just as well for you to be out of hospital, for you will pick up
strength faster now than you would in there."
By this time the camp extended over a large space of ground. Everything
was in excellent order, and but few signs were visible of the terrible
struggle that had taken place a few weeks before. Percy shared a tent
with another young civilian. His head was still bandaged up, and it
would be a long time before he could wear any but the softest head-gear.
He consulted the doctors rather anxiously as to whether the hair would
grow again on the patch, three inches wide, from the top of his head
down to his ear.
"Probably it will, but there is no saying, Groves. If it does grow it
will probably come white."
"I don't much care what colour it comes," Percy said, "if only it does
come so as to hide my ear, or rather my half ear."
"I should not bother about that," the surgeon said. "You can let the
hair at the top of the head grow long, it will hide the scar, ear and
all. It will look better than a white patch there."
"I suppose it would," Percy said, regarding himself in the little
hand-mirror rather ruefully. "A white patch certainly would not look
well, and the people one meets would be always asking how it came, which
would be a frightful nuisance. Still, if it comes white I could dye it,
I suppose."
"I should not bother about it, Groves; it is an honourable scar."
"Yes, that is all very well, doctor; but it is a scar for all that."
During the fortnight that had elapsed before the camp was broken up,
Percy did no work, but took a short ride morning and evening. During
the heat of the day he sat in the shade at the entrance of his tent and
read.
On the 11th of February the Sikhs made a great demonstration, drove in a
patrolling party, and seemed as if they wished to bring on another
battle. A column threatened the rear of the camp, and the spies brought
in news that they had determined upon attacking us. Lord Gough had no
wish to bring on a battle on ground where the Sikhs, if beaten, could
again retire into the jungle. The army therefore remained in their
lines. It was observed that the array of tents round Russool had
considerably diminished. The next day it had entirely disappeared.
Great anxiety was felt in camp as to what had become of the Sikhs, and
all sorts of reports were current as to Sher Singh's intentions. Some
believed that he intended to cross the Chenab at Wuzeerabad, and to
march upon Lahore. The garrison there was a very weak one, and could
have offered but a slight resistance if attacked by so large a force,
aided as it certainly would be by a rising of the populace. Another
report was to the effect that Sher Singh had stated that his intention
was to make forced marches to Umritsur, to cross the Sutlej, and advance
to Delhi and capture and sack the place before any force could be
gathered to arrest his progress. Were not one or other of these plans
intended, the only explanation why the Sikhs should desert their
strongly intrenched and almost inaccessible position, was that they
found extreme difficulty in supplying their force with food there; and
indeed it was known from deserters that they had for some time been
suffering from famine. Moreover they might consider that if successfully
attacked on the flank they would be cut off by the deep ravine between
their intrenchments and Russool, and by the river still farther behind,
from making their escape.
Late in the evening of the 12th some spies brought in the information
that Sher Singh was marching for Gujerat. In the neighbourhood of this
town the Sikhs had, in past times, gained several important victories,
and they regarded the locality as being specially sacred and propitious
to them. The country round was rich and fertile, and they would have no
difficulty in obtaining provisions. It is true that they would have to
fight in the open, but their confidence had been restored by their
success at Chillianwalla. There was, too, a probability that from
Gujerat the approach of General Whish's force, which was hurrying up
from Mooltan, might be intercepted.
Chuttur Singh had joined his son with a force from the Peshawur district
a few days after the battle, and the army with which he retired was
little short of fifty thousand men. On the 13th Percy rode out with a
number of other English officers to inspect the Sikh works round
Russool. These were found to be extremely formidable, well placed, and
constructed with great skill, and all congratulated themselves that the
army had been spared the terrible loss that would certainly have
befallen it in carrying the position. That evening Brigadier Cheape of
the Royal Engineers, who had conducted the siege of Mooltan, arrived
with a body of native cavalry, having pushed on rapidly and left the
main body of General Whish's force some days in the rear.
On the morning of the 14th news came that the Sikhs had occupied
Gujerat, capturing the small body of Pathan horse stationed there under
the command of Lieutenant Nicholson. Major Lawrence was also a prisoner
in Sher Singh's camp, having, with his wife, been treacherously handed
over to the Sikhs by an Afghan chief with whom they had taken refuge.
The next morning at four o'clock the troops marched for Lussoore.
Conflicting reports came in as to the course of the Sikh army; but the
balance of probability was that they were still remaining in the
vicinity of Gujerat. General Whish had already sent a force to bar
their passage should they try to cross at Wuzeerabad. The army moved
slowly forward so as to be able to meet the Sikhs should they advance,
but no engagement was desired until Whish, with the Bengal and Bombay
troops who had been engaged with him in the siege of Mooltan, should
join.
On the 20th the army reached Shadeewal, effected a junction with two of
General Whish's brigades, and was now ready to encounter the enemy. On
the following morning it advanced towards Gujerat, across a plain
cultivated in many places and dotted with clumps of trees. The drums of
the Sikhs beating to arms could be heard in the distance, and the line
of battle was formed. General Gilbert's division was on the right.
Next to him was the division of General Whish. Separated from them by a
deep nullah was Colin Campbell's division, and on the left the Bombay
troops under Brigadier-general Dundas. Each of these divisions was
accompanied by batteries of field and horse artillery. Part of the
cavalry was on either flank, while two regiments of native cavalry and
two of infantry were in rear covering the baggage.
The Sikhs opened fire while our force was still a considerable distance
away, and the line was halted and the artillery and skirmishers moved to
the front. Just behind the line of the infantry there was a lofty mound
commanding a view of the whole plain, and on this the staff and all the
political officers who were free to choose their position took up their
post.
"It will be nothing to-day," Akram Chunder said to Percy. They had
dismounted, Bhop Lal taking charge of the three horses while his comrade
had posted himself just behind his master. "If they could not stop the
English before, when they had great intrenchments and heavy guns, what
chance can they have now?"
The British guns speedily opened fire, and very soon obtained the
mastery over those of the Sikhs, whose fire slackened. In a short time
their guns were withdrawn, the infantry falling back with them to a
village in a strong position where they were almost hidden from sight.
The British infantry moved forward as soon as the enemy's fire
slackened, Penny's brigade of Gilbert's division advancing to storm the
village. It was flanked by two Sikh batteries, and the brigade advanced
under a shower of balls, dashed across a deep nullah, poured in a heavy
volley, and then went at the village with the bayonet. The Sikhs in the
village fought stoutly, many of them shutting themselves up in the
houses and defending themselves till the last.
As soon as the British showed on the other side of the village the guns
of the Sikh batteries opened upon them. The battery of horse-artillery
galloped up and replied vigorously; the whole line of infantry pressed
forward, and the enemy deserted their guns and fled. The 2d Bengal
Europeans, that had suffered heavily at Chillianwalla, sustained a loss
of six officers and one hundred and forty-three men killed or wounded,
while of the two native regiments with them the 31st lost one hundred
and twenty-eight and the 70th forty-four killed or wounded.
This position carried, the whole line advanced, and although the enemy
fought with dogged courage they were everywhere beaten back. Harvey's
brigade with considerable loss carried the village of Chowta-kabrah
gallantly. The Sikhs as they retired were pounded by the guns of three
troops of horse-artillery, but the enemy's artillery fire was so heavy
that one battery had to send to the rear for horses before it could move
its guns, while another suffered such losses that they were obliged to
get men from the 10th Foot to work the pieces. The Sikh cavalry made
frequent efforts to work round the right flank and get into the rear,
but were checked each time by a troop of horse-artillery and by the 14th
Dragoons, although at one time a party penetrated so closely to the
heavy guns where Lord Gough had taken up his station, that his personal
escort charged and drove them back.
Steadily the whole line pressed forward. The Sikh infantry several
times gathered in great numbers, supported by their cavalry, to make a
rush to meet us, but were each time checked by the accurate and rapid
fire of our artillery, and were pressed back until Gujerat was passed on
its eastern side by Campbell's division, and by the Bombay troops on its
west. The latter had met with but little resistance. On the right of
the Sikh line the Afghan horse, fifteen hundred strong, with a large
number of the Sikh irregulars, now threatened our left flank. They were
charged by the Scinde horse and two squadrons of the 9th Lancers, driven
from the field, and two of their standards taken. The whole of the
enemy's right wing now fled and were pursued by the British cavalry and
horse-artillery, and the rout of the Sikhs was complete.
The infantry halted to collect the guns, ammunition, and baggage of the
Sikhs; but for many miles the cavalry and a troop of the Bombay
horse-artillery pursued the flying foe, scattering them whenever they
tried to rally, capturing many guns, and killing vast numbers of
fugitives, no quarter being given by the cavalry, who remembered that
every one of their own wounded comrades had been killed and mutilated by
them. The cavalry did not halt until they had reached a point fourteen
miles from the field of battle.
The Sikh troops who had remained in Gujerat offered a stout resistance,
but were, after some hard fighting, overcome. A singular proof was given
that the Bunnoo regiments retained the discipline they had learned from
British officers to the last, for when resistance fairly ceased the Sikh
sentries placed round the native hospitals were found marching backward
and forward on their beats as unconcernedly as if absolutely unconscious
of the events that were taking place.
Fifty-three guns were captured. They had in almost every case been
defended to the last. One large gun had been the object of fire by a
whole British battery. All the men had been killed but two; but as the
British line advanced these two alone continued to work it. One fell
with a musket-ball, but the other, unaided, fired two more rounds, and
only when the British line was close at hand sought safety in flight.
The Afghan horse, after leaving the field, did not draw rein until they
crossed the river Jhelum, a distance of over thirty miles.
The loss of the army in this great victory was comparatively trifling,
but 5 officers and 76 men were killed, 24 officers and 595 men wounded.
The loss of the Sikhs was very large. They had brought sixty pieces of
artillery into the field, and carried off but seven of them. General
Gilbert's division followed up the enemy with such rapidity that the
Sikh chieftains, despairing of successful resistance, surrendered in
numbers. Chuttur Singh and Sher Singh were among the first to propose
surrender, and all the other leaders, with the exception of two, came
in. Forty-one guns were handed over, and 16,000 men laid down their
arms. In all, the enemy lost 167 guns during the campaign. Their
possession of so large an amount of ordnance was a great surprise to the
British, who had believed that in the previous campaign they had
captured almost the whole of the Sikh guns. The greater portion of
these pieces had doubtless been hidden by the sirdars, those captured in
the Sutlej campaign having for the most part been the artillery of the
regular army. As a proof that this was the case, an immense number of
guns were found buried in the earth at Govindghur when we took
possession of that place. All the Sikhs who surrendered or were
captured after the battle of Gujerat were allowed to return to their
homes after being deprived of their arms. They were permitted to carry
away their clothes and horses.
Chuttur Singh and Sher Singh surrendered at Wuzeerabad. They came in on
elephants, with a few retainers and a small escort of Bunnoo infantry.
All had to lay down their arms before crossing the ford to meet Lord
Gough, who with his staff and a large number of officers was on the
opposite bank. Sher Singh had released Major Lawrence from his
confinement, and had sent him to the British head-quarters to negotiate
the terms of surrender, and that officer met him as with his father he
crossed the bridge. The scene was an impressive one, as Chuttur Singh
and his son, the two men who had involved their country in the struggle
and had brought such terrible disasters upon it, dismounted from their
elephants and paid their respects to the British general. Sher Singh
was a rebel against his own government as well as against us, but at
least he had not ill-treated the three or four British officers, or the
two British ladies, who had fallen into his hands, and had sent back
unharmed the few British soldiers who had been captured and brought into
his camp. Major Edwardes' despatches too had completely established the
fact that he had for a long time, under most difficult circumstances,
been faithful, and that he had at last yielded to something very like
force on the part of his soldiers. Although, therefore, his reception by
Lord Gough was cold, it was very different to that which he would have
received had his rebellion, like that of Moolraj, been sullied by the
murder in cold blood of English prisoners.
As the rajah drew off from his interview with the commander-in-chief his
eye fell upon Percy. He ordered his mahout to stop his elephant. Percy
rode forward to him, and conversed with him for several minutes, Sher
Singh expressing his satisfaction that he had met with no injury in
effecting his escape.
"I liked you, and always treated you well, did I not? and you will stand
my friend now?" he asked anxiously.
"I am but a young officer, and my friendship can little avail your
Highness," Percy said; "but assuredly I will testify, and have already
testified, that I was well treated. I was allowed to keep my servants
and my horses, I was well fed and cared for, and, save that I had not my
liberty, had everything that I could desire. I thank your Highness
sincerely for the manner in which I was treated."
Percy was reining back his horse when he heard a low whinny. He turned
round with a start, and saw one of the rajah's officers struggling with
his horse, which was trying to turn aside out of the procession. "Why,
Sheik, is it you?" Percy shouted in delight. And the horse, rearing up,
all but unseated its rider, made two bounds to his side, and thrust its
head against his hand.
The little stir caused Sher Singh to look around. "It is my horse,
rajah," Percy said; "it knows me again."
The rajah nodded. "I had forgotten it," he said. "I knew that you had
escaped, and never gave a thought to your horse. You must give it up,
Aliram; it is the property of the sahib."
With an angry scowl the native alighted.
[Illustration: PERCY HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH SHER SINGH]
"I shall not leave you horseless," Percy said. And riding back through
the officers, who were looking on in amazement at the scene, he joined
his two followers, who were sitting their horses at some little distance
in the rear. Both gave a loud exclamation of pleasure as Percy rode up,
leading Sheik. He was himself mounted on Bhop Lal's horse. He
dismounted and sprang on to Sheik. "Bhop Lal, mount your own horse and
take the one you are on to the Sikh officer. You will find him standing
there. He annexed Sheik, but I don't want to give him the mortification
of tramping on foot after the rajah." Bhop Lal did as he was ordered,
and then rejoined Percy, who was overjoyed at recovering the splendid
animal his uncle had given him.
On the 30th of March the governor-general issued a proclamation
declaring the Punjaub annexed to the British dominions in India. A
large pension was assigned to Dhuleep Singh, who was placed under the
tuition of an English officer, and the administration of the Punjaub was
intrusted to a board consisting of Sir Henry Lawrence, his brother John,
and Mr. Mansoll, a civilian, to whom was assigned the financial
administration of the province.
Two days after the surrender of Sher Singh, Percy obtained two months'
leave of absence, and started for Djarma, which was distant about a
hundred miles from Wuzeerabad. The passage of Gilbert's division north
had already restored tranquillity, and he followed the main road as far
as Rawal Pindee, where a British garrison had, been left, without
encountering the slightest interruption. Then he struck off along the
foot of the hills on his way to the fortress thirty miles off.
At Rawal Pindee he heard that his uncle had ridden in with two hundred
horsemen on the arrival of General Gilbert at the town, and had placed
his troops at the general's disposal. These was, however, no occasion
for their services, the Afghans having already evacuated the district of
Peshawur, and there being no longer any Sikh force under arms sufficient
to offer resistance to the British column.
"We need not be afraid of Ghoolab Singh this time, sahib," Akram Chunder
said as they rode out of Rawal Pindee.
"No. The old fox has played his game as well now as he did in the last
campaign. Throughout, he continued to promise to join Sher Singh, as we
learnt when we were prisoners, while, on the other hand, he lent money
to our people when they needed it for purchasing provisions. But it was
not until just before Gujerat, when he saw that there was no longer the
least doubt which side would prove triumphant, that he really put his
troops in motion and offered to act in any way he might be required
against the Sikhs. However, he knows now that there is no possibility
of his ever getting a foothold across the Jhelum. It is certain that in
a week or two we shall hear that the whole of the Punjaub is annexed by
England, and I and my uncle might pay him a visit at Serinagur without
the least fear that he would receive us in any but a courteous and
hospitable manner. Djama is as good as British territory now. I
daresay my uncle has got the British flag waving over the fortress
already. The Indian government have no reason either to like or trust
Ghoolab, and, if he gave them cause, have only to stretch out their hand
to take Cashmere.
"It would be the best thing that could happen for the country," said
Akram. "Then the people would be able to till their fields and weave
their shawls in peace and quiet, afraid neither of foreign invaders nor
of oppressive rulers."
As they approached the fortress they could see a flag waving over its
highest point.
"I thought my uncle would have it up," Percy exclaimed. "It is too far
away to see the colours, but I am sure what they are."
Percy rode fast now, walked up the long hill, and then galloped to the
gate. It was open and the drawbridge down. He waved his hand to the
men who saluted as he rode in, and kept on without drawing rein until he
sprang from his horse at the steps, where his uncle, who had been warned
of his approach, stood waiting to meet him.
"Welcome back, Percy; welcome back! It is eleven months since you rode
out, and you have no doubt gone through much, though I have heard
nothing of you."
"There were no means of sending letters, uncle; but I have often thought
of you, and wondered how you have been getting on."
"I sent three letters off, Percy. Did you get none of them?"
"None, uncle."
"And you know nothing of what has happened since you have been away?"
"Nothing," Percy repeated, struck by his uncle's grave face. "Nothing
serious has happened, I hope?"
"Come in, lad," the colonel said, taking his arm and leading him into
the private apartments.
Percy looked round, expecting to see the Ranee appear.
"She is gone, lad."
"Gone, uncle!"
"Ay, lad, she died ten months ago, a month after you left us."
Percy stood aghast. "My dear uncle, how sorry I am! I never dreamt of
such a home-coming as this. My poor aunt! What a terrible loss for
you!"
"Terrible, lad. I am getting over it now, but for a time I was crushed,
indeed for some days I was myself at death's door, and only pulled
through by God's mercy."
"Why, what was it, uncle? Fever?"
"Poison, lad."
"Poison, uncle!" Percy repeated, horror-struck.
"That is what it was, my boy. Ghoolab's work again, I have no doubt,
though I cannot prove it. Would to heaven I could, for I would ride to
Serinagur with a hundred men, force my way into his presence if need be,
accuse him of the deed, and blow out his brains. But I have not a
shadow of proof. It happened, as I told you, a month, or maybe six
weeks, after you had left. The news had come of the rising at Mooltan
and the murder of Agnew and Anderson. We were in great anxiety about
you, knowing you were with them, Mahtab especially; but, as I told her,
had you been killed also, we should have heard of it, and that you were
not the sort of fellow to be caught in a trap, and I had no doubt you
had got out of it somehow. A day or two after, she said to me, 'You
must be especially careful now, Roland. Ghoolab has a hand in every
trouble that takes place in the Punjaub. No doubt he will do as he did
before, play one side against the other, send promises to each and do
nothing until he sees how matters go; but he will think that at any rate
if there is war and strife he will be free to do as he likes up here in
the north, and he will likely enough try once again to encompass your
life.' I felt that that was probable enough, and kept a more vigilant
guard than usual. One day after dining we were both taken suddenly ill.
Two hours later she was dead. I pulled through, but I looked death very
closely in the face."
"And did you find out who the murderer was, uncle?"