In Times of Peril: A Tale of India

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER V.

  BACK UNDER THE FLAG.

  "How far is it to Delhi? We heard the guns there just now."

  "Not thirty miles."

  "Have you heard how things are going on there?" Dick asked.

  "According to the Sepoy reports, fresh regiments are pouring in fromall quarters; and they boast that they are going to drive us out of thecountry. Our troops are still at Meerut, and a force is gathering atUmballah; but they are after all a mere handful."

  "Do you think there is any chance of help coming to us?"

  "None for the present. The Sepoys say that every station has gone downexcept Agra, Allahabad, and Benares, and that these are soon to go too.Cawnpore and Lucknow have risen."

  "Are all the whites killed everywhere?"

  "I am afraid they are all killed where there are no white troops; butthere, we must hope that they are making a stand. We shall be a longtime before we know anything. It is but a week yet since our stationwent; seven days longer since Delhi rose."

  "It seems ages ago," Ned said. "You don't mean to try and get to Meerutto-night, I hope; we could walk as far if it were absolutely necessary,but we have done a long day's walk already."

  "No, no, Ned. I only want to get well away from our late camp.To-morrow we will get near the river, hide all next day, and crossafter nightfall. There is a clump of trees; we will pass the nightthere; I think we are safe enough now. The mutineers are too anxious tobe at Delhi to spend much time in looking for us. Now, first of all,let us get a fire."

  "We have never had a fire at night," Dick said, "since we started; wehave been too much afraid of being seen."

  "There is not much chance of its being observed in a wood; especiallyif the bushes are thick. We are four miles at least from the camp, andwe are all wet through with dew. Now for sticks."

  The whole party soon collected a pile of sticks; and the major wasabout to scatter some powder among the dead leaves, when Ned said, "Wehave matches, father."

  "Oh, that's all right, Ned. There we are, fairly alight. Yes, we havechosen the place well; there are bushes all around. Now," he said, whenthe fire had burned up brightly, "let us hear the full story of whathas passed; you gave us a short account when we first got free. Now letus hear all about it."

  Ned and Dick told the story--sometimes one taking it up, sometimes theother. There were many questions from their auditors, and expressionsof warm approval of their conduct; and Captain Dunlop threatened underhis breath that if he ever had a chance he would not leave one cake ofmud upon another in the village where Kate was wounded. He and CaptainManners proposed that they should go back, and afford what protectionthey could to the girls. But Major Warrener at once negatived this idea.

  "If they could come straight back with us, I should say yes," he said,"for with us five we might hope to get them through safely; but eventhat would be very risky, for the larger the party is, the more easilyit attracts attention, and the whole country is alive with rebelsmarching to Delhi. But as Rose cannot be fit to travel for weeks, wehave no choice in the matter. They must remain where they are, and wecan only hope and pray for their safety. Our duty lies clearly atMeerut, where every man who can sight a rifle will be wanted mosturgently. Now let us be off to sleep; the fire has burned low, and inanother hour or two it will be daybreak; however, there will be noreveille, and we can sleep on with lighter hearts than we have had forsome time."

  "What figures you are in those uniforms!" Dick said, laughing, nextmorning; "you can scarcely move in them, and they won't meet by eightor nine inches. It does not seem to me that they are any disguise atall. Any one could see in a moment that they were not made for you."

  "They are wretchedly uncomfortable, Dick." his father said; "and, asyou say, any one could see they were not made for us. But they areuseful. As we go along, any one who saw us at a distance would take usfor a straggling party of mutineers making our way to Delhi; while thebright scarlet of our own uniform would have told its tale miles off."

  "I shall be glad enough to get rid of mine, Dick; I feel as if I hadgot into a boy's jacket by mistake. Jack Sepoy has no shoulders tospeak of; as far as height goes he is well enough; but thirty Sepoys onparade take up no more room than twenty English. I had to take myjacket off last night and lay it over my shoulders; I might as wellhave tried to go to sleep in a vise. There! major; do you hear themusic? These rascals are on the march again."

  The strains of music came very faintly to the ear, for the bivouac wasnearly a mile from the road.

  "That is all right," the major said. "Now they have gone by, we can bemoving. We must give them an hour's start."

  "Now, father, we have not heard your adventures yet; please tell us allabout them."

  "Well, we have not had so much variety as you, but we have gone througha good deal. You know we had talked over the best possible course totake in case of an attack, come when it might. We had arranged whateach should do in case of a night attack, or of a rising upon parade;and we had even considered the probability of being set upon whengathered in the messroom. We had all agreed that if taken by surprise,resistance would mean certain death; they would shoot us down throughthe doors and windows, and we should be like rats in a cage. We agreed,therefore, that in case of an attack, a simultaneous attempt to breakout must be made, and we had even settled upon the window by which weshould go. The married men were, of course, to make for theirbungalows, except where, as in my case, I had made other arrangements;and the rest to various bungalows agreed upon, where traps were to bein readiness. Dunlop, Manners, and myself had agreed to make forDunlop's, as it was the nearest, and his trap was to be ready thatevening.

  "There were not many who believed in a mutiny that night. The villains,only in the morning, having sworn to be faithful, deceived most of us,for it was very hard to believe they could be capable of suchdiabolical treachery. Swords and pistols were, of course, taken off,but instead of being left in the anteroom, were brought into themessroom. Some fellows put theirs in a corner, others against the wallbehind them. I was sitting between Dunlop and Manners, and we were, asit happened, at the corner nearest the window fixed upon for the bolt.Things went on all right till dinner was over, There was an insolentlook about some of the servants' faces I did not like, but nothing totake hold of. I pointed it out to Dunlop, and we agreed that the planarranged was the best possible; and that, as resistance would be of nouse, if at each of the eight large windows and the two doors a streamof musketry fire were being poured in, we would make a rush straightfor the window. Presently the colonel rose and gave 'The Queen.' We allrose, and as if--as I have no doubt it was--the toast was the signal,there was a sudden trampling in the veranda outside, and at everywindow appeared a crowd of Sepoys, with their arms in their hands. Ishouted, 'To the window for your lives!' and without stopping to get mysword, I dashed at the Sepoys who were there. Dunlop and Manners werewith me, and before the scoundrels had time to get their guns to theirshoulders, we were upon them. We are all big men; and our weight andimpetus, and the surprise, were too much for them; we burst throughthem, standing as they did four or five deep, as if they had beenreeds. They gave a yell of rage and astonishment as they went down likeninepins; but we scarcely saw it, for as we went through them themusketry fire broke out round the messroom.

  BEFORE THE SCOUNDRELS HAD TIME TO GET THEIR GUNS TOTHEIR SHOULDERS, WE WERE UPON THEM.]

  "Whether any of the others tried to follow us, we don't know. I thinkmost of them forgot their arrangement, and rushed to their arms:certainly some of them did so, for we heard the crack of revolversbetween the rifle shots. We made straight across the parade forDunlop's bungalow, with musket balls flying in all directions, as soonas the fellows we had gone through recovered from their firstastonishment; but they are not good shots at the best, and a manrunning at his top speed is not an easy mark by moonlight. We heardyells and musket shots all round, and knew that while a part of theregiment was attacking us, parties were told off to each bungalow. Bythe time
we had got over the few hundred yards to Dunlop's, thewhistling of the bullets round us had pretty well ceased, for thefellows had all emptied their muskets; besides, we were nearly out ofrange. None of them were near us, for they had stopped in their run tofire; they were too much interested in the massacre going on inside,and we seemed pretty safe; when, just as I entered the gate of thecompound, a stray bullet hit me on the head, and down I went like a log.

  "Happily, the syce had proved faithful; he had been with Dunlop eversince he joined the regiment, and Dunlop once risked his life to savehim from a tiger. There was the syce with the trap. He had not daredbring it out till the first shot was fired, lest his fellow-servants,who were all traitors, should stop it; but the instant it began, hecame round. They ran the horse up to where I was lying, lifted me in,and jumped in, and drove out of the gate as a score of fellows from themess-house came making toward the bungalow. We had fifty yards' start,but they fired away at us, a ball passing through the syce's leg as hescrambled up behind. The horse went along at a gallop; but we were notsafe, for parties were carrying on their hellish work in everybungalow, Dunlop and Manners were maddened by the screams they heard;and if it had not been for having me under their charge, and by thethoughts of the girls, I believe they would have jumped out and diedfighting. A few of the black devils, hearing wheels, ran out and fired;but we kept on at a full gallop till we were well out of the place. Amile further Dunlop found the horse begin to slacken his speed, and togo very leisurely. He jumped out to see what was the matter, and found,as he expected, that the horse had been hit. He had one bullet in theneck, another in the side. It was evident that it could not go muchfurther. They lifted me out and carried me to a patch of bushes thirtyyards from the road. The syce was told to drive on quietly till thehorse dropped. Dunlop gave him money and told him to meet us at Meerut."

  "Why did you not keep him with you? he would have been very useful?"Dick asked.

  "You see I wanted to get the trap as far away as possible before thehorse fell," Captain Dunlop said. "We did not know how severely woundedthe major was; indeed, we both feared he was killed; but the mutineers,when they found the dead horse in the morning, were certain to make asearch in its neighbourhood, and would have found your father had hebeen close by laid up with a wound."

  "Happily I now began to come to," the major went on, continuing hisstory. "The ball was nearly spent, and had given me a nasty scalpwound, and had stunned me, but I now began to come round. The instant Iwas able to understand where I was or what had happened, Dunlop andManners, who were half-wild with excitement and grief, made me promiseto lie quiet, while they went back to see what had become of you all.Of course I consented. They were away about three hours, for they hadto make a circle of the cantonments, as our bungalow was quite at theother end. They brought cheering news. They had first been to thehouse, and found it utterly destroyed as they expected. That told themnothing; for if you had been killed, your bodies would probably havebeen burned with the house. Then they went out to the tope of treeswhere it was agreed that you should, if possible, first fly. Here theyfound a pocket-handkerchief of Rose's; and going round to the otherside, found by the marks upon the soil that four of you had startedtogether. With hearts immensely lightened by the discovery that youhad, at any rate, all escaped from the first massacre, they hurriedback to gladden me with the news. I was past understanding it when theyarrived, for the intense pain in my head and my terrible anxiety aboutyou had made me delirious. It would have been certain death to stay sonear the road, so they dipped their handkerchiefs in water, and tiedthem round my head; and then supporting me, one on each side, theyhalf-dragged, half-carried, me to a deserted and half-ruinous cottage,about a mile away.

  "Next day I was still feverish, but fortunately no one came near us.Dunlop and Manners went out at night, and got a few bananas. Nextmorning our regiment marched away; and Dunlop then appealed to an oldcottager for shelter and food for us all. He at once promised to aidus, and I was removed to his cottage, where everything in his power wasdone for me. I was now convalescent, and a day later we were talking ofmaking a move forward. That night, however, the cottage wassurrounded--whether the peasant himself or some one else betrayed us,we shall never know--but the men that we saw there belonged to aregiment of mutineers that had marched in that afternoon from Dollah.We saw at once that resistance was useless, and we were, moreover,without arms. Had we had them, I have no doubt we should have foughtand been killed. As it was, we were bound and marched into the camp atSandynugghur. It was resolved to take us in triumph into Delhi; and wewere marched along with the regiment till you saw us. We had talkedover every conceivable plan of escape, and had determined that we wouldtry to-night, which will be the last halt before they get to Delhi. Itis very unlikely that we should have succeeded, but it was better to beshot down than to be taken to Delhi and given over to the mob totorture before they killed us. I am convinced we had no chance ofreally getting off, and that you have saved our lives, just as Dunlopand Manners saved mine, at the risk of their own, on that first nightof our flight. And now let us be on the march."

  They had not gone far before the three officers found that it wasimpossible to walk in their Sepoy jackets. They accordingly took themoff, and slung them from their muskets. Ned and Dick were fairlyfitted. They halted for the night near the river, about ten miles aboveDelhi. In the morning they were off early. By nine o'clock they stoodon the bank of the river, five miles higher up.

  The river is wide, or rather the bed of the river is wide, half a mileat least; this in the rainy season is full to the brim, but at othertimes the stream is not more than half that width. After crossing theriver they would have fifteen miles still to traverse to arrive atMeerut; and it was probable that the whole intervening country was inthe hands of the Sepoys.

  "Had we not better keep this side of the river for a bit, father?" Nedasked.

  "No, my boy; we will cross here after dark, and make straight forMeerut. If we can't find a boat, we will each cut a large bundle ofrushes, to act as a lifebuoy and carry your guns and ammunition, and soswim across after it is dark."

  "Well, major, as the sun is getting awfully hot, I vote we get into theshade of those stunted trees, and have a nap till the afternoon. Itwon't do to begin even to make the raft till the sun is down."

  Captain Dunlop's proposition was carried into effect; but it isquestionable whether any of the party slept much, for they were excitedby the thought that in a few hours they would be with friends, oncemore soldiers instead of fugitives, with power to fight in defense oftheir sovereign's dominions, and of the helpless women and childrenexposed to the fury of the atrocious mutineers. With these thoughtsmingled the anxiety which was wearing them all, although each refrainedfrom talking about it, as to the safety of the girls, whose lives woredependent upon the fidelity of a native and his servants.

  Over and over again, since they met the boys, had they regretted thatthey had not gone back to watch over them; but the fact that Rose mightbe weeks before she was able to stand, and that, as their protector hadsaid, the presence of Europeans near them might be detected, and wouldbe a source of constant danger, convinced them that they had taken theproper course. They knew, too, that in acting as they had done theywere performing their duty; and that at a moment when the fate ofBritish India trembled in the balance, the place of every soldier wasby the side of the British troops who still maintained the old flagflying in the face of increasing numbers of the enemy. Still, althoughthey knew that they were doing their duty, and were, moreover, takingthe wisest course, the thoughts of the girls alone in the midst ofdanger, with one of them down with fever, tried them terribly, and theylonged with a fierce desire for the excitement of work and of danger tokeep them from thinking of it.

  "Here, boys, is a ear of Indian corn apiece; eat that and then get towork."

  The frugal meal was soon over, and they then set to work, cutting down,breaking off, and tearing up large reeds with which to make floats. Theboys had
knives, but the others had been stripped of everything theyhad at the time of their capture. In about an hour, however, fivebundles were made, each some six feet long and nearly three feet thick.The muskets and ammunition pouches were fastened on these, and soonafter it was quite dark they entered the water.

  "There are no crocodiles, I hope," Dick whispered to Ned.

  "Nothing to fear in these large rivers; the chances of meeting one arevery small."

  "All right," Dick said. "Of course we've got to risk it. But they're asbad as sharks; and sharks, as the Yankee said, is pison. Well, heregoes."

  When the bundles were placed in the water they were lashed side by sidewith long trailing creepers which grew abundantly among the rushes; andthey were thus secured from the risk of turning over from the weightson the top. Upon the raft thus formed their clothes were placed, andthen, side by side, pushing it before them, the party shoved off fromshore. In twenty minutes they touched ground on the other side. Theydressed, examined their muskets to see if they were in good order, andthen started in the direction in which they knew Meerut to be. Severaltimes they paused and listened, for they could occasionally hear thenoise of galloping men, and it was evident that there were troops ofsome kind or other moving about.

  They walked for some hours until they thought that they could not befar from their destination, and had begun to congratulate themselvesupon being near their friends, when the sound of a strong body of menwas heard sweeping along the level plain across which they were nowpassing.

  "There is a small building ahead," the major said; "run for that; theyare coming across here."

  They were seen, for a shout of "Who goes there?" in Hindostanee washeard.

  "Give me your musket, Dick," Captain Dunlop exclaimed. For the lad,with the weight of his musket and ammunition, could hardly keep up withthe others.

  Just in time they reached the building in front of them, rushed in, andclosed the door as the cavalry swept up. It was a small temple; abuilding of massive construction, with one little window about sixinches square, and on the same side a strong door.

  "Pile everything against the door," the major cried. "Dunlop, fire atonce at them. Our only chance is to hold out with the hope that we maybe heard, and that some of our fellows may come to the rescue."

  Captain Dunlop fired just as the troopers dashed up to the door.

  "Now, Manners, steady, pick off your man," the major said, as, aided bythe boys, he jammed a beam of wood between the door and the wall, atsuch an angle that, except by breaking it to pieces, the door could notbe forced.

  "Now," he said, "it's my turn;" and he fired into the enraged enemy."Now, Ned, steady. Are you loaded again, Dunlop?"

  "Yes, major; just ready."

  "Dick, you follow; take good aim."

  The cavalry answered their fire, every shot of which was taking effect,by a confused discharge of their pistols at the door and window.

  "Draw off!" their leader shouted; "rear-rank men hold the horses,front-rank men dismount and break in the door."

  The order was obeyed; and the troopers rushed forward on foot, and weremet by a steady fire, to which the straggling return of their pistolswas but an inefficient answer. Vainly the mutineers hacked at the doorwith their sabers and struck it with their pommels.

  "Throw yourselves against it, all at once," cried their leader; and adozen men sent themselves against the door; it creaked and strained,but the beam kept it in its place.

  "You keep up the fire through the window," said the major; "the boysand I will fire through the door."

  Yells and shrieks followed each shot through the door, and after threeor four minutes the troopers drew off.

  "Any one hurt?" the major asked.

  "I have got a bullet in my shoulder," said Captain Dunlop.

  But that was the only reply. There was a shout outside, and Mannersexclaimed: "Confound the fellows, they have got a big log of wood thatwill soon splinter the door."

  "We must stop them as long as we can," said the major, as he firedamong the men who were advancing with the log.

  Several Sepoys fell before they got up to the house, but they pressedon, and, at the first blow given by the battering-ram driven by themen, the door split from top to bottom.

  "Fix bayonets," the major said. "Now, Manners, you and I will hold themback. Not more than two can come at once, and their swords are of nouse against bayonets in a narrow space. Dunlop, will you stand inreserve? you have still got your right hand; use your bayonet as adagger if a rush comes. Boys, you go on loading and firing; put in fourballs each time. If they get in, of course use your bayonets; theregoes the door!"

  A shout burst from the natives as the last portion of the door droppedfrom its hinges, and the doorway was open. There was, however, noinclination betrayed to make a rush.

  "Forward! Death to the infidel dogs!" shouted their officer.

  "Suppose you lead us," said one of the troopers; "the officers alwaysshow the way."

  "Come, then," cried an old officer, on whose breast hung severalmedals; "follow me!"

  Drawing his sword, he rushed forward, followed by twenty of his men.But as he passed over the threshold he and the trooper next to him fellbeneath the bayonet thrusts of Major Warrener and his companion. Thenext two, pushed forward by their comrades, shared the same fate;while, as they fell, the muskets of Ned and Dick sent their contentsinto the mass. The rest recoiled from the fatal doorway, while thedefenders set up a cheer of triumph. It was drowned in a crash ofmusketry, mingled with a cry of surprise and despair from the natives,as a body of British soldiers leaped from the wood, and followed theirvolley by an impetuous charge. The cavalry on the plain turned and fledat a gallop; and in five minutes, but for a few dark figures prostrateon the plain, not an enemy was in sight.

  "Well, gentlemen, you have made a stout defense," the officer incommand said, as he returned to the shrine, outside which the littleparty had gathered. "It seems as if you could have done without myhelp. Who are you, may I ask? And where have you sprung from?"

  "Why, Sibbold, is it you? You haven't forgotten Warrener? And here areDunlop and Manners."

  "Hurrah!" shouted the officer. "Thank God, old fellows, you are saved;we fancied that you had all gone down. I am glad;" and he shook handsenthusiastically with his friends; while two of the officers, comingup, joined in the hearty greeting.

  "Do those two men belong to your regiment?" Captain Sibbold asked. "Ifso, they are wonders; for I don't know a case as yet where any of themen proved true when the rest mutinied."

  "They are my sons," Major Warrener answered.

  "What?" exclaimed the other, laughing--believing that the major wasjoking.

  "It's a fact, as you will see when they have got rid of the stains ontheir faces," he replied; while Captain Dunlop added, "and two as fineyoung fellows as ever stepped. Do you know that we three wereprisoners, and that these lads rescued us from the middle of a pandyregiment. If they hadn't we should have been dead men before now. Andnow have you got anything to eat at Meerut, for we are famishing? Inthe next place, I have got a bullet in my shoulder, and shall enjoy myfood all the more after it has been taken out. Our stories are long andwill keep. How go things here?"

  "Not very brightly, Dunlop; however, that will keep, too; now let us beoff. Have we any casualties, sergeant?" he asked a non-commissionedofficer who came up for orders.

  "None, sir."

  "What is the enemy's loss?"

  "There are fifteen which can be fairly counted to us, sir, and nineteenhere."

  "That's a respectable total. Fall in, lads," he said to the men who hadgathered round, "and let us get back. You will be glad to hear thatthese officers have escaped from the massacre at Sandynugghur."

  There was a hearty cheer of satisfaction from the men, for Englishmenwere knit very closely together in those terrible days. Then, fallingin, the two companies of the Sixtieth Rifles marched back again totheir cantonments at Meerut.