Begumbagh: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny

  STORY ONE, CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

  I think by this time you pretty well understand the situation of ourpalace, and how our stronghold was on the north side, close to which wasthe gate, so hardly fought for: if you don't, I'm afraid it is my fault,and not yours.

  At all events, being at liberty, I went over it here and there, and fromfloor to roof, as I tried to make out which would be the best way fortrying to escape; but somehow I couldn't see it then. To go out fromthe gate was impossible; and the same related to the broken-out window,as both places were thoroughly watched.

  As for the other windows about the place, they were such slips, thatwithout they were widened, any escaping by them was impossible. To havelet ourselves down, one by one, from the flat roof by a rope, might havedone, but it was a clumsy unsuitable way, with all those children andwomen, so I gave that up, and then sat down as I was by a little windowlooking out on to the north alley.

  Wearied out at last, I suppose that a sort of stupor came over me, fromwhich I did not wake till morning, to find myself suffering a dull numbpain; but when I opened my eyes I forgot that, because of her who waskneeling beside me, driving away the flies that were buzzing about, asif they knew that I was soon to be for them to rest on, without a handto sweep them away.

  At last, though, as I lay there wondering what could be done to save us,the thought came all at once, and struggling to my feet, I held Lizzy tomy heart a minute, and then went off to find Captain Dyer.

  It quite took me aback to see his poor haggard face, and the way inwhich he took the trouble, for it was plain enough to see how he was cutto the heart by Miss Ross's treatment of him. But for all that, he wasthe officer and the gentleman; he had his duty to do, and he was doingit; so that, if even now, after losing so many men, and with so manymore half disabled, if the enemy had made a bold assault now, they wouldhave won the place dearly, though win it they must.

  That did not seem their way, though they wanted the place for the sakeof the great store of arms and ammunition it contained, but all the samethey wanted to buy it cheap.

  I found Captain Dyer ready enough to listen to my plan, though he shookhis head, and said it was desperate. But after a little thought, hesaid: "There are some hours now between this and night--help may comebefore then; if not, Smith, we must try it. My hands are full, so Ileave the preparations with you: let every one carry food and a bottleof water--nothing more--all we want now is to save life."

  I promised I'd see to it; and I went and spoke cheerfully to the women,but Mrs Maine seemed quite hysterical. Miss Ross listened to what Ihad to say in a hard strange way; and really, if it had not been forMrs Bantem putting a shoulder first to one wheel and then the other,nothing would have been done.

  The next person I went to was Measles, who, during a cessation of thefiring, was sitting, black and blood-smeared, with his head tied up,wiping out his gun with pieces he tore off the sleeves of his shirt.

  "Well, Ike, mate," he says, "not dead yet, you see. If we get out ofthis, I mean to have my promotion; but I don't see how we're going tomanage it. What bothers me most is, letting these black fellows get allthis powder and stuff we have here. Blow my rags if we shall ever useit all! I've been firing away till my old Bess has been so hot thatI've been afraid to charge her; and I'll swear I've used twice as manycartridges as any other man. But I say, Ike, old fellow, do you thinkit's wrong to pot these niggers?"

  "No," I said--"not in a case like this."

  "Glad of it," he says sincerely; "because, do you know, old man, I'vepolished off such a thundering lot, that, I've got to be quite narvousabout getting killed myself. Only think having forty or fiftyblack-looking beggars rising up against you in kingdom come, andpointing at you, and saying: `That's the chap as shot me!'"

  "I don't think any soldier, acting under orders, who does his duty indefence of women and children, need fear to lie down and die," I said.

  I never saw Measles look soft but that once, as, laying down his ramrod,he took my hand in his, and looked in my face for a bit; then he shookmy hand softly, and nodded his head several times.

  "How's Harry Lant?" he says at last.

  "Very bad," I said.

  "Poor old chap. But tell him I've paid some of the beggars out for it.Mind you tell him--it'll make him feel comfortable like, and ease hismind."

  I nodded, and then told him about the plan.

  "Well," he said, as he slowly and thoughtfully polished his gun-barrel,"it might do, and it mightn't. Seems a rum dodge; but, anyhow, we mighttry."

  "I shall want you to help make the bridge," I says.

  "All right, matey; but I don't, somehow, like leaving the beggars allthat ammunition;" and then he loaded his piece very thoughtfully, butonly to rouse up directly after, for the mutineers began firing again;and Captain Dyer giving the order, our men replied swift and fast atevery black face that shewed itself for an instant.

  That was a day: hot, so that everything you went near seemed burning.The walls even sent forth a heat of their own; and if it hadn't been forthe chatties down below, we should have had to give up, for the tank wasnow completely dried, and the flies buzzing about its mud-caked bottom.But the women went round from man to man with water and biscuit so thatno one left his post, and every time the black scoundrels tried to makea lodgment near the gate, half were shot down, and the rest glad enoughto get back into shelter.

  Towards that weary slow-coming evening, though, after we had beaten themback--or, rather, after my brave comrades had beaten them back half ascore of times--I saw that something was up; and as soon as I saw whatthat something was, I knew that it was all over, for our men were toomuch cut up and disheartened for any more gallant sorties.

  I've not said any more about the guns, only that we spiked them, andleft them standing in the market plain, about fifty yards from thegates. I may tell you now, though, that the next morning they weregone, and we forgot all about them till the night I'm telling you of,when they were dragged out again, with a lot of noise and shouting, froma building in the far corner of the square.

  We didn't want telling what that meant.

  It was plain enough to all of us that the scoundrels had drilled out thetouch-holes again, and that during the night they would be planted, andthe first discharge would drive down all our defences, and leave us opento a rush.

  "We must try your plan, Smith," says Captain Dyer with a quiet sternlook. "It is time to evacuate the place now."

  Then he knelt down and took a look at the guns with his glass, and Iknew he must have been thinking of how he stood tied to the muzzle ofone of them, for he gave a sort of shudder as he closed his glass with asnap.

  Just then, Miss Ross came round with Lizzy and Mrs Bantem, with wineand water, and I saw a sort of quiet triumph in Lieutenant Leigh's face,as, avoiding Captain Dyer, Miss Ross went up to him, as he half-beckonedto her, and stood by him like a slave, giving him bottle and glass, andthen standing by his side with her eyes fixed and strange-looking;while, though he fought against it bravely, and tried to be unmoved,Captain Dyer could not bear it, but walked away.

  I was just then drinking some water given me by Lizzy, whose paletroubled little face looked up so lovingly in mine that I felthalf-ashamed for me, a poor private, to be so happy--for I forgot mywounds then--while my captain was in pain and suffering. And then itwas that it struck me that Captain Dyer was just in that state in whichmen feel despairing, and go and do desperate things. I felt that Iought before now to have told him all about what I had heard, but I wasin hopes that things would right themselves, and always came to theconclusion that it was Miss Ross's duty to have given the captain someexplanation of her treatment; anyhow, it did not seem to be mine; butwhen I saw the poor smitten fellow go off like he did, I followed himsoftly till I came up with him, my heart beating the while with acurious sense of fear.

  There was nothing to fear, though: he had only gone up to the root andwhen I came up with him he was evidently calculating about our
escape,for he finished off by pulling out his telescope, and looking rightacross the plain, towards where there was a tank and a small station.

  "I think that ought to be our way, Smith," he said. "We could staythere for half an hour's rest, and then on again towards Wallahbad,sending a couple of the stoutest men on for help. By the way, we'll tryand start a man off to-night, as soon as it's dark. Who will you haveto help you?"

  "I should like to have Bigley, sir," I said.

  "Will one be sufficient?"

  "Quite, sir," I said; for I thought Measles and I could manage itbetween us.

  Half an hour after, Measles was busy at work, fetching up muskets, withbayonets fixed, from down in the store, and laying them in order on theflat roof; taking care the while to keep out of sight; and I went to theroom where the women were, under Mrs Bantem's management, getting readyfor what was to come, for they had been told that we might leave theplace all at once.