"Draw--swords!" and then, "The troop will advance at a walk."
There was a flash in the sunlight as our sabres leapt from their
scabbards, and another as Dobbs raised his trumpet to his lips and his
note rang out.
In an instant the whole line was in motion, advancing slowly, with the
heavy dull trampling of the horses, loudly heard by me above the
tumultuous beating of my heart.
I glanced to the right, and then at the rajah and his two officers
glittering with gold and gems, motionless, and as if astounded. It must
have struck him and his men that we were volunteers, renegades come to
join them, and drill the little force. But as we came abreast of them,
with the sowars all steadily in their places, and taking everything as a
matter of course, Brace's voice rose again--
"Trot!"
Again Dobbs's trumpet rang out, and the splendid horses, all trained to
the notes of that bugle, broke at once into a steady trot. The gun
wheels and limbers rattled, and an exciting yell ran along the line, men
beginning to drag frantically at their reins as the rajah and his
officers now awoke to the position of affairs, and roared out orders.
But, above the noise and the confusion in the line, Brace's voice rose
clear and loud--"Gallop!"
Then, clear ringing, and given with all his might, Dobbs blew forth a
triumphant charge, and the sowars might as well have pulled at rocks as
against the bits of the excited horses, as they broke into the swift
race to which they had been trained, gathering excitement from the
rattle of the wheels as, in a quarter of a minute, we were thundering
away down the plain, our speed increasing, the guns leaping and bounding
over the uneven ground; and as I gave one glance back, I saw the
white-robed gunners leaping off the limbers, their men frantically
trying to check their horses, and ending by throwing themselves off--one
or two, then half a dozen, then more, till the track in our rear was
dotted with white spots, till fully half the sowars had dropped off, and
the horses dashed on in the wild exciting gallop that was almost
terrific in its speed.
I saw, too, the rajah and his officers shouting and striving hard on our
right, and trying to cut in before us, to stop the movement. Again,
they might as well have tried to check the wind, and all they could do
was to fall in the line, galloping with us, and striking at their men
with their glittering tulwars, as gunners and riders sat watching for
opportunities to throw themselves from their horses without being
trampled to death.
It was all a matter of minutes; and by the time we had galloped a mile,
half the men had dropped off and were left behind, while on we tore with
a rush like a whirlwind; till all at once from the wood some hundreds of
yards to the front and left, there was a rush, the flash of helmets;
and, led by Haynes, our men dashed out at the double, as if to take up
ground right on our front.
The effect was magical.
A great yell rose from behind us, and the sowars rolled or tumbled off
their horses to a man, while as we thundered on, and left them behind,
dotting the plain with white spots and patches, many of the poor
wretches being unable to rise again, the rajah and his two followers
reined up and sat fast, while a couple of hundred yards further on we
three, riding at the head of a troop of horse and our six guns, prepared
to halt. Brace threw up his sword, the trumpet rang out; and the
horses, no longer in an even line, but in a regular drove, obeyed the
call on the instant, while from our men in front rose a frantic cheer of
excitement.
They tore over the ground to, meet us, literally yelling with delight.
Formation there was none; it was a little crowd of armed men, each
trying to be first to reach and find his horse, of to get to the gun to
which he belonged; while at the word of command, the horses now pressed
together in something approaching a line.
Then orders rang out quick and sharp, and so good was the training that
in a very short time men were getting well in their places, a couple of
guns were unlimbered, and shot after shot was fired, the grape sweeping
the plain, and sending the rajah and his officers back at a gallop,
while those dismounted ran or limped after them, some poor wretches
being merely able to crawl, and about a dozen lay quite still.
Then discipline was for the moment at an end.
The order was given, "Cease firing!" and the men broke their ranks to
run in a crowd round Brace, shouting, cheering, waving their helmets,
swords, sponges, and rammers, and literally dancing with delight, while
Haynes and the doctor were shaking his hands as if they would drag him
off his horse.
The next minute they were at me, and, to my astonishment, the doctor was
literally crying.
"Ah, God bless you, my boy!" he cried. "I never thought I could be such
a fool.--Hi! hooray! hooray! cheer, my lads, cheer!" he shouted, as he
waved his sun helmet. But the men were cheering, and they had now
collected round Dicky Dobbs, two leading his horse, others hanging on to
the saddle, and actually holding by the horse's tail, as they marched
him round in a kind of procession, one stalwart gunner shouting--
"Blow, you beggar, blow!"
Dobbs, ready to fall off his horse with laughter and excitement, gave
one feeble blast, and then was silent again.
It was merely a matter of a few minutes--Brace letting the gallant
fellows have their way. Then, after warmly pressing Haynes's hand, he
rode toward the excited mob, and held up his sword.
Then Dobbs blew a blast, and every man rushed to his horse and gun.
"Fall in!" rang out; and in an incredibly short space of time the line
was reformed, men giving a grunt of satisfaction as they rapidly altered
the length of their stirrups, and sat at ease upon some favourite horse.