"Yes," said Colonel Graves, as the morning glided by without incident
and midday approached, with the men beginning to show traces of their
hot, rapid march. "Pass the word on, for we cannot halt yet. It will
cheer the lads, and have a good effect upon the enemy."
The next minute, just as many of the lads were straining their eyes
forward in search of the place likely to be chosen for their midday
halt, and making frequent use of their water-bottles, there were the
preliminary taps on the big bass, a few vigorous rolls on the
kettledrums, and the fifes began to shrill out their sharp notes in a
merry air, which brightened every face at once. Some of the lads began
to whistle the tune as they stepped out more briskly, and Judkins, of
Captain Roberts's rear company, burst out with:
"Poor old Bill; that 'll do him good. Pity he ain't with us. Wonder
how he is."
"Getting on, my lad," said Bracy, who overheard the remark; "and I don't
think he'll be many days before he's back in the ranks."
Just then a cheer was given right in front, to be taken up and run right
along the column, sounding as if it had been started by the men in
thankfulness for Bracy's good news about Gedge, though it was only the
effect produced by the band; while as soon as the air came to an end,
and there was silence for a minute, another hearty cheer was given for
that which was to come, the men knowing well the meaning of the silence,
which was broken directly after by half-a-dozen beats of the drum, and
then with a sonorous clash the brass instruments of the excellent band
burst forth in a grand march, the clarion-like triumphant notes echoing
softly from the hills on their right, where clusters of the enemy could
be seen staring at them as if in wonder.
"Hear that, you black-muzzled old women? You in white night-gowns?"
shouted Judkins. "That's better than your wheezy old squealing pipes,
made to imitate our Highlanders'. I say, lads, how come they to have
pipes like our fellows? Wish some one would ask Mr Bracy. I dessay he
knows."
"Why don't you ask me yourself, Judkins?" said Bracy, who was close; at
hand.
"Oh! Beg pardon, sir. I didn't know you could hear me."
"Don't be a sham, Judkins. You know I was just behind you."
The lad coloured like a girl, and his comrades laughed; but Bracy took
no notice, and said quietly:
"I don't profess to understand these things; but the use of bagpipes for
music seems to be a custom with the ancient tribes that migrated from
the north of Asia and spread right away through Europe till they were
stopped by the sea."
"Hullo, Bracy!" said Roberts, coming up. "Giving the men a lecture?
You don't mean that the Scotch and Irish pipes had their origin out
here?"
"I have read so. These hill-men have theirs right away east, and you
pick up tribes of people with them at intervals till you get to Italy,
where the mountaineers play them. Then it is not a very long jump to
the Highlands and Ireland, where they use bellows instead of blowing
into the bag."
"A discourse on wind," said Roberts quietly. "I want something more
solid. How soon are we going to halt for a feed and rest?"
The bugle rang out soon after, for they readied a broad stream of bright
clear water, and in a loop of this, which offered itself as a capital
protection for two-thirds of the distance round their temporary camp,
the regiment was halted, and with strong videttes thrown out along the
unprotected portion, the men fell out, when a hasty meal was eaten, and
the men ordered to lie down for half-an-hour, with their arms ready, so
that they could spring to their places at the first alarm.
When the bugle rang out it was at the end of the hour's rest, and,
thoroughly refreshed, the march was recommenced, the men stepping out to
the merry strains of a favourite song, which was repeated in chorus as
the band ceased playing; and the birds that had been hovering near were
the only objects visible when the halting-place was vacated, though the
thick woods on the hill-slopes on either side were felt to be lull of
the enemy.
"Haven't given them all they wanted, have we?" said Roberts as they
tramped towards where through the clear air the sides of the valley
could be seen closing in and growing higher and more jagged of outline.
"No," said Bracy thoughtfully. "It will take something more than a
brush like that to beat them off. We shall have our work ready for us
yonder where the Colonel said the track rose again to continue like a
shelf right away to Ghittah."
"I suppose so. Well, good luck to us, and may we have no more
casualties."
"Amen," said Bracy. "I wish, though, if we are to have a sharp
encounter, we could have it now we're fresh, instead of just at the end
of a heavy day's march."
"Soldiers have to fight when the time comes, and they can't pick and
choose, I suppose. But never mind; the lads won't be done up, for this
is easy marching. It is not too hot, and we have plenty of good water.
I say, I suppose we shall follow this stream right away now?"
"No doubt. It must come down from the snow-mountains, and through that
gorge yonder."
"Yes, the one that seems so near, and does not get a bit nearer. It's
capital, our having this river on our right flank, for it would be a
nice job for the enemy if they tried to ford it."
Roberts was right, for every mile of their forward journey made the
river a greater protection, the torrent growing fiercer and the banks
rocky in the extreme, and for the most part nearly perpendicular, till
at last it was a good fifty feet down to the water's level, so that it
ceased to be of use for refreshment to the men.
At last the sides of the valley began to close in more rapidly, and
their track became steeper, till all at once they were brought up short
by what seemed to be the mighty gates of the gorge, up which they could
see but a short distance, for it turned off to the right. But there,
plainly enough in the western sunshine, crossing the end in a steep
slope, was a part of the terrace-like path they were to follow, while on
their left was its commencement, one heavy stone-strewn track, which in
places rose like a series of gigantic steps.
Here a halt was called, and the men lay down for a brief rest, while the
perilous-looking path in front was reconnoitred first by the officers
with their glasses, the eminence above the track being carefully
searched for hidden bodies of the enemy ready to commence their attack
as before by thrusting off the stones which hung aloft ready to fall,
almost at a touch.
But there was no sign of danger apparent. A great eagle was gliding
here and there in the mouth of the wild ravine, out of which came the
deep roar of the river in a series of foaming cascades; while no sign
was visible of the enemy in the rear, and the officers soon came to the
conclusion that there was nothing to fear from their left unless there
was some pass known to their foes by which the mountains high above the
shelf-like track could be reached.
"We're to form the rear-guard again, lads," said Roberts, who had just
received his orders. "Did it so well before, the Colonel says," he
added a little bitterly.
"Well, if we want more fighting we ought to have been sent in advance,"
replied Bracy, "for I feel convinced that there's something unpleasant
waiting for us as soon as we enter that black rift."
"Most likely," said Roberts. "The Major leads again, but they're going
to send half a company on first scouting. Yes," he said impatiently,
"there must be something bad ready for us. The enemy would never be
such fools as to let us go through there. Why, Bracy, give us our
company, and twenty-four hours to prepare, and we could hold that place
against a thousand."
"Yes, I suppose we could."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" cried Roberts impatiently. "It doesn't
want above two hours to sunset, and to be caught there with the night
coming on--Ugh!"
"There they go!" cried Bracy excitedly, as the active lads selected as
scouts began to ascend the track in the lightest order; and their
progress was watched with the keenest anxiety as they rose more and more
into the full view of the regiment, apparently meeting with no obstacles
to their progress, and showing the track to be followed by the waiting
party below.
Just then the Colonel rode back to where the young officers were
standing.
"This track is so narrow, Roberts," he said, "that your company will be
ample to protect the rear; so I shall trust entirely to you. If we are
to be attacked it will be in front; of that I am convinced, though
probably the attacking will be on our part, for sooner or later we shall
find a rough hill-fort, strongly held."
"Hope we shan't fall into some trap, sir," said Roberts earnestly.
"I hope not," said the Colonel, turning his horse and moving forward,
but only to turn his head again.
"It will be stiff work for the train," he said; "but they must do it.
You will help to keep the baggage-men well up to their work, for I mean
to get through this pass to-night."
"Nice job," said Roberts bitterly. "We shall have the enemy behind us,
stirring us up, and we shan't be able to get on without pricking up the
mules and camels."
"No firing yet," said Bracy, without heeding the foreboding remarks of
his companion. "They're getting well on. Ah! there goes the advance."
For a bugle rang out, its notes being repeated again and again with
wondrous clearness from the faces of the black-looking barren rocks on
high, and the scene became an animated picture to the men of the
rear-guard, who lay on their arms, resting, while the regiment filed up
the track, two abreast, giving life to the gloomy gorge, which grew and
grew till the baggage animals added their quota to the scene.
"At last!" cried Roberts, as their own turn came, and after a long and
careful search backward from a point of vantage with his glass, he gave
the word, and his rested lads began to mount eagerly, but with every one
keeping an eye aloft for the blocks of stone they expected to come
crashing down, but which never came any more than did the sharp echoing
rifle-fire announcing the attack upon some rough breastwork across the
shelf.
It was a toilsome, incessant climb for an hour, and then the highest
point was gained, the men cheering loudly as they clustered on the
shelf, nowhere more than a dozen feet wide, while the rock fell
perpendicularly below them for over a thousand feet to where the river
foamed and roared, one terrible race of leaping cascades.
There had not been a single casualty with the mules, and the track, in
spite of its roughness, was better for the camels in its freedom from
loose stones than the former one they had traversed.
And now their way was fairly level for a time, and the descent of the
path gentle when it did begin going down towards the river, which from
the slope seemed to rise. But they could see only a little way forward,
from the winding nature of the gorge, which now grew more and more
narrow.
"Not so far to fall," said Bracy coolly, "if we do come to a fight."
"Deep enough to break our necks," grumbled Roberts. "Here, I say, it
will be dark soon; look how black it looks below. I wish those fellows
had not cheered; it was like telling the enemy we were coming on, for
they must be round the corner yonder. There--look!"
As he spoke one of the men in front suddenly turned and pointed to where
the gorge was at its narrowest.
"Yes, we can see them, my lad. Keep a sharp lookout to the rear," he
shouted to the men behind. "We shall be hearing from them now, Bracy,
for, take my word for it, they're flocking along the path. Well, we
shall have to fight in the dark, old man, like rats, in this confounded
trap."
"Very well," said Bracy between his teeth, as he took out and examined
the chambers of his revolver, before he replaced it in its leather
holster; "if the dogs do come on I mean to bite."