HELMAR PROVES HIS METAL
As George followed the officer he wondered what the plan was and in
what manner his services could be of use in its execution. So far
his occupations had been many and various, and, being willing and
prepared to do any mortal thing, he felt no anxiety about the task
he was to have next.
Having reached the spot where the operations were going on, the
officer, addressing Helmar, said--
"Unless we get those guns into position quickly, there is no telling
what may happen. The situation is getting very serious, but if I
can carry out my plan successfully there will be nothing to fear. It
is necessary, however, to have a trustworthy and fearless man for
the job, for he will not only have a hard task but will be in a warm
corner."
"Give me your orders, sir, and I will do my best to carry them out,"
said George, without hesitation.
"Well, it will take a long time to get the guns up by manual
labour," said his companion meditatively, "and it seems to me that
we might easily adopt another means. Now," he went on, in decisive
tones, "there are plenty of ropes and wire cables, and my suggestion
is, we fix two blocks, one on the top of the hill and the other on
the railway line opposite to it, and then, fastening a cable to the
gun and passing it through the pulleys, secure it to a locomotive
and--the thing is done."
The officer looked at George for a moment, wondering if he grasped
the situation clearly. The plan was of such a simple nature that he
could not fail to do so.
"Do you understand what I mean?" asked the officer.
"Perfectly," replied George, "it seems to me a splendid plan."
"Good!" exclaimed the officer. "Now, I want you to undertake the
securing of the block on the hill." Then turning to the men, he
called out, "Cease hauling there! Sergeant," he went on, "send in
word at once to dispatch a locomotive down the line to us with the
least possible delay."
The work assigned to George was of great importance and of great
danger. The enemy had already trained their heavy guns on to the
hill, and it was only their bad gunnery that made it possible for
the officer's plan to be carried out. In every direction shells were
flying, bursting overhead, on either side, short, and far over the
city, till the air was filled with flying fragments of metal; every
moment was a constant threat, a constant danger to the little party
of blue-jackets at the foot of the hill.
Without waiting for further orders, Helmar, with the assistance of
one or two of the eager sailors, selected an iron block of great
strength, some necessary tools and ropes, and began the ascent.
The first part of the climb was a little sheltered, but, as they
proceeded, the shells hurtled away over their heads in rapid
succession, and as the hissing missiles sped on their way, the men
involuntarily ducked their heads as though to avoid them. The
devoted little party had barely a hundred and fifty yards to go to
reach the summit, but every foot of the way they knew they would be
exposed to this murderous fire.
The battle was raging all along the south of the city, a dense cloud
of smoke covering the land like a pall, hiding the glaring light of
the sun and making the atmosphere more densely oppressive than ever.
The little party toiled wearily up the hill, the perspiration
pouring off them as they struggled beneath their iron burdens,
prepared to do or die. Helmar led the way, and never for a moment
paused, although the weight of the heavy block was almost
unbearable. He thought nothing of the flying shells, nothing of the
death he was facing at every step, only of reaching the top and
securing the pulley. A few more yards and the journey would be over.
"Come on, lads, only another step or two!" he cried, gasping for
breath in the parching air.
"Ay, ay," came the answer in various tones.
At last the top was reached. The sight now became fearful; the
bursting shells, ploughing up the ground on all sides, were enough
to strike terror into any one's heart. The blue-jackets, used to
facing fire of all kinds, simply laughed and joked as they pointed
out the inaccuracy of the firing.
"Them savages 'ad better go back to their bows and arrers,"
exclaimed one of the men, as he saw a shell pitch about half-way
short of the hill. "Blowed if they could 'it an 'aystack, the black
divils!"
His companions laughed, and it did all hands good. Notwithstanding
their indomitable pluck, the nervous strain was great, and the laugh
relieved them. The hill-top was very bare, and, as George glanced
round for a means of securing the pulley, he began to think that
after all he had no easy task. The only possible means of securing
it was to drive strong poles deep and firmly into the earth, and
then fix the pulleys to them.
As Helmar stood examining the spot, a splinter of one of the shells
struck the earth close to him, and glancing off, whizzed past within
an inch of his face. Springing back, he turned to a man near him.
"That was a close call," he said.
"Ay, and it might ha' been closer," was the solemn reply.
There was no time to be lost, Helmar had made up his mind, and gave
his instructions to the men. Taking a crowbar, about seven feet
long, they drove it into the earth until there was little more than
two feet of it remaining above ground. Just as this was finished, a
shell pitched and burst barely twenty yards from them, and the whole
party narrowly escaped death. The explosion tore up the ground until
it looked as if a plough had recently passed over it.
For fear the crowbar should not be firm enough to hold the weight of
the gun, Helmar now fixed a stay to it and secured it to the ground;
then collecting all the loose, heavy stones around, had them rolled
into position so as to prevent the stake from drawing.
The hill was now becoming too hot to hold them; the Arabs, bent on
dislodging them, continued their fire with greater accuracy, until
it became so deadly that the rest of the work had to be done lying
down.
The process of fastening the iron block to the crowbar was
comparatively easy, and yet it was during this operation that the
first casualty happened. George was lashing the wire rope round the
stanchion, with the assistance of one of the men, when, without a
cry or a moan, his companion fell back on the ground, shot clean
through the chest. Helmar was terribly shocked, but continued his
work, the man's place being at once filled by one of the others, and
so the task was completed.
"If that doesn't hold, nothing will," exclaimed George, ducking
involuntarily, as a shot passed over his head. "Come on, boys, we'd
better go back. No, on second thoughts, go you down and haul up the
cable, I'll remain here and take care of him," pointing to the dying
sailor.
Without a word, the men darted off, and Helmar was left alone.
While waiting for the return of his comrades, he laid the dying man
in a comfortable position, nursing his head on his lap. This was the
first time Helmar had been under fire. His anticipation of it had
been somewhat unnerving, but when he found himself in the midst of
the hail of lead and iron, his spirits had at once risen and he felt
a wild longing to shout defiance at the distant Arabs.
He could see nothing of the enemy through the dense canopy of smoke,
but, from his elevated position, he could see the line of the city
defences quite plainly. The garrison troops on all sides seemed to
be gaining ground, only at this one point did it seem that nothing
was being done. Suddenly he saw the locomotive dash out from the
town and run swiftly down the line towards him, and, at the same
time, the cheery "heave-ho" of the tars broke on his ear as they
hauled the cable up the hill.
The next minute the pilot rope was passed through the block and the
men ran off with it towards the railway, while George remained to
guide the hawser into its place when it came up.
The whole operation did not last more than a few minutes; he saw the
men reach the railway, pass the rope through the pulley there, and
then secure it to the waiting engine.
The officer now came up and joined Helmar.
"You have done well, my lad," he cried. "Do you think the stanchion
will hold the weight of the heavy guns?"
"I hope so, sir," answered Helmar, eyeing the crowbar narrowly.
"Very well, I'll give the order to heave in the slack. We'll see."
[Illustration: "At last the gun reached the top." p. 151]
He then gave the signal, and the engine began to steam slowly back
to the town. The guide rope hauled taut, and then began to pass
rapidly through the blocks. The hawser began to ascend. Up it came,
lumbering along like a great snake until the block was reached. The
officer signalled, and the engine came to a standstill. George
passed the great steel rope safely through the pulley, and the work
went on until the hawser had passed the second block on the
railway. The engine then came back, and as soon as the great cable
was secured to it, it started again for the town. The work had
started in real earnest.
All this time the enemy's fire was kept up incessantly, the
locomotive being an object for their gunners to try their skill. But
for the Arabs' atrocious practice, the naval guns would never have
been got into position; as it was, whilst Helmar and the officer
stood looking on, the gun began slowly to ascend.
With a lynx eye, George watched the straining crowbar, fearful that
it should draw and his work prove unavailing. It held, and, assisted
by the men below, the heavy burden was steadily hauled up.
At last the gun reached the top, and Helmar breathed a sigh of
relief as he saw it wheeled off to its position. After this, the
other guns were fetched up in a similar manner, and in less than
half-an-hour the whole battery opened fire on the enemy. The naval
brigade's practice quickly silenced the enemy's guns, and long
before sundown Arabi and his hordes were in full retreat.
As soon as his share in the work was over, George quietly slipped
away and retired, thinking no more about it, content to leave the
issue of the day in other more capable hands, while he took his
well-earned rest. It did not occur to him that he had done anything
wonderful, and therefore great was his surprise when, towards
sundown, he was again rudely awakened by a loud voice telling him
to get up.
"Be sharp, too; the Colonel wants you."
Somewhat flustered by this peremptory order, George hurried out and
followed the orderly until he reached a house on the outskirts. Here
the man paused.
"You're not very smart-looking," he said, eyeing Helmar's
non-military appearance with a glance of contempt.
"I can't help that," said George. "You said, 'come at once,' so I
came. It's no use finding fault with my appearance now, you should
have thought of that before."
"All right, I don't want any cheek, only when you go before the
Colonel you are supposed to look smart. Just remember, young fellar,
it's an honour to speak to the chief."
"Oh, is it?" said George, tired of the man's patronage. "Well, if
you'll lead the way, I shall be obliged, for it is no honour to
speak to you."
Muttering something derogatory to Helmar's nationality, the man led
the way into the house.
In a few minutes Helmar stood in front of the Colonel in charge. In
the room several other officers were standing round, amongst whom he
recognized the Captain whom he had assisted with the guns. The
latter smiled on him as he entered.
"I am told," said the Colonel, looking up at Helmar, "that it was
due to your gallant conduct to-day, my man, that the guns were got
into position so rapidly. It seems that, under a very heavy fire,
you went to the top of the hill on which they were to be posted, and
fixed up the hauling gear. These reports are very satisfactory to
me. You are engaged as an interpreter at present. I shall endeavour
to find you a position the better to show your capabilities. I
compliment you heartily on what you have done."
When Helmar got outside he could scarcely refrain from shouting for
joy. The very first engagement he had been in, it seemed, he had
distinguished himself and received the Colonel's congratulations. It
seemed too good to be true. And yet the Colonel had said it himself.
"Bah!" he muttered, "I did no more than the others did--yes, but
very likely they got praised too."
He anxiously hurried back, wondering what the morrow would bring
forth. Evidently luck was coming his way.