CHAPTER XXII.
THE TRIUMPH OF THE DEAD.
The siege of Agpur was in full swing, the big guns battering at thewalls from a distance, while the trenches crept nearer and nearer tothe outlying suburbs. Nisbet and Cowper still slept in theirdesecrated grave in the precincts of Ratan Singh's tomb, not becausethe mind of General Speathley had yielded in the least to Gerrard'sarguments, but on account of the opportune arrival of the ammunitionfor which the army had been waiting, and which enabled active work tobegin at once. A chilly neutrality reigned between the Brigadier andthe officer accompanying the Habshiabad troops, who saw as little aspossible of one another, finding it advisable to communicate through athird person. This was usually Charteris, who stood aghast when hefound what a gulf had been established between them.
"If it had been me to go into a passion and use insubordinate language,no one would have wondered," he lamented. "But you, Hal--who havebarely lost your temper three times in your life! And on a mere matterof sentiment, too!"
"Didn't you yourself accuse me of a tendency to the sentimental?"
"That was in an affair in which it was more or less natural. But whenit comes to being cut out of despatches for the sake of a deadblackfellow----! Seriously, old boy, it may be bad for you in thefuture."
"You know as well as I do whether mention in despatches would have theslightest weight with a certain lady if she cared for a man. And ifshe didn't, what in the world does it signify losing it?"
"Poor beggar, he's got 'em badly!" mused Charteris, as he left hisfriend's tent. His own sphere of influence being situated within theconfines of Granthistan, he was indubitably subordinate to GeneralSpeathley, but a certain power of accommodating himself to hissurroundings had saved him from incurring the Brigadier's activeenmity. He could never be wholly forgiven for taking on his ownaccount those preliminary steps which must always prevent the conquestof Agpur from being ascribed to the Bombay Army, but he had sufficienttact, or worldly wisdom, to refrain from such allusions to the fact asGerrard had let fall.
* * * * * *
The beleaguered garrison of Agpur were not minded to take theirpunishment lying down. At first Sher Singh had sent variousambassadors professing his readiness to surrender if his life wasguaranteed, and when the authorities on the spot proved adamant,indited heart-rending letters to Sir Edmund Antony, entreating hisintervention. But the Governor-General had spoken too plainly to admitany possibility of mistake, or even a loophole for mediation, and SirEdmund, wounded and resentful as he felt over the treatment meted outto him, could only repeat the promise already given of a fair trial forthe Rajah if he surrendered, and protection for his women. ThereuponSher Singh's attempts at negotiation ceased, and his followers appliedthemselves with ardour to making the besiegers' position asuncomfortable as possible, by means of sorties and surprise attacks.There was always the chance of an outbreak of disease in the Britishcamp, or even a successful diversion on the part of the revoltedGranthistan army, such as might compel the raising of the siege.
For some nights there had been no attempt at a surprise, and thetrenches had been advanced to a point at which it was intended to erecta new battery to assail the portion of the city walls best adapted forbreaching. The construction of this battery was being busily pushedforward in the dark, by the help of shaded lights, when theworking-party were fiercely assailed by a horde of the enemy, mountedand on foot, who had poured silently through the gate nearest to thethreatened point, and almost reached the works before their presencewas detected. The whole of the British force stood to its arms, butsalutary experience had taught the leaders that sorties seldom camesingly, and only the troops nearest the point of attack were moved torepulse it. On the further side of the city Gerrard had a hard task torestrain the eagerness of his men, who could not see why they should bekept out of the fight, and avenged themselves by detecting endlessimaginary sorties against their own position. It was a night ofpeculiar blackness, and General Desdichado, who had been drawn from hisseclusion by the alarm, evidently found it trying to his nerves. Hisagitation culminated at last in a wild charge into the darkness,followed by as many of the Habshiabadis as could find their horses,yelling and discharging their muskets into the night. Gerrard, hoarsewith his vain exertions, half amused and half disgusted, was left withRukn-ud-din and the Rajput Amrodh Chand and their men to defend thecamp. He turned to make an ironical remark to the former, but foundhim standing like a statue, listening intently.
"Sahib, there come men from the city. As they crossed the bridge, Iheard their horses' feet on the planks."
"Let us go forward a short distance," said Gerrard, and they went outinto the gloom, the tumult of the Habshiabadis' charge on the leftgrowing faint in their ears. They could hear nothing of the advanceRukn-ud-din thought he had detected, and Gerrard, concluding that theman's ears had deceived him, was about to suggest returning to thecamp, when a distant flash of lightning, such as had been playing onthe horizon during the earlier part of the evening, lit up thelandscape, and showed a company of horsemen riding cautiously away fromthe city. Their aim was evidently to pass between the camp of theHabshiabadis and that of the next besieging unit, and they had almostaccomplished their purpose when they were seen.
"The brother-slayer seeks to steal away by night!" cried Rukn-ud-dinfiercely, and without another word he and Gerrard turned and raced forthe camp. One moment to despatch an orderly with a request toCharteris to detail some of his Darwanis to guard the tents untilGeneral Desdichado saw fit to return, and another to acquaint theBrigadier with the importance of the crisis, and all the troop were intheir saddles and thundering out in pursuit. There was no need forsecrecy, for the fugitives had now laid aside their caution, and couldbe heard riding for all they were worth, and the result of the chasewould depend on speed, not cunning. So thick was the darkness thatmore than once Gerrard was obliged to draw rein, and in the silencepalpitating with the breath of excited men and horses, listen for thepursued, but it was soon clear that they were maintaining a fairlystraight line for the north. There they must sooner or later bestopped by the river--unless, indeed, the plot included the bribing ofsome of the native contractors supplying the British to have theirboats available, and Gerrard redoubled his efforts to catch them upbefore they reached it. Accidents arising from irrigation-canals orunsuspected nullahs delayed him once or twice, but when the dawn brokea shout of triumph burst from his weary men. The fugitives were fullin view, and there were women among them. Their horses were obviouslyflagging, and the dark line which denoted the brink of the now floodedriver was still some distance in front. Barely, however, had thetroopers given vent to their irrepressible joy at the prospect of soimportant a capture, with the loot which would almost certainlyaccompany it, when one of them, happening to look behind, uttered a cryof surprise and disgust. The pursuers were themselves pursued, a bodyof Bombay cavalry following hard upon their heels. Gerrard set histeeth angrily as he looked round and verified the man's information.General Speathley was determined not to allow even this minor exploitto fall to the share of his allies.
The Rani's contingent needed no words to induce them to get the utmostout of their horses in order if possible to reach the fugitives first,but the pursuers gained upon them steadily, and when the two partieswere actually riding level, and an orderly appeared at his elbow,Gerrard was reluctantly forced to turn and accept a written orderdesiring him to give up the pursuit into the hands of the officercommanding the troops. To share the honour would have been bad enough,to lose it altogether was monstrous, and his men eyed the Bombaytroopers with such disfavour as made it evident that little was wantingto bring about a fratricidal fight. Gerrard was obliged to flinghimself into the breach, and argue and persuade his sullen sowars intoallowing themselves to be drawn off. The incident had caused a slightloss of time, and it was some consolation to the disappointed ones thatthe fugitives had contrived to increase their distance before theBom
bay troop were in motion again. Pride forbade Gerrard and hisfollowers to wait and see the result of the chase, and they turnedtheir horses' heads towards Agpur, disdaining to seek more definiteinformation than could be obtained by furtive glances backwards on thepart of the rear-rank men, whose observations percolated from one toanother until they reached their commander. In this way Gerrardlearned that the fugitives had been caught up on, or at any rate near,the very brink of the river, and that a brisk fight was proceeding. Hehad a resentful impulse to take his troop on at full speed, that theymight not behold the triumph of the interlopers, but the horses weretired, and there was no sense in riding them hard now. Without theexcitement of the chase to stimulate them, the men flagged after theirlong night's work, and it was a dispirited and sulky-looking band thatwatched the victorious Bombay troop ride proudly by, escorting theircaptives. The conquerors expressed their feelings by gestures ofderision, which Gerrard's men were too much crushed to return, andvanished ahead in a cloud of dust. But when the vanquished taileddolefully into camp some hours later, they were met by theirHabshiabadi comrades, eager to inform them that the triumph had notbeen so complete after all. The majority of the fugitives had beencaptured, including Sher Singh's favourite wife and her attendants, butthe Rajah himself had spurred his horse into the river and been carriedquickly by the swollen current beyond reach of pursuit. It would havebeen too much to expect the Rani's men to feel any sorrow at this news,but politeness demanded that they should express it, and fatigue wasforgotten in the delight of donning fresh clothes and paying visits ofcondolence to the camp of the Bombay cavalry. The keenest joy camefrom the fact which was on every man's lips, that but for the delaycaused by the change of pursuers, Sher Singh's whole party might havebeen surrounded and captured before it reached the brink of the river.
But if the disappointment of Sher Singh's escape was outweighed in themen's minds by the fact that it was through their rivals' fingers hehad slipped, Gerrard was not able to console himself so easily.Charteris, who had heard with burning indignation of the treatment hehad received, hurried to his tent to sympathize with him, and it seemedas though the two men had exchanged characters, as Gerrard strode upand down, breathing out furious threats against the Brigadier, whilehis friend, seated precariously astride a camp-chair, sought tointerject counsels of prudence.
"It's not so much the insult to me personally that I resent, as theloss of the opportunity of ending the campaign at a blow!" criedGerrard.
"Quite so. You wouldn't," said Charteris soothingly.
"Though it's perfectly clear that he was merely pursuing his grudgeagainst me. He even stoops to vilify my poor fellows in order tojustify himself. I hear that he said it was impossible to entrust suchan important capture to an officer not under his authority, and totroops which had probably been bribed already to let Sher Singh slippast."
"You had visitors before I came, then?"
"A whole lot of 'em. Uncommon sympathetic they were, too."
"Uncommon pleased to get up a row between you and old Speathley, Ishould say. Don't you listen to 'em, Hal."
"My dear Bob, there are some things one can't pass over. We havesubmitted to Speathley's caprices too long, and it's time to speak out.Personal injustice may be forgiven----"
"Precious little forgiveness about you just now," muttered Charteris.
"But when it is a case of injury to the public service, it is necessaryto make a stand," concluded Gerrard impressively.
"Oh, all right; and what's your idea of making a stand? ChallengingSpeathley, or denouncing him to his face?"
"I shall write to the papers."
"Sort of thing Lennox and Keeling are always doing," said Charteriscarelessly. "Not quite our style, eh? But if your conscience impelsyou to ruin your own career and justify the Brigadier's dislike of you,I suppose I can't prevent it."
"But think what he has sacrificed! Sher Singh will raise the country,bring down the Granthi army upon us, perhaps----"
"It's quite possible. But what I don't see is how your writing to thepapers is going to prevent it."
"It might lead to---- Hang it, Bob! is the fellow to go unpunished?"
"Won't he be punished enough when the story of Sher Singh's escape getsabout--not to speak of the additional trouble we may expect here? Hal,old boy, let him alone. If you don't, you'll be sorry when you'reyourself again."
"For you to urge patience upon me is a novelty," said Gerrard, ratherbitterly, but his step was less resolute as he tramped about the tent.Suddenly he sat down opposite Charteris. "Bob, I begin to think youare not so very far wrong. At any rate I'll wait before doing it.Who's that out there?" he cried sharply, as a shadow moved outside.
"Heaven-born!" Rukn-ud-din rose from his crouching position andsaluted in the doorway. "It was told in the ears of this slave thatyour honour was very wrathful concerning the escape of thebrother-slayer, and he presumed to approach unbidden with news."
"And what is the news?" demanded Gerrard, still ruffled.
"That the man who escaped was not Rajah Sher Singh at all, sahib."
"What! you mean that he is among the prisoners?"
"Not so, sahib. He has never left the city."
"But what--what reason have you for thinking so?"
"Does your honour think that the men who have been led by Sher Singhinto their present evil case would permit him to forsake them? Surelythey would hold him fast."
"No doubt they would if they could, but I imagine he has given them theslip. Would he send his wife away without him?"
"Sahib, the woman says she is the Rani, but I think she is merely aslave-girl playing a part. If the Rajah wished the troops of theCompany to believe he had escaped, would he not have devised just sucha plot as this, sending forth a party intended for capture, that theymight bear the news?"
"It struck me as so characteristic of Sher Singh to sneak away andleave his women to be captured that I should never have thought ofdoubting it," said Gerrard in perplexity to Charteris, who took up thequestioning.
"But what good could it do to Sher Singh that we should think he hadescaped, Komadan-ji?"
"That your honours would not look for him in the city when it falls,"replied Rukn-ud-din promptly. "If there is some hiding-place in whichhe may seek safety"--Gerrard's eyes met those of Charteris with suddenenlightment--"he might remain there in peace, and creep out when all isquiet again. But do not take my word for it, sahib. Only, if there isno news of Sher Singh's seeking support in the north, and bringing anarmy against us, remember what I have said."
"It is well. We will remember," said Gerrard. "Say nothing of this toany one, unless it be to Amrodh Chand."
"It is an order, sahib." Rukn-ud-din received leave to depart, andmelted silently away. Gerrard looked at Charteris again.
"The treasury!" he cried breathlessly.
"'Pon my word, that's it. Unless--I told you how they broke into thepassage, you know, and after the treasure was got out, Sher Singhordered the place to be destroyed."
"D'ye think he did it, Bob?"
"I don't, if you ask me. I think it was a do."
"Exactly, and he has secured himself a comfortable underground retreat,with two exits, both of which are known to us. We shall catch him likea rat in a trap, if we keep our own counsel."
"I believe you, my boy! And now, what's your mature opinion of yourplan for showing up Speathley? Ain't it ray-ther better to coveryourself with glory by producing the missing Sher Singh than byindulging a revengeful temper to put it out of your power to capturehim? Old boy, he can't keep you out of despatches then! And the bestof it is that you and I must do the thing all on our own hook, for thevery good reason that we are both sworn not to reveal the secret of thetreasury to a soul. We shall have to take Rukn-ud-din and Amrodh Chandinto our confidence as far as the preliminaries go, and they'll bedelighted to help, but they must understand that the thing itself is aSahibs' job."
"Don't forget that t
he whole thing depends on Rukn-ud-din's being rightin saying that Sher Singh never left the city."
"Oh, don't _buck_.[1] Of course he's right," said Charteris rudely.And as time went on, it became clearer to the two young men thatRukn-ud-din was right. True, the garrison of Agpur made great capitalof the escape across the flooded river, and were continually condolingwith the besiegers on the slowness of their horses, or prophesyinggreat results from Sher Singh's personal influence in raising upsympathisers in the north. It was quite evident that they meant it tobe believed that Sher Singh was not in the city, but the actual newsfrom the north did not support them. Lieutenant Ronaldson sent wordthat an emissary from Sher Singh, sent to stir up his tribesmen againstthe English, had unfortunately just slipped through his fingers, butthough intrigues were heard of in abundance from various quarters,there were no tidings of the Rajah himself. Meanwhile, the slowprogress of the siege continued, until it received a suddenacceleration by means of a lucky shot from a howitzer, which droppedinto the enemy's chief magazine, and blew it up. After this, eventscame in quick succession. The Agpuris were driven first from theirvarious positions outside the city walls, then from the suburbs, and arough road was levelled through the ruins, that the guns might bebrought to bear upon the palace fortress itself. For the whole of oneday they pounded at the walls which Partab Singh had constructed as theaid to his ambitious designs, and at night it was pronounced that thebreach was practicable for the next day. But in the morning a flag oftruce came out, borne by old Sada Sukhi, a persona grata on account ofhis loyalty to Nisbet and Cowper, and it was announced that thegarrison, commanded in the absence of the Rajah by the Diwan DwarikaNath, desired to surrender. Before any terms could be granted, it wasrequired that Sarfaraz Khan and a number of others known to have beenconcerned in the murder of the two Englishmen should be handed over,and this was done, though merely the dead body of the treacherouscaptain of the guard, who had poisoned himself with a drug concealed inthe hilt of his sword, could be carried out to the conquerors. Aparley between Sada Sukhi and the political officer with the forcesettled the terms of surrender for the fighting men and the civilinhabitants, the cases of any who might hereafter prove to have takenan active part in the murders being specially reserved, and the remainsof the Agpur army marched out, and were duly disarmed.
Much curiosity was evinced by the British troops forming part of thebesieging army as to the fortress which had held them at bay so long,and Gerrard, wandering through the place when the transfer of authoritywas complete, felt a sense of desecration when he discovered severalprivates, looking, in their tight scarlet tunics, stiff stocks andheavy shakos, most incongruously uncomfortable, taking their ease onthe divan in the tower where he had sat with Partab Singh. Others weretrying to paddle the deaf and dumb man's boat about the lotus-coveredtank, their adventures affording high delight to their comrades on theshore, and others again were teasing the wild beasts in the menagerie.The first troops marching in had found the palace strewn with valuablestuffs and other treasures, but these had now all been collected andplaced under guard, as were the women's apartments, and there wasnothing left to tempt the cupidity of the soldiers, though they found agood deal that was capable of injury, and promptly injured it. TheResidency, in which Gerrard had passed so many lonely days, was badlyknocked about, and strewn with the dishonoured remnants of Nisbet andCowper's belongings. Evidently Sher Singh and his adherents hadwreaked their vengeance even upon the house where the murdered men hadlived, for the place was little more than a ruin. In the enclosedgarden, where he had dreamt of seeing Honour walking, Gerrard came uponthe political officer, whom he knew well as one of Sir Edmund Antony'smost trusted lieutenants.
"Glad to see you, Gerrard. Curious you should have come upon me justhere. Wasn't it you who got into trouble with Speathley by saying thatpoor Nisbet and Cowper ought to be buried in the city instead of inRatan Singh's tomb?"
"Yes, but I don't know how you heard of it."
"Other people have heard of it as well. You have impressed thesensitive imagination of no less a person than the Governor-General, mydear fellow. Your suggestion got through to him somehow--some one whowas there writing to some one else, I suppose--and he has sentperemptory orders for it to be carried out. Ever since the newsarrived, the pet aide-de-camp has been labouring to convince Speathleythat he originated the idea himself, and was only angry with youbecause you took the words out of his mouth, and he is just coming tobelieve it."
"Very wise, in the circumstances."
"Uncommonly so. Well, what do you think of this place for the grave?It is inside the palace enclosure, and yet quite separated from thepalace itself. Even if we set up a new Rajah, I suppose we shall keepa garrison in the town, and a sentry can always be mounted here. Nofuture Resident would care to live so close to the palace after whathas happened, I should say."
"I suppose you can't do better," agreed Gerrard reluctantly, looking atthe overgrown wilderness which represented his carefully kept garden."Yes, make a cemetery of the place by all means, Rawson. It looks asif it had a curse on it."
"What an uncommon romantic fellow you are!" said Rawsongood-humouredly. "This was my chief reason for choosing the spot.Look here!"
He took Gerrard by the elbow and turned him round. From where theystood they looked straight through the breach made by the guns, andalong the rough track formed by levelling the houses from the chasm inthe outer to that in the inner wall.
"See that? Almost a straight line, ain't it? Well, if we bring 'em inthrough the double breach, along that road, and bury them here in theheart of the palace, will it, or will it not, produce a fine moraleffect?"
"Magnificent!" murmured Gerrard, the dramatic force of the ideagripping him. "Regular time's revenge."
Two or three days later time's revenge was completed. The bodies ofNisbet and Cowper, removed reverently from their desecrated grave andwrapped in the costliest Kashmir shawls to be discovered among SherSingh's treasures, were borne through the breach in the city wall,attended by representatives of every unit of the besieging force,across the devastated town and through the ruined defences of thepalace, to be laid to rest in the secluded garden with every possiblemilitary honour. As the last echoes of the firing over the grave diedaway, Gerrard turned to Charteris with quickened breath.
"Bob," he murmured, "they have made a way for a corpse through thegreat wall of Agpur."
[1] In modern parlance, "gas."
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