to fidget about, and my other friends of the troop. I wanted to know whether they had been scattered, as Ny Deen had assured me, and whether the English rule really was coming to an end. "He thinks so," I said; "but I will not believe it yet." Then I worried about being a prisoner, and with no prospect of getting free. It was very pleasant to be waited on, and treated as the rajah's friend, and there were times when I almost wondered at myself for refusing the costly gifts he had offered. But I soon ceased wondering, and began to feel that jewelled swords and magnificent horses were worthless to one who was a prisoner. The days passed drearily by in spite of bright sunshine and breezes and delicious fruits, with every attention a convalescent could wish for. By degrees I reached the stage when I was borne out through the shady edge of the forest in a palanquin, plenty of bearers being forthcoming when needed, and then disappearing again, leaving me wondering whence they came, and how far away the rajah's principal city might be. Everything I asked for was obtained directly; but I was a prisoner, and not the slightest information could I get. The only inkling I had of my whereabouts was obtained one day when I was being borne along in the shade by my bearers, with Salaman at my side. They halted at the edge of what was almost a precipice, to give me a view through an opening of a far-spreading plain at a considerable depth below; and this taught me at once that I had been placed, of course by the rajah's command, in the shady forest somewhere on a mountain slope, where the air was comparatively cool, and where I was far more likely to recover than in some crowded city in the broiling plains. That was all that the view down the precipitous slope taught me. I could not recognise a single landmark, and returned to my prison-tent as low-spirited as ever. It must have been a day or two after, when I was making my first essays in walking, that, unexpectedly as usual, the rajah came riding in among the trees quite alone, and as he drew rein, smiling, close to where I was standing, I could not help envying him the strength and ease with which he managed his splendid charger. He was quite simply dressed on this occasion, and his appearance indicated that he must have ridden far. As we shook hands, I was wondering that he should have come without any escort, but just then I heard the snort of a horse at some distance, which made the beautiful arab by my side throw up his head and challenge loudly, when two more horses answered, and I felt that I had been premature in thinking the country so peaceful and free from troops that the rajah could ride alone. He swung himself down, and a man sprang forward to lead away the horse, while, taking my arm, the rajah led me to the cushioned carpets spread beneath the tree, looking at me smilingly the while. "Come," he said; "this is better; up and walking. You look different, too. Why, I might venture to send your horse over for you to try and mount, but not yet." "Why not yet?" I said, as we sat down among the cushions. "For several reasons," he replied, smiling at me. "I want to see you stronger." "But I think I could mount now; and, at a gentle walk, the exercise would do me good." "Perhaps," he said; "but we must see." He clapped his hands, and Salaman glided up. "Bring coffee and a pipe," he said. Salaman bowed and retired. "I have ridden far," he said to me, "and am tired." "Tell me about the state of the country," I said eagerly, after we had sat some moments in silence. "It is not peaceful yet," he replied. "The English are making a little struggle here and there. They do not like to give up the land they have held so long." We were silent again, and Salaman and the two servants I had seen most often, came up, bearing a tray with coffee, a long snake pipe, and a little pan of burning charcoal. A minute after the pipe was lit, and the great amber mouthpiece handed to the rajah, who took it after sipping his coffee, and the men retired as he began to smoke, gazing at me the while. "It is useless," he said at last. "A lost cause." I sat frowning and thinking that he did not understand Englishmen yet, or he would not talk of our cause being lost. "Well," he said at last, "I am very glad to see you getting so strong. In another fortnight you will be well enough to come back to the city." "What city?" I asked. "Mine. To my palace," he replied proudly; but he turned off his haughty manner directly, and continued. "I have had rooms set apart for you, and a certain number of servants, so that you will be quite free, and not dependent upon me." "Free!" I cried, catching that one word; it had such a delightful ring. "Then you will let me go as soon as I have visited you at your palace." "To be cut down--slain, after I have taken such pains to save your life?" he said, with a smile. "Oh, I am very grateful for all that," I cried hastily; "but you must feel that even if they are unfortunate, my place is with my own people." "No," he said quietly, as he went on smoking and gazing straight away at the densely foliaged trees. "I cannot feel that. For I know that it would be folly for you to return to meet your death. It would be impossible for you to get across the plains to the nearest place where your people are trying to hold out. Even if you could get there, the army besieging them would take you, and no one there could save your life." "Let me try," I said. He shook his head. "It would be madness. If I let you have your horse now, you would try some such folly." "You call it a folly," I replied. "I call it my duty." "To rush on your death? Look here, my friend; why do you want to get back? To take up your old position as a junior officer?" "Yes, of course!" "I thought so," he said, with animation, and his eyes flashed as he went on. "You are young and ardent. You wish to rise and become the chief of a troop of artillery?" "Of course," I said. "And some day a general, to command others?" "I hope so--a long way ahead," I replied, smiling. "Of course. I knew it," he said, as he let fall the tube of his pipe, and grasped my arm. "It would be long years before you could command a troop?" "Oh yes--long, long years." "And you would be quite an old man before you became a general?" "Perhaps never," I said, wondering at his eagerness, and yet feeling something akin to a suspicion of his aim. "Then why wish to go?" he said, with a smile. "Why wish to go?" I replied. "I do not understand you." "I say, why wish to go and compete with hundreds of others who would not understand you, and any one of whom might carry off the prize--when you can stay with me?" "Stay with you! What for?" I faltered. "I will make you a general, now--at once," he said excitedly, "and ten thousand men shall bend down before their Moslem rajah's friend, who, from this time forward, will lead and direct my artillery." "Rajah!" I exclaimed, surprised but not surprised, for I had half expected some such proposal, but of course only in a very minor form. "Look here, Vincent," he continued, bending forward, and speaking excitedly. "When I came to your barracks as a humble syce, it was to learn everything about your guns, and the way in which the horse artillery was trained. In those days, beaten, kicked, trampled upon, I always had you in my mind, and I watched you, how quick, how clever, and how brave you were. My heart warmed to you even then; but as I have grown to know you better and seen what you are in the field in action with your men, I have said again and again that there could be no one better for my trusted friend and general." I laughed, though a curious feeling came over me that the man who would make me such a proposal must be mad. "Why do you laugh?" he said. "Are you pleased at what I propose?" "Pleased? No," I said frankly. "You are laughing at me--making fun of me." He frowned. "Is it so trifling a thing, that I should laugh over it?" "No, it is not a trifling matter; but it seems to be trifling with me to propose such a thing. You cannot be in earnest." "I am in earnest, and it is wise," he said sternly. "But it is an appointment for an old, experienced man, and I suppose that I am a mere boy." "The great Company thought you old enough to take charge of their guns," he said gravely. "Yes, but with older officers over me." "Well; I shall be over you; but you will have full charge of all my cannons. You understand them thoroughly." "Of course I know a little about them." "Little!" he cried. "It is magnificent. Have I not seen you often? Did I not see you carry them off after I had captured them, and was training my men? but slowly--oh, so slowly." "You forget that I was only a junior officer acting under my captain's orders. It is nonsense, and you are saying all this to make me vain, to flatter me." "I never stoop to flatter," he said coldly. "It is the truth. Yes, you are young, but you will soon grow older and more experienced, and train my men till they have all the speed of yours. Do you tell me that you could not drill and teach my soldiers?" "Oh no, I do not tell you that," I said frankly, "because I could." "Yes; of course you could, and it will be a proud position for you." "What! as a British officer in the service of a rajah?" "Yes; I could tell you of a dozen cases where an English soldier has drilled his master's forces as you will drill them, for I must have large troops of horse artillery like you had. You shall be in command." I looked hard at him, for even then I felt that he must be joking with me, the proposal seemed to be so out of all reason, and I had so small an estimate of my own powers, that there were moments when I felt ready to laugh, and felt sure that if Brace, serious as he was, had heard it, he would have burst into a hearty fit of mirth. But the rajah's face was grave and stern, and his words were full of the calm conviction that I was the very person to take the command of his men and train them as he wished. As he sat gazing at me, waiting for me to accept his proposal, I tried to treat it in all seriousness, as if quietly discussing the matter with him. "Do I understand you rightly?" I said; "that you wish me to be your chief artillery officer?" "Yes, that is it," he said, "to arrange everything, and above all to get up as quickly as possible three or four troops of horse artillery. You know exactly how it should be done, and could teach the men till they were as quick and dashing as your own." "It would require Englishmen then," I thought, for I could not see that it was possible with Indians. "Would it take very long?" he said. "You could start with men from the cavalry, and so only have to teach them gun-drill." "Yes, it would take very long," I said. "Never mind; they would get better every day. I should be satisfied, for I know what you can do." "Why do you wish to have these troops?" I said, more for the sake of keeping back my reply than for anything else. "Why? To make me strong," he cried excitedly. "With men like that, and the quick-firing guns, I shall be more powerful than any of the rajahs near. But you hesitate; you do not say yes." I looked at him sadly. "Come," he continued, "at your age there should not be any hanging back. Have you thought what it means?" "You have taken me so by surprise," I replied. "Oh yes; but can you not see that I make you at once a great man? one whom I trust in everything, and who will be next in my country to myself? Come, speak. You will accept?" His eyes were fixed upon me searchingly, and I felt that I must speak now, though I trembled for the effect my words would have upon such a determined, relentless man, accustomed to have his will in all things. "There are plenty of men more suited to the task than I am," I said with a last attempt to put off the final words. "Where?" he said, coldly. "Bring me a thousand older and more experienced than you, and I should refuse them all." "Why?" "Because I like and trust you, and know that you would be faithful." "Then," I cried, snatching at the chance of escape, "if you knew I should be faithful, why did you propose such a thing?" "I do not understand you," he said coldly. "I am one of the Company's officers, sworn to be true to my duties. How can I break my oath? I should be a traitor, and worthy of death." "You have been faithful," he said quietly. "I knew you would say that. But the tie is broken now." "No; not while I am in their service." "You are no longer in their service," he said, watching me intently the while. "The great Company is dead; its troops are defeated, scattered, and in a short time there will hardly be a white man left in the land over which they have tyrannised so long." I sank back staring at him wildly, for his words carried conviction, and setting aside the horrors that such a state of affairs suggested, and the terrible degradation for England, I began thinking of myself cut off from all I knew, separated from my people, perhaps for ever, asked to identify myself with the enemies of my country--become, in short, a renegade. "It sounds terrible to you," he said gravely; "but you must accept it, and be content. It is your fate." "No," I cried passionately, "it is impossible. I cannot." "Why?" he said coldly. "Have I not promised you enough?" "Yes, more than enough," I cried; and nerved myself with recollections of all my old teachings, and my duty as an officer and a gentleman. "It is not a question of rewards, but of honour. You ask me to train your men, who have risen up against their rulers, to fight against my people." "No," he said; "your people are conquered. It is more to strengthen me against those who will be jealous of my power--to make me strong." "Oh, I could do that." "Then you accept?" he said eagerly. "No; I could not, unless it was by the command of those whose commission I hold." "Wait. Think about it," he said gravely, as he rose with an impatient gesture, and a heavy frown upon his brow. But it passed off quickly, and he turned and offered me his hand. "Good-bye," he said quietly. "I am not angry; I like you the more. If you had said 'yes' quickly, and been dazzled by the thoughts of becoming a great officer, with show, and grand horses, and attendants, I should have shrunk within myself, and said, 'You are wrong. He is only mean and vain like others. He is not worthy of your trust.' I know now that you are worthy, and you must come to me and be more than friend--my brother and chief counsellor. For I mean to be great among my people here, and raise up a grand nation from those who have been trampled down so long. This is a mighty country, Vincent, and should be ruled over by one who can make himself great." He shook hands and left the shelter of the tree, while as he stepped out into the sunshine the man who had been holding his horse ran forward quickly as if he had been on the watch, and the rajah mounted and rode away, the trampling I heard directly after telling my educated ears that he must have a pretty good escort after all. _ |
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