Chapter 52

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_ 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.

Then _thud_, 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, when _crash_! and then _crash_! and again _crash_! 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. _

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