Home > Authors Index > George Manville Fenn > Fix Bay'nets: The Regiment in the Hills > This page
Fix Bay'nets: The Regiment in the Hills, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
||
Chapter 21. A Pause |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. A PAUSE The moment the court could be crossed, a rush was made for the hospital, where the fight was still going on; but the mingled company of excited men were checked twice over by wounded and shamming Ghazis springing up to foot or knee to deliver one final blow at their hated Christian conquerors, and several of the soldiers were badly wounded by the deadly razor-edged tulwars before the wielder was borne to the earth by bayonets, struggling fiercely still, though riddled with wounds. Then the entrance to the hospital was reached, and the wild cheer of a dozen men sent a reviving thrill of hope through the fast-falling defenders, and they held their _chevaux-de-frise_ of bayonets once more now, though with trembling, unnerved hands. A minute before it seemed to them that their last blow had been struck, and that there was nothing else to do but die with their face to the dead and living enemy. But that wild British cheer sent a thrill through them; the massacre of the wounded was after all to be stayed, and they stood firmly there in the brightly illumined room, witnesses of the bayoneting, till the last savage lay dying on the floor. Roberts had headed his party, and was the first to return to try and save his friend and comrade; and it was into his arms Bracy fell and was carried out, while the men crowded in now to bear out Mrs Gee, the Doctor, Gedge, and the rest, those outside cheering madly as first one and then another bloodstained, ghastly object was borne into the light; while, in the interval between two of the outbursts, poor Gedge, who was being cheered by his comrades, seemed drunk with excitement, as he contrived with failing arm to wave his rifle above his head and shout: "Three cheers for Mr Bracy; three cheers for the Doctor and old Mother Gee! Three cheers for us all!" There was a tremendous roar at this, heard loudly above the crackling fire kept up on the enemy still striving to force a way in from beyond the walls. "Three more," cried Gedge. "Cripples, all on us, but we held our own, and hip--hip--hip--hoo--" Gedge did not finish his cheer, for half-way through the last word he fell forward, utterly exhausted, fainting dead away. It was just then that an officer with blackened face and sword in hand suddenly made his appearance high up in the golden light of the fire, and the moment he appeared a howl of execration was raised, which ran through the crowd of soldiery, while the officers scowled and turned away. The tall, thin figure stopped short in front of the burning building, to gaze down wonderingly. "Drummond--Scotch coward!" roared a voice, and a yell of execration burst forth. Just at that moment, from behind an angle of the building, four of the Ghazis, who had lain hidden there and escaped the deadly fire, rushed forth yelling and waving their swords as they made for the figure standing apparently beyond the reach of help. "Quick, some one--fire, fire!" shouted Roberts. The figure heard the cry, and turned just in time to face his enemies, two of whom reached him together, cutting at him with all their might. But, active as a cat, the tall, lithe youth avoided one of his foes by leaping aside, ran the other man through, and swinging round, with a tremendous cut severed the wrist of the wretch he had avoided, when coming at him for a second blow. The other two did not reach him, for half-a-dozen shots rang out, and the true firing of the boy-regiment was again proved, the two Ghazis leaping high in the air, and falling backward on to the bayonets of the men below. There was another cheer at this, but it was dominated directly after by a renewal of the howl of execration which had broken out before. The hearer looked for a moment or two puzzled, and hesitated to advance; but the next minute he turned half-face, doubled along the rampart to the steps, and descended to the court, passing coolly among the men where Colonel Graves was standing giving orders. "Mr Drummond," he said, "I am told that you left your men in a way that disgraces a British officer." "That I didn't," cried the young man indignantly. "I heard you say that if we only had light we could see to fire, or something of that sort." "Yes, sir, I did," said the Colonel sternly. "Well, sir, I ran along the ramp and climbed up three times before I could get to the store, and then set fire to the fodder; but it was ever so long before I could get it to burn, and then I couldn't get out." "You did that?" cried the Colonel. "To be sure I did, sir. Wasn't it right? Oh, I see now; the men thought I went and hid to get out of the light." "My dear boy," cried the Colonel; "of course." "Oh," cried Drummond, "what jolly fools the lads can be! But I say, sir, who's hurt? and was old Bracy safe?" A minute later the men cheered even louder than before, as they watched Drummond--a hero now in their midst--place a bag of powder to blow down the burning building and save the place from risk of the fire spreading. That was soon done. It was a risky task, but bravely set about; and, as the place went up in a rush of flames and sparks, the assault from outside ceased, the enemy drawing off under cover of the mist; and an hour later silence fell upon the horrible scene of carnage, not even a bleat arising from the sheep. But the fort was safe, the dim morning light showing the British flag, wet and clinging, but still hanging in its place upon the flagstaff; while by that time all save the doubled sentries upon the walls and the suffering wounded lay plunged in a heavy sleep wherever a place could be found roomy enough for the poor fellows' aching limbs. _ |
||