Athelstane Ford

  CHAPTER XVI

  _A BATTLE IN THE DARK_

  With some difficulty I persuaded my zealous friend to change hisintention of ascribing to me the capture of Budge-Budge. It was well Idid so, for Mr. Clive, when he heard the particulars of the affair,chose to resent the breach of discipline on the part of the sailorsmore than he approved of their reckless enterprise. So that old Muzzy,to his surprise, instead of being rewarded for his achievement, foundhimself lucky to get off with nothing worse than a reprimand for hisdrunkenness and disobedience to orders.

  * * * * *

  The next day we marched upon Calcutta.

  The ships went before us to clear the way, but they met with noresistance, all the Indian forces retiring before our advance. In theaffair before Budge-Budge it seems that one of the shots from the gunshad passed close to the turban of Monichund, and this had so terrifiedhim that he never halted in his retreat till he came to Moorshedabad,all the way communicating his own fears to the garrisons he passed.When we entered the town of Calcutta, therefore, we saw the Englishcolours already flying again from the fort, Admiral Watson having senta party ashore to take possession.

  I am sorry to say that some bad blood arose between the gallantAdmiral and Mr. Clive over this incident. In fact there had beenalready several jealousies between the two services, the Admiral andhis officers affecting to regard the Company's forces as on aninferior footing to themselves. This feeling was heightened by thefact that Mr. Watson's rank in the navy was higher than that ofColonel Clive in the army, which gave him the precedence, thougheverybody knew that the real leader and director of the campaign wasthe Colonel.

  I was with Mr. Clive when he came up to the entrance to the fort, andcan still see the stern look on his face when the sentinel stationedthere by Captain Coote refused him admission.

  "Do you know who I am, fellow?" he cried. "I bid you let me pass thisinstant, or I will have you court-martialled as sure as my name isRobert Clive!"

  The sentinel drew back, and we passed in, but were immediately met inthe courtyard by Mr. Coote himself.

  "What is the meaning of this performance, sir?" the Colonel asked himsternly. "Are you aware that I hold his Majesty's commission aslieutenant-colonel, and that you and all your men are therefore undermy commands?"

  "I am very sorry sir," replied the other, beginning to blench alittle, "but I was put into possession of this place by AdmiralWatson, who has given me his commission as governor, and bid me holdit on his behalf till the arrival of Mr. Drake."

  "Then, Captain Coote," retorted Mr. Clive, turning pale, "I order youto give up this fort to me, as your superior officer on land, failingwhich I shall order you to be arrested."

  The Captain gave way at this threat, but contrived to despatch amessage to Mr. Watson of what had occurred. The Admiral, whose spiritwas as high as Mr. Clive's, at once sent on shore to say that unlessMr. Clive instantly quitted the fort, leaving Captain Coote inpossession, he should open fire on it from the _Kent_.

  In the end, however, a compromise was effected, by virtue of which theAdmiral was to hold the fort for the remainder of that day, incompliment to his services in having taken it, but at the end of thatperiod he was to deliver it up to Mr. Clive as the militaryrepresentative of the Company.

  Such were some of the difficulties with which this distinguished manhad to contend. He would sometimes say to me, in his moments ofconfidence--

  "I declare to you, Ford, that if I had known how I was to be vexedand thwarted by those whose duty it is to assist me, I would neverhave undertaken this command. After ruining their own affairs theseBengal gentlemen criticise and hamper every step I take to restorethem; and Admiral Watson is more zealous in maintaining what heconsiders the honours due to his profession, than he is in beating theMoors."

  But in spite of this occasional bitterness, the Colonel entertained agreat respect for Mr. Watson's courage and abilities as a seaman, moreespecially after the celebrated affair of Chander Nugger. Whilst Mr.Clive, with the other members of the committee, was engaged insettling the affairs of Calcutta, some spies came in with the newsthat the town of Hooghley lay very open to attack, the garrison beinggreatly dismayed and ready to give up the place on very slightprovocation. Accordingly the Admiral sailed up the river against itwith his fleet, and some troops under Major Kilpatrick and CaptainCoote, attacking it on the land side, it was taken with very littleloss on our side, and destroyed. But as I was not present on thisoccasion, so I shall say little about it, except to remark that itserved to yet further impress the Indians with a sense of our power,and put Surajah Dowlah on marching from Moorshedabad to crush us withall his force.

  The state in which we found Calcutta was indeed pitiable. The nativequarter, especially that inhabited by the meaner sort of people, wasnot much injured, but all the English mansions and factories lay inruins. The unfortunate servants of the Company, although thus restoredto their former home, found themselves without shelter or money, thetraffic having, of course, entirely ceased. It was fortunate for methat I had been able to bring away the jewels which Surajah Dowlah hadgiven me in his fits of maudlin friendship, for these fetched a goodprice among the Gentoo merchants, and procured me as much money as Ihad occasion for. But with most of the others, from Mr. Drakedownwards, it was different; and if the plunder of Hooghley had notbrought in about a lac and a half of rupees, about this time, into theCompany's coffers, I scarce know what they would have done.

  News arrived from Aleppo, shortly after these transactions, that warhad again broken out in Europe between us and the French. This raisedthe prospect of a fresh peril for us, it being feared that the Frenchin Chander Nugger would join forces with the Nabob. So seriously didColonel Clive regard this outlook, that he consented to send proposalsfor an accommodation to Surajah, who was now in full march to thesouthward. To these proposals the Nabob pretended to return afavourable answer, nevertheless he continued advancing, and in orderto be prepared against him Mr. Clive fortified an entrenched camp justoutside the Morattoe ditch, to the northward, by which the Moorswould have to pass before they could attack the town.

  Things were in this position when one morning about the beginning ofFebruary, rising at daybreak, and strolling outside the camp, I sawthe whole horizon to the northward lit with the flames of burningvillages. I hastened to rouse Mr. Clive, and he came out and stoodbeside me, watching, while from a cloud of dust along the road the vanof the approaching army emerged, one blaze of gorgeous uniforms andtossing spears, marching towards the Morattoe ditch.

  For some time we stood in silence, as troop after troop came on,crowding along the high road, and casting fierce looks towards ourencampment as they passed. A frown gathered on the Colonel's brow, andhe began to think aloud, as was his custom sometimes, when we werealone.

  "Shall I attack them now? I might cut off their vanguard, and again Imight be caught between two fires. The rest of the army cannot be farbehind--better wait and ascertain their numbers. Besides, it is toosoon to say whether or no the Nabob means to play me false. An attacknow would hazard everything; I am bound to wait and give them time toshow their true inclinations."

  He raised his head, and looked at me.

  "Go round the town, Ford, rouse the outposts everywhere, and bid themstand on the defensive. If the Moors attempt to cross the ditch andenter the town, they are to beat them back, and send me word, but notto follow them. Then return to me."

  I hastened away to execute these orders, which were duly carried out.In one or two places the Moors attempted incursions, but were speedilychecked. This contented them for that day. On the following morningthe main army, accompanied by Surajah Dowlah in person, debouched onthe plains, and proceeded to spread itself round the threatened town.

  In the afternoon Mr. Clive summoned me to him. I found him in the tentwith Mr. Scrafton, and he held a letter in his hand.

  "The Nabob has sent to me," he said, "desiring me to appoint somepersons to treat with him of th
e peace, and I have chosen Mr. Scraftonand you as my deputies. What do you say, Ford? Are you ready to trustyour head in the tiger's jaws again, after your late adventures?"

  "If you think fit to send me, sir, I am ready at all times to obey anyorders I may receive from Colonel Clive."

  He smiled, well pleased.

  "Well said, my lad. I knew you were something better than a purser,and as soon as this business is over I will see to it that you get acommission in the Company's forces, if that will serve your turn."

  I thanked him, and Mr. Scrafton and I at once set out for Surajah'squarters, which we were informed were at a place called Nabob-gunge.But on arriving there we found that the treacherous Moor had pursuedhis march towards the town and when we at last overtook him, late inthe evening, we found him with his headquarters established in a housebelonging to the Gentoo merchant Omichund, which house lay actuallywithin the Morattoe ditch, and was therefore included in theterritories of Calcutta.

  We were here received by Roy Dullub, the Dewan, who instantlyrecognised me, and manifested some alarm at my thus appearing in thecharacter of Colonel Clive's emissary. He glanced over us both with anair of suspicion, and desired to know whether we had pistols concealedin our dress.

  Mr. Scrafton laughed in his face.

  "We are not assassins," he said severely. "We do not deal with ourenemies in that way. If our employer, Mr. Clive, desires to kill theNabob, rest assured he will come in broad daylight, at the head of hisarmy, and do it that way."

  Roy Dullub gave way after this rebuke, and led us into the presence ofhis master. The Nabob was seated in full durbar, with all his officersround him and the evil Lal Moon crouched like a snake beside his ear.All the way round the walls of the apartment was placed a row of hugeguards, men of formidable size and ferocious countenances, who, toappear still more dreadful, had their dresses stuffed out and theirturbans of twice the common size. Throughout the audience they kepttheir eyes fixed on us with a most bloodthirsty expression, as thoughexpecting the signal to fall upon and slay us.

  Surajah Dowlah was little changed from when I had last seen him. Hisfeatures still preserved that aspect of ruined handsomeness and marredand minished glory, which is ascribed to the fallen archangel by ourgreat poet Milton--whom I, for one, will never stoop to compare withyour writer of lascivious stage-plays and sonnets, after whom all theworld is now running frantic. Roy Dullub handed the paper which we hadbrought containing our proposals to the Nabob, who read it over beforehe condescended to glance at us.

  No sooner did he see me, however, than his face changed. He turned hishead, and whispered something to his favourite, pointing to me at thesame time. Then he addressed us, with smooth civility, pretending toignore our previous acquaintance.

  "I will desire my ministers to consider your proposals," he said. "TheDewan shall confer with you, and let you know my pleasure."

  "That is not enough for us," replied Mr. Scrafton. He naturally tookit on himself to speak, as my elder and superior. "Your Highness hascommitted a breach of good faith in crossing the English boundarywhile negotiations are in progress."

  "You need have no fear about that," the Nabob responded. "Myintentions towards the English are friendly. I come among you simplyas a guest. Tell Sabat Jung that he may lay down his sword and confidein my goodwill."

  To this Mr. Scrafton replied by a fresh remonstrance, but he soon sawthat nothing was to be got from Surajah, whose answers were evidentlybeing inspired by his secret adviser, Lal Moon. At length the Nabobdismissed us, and we retired from the durbar.

  As we were passing out we saw, standing in the doorway, the GentooOmichund, whose house we were in. This man, well known in Bengal,possessed large interests in Calcutta, as well as in other parts ofthe Nabob's territories. For this reason he had long played a doublegame between the Moors and English, seeking to keep in with bothsides. Now, as we came past, he fixed a significant look upon us, andwhispered in English in my ear--

  "Take care of yourself!" Then, as I stood still for an instant headded in the same sly tone, "Does your commander know that the Nabob'scannon are not yet come up?"

  Before I could answer he slipped away in the crowd. I followed onafter Mr. Scrafton, and whispered to him what I had heard, as we wereon our way to the Dewan's tent.

  "It is my opinion," I added, "that we are to be detained as prisoners.The Nabob is merely amusing Mr. Clive till his batteries havearrived."

  Mr. Scrafton was alarmed. We looked round, and finding nobody near usordered our attendants to put out their torches. We then turned asideamong the other tents, threaded our way through them in the darknesstill we came out on to the road running towards the English lines, andin this way contrived to escape and get back to camp.

  In order to the better understanding of what now took place, indefault of a chart, I must explain how the two armies were situated.The river Hooghley, which here runs pretty straight north and south,forms, as it were, the string of a bent bow, the bow itself beingrepresented by the Morattoe ditch of which I have so often hadoccasion to speak. The whole of the territory thus enclosed belongedto the Company, and measured about five miles in length, and one and ahalf miles in breadth at its widest part. The fort and town ofCalcutta occupied only a small space in the centre, the rest of theground being broken up into gardens with a few country residencesscattered about. Of these Omichund's house, now occupied by the Nabob,lay about a quarter of the way along the ditch, from the point whereit joins the river Hooghley at the north end of the enclosure. Theremainder of their army lay in tents along a space of three miles, buton the outside of the ditch. Colonel Clive, as I have beforeexplained, had entrenched his camp also on the further side, next tothe river, lying between that and the Moors' encampment.

  The moment we had made our report to Colonel Clive his mind was madeup. Springing on to his feet, and striding up and down in the tent, heexclaimed--

  "That settles it, if we are to strike a blow at all it must be now! Ihave done my best to procure a peace, knowing the risk I run byundertaking the attack of an army of forty thousand men with thelittle handful I have here under my command. But it is plain that Ihave to choose between that and yielding everything to the Nabob. Mr.Scrafton, write a letter in my name to the Admiral, asking him for asmany seamen as he can spare; and do you, Ford, go and summon theofficers here to receive their orders."

  The news that an attack was intended spread like wild-fire through thelittle camp, and caused the greatest excitement, many regarding it asa desperate venture from which we should never return alive. Our totalforce was 650 Englishmen, with 800 Sepoys, and another 100 to servethe artillery. These were reinforced by 600 men from the ships, armedwith matchlocks, who were put ashore secretly at midnight. Our gunswere six-pounders, and as we had no horses, except one which had comewith the expedition from Madras, the cannon had to be drawn by seamen.

  Old Muzzy was among the party, and was given charge of one of theguns, of which there were six altogether. I went up to speak to himbefore he set out, and found him much discontented with the service.

  "It's this way, my lad," he said, addressing me with a freedom which Icould not resent, considering what he had done for me in the past, "Iunderstand sailing on salt water, and I understand fighting, but whenthey puts me in charge of this here craft on wheels, with neitherspars nor yet oars to work it, and tells me to navigate it, I ain'texactly sure of my soundings. It seems to me that there ought to be awindlass to draw her up. Bust my stays if I can make out how I'm tomake her answer her helm!"

  With these grumblings he entertained me till the signal was given tostart, when I repaired to the side of Mr. Clive, who took his stationin the centre of the column. We marched three abreast, four hundred ofthe Sepoys going in front, then the European troops, then the secondhalf of the Sepoys, and last of all the guns escorted by the sailors.Mr. Clive's plan, so far as he permitted it to be known, was to strikeright through the Nabob's army, before they were prepared to receiveus, and attack the Nabob
himself in Omichund's enclosure.

  It was just before daybreak when the head of our little column cameupon the advance guard of the enemy. These at once fled, afterdischarging their pieces, but one of their shots, striking a Sepoy'scartouch box, caused a slight explosion, which threw our advance intosome confusion for a moment. We pressed forward, picking our way aswe best could in the obscurity; for no sooner was it day than a thickfog, such as is common in this season of the year in Bengal, descendedupon us, wrapping everything in darkness. We had gone perhaps half amile without molestation, dispersing the scattered parties of theIndians as we advanced, when there broke upon our ears the sound ofheavy galloping from the quarter where we supposed Omichund's house tolie. Colonel Clive at once ordered a halt; we faced to the right,whence the sound proceeded, and as soon as the dim forms of theapproaching squadron loomed upon us out of the mist, the word wasgiven to fire. The whole line delivered a volley at a distance ofabout thirty paces, whereupon the phantom horsemen at once turned andfled back, uttering loud cries as they were swallowed up again in thedarkness.

  By this time it was evident that our position had become extremelyperilous. We resumed our march, as nearly as we could keep it in theformer direction, and continued groping our way in the mist throughthe heart of the enemy's camp, firing volleys by platoons to right andleft, but without knowing where our bullets went, while the men withthe guns discharged single shots from time to time along the sides ofthe column into the darkness ahead.

  After we had gone on in this fashion for some time, not receiving muchinterruption from the enemy, but greatly troubled by the increasingobscurity, which rendered it difficult to see so much as a yard infront, there suddenly arose a murmur from amongst the Sepoys at thehead of the column. Colonel Clive sent to demand the meaning of this,and the messenger returned with the intelligence that the men hadstumbled upon a causeway, crossing our line of march, and leading tothe Morattoe ditch on our right. He at once gave the order that thetroops should mount upon this causeway and march towards the ditch.Unfortunately, however, no notice of this change in the direction wasgiven to the artillerymen in the rear, who continued to fire, as theysupposed, to the side of the column. A cannon ball came among theSepoys on the causeway, killing several of them. Thereupon the restsought shelter by leaping down on the other side of the causeway, andthe whole forward part of the troops was huddled together inconfusion.

  The darkness made it difficult to ascertain at first what hadhappened, but as soon as Mr. Clive understood he gave the order tocease firing, and brought the whole force across the causeway, wherehe strove to restore their formation. It was his intention to haveadvanced along the causeway, driven away the Moors stationed to defendit, and forced his way through to the English side of the ditch. Butwhile he was engaged in restoring order among the troops, the enemy,no doubt overhearing our movements, commenced a discharge on us fromsome cannon loaded with langrain, which they seemed to have broughtup within a few hundred yards of us. The shot striking the troopswhile still bundled together, did us the most damage we received thatday; indeed it was a very terrifying thing to suddenly hear the roarof artillery so close at hand, and see men falling right and left fromshots fired by an invisible foe.

  Under these circumstances it was wonderful to see the coolness ofColonel Clive, who continued to give his orders without appearing theleast dismayed, and deployed the men into line again as steadily asthough we were in our own camp, and not in the midst of the Moors.Abandoning all thoughts of the causeway, he ordered the column toresume its course to the southward, so as to reach the main road intoCalcutta, by which we might cross the ditch and return in safety. Thisnecessitated our leaving the wounded, about twenty in number, whobroke into grievous cries at the prospect of being deserted to thecruelty of the Moors.

  Among the voices raised in complaint I heard one which I believed Iknew. I hastened to look among the figures on the ground, andpresently made out the form of old Muzzy himself, who lay with hisright leg doubled up under him.

  "Is that you?" I exclaimed, bending over him. "Where have you beenhurt? Is it serious?"

  "Athelstane!" He looked up, turning his eyes on me with an appealwhich went to my heart. "They've riddled my leg with their cursedheathenish small shot, curse them! If it had been a Christian bullet,now, I shouldn't ha' minded so much. Give me a hand, my boy, and I'llsee if I can stand up."

  I put my arms round him and lifted him partly from the ground, whilehe clutched at me with both hands. The next instant a groan broke fromhis clenched teeth.

  "It's no good, lad, I can't do it. Go, and save yourself if you can;and leave old Muzzy to take his rating below decks at last!"