The excitement was still high, as we all sat in our places about a
couple of hundred yards from the forest, and then Brace cried--
"Attention!"
Save the champing of bits by the horses, there was not a sound.
"There, my lads," he cried, "I feel now as if I can look you all once
more in the face, for the dear old troop is itself again."
"God bless you, sir!" shouted the oldest corporal we had. "The bravest
act ever done in the British army."
"Silence!" cried Brace, but not angrily. "You must not thank me, my
lads, but Mr Vincent and Sergeant Craig."
I wanted to say, "Yes, Craig; let me fetch him;" but discipline forbade,
and I knew that Brace would do him justice.
"Then three cheers for Sergeant Craig, if I lose my stripes for it,"
shouted the corporal again, who was as intoxicated with excitement as if
he had partaken of drink--the vile arrack that ruins so many of our men.
But Brace was lenient then.
"Yes," he cried, "three cheers for Sergeant Craig," and they were given
with a will.
Then, to my great delight, he gave orders; four men reined back, and
sprang from their horses, with the corporal, and went off at the double
toward the wood, from where they soon reappeared, bearing the litter
with poor Craig.
Brace rode forward to meet him, and leaned over the litter to shake
hands, when a low murmur of satisfaction rose from the line, but I did
not hear what he said, though I longed to ride up and thank him too. To
my great delight, though, they brought him close up to me, and we
exchanged a nod and smile.
"I thought that would do it, sir," he said feebly.
"What do you say, doctor? Do you think we could safely take him on the
ammunition-waggon?"
"So long as you don't blow it up," said the doctor, shortly. "You think
you could sit up now?"
"I will sit up, sir," said Craig, firmly.
"But the jolting and shaking, my man?"
Craig laughed.
"Why, sir, I'm used to all that; I've ridden so many times on the
limbers of gun-carriages, that being knocked about's natural to me."
"Let him try," said Brace, sharply. "Watch him, doctor, and he must
take to the dhooly again if he cannot bear it. Quick! I must advance
at once."
I looked at him wonderingly, having been under the impression that now
we had succeeded in the object we had in view we should retire.
Brace's words quite overset that notion. It was evident that he meant
to give the rajah a severe lesson, for the troop was in motion directly
after, and as we advanced, we could see that the town was in a state of
the most intense excitement, people running here and there. But before
we had gone far, Brace halted, the guns were unlimbered, loaded, and
then as we stood ready for action, scouts were sent out to right and
left; the former soon returning, while a minute later, those sent off to
the left came galloping in to announce that the rajah and his men were
in rapid retreat along the bank of the river.
This was a fresh move in the game of war, for in expectation of firing
from the town, the gunners stood ready to send shot and shell crashing
into the defences. So orders were given, guns were limbered up again,
and away we went at a gallop in full pursuit.
"We must capture the rajah," Brace cried to Haynes, as we followed on,
soon coming within range of quite a mob of hurrying men, who, for the
most part, threw away their arms, made for the patches of wood which
bordered the river, and hid among the trees unnoticed by our men, for,
in the distance, we could see in full flight, about forty well-mounted
men, among whom the rajah was conspicuous by his brilliant costume; and
as we tore on, we saw them ride down a slope leading to the river, and
directly after take to the water, swimming their horses as soon as it
grew deep, for the opposite bank.
I saw at a glance that the guns could not follow, and knew directly that
Brace had come to the same conclusion, for he halted the troop, and
unlimbering a couple of the guns, began to scatter grape shot with
terrible effect amongst the escaping fugitives, horse after horse being
struck and swept away by the rushing stream.
Those were exciting moments, mingled, to me, with horror, as at every
discharge and puff of white smoke, I saw the water torn up by the grape,
and some horse make a frantic plunge, rear up, fall over, and horse and
man disappear.
It was only a matter of a few minutes, though, before we saw the rajah
and the greater part of his followers mounting the opposite bank, and
then galloping off to disappear beyond the trees that came down nearly
to the water's edge.
"Let me pursue, with twenty or thirty men," said Haynes, excitedly.
"We'll take him."
But Brace shook his head.
"What I should like to do myself," he said; "but I cannot. No; they are
well-mounted; they know the country, and they have the start. Besides,
we are too weak as it is, and I can't afford to risk losing the guns
again by sending half of my force away. We don't know yet what
reception we may meet with in the town."
Very soon after we were trotting back toward the place in full
expectation of being fired upon; but we did not receive a shot, and as
we rode boldly in, we did not encounter a single military-looking man,
those who crowded the streets being the ordinary traders and
work-people, who treated us with a quiet cold stare.
The first task was to scout through the place with a couple of pickets,
while our guns were drawn up on an open space in the middle of the town,
where some of the principle people came with offerings of sweets and
chupatties, beside more substantial food and offerings.
The place was so small that our men were not long in bringing in a
report that there was not an armed man visible, the whole of the
fighting element having retreated with the rajah, as soon as it was seen
that the guns were retaken. But our numbers were so small, and the
position so precarious, that Brace used every precaution, throwing out
posts in the two directions from which danger was likely to approach,
while the men were rested and refreshed, and a search made for
ammunition, of which there was none too much in the boxes.
This was for a time in vain, but as soon as Dost was taken into
consultation, he salaamed, started off, and in a quarter of an hour was
back again to announce that he had discovered two ammunition-waggons in
a kind of shed, and upon my following him with half a dozen men and a
couple of teams of horses, he led us to the spot where I found that the
rajah and his men had brought away as many cartridges, with ball, grape,
and canister, as the two waggons would hold.
These were drawn out at once, and taken to the halting-place, where the
gunners gave a cheer as they saw that for some time to come their
six-pounders would not want for food.
The heat was intense, but we could not afford to study that; and after a
little council of war, in which I felt proud to be allowed to
participate, it was debated as to what should be our next move.
Haynes was still eager to go on in pursuit of the rajah, and the doctor
expressed his opinion that it would give him profound satisfaction to
make him prisoner, while to me the excitement of such a chase sounded
very tempting, although somehow I could not help feeling that the rajah
had had some cause for the steps he had taken. Then Brace spoke.
"My feelings go with all of you," he said, "but I am obliged to oppose
you. Our chase would be a long one, and into country about which we
know scarcely anything. Consequently we should have very little
prospect of success. As it is, we have crippled him almost completely,
and our troop would be invaluable to any officer who is coming down from
Calcutta or Barrackpore with a regiment or two."
"But is any one coming down?" said Haynes.
"For certain. The news of the rising at Rajgunge must have reached
there, and the mutiny of other regiments. Depend upon it, the
Government is straining every nerve to check the wildfire from spreading
far."
"Then what do you propose doing?" said Haynes.
"Starting at once back to Rajgunge, and finding out the state of affairs
there as we pick up the major. Possibly we shall find a European
regiment or two there already. If not, we can continue our way. I
don't think we need fear meeting any of the enemy."
"Fear?" said the doctor. "I only wish we may. If we do, depend upon it
they will give us a wide berth. Then we move east at once?"
"At once," said Brace. "Yes; what is it?" he cried, as Dost once more
made his appearance, this time to announce that he had found the stables
of the rajah's elephants--three huge beasts, with their howdahs, pads,
and mahouts.
"We don't want them now," said Haynes. "No time for tigers."
"We do want them now," said Brace, eagerly. "They will carry a quantity
of provisions, and one of them can take Sergeant Craig as well. It will
be better than pressing bearers into our service, more than we
absolutely want for grass-cutters. We must keep our train as small as
possible now."
So the elephants were brought out, and the mahouts duly admonished upon
the dangers they would run if they attempted any treachery. Loads were
adjusted, and just at midday, when the sun was hottest, our little
column was set in motion, and we marched out of the little town that we
had watched so intently, hardly able to realise how successful we had
been.
There were plenty of people about, old men and boys, and there was a
sullen, lowering look in their amber eyes as we rode by, but no voice
was raised against us, so wholesome a dread had they of the guns, of
whose power they had all more or less heard--a power which might at any
moment be directed against their homes.
To the delight of all, the horses proved to be in admirable condition,
and in their excitement and glee, the men never seemed to trouble about
the heat, but rode on, chatting together and discussing the morning's
feat and the value of the long, careful drilling, whose results had been
shown in the way in which the horses had behaved.
The road was dusty, but fairly good; and as the three elephants shuffled
slowly along, I ventured to approach the one which bore Craig, time
after time, but generally to find that he was sleeping, and upon calling
the doctor's attention to the fact, he said abruptly--
"Best thing for him. Nature goes on best with her mending when a man is
asleep. Phew! how hot it is."
"Worse walking," I said.
"Yes. Thank goodness, we are all well-mounted again. What a fish out
of water one does feel without a horse."
We were not destined to reach Rajgunge without adventure, for that same
evening we were thinking it time for a halt when the advance-guard
galloped back to announce the coming of what seemed to be a regiment of
native lancers.
The elephants were sent into the rear instantly, with a guard to ensure
us against flight on the part of the mahouts; and, quick as thought, the
guns were unlimbered and loaded, while we anxiously waited to see
whether these were friends or enemies. But we were not kept long in
doubt, for their confused, disorderly advance proved that they were
without English officers, and they came on at a gallop, evidently in
chase of our advance-guard, their lance-points glittering as they were
brought down to the charge, the dust in front raised by our men partly
hiding us till they were well within range, and one shot would have torn
through their line and littered the dusty road with struggling men and
horses.
But the word was not given, for no sooner did the front men grasp the
peril into which they were galloping, than they raised a loud yell of
warning, wheeled off to right and left, wheeled again, and scattered in
wild flight, leaving us to pursue our way in peace, for there was
nothing to be gained by pursuit, a duty reserved for the light cavalry.
It was another warning, though, of the state of the country, this being
evidently one of the native cavalry regiments which had mutinied, and,
perhaps, slain their European officers, though of course we could not be
sure; and to have fired upon them when they first advanced might have
been a grievous error.