CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
ON THE BALANCE.
The enemy had been very quiet for some days. The weather had been bad.Heavy rains had changed the rills and streams which ran along thegullies and ravines into fierce torrents, which leaped and boundeddownward, foaming and tearing at the rocks which blocked their way, tillwith a tremendous plunge they joined the river in the valley, which keptup one deep, thunder-like boom, echoing from the mountains round.
Before the rain came the sun had seemed to beat down with double force,and the valley had become intolerable during the day, the perpendicularrocks sending back the heat till the fort felt like an oven, and thepoor fellows lying wounded under the doctor's care suffered terribly,panting in the great heat as they did, feeling the pangs of Tantalus,for there, always glittering before their eyes in the pure air, were themountain-peaks draped in fold upon fold of the purest ice and snow.
"We should lose 'em all, poor fellows!" the Doctor said, "if it were notfor these glorious evenings and perfect nights. It wouldn't matter somuch if we could get a few mule-loads of the ice from up yonder. Can'tbe done, I suppose?"
"No," said Colonel Graves sadly. "Plenty of men would volunteer, but,much as every one is suffering--the ladies almost as bad as yourwounded, Morton--I dare not send them, for they would never get backwith their loads. Many of the brave fellows would straggle back, ofcourse, but instead of bringing ice, Doctor, they would be bearing theirwounded and dead comrades."
"Yes, that's what I feel," sighed the Doctor, "and, Heaven knows, wedon't want any more patients. Must be content with what coolness we getat night."
"And that's glorious," said the Major, wiping his wet brow.
"Delightful," added Captain Roberts. "It's the making of poor oldBracy. He seems to hang his head and droop more and more every day,till the sun goes down, and to begin to pick up again with the firstbreath that comes down from between the two big peaks there--what dothey call them--Erpah and Brum?"
"Ha! wish it was coming now," said the Doctor; "iced and pure air, tosweep right down the valley and clear away all the hot air, while itcools the sides of the precipices."
"Why don't you let me go, Colonel!" said Drummond suddenly. "I want toget some ice badly for poor old Bracy. Six mules, six drivers, and adozen of our boys. Oh, I could do it. Let me go, sir."
The Colonel shook his head, and every day at the hottest time Drummondproposed the same thing; till on the last day, after gradually growingweaker in his determination, urged as he was on all sides by thesufferers in hospital, the wan looks of the ladies, and the longings ofthe men, the Colonel said:
"Well, Mr Drummond, I'll sleep on it to-night, and if I come to adetermination favourable to the proposition, you shall go; but notalone. One of my officers must go with you."
"Glad to have him, sir," cried the subaltern eagerly. "Whom will yousend, sir?"
"I'll volunteer, sir," said Roberts quietly.
"Good," said the Colonel; "so it will be as well for you and Drummondhere to quietly select your men and the mules with their drivers, plustools for cutting out the ice-like compressed snow. If I decide againstit there will be no harm done."
"Better make our plans, then, as to which way to go. Study it all bydaylight with our glasses."
"Needn't do that," said Drummond eagerly. "I know. We'll go straightup the steep gully that I followed when I went after the bears, it'sawfully rough, but it's the best way, for the niggers never camp there;it's too wet for them."
"Very well," said the Colonel; and the two young officers went straightthrough the scorching sunshine, which turned the great court of the fortinto an oven, to where Bracy lay panting with the heat, with Gedge doinghis best to make life bearable by applying freshly wrung-out towels tohis aching brow.
"News for you, old chap," said Drummond in a whisper. "But send thatfellow of yours away."
"There is no need," said Bracy faintly. "I can't spare him, and he'sbetter worth trusting than I am."
"Oh yes, we can trust Gedge," said Roberts in a low tone, while the ladwas fetching a fresh bucket of water from the great well-like hole inthe court, through which an underground duct from the river ran, alwayskeeping it full of clear water fresh from the mountains, but in thesedays heated by the sun as it flamed down.
The news was imparted by Drummond, and Bracy shook his head.
"It would be glorious," he said; "but you ought not to go. Gravesmustn't let a dozen men run such risks for the sake of us poor fellows.It would be madness. We must wait for the cool nights."
"He will let us go," said Drummond; "and we can do it."
"No," said Bracy, speaking with more energy, and he turned his head toRoberts. "I beg you will not think of such a thing, old lad," he saidearnestly.
"Well, we shall see."
"Ready for another, sir?" said Gedge, coming in with the bucket.
"Yes, yes, as soon as you can," said Bracy. "This one feels boilinghot."
The fresh, cool, wet cloth was laid across his forehead; and, rousing upfrom the disappointment he felt at Bracy taking so decided a viewagainst an expedition which the young subaltern had proposed to makealmost solely in his friend's interest, and moved by the boyish spiritof mischief within him, Drummond suddenly exclaimed:
"Look out, Gedge, or he'll bowl you over!--Oh, I beg your pardon, Bracy,old chap. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Knock me over, Roberts.I deserve it."
For Bracy had winced sharply, and a look as of one suffering mentalagony came into his eyes.
"It does not matter," he said, smiling faintly and holding out his hand,which Drummond caught in his.
"Ain't no fear, sir," said Gedge, who was soaking the hot cloth. "Theguv'nor ain't had a touch now for a week."
"Quiet!" whispered Roberts to the man.
"He is quite right, Roberts, old fellow," sighed Bracy; "I am certainlybetter. But if I could only get rid of that constant pain!"
"That must go soon," said Drummond cheerily. "I wish I could take youragony-duty for a few hours everyday. Honour bright, I would."
"I know you would, old chap," said Bracy, smiling at him; "but I shallbeg Graves not to let you go."
"Nonsense! Don't say a word," cried Drummond. "If you do, hang me ifever I confide in you again!"
Bracy laughed softly.
"I am pretty free from scepticism," he said; "but I can't believe that.Now you fellows must go. The dragon will be here to start you if youstay any longer. Serve him right, though, Roberts, to let him go onthis mad foray, for he'd get wounded, and be brought back and placedunder Dame Gee's hands."
"Oh, hang it! no; I couldn't stand that," cried the young officer; and afew minutes later they left the room, for Drummond to begin grumbling.
"I don't care," he said. "If the Colonel gives us leave we must go.You won't back out, will you?"
"No; for it would be the saving of some of the poor fellows. But weshall see."
They did that very night, for, instead of the regular cool wind comingdown the upper valley, a fierce hot gust roared from the other directionlike a furnaces-blast from the plains; and at midnight down came themost furious storm the most travelled of the officers had everencountered. The lightning flashed as if it were splintering the peakswhich pierced the clouds, and the peals of thunder which followedsounded like the falling together of the shattered mountains, whileamidst the intense darkness the sentries on the walls could hear thehiss and seething of the rain as it tore by on the rushing winds whichswept through gorge and valley.
The next morning the storm broke dark and gloomy, with the rain fallingheavily and the river rolling along thick and turbulent, while one ofthe first things the sentries had to report was the fact that one of thehostile camps--the one nearest to the fort--was being struck.
By night the tribe in another of the side valleys was withdrawn, andduring the days which followed one by one the little camps ofwhite-robed tribes-men melted away like the snow upon the lower hills
,till not a man of the investing forces remained, and the long-harasseddefenders looked in vain from the highest tower of the fort for theirfoes.
The falling rain had effected in a few days that which the brave;defenders had been unable; to compass in as many weeks; while thealteration from the insufferable heat to the soft, cool, moist air had awonderful effect upon the wounded, and made Doctor Morton chuckle andrub his hands as he rejoiced over the change.
And still the rain went, on falling; the valley seemed surrounded bycascades, the streams rushed and thundered down, and the main riverswept by the walls of the fort with a sullen roar; while, as if dejectedand utterly out of heart, the British flag, which had flaunted out sobravely from the flagstaff, as if bidding defiance to the wholehill-country and all its swarthy tribes, hung down and clung and wrappeditself about the flagstaff, the halyard singing a dolefully weird strainin a minor key, while the wind whistled by it on its way down towardsthe plains.