PRISONERS
There was but a short cessation of hostilities, and then from every
building round a blaze of musketry burst out. The men were at once
called down from the upper rooms, where there were no shutters, and
planted at the loopholes of those on the ground floor. "Don't throw
away a shot," was the order given to them; "keep well in shelter, and
when you do fire take care that you bring down your man."
So the fight went on all day. The losses of the enemy were far greater
than those of the garrison, but the men lost to the latter could be ill
spared.
"It is awful to think of the fate of those in the hospital," Nita said,
when she took a hasty meal in the middle of the day with Lieutenant
Carter. "Four or five of them managed to get in here alive, the rest
must have been massacred in cold blood."
"Do not fret over that, Nita; it may be the fate of all of us in a few
hours. We shall sell our lives dearly, but I cannot shut my eyes to the
fact that the enemy are not far off a big rush. Then the doors will
give way, for we have no means of strengthening them; and as there are
two entrances at the back as well as those in front, nothing but the
return of the major can save us. There is no doubt that in spite of
their losses the enemy are determined to capture the place. We have now
only eighteen men left capable of firing a rifle, and they are fifty to
one against us. It is of no use disguising it from ourselves. To-night
will see the end of the fight."
"If it must be so, it must," Nita said quietly. "You don't think that
anyone is likely to see that I am a girl?"
"Certainly not; your disguise in that way is complete. Perhaps you had
better allow me to trim your hair as closely as I can to the masculine
style. There is more chance for you and me than for the men, for it is
just possible that they may take us and carry us off as hostages. That
means that they will keep us as slaves till they are attacked in such
force that they may think it prudent to make terms. The chances are
against it, but there is a possibility that it is the course they will
take."
"I would rather die than that," Nita said. "I might keep up my disguise
for a time, but they would be sure to detect it sooner or later. I dare
not think of this."
"I don't believe that you would be detected, Nita. I should not
penetrate your disguise myself, and if I who know you cannot do so you
may well pass with these ruffians. You have plenty of spirit and may
very well sustain your character."
"I shall blow my brains out before I am taken," she said passionately,
"I have quite made up my mind to that."
"That must be your own choice," he said gravely. "While there is life
there is hope, and sooner or later you may be restored to your friends.
Sooner than later, I should guess, for you may be sure that when the
news of this massacre reaches the authorities they will lose no time
in getting together a strong punitive expedition against the tribes,
and as soon as they find that resistance is hopeless they will try to
make terms on the strength of any hostages that they may have in their
hands."
Nita shook her head. "It is all very well for you to give me hope,
Charlie, but you know as well as I do that the chances are hundreds to
one against us."
[Illustration: "NITA HAD ONE SHOT LEFT IN HER REVOLVER, AND SHE
DIRECTED THIS AGAINST HER FOREHEAD"]
At night, as soon as it became dark, there was a tremendous rush
against all four doors. "It is of no use, men," Carter said, in firm
tones which rose above the din, "the doors will not hold out five
minutes. We will assemble here and fight till the last. We have done
all that men can do, and I thank you for the way that you have stood
by me; but the odds are too great for us, and we have nothing to do now
except die like men. They will find that, handful as we are, we can
account for a good many of them yet."
The men gathered in a ring, with Carter and Nita in the centre. Three
minutes later two crashes were heard, and the Afridis burst in. They
paused a moment on seeing the compact little body waiting their attack,
then with yells of triumph rushed at them. They were met with a stream
of musketry, every shot of which took effect, and the crack of the
revolvers of Carter and Nita added to the din. In vain the enemy
endeavoured to break the circle. Then they betook themselves to their
muskets. The ground was speedily piled with dead, but numbers gradually
prevailed. The little ring of defenders grew smaller and smaller, and
at last, when but six men were standing, the enemy burst into the
circle. There was wild fighting for a minute, bayonets against sword
and spear, but gradually the din ceased.
Carter was one of the last to fall. Nita had one shot left in her
revolver and directed this against her forehead. But at the moment when
she was about to draw the trigger she was felled to the ground by a
blow from the butt-end of a musket. Then the Afridis, seeing that all
was over, scattered for plunder, leaving the bodies of the slain where
they lay.
Daybreak dawned, and Nita opened her eyes. She saw that Carter,
herself, and two others had been removed from the heap of slain and
placed by themselves. She closed her eyes again with a shudder, and
yet with a feeling of relief. The removal of the three men as well as
herself must have been the result of an examination of the slain, and,
like herself, the other three must have been found breathing. Her head
ached as if it would split, and she lay for a long time without moving.
Then two men, who were evidently chiefs, came up and examined them.
There was some discussion between them, and then Carter and another
were taken away, and she and the remaining man, who was one of the
native officers, were also carried out. The wounds of the four were
all roughly bandaged, and then Carter and his companion were taken up
by four natives and borne away. Nita remained for another hour. By
this time the fort had been completely ransacked. Then she and her
companion were also placed on stretchers and carried out of the fort,
which was at once set on fire in a dozen places. Some water was given
them, and the tribe then started off. Nita lay with her eyes closed all
day, scarcely able even to think, for her head throbbed as if it would
split. They travelled fast and did not halt till nightfall. Then she
was given a piece of dry bread and a little water. She made an effort
to eat, but it was useless; she drank most of the water, however, and
soaked her handkerchief in the rest, and placed it on her head, and
managed at last to doze off to sleep. In the morning she felt better.
The chief then came up and spoke to her. She shook her head, and he
went away, and presently returned with one of the tribesmen who had
served in a Punjaubi regiment.
"Who are you?" he asked, and in that language, which Nita could speak
fairly well.
"I am an officer in the regiment," she said, "and am a relation of the
major who commanded the fort." The man translated this to his leader,
who looked pleased.
"Tell him that he will be my servant," he said, "and will be well
treated if he gives no trouble, but if he attempts to escape he will be
shot at once."
This was translated to Nita. Then he went on: "You are very young to be
an officer, you are no more than a boy."
"I am young," Nita replied, "but when one has a major for a relation
one can get a commission at a much younger age than one otherwise
would."
"Here are some peaches;" he said, "you will eat them better than
bread."
"Thank you very much!" Nita replied.
"You have nothing the matter with you," the chief went on, "except
that you have a big swelling at the back of your head. I suppose you
were knocked down by a musket. It is fortunate for you that you were
supposed to be dead at the time, for the men would not have spared you
after the loss that you had inflicted upon us. By the time we found
that you were alive their passion had died down, and I was able to show
them that you and the other three might be much more useful alive than
dead."
"Is my friend the other officer seriously hurt?" Nita asked.
"Yes, he's badly wounded, but I think that he will recover, and also
the other two." So saying, he turned off and went away.
Nita felt most grateful for the peaches. She gave a couple of them
to the havildar, who evidently needed them even more than she did.
Then she sat down and ate her own slowly, the sweet juice cooling her
parched tongue, and even the pain in her head seemed to abate somewhat.
Half an hour later the tribe again set off. They ascended two steep
passes, and at the end of the sixth day halted in a small valley.
There were several villages scattered about, and every foot of the
ground was cultivated. They were greeted with shouts of welcome by the
inhabitants who flocked out; but soon cries and lamentations mingled
with the cheering, from women whose husbands had not returned. These,
however, soon retired to their homes to grieve in solitude, while
the others went on with their dances of triumph, and the tribesmen
scattered to their own villages.
In the centre of the valley stood a strongly-fortified house, and to
this the prisoners were taken. That day Nita had been strong enough to
walk, and the pain in her head had abated, though the pressure of her
cap still hurt her. The chief's wife, who walked beside her husband,
glanced at the prisoners, and was evidently by no means pleased at
their being quartered upon her, but when the chief explained that they
would both be slaves at her service she looked mollified. They were
taken to a small room in an upper story. Then she gave Nita a large
jug and signified to her that she was to draw water from the stream
that ran through the valley. Anxious to please the woman who was to be
her mistress she fulfilled the mission, although feeling very tired
with her walk. The woman seemed more gracious when Nita returned with
her burden. While she had been away the chief had explained to her
the value of the captives, and that he should either get a large sum
for restoring them to their friends, or might use them to arrest the
progress of a large party of troops sent against him.
"Only to think," she said, as Nita went wearily upstairs, "that that
slight boy should be an officer! Why, with us it is the bravest and
strongest men who are the chiefs. How can they expect to fight against
us, when they are led by boys like that? I could twist him round my
finger."
"The ways of the English are unaccountable," the chief said. "He is, as
you say, but a boy, though he and another officer, not much bigger than
him, with only fifty men, have killed nearly three hundred of us. Not
one offered to surrender, and they fought to the last. These two, and
two others who have gone with the Orokzais, were the only ones found
breathing when we examined the dead. They are strange people these men,
but they are men, and these fought like lions. If they had offered to
surrender we would have given them their lives, and carried them off
as captives. It is a good thing to have a certain number of prisoners
in our hands, for then we can always make peace with their countrymen.
But it was not to be. This little garrison were determined to die, and
they did die. However, both their officers are in our hands. Treat them
well, wife. It will pay us to do so. I rather like that fair-haired
boy; he has shown himself very patient and plucky, and himself
volunteered to walk instead of being carried to-day. I think you will
find him very willing and cheerful."
"He had better be," she said savagely. "As to his being cheerful, I
care not for it one way or the other; but if he is not willing, he will
soon get a taste of my stick."
"I should advise you not to try it. I was in the room in the last fight
and saw how steadily and straight he shot. Certainly fourteen or so of
our men fell at his hands, and I would have saved him then if I could
have done so, for never did I see a lad fight so stoutly. He fired as
deliberately as if he were aiming at a mark. His eyes shone strangely,
and he cheered on his men to the end. I am sure that if you strike him
he is capable of doing you harm, at whatever cost to himself."
The woman muttered to herself. She was evidently impressed with her
husbands warning, and also with the glance Nita had given her when
ordered to fetch water. "Can he cook?" she said. "One of our women
has died since you have been away, and I have all the work on my own
shoulders."
"I am not sure if he knows anything of cooking," the chief replied,
"but you can teach him, and he will not be long in picking it up. Now I
will show you the things that I have brought you home."
The sight of the various articles of spoil completely mollified the
woman. There was a large copper cooking-pot and two small ones. There
were some clothes that Nita recognized as belonging to Carter, a
looking-glass, a dozen knives and forks, and a meat-chopper, all of
them precious things indeed in an Afridi village. Besides this, outside
there were a dozen cattle and some forty sheep, the chief's share of
the animals picked up at various villages in the neighbourhood of
Darlinger. The chief's wife was specially delighted with the mirror,
and, fixing it against the wall, she stood admiring herself for a long
time, twisting her head from side to side and grimacing with such an
air of affectation that it was as much as Nita could do to refrain from
breaking into a scream of laughter.
"This is all my own," she said at last, turning to the chief; "your
other two wives have nothing to do with it, and are not even to look
into it unless I give them permission?"
The chief nodded gravely. The other two wives had, while this was going
on, been occupied with domestic duties and in bringing in the various
goods. Nita made up her mind at once that they had a very bad time and
were little better than slaves.
As the chief left the hut his wife turned to Nita. "Go and help the
others," she said.
Nita understood her action though not her words, and with a shrug of
her shoulders went to help the other women. Presently a large bowl
of rice slightly flavoured with condiment was brought in. The chief,
who had returned, sat gravely down by himself to eat it. When he had
finished, his head wife seated herself and took her share. After she
was satisfied the other women sat down together.
Nita hesitated, but she had now recovered her appetite and sat down
quietly with them. Instead, however, of grabbing handful after handful,
as did the others, she took as much as she wanted, placed it on the
ground in front of her, and quietly began to eat it.
The head wife laughed derisively and made some remark to her husband,
but the chief was evidently not pleased and spoke sternly to her, and
Nita guessed that he said she was a valuable captive, and being an
officer must be fairly treated. It was, of course, all important that
if a British army entered the valley the prisoners should give a good
account of their treatment while captive there. The woman was, without
doubt, cowed. The Afridis use their sticks freely on their wives,
and it was evident that although a tyrant in the house she stood in
wholesome fear of her husband.
The chief moved across the hut, took down an earthenware plate,
and placed it before Nita, who let him see by her manner that she
appreciated his act of kindness. He further signified by gesture that
she might regard this plate as her own and use it upon all occasions.
When the meal was over, Nita assisted to tidy up the room, then went
down with a large earthenware jug to the stream and brought it back
full of water. She had not been ordered to do this, and the woman
nodded to her more kindly than she had hitherto done, seeing that the
captive was ready to make herself useful.
After doing this Nita returned to her room. It was now nearly dark. She
went and chatted to the native officer, bathed his wound, and gave him
some of the food that she had put by for him.
"Don't get well sooner than you can help," she said; "the woman of the
house is a vixen of the worst kind, and will set you to work the moment
you are able to crawl about. Her husband is disposed to be friendly. I
think I frightened the woman. Of course, she would not have understood
anything I said, but I am sure my manner showed her that it wouldn't be
safe to touch me."
Nita went down early in the morning. The mistress of the house had not
yet appeared, but the two women were hard at work grinding meal. Nita
went at once to their assistance. She was clumsy at the work, and her
share was very inconsiderable. Still, the women were grateful. Nita
could not understand all that they said, but by the way they patted her
on the back and shook their fists menacingly at the room where the head
wife was sleeping, it was apparent that they hated her with a deadly
hatred, and recognized in Nita a friend animated by the same feelings
as themselves.
Matters went on quietly for some little time. Nita set to work to pick
up the language, and as their oppressor evidently thought that she
could make more use of the prisoner if she understood what she said
she threw no impediment in the way, and she suffered Nita to chat
freely with the others while they were at work. She even went so far
as to admit to her husband that the prisoner was very willing to work,
and understood what she wanted done. Still, the fact that her husband
had placed Nita to some extent beyond her power galled her, and she
frequently indulged in violent ejaculations and threats. She was the
more furious because Nita received her upbraidings with quiet contempt
and did not appear even to hear her. She would many a time have struck
her, but was, in truth, a little afraid of Nita, and was convinced that
did she attempt to do so "the lad" would, regardless of consequences,
return the blow with interest.