"We don't want no more rest, sir. Take us on at once."
"Oh," shouted another, "how can we hold our hands after this, sir?"
"Ay," cried an Irish gunner, who was one of the party, "we were ready to
foight the mutineers as min again min; but it isn't min, lads--it's
savage bastes. And, hurrah! boys, come and take a last look of the poor
darlins, to harden your hearts!"
"Halt!" cried Brace, sternly. "Joliffe,--Brian, advance; draw! Stand
sentry at this door. No one is to profane the resting-place of our
dead. Go back, my lads; you want no such sight to nerve your arms for
the work we have to do."
The men uttered a low murmur of acquiescence, and, without orders, fell
in and marched behind us to the spot we had made our head-quarters.
Here there was a short consultation between the officers, and directly a
party of men was marched out to the foot of a clump of trees, where one
great shallow grave was dug, and an hour afterwards, every man under
arms, and the infantry lining the road to keep back the crowd of natives
gathered from all parts of the town, the remains of the unfortunate
people were borne, reverently draped, on the guns and tumbrils of our
troop, to the open grave, laid therein carefully, the colonel said a
short prayer, a volley was fired, the last resting-place of the two
civil officials and their families was filled in, and a cross carved
upon the nearest tree.
Long before the little ceremony was over, I saw that the natives, of
whom a great crowd had collected, were beginning to steal away, till
scarcely a soul was left; but I thought very little of this, for
supposing that their curiosity was satisfied, it did not appear strange
to me that they should go back to their homes. Perhaps, I thought, they
may think we shall take vengeance upon them.
But this fact suddenly took Brace's attention, just as the final duties
were being paid to the dead; and, turning sharply to the colonel of the
foot regiment, he said sharply--
"The people are drawing off; there must be some reason."
Hardly had he spoken, when a shot was fired at a distance, followed by
another and another; and in an instant our men sprang to their places,
while half a mile down the road we could see the infantry, which had
lined the sides, running back as hard as they could, men from each flank
joining them, and the road growing full of a retreating detachment,
toward which a couple of officers ran, giving orders as they went, with
the result that the men nearer to us fell in and took position, line
behind line, across the road, while those retreating in the extreme
distance suddenly halted in the same formation.
The next minute the cause was evident, for a strong body of mounted men
dashed into sight far down the road, and tore along as if to ride over
the little line of men, and then sweep the place.
But their shouting and yelling did not scare the men in the least. They
stood firm, waiting in double line, till the sowars were close upon
them, and then delivered a sharp volley, the front rank going down on
one knee directly, with their bayonets sloping upward, while the rear
rank formed a second bristling line of sharp points on a level with
their shoulders.
We had a glimpse of this as the smoke rose, and, to use the familiar
expression, my heart was in my mouth, as I strained my eyes to pierce
the cloud, expecting to see the poor fellows who kept the road ridden
over, and the sowars come tearing on to where the next line was now
drawn up a hundred and fifty yards nearer.
But as the smoke lifted, to my great delight I saw the sowars all in
confusion, and cantering away, while the little line of infantry was
doubling back towards their supporting line, through which they passed,
and formed up again nearer to us.
There was another yelling, and a fresh body of sowars came tearing down
the road, but only to be sent to the rightabout in the same way, for the
volley they received emptied several saddles, and they dared not face
the double line of bayonets, but turned and cantered back.
Then the same evolution was gone through again by the line of foot, and
this was repeated twice with the effect of drawing in the straggling
force, till the foot regiment was condensed, and our position
strengthened.
"I don't think much of their charging," I said to Brace. "Why, our men
wouldn't have turned back like that. We should have gone through them,
guns and all."
Brace smiled, as we stood close beside a couple of our pieces, all there
was room for in that narrow road, waiting for an opportunity to bring
them into action, which, so far, we had been unable to do for fear of
injuring our own men. Two of our guns were planted further back, facing
in the other direction, in case of an attack in our rear, while, right
and left, the men of the foot regiment held the houses which lined the
road.
For a few minutes after the repulse of the last charge by the sowars,
the enemy made no sign, and a quick consultation was held between the
colonel of the foot regiment and Brace, in which it was decided to
advance at once further into the town to where we had made our
head-quarters, and where our provisions and ammunition were stored, so
as to occupy that much stronger position, in case the enemy was in
force, as only a small guard had been left. For that was a good central
position selected for its opportunities for defence, and an advance was
made at once.
We only had about a quarter of a mile to go, and as the men sent in
front were about half-way along the road toward where we should have to
turn off at right angles, we suddenly became aware of the advance of a
stronger body of cavalry, and this time the guns were brought into
action, a couple of shots checking their advance, and giving us time to
reach the open square, and the large buildings which we had occupied for
quarters in conjunction with the foot regiment.
The men left as baggage-guard over the stores and elephants gave a loud
cheer as we trotted into the square with the guns, the foot regiment
following at the double, to occupy the roof and windows of the big
buildings, while our guns were planted so as to command the approaches,
outposts being placed all round.
We were none too soon, for hardly had the position been occupied, than
from the outposts and from the top of the building we had reports of the
enemy's approach from the west, a second regiment of native cavalry
being in advance, while a cloud of dust gradually resolved itself into
quite a little army of native infantry, followed by a huge crowd of
camp-followers with horses, donkeys, elephants, and camels.
The colonel was on the roof, making good use of his glass, and he
shouted down to where Brace was standing with the two reserve guns--
"Lucky we got back," he said. "Their fighting men must be about three
or four thousand strong."
In spite of their numbers, the inclination was to advance at once and
attack them, before they had time to get in order or into a strong
position, Brace being naturally strongly in favour of this course, his
branch of the service being, of course, adapted for field duty; but the
colonel of the foot regiment was more cautious. His men were, opposed
to so great a force, strongest behind walls defending such a building as
that they occupied, and Brace had to give way. And there we waited,
while the mutineers marched into the place. From where I was stationed
with two of the guns I had an uninterrupted view before me, for about
half a mile, of the scouting parties, mounted and on foot, which came to
spy out our position, some of them going so far as to begin firing, the
balls stirring up the dust in front of us, and the practice getting
warmer, till one of the balls struck and glanced off from the gun
nearest to me, while the carriage was struck directly after, the sound
being like a sharp rap.
But about half a dozen pretty good marksmen replied from our side, and
the firing was soon silenced.
After this a knot of sowars rode down into sight from time to time,
offering our men a tempting mark for a discharge of grape, but there was
no firing, for such shots could do no good, and they were reserved for a
time when they could have a demoralising and scattering effect upon some
attacking party.
All at once, as I stood there, hot and weary in the scorching sun, I saw
another party ride up reconnoitring, one evidently composed of the
leaders of the little army that was now closing us in, for scouts had
brought us word how the enemy had occupied positions all around.
They were evidently examining us carefully; and I could not help
admiring the daring of the well-mounted, gaily-dressed men who had
halted about a couple of hundred yards away, right in front of our guns,
which, at a word, would have belched forth a shower of grape.
There was not much for them to see, only the gunners with their
linstocks, and the heads of the support of infantry, sheltering for the
most part in the houses on either side of the road, the limbers and
horses of each gun, and those of the gunners being back in an opening a
few yards away, and completely hidden from the party in front.
And as I watched them, I could not help thinking that a clever officer
who was not sparing of his men, might easily take our guns, for if one
party made a dash at them, and drew our fire, a reserve party might dash
in, and sabre the gunners before they had time to reload.
Just then I was conscious of a curious movement among our men, eyes
being turned to me appealingly, while every gunner was on the _qui
vive_, and I could see that at a word the guns would be rapidly
discharged.
But I had no orders to commence hostilities, unless an attack was made,
and I stood as eager as the men, watching the scouting party, as there
was a sudden movement among them. They opened out, and one whom I had
not before seen rode through them quite to the front, and just then a
voice behind me whispered--
"Look, Gil! Do you see?"
Yes, I had seen; and I had been so taken up by the sight that I had not
heard Brace come up to the guns.
"I could fetch that dandy chap down, and a dozen more," I heard a man
whisper.
"Silence there," said Brace, sternly. Then to me, "Why, Gil, I thought
he must be miles and miles away from here."
"Then it is Ny Deen," I said excitedly. "I thought I must be wrong."
"Yes, it is he," replied Brace. "And I feel as if I ought to fire, and
sweep the whole gang away; but it seems such a cowardly thing to do."
The temptation to fire was removed directly after, for the party drew
back and disappeared, while all was still in the blazing sunshine,
saving a dull humming sound of many voices, telling that the little town
was densely thronged by the new-comers. And once more Brace drew back
as if to go, but stopped short, for the colonel and major of the foot
regiment appeared, and Brace signed to me to come to his side.
"I think I should have given him the two charges," the colonel was
saying as I came up; and then, soon after, "Well, perhaps you are
right."
"I am sure I am," Brace said eagerly. "If my men were a company or two
of infantry like your own, I should say, by all means let us strengthen
the residency, and after getting together all the provisions we could,
stand fast till more help came; but with my guns and horses cooped up
here in these streets, I am almost useless. We can fire a _few_ times,
and then, if the enemy makes a bold dash, there will be a short
struggle, and they must capture the guns again. You see, my horses are
in the way here, where there is no room to manoeuvre."
"Yes; that is quite right. But we might get them in the compound, and
turn your guns into pieces for our little fort."
"Yes," said Brace; "and how are you going to feed the poor beasts when
you have them in the compound? There is no begging the question, sir; I
can make my troop invaluable, and act as cavalry as well, out in the
open; but here we cannot develop our strength."
"He's quite right," said the major.
"Then what would you propose?" said the colonel.
"We have abundance of ammunition, and our waggons and elephants. Moving
out as soon as it is dark."
"They will not let us move; and it would be murderous for my poor lads
to carry on a hand-to-hand fight in these narrow lanes."
"More murderous to be shut up in that residency, to be attacked day
after day by a force that will always be increasing, while we grow
weaker."
"Unless help comes.--But you would move out?"
"Yes."
"And what then? Retreat and leave these scoundrels in possession?"
"No; they will think we are retreating, and follow us. We can keep on
retiring till you have got into a good position, when I can literally
mow them down from a distance."
"Unless their cavalry take your guns."
"I am not afraid of that, sir," said Brace, with a laugh.
"And they will be six or seven to one," said the colonel.
"The odds were greater at Plassy," said Brace, quietly. "Depend upon
it, if we get them out on fair ground--which we will--they will receive
a tremendous check."
"What do you say?" said the colonel, turning to his brother-officer, the
major.
"I side with Captain Brace, decidedly. If we shut ourselves up, we are
crippling a dashing troop of artillery; and, worse still, letting the
scoundrels think they are our masters. That they must never think. No:
retreat, but as a ruse. We are their masters still, and we will show
them we are."
"Yes," said the colonel, firmly. "I shrink from it, as being a very
grave responsibility, weak as we are; but I quite agree with you both.
We shall be stronger in the field; and if we are not attacked before
night, we will march out."
"Why wait for the darkness, and the confusion it will cause?" said
Brace. "I was of the opinion that we might retreat under cover of the
darkness, but I think now it would be best to dash out and give battle
at once."
"Yes," said the colonel, drily; "that's easy enough for you and your
troop. You can rattle out at full gallop; but we have got to march, and
fight our way step by step."
"Exactly. But I can take up a position at once and cover you; and I
will."
The colonel bowed and stood frowning and thoughtful for a few moments.
Then I saw his face clear, and he held out his hand.
"It is good advice," he said; "and I shall look for your co-operation to
its fullest extent. Ah! what's this?"
For at that moment a bugle rang out; and, as I turned, I saw a sowar
officer advancing with a trumpeter, and one of his men beside him,
bearing a white flag on his lance, while several followers rode behind.