"We've found the major," I whispered, "desperately wounded, but alive."
"Oh!" came in one burst from the men.
"Go and tell Mr Haynes."
"Best news I've heard to-day, sir," whispered the sergeant, who turned
and went off at the double while I stepped outside, and closed the door
to satisfy myself that the light could not be seen.
"No, sir," said one of the men, "we couldn't see a speck of it."
I hurried back to report in a whisper that all was safe, and for the
next quarter of an hour I looked on till the doctor had finished his
task.
"There," he said, rising, "he's as bad as can be, but I may bring him
round if we can get him to a place of safety."
"Dost can help us, perhaps," I whispered.
"Try and manage it with him, Danby," said Brace, "while I go and see if
the horses are safe. Dost, I ask your pardon for my unjust suspicions.
Forgive me!"
"The captain sahib did not know my heart," was the reply; and before
leaving, I caught and pressed the Hindu's hand.
Outside in the black night, where the hot wind was sighing, and the
great stars blinking down, we left one man on guard at the mess-room
door, and hurried round to the stables, where, to our great delight, we
were saluted by a low whinnying from the horses, my two and Brace's
being safe and eagerly waiting for their supply of food. Leaving the
men to feed them, we hurried to the next stables, where the major's
horses should have been, in company with the doctor's, but the place was
empty; and on continuing our quest, Barton's and Haynes's were all
missing, while the men's troopers were gone, and a glance at the sheds
showed that not a gun or limber was left.
"Back to the mess-room," said Brace, after we had come upon several of
our dead men, but had seen no trace of either of the women attached to
the corps. "Heard anything?" he whispered to the sentry.
"Woman scream, sir."
"No, no."
"Yes, sir; I swear to it. Heard it twice quite plain."
"Jackals on the prowl, man," said Brace.
"Must have been a female jackal, then," I heard the man mutter, as I
passed in and found the doctor and my Hindu servant by the couch.
"How is he?" whispered Brace.
"Well, he's alive, and that's all," replied the doctor. "Dost here says
that if we have him carried to a house in the town about a quarter of a
mile away, he knows people who will nurse him. Will you give orders.
There are plenty of light dhoolies."
"Will he be safe?" said Brace, quickly.
"My life upon it, sahib," said Dost. "I can attend him too when the
master does not want me. But I can be useful to him still."
"This is no time for wanting servants," said Brace, shortly. "Let it be
as he proposes. I will get the men and the dhooly at once."
"Where will the master be when I want to follow him?"
Brace hesitated for a few moments, and seemed to be about to speak out,
but he altered his mind, and said slowly:
"I cannot say yet. But we will keep communicating with you where the
major is."
"But the master had better take me," said Dost, quickly. "The place
will be full of budmashes, and the people all about will be enemies now.
How are the sahibs to know where to get food or shelter, or to get news
without me? I can go anywhere--you nowhere."
"Not yet," said Brace, meaningly; "but you are right, Dost, you shall go
with us, and keep open our communications."
We went out and across to the gate, where Haynes was fretting with
anxiety, but a thrill ran through the men as they found there was work
on hand. The orders were given, and a corporal and four men were told
off to carry the dhooly, which was found at once, and borne to the
mess-room. Then the major was carefully lifted in, and with the doctor
in charge and Dost as guide, the little party sallied forth with the
understanding that they were to return as quickly as possible.
The interval was spent in a search for food; then arms were hunted out,
we officers finding that our quarters had not been plundered, and
hurriedly changing our hunting garments for service uniform; and somehow
as I stepped out again into the dark night, with sword belted on, and
pistols ready to place in my saddle holsters, the helpless despairing
feeling began to wear off.
By this time the horses had been saddled and bridled, and all were ready
for the next move, but the doctor did not return, and while we were
waiting a faint shouting arose from below in the city.
We had been well over the barracks and learned the worst, Brace sharing
my surprise that so little plundering had been going on; and whilst we
were standing once more in the court with the men drawn up, a picket at
the gate, and one of the horses laden with provisions and ammunition,
Haynes turned to me.
"It's terribly un-English," he said; "but they would have no mercy on
us."
"What do you mean?" I said.
"They have declared war on us, and they ought to take the consequences."
"Explain yourself," I said, as I felt as if I were listening to him with
one ear, and for the return of our absent men with the other.
"Well," he said, "I feel as if I should like to give the scoundrels a
lesson. The magazine is half full of powder, and to-morrow the wretches
will be up here plundering and destroying."
"Well, what then?"
"It would be so easy to lay a trap for them. Plant all the powder
behind the gates, after carefully barricading them; lay a train; wait
till they were all crowded together, and trying to get in, and then fire
the train and blow them all to destruction."
"And who would fire the train, Haynes?" said Brace, who, unnoticed by
us, had heard every word.
"I feel as if I could enjoy staying behind on purpose," said Haynes.
"Hah! I've better work on hand for you," said Brace, quietly. "It
would do no good, and only be destroying a mob of the greatest ruffians
in Rajgunge. Hah, there is the challenge at last."
In effect the doctor and the men with the dhooly came back just then.
"Where's Dost--staying with the major?" cried Brace.
"No, sahib, I am here," came from the interior of the dhooly, out of
which Dost stepped as the men set it down.
"What does this mean?" said Brace, angrily.
"His ruse to save us," said the doctor. "We got poor Lacey safe into
comfortable quarters at the house of two of the women who washed for the
men, and they are to be trusted, I think. I can do no more for him, but
see to his wounds to-morrow. As soon as I had seen him right, we were
coming back, when, as luck had it, we got into a narrow lane, and
half-way along it, heard a noisy party coming shouting along from some
festivity. Retreat was impossible, and I gave the orders to the men to
draw and cut our way through, but Dost here stopped us by proposing to
get in the dhooly."
"Why?" said Brace, angrily.
"I'll tell you. It was a last resource; and though the men grumbled,
they lifted the dhooly, and I marched by the side. The next minute we
were stopped."
"Well?"
"Hang him!" cried the doctor; "he began to curse them in Hindustani for
stopping his gharry, ordered them to let his servants go by, and the
idiots took it that a complete change had come over the state of
affairs; that Dost must have turned rajah, and was using the English as
his slaves. So they all shouted with delight, let us pass, and here we
are, thanks to Rajah Dost."
"Then, now for our start," said Brace, "unless it would be wiser to stay
here till morning, Dost must go out and try and obtain news of the
women."
"No, no, sahib," cried the Hindu, excitedly. "By daylight all the
budmashes of the city will be up here to plunder and burn."
"Do you hear, Haynes?" said Brace, bitterly. "They may bring the
punishment upon themselves."
"I have thought of the mem sahib, master," continued Dost, "and one of
the women will try and learn news for us. She will find it better than
I could."
"You are right," said Brace; and giving orders for the horses to be led
in the rear, he placed himself at the head of our little column, gave
the word march, and we filed out of the gate, Dost leading through the
silent lanes of the city, and then round below its walls to the bridge
of boats, which was passed without our having encountered a soul.
In our helpless state it was felt that we could do no better than to go
by Dost's advice, for he knew the country round, and suggested that we
should go on as rapidly as possible, so as to reach one of the patches
of forest which clothed the slopes of the valley side opposite the city
before daybreak.
"And when we are there?" asked Brace.
"We shall be within reach of the major sahib, and I can take the doctor
sahib over to him when it is night again."
"Very well," said Brace, thoughtfully.