hundred yards off. As we leisurely strolled along, W. said, 'D. is
really the most excellent commandant I ever knew. Without being
over-strict, he knows well how to hold his own, and to enforce
obedience; at the same time, what could be kinder, I might say more
parental, than what he said just now? And what could be better than his
taking on himself to let you leave the cantonment? Not one commandant
in a hundred would have done it!' 'So I found out,' returned I. The
singular scene that passed between myself and the General of Division
was then told to him. He was greatly amused. 'You must let D. have the
story, it is really too good to be lost; it only shows what a life of
routine makes of a man, unless he has a mind powerful enough to raise
him above such influences. I agree entirely in the view D. takes of B.'s
condition; indeed, I have feared it for some time; the misfortune is,
that I don't see what can be done to save him. Would it be possible to
send him home on sick leave?' 'The case is this,' said I, 'the
authorities and the medical board take what I regard as a narrow view of
what is best to be done. They argue that it is encouraging drunkenness
to send a man home on that account, and they would rather keep him in
this country to die, or be dismissed the service, than they would
sanction his being sent home for the effects of alcoholism. The only
alternative is, that the doctor must make up a false case, at the risk
of losing his commission, or the man must hang on till he gets his
furlough. It has, I know, been placed before several boards officially,
that many a man's life might be saved, and the evil habit subdued, if he
were allowed to go home in time, and have the sea voyage, the European
climate, and the home influences; but these representations have
elicited nothing but anger and reproof. Such being the views adopted at
headquarters, nothing is left to the executive officer but to act on
them.' 'I am quite aware,' returned W., 'that what you say is correct.
You have, in fact, scarcely gone far enough, for they add, that it is
more for the advantage of the State to let in fresh blood, in the shape
of fresh men, than to keep on the list men who have broken down from
their own vicious habits by sending them home, and thus prolonging their
lives. Such patched-up men, they say, can never go through fatigues,
and wear and tear, that a sound man could and would go through. And to
say the truth between ourselves, I think they are right. Compassion and
friendship make one feel that the regulations are hard when they are
applied to one of our own friends and intimates; but, looking to the
advantage of the service only, I cannot say that they are ill-judged.'
'To some extent I agree with you, but everything is in degree, and a
margin should be allowed. As you put it, to send a man home merely to
prolong his life, I think, carries with it the condemnation of the whole
system; had he been sent home in time, he would, in all probability,
have been saved from any serious injury, but if the poor creature is to
be kept here till he is at death's door before the medical officer dare
recommend his being sent home, then likely enough it is as you put it,
and he comes out injured in physique and in efficiency.'
W. would not enter my bungalow, but after good night slowly walked to
his own. As I looked after him, recalling his generosity, and his
unequalled bravery, as well as his superior wisdom, his powers of
foresight and reflection, and contrasted all these high qualities with
his singular and imperturbable calmness and self-possession when
anything dangerous or unpleasant occurred, I could not but feel that he
was a remarkably constituted man, or that he had suffered in his earlier
years some bitter life-killing disappointment that had rendered him
careless of, and indifferent to, every danger and risk. Too lofty a
character to yield outwardly to despair, or to shorten the term of
existence appointed for him, he seemed to dwell in an atmosphere of his
own, that he suffered no one to share with him or even to approach. Some
quiet sarcasm, always good-humoured, and the rare indulgence of the
risible faculty, were the only indications I ever observed in him of
any passing emotion strong enough to ruffle the glassy placidity of his
existence. I could not help whispering to myself, 'a wrecked heart,' so
deeply was I impressed with his gentle, kindly manner, and his utter
recklessness of life, yet I knew nothing whatever of his early history;
it was merely fancy's web woven without my knowledge or consent.
Nevertheless, it impressed me with a feeling of sadness that I could not
for the time banish, and I went to bed to dream of a tiger with an
angel's face gnawing W.'s heart.
Not many days after my return to the F. Rocks, some of the villagers
near at hand, or one of the Shikaries employed to look for game, brought
in word that there was a cheetah to be had near at hand. As soon as
possible after breakfast all the sporting men present were on horseback,
or, rather, pony-back, to proceed to the spotted gentleman's lair. I
accompanied them as a spectator, attended by beaters and villagers.
Altogether, besides natives, there were fourteen of us. As we approached
the jungle we dismounted, leaving the tatoos to the care of the ghorey
wallahs. The primary rule impressed on all was to endeavour to preserve
a line; but in a jungle where people could see but a very short distance
on any side, this proved to be impracticable, and the consequence was
that after the beast was disturbed by the beaters, and one or other of
the guns caught sight of him, there was firing on all sides, or, rather,
bursts of firing, cross firing, so that every now and then the singing
and hissing of balls, and the cracking of branches, was heard on every
side. During the whole time the firing lasted, I only caught sight of
the cheetah once as he bounded from one thicket to another; but from the
whistling and cracking going on all round, any one of us might have been
shot a dozen times over.
Before the cheetah was disposed of he had been hit thirteen times, but
in no mortal part; the last ball had, however, struck him in the loins,
which prevented any more of his rapid springs and bounds. The next ball
laid him at M.'s feet. He was a beautiful fellow, though not a large
one; and he had made a gallant defence against a dozen guns. Though he
had hurt no one seriously--his foes were so close and so many and such
practised men, that he had no time to maul or mumble anybody, though it
was evident that his intentions were good--he had knocked over two men,
a Shikary and a beater; but in the first case a ball from S., who was
close beside the Shikary, had sent him off with a broken forearm, and in
the second case a ball from W. had driven him off with a wound in the
side and two broken ribs, by which the ball, which otherwise would have
been fatal, was turned aside. Both his springs were so strong that after
knocking over the men he rolled over himself, once in the first
instance, and twice in the second, before he could pick himself up,
which gave W. the chance of giving a mortal blow; but, as I have said,
the ribs turned the ball--all which particulars were learned when the
beast was skinned, and the course of the balls traced. It was most
extraordinary good-fortune that no one was shot on this occasion; but
the folly and absurdity of the method adopted, as well as the greatly
increased and unnecessary risk incurred by it, were obvious to everyone,
and it was agreed _nem. con._ that no such large parties should ever go
out again.
Some weeks elapsed before any fresh game and its whereabouts were
discovered; but as soon as this was clearly made out, another shikar
party was decided on. Four guns, and myself as guest or spectator,
composed it. The sportsmen drew lots as to who the four should be, and
the lots fell on W., M., B., and the Colonel. Not to weary the reader
with repetition, it is sufficient to say that the beast, said to be a
tiger, turned out to be a most superb cheetah, so large that he
resembled a tiger in size; but this magnificent fellow was killed with
the second shot. When disturbed by the beaters and by their noise and
tom-toms, he looked at them for a moment, then, as if confident in his
strength, in the most contemptuous way turned on his posteriors and
began to walk slowly away. One of the guns--I think the Colonel
fired--wounded the grand beast, who, with a terrible roar, turned at
once and prepared to spring. Before he could do so, two shots lodged in
his brain, and he fell at once and died almost immediately. Thus this
huge cat made scarcely any fight, while the smaller one rolled over two
men and took fourteen shots to dispose of him. W. and M. had fired at
the same instant, and apparently both shots were mortal. They tossed up
for the 'spolia opima.' M. won. The skin when taken off, stretched and
dried was the finest I ever saw; in beauty it far exceeded W.'s tiger
skin, and in size fell little short of it.
Had I been placed permanently in medical charge of the regiment, and it
had remained in a sporting country, I should certainly have learned to
use the rifle; but not many weeks after this I was relieved by Dr. B.,
the man for whom I had been acting. I did not consider it as a relief, I
must admit. I had become attached to the men of the regiment, and it
took away my chance of becoming a sportsman.
Previous to the date of my relief, a very singular incident occurred,
while a third party, which, on account of hospital work, I was unable to
join, were out after a cheetah. (I had the details from the men present,
from W. himself, and from Ram Sing, the naigue of his company, who was
in hospital at the time I left the regiment.) It occurred in this way:
the cat had been tracked into a certain thicket, and it was expected
that he would at any moment break forth. W. was about ten paces'
distance from it, as was S. a little to the right of W. Both waited for
some movement or sign on the part of the cheetah, but he made none. At
last S., losing patience, actually stepped into the thicket they had
been watching. He must, indeed, have all but put his foot on the
cheetah, who was crouching down, well gathered together, just about to
make his spring. He took no notice of S., though close to him, but
sprang at W., who was at least seven or eight yards off, whom he rolled
over, at the same time knocking his gun out of his hand. Most luckily
the beast rolled over also, but with the speed of light he recovered
himself, and was about to mumble W.'s shoulder, when he received a
stunning blow from a heavy bamboo club in the hands of Ram Sing, the
naigue already mentioned, who had kept close to his Captain from the
beginning. This saved W. at the instant, and the repetition of the blow
drew the furious animal's attention solely to the naigue. He left W.,
and jumping on Ram Sing, knocked him down, tore both his shoulders, one
with either paw, and then before help came detached the scalp from the
poor fellow's forehead. At this instant he received a mortal blow from
S., followed by a second ball from W. (who had recovered himself
sufficiently to use his gun), which pierced his heart. At less than two
paces off the beast lay dead beside Ram Sing, who was at once taken to
the hospital. This brave fellow wanted to walk, and tried to do so, till
it was evident that his strength was unequal to it. As they were bearing
him along, fainting from the shock and loss of blood, he whispered,
'Aggur murgisto Ram Sing, mesaka ney. Captain Saib ne marre.' (If Ram
Sing dies, what matter? the Captain is not hurt.)
As soon as the poor naigue reached the hospital a dose of brandy, a
little disguised and given as medicine, quickly overcame the syncope,
and Ram Sing opened his eyes, sat up, and when he saw W., who had walked
by the side of his litter to the hospital, standing by his side, his
eyes brightened, and he said, 'Saib ne marre?' W., who spoke Hindustani
fluently, assured him that, thanks to his courage and quickness, he had
received no hurt. Ram Sing was then told to lie down, and to be silent,
while his wounds were attended to. This was by no means an operation
without pain, but not a word nor a sound did the man utter. He had saved
his Captain's life, all the regiment knew it, and he was a man of mark
from that day forth. I verily believe that the pride and pleasure that
he felt in what he had done repaid him a hundredfold for the suffering
he had undergone; and as for the risk, he was too truly brave to think
for a moment about that, and, more than all this, he loved and respected
W. with a devotion that is not easy to describe. W. was always his hero,
his idol; W. could never do wrong in his mind. W.'s remarkable bravery,
imperturbable quietude in danger, together with his kindness and
generosity, had elevated him into the position of a sort of demigod or
superior being, and I truly and sincerely believe that almost every
native man in the gallant --th would have laid down his life for W.
without hesitation. The feeling displayed by these men brought strongly
to my mind that shown by Clive's Sepoys at the siege of Arcot, when rice
was so scarce that he feared he should be starved into surrender, and
when there were 20,000 foes surrounding the place.
This incident closes what we have to present regarding Captain Whistler,
one of the most noble-minded, brave and generous men that ever adorned
the Indian Service.
No. III.
MISS B. AND HER PRESENT.
From my brother's memoranda, said the Doctor to the company on board the
_Elephanta_, it would appear that several of the officers of the
far-famed regiment, the 13th Dragoons, possessed merits considerably
above the average. He gives sketches of most of them, portraits of a
few. These I shall not attempt to reproduce, but I will venture to make
some selections. He says:
'I found Colonel B., the officer commanding the regiment, one of the
most courtly-mannered men I had ever met, and though his figure was by
no means commanding, his easy elegant address was highly captivating,
and his superior intelligence, marked by every look and word, gained
respect at once, while the kind and urbane expression of his features
challenged esteem and regard.' Within five minutes after his card had
been taken in, and his name announced, my brother found himself, though
previously a total stranger, chatting perfectly at his ease with his new
commandant, such was the charm of Colonel B.'s manner.
Besides being the finished gentleman and accomplished soldier, Colonel
B. was a very successful water-colour painter, as was proved by the
various specimens adorning his study. My brother had not himself been
wholly unsuccessful in this walk of art, having gained some prizes at
the Society of Arts for his attempts; at all events, he knew enough of
the art to appreciate the Colonel's beautiful performances, and he
expressed his feelings freely and warmly, as well as in a way to show
that he knew something of what he was talking about.
The result of the interview was that the Colonel took rather a fancy to
the young assistant-surgeon who was to do duty with his regiment. On the
part of my brother, the feeling was more than mutual, for the more he
saw of his commandant, the more he liked and admired him. At the time I
speak of, the 13th Dragoons were stationed at Bangalore, one of the most
delightful localities in India, and I have already said that the native
regiment, of which my brother was afterwards in medical charge, was
stationed there also. The consequence of this vicinity was that in due
course Colonel B. brought his wife to see my brother's wife, a visit
which again in due course my brother and his wife returned. The ladies
became friends, and the friendship has only been closed by poor Mrs.
B.'s death. She was, at the time to which I refer, one of the
handsomest, most queen-like women to be seen anywhere.
But it is rather of her gifted husband than of her that I wish to speak.
Colonel B.'s talents were indeed so great and so various that they
demand a far abler pen than mine to do them justice. Wit the most ready,
sparkling, and unbounded, united with an unequalled address and manner,
made him the most delightful companion that can be imagined. No company
could resist his powers: laughter unrestrained and irresistible followed
him wherever he went. I heartily wish I could recall even a few of the
electric flashes of thought that, 'like orient pearls at random strung,'
gave life and lustre, fire and fancy to his words. I fear, however, that
I should only defeat my object if I ventured to make the attempt, I can
never give the fitting time and place, the circumstance coincident, nor
the look and manner that were so admirable and so appropriate.
On the occasion to which this extract chiefly refers, Lord Elphinstone,
then Governor of Madras, and his friend Lord Cardigan, who was his
visitor, were the guests of the regiment. Colonel B. was sitting at the
mess-table between them in high spirits, his irresistible stories and
anecdotes creating an atmosphere of merriment around him. My brother was
not near enough to hear half that passed, but his eye took in the
situation, and in spite of the noise, the clapping, and the laughter,
his ear was very attentive and quick.
The first _morceau ragoutant_ that reached him was Colonel B.'s account
of what had taken place at Colonel C.'s public breakfast some four or
five mornings before. Colonel C. was then the Commissioner for Mysore.
While at breakfast, he received Lord Elphinstone's answer to an
invitation requesting him and his friend, Lord Cardigan, to spend some
time at Bangalore, and during their stay to give him the pleasure of
being their host. The invitation had been accepted, and accordingly
Colonel C. announced that the two noble lords would shortly be at
Bangalore. There was a large party at the breakfast, among whom was
Captain A., who was one of the Commission. As soon as this officer,
whose intrinsic worth was not hidden by French, or, indeed, by any other
kind of polish, heard the announcement, he broke out thus: 'Eh, sirs,
twa lurds--twa lurds! What'll I do, how'll I boo?' a sally which
occasioned no little merriment amongst those who heard it, and still
more at the mess-table after the Colonel's recital, who followed it up
by such a string of jokes and puns and telling repartees, that an old
Bengal civilian, whose name was Potts, and who was the Colonel's
_vis-à-vis_, appeared thoroughly bewildered. He never uttered a word,
but sat looking from one to the other with his mouth wide open, drinking
in, as it seemed, the stream of wit, the like of which he had never
perhaps in his whole life heard before. The old gentleman's behaviour
afforded Colonel B. a good deal of quiet amusement. Unnoticed, he made
his friends aware of what had attracted his attention, and then, as soon
as he saw that they were observing, he remarked to his opposite: 'Mr.
Potts, you're quite chatty,'[2] which, it is needless to say, set the
table off again.
When the laughter had a little subsided, Colonel B. recommenced by
giving his guests a sketch of a certain Miss B., a young lady between
forty and fifty years of age, who was a well-known character in the
cantonment. He gave them to understand that this young lady still
_hoped_. She could not, indeed, bring herself to believe that she would
always remain Miss B., and, in consequence of this settled conviction,
she not unfrequently afforded amusement to her acquaintances. Remarks to
this effect, whenever she indulged in them, appeared to yield the ladies
considerable enjoyment: 'You know, my dear, when I get married, or when
I have a house of my own,' etc. These unintentional exhibitions of her
hopes and wishes on the part of Miss B. led to a good deal of harmless
quizzing, and to numerous inquiries, such as, 'On whom were her smiles
chiefly bestowed?' 'Who was to be the happy man?' or 'Whether this lucky
individual had been fixed on?' 'When would the ceremony take place?' and
many more such seductive and insidious questions, which led the dear
innocent into sundry admissions and confessions, tending to show that
she had anything but a dislike to the holy state of matrimony, though
she had not yet made her election. 'The state of affairs having thus
been made sufficiently evident, several of the young scamps you see
around you, who, as well as Miss B., are frequent visitors at my house,
took it into their wise heads, for the sake of the fun, to declare
themselves Miss B.'s admirers, partly with the sanction, at all events,
with the tacit permission, of Mrs. B., who could not find it in her
heart to object to anything in the shape of fun and frolic. So it has
come to pass that a frequent amusement there is the violent love-making
on the part of these young lads to this sweet young creature, who, to do
her but justice, distributes her sweetness to A., B., or C. with an
impartiality that really is quite charming. I sometimes fear that the
young fellows are carrying matters too far with their protestations,
their vows of devotion, their hopes of future bliss, their dread that
she prefers another, their appeals to a cornelian heart she wears, which
more than one of these describe as their mutual property, and a great
deal more of like quality, which, with their kneeling and impassioned
acting, is comical enough. Yet one thing to be remarked is, to my mind,
more comical still--the more fervid the performance, the more the lady
is pleased; but the crowning fun is that, under the continuance of the
excitement, the dear old girl gets so dreadfully affectionate, that more
than one of the performers has declared his conviction that ere long she
will throw herself into the arms of one or other of them.'
'Well, B.,' said both his guests, 'you must give us an opportunity of
being present at one of these scenes; we wouldn't miss the chance on any
account. The fun must be "rich and rare."' 'Make your minds easy,'
replied the Colonel; 'we'll have a rehearsal at which you shall be
present in a few days. Let me see,' added he, 'I'm not sure that we
can't manage it sooner.' 'The sooner the better,' said his friends.
'There is the sham fight,' resumed the Colonel, 'to-morrow, and it will
occupy us from five a.m. to about ten, which is the hour for breakfast
with C. We dine with General V. at seven p.m., but between breakfast and
dinner we shall have several hours free, say from twelve a.m. to six
p.m. Mrs. B. will order us a very light tiffin at two p.m.--some ices
and blancmange, _rien de plus_, and then we can have, as an interlude
before dinner, Miss B. and her lovers. How will that suit you?' 'The
very thing,' said the 'twa lurds.' 'Nothing can be better.' 'That, then,
is arranged,' said Colonel B., who continued: 'Now you would scarcely
credit that anyone could be so full of faith as this ancient young
gentlewoman is; but facts are stubborn things, you know, and therefore
stubborn things are facts--at least, sometimes.' 'Ah, ha!' said his
guests, laughing; 'breaking out of bounds, are you?' 'No, no,' returned
the Colonel, 'only "verbum volans." But these same young men, who are
now making such violent love to Miss B., played the lady rather a scurvy
trick the other day. They continued, however, to make her believe that
they were wholly innocent, and had had no concern in it. They affected
great indignation against the perpetrators of the outrage, as Miss B.
termed it, sympathized deeply with her under the infliction, and vowed
signal vengeance if they could only find out the guilty parties. In a
short time the confiding fair one believed again, forgetting all her
suspicions and her anger, and now she listens with obvious delight to
the vows and protestations of her simulating lovers.' 'She is truly, as
you have mentioned,' said Lord C., 'a guileless, confiding innocent; but
you have not told us what the young deceivers did.' 'The thing arose in
this way,' said Colonel B. 'Some of our young fellows, having heard
that Miss B. expected a parcel from Madras, determined that she should
have one with as little delay as might be. They first sent the parcel to
Madras (to Oakes's, I believe), directing him to take off the wrapper
with his address on it, and then to forward the parcel inside to the
address written thereon. They further managed so that the said parcel
reached Miss B. while she was at my house. Most of the young lads in the
cantonment were there at the time, and a large gathering beside.'