CHAPTER XI
An Old Man's Ruse
Had some terrible earthquake suddenly occurred, and set the walls of thefort and the house attached to them tottering and swaying, those withinthe courtyard could not have been more dismayed. The explosion which hadsmashed the gates to splinters, the flash of the powder, and thetremendous roar of the upheaval, followed by the clatter of falling woodand masonry, brought consternation to the defenders, and in a momentthey were transformed into cravens, some of whom stared at the openspace in the wall, with its ragged edges still clad in a mantle of thinsmoke, as if they were fascinated, while others crouched on the ground,their faces in their hands, dreading another explosion. Only Mulha,Owen, and the aged owner of the fort kept their senses.
"They have beaten us, sahib," said the old man sadly, as he stood besideour hero, and listened to the hoarse shouts of triumph which the enemysent up. "They will break in now without a doubt, and we shall bekilled. For myself, I shall not grieve, for I have seen the best of lifeand am tired of the endless struggle against these lawless people. Foryou and for these peons here I am sorry. You are young. The world wasbefore you. Doubtless you have friends over the water who will grieve.All whom I love are within the house, and lest they should fall victimsto these robbers I will slay them myself. Yes, they shall die easilyrather than incur the ferocity of the horsemen."
"Steady! we must not be in a hurry," exclaimed Owen suddenly. "If theyare sure to kill us I at any rate will make a fight first. No giving into be peacefully slaughtered, thank you. Mulha, we'll line the gateway,and show these fellows that we are not beaten. Now listen!"
He swung round upon the old man, who stood quietly beside him, evidentlyresigned to his fate, and spoke as rapidly as possible, giving hisorders in a tone which told that he required them to be carried outwithout question and without delay.
"Take half a dozen of the men and send them to us with more barrels,with stones, anything you like. We will hold the gateway if possiblewhile they bring the things. They are to pile them in front of us. Seeto it immediately. Now, Mulha, collect the bravest of the men and cometo the gate."
They ran across the narrow courtyard, gathering men as they went. Theyshouted at the top of their voices to encourage the peons, and it wasnot long before half a dozen of the natives had joined them, armed withtulwars or muskets, while the remainder looked on in doubt. A minutelater, however, they stirred and came running forward, for Owen let themfeel no doubt as to what would be their fate if the enemy broke in.
"Choose for yourselves," he cried, so that all could hear. "Do you thinkthat those ruffians outside will spare a single one of you if you crouchand offer no resistance. They will kill you in their own particularmanner. Fight while you have the opportunity. Come to the gateway, andstand shoulder to shoulder with us. We can still keep them out, and in alittle while we shall have a barrier behind which we can fight."
It was very fortunate for the defenders that the Mahratta horsemenoutside did not dash forward at once to capture the place, for had theycome on the instant the explosion had occurred they would have bursttheir way in without encountering any but the feeblest opposition. Butthe men outside chose a very different course. While not lacking in dashat other times, they were notoriously more venturesome when attackinghelpless villagers than when engaged with an enemy able to return hardknocks for those which were given. Indeed, our former campaigns with theMahrattas had proved that this race of freebooters were as a wholesomewhat deficient in courage, and it was this very deficiency whichproved the salvation of those within the fort. The Mahrattas held back,for the prowess of a single Englishman was sufficient to cool theirardour, and Owen had already proved to them that he could fight. Theygalloped backwards and forwards before the gateway, shouting defiantlyand waving their tulwars above their heads, while those who haddismounted earlier contented themselves with a desultory fire, theirbullets sweeping in through the opening. Owen and Mulha made the most ofthe delay. By dint of setting a gallant example, by persuasion andalmost by compulsion, they gathered the peons about them, and biddingthem lie flat on the ground urged them to push what remained of theirbarrier into position. Then the men, whom the aged owner of the placehad taken with him, came running from the house with bales of cloth,sacks of grain and rice, and any bulky package which would serve thepurpose.
"Let them run over to the side wall, and then come along at the foot ofthe wall in which the rent is," Owen shouted. "They will escape thebullets by doing so. Ah, those fellows outside are troublesome!" heexclaimed, as one of the unfortunate peons, emerging into the courtyardwith a sack of rice on his shoulders, suddenly pitched forward on to hisface and lay there with arms and legs outstretched. "We must keep theirfire down. Mulha, send four of the men whom you judge to be cool and thebest shots to the top of the wall. They can fire from behind thedefences we built up. Hurry, now! They are collecting to attack us. Wemust have everything in readiness."
He looked anxiously through the opening in the wall, now wide enough toadmit ten men side by side, and sheltering behind a couple of bags ofrice stared out at the enemy. It was clear that they were gathering forthe assault, for their leader had already led the horsemen to a spotsome two hundred yards away, where all had dismounted. And now they werereturning on foot, leaving a small guard with their animals, and henoticed that every man carried a formidable tulwar in his hand, whilenot a few had pistols, and some daggers of eastern shape andmanufacture. Owen turned his eyes towards his own command, and a thrillof misgiving went through him, for against the well-armed host outside,many of whom were clad in clothing capable of resisting a stout blowfrom a sword, he had but a handful of almost naked peons, whose rollingeyes and side glances showed that they were none too sure of themselves.And some of these poor fellows were armed with ponderous muskets, fromwhich at the most only a couple of shots could be fired in a minute,while others gripped rusty tulwars. One even carried a bow and a sheathfull of arrows; but very soon showed that he was possibly destined to bemore dangerous to the enemy than any of his comrades. As the Mahrattasadvanced he fitted an arrow to the string and peered out from behind thebarricade which was fast becoming of respectable proportions. Then Owensaw him rise to his feet, take a hurried aim, and send his shaft at oneof the Mahratta marksmen who had risen from his cover to cheer on hiscomrades.
"A good shot! Bravely done!" Owen called out, while he stood up andpointed to the man. "He is closer in than any of his fellows, and thatis why you managed to reach him. A brave shot! He will be more carefulnext time."
Indeed, when next he peeped in that direction he saw the man slowly andlaboriously crawling back; for he had advanced till very close to thegateway, and until the sharp eye of the peon had detected him. And nowhe was retiring, a sadder and a wiser man, with a shaft transfixing hisshoulder.
"Sahib, there are eight men here who have some knowledge of theirweapons," said Mulha suddenly, coming to Owen's side. "I have postedfour above, and here are the others. If placed within the house, wherethey could send their bullets over our heads, they would perhaps compelthe enemy to withdraw. In any case they would cause trouble."
He pointed to the rickety-looking native house, built against the wallopposite to that in which was the gateway, and indicated with a movementof his finger a window which occupied the central post. Owen gave astart of surprise, and putting his hand to his mouth, for the shoutingoutside was becoming deafening, called loudly for the old man. A momentlater the four peons who had been selected by Mulha were racing for thehouse, following in the wake of the figure of the owner, whose greybeard streamed in the wind, while his thin legs cut across the ground ata pace and in a manner which at another time would have brought a shoutof laughter from the onlookers. For this native was well advanced inyears, and a thriving farm, increasing wealth and possessions, and someamount of power, had engrafted on him a degree of dignity which forbadeall such active movements. He was wont to pass quietly and majesticallyamongst his peons, not to race across the yard
with his beard and turbanflying in the wind, and his thin shanks exposed far above the knee.However, necessity is the cause of many a change. In less than a minutehis anxious face appeared at the window, with the four men beside him.
"We can fire well from here, my lord," he called down in hishigh-pitched, squeaky tones. "There is no danger of our hitting you atthe gate, though I am warning the men. Look, sahib, they are coming!"
His tones rose to a shriek, and as Owen stared through the gateway herealised at once the reason for his sudden excitement. The Mahrattaswere coming. Gathered in a close mass they had advanced till just withinshot of the walls, and had halted while their leader harangued them,walking up and down before them and waving his tulwar. But now they wereadvancing once more, and on this occasion at a run, their eyes fixedeagerly upon the heads of the defenders which now appeared above thebarricade erected within. Owen turned to his men and pointed to theenemy.
"You see them for yourselves," he said in significant tones. "Let thementer, and not a single man here will live to tell the story. Hold toyour posts, beat them back, and slay as many as you can, and you will beproud men to the end of your days, and more than that, the news of yoursuccess will keep others from coming. Now, let each act coolly. Not ashot is to be fired from here till I give the word. Stand beside thebarricade, and do not allow a single one to climb over it."
By now, thanks to the enemy for the respite which they had given, and tothe frenzied labours of the men who had been carrying bags to thebarricade, the circle so hurriedly erected within the gateway was ofconsiderable dimensions. It was composed of every sort of material, offractured barrels, piled up masonry, bales, sacks and boxes, all heapedhaphazard one upon another, but for all that in such a manner as toconstruct a wall some four feet in height. But, though it gave excellentcover, it had one fatal fault. A resolute enemy, attacking from theother side, could, if they tried, tear the wall to pieces within a fewminutes, or might with one vigorous rush overthrow it and come pouringinto the yard. Everything depended on the temper of the defenders, andupon the courage which they showed.
"I will stand in the centre, Mulha, and do you take post a little on oneside," said Owen. "The others will close up to us. Remember, men, therecan be no turning back. I myself will shoot the first who ventures toretire."
He looked grimly round at the peons, his pistol in his left hand, whilehis sabre was firmly grasped in his right. There was an air of easyassurance about him, the air which he had worn when fighting Hargreaveson the ship. But in his heart he could not feel that assurance, for theresult of the contest was more than doubtful. It promised to end inutter defeat and in the death of the defenders. Mulha thought that too,for as the Mahrattas charged in at the gateway the faithful native edgedcloser to his master, and catching his eye for the space of one secondsalaamed to him gravely, as if bidding farewell. There was no time formore, for like a stream which has overflowed its banks the dismountedMahrattas, each struggling to enter the gateway, struck in a long waveagainst the wall, and those who happened to be opposite the entrancecame struggling and stumbling through the rent. Owen lifted his hand andshouted to his men. Then as the report of their muskets broke out, andshouts of excitement began to come from the peons in answer to those ofthe enemy, he leaned his pistol on the top of the barricade and tookcareful aim at the Mahratta leader, who, seeing his design, held backfor an instant. But his own men pressed him on. In a moment he was wellwithin the gateway, and seeing the impossibility of retiring, hesummoned all his courage and sprang at the white officer behind thebarricade. Click! The hammer fell, but there was no answering flash. Theweapon had missed, and the Mahratta had escaped. But it was only for aninstant. An example was required to put heart into the peons, and Owenset it. With a shout of anger at the failure of his weapon he sprang onthe top of the barricade, and shifting the pistol into his right handthrew it with all his force at the leader. There was a dull crash as theloaded butt struck his head, and then a rousing shout of triumph.
"He is down! Fight! Beat them back! Drive them from the wall!"
It was Mulha who voiced the words, and a shout of defiance and triumphburst from the peons. Desperation had hitherto helped to keep theircourage up, though the numbers opposed to them brought dismay to themajority. But as Owen struck the Mahratta leader to the ground, theirdetermination to hold the place was suddenly increased. Like a flashthey saw that what he had done might be accomplished by others. They hada wall in front of them, and a white man to lead them. All was nothopelessly lost, and at the thought they threw themselves upon theMahrattas fiercely. The struggle which followed was carried on with theutmost determination, and for a little while it seemed as if Owen andhis men would drive the enemy clear of the gateway. Tulwars clashedagainst tulwars, muskets and pistols flashed, while the air was rentwith deafening shouts, with the shriek of the wounded, and with the loudreports of fire-arms. From the wall above stones were tossed down uponthe Mahrattas, while the four men posted in the window of the house keptup a steady fire. Indeed, the defenders did their utmost. But numberswere beginning to tell, while some five of the peons had already beenkilled or severely wounded. Owen still held his place in the centre, andstanding on the barricade thrust and cut savagely at the enemy. Mulhahad edged still closer, and his keen blade rose and fell, guarding a cuthere, and returning it with lightning-like rapidity, or darting overthere to parry a cut made at the white sahib. If bravery anddetermination could have brought the victory, it would have been theirs.But the Mahrattas were far too many for them, and their anger and hatehad been raised to a high pitch by the losses they had alreadysustained. By now they were pressing against the barricade, which in onepart was almost levelled. In a minute they would probably sweep theobstacle aside and force their way in. The end was close at hand, and asOwen unconsciously noticed how matters were going, and sought for aremedy as he struck with his sabre, he could think of nothing. He muststand there fighting to the last till some of the robbers threwthemselves upon him and cut him to pieces.
But there was one within the fort who had a remedy, and he came to therescue with a shriek of excitement which rose above the shouts of thecombatants and the roar of the muskets. It was the old man who had firstinduced Owen and Mulha to enter, offering them a haven when theMahrattas galloped out to surround them. Suddenly emerging from thehouse he raced across the courtyard at his topmost speed, and arrivingat the stone stairway, ascended it with a succession of agile leaps,four steps at a time. Then he sped along the narrow pathway on the walltill he reached the very edge where the masonry had been blown away. Noone seemed to notice him, for all were engaged in the deadly contestbelow, while those of the Mahrattas who still remained outside for thereason that there was no room for them within the gateway, pressedagainst their comrades, hoping by sheer force to drive them through thebarricade. And as they pressed they watched the contest with eager eyes,failing to note the figure of the old man above.
For a few seconds he stood there, bending over a bundle which hecarried beneath his arm. Then he threw off the rag which formed theoutside covering, and disclosed a cask of small dimensions, to the topof which he held a smoking brand. Not till then did the enemy catchsight of him, and when they did they were helpless to interfere. Someshouted at the top of their voices to warn their comrades, while others,on the outskirts of the attacking crowd, took to their heels without amoment's hesitation. And meanwhile the old man held his small brand tothe cask, till the fuse which emerged from an auger-hole began tosplutter. Then he threw the brand behind him, and looking down soughtfor the best spot in which to toss the barrel. A moment later he had itpoised above his head, and seemed to be in the very act of throwing it.And all the while the fuse spluttered, sending out a cloud of thinsulphurous smoke.
"Throw it! Blow them to atoms! Send it now, or you will be killed!"
Mulha had caught sight of the figure above, and realising in a flashwhat he was about to do shouted to the old man. But he did not stir, orattempt to throw his missile. He
stood there, poising the barrel,looking from the struggling mass below to the spluttering fuse, as if hewere fascinated; and while he waited the train which he had fired sweptdown the fuse with appalling rapidity. It was barely an inch from theauger-hole now, and in less than a minute it would disappear within. Andthen----
"Is the man mad? Throw it!" shouted Mulha, while the men stationed inthe window behind repeated the warning, bellowing the words at the topof their voices, and with all the force of their lungs.
"Throw it, master! You will be blown to atoms. Toss it into the robbersand send them to the sky!"
And if they wondered why he still clung to his bomb, as if seeking hisdeath, the Mahrattas marvelled even more. The shouts of warning hadreached their ears, and not a man but had turned his eyes upon thefigure above. Instantly they were thrown into a panic, and forgetful ofthe white officer and his peons they turned in desperate haste, andmindful only of the bomb and of the figure above they struggled to getout of the gateway with more desperation than they had shown when makingthe attack. There came a shriek of triumph from the old man, a shriekwhich set the enemy quaking.
"Forward!" he shouted, waving the barrel as if to attract Owen'sattention. "Forward, sahib, and cut them up!"
"Back! Run in here well behind the wall!" cried Owen. "The poor fellowhas gone mad. If we were to charge we should be blown to pieces when thepowder explodes. Lie down, men, close to the wall, and wait till it isover."
"Sahib, I think he is right. Let us charge," gasped Mulha, comingsuddenly to his side. "The old man has played a cunning trick upon theenemy. He has no bomb. The cask is probably empty."
If there had been any doubt about the matter the native set it at reston the instant. Realising that the white sahib and his men were asfearful of the expected explosion as were the enemy, and that what wasclear to him was not so to them, he bent down so that the enemy couldnot see him, and brought the cask against the side of the wall with abang which broke it to pieces.
"Empty! See!" he shouted. "Forward! Do not delay an instant! By Allah,they will escape us!"
Then it was all a ruse! After all, the old man who owned the fort hadsnatched his peons and the white sahib from disaster. It was almostincredible, but none the less true. Owen grasped the meaning of theantics of the native, and at once leapt to his feet.
"After them!" he shouted. "Keep together, and do not go far from thewalls. We will teach them to leave us alone in future."
Waving his sabre aloft he put himself at the head of the peons, who werenow overflowing with courage and eagerness, and vaulted over thebarricade. The Mahrattas were almost clear of the gateway, and as ourhero rushed at them the last of the attackers fled from between theshattered walls. But they were not to escape so lightly, and had yet toreceive punishment for the injury they had done. Owen saw that panic hadgot a firm grip of them, and emboldened by that he led his men far fromthe walls. Gathered in a close knot they dashed out, cutting down allwho stood in their way, and did not halt till they were at least fiftyyards from the walls. By then they had slain a number of the stragglers,while the rest were in full flight.
"Now, halt and pepper them with your muskets," shouted Owen at the topof his voice, for the din was tremendous, and the excitement of thepeons beyond description. "Lie down here and send your bullets into themas they mount."
A few of the men happened to have their weapons loaded, and at thatmoment the four marksmen who had been posted on top of the wall,together with those who had been in the window, came up with theircomrades, and adding their fire caused a considerable amount ofexecution in the ranks of the enemy, who meanwhile had rushed to theirhorses and were engaged in mounting them. For a little while there was ascene of the utmost confusion, for some men took any horse whichhappened to be nearest, while others, finding their own mounts gone,went in search of them. Finally, galled by the fire of the muskets, andfilled with an unaccountable panic, the whole mass of Mahratta horsegalloped away, leaving some thirty of their fellows on the ground. Andlong ere Owen or Mulha could inspect the wounded or interfere they weredead, slain by the infuriated defenders; for this was war to the knife,and any of the freebooters who had brought such misery to the country,and who might chance to fall into the hands of the people, could expectno mercy at all.
"That is the last that we shall see of the gang," said Owen, when theywere out of sight "But in case they should take heart and return we willmake ready for them. Set the men to work to rebuild the barricade, andlet us have double as many sacks."
"They will not dare to come near this part of the country again,"exclaimed the old native, with an emphatic shake of his head as he cameup to Owen. "Still, we will be prepared. They have had a lesson, sahib,and thanks to you, they have lost their leader. But for the arrival ofthe white lord we should all have been slain by now."
"Thank yourself," answered Owen heartily. "We were cornered. The attackwas going against us when you ran up with your bomb. To you alone we oweour safety and deliverance."
"Nay, sahib, that is not the whole truth. It is a fact that when matterswere going badly for us an old man's wit saved the situation. It came asa flash to me. There was the barrel, empty as it happened, and near athand was a piece of rag. I wetted it with a few drops of water and madea fuse while the struggle was at its height. Then I bored a hole with aninstrument which happened to be handy, and seizing a brand ran to thewalls. I know these marauders. Death has no favours for them. They arebold where there is no danger to themselves, and cruel to a degree; butthey will not stand when such a fate awaits them. See how they ran! Butthough it was I who brought about their flight, I do not disguise frommyself the fact that it is to the sahib that we owe our lives. The peonswould have handed you over to the enemy but for your courage andopposition. Then they would surely have flinched and given in had younot set an example. Let us not argue, my lord. I who own this place ambeholden to you, and I thank Allah that you rode hither this morning."
The old man almost swept the ground with his beard as he salaamed, andas Owen looked at him he knew that he was grateful.
"How many men are killed?" he asked suddenly, turning to Mulha.
"Seven, sahib, and eight are wounded. But what of my master? See here!"
He pointed to Owen's riding-boot, which had been cut right through atone spot just above the ankle by a blow from a tulwar. The blade, assharp as a razor, had severed the leather, and had then cut to the bone.Owen laughed gaily as he looked down at the boot, for his heart waslight, a huge weight was taken from his mind, and the wound was of noconsequence.
"I had forgotten," he said, as Mulha bent to inspect the injury, a lookof anxiety on his face. "A fellow cut at me when I was engaging asecond, and I had only time to ward off the blow partially. Otherwise Ifancy it would have lopped the leg off. We'll take the boot off andempty the blood out. Then a handkerchief will set the matter right. Onemoment, though. While these Mahrattas are galloping away let us searchthe bags and the pockets of those who have fallen. There are some poorfellows here, chief, who have been killed or who are wounded. It wouldbe a fine thing to divide the spoil amongst them or their families."
"The sahib has a generous mind. We will do as he says."
The old man went off to superintend the matter, while Mulha bound up hismaster's injury. An hour later the look-out from the tower aboveannounced the fact that the enemy had ridden out of sight.
"Then we will ride away," said Owen. "Bring the horses, Mulha."
Some minutes later, when the native came forward, he was leading the twoanimals which they had ridden that morning, and in addition four others,all of which still carried their handsome native saddles.
"This is our portion of the loot taken from the enemy, sahib," he said,with a movement of his eyes which Owen knew so well, and which showedwithout doubt that he was delighted. "There were thirty stray horses tochoose from, and these are the pick. This belonged to their chief. Thesahib will find that he is the best-mounted officer in his regiment."
A few minutes later they bade farewell to the old man and his peons, andfollowed by their blessings rode out from the fort, a hole being made inthe barricade to enable them to do so. They were laden with provisions,which were tied to the saddles of the Mahratta horses, while Owenhimself bestrode the fine animal which had belonged to their chief.Turning their faces to the hills they rode on at a steady trot, andarrived just as night was falling at the spot where the troops werecamped. They were greeted with shouts of welcome, and hurriedly toldtheir tale. Then the Major was able to impart a little information toour hero.
"Perhaps you'll not be interested," he said, with his bantering smile,"for you seem always to have some little adventure of your own afoot,but we're close to the army--Wellesley's, I mean. The news was broughtin soon after you left us, and to-morrow we shall be up with the mainbody. There is work ahead, for we hear that some big place is about tobe attacked. Make ready, Owen, for very soon, if things turn outproperly, you will be one of the assaulting party, and will have anopportunity of fighting your way in through the breach made by ourguns."
He forgot that this young officer belonged to the cavalry, and wouldhardly be engaged in such a duty. But the news roused Owen to a highpitch of enthusiasm, and when he turned in that night, and the tinglingof the slight wound he had received would allow him to sleep, he dreamedthat the position of affairs that day had been changed, that theMahrattas held the gateway in the wall of the fort, and that he and thepeons were engaged in a fierce attack. It was not till the figure of thechief of the Mahrattas appeared above, ready to toss a bomb upon them,that he awoke, to find the dull gleam of dawn stealing into his tent,while he himself lay shivering, his nightmare having resulted in thecovering in which he was wrapped having been kicked aside. With agrumble he rolled himself in it again and fell asleep, oblivious of pastand future.
Jones of the 64th: A Tale of the Battles of Assaye and Laswaree Page 12