The moment the court could be crossed, a rush was made for the hospital,
where the fight was still going on; but the mingled company of excited
men were checked twice over by wounded and shamming Ghazis springing up
to foot or knee to deliver one final blow at their hated Christian
conquerors, and several of the soldiers were badly wounded by the deadly
razor-edged tulwars before the wielder was borne to the earth by
bayonets, struggling fiercely still, though riddled with wounds.
Then the entrance to the hospital was reached, and the wild cheer of a
dozen men sent a reviving thrill of hope through the fast-falling
defenders, and they held their _chevaux-de-frise_ of bayonets once more
now, though with trembling, unnerved hands.
A minute before it seemed to them that their last blow had been struck,
and that there was nothing else to do but die with their face to the
dead and living enemy. But that wild British cheer sent a thrill
through them; the massacre of the wounded was after all to be stayed,
and they stood firmly there in the brightly illumined room, witnesses of
the bayoneting, till the last savage lay dying on the floor.
Roberts had headed his party, and was the first to return to try and
save his friend and comrade; and it was into his arms Bracy fell and was
carried out, while the men crowded in now to bear out Mrs Gee, the
Doctor, Gedge, and the rest, those outside cheering madly as first one
and then another bloodstained, ghastly object was borne into the light;
while, in the interval between two of the outbursts, poor Gedge, who was
being cheered by his comrades, seemed drunk with excitement, as he
contrived with failing arm to wave his rifle above his head and shout:
"Three cheers for Mr Bracy; three cheers for the Doctor and old Mother
Gee! Three cheers for us all!"
There was a tremendous roar at this, heard loudly above the crackling
fire kept up on the enemy still striving to force a way in from beyond
the walls.
"Three more," cried Gedge. "Cripples, all on us, but we held our own,
and hip--hip--hip--hoo--"
Gedge did not finish his cheer, for half-way through the last word he
fell forward, utterly exhausted, fainting dead away.
It was just then that an officer with blackened face and sword in hand
suddenly made his appearance high up in the golden light of the fire,
and the moment he appeared a howl of execration was raised, which ran
through the crowd of soldiery, while the officers scowled and turned
away.
The tall, thin figure stopped short in front of the burning building, to
gaze down wonderingly.
"Drummond--Scotch coward!" roared a voice, and a yell of execration
burst forth.
Just at that moment, from behind an angle of the building, four of the
Ghazis, who had lain hidden there and escaped the deadly fire, rushed
forth yelling and waving their swords as they made for the figure
standing apparently beyond the reach of help.
"Quick, some one--fire, fire!" shouted Roberts.
The figure heard the cry, and turned just in time to face his enemies,
two of whom reached him together, cutting at him with all their might.
But, active as a cat, the tall, lithe youth avoided one of his foes by
leaping aside, ran the other man through, and swinging round, with a
tremendous cut severed the wrist of the wretch he had avoided, when
coming at him for a second blow.
The other two did not reach him, for half-a-dozen shots rang out, and
the true firing of the boy-regiment was again proved, the two Ghazis
leaping high in the air, and falling backward on to the bayonets of the
men below. There was another cheer at this, but it was dominated
directly after by a renewal of the howl of execration which had broken
out before.
The hearer looked for a moment or two puzzled, and hesitated to advance;
but the next minute he turned half-face, doubled along the rampart to
the steps, and descended to the court, passing coolly among the men
where Colonel Graves was standing giving orders.
"Mr Drummond," he said, "I am told that you left your men in a way that
disgraces a British officer."
"That I didn't," cried the young man indignantly. "I heard you say that
if we only had light we could see to fire, or something of that sort."
"Yes, sir, I did," said the Colonel sternly.
"Well, sir, I ran along the ramp and climbed up three times before I
could get to the store, and then set fire to the fodder; but it was ever
so long before I could get it to burn, and then I couldn't get out."
"You did that?" cried the Colonel.
"To be sure I did, sir. Wasn't it right? Oh, I see now; the men
thought I went and hid to get out of the light."
"My dear boy," cried the Colonel; "of course."
"Oh," cried Drummond, "what jolly fools the lads can be! But I say,
sir, who's hurt? and was old Bracy safe?"
A minute later the men cheered even louder than before, as they watched
Drummond--a hero now in their midst--place a bag of powder to blow down
the burning building and save the place from risk of the fire spreading.
That was soon done. It was a risky task, but bravely set about; and, as
the place went up in a rush of flames and sparks, the assault from
outside ceased, the enemy drawing off under cover of the mist; and an
hour later silence fell upon the horrible scene of carnage, not even a
bleat arising from the sheep.
But the fort was safe, the dim morning light showing the British flag,
wet and clinging, but still hanging in its place upon the flagstaff;
while by that time all save the doubled sentries upon the walls and the
suffering wounded lay plunged in a heavy sleep wherever a place could be
found roomy enough for the poor fellows' aching limbs.