AN ADVENTURE AT VARNA AND ITS SEQUEL.
Jack had not been in Varna camp twenty-four hours before he began
ardently to pray that their stay there might not be long. The chief
characteristics of the town were its vermin, filth, and abominable
stench, its ill-paved, rugged streets, tortuous lanes, and ramshackle
buildings.
The Greeks, Armenians, and others surrounding the camps were some of the
greatest rogues in the world; many, in fact, were no better than
brigands, who thought as little of taking a human life as they did of
killing a fowl, and who were already credited with the murder of several
English and French soldiers.
This fact was brought home to Jack on the very first night of his
arrival. Everything had been hurry, bustle, scurry, and confusion. No
preparations had been made for the cavalry, and the men were busy till
dark fixing the horse-lines, pitching tents, and so on. Thoroughly tired
with a hard day, they turned in; but, not, alas! to sleep. The heat, the
insects, the flies (terrible buzzing, stinging pests), kept all awake
for some time. At last the different noises about the camp died down,
and all that could be heard was the stamping of the horses as they
tugged at their head-ropes, or the occasional challenge of a sentry.
Jack and Pearson, with several others, occupied a tent next to one in
which was Will and some of his troop. Jack had at last sunk into a
fitful sleep, when he was suddenly awakened by hearing several shots
fired. Immediately he sat up just as another report rang out, and
something whizzing past his head buried itself with a thud in the
tent-pole. The sound sent a cold shiver through him, and he jumped to
his feet. The others in the tent also woke up.
‘It can’t be an enemy taking us by surprise?’ said Pearson. ‘Anyway,
boys, on with your things.’
Williams, Brandon, and the others hastily slipped on overalls and boots,
and left the tent.
As Jack went out into the fitful moonlight, for it was cloudy, he ran up
against Will.
‘What’s up?’ asked the latter.
‘Don’t know. I heard firing, so turned out. What ought we to do--sound
the alarm?’
‘Not without orders.’
At that instant a sound of rushing footsteps was heard, and several
figures darted by.
Pearson, being a very tall man, took a couple of strides after one of
the suspicious figures, trying to seize it, while he cried out, ‘You
seem in a hurry, friend.’
Hardly had the words escaped his lips when there was a flash, a loud
report, and another ball came whizzing past the heads of the Lancers.
The momentary flash showed up a startling picture. Three brawny,
picturesque-looking ruffians in baggy breeches and turbans, simply
bristling with weapons, were seen rushing away.
A voice shouted, ‘After the rogues, boys;’ and Sergeant Linham appeared
on the scene.
The Lancers started in pursuit, shouting, tripping over tent-ropes, and
colliding with men who, aroused by the hubbub, came tumbling out of
their tents. Jack, Sergeant Linham, Will, and Pearson kept together and
headed the chase among the white tents.
The lines of the Lancers were right on the edge of the camp, and it was
feared that the three desperadoes would escape once they could get
outside the lines of tents, for they would have little difficulty in
passing the sentries. Presently the pursuers lost sight of the men
altogether, and running to the outside line of tents they all halted,
vexed with themselves for having lost their prey.
They had become separated, Jack standing in the shadow of a tent just by
the horse-lines. Suddenly a man came gliding round the other side of the
tent, and, crouching low, was making off in the darkness. Jack, though,
saw the glitter of steel, and in an instant he sprang forward and
literally leapt on to the man’s back.
A sort of hissing snarl escaped the fellow, and jerking himself upright
he tried to free himself from Jack’s grasp. The latter, however, was not
to be cast off so easily. Being behind his man, he twined his left arm
round his neck, almost throttling him, while with his right hand he
prevented the fellow from drawing one of the many weapons he carried. At
the same time he shouted loudly for help. The man fought and tore,
rending Jack’s hands with his long, horny nails. At last, to prevent
himself from being stabbed, Jack had to release his hold with his left
arm and seize the man’s right wrist. Then they rocked to and fro for a
few moments, when both fell, Jack being underneath. His head struck the
ground sharply, and he relaxed his hold. His assailant whipped out a
murderous-looking knife, which he raised on high with the intention of
plunging it into the trumpeter’s heart. He felt with his left hand as
though seeking for the place to inflict the mortal wound when, just as
it seemed that Jack’s last moment had come, a heavy footstep sounded, a
big figure dashed into sight, the ruffian received a crashing blow on
the temple from a British fist, and Pearson’s voice cried out, ‘We’ve
got one, boys; I’ll hang on to him, while you see what damage he’s
done.’
This question was answered by Jack himself jumping to his feet and
declaring he was unhurt.
‘Ha, hum! that’s just as well for this gentleman, then,’ said Linham,
who at that moment joined them and saw the man whom Pearson held.
‘How did you come across the reptile, Jack?’ asked Pearson.
Jack related what had happened, being listened to by an ever-increasing
crowd, for the noise had roused a good many men from their slumbers.
Lights were procured, and the man, who proved to be a truculent-looking
Greek, was handed over to the provost-marshal.
Jack and his friends then made their way back to their tents.
In the morning those who had been in the scuffle gave evidence before
the provost-marshal, and the prisoner was identified by some of the
camp-followers as a notorious brigand who for days had been hanging
round the camp.
It transpired that a private of the Connaught Rangers named Conolly had
on the day before been drinking in Varna with several Greeks. He was
known to have had considerable arrears of pay upon him. That night
Conolly’s comrades were aroused by hearing heavy groans. They found he
had been stabbed to death, and a man was seen escaping from the tent.
Several of the Rangers gave chase, but lost their man near the camp of
the Lancers. It was supposed that having escaped the most pressing
danger, to show their utter contempt for the watchfulness of the
English, out of mere bravado the Greeks had started firing their pistols
among the tents. Nothing was decided, however, and the prisoner was put
back for further inquiries.
‘H’m!’ snorted Sergeant Linham, ‘I suppose the toad is going to be let
have another chance of slitting our throats. If it had been an officer
who had been killed, I want to know’----
A trumpet was heard ringing out shrilly.
‘Hallo!’ said Jack; ‘listen; it’s the regimental call: “Death or Glory,
Death or Glory, Death or Glory Boys!” Trot march, chaps! we’re wanted.’
They raced to the lines, saddled-up, and mounted, all being a few
minutes late on parade.
As Jack was taking his place in the troop, Napper passed him.
‘Blair,’ he cried angrily, ‘you’re late on parade; I shall report you.’
This was the first time he had spoken to Jack since they had landed.
Jack wondered what on earth it had to do with him if he were late; but
he had no time to think it out, for the regiment was formed for
inspection by the colonel. This lasted some time, and when they had
returned to camp Will Hodson sought Jack, and his face looked grave.
‘I say, old man, have you heard the news?’ he asked.
‘I have heard several things to-day,’ replied Jack; ‘to what do you
refer?’
‘Napper.’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s in orders this morning as corporal.’
Jack whistled. ‘By George!’ he said, ‘that’s unfortunate for me,’ and he
recollected Napper’s words.
He was unsaddling his horse when Sergeant Barrymore came up to him.
‘Blair,’ he said, ‘the colonel wants to see you at once.’
With a sinking heart Jack followed the sergeant into the presence of his
stern old colonel. Napper and the regimental sergeant-major were
standing by him.
‘What’s this I hear about you,’ he began angrily; ‘absent from the lines
and late on parade this morning--our first day ashore? What is the
meaning of it?’
Jack was utterly surprised at the colonel’s tone, thinking he must have
known where he had been. He did not learn till later that the colonel,
feeling ill, had been up at the hospital all night, and only rejoined
his regiment in the morning, not knowing that Jack had been mixed up in
the scrimmage with the Greek. Jack explained where he had been, and the
colonel was looking incredulously at him when Sergeant Linham came
hurrying up and corroborated what Jack had said.
The colonel then turned angrily to Napper. ‘What do you mean by telling
such a trumped-up story?’ he cried angrily. ‘If this is the way in which
you are going to exercise your authority you won’t wear your stripes
many days. Go away.--And you, Blair, are dismissed. I have been
misinformed.’
Napper gave Jack a malignant glance as they both saluted and retired.
‘I’ll have you yet,’ hissed Napper quietly.
But Jack made no reply. He was thinking that the feud between him and
Napper was as keen as ever, and that now Napper had every opportunity of
making his life miserable.