Begumbagh: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny

  STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  Whatever those poor women suffered, they took care it should not be seenby us men, and indeed we had little time to think of them the next day.We had given ourselves the task to protect them, and we were fightinghard to do it, and that was all we could do then; for the enemy gave usbut little peace; not making any savage attack, but harassing us in acruel way, every man acting like for himself, and all the discipline thesepoys had learned seeming to be forgotten.

  As for Lieutenant Leigh, he looked cold and stern, but there was noflinching with him now: he was in command, and he shewed it; and thoughI never liked the man, I must say that he shewed himself now a brave andclever officer; and but for his skilful arrangement of the few men underhis charge, that place would have fallen half-a-dozen times over.

  We had taken no prisoners, so that there was no chance of talking ofexchange; though I believe to a man all thought that the captain andfiles missing from our company were dead.

  The women now lent us their help, bringing down spare muskets andcartridges, loading too for us; so that when the mutineers made anattack, we were able to keep up a much sharper fire than we should havedone under other circumstances.

  It was about the middle of the afternoon, when, hot and exhausted, wewere firing away, for the bullets were coming thick and fast through thegateway, flying across the yard, and making a passage in that directionnearly certain death, when I felt a strange choking feeling, for Measlessays to me all at once: "Look there, Ike."

  I looked and I could hardly believe it, and rubbed my eyes, for just inthe thickest of the firing there was the sound of merry laughter, andthose two children of the colonel's came toddling out, right across theline of fire, turned back to look up at some one calling to them fromthe window, and then stood still, laughing and clapping their hands.

  I don't know how it was, I only know that it wasn't to look brave, but,dropping my piece, I rushed to catch them, just at the same moment asdid Miss Ross and Lizzy Green; while, directly after, Lieutenant Leighrushed from where he was, caught Miss Ross round the waist, and draggedher away, as I did Lizzy and the children.

  How it was that we were none of us hit, seems strange to me, for all thetime the bullets were pattering on the wall beyond us. I only know Iturned sick and faint as I just said to Lizzy: "Thank God for that!" andshe led off the children; Miss Ross shrinking from Lieutenant Leigh witha strange mistrustful look, as if she were afraid of him; and the nextminute they were under cover, and we were back at our posts.

  "Poor bairns!" says Measles to me, "I ain't often glad of anything, IkeSmith, but I am glad they ain't hurt. Now my soul seemed to run andhelp them myself, but my legs seemed as if they couldn't move. You neednot believe it without you like," he added in his sour way.

  "But I do believe it, old fellow," I said warmly, as I held out my hand."Chaff's chaff, but you never knew me make light of a good act done bya true-hearted comrade."

  "All right," says Measles gruffly. "Now, see me pot that sowar.--Missedhim, I declare!" he exclaimed, as soon as he had fired. "These piecesain't true. No! hit him! He's down! That's one bairn-killer theless."

  "Sam," I said just then, "what's that coming up between the hutsyonder?"

  "Looks like a wagin," says Measles. "'Tis a wagin, ain't it?"

  "No," I said, feeling that miserable I didn't know what to do; "it isn'ta wagon, Sam; but--Why, there's another. A couple of field-pieces!"

  "Nine-pounders, by all that's unlucky," said Measles, slapping histhigh. "Then I tell you what it is, Ike Smith--it's about time we saidour prayers."

  I didn't answer, for the words would not come; but it was what hadalways been my dread, and it seemed now that the end was very near.

  Troubles were coming upon us thick; for being relieved a short timeafter, to go and have some tea that Mrs Bantem had got ready, I sawsomething that made me stop short, and think of where we should be ifthe water-supply was run out, for though we had the chatties down belowin the vault under the north end, we wanted what there was in the tank,while there was _Nabob_, the great elephant, drawing it up in his trunk,and cooling himself by squirting it all over his back!

  I went to Lieutenant Leigh, and pointed it out to him; and the greatbeast was led away; when, there being nothing else for it, we opened away through our breastwork, watched an opportunity, threw open the gate,and he marched out right straight in amongst the mutineers, who cheeredloudly, after their fashion, as he came up to them.

  There was no more firing that night, and taking it in turns, we, some ofus, had a sleep, I among the rest, all dressed as I was, and with my gunin my hand, ready for use at a moment's notice; and I remember thinkingwhat a deal depended on the sentries, and how thoroughly our lives werein their hands; and then my next thought was how was it possible for itto be morning, for I had only seemed to close my eyes, and then openthem again on the light of day.

  But morning it was; and with a dull, dead feeling of misery upon me, Igot up and gave myself a shake, ran the ramrod down my piece, to seethat it was charged all right, looked to the cap, and then once moreprepared for the continuation of the struggle, low-spirited anddisheartened, but thankful for the bit of refreshing rest I had had.

  A couple of hours passed, and there was no movement on the part of theenemy; the ladies never stirred, but we could hear the children laughingand playing about, and how one did seem to envy the littlelight-hearted, thoughtless things! But my thoughts were soon turnedinto another direction, for Lieutenant Leigh ordered me up into one ofthe rooms commanding the gateway, and looking out on the square wherethe guns were standing, and came up with me himself.

  "You'll have a good look-out from here, Smith," he said; "and being agood shot--"

  He didn't say any more, for he was, like me, taken up with the movementin the square--a lot of the mutineers running the two guns forward infront of the gate, and then closing round them, so that we could not seewhat was going on; but we knew well enough that they were charging them,and there seemed nothing for it but to let them fire, unless by a boldsally we could get out and spike them.

  Just then, Lieutenant Leigh looked at me, and I at him, when, touchingmy cap in salute, I said, "Two good nails, sir, and a tap on each woulddo it."

  "Yes, Smith," he said grimly; "but who is to drive those two nailshome?"

  I didn't answer him for a minute, I should think, for I was thinkingover matters, about life, and about Lizzy, and now that Harry Lant wasgone, it seemed to me that there might be a chance for me; but stillduty was duty, and if men could not in such a desperate time as thisrisk something, what was the good of soldiers?

  "I'll drive 'em home, sir," I says then quietly, "or they shall drive mehome!"

  He looked at me for an instant, and then nodded.

  "I'll get the men ready," he says; "it's our only chance; and with abold dash we may do it. I'll see to the armourer's chest for hammersand spikes. I'll spike one, Smith, and you the other; but, mind, if Ifail, help me, as I will you, if you fail; and God help us! Keep asharp look-out till I come back."

  He left the room, and I heard a little movement below, as of the mengetting ready for the sally; and all the while I stood watching thecrowd in front, which now began hurrahing and cheering; and there was amotion which shewed that the guns were being run in nearer, till theystopped about fifty yards from the gate.

  "What makes him so long?" I thought, trembling with excitement;"another minute, perhaps, and the gate will be battered down, and thatmob rushing in."

  Then I thought that we ought all who escaped from the sortie, in case offailure, to be ready to take to the rooms adjoining where I was, whichwould be our last hope; and then I almost dropped my piece, my mouthgrew dry, and I seemed choked, for, with a loud howl, the crowd openedout, and I saw a sight that made my blood run cold--those twonine-pounders standing with a man by each breech, smoking linstock inhand; while bound, with their backs against the muzzles, and their whitefaces towards us, wer
e Captain Dyer and Harry Lant!

  One spark--one touch of the linstock on the breech--and those two bravefellows' bodies would be blown to atoms; and, as I expected that everymoment such would be the case, my knees knocked together; but the nextmoment I was down on those shaking knees, my piece made ready, and agood aim taken, so that I could have dropped one of the gunners beforehe was able to fire.

  I hesitated for a moment before I made up my mind which to try and save,and the thought of Lizzy Green came in my mind, and I said to myself: "Ilove her too well to give her pain," when, giving up Captain Dyer, Iaimed at the gunner by poor Harry Lant.

  "Don't fire," said a voice just then, and, turning, there was LieutenantLeigh. "The black-hearted wretches!" he muttered. "But we are allready; though now, if we start, it will be the signal for the death ofthose two.--But what does this mean?"

  What made him say that, was a chief all in shawls, who rode forward andshouted out in good English, that they gave us one hour to surrender;but, at the end of that time, if we had not marched out without arms,they would blow their prisoners away from the mouth of the guns.

  Then, for fear we had not heard it, he spurred his horse up to withinten yards of the gate, and shouted it out again, so that every one couldhear it through the place; and, though I could have sent a bulletthrough and through him, I could not help admiring the bold daringfellow, riding up right to the muzzles of our pieces.

  But all the admiration I felt was gone the next moment, as I thought ofthe cruelties practised, and of those bound there to those gun-muzzles.

  There was nothing said for a few minutes, for I expected the lieutenantto speak; but as he did not, I turned to him and said: "If all wasready, sir, I could drop one gunner; and I'd trust Measles--Sam Bigley--to drop the other, when a bold dash might do it. You see they'veretired a good thirty yards, and we should only have twenty more to runthan they; while the surprise would give us that start. A good sharpjack-knife would set the prisoners free, and a covering-party wouldperhaps check the pursuit while we got in."

  "We shall have to try it, Smith," he said, his breath coming thick andfast with excitement; and then he seemed to turn white, for Miss Rossand Lizzy came into the room.