CHAPTER XVII
_A MISSION OF DANGER_
I got up and called to some sailors who were falling into the rear ofthe now departing column.
"Here, my men, here's a comrade wounded and unable to walk. Will youleave him to be butchered by the Indians?"
They stopped, and cast hesitating looks at the old boatswain, where helay groaning.
"There's a-many of 'em about," observed one man. "We can't save themall, sir."
"But this is an old friend of mine, who has saved my life before now,"I pleaded. And seeing them undecided, I went on, "What do you say; Iwill give you a hundred rupees--two hundred--apiece if you carry himsafe into Calcutta?"
They brisked up when they heard this offer. A small tree with darkgreen leaves stood close by, from which they tore some branches, andquickly made out a rude litter. On to this they lifted my poor oldfriend, and so carried him off, renewing his groans at every step.
I marched alongside till we caught up with the rear of the column.Luckily we were not molested, for which I blessed the fog, though itwas now showing signs of lifting away. Our progress was here extremelyslow, the ground being broken up into a number of small rice-fields,separated by mud walls or mounds of earth, over which the field-pieceshad to be lifted with infinite trouble, and in fact two of them wereabandoned altogether, the sailors being too exhausted to draw themfurther. During this time I forbore to rejoin Colonel Clive, but usedmy freedom as a volunteer to remain with the sailors bearing oldMuzzy, where I found my presence and encouragement very necessary toinduce them to persevere in their task. As it was I was obliged toraise my offer to three hundred rupees before we had got to the highroad.
The fog gradually clearing, we beheld parties of the enemy's horsefrom time to time, threatening us, but they were easily dispersed by afew discharges of musketry, and gave us far less annoyance than theimpediments of the ground. At the end of another hour of this toilsomework we at length arrived at the road, where we found a considerablebody of horse and foot posted in front of the bridge across theMorattoe ditch into the Company's territories, to prevent our passing.
At the same time the fog finally broke, and disclosed anothernumerous squadron coming down against our rear. The sailors at oncefaced about to defend the artillery, and I took my place among them,bidding the men with the litter press on towards the centre of thecolumn. The Moors rode up with great determination, notwithstandingour fire, and one of them got near enough to me to aim a cut at myhelmet, which I only avoided by bending my head to one side. At thesame time I thrust my bayonet into his groin, and had the satisfactionof seeing him reel and fall from his horse as it turned and gallopedoff.
This charge being repulsed, we turned about again and rejoined ourcomrades, who had quickly dislodged the force opposed to them infront. The whole column then crossed the ditch, in broad daylight, andmarched without further mishap into the town, where we arrived aboutmidday, having been on the march for more than six hours, through themidst of a great army.
Such was this extraordinary exploit, to which, as I am assured, aparallel is scarcely to be found in the history of any age or nation.Nevertheless, at the moment its effect was to cast a gloom over thespirits of the troops. The officers, who could never forgive ColonelClive for not having been, like themselves, regularly bred to themilitary profession, grumbled at and criticised his action, which theydescribed as that of a mere braggadocio, who knew nothing of war. Thefact was that the rules of war contained no prescription for theconquest of an army of forty thousand men by one of barely twothousand; and though the hero who led us was ever ready to attemptimpossibilities, he could not always perform them.
As soon as I had seen old Muzzy safely bestowed in the hospital, wherethe surgeons declared that it would be necessary to amputate his leg,I hastened to report myself to my commander. He received me withkindness and no little surprise, having fully believed that I waskilled. Indeed he told me that a soldier of Adlercron's regiment hadassured him he had seen me fall. However, he fully approved of what Ihad done in rescuing my old comrade, only regretting it had not beenin his power to save the rest of the wounded.
I found him much dispirited with the result of the morning's work.
"I have done nothing, Ford," he declared, "nothing. I have marchedinto the Nabob's camp, and marched out again, like the King of Francein the nursery rhyme. And here are these gentlemen of the committeeclamouring for peace, that they may get their revenues back again, andtheir dustucks, and I know not what else, with the Nabob and his armyat their gates. You see what it is to be a commander--would to God Iwere back in England, enjoying my rest!"
The next day put a different complexion on our affairs. Secretmessages arrived from Omichund to say that the Nabob had beenterrified out of his wits, that he no longer considered himself safeeven in the midst of his troops, and that we might depend on a peacebeing speedily concluded. Shortly afterwards a letter arrived, writtenby Surajah Dowlah's instructions to Colonel Clive, in which hereferred to the treaty on foot between them, and complained bitterlyof the attack upon his camp.
"Now, Ford," said the Colonel to me, when he had shown me this letter,"I feel a different man to what I did yesterday. Sit down and write myanswer to this insolent Moor."
I took the pen, and he dictated the following letter, of which I havethe draft still in my possession:--
"_To his Highness Surajah Dowlah, Nabob of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa._
"SIR,--I have received your letter, and am unable to understand what it is that you complain of. I merely marched with a few of my troops through your camp to show you of what Englishmen are capable, but I had no hostile intentions, and was careful to refrain from hurting any of your soldiers, except such as imprudently opposed me. I have been, and still am, perfectly willing to make peace with you upon proper conditions.--I have the honour to remain your Highness's obedient servant,
"ROBERT CLIVE."
This bitter jest completed the effect produced by the previous day'swork. That very evening we heard that the Nabob had broken up hisquarters, and withdrawn to a distance of several miles from theCompany's territories; and a few days later he signed a treatygranting full restitution to the Company of all that they had lost bythe sack of Calcutta. This was just six weeks from the time we hadstarted from Fulta.
During the period that followed I spent much of my time in thehospital, sitting by old Muzzy's bedside. He had borne the removal ofhis leg with great courage, but now that he began to mend I found himmuch depressed in his spirits.
"My day is over, boy," he would say, "I shall never sail salt watermore. Old Muzzy is a dismasted hulk, only fit to be hauled up on themud, and broken up for tinder. Drown me if I don't a'most wish thedogs had put a ball through my hull while they were about it, so thatI could ha' gone down in deep water, with colours flying and all handson deck, and heard the broadsides roaring over me to the last! That'sthe death for a British tar, my fine fellow, in action gallantly, andnot to lie on the mud and rot away by inches like I'm fair to do."
I tried to cheer him up as best I could, though indeed I felt sorryenough myself to see that strong man laid helpless as a child. Ithought it my duty to try and rouse him to some interest in betterthings, and brought a Bible to read to him.
In this I succeeded after a fashion. He listened very readily to thehistory of the Israelites, and expressed a huge admiration for Joshuaand some of the Judges. But when I tried to pass on to the NewTestament I must confess I met with more difficulties.
"No, no, don't read me that; it's too good for an old rakehelly tarlike me," he persisted in saying. "Them apostles was fishermen, d'yesee, and the fishermen and longshore folk always was more peaceableand quieter-like than us deep-sea bilboes. You read me about thatthere fellow as slaughtered the Camelites; I understands him better.By Gosh, he gave 'em a warm time of it, on my swow, didn't he! Notmuch use them Camelites showing their heads when Joshua was in theof
fing! He swept their decks for 'em, clean, every time."
He meant the Amalekites. I could not quite approve of the spirit inwhich he took the sacred history, but still I felt that to get him tolisten to the Scriptures at all was something, and the good seed mightcome up later on.
I pleased myself with these efforts to reform my poor old friend, andyet perhaps I should have been better employed in seeking to amend myown life. For though I can truly say that I lived honestly andsoberly, yet all this time my heart was given up to thoughts ofambition and revenge, and the desire of riches; and the goodimpressions wrought upon me by my sufferings in the Black Hole hadalmost faded clean out of my mind.
I was not present at the taking of Chander Nugger, which was the nextgreat event in the East Indies, and therefore forbear from describingit. But this affair served to display yet further the duplicity andshifting policy of Surajah Dowlah, whose conduct evidently changedfrom day to day as the passion of hatred of the English, or fear ofColonel Clive, obtained the mastery in his bosom. On one day he sentpermission for us to attack the French, on the next he wrote strictlyforbidding it. Colonel Clive would have gone against them withoutwaiting for the Nabob's leave, but Admiral Watson was more scrupulous,considering that to do so would be a violation of our recent treaty.Yet he did not shrink from upbraiding the Nabob in round terms, andsent him one letter in which he threatened, with the bluntness of aseaman, to kindle such a fire in his country as all the water in theGanges should not be able to extinguish.
Finally the Nabob gave way, induced partly by his fears of the Pitans,a savage predatory tribe on the borders of Afghanistan, who from timeto time broke into the Great Mogul's dominions, and were nowthreatening to march as far as Behar. Accordingly a joint expeditionwas made, and Chander Nugger taken after a brilliant action, in which,as Colonel Clive fully acknowledged, the Admiral signalised himselfby conspicuous courage and seamanship.
All this time I lay ill in Calcutta of a low fever, which I hadcontracted in the hospital while attending on old Muzzy. It was nowhis turn to nurse me, which he did most assiduously, being nowrecovered, and able to get about well enough by means of a wooden leg.
As I lay there sick day after day I began once more to see things in atruer light. I longed most painfully to be at home among the scenesand friends of my youth, and I resolved, once I had risen from my sickbed, to let no motives of ambition or interest detain me any furtherin Indostan.
I communicated these sensible resolutions to old Muzzy, who thoroughlyapproved of them.
"And I tell you what, Athelstane, lad, we'll make our passage home incompany," he said. "I've got a tidy bit o' prize-money left somewhere,enough to take me back to England, and mayhap a bit over, to keep meout of the workhouse when I gets there."
He put his hands into his hairy bosom and drew out a small canvas bag,which he shook out upon the coverlid of the bed. The contents made asmall heap of gold and silver, amounting, as near as I could judge, toabout L100 or L150 in English money, though the coins were of allcountries--rupees, French crowns, moidores, and many others.
The old boatswain put his head on one side, casting looks ofaffectionate pride on his treasure.
"There, my lad, that's my little fortin', enough to pay my freightthrough to Davy Jones's locker, I daresay. And if there's any of itleft over, by Gosh! you shall have it, for I've neither parent norfriend in the world, nor I don't so much as know the place where I wasborn. And drown me if I don't love you, my young matey!"
I was so weak at the time that these hearty expressions of the oldfellow fairly melted me, though I could scarce refrain from smiling atthe thoughts of the legacy which I was like to inherit.
"You shall come with me and welcome," I told him. "We will starttogether as soon as ever I can get off this bed; and when we get toEngland I will bring you to my own home, and ask my parents to provideyou with a shelter for my sake."
"That's right enough," he answered, "and very kind of you. But, mind,old Muzzy ain't looking for no charity. Where I goes, I takes mylittle fortin', and them as takes care of me will get the benefit ofit, d'ye see."
He swept up the money into his bag again, and had just restored it tohis bosom when there came a sound outside the door, and who shouldwalk in but Colonel Clive!
I strove to raise myself in the bed as he entered, but this he at onceprevented.
"Lie still, youngster!" he exclaimed, walking up to the bedside,followed by Mr. Scrafton. "Why, how's this; they never told me youwere ill till I was on the point of starting for Chander Nugger, whenI had no time to come and see you? But you are on the high road torecovery by this time, surely?"
"Thank you, sir, I am much improved," I managed to stammer out,overwhelmed by this condescension on the part of so great a man. "Andare the French beaten?" I asked anxiously, for I had not heard thenews.
The Colonel turned to Mr. Scrafton and laughed.
"There's my little purser all over!" he exclaimed, with evidentgoodwill. "The French are beaten, and driven out of Bengal, I trustfor ever, and their factories are become ours. And since you wereunable to be present at the action, and to share in the spoil, I haveremembered my promise to you, and brought you a sword instead."
He took the weapon from the hands of Mr. Scrafton, who was carryingit, and laid it on the bed beside me. At the same time Mr. Scraftonhanded me a paper, duly signed, containing my commission as an ensignin the service of the East India Company.
I could only murmur out my gratitude for these marks of consideration;while Mr. Clive went on to say--
"And now you must make haste and get about again, for as soon as youare able to travel I have an important mission for you to discharge."
"And what is that, sir?" I asked, not very heartily.
The Colonel noticed my diffidence, and gave me a searching look.
"I ought to have said it is a very dangerous mission," he observed.
I felt my cheeks turn red.
"Then sir, I think I am well enough to undertake it," I replied, withsome little temper. And I sat up in the bed.
Colonel Clive burst out laughing, and seizing me by the shouldersthrust me down again.
"There, that is right; there is not so much hurry about it as to dragyou out of bed just yet. But as soon as you are well enough I mean youto go to Moorshedabad."
I uttered a cry of surprise.
"I have some messages to send to Mr. Watts, who is acting there on ourbehalf," Mr. Clive explained. "The affair is too risky for me to trustthe ordinary service, and besides, from all I hear, you have made agreat impression on the Nabob, and may serve a useful purpose byremaining in Moorshedabad for awhile. But I will tell you no more tillyou are better able to hear it."
And with this, and many kind expressions about my health, he withdrew.
It did not take long for me to shake off the remains of my feverunder these circumstances, and the moment I was able to go out of thehouse where I lay, I went to wait on my patron.
Colonel Clive received me in his private room in the fort, anddismissing everybody else, opened to me the nature of the missionentrusted to me. The late proceedings of his enemies against him inParliament have made this business so notorious to the world that Ishall be excused for expressing it very shortly in this place.
To be brief, the Colonel informed me that the moment for ourlong-delayed vengeance upon the wicked and bloodthirsty Surajah Dowlahwas at length arrived. Tired with his cruelties, his own subjects hadcast about for a means of getting rid of him, and overtures had beenreceived from the principal men of the Nabob's Court inviting ColonelClive to take part in a concerted scheme for his overthrow. A treatyhad been drawn up between the parties, whereby it was provided thatColonel Clive should march against the Nabob's army with his wholeforce, now increased by the arrival of other ships from the Coromandelcoast, and should be joined on the battle-field by Meer Jaffier, whoundertook to desert from his nephew and bring over the part of thearmy under his command to the English side. In return for th
eseservices, supposing the victory should be obtained, the Company was toreceive a crore of rupees in compensation for the injuries inflictedby the Nabob, while many millions were to be divided among ColonelClive, the gentlemen of the Council and the officers and men of bothservices. Surajah Dowlah was to be deposed from the musnud, and hisuncle, Meer Jaffier, elevated in his stead, the Meer binding himselfto pay these sums out of the Nabob's treasure, and the payment beingfurther guaranteed by Jugget Seet, the great banker of Moorshedabad,whose connexions extended over all parts of Indostan.
This treaty having been signed and executed by Colonel Clive and theother gentlemen of the Company, he now required me to carry it toMoorshedabad, were it was to be sworn to by Jugget Seet, the MeerJaffier, and the other high officers of the Court who were parties tothe design. At the same time he enjoined on me to observe the utmostsecrecy.
"Remember," he said, "that if once Surajah Dowlah or his minion LalMoon should get an inkling of this plot, his rage would break looseagainst every one concerned in it. As it is Mr. Watts has had greatdifficulty in lulling his suspicions, and has several times been ingreat peril. But I suppose you are not the man to shrink back on thataccount."
"Give me the treaty, sir," I replied, "and I undertake to carry it toMoorshedabad. Am I to deliver it into Mr. Watts's hands?"
"Why, yes; that is, if you find him still there when you arrive. Butyou must use the greatest caution in communicating with him. Aboveall, beware of the Gentoo Omichund, who has already once threatened tobetray us. We have been obliged to provide a duplicate treaty tosatisfy him, in which is included a stipulation for three millions ofrupees to be paid to him on our success. But you will explain to MeerJaffier that this is merely a trick to which we have been obliged byOmichund's knavery. He shall not have a farthing."
Mr. Clive spoke these words very sternly. At the same time he handedme the two treaties, one drawn up upon white paper and the other onred.
"The red treaty is the one to be shown to Omichund," he explained."Both must be executed by the parties to the conspiracy inMoorshedabad, but only the white one is to be sworn to. Do youunderstand?"
"Perfectly, sir."
I rolled up the two papers and put them into my pocket. I did not thenfeel, nor have I since been able to understand, all the indignationwhich has been poured on Lord Clive's head for this artifice, by whicha treacherous, overreaching scoundrel was robbed of the blackmail hehad tried to extort. As to the charge which has been made against thatgreat man of having caused Admiral Watson's name to be forged to thesecond treaty, I can only say that it was the general opinion at thetime that the gallant Admiral was fully aware of what was being done,and, since he took no steps to restrain the use of his name, itappears to be all the same as though he had affixed it with his ownhand.
However, it is not my intention to dwell upon these disputes, to whichI am only induced to refer by a spirit of loyalty to my old commanderand friend, for such he permitted me to call him.
"Remember," the Colonel said to me at parting, "above all, to show nofear of Surajah Dowlah. Mr. Watts is too modest in his behaviour, andfor that reason the young tyrant despises and ill-uses him. But Ithink that is not a fault you are likely to fall into; indeed, I haveheard that during your former residence there you fairly awed theNabob; so I have good hope that you will do the same again. The momentyou have secured the execution of the treaties it will be time to fly,and as soon as I hear you are safe I shall put my troops on the marchto Plassy."