Athelstane Ford
CHAPTER XV
_THE COMING OF SABAT JUNG_
If ever I felt afraid in my life it was when I fled out of the Indiantemple with the whole swarm of devil-worshippers in full pursuit. Inever thought I should have escaped alive, yet by the aid ofProvidence I did so, leaping down the steps by great bounds, findingmy horse and unloosing him in the nick of time, and galloping off outof their reach. They kept up the pursuit for at least a mile, runningwith extraordinary swiftness, and tracking me like wolves;nevertheless in the end I got clean away.
This adventure served as a wholesome lesson to me to beware ofmeddling with the ways of strange peoples in a strange land. By dintof following Meer Jaffier's wise and prudent directions I got over therest of my journey without hindrance, and as day was breaking at theend of the following night I rode down on to the shore of theHooghley.
There the first thing that met my eyes was the pennant of my oldcommander, Admiral Watson, flying from the main truck of hisMajesty's ship _Kent_, where she lay in the river, surrounded by afleet, comprising the _Tyger_, _Salisbury_, _Bridgewater_, and anumber of merchantmen. I gloated over this welcome sight almost withtears, as I realised that I was restored to my countrymen once more,after all my perils and wanderings. It did not take me long to reachthe English camp on the edge of the river, where the spectacle of aturbaned Moor riding in on a white horse excited no small commotion.
I inquired for Colonel Clive, and was quickly brought to the door ofhis tent, where my kind friend Mr. Scrafton came out to speak to me. Iwas on the point of offering him my hand, but observing that he had nosuspicions as to who it was I merely told him in Indostanee that Icame from Moorshedabad, with a message from the Meer Jaffier, andsuffered him to bring me in to Mr. Clive.
The famous Sabat Jung sat writing at a small table, from which helooked up as we entered, and cast a sharp glance over me. Mr. Scraftonspoke in English.
"Colonel, here is a Moor from the Nabob's capital, with a message fromhis general to you."
Mr. Clive laid down his pen.
"Tell him to deliver it," he said.
Before Mr. Scrafton could interpret this command, which he was aboutto do, I interposed, addressing Mr. Clive in English.
"The Meer Jaffier bade me salute you privately, sir. Is it yourpleasure that Mr. Scrafton should be present?"
The Colonel and his secretary stared at each other, as they wellmight.
"Who are you, man?" demanded Mr. Clive. "And how do you know thisgentleman's name?"
"I know his name very well, sir," said I, "and I think he knows mine,unless by this time he has forgot his former pupil, Athelstane Ford."
"By the Lord, if it isn't my little purser!" exclaimed Colonel Clive.
And this great man was pleased to rise from his chair and shake mevery warmly by the hand, declaring himself pleased to see me safe andsound again. Mr. Scrafton did the same, after which they made me sitdown and tell the history of my adventures. They questioned me veryclosely about the character of Surajah Dowlah and the strength of hisgovernment, and after I had expressed my opinions, Mr. Clive told methat he believed he understood the Nabob's character, and had writtenhim a letter such as would send his heart into his boots.
"And that the whole of Indostan may know what I think of the youngmonster, I mean to send the letter open to his lieutenant, Monichund,"he said. "These barbarous nations shall be made to learn the Englishare their masters, and that every outrage upon an Englishman shallcost them dear."
So at last there had come a man able to deal with the bloodthirstysavage Moors and their prince as they deserved; and a new page wasturned over in the history of Bengal. And but for the anxiety thatcontinually harassed my mind as to the fate of those two whom I hadleft in Moorshedabad, I mean Marian and my cousin, who, in spite ofmany crimes, had at last done something to atone for his pastmisconduct; but for this, the time which followed would have been fullof satisfaction. For I was now to witness the closing acts of thatgreat historic drama of which I have already chronicled thecommencement. I was to assist at the execution of justice on a greatmalefactor, and to see his victims repaid a hundredfold for theinjuries they had suffered at his hands.
I had arrived in the English camp just in time to take part in thefirst of those celebrated operations by which the disgracefulsurrender of Fort William was to be redeemed, and the English name wasto be so signally advanced throughout the East Indies. Colonel Clivehad despatched the letter he spoke of, to demand redress from theNabob, but its language was so high and peremptory that Monichund, theNabob's governor in Fort William, returned it, saying that he darednot transmit it to his master. Thereupon Mr. Clive, not sorry to havean excuse for hostilities, ordered an immediate advance on Calcutta.
The total number of troops employed on this memorable expedition wasa little more than two thousand, of whom the most part were Telingies,or Sepoys, the English troops being between six and seven hundred.Most of these were Company's soldiers, though we had about one hundredmen of Adlercron's regiment from Madras. We had also two field-pieces;the rest had been lost through the unfortunate grounding of the_Cumberland_ outside the river. To this force was afterwards added abody of three hundred seamen from the ships, as I shall presentlyrelate. This little army under Colonel Clive marched slowly up thebank of the Hooghley, while Admiral Watson followed and escorted uswith his fleet.
On the second afternoon we lay at a place called Mayapore, betweenwhich and Calcutta, on the river's edge, stood the strong place ofBudge-Budge, or Buz-Buzia as it is written by the learned. The Admiralhad announced his intention of sailing up to attack this fort on thenext day with the guns of the ships, and in order to prevent thegarrison escaping Mr. Clive decided to march round during the night,and lay an ambush in the rear of the fort.
Accordingly we marched out of Mayapore about sunset, and wereconducted by some Indian guides inland through a part of the countrymuch broken up by swamps and watercourses, which made our progress soexcessively tedious that it was not till the following sunrise that wearrived at the place appointed for the ambush. This was a hollow inthe plain, where there was a deserted village, the hollow beingsurrounded by banks covered with thickets which, it was supposed,would conceal our presence from the enemy. The troops by this timebeing quite worn out, Colonel Clive gave them leave to lay down theirarms and repose themselves, and so eagerly was the permission availedof that not a single sentinel was posted to give notice of the enemy'sapproach.
I was with Mr. Clive himself, who had allowed me to accompany him as asort of military secretary, Mr. Scrafton not being a soldier. We laydown side by side, and I for one had no sooner closed my eyes than Ifell asleep. But the very next moment, as it seemed to me, I awokewith a start, to the sound of a battle going on around me.
I sprang to my feet and took in the whole scene. A whole Indian armyappeared to have surrounded the sleeping camp. The banks of the hollowwere lined with swarthy troops, armed with matchlocks, from which theypoured a steady fire upon our bewildered men, just roused fromslumber, and groping in confusion after their arms. On an eminence ashort way behind I espied an officer, whom I took to be Monichundhimself, seated on an elephant, issuing orders to his troops. Our twofield-pieces stood deserted in the way of the enemy, who advanced totake them, while the terrified artillerymen ran for shelter among thetroops of the line. Our position looked desperate, and I turnedanxiously to Colonel Clive to see what he would do.
Mr. Clive had sprung to his feet at the same moment with myself. For amoment he stood in an attitude of stern attention, his hands clenched,his lips compressed, and his eyes darting from point to point over thefield. The next instant his voice rang out like the sound of atrumpet.
"Steady! Form in line! Face this way! Captain Campbell, form your menon the right. Captain Coote, take yours to the left. Where isKilpatrick?"
He sprang forward among the disordered troops, rattling out commandsand words of encouragement, and infusing a new spirit into them by hisvery presence and the air
of cool resolution with which he moved andspoke. Like magic the little force disposed itself under his orders,and began to return the enemy's fire. Astonished by this suddentransformation, the Moors halted in their attack, and seemed contentedto hold the rest of the ridge. Colonel Clive instantly detected theirhesitation, drew up two small detachments opposite the points wherethe enemy seemed to be in the greatest numbers and ordered them tocharge. They dashed forward with a ringing cheer, gained the bank, anddrove the enemy back into the village.
Taking advantage of this success, Mr. Clive turned his attention tothe two field-pieces, which had been surrounded by a party ofMonichund's force.
"Go," he said to me, "order up the volunteers, and rescue those guns."
Elated by this commission I darted towards a little squad composed ofsome fifty of the Company's civil servants who had volunteered beforewe left Fulta.
"Come on," I shouted, "and take the guns!"
They responded with an answering shout, we charged on the Indians atthe double and drove them off. The artillerymen came up, turned theguns on the village, and began to shell out the enemy. A minuteafterwards a loud cheer announced a general advance of our wholeforce, and Monichund, turning his elephant, fled, followed by all hismen.
While this was taking place the thunder of guns from the direction ofthe river told us that the fleet had come up, and was already at worksilencing the artillery of the fort. Colonel Clive called back his menfrom the pursuit, and then, finding them utterly exhausted, hedeferred the assault on the fort till the next day, and we againbetook ourselves to repose.
The result of this affair was greatly to encourage us, while weafterwards learned that it had as much disheartened the Moors. Thatpresumption which they had felt ever since the fall of Calcutta wasnow exchanged for a different feeling, so much so that it may not betoo much to say that the fate of Bengal was decided by that morning'swork. The admiration which I felt for Mr. Clive's conduct on thisoccasion emboldened me to offer him my congratulations on his victory,but he rebuked me for doing do.
"I will tell you what it is, young gentleman," he said to me, "Ideserved to have been defeated for my carelessness in letting thebeggars surprise me. It is true we beat them off, but that is nodefence. A general should not allow himself to be caught napping inthat fashion, and you may depend on it I shall say as little aspossible about this day's work in my despatches to the Directors."
In this confidential way he was pleased to talk with me, a freedomwhich it was his habit to indulge in with all those of hissubordinates whom he really liked. For this hero, as I must haveleave to call him, was not one of those little great men who findit necessary to keep up their authority by a show of reserve andpompousness, but feeling that confidence in himself which wouldenable him to rely upon his actions as the proofs of his greatness,he despised the arts of inferior minds.
And now there happened an event, not only singular in itself, butinteresting to me as bringing me back the company of an old friendwhom I had never looked to see again. In the evening of this same day,while the soldiers were at supper, a party of sailors were landed fromthe ships, being the force I have already mentioned, to be ready totake part in the assault the next day. Thinking it possible that someof my old comrades from the _Talisman_ might be among them, abouteight o'clock I strolled down to their quarters, where I found themall drinking together, without much appearance of discipline.
I walked past several groups without recognising any face that I knew,and was about to give up the quest, when I noticed a group of half adozen who were straying in the direction of the silent fort. Thisseemed to me a very dangerous proceeding, and as I could see none oftheir officers near, I determined to follow and remonstrate with them.Accordingly I hastened after them as fast as I could go. By the way inwhich they walked, or rather staggered along, I saw they had beendrinking pretty freely. Presently they set off at a run, paying noheed to my shouts, and I was obliged to follow till they stopped onthe very edge of the ditch which went round the fort. Here I caught upwith them, greatly surprised that the garrison had shown no signs oflife. But before I could speak, or even distinctly see their faces,the tallest of the party, a man of great frame, began rolling downinto the ditch, which was nearly dry.
I dared not call out for fear of drawing the attention of those in thefort, and watched him breathlessly as he plunged through the mud atthe bottom of the ditch and scrambled up the opposite side.
"What is he doing?" I demanded in a whisper of the man who appearedto be the most sober of the group.
"It's a bet," he answered; "we bet him a quart of rum he wouldn't getto the top of the wall."
I stared at the fellow, hardly able to believe in such recklessness.Then I turned my eyes to the huge seaman on the opposite side of theditch. He had just made good his footing on the top of the bank, andnow he began climbing up the masonry like a cat, till at last hisherculean figure stood out clear on the summit.
The next moment we saw him draw his cutlass and brandish it over hishead, and a loud shout came across to us in a voice I knew full well.
"Come on, you beggars, I've taken the ---- fort!"
It was old Muzzy, the boatswain of the _Fair Maid_.
Not for long did we hesitate, but rushing down into the ditch afterhim we were speedily in the fort. There our shouts roused first acompany of Sepoys, and finally the whole force, who came trooping in,to find the place deserted, and the garrison fled secretly under coverof the darkness to Calcutta.
While this was going on I had approached my old friend, for so Icannot but call him. Indeed, in spite of his evil character andmanifold breaches of the laws of God and man, the old fellow had shownme much kindness, for which I was not ungrateful, and this perhapsinclined me to look with an unduly lenient eye on his misdeeds. Goingup to him, I clapped him on the back, and cried out--
"How goes it, old Muzzy? and what of the _Fair Maid_ and the rest ofher crew?"
The boatswain gave a great start, and turned round to me with a lookof astonishment which quickly passed into one of delight.
"Why, drown me, if it ain't that young cockerel again!" he exclaimed.
And before I knew what he would be at, he cast his arms around me, andgave me a most evil-smelling kiss, fragrant of rum and tobacco. Then,still holding me firmly with his great hairy hands, as though hefeared I should vanish into air, he put me back far enough for him togaze at my face.
"Stab my vitals if I didn't think as you was suffocated in that thereBlack Hole!" He garnished his speech with many other expressions whichI am ashamed to remember, far less to write here. "So we all heardaboard the ship. But you're alive, ain't ye now?" he added. "It's notthe rum as makes me think I sees you?"
"I am Athelstane Ford," I answered, trying to shake myself free fromhis grasp, "and not a little glad to meet you again. But how did youcome to be on a King's ship? Is the _Fair Maid_----"
"Hist!" He interrupted me with a warning frown, and cast anapprehensive glance behind him. "Not a word about her! It might be ahanging matter if it was known I had been in the boat that escapedfrom Gheriah. I'll tell you all about it by our two selves."
I took advantage of this offer to lead the way out of the fort. Wewalked back to the British lines together, old Muzzy still clutchingme with one hand, and as soon as we had reached a quiet spot out ofearshot we sat down and he commenced his tale.
"You see, it's this way. Arter what happened when we was coming out ofthe river, where we lost you overboard, I come to the conclusion thatthat cousin o' yours warn't what I calls a honest man. Nobody can'tsay as how I'm one of your squeamish sort, 'cause I ain't. As fur as abit o' smuggling goes, or a bit of privateering, or even a bit o'piracy, in a general way, I don't say nothin', but when it comes totaking and firing a culverin at your own ship, with your own matesaboard of her, why, d'ye see, I don't call that honest. And when Ifind out as a man ain't what I calls honest, I don't sail in hiscompany. Mind you, I'm not the man to deny that Captain Gurney has hisgood po
ints; he ain't no lawyer, that I'll admit, and he's as freewith his rum-cask as any man I ever wish to sail under. But arter thatbusiness what I've mentioned, me and my mates swore we wouldn't havenothing more to do with him.
"Well, when we got outside the river, we pointed her head for thenor'ard, and by keeping pretty close along the shore, though wehadn't a soul on board that could navigate, we managed to bring theold _Fair Maid_ safe into port--that's Bombay. You may strike me blindas I set here, when I tells you that no sooner did we bring up in theharbour than who should we see carmly settin' on the quay a-waitingfor us but that eternal cousin of yourn! How on earth he got there's amystery, but there he was; and as soon as he sights the _Fair Maid_ hecomes off in a boat as cool as you please and takes the commandagain."
"Why did you let him?" I asked, with a touch of my old resentmentagainst Rupert. "Why didn't you refuse to take him on board?"
Old Muzzy gave me a reproachful look and shook his head gravely.
"No, no, boy, we couldn't go for to do that. That would ha' been flatmutiny; and remember his name was on the ship's books as firstofficer, and he might have pistolled us every one and had the law onhis side. We didn't dare leave him neither, 'cause that would ha' beendesertion, d'ye see, and he might have got out a warrant and had usbrought on board again in irons."
"What did you do, then?" I demanded as he paused, and a smile of deepcunning slowly overspread his face.
"I'll tell you what we did, Athelstane, my hearty. We got ourselvespressed!"
"Pressed?"
"Took by the crimps, you understand, and pressed to serve King George.Oh, but it was a rare spree to see them crimps a-laying in wait forus, and enticing us into their dens, and filling us up with rum tillwe nearly bust where we sat, so that they could go and bring thepressgang down upon us. And us all the time asking nothing better, andready to serve of our own accord, only it might ha' looked suspicious,d'ye see, it being agin natur for a honest seaman to want to go onboard a man-o'-war."
The boatswain began to quiver and roll to and fro with spasms ofinward laughter at the recollection of his strategy.
"And you should ha' seen your cousin's face when he stood all alone onthe deck of the _Fair Maid_, and saw a boatload of us being rowed pasthim to the _Tyger_, every man jack of us in irons, and laughing in hisface as we went by! And so that's how it is as I'm in King George'suniform, and right glad I am to find you in company again. For if everI took a fancy to a young feller, I took one to you from the moment Ifirst clapped eyes on you, and says I to myself, 'I'll make that lad atight sailor yet,' I says, and I'd ha' done it, my boy, but for thatscrub of a cousin of yours. And I've taken a blessed fort to-night forKing George; and I'll tell 'em you was with me, and in command of theparty, and they'll put your name in the despatches, and make you anadmiral yet, or my name ain't Muzzy!"