CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH
AD INFIMOS
Just as the ticking of the household clock is unnoticed, but itscessation is immediately remarked; so it was not until the coughing roarof the field guns, which had continued ever since Lawrence last soaredover the bend, suddenly ceased, that he was roused to full consciousnessof the critical situation at the mine. Springing up, he ran with Fazlalong the pathway until he came to a spot where the whole theatre of thecombat could be viewed.
The noise of the guns had been followed by a hoarse babel of criesmingled with the crackle of rifles. He was just in time to see a swarmof Kalmucks surge over the breastwork, and Bob with his devoted bandrushing up the track to the second rampart a hundred yards away. Themachine gun beneath the north wall of the mine was silent; nobody was tobe seen in the compound; and Lawrence's heart sank with dread lest thegun had been smashed, and Gur Buksh and his voluntary assistants slain.
In a moment, however, Fazl drew his attention excitedly to three menlying flat on their faces upon the drawbridge. He recognised them atonce as the havildar, Shan Tai and Chunda Beg. But what were they doing?Their arms were moving swiftly this way and that, like the arms oftailors sewing.
"See, sahib!" cried Fazl, lifting his hand and pointing in still moreexcitement.
And then Lawrence saw that the bridge was no longer a bridge. The endwhich had rested on the rock in mid stream had been shattered by ashell, and Gur Buksh and his companions were working with might and mainto replace the broken portion with rope. Fortunately, prone as theylay, they were for the present concealed from the enemy by thebreastwork manned by the diminished garrison; but they would be in fullview when they rose to return to the compound. When the time shouldcome for the whole party to beat a final retreat, it would be almostimpossible for a single man to escape being shot down.
Lawrence looked down the track. Fighting had ceased. The Kalmucks whohad sprung over the breastwork had been recalled. A great number wereengaged in repairing and strengthening the rampart, so as to rendertheir gunners secure from enfilading fire. Behind, another crowd wasdragging more guns into position, and Lawrence noticed that there werenow machine guns as well as field pieces. The fact that Bob's men werenot firing seemed to indicate that their ammunition was failing. Thecaptured field gun was now useless for lack of shells; Gur Buksh hadvery little ammunition for his gun, and in any case he could not returnto it until his work on the bridge was finished. It was of vitalimportance that the retreat to the mine should be kept open. Whatalarmed Lawrence most of all was his certainty that, even with thebridge repaired, the little band of thirty fighters were practically cutoff because they could only cross under the enemy's fire. As soon asthe enemy's guns were placed, the second rampart would be knocked topieces in a few minutes at so short a range. The garrison would beswept up the track, or shot in attempting to regain the mine. The siegewould be at an end, for so determined an enemy would doubtless find somemeans of crossing the river, even if the defenders escaped destructionand cut down the bridge behind them. They might hold out for a little,perhaps, in the dark and narrow galleries; but as soon as the enemyplayed on these with their artillery, they would be rendered untenableby the deadly fumes. It seemed that before the sun went down the wholeplace would be in the hands of the Kalmucks, and there would no longerbe any impediment to their march.
The one thing needful, to prolong the struggle even for a few hours, wasto bring the garrison back into the compound. There were still a fewbombs left; by attacking the enemy with these Lawrence thought he mightgain just enough time for the retreat. When he had done that he wouldfly southward to look for the relief force, and if it were in sight,urge it to haste. The mere knowledge that it was approaching would putheart into the weary garrison, and nerve them for prolonged resistance.
"How much petrol is left?" he asked Fazl.
"Eight or nine gallons, sahib--and a little paraffin also."
This might suffice for a couple of hours' flight; then the aeroplanewould be out of action. Anything further that Lawrence could do mustthen be done at his brother's side.
He told Fazl what he proposed to do.
"I will run across the bridge and let Bob Sahib know," said the Gurkha.
"No; it's too dangerous. Just give a shout to attract his attention,and I will semaphore to him."
A piercing cry rolled across the river. Behind his rampart Bob turnedand waved his hand. Lawrence instantly signalled that he had a messageto give. At the spot where he stood, while in full view of Bob, he wasinvisible to the enemy a hundred yards farther north. He began to workhis arms in the movements of the flag-signal code. Fazl meanwhilereturned to the aeroplane, tested the engine, put on board the wholeremaining stock of petrol, together with lubricant and a couple ofgallons of paraffin left from the quantity brought from the frontierhouse, and all the bombs.
The conversation by semaphore took some little time. Bob wanted to knowwhat had become of the enemy's aeroplane. Lawrence replied merely thatit was out of action, without giving particulars. Having explained whathe proposed to do, and obtained Bob's assent, he returned to theplatform, and was soon flying up the river. At the turning-place he sawon the bank below the blackened ruins of the enemy's machine. When hewheeled round and approached the bend, he became the target for theKalmucks' rifles, and as he had not risen very high the bullets whistledaround unpleasantly near. Just before he reached the enemy's breastworkFazl dropped two bombs; there was a double explosion, and the manreported that they had fallen apparently at the right spot, though thedust and smoke prevented him from seeing the effect.
Lawrence flew on. In spite of the necessity of economizing fuel, he didnot again attempt his previous risky turn, but went on until he reachedthe place where wheeling could be performed without danger. The trackwas swarming with the enemy. They did not now fire at him; he guessedthat these men could hardly distinguish his machine from their own.
On returning towards the bend he saw that the bombs had wrought greathavoc there. One at least of the guns was dismounted: the track wasstrewn with prostrate forms; and near the rampart only a few men couldbe seen scurrying up the hillside to find shelter among the rocks. Fazldropped another bomb, aiming as nearly as possible at the guns that werestill in position. The further breastwork was deserted: as Lawrencecrossed it the drawbridge was blown up, and a cheer rose from the littlegarrison now lining the walls of the compound.
Lawrence passed up the valley. It was twenty minutes since he startedfrom the platform. His fuel would last little more than an hour and ahalf. Going and returning his flight could continue for a bare hundredmiles. It was now about four o'clock; in two hours the valley would bedark. If he did not sight the relieving force within less than anhour--that is, within fifty miles--he must return to the mine withoutthe message of hope. Even if he should see it, he reflected that manyhours must elapse before it could reach the mine, however much the marchwas forced. This consideration made him decide to shorten his flight;he must reserve enough petrol to carry the aeroplane once more over theenemy, so that he could use against them the four bombs he had left.
Flying low upon the river, he recognized at every few miles the scenesof the various episodes of this prolonged contest. Here was the wideextension of the gorge where the hapless aeroplane had no doubt made itsturns: just beyond was the open country where the Pathans had stood atbay against the Kalmucks; farther south, the scene of his capture byNurla Bai. With anxious concentration he scanned the track; not a manwas in sight. To obtain a wider view he swept up in a long plane, andpresently caught sight in the far distance of the hill tower in whichMajor Endicott had been besieged. This was a clear signal that he mustturn in a few minutes.
Just as he was on the point of wheeling round, both he and Fazlsimultaneously gave a shout. Rounding a bend of the track, about fivemiles away, was a column of marching horsemen. The sun flashed uponpolished metal.
Lawrence lifted his field glass, and after a briefglance through it uttered a second cry: he had recognized the Britishkhaki. In the joy of this discovery he ventured to fly on for anothertwo miles under engine power, then shut off the engine and made agradual vol plane down to the track, alighting at an open spot about amile from the head of the advancing force. By this time the whole ofthe column was in sight. It was very small in comparison with the vasthorde against which it was to be pitted; there were not half as many menas he had seen within five miles of the mine, to say nothing of thethousands marching up from the north. But he noticed that it had twofield guns, and a mountain battery carried on mules; and if only itcould arrive in time, he had little doubt that British arms and pluckand discipline would triumph even over the great host of the enemy.
Leaving the aeroplane under Fazl's care, Lawrence hastened forwardtowards the column. To his still greater joy he recognised in theofficers marching at the head, Major Endicott himself and CaptainFenton. They were trotting forward to meet him. The Major had one armin a sling.
"All well?" shouted the Major from a distance.
"Hard pressed, but still holding out," replied Lawrence.
There were hearty hand-clasps when they met.
"I was afraid we should be too late--had no end of a job to get thisscratch column together," said the Major. "How far are we from themine?"
"About thirty miles, I think."
"I hoped it was less. We've been marching all day, and the horses can'tpossibly do thirty miles without a rest. Just tell me how mattersstand, will you?"
"When I left, about three-quarters of an hour ago, my brother had justbeen forced back into the mine."
"Did he leave it, then?" interrupted the Major.
"Oh yes! He has till now held the enemy off some distance down thetrack. But their artillery was too much for us, and we're now in thelast ditch, so to speak. Bob has blown up the bridge, so the enemycan't get across immediately; and my little Gurkha has done a good dealof damage among their guns with bombs; but the track is now open tothem; they'll bring more guns up, and be able to pound us at point-blankrange. We've lost a good many men; we've only a few rounds ofammunition left for the machine gun, and precious little for therifles."
"Dynamite?"
"I've got the last of it in four bombs in the aeroplane."
"Can't your men shelter in the galleries from the enemy's bombardment?"
"For a little while, no doubt. But what I'm afraid of is that the enemywill find some means of crossing the river during the night: if they doit's all up. There appears to be a general directing operations, andafter being baulked for a week he won't be satisfied until he's made aclean sweep of us."
"It's touch and go, evidently. What do you say, Fenton?"
"We couldn't do thirty miles on this ground in less than six hours ifthe horses were fresh: and if we push on at once they'll collapse beforewe're half way there. We must have at least a three hours' rest."
The Major pulled at his moustache meditatively.
"Aren't we near that place where you had your smash, Appleton?" he saidsuddenly.
"Yes; it's a few miles down."
"Then I'll tell you what I'll do. A lot of these fellows with me areused to work on the Indus. I'll get them to make a big raft like the oneyour Kalmucks floated the aeroplane on, and send on a dozen in advance.The current will gain us three miles an hour; the men should get to theneighbourhood of the mine about three. If you could manage to meet themand carry them in relays into the mine they'd be of great use. I'llgive you some ammunition, too. Fly back at once: the knowledge thatwe're coming will buck your men up; and the rest of us will hurry on assoon as possible."
On reaching the aeroplane, the whole force dismounted. Lawrence wasintroduced to Captain Coats, the army surgeon whom he had heardmentioned in the frontier house. While some of the men placed in thecockpit as many cartridges as it could carry, others went into the woodto cut timber for the raft. Lawrence had some difficulty in startingthe engine; but it ran smoothly after a little while, and taking acheery leave of the officers he started for the north.
He had come within about five miles of the mine when a prolongedmiss-fire made it imperative to descend at once. Luckily there was justroom for him to alight at the edge of a small wooded tract. He was themore perturbed at the delay because he heard distinctly the dull rumbleof artillery fire in the north. Stripping off his coat, he began withFazl's help to overhaul the engines. Apparently the defect was in thecarburetter, but for some little time the precise origin of the mis-firewas undiscoverable. Meanwhile the depths of the valley were alreadyshrouded in dusk, and Lawrence, never having attempted a flight bynight, became more and more anxious as time went on, lest he should beovertaken by complete darkness before he regained the platform.
At last the defect was ascertained and remedied. Lawrence had just puton his coat, and Fazl was in the act of replacing the plugs, when therewas a sudden volley from the wood near by, and six wild and haggardKalmucks came towards the aeroplane with a rush. The Gurkha went oncalmly with his work: Lawrence snatched up his rifle and fired. One ofthe attackers fell; the rest dashed on only the more furiously, howlinglike famished animals. Lawrence fired again; Fazl started the engine;both then sprang to their places, and pressing the throttle Lawrence setthe machine gliding forward.
By this time the Kalmucks were within a few yards. Fazl stooped for hisrifle, to take a parting shot at them. As he rose he noticed that anextraordinary thing had happened. Just as the aeroplane was lifting,one of the Kalmucks, outstripping the rest, had taken a grip of thechassis, as if attempting to drag it down. He retained his grasp alittle too long, and was carried up into the air. Fazl now saw himconvulsively drawing himself up to clutch one of the stays of the mainplane.
What had happened was hidden from Lawrence by the projecting planes.Fazl made no sound; but there was an odd look upon his face as hequietly slipped a cartridge into the breech of his rifle, took carefulaim at one of the four men on the track below, and brought him to theground.
"Tchigin, sahib," he said.
"Never mind about the Kalmucks," said Lawrence. "Just fill up the tank,will you?"
Fazl laid down his rifle, took a petrol can, and poured its contentsinto the tank below the pilot's seat. There was nothing of haste orexcitement in his manner. He tipped the can until the last drop wasdrained, and having set it down, rubbed his hands on his coat. Then hedrew his kukuri, and bent over slowly towards the Kalmuck, who wasclinging to the stay in grim and speechless terror. Fazl gazed steadilyinto the man's eyes. He lifted his terrible weapon; there was one swiftwhizzing stroke through the air; and the lost man fell headlong into theriver, three hundred feet below. Fazl wiped his blade.
"What's that?" asked Lawrence, as the aeroplane gave a sudden upwardjerk.
"Nurla Bai, sahib."