My heart beat faster than ever at his words, and as the troop advanced
at a walk, wheeled, and then came along towards us, I felt that the time
had nearly come, and offered up a short prayer for help, strength, and
protection; for never before had the world seemed to me so beautiful, or
life so sweet. For the moment, I felt as if I should certainly be
killed in the encounter so near; and in a desperate mood I told myself
that it did not matter, so long as the honour of our troop was redeemed
by the rescue of the guns from the mutineers. Then, with the quickness
of thought, I dwelt on my father getting the news, and quietly breaking
it to my mother and sister, who would bitterly weep for me; and I
thought of their wearing mourning, and I hoped that my father would feel
proud of what I had done, and have a marble tablet put up to my memory
in the old Devon church, near which I was born. In fact, so vividly
picturesque were those thoughts which flashed through me, that I could
see in imagination the bent, mourning figures of my mother and sister
standing before the marble tablet.
I was just building up some more sentimental nonsense about myself--for
I'm afraid that just at that period I was very romantic, and fond of
thinking too much of Gil Vincent--when I was brought back to the present
by Brace.
"Look at them," he cried. "They are going through that movement
remarkably well. Be careful, and don't show yourself."
I shrank back a little among the trees, and for a few minutes we watched
the troop go through some of the regular evolutions, passing us on their
way down the plain, at a distance of about two hundred yards, and I
trembled lest our horses should select that moment for whinnying or
trying to break away. But they were quiet, and the cavalcade went
slowly on at a walk towards where our men ought to be in ambush.
Then I turned to look at Brace, whose left hand was fidgeting with the
hilt of his sword, lifting it nervously, and dropping it again as he
watched the guns; and I could see the veins in his temples throbbing
heavily.
"Why does he not act?" I said to myself. "We shall lose our chance."
And on went the troop till they were nearly half a mile to our left, and
I was in despair.
"If all has gone right, they will soon be abreast of our men," said
Brace, as if thinking to himself. "I hope they are all well hidden."
"And so do I," I thought. "But why have you let the chance go by?"
"Look at them, Gil, lad," he said, more loudly. "Doesn't it make your
heart beat to hear the rattle of the wheels and the snorting of the
horses? Bah! it seems an insult to the poor brutes to have them mounted
by that cowardly mutinous crew."
Just then we heard an order given, and could we see the rajah seated
alone with his sword flashing as he held it high in air; and I was
obliged to own myself that he looked a noble specimen of a barbaric
chief, sitting his horse as he did to perfection.
Then, as we watched, the troop wheeled to the right, went forward for a
hundred yards, and then wheeled again, and advanced at a trot, their
course taking them back in a line parallel to that they had followed in
passing us at first.
The trotting fell far short of the walk past; and, as they were abreast,
on their way back toward the town, Brace muttered, but so that I could
hear--
"If they would only leave the horses alone, they would keep the line far
better!"
I looked at him in astonishment, for his conduct seemed in dead
opposition to our plans, and still he made no sign; and at last,
flushed, excited, and angry with him for losing what I looked upon as
splendid opportunities, I said aloud--
"Isn't it time to act?"
"Eh?" he exclaimed, with a start. "No; not yet. Wait! They'll wheel
again directly, and form a line in front of the houses. Yes; there they
go. That will be our time. Yes; there goes the order."
He was right; the troop was wheeled, and in another minute or two they
were half across the plain, with the third gun about level with the
centre of the village, when the rajah rode out into the front, raised
his sword in the air, and the troop halted. Then, faintly heard, came
another order, and men and guns came to the front, ready for a second
advance down the plain and past us, probably at a trot.
"Hah!" ejaculated Brace, drawing back quickly. "Ready, Gil?"
"Yes," I cried hoarsely.
"Now, my lad, the horses," he said sharply, and there was a movement
among the beautiful creatures as if his words had inspired them with
excitement.
It was only a few yards to where they stood, and the next minute we each
had a rein. Brace gave the order to mount, and we sprang into our
saddles, a thrill running through me, as my knees once more gripped the
elastic animal's sides, and he uttered a snort of satisfaction.
"Now," cried Brace, firmly. "I depend on you, Dobbs, my boy. Keep
close behind me, and obey my orders instantly."
The lad raised his hand to his helmet, and then loosened the trumpet
slung over his shoulder, took it in hand with the bell mouth resting on
his right thigh, and sat as firm as a statue.
"You, Vincent, on my right. As soon as we are out of the edge of the
forest, we advance at a trot. Leave everything to me. Don't draw till
I give the order. Let them think first that we come peaceably."
We advanced to the edge of the wood, and were just passing out, when I
saw something which made me say--
"Look!--look!"
"Ah, just in time!" said Brace, for now out to the right of the village
we could see a little crowd, and in front of them a party of sepoys,
marching towards where the guns were drawn up. "Yes," he repeated;
"just in time. Forward! we shall be first."
We took our places instantly, and rode out in the formation ordered, and
as we advanced, with my Arab dancing beneath me, all excitement to be
off, it appeared to me that we were not seen, and that the attention of
the rajah was taken up by the advancing party of sepoys, evidently our
late prisoners.
But the distance was still too great for me to be sure, and I had no
time for thinking.
Then, all at once, I heard a shout, followed by others, and the rajah,
who had had his back to us, reined round, and sat looking at us. There
was a movement, too, all along the troop, as if men were in a disorderly
way drawing their swords without waiting for an order, for there was a
flash here and a flash there, the men evidently expecting an attack.
But, as the rajah realised that we were only three, he turned his horse
and rode along the front of the troop shouting to his men, who all sat
firm, and he turned then, and sat there looking haughty and calm,
waiting evidently for what he must have taken as some envoy from his
enemies.
And all this time we were rapidly lessening the distance; so were the
sepoys, followed by quite a crowd; but they were advancing from the
left, and the rajah had ridden to the extreme right, so that the sepoys
had a greater distance to go; but they were getting excited now, and had
commenced to run.
"You are too late with your news, you black-hearted scoundrels!" cried
Brace, loudly, though his words would be heard only by us; and just then
my Arab burst out with a loud challenge, followed by one from Brace's
horse, and it was loudly answered by first one and then another of their
old friends in the troop, several of which became uneasy and excited.
"Well done, brave lads; neigh again," cried Brace, excitedly, as we were
now not two hundred yards from the row of black faces, while at the end,
and twenty yards away, sat the rajah, with a couple more
gallantly-dressed officers who had ridden out to him.
"They are waiting for our message, Gil," cried Brace, wildly. "They
shall have it directly. Ready, my lad--steady, horses. Right for the
centre; never mind the rajah. Let him wait. Forward!"
We rode right for the centre of the troop drawn up there in the
brilliant sunshine, and there it all is now vividly before my eyes as I
write, and see myself riding on Brace's left, and Dobbs the trumpeter
just behind him on his right, ever growing nearer at our steady trot,
with the opal of the Hindus' eyes plainer each moment and a wondering
expression clearly seen now upon their faces, as if they were asking
what it meant.
There were the sepoys, too, on our right, running fast and shouting, but
we reached the centre long before they, and the mob following, could
attain to the end of the line nearest to them; and just then, as I
glanced to my left, I saw the rajah clap spurs to his horse, as if to
ride up, but he reined instantly, and his two companions followed his
example; dignity forbade this. We must go to him.
But we did not.
As we reached the centre at our steady trot, but with our horses bearing
hard on the bit, Brace shouted--
"Halt!"
Without a touch, our horses stopped short, and there was an uneasy
movement of those facing us, the beautiful animals tossing their heads,
snorting, and seemed to know what was coming.