The Disputed V.C.: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny

  CHAPTER XXII

  Ted Distinguishes Himself

  Our friends were with the 4th Column. This force, of which Reid (thoughbut a major) was made commandant in consideration of the splendid way inwhich he had held the Ridge, consisted of detachments of Europeanregiments, the Sirmur Battalion, the Guides Infantry, and the Rajah ofJummu's contingent. Its duty was to sweep through the suburbs ofPaharunpur and Kishengang, clearing these of the enemy, and then enterthe city by the Lahore Gate. Major Reid gathered his officers togetherto give them final instructions, and then, accompanied by EnsignRussell, entered the Gurkha hospital, where he told his wounded heroesthe plans for the morrow. The scene was one that cut Ted to the heart.Of those five hundred men, whose proud arrival he had witnessed threemonths ago, only five score remained fit for duty, and many even of thishundred had been wounded or were now suffering from injuries which thetough and indomitable little fellows did not consider sufficientlysevere to keep them from their work. On the floor (for there were nocots) lay one hundred and fifty badly-wounded and maimed Gurkhas--theremainder had lost their lives guarding their trust. The hearts of theofficers could not but be greatly touched by the sight of such sufferingso nobly borne, but Reid's sadness was mingled with pride that hecommanded so gallant a regiment. The Gurkhas glanced up at their officerwith dog-like looks of affection, and right proud they were too of sucha commandant. Sorrowfully he told the men lying there, listening,regardless of their pain, that only one hundred of his own plucky ladswould be able to follow him to the assault. As though the word ofcommand had been given, every little Gurkha in that room sprang up orpainfully rose to his knees and vowed to follow the chief, even if hehad to crawl or limp to the attack. Tears came to the eyes of bothEnglishmen at the sight of such loyal devotion, and they endeavoured todissuade, but the little hillmen insisted. Of those hundred and fiftymen who had been reported by the doctor as unfit for service,ninety-five were allowed to go,[23] and we can guess what torture fromunhealed wounds and from sickness they must have cheerfully undergone.But go they would, for the honour of the Sirmur Battalion, and Reid'sheart was cheered by the thought that he had now two hundred of his ownmountaineers at his back.

  [23] This incident is literally true.

  Next morning an order was given; the roar of the heavy guns ceased as ifby magic; and Nicholson's column, springing up with a shout, rushed tothe assault in the teeth of a tremendous and deadly fire. Up the slopeof the glacis they rushed and on they surged, fired at by musketry andgrape, thrust at by bayonet and spear, with showers of bricks and stonesfrom the crumbling walls hurled down on their heads. At the other gatesthe 2nd and 3rd Columns behaved with equal gallantry, and the smallforce left to guard the ridge and camp watched their progress withinterest and anxiety. Up the glacis and through the breach of theKashmir Bastion they rushed, appearing at that distance like a swarm ofbees clustering on the slope, then, reaching the top, they disappearedinto the town.

  But the adventures of these columns, stirring though they were, cannotbe related here; we must return to Reid's force, where our friends are.Through no fault of their plucky leader, the 4th Column was soon indifficulties. It should have been supplied with artillery to clear thesuburbs, but though three guns were lent to them, no gunners werepresent. Now, special training is required for the working of artillery,and guns are useless without trained gunners, so Major Reid sought highand low for men to work the guns, but none could be found, andreluctantly, as though giving up hope of real success, he left thecannon behind. They had not proceeded far before they found barricadesand breast-works erected in the way, and, sheltered by these, thousandsof rebels poured forth a heavy fire from every side. The Gurkhas andGuides, dashing forward at the double, quickly dislodged the sepoys, putthem to rout, and cleared the way; but farther on they found the foe inmuch greater force. Had Reid possessed gunners the barricades would soonhave been cleared, but nothing less than a cannonade would now dislodgethem, for more than ten thousand men opposed him. Unfortunately theJummu contingent formed the larger part of his force, and though Dograsmake gallant and loyal soldiers, these men had not had the benefit ofBritish training, so they became confused, and fell back in disorder.Britons, Guides, and Gurkhas fought magnificently to retrieve the day,but what could they do against such odds? Their progress was stayed, andworse was to follow. The gallant Reid was struck in the head by abullet, and fell unconscious. Forty of the few Gurkhas were slain andscores wounded, the Rifles and Guides were also losing heavily, thoughwithout flinching, and the Rajah of Jummu's troops were doing more harmthan good. Major Reid's successor reluctantly gave the order to retire,and, followed by thousands of the triumphant foe, the 4th Column fellback in good order, fighting to the last.

  The pressure became more and more severe, and the men of the Jummucontingent were fast getting out of hand. Large bodies of the mutineerspushed forward on both flanks, forming a semicircle that threatened toenvelop our men. Several parties from the stauncher battalions weredetailed to delay these flanking movements, and of one of these,composed of about thirty picked shots of the Gurkhas, Ted was placed incharge, with Goria Thapa as second in command. He was sent some distanceto the left, with instructions to roll back the right flank of the enemyfor as long a time as possible. A stone breastwork, abandoned by thesepoys earlier in the day, was pointed out to him, and he had orders torejoin the main body with all haste as soon as his position shouldbecome really dangerous.

  Ted's command, bending low, scurried to the breastwork, and found notonly good shelter, but a favourable position commanding the enemy'sadvance on this flank. Their muskets began to speak, and the discourseseemed persuasive. Throughout the whole length of the horse-shoe theaction was resolving itself into a series of detached and separateengagements. Ted's gallant fellows broke up one party after another ofthe pandies, aiming with such cool accuracy that every bullet seemed tofind its billet. But while the enemy's right was held at bay, theircentre and left swarmed forward, and our hero, holding on too long,presently found himself in danger of being cut off.

  Meanwhile the main body continued its retirement, the Rifles now formingthe centre of the rear-guard. The British soldiers soon began to findthe ground unfavourable, and the enemy pressed the more eagerly.

  Inspired to greater audacity by their success, a large body of mutineersmade a plucky dash forward, and surrounded a half-company of riflemenand a few Guides in a deep nullah, from which they were in the act ofretiring. These men of the Rifles had been fighting gloriously, and hadspent their last cartridge before they grasped the fact that they wereunsupported and the sepoys were upon them. Hidden from view of theircomrades by the high sloping banks that enclosed the broad river-bed,now almost dry, they fought for their lives with the overwhelming foe,and prepared to die like the heroes they were.

  The wild charge of the pandies was checked half a dozen paces from thoselines of quivering steel. The hesitation was but momentary. With yellsof triumph the sepoys rushed upon the bayonets, only to be hurled back.They recoiled, and those in the rear lay down and fired from betweentheir comrades' legs, and man after man of the Rifles dropped. Thelieutenant gave the order to charge, and back they crashed over thestony bed; and the pandies gave way, separated, and fired again andagain as they kept clear of the bayonets. It seemed only a question ofmoments before the detachment should be exterminated. Already the youngEnglishman in charge of the half-dozen Guides was down, when a score ofGurkhas, led by Ensign Russell, suddenly topped the bank of the nullah,and tumbled in upon the rebels. In a moment all was confusion.Unprepared, the sepoys turned upon their new assailants, and the kukriswere keen. Huddled together as the rebels were, the bullets went throughmore than one body.

  Twenty men were all that Ted had left, but so sudden and unexpected wastheir descent upon the scene that the charge was equal to that of awhole company. How many were following, the sepoys did not know, and apanic set in. The riflemen rose to the occasion, and before themutineers could rally, or realize how insignifi
cant was thereinforcement, British bayonets were hustling them to and fro, and theirleaders had fallen. The spurt of pluck--of their old courage that hadstood England in good stead on many a hard-won field--had died away;they had no British officers to inspire and lead them, and a blind panicset in. Each flashing bayonet, each shimmering kukri seemed multipliedtwenty-fold to the eyes and senses of the terror-stricken rebels.

  Ted was hotly engaging a lean pandy subadar, a typical Oudh Mohammedan.The man was slowly giving way as Ted pressed upon him with rapidthrusts, when the subadar snatched off his turban and caught Ted's bladeupon it. Before the boy could divine his intention he was at the rebel'smercy.

  Not quite, though. The subadar stumbled awkwardly, let go turban andsword, and Ted took the opportunity to run him through before heunderstood what had happened. Stretched on the ground behind the subadarlay Alec Paterson, the wounded officer of the Guides. Summoning all hisremaining strength, he seized the sepoy's foot as he was in the act ofslicing at his chum, and so upset his balance. The dead man fell acrossAlec's chest, and he fainted away.

  Within three minutes from Ted Russell's arrival not a pandy remained inthe hollow who was able to leave it. The lieutenant called his mentogether, nodded approvingly towards Ted, and gave the order to continuethe retirement. They joined the main body without encountering anydangerous opposition.

  "Well, you are cool customers, you and your Gurkhas!" remarked thesubaltern in command of the 60th's detachment, as soon as he could findtime to make comments. "Pluckiest thing I've ever seen, to storm aposition like that with such a handful."

  "It was nothing," Ted muttered, turning away.

  "It probably saved us a few lives, young man, and I'll take care that itis reported."

  As he spoke, the officer who had succeeded to the command of the columnwhen Major Reid fell hastened to the spot, and hurriedly enquired:

  "What happened just now? I was looking on, unable to send you help, whenI saw some Gurkhas come up from behind and drive the pandies from thatnullah."

  "He was in command," the subaltern replied, nodding towards the ensign."Had about twenty men with him. I never saw such a thing, and how hemanaged to escape unhurt I can't understand."

  The enemy again began to press, though not so dangerously. Yet everyyard had to be contested, and the odds against our fellows wereenormous.

  Of all those gallant officers and men none fought more pluckily thanCaptain Russell of the Guides; animating and encouraging his splendidfellows, he was ever nearest to the foe, as many a mutineer found to hiscost. Inspired by the example, Ted emulated his brother's courage, andwith the Gurkhas did his best to retrieve the day, and always by hisside fought the young officer Jemadar Goria Thapa, son of his father'sfriend. As they retired towards the Ridge the boy was more than onceengaged in single combat. Two assailants he had placed _hors de combat_with sword or pistol, when he perceived that his brother was struck,though Jim, stifling his pain, continued to fight and to inspire themen. Ted, gazing anxiously at his brother, forgot for a moment his owndangerous position, when Goria Thapa knocked him roughly on one side.Just in time! A bullet flew through the air where Ted's head had been,and his career would have been ended there and then had not the youngGurkha officer been on the alert. At the same moment two sepoys, onebeing the fellow who had fired the shot, rushed at the boy, who vainlystrove to fend their bayonets with his sword. One of the mutineers soonbroke down his guard and lunged. The steel passed through the fleshypart of Ted's arm, and the sepoy fell at his feet, slain by the sword ofGoria Thapa. The second pandy turned to flee, but a Gurkha standing nearbowled him over also, and again the little force fell slowly back, thepandies snarling just out of musket-shot, waiting for a leader braveenough to inspire them.

  Our ensign's wound was extremely painful He tied a handkerchief roundthe arm, and remembering his brother's example, gave no sign. As theydrew nearer to camp, two hundred men of the 9th Lancers and four hundredSikh horse poured out to their support, charging like a thunderbolt intothe enemy's masses, whilst the few Guides and Kumaon Gurkhas, who hadbeen left to protect the Ridge, also came out to check the rush ofvictorious sepoys. At that moment Jemadar Goria Thapa sank to the groundwith a bullet in his thigh. Here was Ted's chance to repay his debts!Forgetting his wounds, he dashed at the three men who were rushing topolish off the Gurkha, and again his life hung by a thread.

  But a couple of his Sirmur men had sprung after him, and with theirkukris they quickly despatched two of the pandies. Then with Ted'sassistance the wounded man was hurriedly carried away into the midst oftheir Kumaon countrymen, and safety was reached.

  * * * * *

  When Major Reid recovered consciousness, he found himself on the back ofone of his faithful Gurkhas, who had carried him out of the fight. Thewound, though severe, was happily not mortal. The Nepalese crowdedaround, their eyes plainly expressing both alarm and grief, and the manwho had had the good fortune to carry their beloved chief to safetybecame an object of envy to his comrades.

  "What a lucky fellow," thought they, "to have had the glorious privilegeof saving the life of our wounded leader!"

  When Reid became aware of all that had happened since his fall, hisdisappointment was intense, and the bitter sorrow occasioned by hisfailure to assist the other columns aggravated the pain of his wound. Noless bitterly mortified were all his comrades, the surviving officersand men of the 4th Column, both British and Asiatic, the reflection thatwithout artillery to aid, their attempt was doomed to failure, consolingthem but little. Their defeat was the more grievous because of the highhopes and anticipations engendered by the striking success of thebombardment. It was generally thought that this would have filled therebels with terror, and that the opposition offered to an assault wouldhave been much less sturdy.

  "Are you badly hurt, Jim?" asked Ted, as they looked on while thesurgeon dressed the wounds of their much-injured chief.

  "No, not badly. No bone touched. You're not hit, are you?"

  "Sword-cut here, but it's only a scratch. It hasn't bled much. Will hedo well, doctor?"

  "Sure to. Now I'll have a look at your scratches! Oh, you're right foronce, youngster. It is only a flesh wound, though I guess it hurts."

  He pronounced Jim's injury rather worse than Ted's, and ordered him totake things quietly for some days. Ted accompanied his brother to theGuides' post to see how Alec was getting on.

  "I wonder what's happened to the other columns?" said Ted as they lefttheir wounded commandant. Jim grunted, and vouchsafed no reply. He wasin a sullen mood, defeat being particularly bitter after such highhopes.

  "Dare say they met with no better success," hazarded the ensign. "Whatthe dickens were they doing to send us out without guns?--the idiots!It's a badly managed business anyway!"

  "Oh, don't talk so much," Jim replied. "We'll know about the othercolumns soon enough--they're all right! And don't be so ready with your'idiots'. A man directing operations on this large scale has a lot moreto think about than an ensign has, you know; though perhaps he don'tknow quite as much as some, to hear you youngsters talk! Do your work,and don't growl!"

  Ted shut up. He would have dearly liked to say something cutting, butcould not think of any suitable retort on the spot. And by the time abrilliant repartee had come to him, he had perceived that his brotherwas at least as much upset as himself. Thereupon he remained discreetlysilent.

  "There's Alec lying over there. He looks bad."

  "Well, Alec, old chap, not very bad, I hope?"

  "Not dead yet! They've got the bullet out all right, and I'll soon beabout again. By Jove, Ted, you're a wonder! It was a mad thing to do,but rather a good job for all of us."

  "What was that?" asked Jim in great surprise. He had not yet heard ofTed's great feat.

  "Nothing; it's all bosh," interrupted Ted, colouring and lookingsomewhat sheepish.

  "What! Do you mean that you haven't heard?" Paterson demanded, andproceeded to relate the story of their re
scue by the Gurkhas. "It wasone of the pluckiest things I've heard of," he concluded, "to charge acouple of hundred with twenty. You've saved fifty lives, and ought to besure of the V.C. now, in spite of Tynan."

  Jim rose from his seat, and solemnly shook hands with his brother."Ted," said he, "I'm sorry I was such a beast just now."

  Ted turned very red, and his hand remained limp as Jim shook it. Hischum's very evident admiration did not seem to give him any pleasure.

  "I s'pose you've not heard anything of the other columns yet?" asked theinvalid.

  "Not yet.... I'm afraid we shall hear soon enough."

  On the following day, news of the achievements of the other columnsarrived; good news mixed with bad, for Nicholson lay dying, shot throughthe body as he headed the charge and led his men to victory.

  Soon came also tidings of the glorious acts of the heroes of the 3rdColumn, of Lieutenants Home and Salkeld, of Sergeants Burgess,Carmichael, and Smith, and of Bugler Hawthorne--the heroes who had takentheir lives in their hands and had blown up the Kashmir Gate, afterovercoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, a deed with which allEngland rang. Of these six men, four were subsequently awarded theVictoria Cross; and the other two, Burgess and Carmichael, would havebeen honoured in the same way had they survived.

  Truly, even in this year of heroes and heroic deeds, the story of theseglorious men and of their act of devotion stands out clear to dazzle ourimaginations, to lead us to thank God that they were of our breed, tomake us wonder what we of the same blood would have done had we been intheir place. Then let us hope we become more humble in our pride.

  By the 18th of September the Lahore Gate and Bastion were also captured,and on the 20th the whole of Delhi was in our hands.

  The Palace taken and the king a prisoner, the Indian Mutiny had lost itssting.

  Yet, in spite of victory, gloom was over the camp, for a hero lay dying,and there was no hope of saving his life. John Nicholson's wound hadproved mortal: a life that had promised to be of unusual brilliancewould soon be cut short, even before its work was more than halfdone--but that half had been done well. The career of this dying leaderof men had been unique, even in the annals of British rule in India,whose pages teem with the deeds and lives of heroes in the noblest senseof that word--men worthy of all admiration, men whose lives inspireothers to follow the gleam.