"Look at those boys," said Bracy the next morning on meeting his brother
officers at their attractive-looking mess breakfast, spread by the
native servants beneath a magnificent cedar. "Yes, they look cheery and
larky enough, in spite of yesterday's experience."
"As full of fun as if this were a holiday," said another.
"Ah," said Roberts, "no one would think that we were surrounded by the
enemy."
"Are we?" asked Bracy.
"Are we?--Just, hark at him.--Where have you been?"
"Having a glorious bath in that torrent. The water was as clear as
crystal."
"And cold as ice," said the Major, with a shudder. "I tried it in my
gutta-percha wash-basin."
"Oh yes, it was cold," said Bracy; "but it was like a shower-bath
squared and cubed. It came down on my head in tubfuls, sent an electric
thrill through one's muscles, and a good rub sent every trace of
stiffness out of my legs. Feel as if I could walk any distance to-day."
"Well, be patient, old man," said Roberts, laughing. "I dare say you'll
have a chance."
"But what's that you were saying about the enemy?"
"Why, every hill's covered with them, and they evidently mean to
attack."
"Oh, very well," said Bracy, beginning upon his breakfast; "then I
suppose we must fight."
There was a laugh behind him, a hand was laid upon his shoulder, and the
young man looked up sharply, to see that the Colonel had come up
silently over the thick carpet of cedar needles.
"Good-morning, sir."
"Good-morning--all," said the Colonel quietly. "All well?"
A chorus of assent ran round the group, and the Colonel continued:
"That's the spirit to take it in, Bracy. Of course we must fight; and
the sooner the scoundrels give us the chance the better--eh, Graham?"
"Yes; we've come to give them a lesson, and they'll get it. We ought to
reach the station by evening. The poor fellows there must be anxiously
looking out for us."
"Yes; I've sent three different messengers to say that we shall be there
by night, and I hope one out of the three will get there with the news."
"Then you mean to go on at once?"
"Of course. Did you think I meant to stay here?"
"I only thought it possible that, as this was a strong place, and we
have plenty of provisions and good water, you might hold on and let them
attack us."
"Oh no," replied the Colonel, taking his seat on the ground with the
rest. "If we do that the enemy will take it for granted that we fear
him. It must be forward, and plenty of dash."
"Yes; but while our lads are raw they would be more steady behind such a
breastwork, or zareba, as we could soon make round us."
"I thought the boys were steady enough yesterday," said the Colonel
quietly; "and we shall be far better off in the open than drawn out in a
line on that narrow shelf."
"Oh, then we shall have a better road to-day?"
"Yes," said the Colonel, going on calmly enough with his meal. "As far
as I can gather from our guides, who all agree as to the character of
the road, we have wide, open valleys, with forest till within a couple
of miles of Ghittah; then the mountains close in again, and we have a
narrow shelf to traverse high above the bottom of a gorge."
"With plenty of places for stone-throwers?" said the Major.
"Plenty," replied the Colonel; "so you know what you have to expect,
gentlemen. But I hope and believe that unless they are too closely
beleaguered the little garrison at the station will make a sally to meet
us, and help to clear the way."
"What a jolly old humbug Graham is!" whispered Roberts. "It's all to
belittle our lads. He knew that as well as the Colonel."
"I suppose so," replied Bracy. "Ah, here's the Doctor."
For that gentleman came bustling up, smiling and nodding to all in turn.
"Morning, Doctor," said the Colonel. "What do you think of your
patients this morning?"
"My patients? Seen them?"
"Yes," said the Colonel quietly. "Bracy and I had a look at them as
soon as it was light."
"Getting on splendidly," said the Doctor, rubbing his hands. "Narrow
escape for that boy whose cheek is scratched; an inch or two more to the
left, and--"
"Ah! Bah! The old story, Doctor," said the Major contemptuously.
"Yes, sir," replied the Doctor tartly, as he fixed his eyes on the
portly, middle-aged officer on the opposite side of the cloth. "You
didn't take those pills, then?"
"How do you know?"
"By the way you talk," said the Doctor, chuckling, and screwing up one
eye and glancing round at the rest.
"No, sir, I did not take the rubbish," said the Major angrily, as he saw
every one smiling. "Was it likely that I should take them at a time
like this?"
"No, I suppose not," said the Doctor coolly; "but I should. But, as I
was going to say, Colonel, it's wonderful what a deal the human skull
can bear. Now, for instance, that boy Gedge: a great stone comes down
many hundred feet, increasing in velocity with the earth's attraction,
strikes him on the head, and down he goes, insensible, with his skull
crushed in, you would expect; but no: it is the old story of the
strength of the arch and the difficulty in cracking an egg-shell from
outside, though the beak of a tiny chicken can do it from within."
"Then there's no fracture?" said Bracy eagerly.
"Not so much as a faint crack, sir. Fellow was too thick-headed."
The Colonel sprang to his feet the next minute, for one of the officers
appeared to announce the appearance of three several bodies of men
descending from the distant heights.
"How near?" asked the Colonel.
"The nearest about a mile and a half, sir."
"Another live minutes for you to finish your breakfast, gentlemen, and
then we march."
The bugles were sounding directly after, and in less time than their
leader had given out, the officers were with their companies, the native
servants had replaced the camp equipage, and at the end of the quarter
of an hour the march was resumed in the most orderly way, the
baggage-train being strongly guarded, and the men well rested, flushed,
and eager for the coming fray.
It was like a glorious late spring morning in England, and the wide
valley the regiment was traversing presented a lovely series of
landscapes, backed up in front and to right and left with mighty
snow-capped mountains, whose peaks looked dazzling in the early morning
sun. But though every breast breathed in the crisp air with a strange
sense of exhilaration, no one had eyes for anything but the two bodies
of white-robed men approaching them from right and left, the third being
hidden by the forest patch where the troops had bivouacked, and for
which the enemy had made as soon as it was evacuated, evidently to cover
their movements prior to a rush upon the rear.
The Colonel, upon seeing this, made a slight alteration in his plans,
halting Captain Roberts's company with orders to close in and follow the
rear of the column, thus bringing the impedimenta and servants more into
the centre, the movement being performed without the slightest check to
the advance, though the appearance of the bodies several hundred strong,
to right and left, was very suggestive of an immediate attack.
This was delivered, evidently by an agreed-upon signal; for suddenly a
tremendous burst of yelling arose, and the two unorganised crowds came
rushing down upon the column, which halted, faced outward, and the next
moment, while the enemy on either hand was about a couple of hundred
yards off, there was a rolling volley nearly all along the line, and the
white smoke began to rise, showing the two bodies of the enemy
scattering and every man running for his life back towards the hills,
but leaving the flowery grass dotted with patches of white, others
dropping fast as they grew more distant and the wounds received began to
take effect.
There was a little disorder in the centre among the servants, and mules
and camels were restive as the shouting hill-men came rushing on, with
their swords flashing in the sunshine, and the rattle of the musketry
threatened to produce a panic; but the native servants behaved well, and
were quieting their animals, when there was another suggestion of panic,
as Captain Roberts suddenly exclaimed:
"Here they come, Bracy!"
For the sergeants and men thrown out in the rear a couple of hundred
yards suddenly turned and fired and came running in to take their
places, as the two rear companies were halted, swung out right and left
in line, fixed bayonets, with the peculiar ringing, tinkling sound of
metal against metal, and waited the coming of the third body of the
enemy, as strong as the two which had attacked in front.
They came out from the shelter of the cedar forest with a rush, yelling
furiously, each man waving his long jezail in his left hand, while a
long curved tulwar, keen as a razor, flashed in his right--big,
stalwart, long-bearded, dark-eyed men, with gleaming teeth and a fierce
look of determination to slay painted in every feature.
It was enough to cow the stoutest-hearted, for in numbers they were
enough to envelop and wipe out of existence the handful of
slight-looking lads ranged shoulder to shoulder across their way.
But not a boy amongst them flinched; he only drew his breath hard as if
trying to inflate his chest to the utmost with courage, and then at the
word every other lad fired low, sending a hail of bullets to meet the
rushing force when it was about a couple of hundred yards distant.
The men were staggered for the moment, but for the moment only, and they
dashed on again, leaping over or darting aside to avoid those of their
companions who staggered and fell. Then, as they reduced the distance
by about one-half, the yelling grew fiercer, and the enemy came running
and leaping on with increased speed.
"Fire!"
Some fifty rifles delivered their deadly contents with a roar as if only
one had been discharged.
The effect was magical.
The yelling ceased, and as the cloud of soft grey smoke arose it was to
show the crowded-together enemy halted in front, while those behind were
pushing and struggling to get within reach to strike at the hedge of
glittering bayonets, from which a third volley flashed out.
That was enough. As the smoke rose and the lads stood in double line
now, ready to receive the charge upon their glittering points, the enemy
was seen to be in full flight.
"Stand fast!" roared Roberts.
"Back, back!" shouted Bracy; and, sword in hand, the officers rushed
along in front of their men, literally driving some of the most eager
back, to re-form the line; for the sight of the flying enemy was too
much for some of the younger, least-trained lads, who were in the very
act of dashing forward with levelled bayonet in pursuit.
"Well done; very well done, my lads!" cried a familiar voice as the
Colonel galloped back to them. "Steady, there; steady!" he shouted as
he rode right along the little line and reined up his horse, to sit
gazing after the flying enemy, frowning the while as he saw how many
white cotton robes dotted the soil before the uninjured disappeared
again in the cedar grove, from which they had delivered their attack.
"Capital, gentlemen!" he said a minute or so later; "but I did not like
that unsteadiness. You must keep your men well in hand."
The next minute the orders were given, and the column resumed its march,
for it was no time to think of prisoners or attending to the enemy's
wounded. In fact, before the regiment was half a mile away their
friends were back from the hills seeing to their dead and wounded, and
gathering up their arms, greatly to the annoyance of the rear-guard
lads, who one and all were troubled with longings for some of the keen
tulwars to take back to England as trophies of their fight.
But the stern order "Forward!" rang in the lads' ears, and the
expectation of being attacked at any time by one or other of the bodies
of the enemy hovering on the hill-slopes on either side, or of a fresh
dash being made upon the rear in the hope of cutting off the baggage,
kept every one on the alert.