To the great satisfaction of all, everything was going well. The troop
had found themselves received in silence at the gate by the Rajah's
troops, and had ridden through the streets to the old palace, with the
people in crowds watching their entrance; but no enthusiasm was
displayed, and Wyatt said grimly:
"They look as if they were sorry that we have come back safely."
"Or as if some of them wanted to give us a warmer welcome, only they
feel afraid."
"That's about what it is," said Wyatt. "They are afraid. I hope
nothing has gone wrong in barracks."
His hope was satisfied, for the gates were close shut, and the guard
ready to challenge them before admittance was given, Sergeant Stubbs,
left in command, having nothing more to report than the fact that a
large body of armed men had been hanging about the place.
"Just as if they were waiting to hear how things were going, gentlemen.
And, between ourselves, I can't help thinking that if you had been
worsted they would have attacked us. Not that they would have had much
satisfaction out of that."
"What do you mean, Stubbs!" asked Wyatt.
The man shook his head.
"They'd have been too much for us, of course, sir," he said; "and we
should have been done. But I'd got a plan ready for them in the shape
of the ammunition."
"What were you going to do?" asked Dick.
"Only going to put a lighted linstock to the end of a train leading to a
big powder-bag in the ammunition-wagon, sir. Pity, I thought, to let
our friends have that. They don't understand our cartridges, and might
have burned their fingers."
Sergeant Stubbs said this with a grim look, but it was sober, earnest
determination not to die un-revenged, for there was powder enough to
destroy the place and all that were in it.
Dick was warm enough with his hot ride and all he had gone through, but
as soon as he had flung his rein to his syce and patted Burnouse, he
hurried to the room where the wounded men lay, finding Hulton looking
deadly pale, but calm and free from fever; while the doctor, in spite of
his weakness, was able to make inquiries about how the day had gone.
Dick told him in as few words as he could, and soon found that every one
was listening.
All at once there was a deep groan, and Dick sprang to the bed of one of
the men, to find that the sufferer was Hanson.
"Arm you in pain?" he said anxiously.
"Pretty well for that, sir. Why do you ask?"
"You groaned as if in agony."
"That was not me, sir, but Jones there."
"Your wound hurt you much?" said Dick to the man in sympathetic tones.
"No, sir; but it's hard, that's what it is--hard."
"To be wounded?"
"To have to lie here and all that fun going on. Beg pardon, sir; you
just dress me up again to-morrow, and then give me a stiffykit of being
fit to go on duty again. I should get right quicker along with the men
than lying here alongside Bob Hanson."
"I have not made a sound," said Hanson.
"No, my lad, but you've looked as if you were going to."
"There, lie still," said Dick. "I'll come and look to your bandages as
soon as I've got these hot things off; and I'm not fit to come now."
Dick kept his word, and this time he had the doctor's advice to help him
to ease the poor fellows lying in misery.
"We shall be better in the morning, sir," said Hanson so meaningly that
Dick asked why he said that.
"We can lie and think about the troop having won."
Dick had barely finished when there was a summons to meet the Rajah, who
had come to obtain first-hand an account of the fight, to which he
listened with an intense display of interest, expressing his
satisfaction again and again.
"How have you got on here, sir, while we've been away?" asked Wyatt.
"They made some attacks upon the gates," said the Rajah, "but there is
nothing to fear from them. We are strongest there. It is in their
mounted men that they are powerful and get the better of us, but after
to-day I think I can laugh at them. Scouts came galloping in to say
that you had won; but later on other men came in to say that you had all
been cut off, and I was afraid."
"We were cut off," said Dick, smiling; "but Mr--Captain Wyatt--"
"Steady there!" growled that officer.
"Captain Wyatt," said Dick, with a little more emphasis, "cut a way for
us back again."
The Rajah was for taking both away with him to the palace, but they
excused themselves on the plea of being completely worn out; and he left
them, to send servants with fruit and choice refreshments from his own
table--a present which made Dick's eyes brighten with satisfaction as he
thought of his patients lying feverish and weary in the extempore
hospital ward.
"Oh, this is glorious," said Dick to himself as he threw himself on his
bed at last, the night, for a wonder, being fairly cool; and, as he had
a good sprawl, the refreshing sensation of the absence of muscular
effort mingled with the mental feeling of a day's work well done, and he
was just dropping into the weary body's insensibility, when he started
into wakefulness as suddenly as if some wriggling abomination had crept
into his bed and stung him.
But it was only a thought.
Still, it was strong enough to make him half dress himself, open his
door, and nearly fall headlong over something soft lying outside.
"Does the sahib want something?" said the plaintive voice of his
servant.
"Want something? Yes!" cried Dick angrily--"you get out of my way. Do
you mean to break my neck?"
The man sighed and wisely said nothing, but thought to himself: "These
English sahibs are so fierce, even when very young. He has been killing
people all day--he may kill me."
But Dick was not in a killing humour; his thoughts were upon a different
track--the very reverse.
"Have I hurt you?" he said more gently.
"The sahib's servant's ribs are a little sore where he was kicked, but
they will get better."
"I forgot you always slept across my door. Here, show me where Sergeant
Stubbs sleeps."
The man led the way with alacrity to the non-commissioned officers'
quarters, for Stubbs had kept to his old place at night, and his gruff
voice responded at once to the smart rap at his door:
"All right; rouse up the trumpeter."
"No, no, Stubbs; it is I. Don't make a noise."
"You, Mr Darrell, sir! In a moment," replied the sergeant; and the
next moment he presented himself, drawing on his overalls. "What is
it--a night attack?"
"No, no. I just remembered as I was going to sleep. What about that
train to the bag of powder?"
"Yes, sir. What about it?"
"It must not be left like that. Some one might be going there with a
lantern and blowing up the whole place."
"No fear, sir," said the sergeant grimly. "I swept that all away hours
ago."
"Did you? Oh, that's right. I was afraid you might have left it
there."
"No, sir; I know too well what powder will do."
"Then I've woke you up with a false alarm."
"And yourself too," said the sergeant quietly. "There was no need, but
there's nothing like making sure."
"No, there's nothing like making sure. Good-night, Sergeant."
"Good-night, sir."
Dick felt foolish, but decidedly more comfortable, as he went down into
the courtyard, closely followed by his white-coated servant. But, being
there, he thought he might as well go along close to the wall, and come
suddenly upon the two men on sentry at the gate, to make sure that they
were well on the alert.
He had proof of it directly, for before he had gone many steps he was
challenged, and the sharp click of a carbine lock, followed apparently
by the echo, brought him to a stand, to give the word and pass on to his
quarters and bed.
Then the night passed peacefully enough, and after many hours the lad
rose, and began wondering, after his cold splash, to find himself fresh
and free from weariness in spite of the previous day's exertions. His
first visit was to his patients, where his time was well taken up till
he was summoned to the morning meal, when he met Wyatt.
"What time do we parade?" was his first question.
"Don't parade," said Wyatt bluntly. "Rajah's scouts have brought in
word that the enemy has withdrawn, but it's too good to be true."
"Then it is because we gave them such a flogging yesterday."
"Looks like it," said Wyatt, "but I can't believe it. I only hope it
is, for I am sick of slaughtering men and horses as we did yesterday."
"We were doing our duty," said Dick.
"Yes; but it's such a horribly unpleasant duty."
"Better than for them to be slaughtering us."
"Well, yes; we think so, of course," said Wyatt. "But how is Hulton?"
"Better, certainly; Dr Robson says so."
"I hope he is; but I don't like to see him so white and with those dark
marks under his eyes."
"Robson says it is only weakness."
"Then you must set to and make him strong."
Another message from the Rajah arrived soon after, with the news that
the enemy were retiring; and before half-an-hour had elapsed Dick was
summoned from Hulton's bedside to meet one of the ruler's chief
officers, who had come to request that the two English captains, as he
called them, would come on and see the Rajah at once.
"We must go, I suppose," said Wyatt aside to his young companion; "only
I don't like being bothered like this." Then to the officer:
"Tell his highness we will have our horses saddled and come on soon."
"An elephant is waiting at the gate," said the officer respectfully,
"and the escort with it."
Wyatt nodded, and, after summoning the acting-lieutenant and giving him
his instructions, the pair mounted, and the escort led and followed.
"We may as well take the honours conferred upon us," said Wyatt, "but I
would rather walk."
"Yes; I want to see some of the place."
"Never mind; we must be too grand for that. It makes the common people
and the soldiery look up to us, and keeps up our prestige as much as the
fighting."
Upon reaching the front of the palace, it was to find the wide court
full of mounted men and scores of brilliantly accoutred officers waiting
about, all of whom saluted the fresh-comers with every show of respect.
Way was made for them when they dismounted from the howdah, and they
were led at once into the Rajah's council chamber, where he was seated
in state, but only to rise, shake hands with his visitors, and motion
them to seats placed ready.
Dick grasped at once that a council of war was being held; and the Rajah
hastened to tell them that, as the enemy had evidently become
disheartened by the disastrous defeat of the previous day, and was
retiring to his own district, it was considered that now was the time
for following him up and dealing another severe blow.
Wyatt spoke out plainly that if another such blow could be delivered it
would, without doubt, be a fine thing, but his men had worked very hard
on the previous day, the horses had been a good deal distressed, and it
would be far better to let the enemy retreat unmolested.
"No," said the Wazir, a tall, fierce-looking man, frowning; "it is bad
counsel. The enemy should be pursued at once."
"I think it is good counsel," said Wyatt quietly. "To have been
effective the pursuit should have been made last night when he was
disheartened; then the retreat could have been made a rout."
"Yes," said the Rajah, nodding; "that is right."
"Is the English captain afraid?" said the Wazir, with a sneer.
"He is cautious, sir," said Wyatt hotly, and he turned to the Rajah.
"What is the road like by which the enemy has gone?"
"An open plain for the first few miles," said the Rajah; "after that a
series of ravines and passes, had for horses."
"Then that quite determines me, sir," said Wyatt gravely. "In such a
country as you describe, my troop would be at a terrible disadvantage.
We want open country to manoeuvre."
"The English captain is afraid," said the Wazir scornfully, and he
turned and smiled at some of the chiefs round about where he was
standing, several of whom responded to the meaning smile, while the
Rajah looked angrily upon them.
"I do not know that I need answer such an insulting remark as that,"
said Wyatt sternly; while Dick felt hot, and rose from his seat as he
saw the Wazir take a fierce stride forward at the word "insulting."
But Wyatt turned from him to address the Rajah.
"It is quite true, sir," he said; "I am--afraid--"
He paused for a few moments, and looked round haughtily at the assembled
chiefs and officials before repeating the last word.
"Afraid to needlessly risk the lives of the men entrusted to my care. I
am now answerable for them, and it is left to my discretion how they are
used. It would be taking them to be slaughtered where they would have
no means of getting at the enemy, who would be hiding in the sides of
rocky ravines and gorges."
"That is quite right," said the Rajah. "Your advice is good, Captain
Wyatt. We know what you and your brave men can do, and their lives
shall not be wantonly thrown away."
"Then your highness prefers to take the advice of strangers, of
emissaries sent by the Koom Pahni, who will take away the kingdom left
by your brave father, the Rajah?" said the Wazir insolently.
"I shall defend my territory or attack my enemies how and when I think
good," said the Rajah angrily. "I shall also listen to the advice of
all my chiefs and officers, as I am doing now, and take so much of the
advice as I think wise."
"Then your highness means to throw over all your old friends and
supporters, who have often risked their lives in your service?" said the
Wazir haughtily.
"No," cried the Rajah fiercely as he rose and looked round; "I will be
as faithful to my friends as my father was before me, and as stern and
severe to my enemies. Listen, all of you; I am quite aware that I have
many enemies here present now."
"There are two," said the Wazir, pointing mockingly at the English
officers.
"It is false, sir," cried the Rajah sternly. "You are going too far.
Cut for the fact that you were a good servant and adviser to my dead
father, and that you are still the friend and counsellor of my mother,
your head would answer for your insolent words to me to-day and your
insults to these brave officers. Listen, all of you. The English are
our friends, and you all know that but for them Rajah Singh would have
swept the greater part of my fighting-men away."
There was a low murmur of acquiescence from many of the officers
present, but as many stood stern and frowning.
"I may seem weak in patiently bearing with much that has passed, for I
wish to respect those who are my mother's advisers; but I tell them
here, in the presence of you all, that those who persist in supporting
her unwise ideas, and aid her in bringing down upon me the attacks of
Rajah Singh, are no longer my friends, but my foes."
"Does your highness consider those your enemies who wish to go out to
fight for you against this invader?"
"Yes," said the Rajah sharply, "when they advise measures which must
result in defeat."
"Then I feel that the time has come," said the Wazir, "when I must leave
your highness's service. Those who are my friends can do what they
please. I retire from this hour."
"You will give up your duties, sir, as one of my chiefs, and as the
attendant upon my mother, when I tell you to do so. Till then, do your
duty as my servant. That is enough. Till these people attack again
there will be peace. The council is at an end."
The Rajah turned to Wyatt and Dick.
"I am sorry for all this," he said gravely. "It is in my power to
silence all these unfriendly manifestations; but my visits to the seat
of the government have taught me much. Still, I can be firm if it
should become necessary. Gentlemen, I thank you for what you have done.
You are my friends, and if any one dares to insult you again it will be
at his peril. Captain Wyatt, you will come here to-morrow and give me
your advice as to the best means of defending this place. From this day
I make you one of the chief officers of my army."
"But Captain Hulton is my chief, sir," said Wyatt quietly.
"Captain Hulton is wounded and unable to help me. When he recovers we
shall see. From now, sir, you will give what orders you think necessary
for the defence or attack, and I will see that they are obeyed. Once
more, the council is at an end."
The two English officers bowed and left the room, the same officer who
had brought them seeing them back to the old palace.
"How many enemies have we made to-day, Dick?" said Wyatt quietly.
"None," said Dick. "Half those were our enemies before. I think we
have made some friends."
"It was yesterday over the fighting, I'm afraid," said Wyatt; "but we
shall see."