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Gil the Gunner; or, The Youngest Officer in the East, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 27 |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. The colonel was delighted with the position, knowing that, if the ammunition held out, he could, with Brace's help, make it a centre from which he could thrash twice as many of the enemy. But it seemed to me, as I noted how many poor fellows were wounded, that we did not want any more fighting that day; and for a time it did not look as if we were to be troubled. I was wrong, though, for in about half an hour the enemy's leaders were showing front again, and it was evident that Ny Deen did not mean us to escape, for strong bodies of cavalry filed off to right and left, exactly as I had planned in my own mind, while his foot were mustered in great strength, their numbers being rapidly added to by men from out of the town. To add to the peril of our position, we made out a whole line coming along from the west which soon showed itself to be a fresh regiment of native cavalry coming to join Ny Deen's standard and help drive the infidel out of the land. In the consultation which took place, with the men all at ease, and bread and water being partaken of eagerly, the colonel said calmly-- "I'm not a bit alarmed for myself. My lads will fight to the last. We've plenty of ammunition, and I know we can make our square smaller and smaller, till they are sick of it, as they soon will be, for they cannot rush us. They will not face the bayonet. What about you? There's my fear." "I'll help you all I can," said Brace, "and I don't think you need fear for us. We can manoeuvre and keep them at a distance. We fight best at a pretty good range," he said laughingly. Our men had escaped without a scratch, so that our doctor was able to devote himself to the help of his brother in the profession at the temporary hospital made under a huge tree, well out of range of any firing that might arise. The foot regiment had suffered very heavily, for the fighting had been most severe through the narrow street, enemies springing up constantly in the most unexpected places; and, as I heard from the officers, to have halted for a minute to repel the attacks would have been fatal. In fact, from the time we left them, the poor fellows had literally to run the gauntlet of a fierce fire, and all confessed that it was wonderful that the casualties had been so few. The moments of rest and refreshment now being enjoyed were most needful, and it was wonderful to see how restorative the simple draught of water and handful of bread seemed, the men brightening up and looking ready directly after. Meanwhile scouts were sent out, and skirmishers took advantage of every depression to hold ready for the enemy's advance, though, after a time, this looked doubtful, for, after drawing up his men, as if for an immediate attack, Ny Deen had halted and waited the advance of the fresh corps of cavalry to strengthen his hand in that direction. It meant an addition of about three hundred men to his forces; but it gave us little cause for anxiety, the general opinion being that the sowars would not face us; the only cause for alarm being in the event of the foot giving way, when their pursuit might prove terrible. While we waited, the ammunition-waggon was brought up, and our ammunition chests refilled, to make up for the vast waste, Brace taking care that an extra supply of grape and canister should be placed in the boxes, both on the gun-carriages and the limbers. The cartridge-boxes of the men in the foot regiment, too, had been repacked, and now, rested, refreshed, and ready for action, all waited for the attack which was still delayed. We were drawn up at a little distance from the patch of trees, our troop having, of course, a perfectly free hand to advance, retire, or harass the enemy, as seemed best to our leader; and Brace sat watching anxiously the sowars lying between us and the town, while Haynes kept sweeping the plain on the other side of the tope for the enemy's cavalry, but without avail, a patch or two of forest effectually screening their advance. All at once the colonel cantered up to Brace. "Do you see what they mean?" he cried, and, as Brace looked at him wonderingly, he continued, "There's some one at the head of affairs there with his head screwed on the right way. He is waiting for night before attacking." "So as to make my guns of half the service," said Brace, quickly. "Exactly!" They were both silent for a few moments, and sat gazing at the rajah's forces. "Then we must take the initiative," said Brace, sharply. "That is what I have come to say," cried the colonel, quickly. "It seems," he added in a lower tone, "daring, half mad; but we have right on our side, and the scoundrels, with all their hatred, fear us horribly. The odds are very great; but if we can scatter them, it will be a lesson that will bear fruit greater than we can imagine. It will teach them how terrible the wrath of England can be, and how hopeless their attempt is likely to prove, no matter how many men they bring into the field. You agree with me?" "Thoroughly," said Brace, "for my men are at their worst when placed in a fixed battery." "At once, then," said the colonel. "At once," replied Brace, "before their cavalry come in sight. Don't think me impertinent." "No; go on." "You will fight in square." "Trust me," was the reply, with a nod and a smile, and the colonel cantered off to join his men, and beginning to manoeuvre them at once, after leaving a strong rear guard among the trees in case the sowars should make a sudden dash, for they had nothing to fear from the sepoys; any attempt on their part being for a long time to come impossible, for the colonel could fall back and protect his rear and baggage-guard long before the infantry could get near. A low murmur of satisfaction ran through our little troop as orders were given which they knew meant immediate action. We went off at a trot, as if going right away, the object being to get upon the enemy's flank, and long before they grasped our object we had changed to a gallop, wheeled round, the men sprang from horse and limber, and in less than a minute round shot were ploughing through their ranks, sending them into confusion, and doing a vast deal of mischief before they had changed their formation, and skirmishers were sent out in advance of a regiment, the firing growing after a while somewhat annoying, when quick almost as it can be described, we limbered up and went out of range, taking up a fresh position, from which fresh confusion was thrown into their ranks, the regiment sent out against us being left far on our left. By this time our infantry friends were steadily marching in close formation as if to aid us in our attack, when our scouts came in at a gallop, and we saw the cause, one of the sowar regiments was coming down upon us over the plain, the other being in all probability advancing too, but hidden from us by the tope. Will the colonel see them? I wondered as, at a word, the limbers were drawn round, and we changed front, slewing about the guns, and sending round shot at the sowars now approaching rapidly, while I wondered whether Brace would stand fast and brave them. But there was in those exciting moments no time for thought. Shot after shot was sent at the advancing regulars, which began to leave horses and men struggling on the plain, while their formation was broken up. But onward they came now in what more resembled a drove than the line of a regiment, and into this the grape shot was poured with such terrible effect, that they broke, turned, and swept away, never coming within fifty yards of us. Our men sent up a cheer, but we had to canter off, and take up a fresh position, for the sepoy skirmishers were close upon us, and shots began to whizz by our heads. Hardly were our men mounted again, and we were moving off, before my heart leaped to my throat, for from the other side of the tope I saw the second sowar regiment dash into sight and race down to attack our foot regiment. "Look, look!" cried Brace, excitedly; "they'll be through them. What is he about?" But almost as the words left his lips, the double line of infantry, advancing toward the rajah's main force, folded back, as it were, upon itself, and by the time the horsemen were getting close, they were faced by a triple line of bayonets, and a sputtering line of fire curled out, emptying saddles and checking the advance, the sowars sweeping round and galloping away. "I knew they would not face the bayonets," cried Brace. "Gallop," he shouted; and he led us toward a bit of an eminence, where he evidently meant to take up position, and rake the retreating enemy in their flight. But they were not retreating. Quick in their action nearly as we were, they wheeled round, and instantly it was evident that their leader was about to try and capture the guns. I saw it all at a glance, so did every man in the troop, as we galloped on toward the eminence which it would be impossible to reach before they were upon us, while it was equally impossible for us to halt, unlimber, and bring the guns into action. The infantry regiment was too far off to help us, and our only chance appeared to me to be to wheel off to the right, and race for our lives. Brace rightly saw the position differently. "Draw--swords!" he roared; then changing our form of advance by a rapid movement taken at the gallop, the trumpet rang out, and I felt for the moment as if I was at the head of the mutineers once more, when we recaptured the guns; then, with sword on guard, I was gazing full at the long line of sowars charging us as we tore on at a frantic gallop, the guns now in echelon, leaping and bounding over the ground, the men on the limbers, sword in hand, holding on with the other, and every driver of the three to each gun holding his sabre at the charge. One moment it must have seemed to the leaders of the native regiment that they had an easy capture, their line overlapping ours by far on either wing; the next, that an English horse artillery troop is no plaything, for there was a tremendous collision, horses and men went down headlong, and our troop swept on, their echelon formation causing shock after shock, as the tremendous momentum of the six horses of each gun was too great to be withstood by the light-armed sowars, and the guns were saved. I was conscious of a sharp volley, then of another and another, as we galloped on, the man beside me sinking lower and lower over his horse's neck; then, in what was to me like a nightmare, I saw him drop headlong from his horse, and had a glimpse of his face as his helmet fell off. Then, growing more and more composed, I wondered why the English regiment should be firing volleys at us, their friends; and all this time the blinding perspiration seemed to be pouring from my head, and I was not seeing clearly. Then, raising my empty right hand, I swept it across my eyes, and as I did so grasped the fact that my sword was hanging by its knot from my wrist, as I saw clearly for a moment that I was alone, and yet not alone, for fierce-looking men in their white garb were galloping by me. Then I knew that in the dashing charge I had been separated from my troop; that I was bleeding horribly from a wound; and one thought came like lightning across my brain--no; two thoughts, and they were these. "It is all over; but have I done my duty like a man?" The next minute a sowar turned and made a cut at me; but his blow fell upon steel, which flashed. Something else glittered and flashed too, and a fierce voice roared an order in Hindustani as we tore on, with a nervous hand grasping my arm, just as it suddenly seemed to turn to night, and I knew no more. _ |
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