Begumbagh: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny

  STORY ONE, CHAPTER SIX.

  But it was always the same; and though time was when I could havelaughed as merrily as did that little Jenny Wren of the colonel's atHarry's antics, I couldn't laugh now, because, it always seemed as ifthey were made an excuse to get Miss Ross and her maid out with thechildren.

  A party of jugglers, or dancing-girls, or a man or two with pipes andsnakes, were all very well; but I've known clever parties come round,and those I've named would hardly step out to look; and my heart, Isuppose it was, if it wasn't my mind, got very sore about that time, andI used to get looking as evil at Harry Lant as Lieutenant Leigh did atthe captain.

  But it was a dreary time that, after all, one from which we wereawakened in a sudden way, that startled us to a man.

  First of all, there came a sort of shadowy rumour that something waswrong with the men of a native regiment, something to do with theircaste; and before we had well realised that it was likely to be anythingserious, sharp and swift came one bit of news after another, that theBritish officers in the native regiments had been shot down--here,there, in all directions; and then we understood that what we had takenfor the flash of a solitary fire, was the firing of a big train, andthat there was a great mutiny in the land. And not, mind, the mutiny orriot of a mob of roughs, but of men drilled and disciplined by Britishofficers, with leaders of their own caste, all well armed and providedwith ammunition; and the talk round our mess when we heard all this was,How will it end?

  I don't think there were many who did not realise the fact thatsomething awful was coming to pass. Measles grinned, he did, and saidthat there was going to be an end of British tyranny in India, and thatthe natives were only going to seize their own again; but the nextminute, although it was quite clean, he takes his piece out of the rack,cleans it thoroughly all over again, fixes the bayonet, feels the point,and then stands at the "present!"

  "I think we can let 'em know what's what though, my lads, if they comehere," he says, with a grim smile; when Mrs Bantem, whose breath seemedquite taken away before by the way he talked, jumped up quitehappy-like, laid her great hand upon his left side, and then, turning tous, she says: "It's beating strong."

  "What is?" says Bantem, looking puzzled.

  "Measles' heart," says Mrs Bantem: "and I always knew it was in theright place."

  The next minute she gave Measles a slap on the back as echoed throughthe place, sending him staggering forward; but he only laughed and said:"Praise the saints, I ain't Bantem."

  There was a fine deal of excitement, though, now. The colonel seemed towake up, and with him every officer, for we expected not only news butorders every moment. Discipline, if I may say so, was buckled up tightwith the tongue in the last hole; provisions and water were got in;sentries doubled, and a strange feeling of distrust and fear came uponall, for we soon saw that the people of the place hung away from us, andthough, from such an inoffensive-looking lot as we had about us, theredidn't seem much to fear, yet there was no knowing what treachery wemight have to encounter, and as he had to think and act for othersbeside himself, Colonel Maine--God bless him--took every possibleprecaution against danger, then hidden, but which was likely to springinto sight at any moment.

  There were not many English residents at Begumbagh, but what there werecame into quarters directly; and the very next morning we learnedplainly enough that there was danger threatening our place by thebehaviour of the natives, who packed up their few things and filed outof the town as fast as they could, so that at noonday the market-placewas deserted, and, save the few we had in quarters, there was not ablack face to be seen.

  The next morning came without news; and I was orderly, and standingwaiting in the outer court close behind the colonel, who was holding asort of council of war with the officers, when a sentry up in thebroiling sun, on the roof, calls out that a horseman was coming; andbefore very long, covered with sweat and dust, an orderly dragoon dashesup, his horse all panting and blown, and then coming jingling andclanking in with those spurs and that sabre of his, he hands despatchesto the colonel.

  I hope I may be forgiven for what I thought then, but, as I watched hisruddy face, while he read those despatches, and saw it turn all of asickly, greeny white, I gave him the credit of being a coward; and I wasnot the only one who did so. We all knew that, like us, he had neverseen a shot fired in anger; and something like an angry feeling ofvexation came over me, I know, as I thought of what a fellow he would beto handle and risk the lives of the four hundred men under his chargethere at Begumbagh.

  "D'yer think I'd look like that?" says a voice close to my ear justthen. "D'yer think if I'd been made an officer, I'd ha' shewed thewhite-feather like that?" And turning round sharp, I saw it wasMeasles, who was standing sentry by the gateway; and he was sodisgusted, that he spat about in all directions, for he was a man whodidn't smoke, like any other Christian, but chewed his tobacco like asailor.

  "Dyer," says the colonel, the next moment, and they closed up together,but close to where we two stood--"Dyer," he says, "I never felt beforethat it would be hard to do my duty as a soldier; but, God help me, Ishall have to leave Annie and the children." There were a couple oftears rolling down the poor fellow's cheeks as he spoke, and he tookCaptain Dyer's hand.

  "Look at him! Look there!" whispers Measles again; and I kicked outsharp behind, and hit him on the shin. "He's a pretty sort of a--"

  He didn't say any more just then, for, like me, he was staggered by thechange that took place.

  I think I've said Colonel Maine was a little, easy-going, pudgy man,with a red face; but just then, as he stood holding Captain Dyer's hand,a change seemed to come over him; he dropped the hand he had held,tightened his sword-belt, and then took a step forward, to standthoughtful, with despatches in his left hand. It was then that I saw ina moment that I had wronged him, and I felt as if I could have gone downon the ground for him to have walked over me, for whatever he might havebeen in peace, easy-going, careless, and fond of idleness andgood-living--come time for action, there he was with the true Britishofficer flashing out of his face, his lips pinched, his eyes flashing,and a stern look upon his countenance that I had never seen before.

  "Now then!" I says in a whisper to Measles. I didn't say anythingelse, for he knew what I meant. "Now then--now then!"

  "Well," says Measles then, in a whisper, "I s'pose women and childrenwill bring the soft out of a man at a time like this; but, why I whatdid he mean by humbugging us like that!"

  I should think Colonel Maine stood alone thoughtful and still in thatcourt-yard, with the sun beating down upon his muslin-coveredforage-cap, while you could slowly, and like a pendulum-beat, countthirty. It was a tremendously hot morning, with the sky a bright clearblue, and the shadows of a deep purply black cast down and cut as sharpas sharp. It was so still, too, that you could hear the whirring,whizzy noise of the cricket things, and now and then the champ, champ ofthe horse rattling his bit as he stood outside the gateway. It was astrange silence, that seemed to make itself felt; and then the colonelwoke into life, stuck those despatches into his sword-belt, gave anorder here, an order there, and the next minute--Tantaran-tantaran,_Tantaran-tantaran_, Tantaran-Tantaran, _Tantaran-tay_--the bugle wasringing out the assemblee, men were hurrying here and there, there wasthe trampling of feet, the court-yard was full of busy figures, shadowswere passing backwards and forwards, and the news was abroad that ourregiment was to form a flying column with another, and that we were offdirectly.

  Ay, but it was exciting, that getting ready, and the time went likemagic before we formed a hollow square, and the colonel said a few wordsto us, mounted as he was now, his voice firm as firm, except once, whenI saw him glance at an upper window, and then it trembled, but only foran instant. His words were not many; and to this day, when I think ofthe scene under that hot blue sky, they come ringing back; for it didnot seem to us that our old colonel was speaking, but a new man of adifferent mettle, though it was only that the right stuff had bee
nsleeping in his breast, ready to be wakened by the bugle.

  "My lads," he said, and to a man we all burst out into a ringing cheer,when he took off his cap, and waved it round--"My lads, this is a sharpcall, but I've been expecting it, and it has not found us asleep. Ithank you for the smart way in which you have answered it, for it shewsme that a little easy-going on my part in the piping times of peace hasnot been taken advantage of. My lads, these are stern times; and thisdespatch tells me of what will bring the honest British blood into everyface, and make every strong man take a firm gripe of his piece as helongs for the order to charge the mutinous traitors to their Queen, who,taking her pay, sworn to serve her, have turned, and in cold bloodbutchered their officers, slain women, and hacked to pieces innocentbabes. My lads, we are going against a horde of monsters; but I havebad news--you cannot all go--"

  There was a murmur here.

  "That murmur is not meant," he continued; "and I know it will beregretted when I explain myself. We have women here and children:mine--yours--and they must be protected," (it was here that his voiceshook). "Captain Dyer's company will garrison the place till ourreturn, and to those men many of us leave all that is dear to us onearth. I have spoken. God save the Queen!"

  How that place echoed with the hearty "Hurray!" that rung out; and thenit was, "Fours right. March!" and only our company held firm, while Idon't know whether I felt disappointed or pleased, till I happened tolook up at one of the windows, to see Mrs Maine and Miss Ross, withthose two poor little innocent children clapping their hands withdelight at seeing the soldiers march away; one of them, the little girl,with her white muslin and scarlet sash over her shoulder, being held upby Lizzy Green; and then I did know that I was not disappointed, butglad I was to stay.

  But to shew you how a man's heart changes about when it is blown by thehot breath of what you may call love, let me tell you that only half aminute later, I was disappointed again at not going; and dared I haveleft the ranks, I'd have run after the departing column, for I caughtHarry Lant looking up at that window, and I thought a handkerchief waswaved to him.

  Next minute, Captain Dyer calls out, "Form four-deep. Right face.March!" and he led us to the gateway, but only to halt us there, forMeasles, who was sentry, calls out something to him in a wild excitedway.

  "What do you want, man?" says Captain Dyer.

  "O sir, if you'll only let me exchange. 'Taint too late. Let me go,captain."

  "How dare you, sir!" says Captain Dyer sternly, though I could seeplainly enough it was only for discipline, for he was, I thought pleasedat Measles wanting to be in the thick of it. Then he shouts again toMeasles, "'Tention--present arms!" and Measles falls into his rightposition for a sentry when troops are marching past. "March!" says thecaptain again; and we marched into the market-place, and--all but thosetold off for sentries--we were dismissed; and Captain Dyer then stoodtalking earnestly to Lieutenant Leigh, for it had fallen out that theytwo, with a short company of eight-and-thirty rank and file, were tohave the guarding of the women and children left in quarters atBegumbagh.