In Times of Peril: A Tale of India

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XXI.

  A SAD PARTING.

  Sir Colin Campbell had considered it possible that the enemy would,upon finding that the Residency was relieved, and the prey, of whosedestruction they had felt so sure, slipped from between their fingers,leave the city and take to the open, in which case he would, afterrestoring order, have left a strong body of troops in the city, andhave set off in pursuit of the rebels.

  It soon became apparent, however, that the enemy had no intention ofdeserting their stronghold. Lucknow abounded with palaces and mosques,each of which had been turned into a fortress, while every street wasbarricaded, every wall loopholed. As from forty thousand to fiftythousand men, including many thousands of drilled soldiers, stood readyto defend the town, foot by foot, it was clear that the fighting forceat Sir Colin Campbell's command was utterly inadequate to attempt soserious an operation as the reduction of the whole city. To leave aportion of the force would only have submitted them to another siege,with the necessity for another advance to their relief. Thecommander-in-chief therefore determined to evacuate the Residency andcity altogether, to carry off the entire garrison, and to leave Lucknowto itself until the reinforcements from England should arrive, and heshould be able to undertake the subjugation of the city with a forceadequate for the purpose.

  His intention was kept a secret until the last moment, lest the newsmight reach the enemy, who, from the batteries in their possession,could have kept up a terrible fire upon the road along which the womenand children would have to pass, and who would have attacked with suchfury along the whole line to be traversed, that it would have been nextto impossible to draw off the troops.

  In order to deceive the enemy, guns were placed in position to playupon the town, and a heavy fire was opened against the Kaiserbagh, orKing's Palace, a fortress of great strength. In the meantimepreparations for retreat were quietly carried on. Bullock hackerieswere prepared for the carriage of the ladies and children; and on themorning of the 23d of November the occupants of the Residency wereinformed that they must prepare to leave that afternoon, and that noluggage beyond a few personal necessaries could be carried.

  The order awakened mingled emotions--there was gladness at the thoughtof leaving a place where all had suffered so much, and round which somany sad memories were centered; there was regret in surrendering tothe foe a post which had been so nobly defended for so many months.Among many, too, there was some dismay at the thought of giving up alltheir movable possessions to the enemy. One small trunk was all thatwas allowed to each, and as each tried to put together the mostvaluable of his or her belongings, the whole of the buildings occupiedwere littered, from end to end, with handsome dresses, silver plate,mirrors, clocks, furniture, and effects of all kinds. A short timesince every one would have gladly resigned all that they possessed forlife and liberty; but now that both were assured, it was felt to behard to give up everything.

  Dick went in to Mrs. Hargreaves' to see if he could be of any service,but there was comparatively little to do, for that lady had lost allher portable property in the destruction of the bungalow on the estateowned by her husband, and had come into Lucknow shortly before theoutbreak, when the cloud began to lower heavily, with but a smallamount of baggage. Dick had not been able to see them since his firstvisit, being incessantly on duty.

  "I was so sorry I could not come up before," he explained; "but each ofthe officers has been up to have a look at the Residency; and as we maybe attacked at any moment, Captain Peel expects them all to be on thespot with their men."

  "Shall we get away without being fired at?" Nelly asked.

  "I am afraid you will have to run the gantlet in one or two places,"Dick said. "The enemy keep up an almost incessant fire; and although,we must hope, they will not have an idea that any number of people arepassing along the road, and their fire will therefore be only a randomone, it may be a little unpleasant; but you are all accustomed to thatnow. I must be off again, Mrs. Hargreaves; I really only came toexplain why I did not come yesterday, and only got leave for an hour,so I have come at a trot all the way."

  And so Dick made off again; and as he shook hands with them, he couldfeel that Nelly had not yet forgiven the coldness of his last good-by.

  Upon the previous day all the sick and wounded had been moved to theDil Koosha; that done, the very large amount of money, amounting tonearly a quarter of a million, in the government treasury, was removed,together with such stores as were required. Then the guns were silentlywithdrawn from the batteries, and at half-past four in the afternoonthe emigration of the women and children commenced. All had to walk tothe Secunderbagh, along a road strewn with _debris_, and ankle deep insand, and in some places exposed to a heavy fire. At one of thesepoints a strong party of seamen were stationed, among whom Dick was onduty. As each party of women arrived at the spot they were advised tostoop low, and to run across at full speed, as the road being a littlesunk, they thus escaped observation by the enemy, whose battery was atsome little distance, but the grape whistled thickly overhead, andseveral were wounded as they passed.

  Dick had been on the lookout for the Hargreaves party, and came forwardand had a talk with them before they started across the open spot. Hehad quite recovered from Nelly's attack upon his dignity as a man and anaval officer, and the pair as usual had a wordy spar. Dick was,however, rather serious at the prospect of the danger they were aboutto run.

  "Will you let me cross with you one at a time?" he asked.

  "Certainly not, Dick," Mrs. Hargreaves said. "You could do us no good,and would run a silly risk yourself. Now, girls, are you ready?"

  "Stoop low, for heaven's sake!" Dick urged.

  Mrs. Hargreaves started at a run, accompanied by Alice. Nelly was alittle behind. Dick took her hand and ran across, keeping between herand the enemy.

  "Down low!" he cried, as, when they were half across, a heavy gunfired. As he spoke, he threw his arms round Nelly, and pulled her tothe ground. As he did so a storm of grape swept just above them,striking the wall, and sending a shower of earth over them. Anotherhalf-minute and they were across on the other side.

  "Good-by," he said to them all; "you are over the worst now."

  "Good-by, my dear boy. Mind how you cross again. God bless you." AndMrs. Hargreaves and Alice shook his hand, and turned to go. Nelly heldhers out to him. He took it and clasped it warmly; he was loosening hishold when the girl said: "You have saved my life, Dick."

  "Oh, nonsense," he said.

  "You did, sir, and--yes, I am coming, mamma"--in answer to a word fromher mother. "Oh, how stupid you are, Dick!" she cried, with a littlestamp of her foot; "don't you want to kiss me?"

  "Of course I do," Dick said.

  "Then why on earth don't you do it, sir?--There, that is enough. Godbless you, dear Dick;" and Nelly darted off to join her mother.

  Then he returned to his post, and the ladies went on to theSecunderbagh. Here a long halt was entailed, until all were gatheredthere, in order that they might be escorted by a strong guard on to theDil Koosha. Then came an anxious journey--some in bullock-carts, somein doolies, some on foot. The Hargreaves walked, for the anxiety wasless when moving on foot than if shut up in a conveyance. Several timesthere were long halts in expectation of attack; and a report that agreat movement could be heard among the enemy at one time delayed themuntil reinforcements could be sent for and arrived. But about midnightall reached the Dil Koosha, where a number of tents had been erected,and refreshments prepared for the many fugitives.

  Later on the troops came tramping in, having gradually, and in regularorder, evacuated their posts, leaving their fires burning and moving inabsolute silence, so that it was not until next morning that the enemyawoke to the knowledge that the Residency was deserted, and that theirexpected prey had safely escaped them.

  The next day was spent quietly, all enjoying intensely the open air,the relief from the long pressure, and the good food, wine, and othercomforts now at their disposal. Dick brought Colonel Warrener
to makethe acquaintance of his friends, and a pleasant afternoon was spenttogether. On the 25th a heavy gloom fell upon all, for on that day thegallant General Havelock, worn out by his labors and anxieties, wasseized with dysentery, and in a few hours breathed his last. He was agood man as well as a gallant soldier, and his death just at the momentwhen the safety of those for whom he had done so much was assured casta gloom not only over his comrades and those who had fought under him,but on the whole British nation. All that day the great convoy had beenon the move between the Dil Koosha and the Alumbagh. Half the fightingforce served as an escort, the other half stood in battle order betweenthem and Lucknow, in case the enemy should come out to the attack. Thewhole road between the two stations was throughout the day covered by acontinuous stream of bullock carts, palanquins, carts, camels,elephants, guns, ammunition carts, and store wagons.

  Mrs. Hargreaves and her daughters were on an elephant, with their ayah;and as the Warreners had placed in the howdah a basket of refreshments,the long weary march was borne, not only without inconvenience, butwith some pleasure at the novelty of the scene and the delight of airand freedom.

  Sir Colin Campbell had intended to allow a halt of seven days at theAlumbagh, but on the 27th of May a continuous firing was heard in thedirection of Cawnpore. Fearful for the safety of that all-importantpost, the commander determined to push forward his convoy at once. Onthe morning of the 28th they started. Dick had come soon after daybreakto the tents where the Hargreaves were, with many others, sleeping.

  "There is bad news from Cawnpore," he said, "and you will have to pushon. I expect that it will be a terrible two days' march with all thisconvoy. Pray take enough provisions with you for the two days in thehowdah, and some blankets and things to make a cover at night. I amsure that the tents will not be got up, and the confusion at thehalting-place will be fearful; but if you have everything with you, youwill be able to manage."

  It was well that they were so prepared, for the first march, owing tothe immense length of the convoy, lasted until long past dark; thenthere was a halt for a few hours, and then a thirty miles' journey tothe bridge of boats on the Ganges.

  The naval brigade accompanied the convoy, but Dick had seen nothing ofhis friends. Colonel Warrener, however, who with his troop had movedalong the line at intervals, spoke to them, and was able at thehalting-place to assist them to make a temporary shelter, where theysnatched a few hours' sleep.

  The news that had caused this movement was bad indeed. General Wyndham,in command at Cawnpore, had been defeated by the Gwalior rebelcontingent, aided by the troops of Nana Sahib and those of Koer Sing, agreat Oude chief, and part of the town had been taken. Sir Colinhimself pushed forward at all speed with a small body of troops andsome heavy guns, so as to secure the safety of the bridge of boats; forhad this fallen into the hands of the enemy the situation of the greatconvoy would have been bad indeed. However, the rebels had neglected totake measures until it was too late, and the approaches to the bridgeon either side were guarded by our guns. The passage of the convoy thenbegan, and for thirty-nine hours a continuous stream passed across theriver.

  The whole force which had accomplished the relief of Lucknow had notreturned, as it was considered necessary to keep some troops to commandthe town, and prevent the great body of mutineers gathered there fromundertaking expeditions. The Alumbagh was accordingly held by theFifth, Seventy-eighth, Eighty-fourth, and Ninetieth Foot, the MadrasFusiliers, the Ferozepore Sikhs, and a strong artillery force, thewhole under the command of Sir James Outram.

  As the long day went on, and the thunder of the guns at Cawnpore grewlouder and louder, Sir Colin Campbell took the naval brigade and thegreater portion of the fighting troops, and pushed forward. Theregiments as they arrived were hurried across the bridge, to take partin the defense of the position guarding the bridge, where GeneralWyndham's troops were defending themselves desperately against immenseforces of the enemy.

  "What has happened?" was the question the officers of the naval brigadeasked those of the garrison when they first met.

  "Oh, we have been fearfully licked. A series of blunders andmismanagement. We have lost all the camp equipage, all the stores--infact, everything. It is the most disgraceful thing which has happenedsince the trouble began. We lost heavily yesterday, frightfully to-day.They say the Sixty-fourth is cut to pieces."

  It had indeed been a wretched business, and was the only occasion whenBritish troops were, in any force, defeated throughout the mutiny. Theaffair happened in this way. The British force at Cawnpore werestationed in an intrenched position, so placed as to overawe the city,and to command the river and bridge of boats, which it wasall-important to keep open. The general in command received news thatthe mutinous Gwalior contingent, with several other rebel bodies, wason its way to Cawnpore. Unfortunately, they were approaching on theopposite side of the city to that upon which the British intrenchmentswere situated, and the general therefore determined to leave a portionof his force to protect the intrenchments and bridge, while with therest he started to give battle to the enemy in the open at a distanceon the other side of the city, as it was very important to preventCawnpore from again falling into their hands. He advanced first toDhubarlee, a strong position on the canal, where a vigorous defensecould have been made, as a cross canal covered our flank.Unfortunately, however, the next day he again marched forward eightmiles, and met the advanced guard of the enemy at Bhowree. The Britishforce consisted of twelve hundred infantry, made up of portions of theThirty-fourth, Eighty-second, Eighty-eighth, and Rifles, with onehundred native cavalry, and eight guns. The troops advanced with arush, carried the village, defeated the enemy, and took two guns, andthen pressing forward, found themselves in face of the main body of theenemy's army. Then for the first time it appears to have occurred tothe general that it was imprudent to fight so far from the city. Hetherefore ordered a retreat, and the British force fell back, closelyfollowed by the enemy. Had he halted again at Dhubarlee, he might stillhave retrieved his error; but he continued his retreat, and halted forthe night on the plain of Jewar, a short distance from the northeastangle of the city.

  No preparations appear to have been made in case of an attack by theenemy, and when in the morning they came on in immense force, theBritish position was seriously threatened on all sides. For five hoursthe troops held their ground nobly, and prevented the enemy advancingby a direct attack. A large body, however, moved round to the flank andentered the city, thus getting between the British forces and theirintrenchments. The order was therefore given to retire, and this wascarried out in such haste that the whole of the camp equipage,consisting of five hundred tents, quantities of saddlery, uniforms foreight regiments, and a vast amount of valuable property of all kinds,fell into the hands of the mutineers. All these stores had been placedin a great camp on the plain outside the fortified intrenchments. Itwas a disastrous affair; and Cawnpore blazed with great fires, lightedby the triumphant mutineers.

  During the retreat a gun had been capsized and left in one of the lanesof the town, and at dead of night one hundred men of the Sixty-fourth,accompanied by a detachment of sailors, went silently out, andsucceeded in righting the gun, and bringing it off from the very heartof the city.

  The next day the whole force moved out, and took up their position toprevent the enemy from approaching the intrenchments. The mutineers,commanded by Nana Sahib in person, advanced to the attack. One Britishcolumn remained in reserve. The column under Colonel Walpole succeededin repulsing the body opposed to it, and captured two of itseighteen-pounder guns. The column under General Carthew maintained itsposition throughout the day, but fell back toward the evening--aproceeding for which the officer in command was severely censured bythe commander-in-chief, who, riding on ahead of his convoy, with asmall body of troops, reached the scene of action just at nightfall.

  But it was the division under Brigadier-General Wilson, colonel of theSixty-fourth, that suffered most heavily. Seeing that General Carthewwas hardly
pressed, he led a part of his own regiment against four gunswhich were playing with great effect. Ned Warrener's heart beat high asthe order to charge was given, for it was the first time he had been inaction with his gallant regiment. With a cheer the little body, whonumbered fourteen officers and one hundred and sixty men, advanced.Their way led along a ravine nearly half a mile long; and as they movedforward a storm of shot, shell, and grape from the guns was poured uponthem, while a heavy musketry fire broke out from the heights on eitherside. Fast the men fell, but there was no wavering; on at the doublethey went, until within fifty yards of the guns, and then burst into acharge at full speed.

  Ned, accustomed as he was to fire, had yet felt bewildered at the ironstorm which had swept their ranks. All round him men were falling; abullet knocked off his cap, and a grape-shot smashed his sword offshort in his hand. The Sepoy artillerymen stood to their guns andfought fiercely as the British rushed upon them. Ned caught up themusket of a man who fell dead by his side, and bayoneted a gunner; hesaw another man at four paces off level a rifle at him, felt a stunningblow, and fell, but was up in a minute again, having been knocked downby a brick hurled by some Sepoy from a dwelling close behind theguns--a blow which probably saved his life. Two of the guns wherespiked while the hand-to-hand conflict raged.

  Major Stirling fell dead, Captain Murphy and Captain Macraw diedfighting nobly beside him, and the gallant Colonel Wilson receivedthree bullets through his body. From all sides masses of the enemycharged down, and a regiment of Sepoy cavalry swept upon them. CaptainSanders was now in command, and gave the word to fall back; and evenfaster than they had approached, the survivors of the Sixty-fourthretreated, literally cutting their way through the crowds of Sepoyswhich surrounded them.

  Ned was scarcely conscious of what he was doing; and few could havegiven a detailed account of the events of that most gallant charge. Themen kept well together; old veterans in fight, they knew that only inclose ranks could they hope to burst through the enemy; and striking,and stabbing, and always running, they at last regained the positionthey had quitted. Of the fourteen officers, seven were killed and twowounded; of the one hundred and sixty men, eighteen killed and fifteenwounded; a striking testimony to the valor with which the officers hadled the way. Such slaughter as this among the officers is almostwithout parallel in the records of the British army; and lads who wentinto the fray low down on the list of lieutenants came out captains.Among them was Ned Warrener, who stood fifth on the list oflieutenants, and who, by the death vacancies, now found himself acaptain.

  It was not until they halted, breathless and exhausted, that hediscovered that he had been twice wounded; for in the wild excitementof the fight he had been unconscious of pain. A bullet had passedthrough the fleshy part of his left arm, while another had cut a cleangash just across his hip. Neither was in any way serious; and havinghad them bound up with a handkerchief, he remained with his regimenttill nightfall put an end to the fighting, when he made his way to thehospital. This was crowded with badly wounded men; and Ned seeing thepressure upon the surgeons, obtained a couple of bandages, and wentback to his regiment, to have them put on there. As he reached hiscamp, Dick sprang forward.

  "My dear old boy, I was just hunting for you. We crossed to-night, anddirectly we were dismissed I rushed off, hearing that your regiment hassuffered frightfully. I hear you are hit; but, thank God! onlyslightly."

  "Very slightly, old boy; nothing worth talking about. It has been anawful business, though. And how are you? and how is father?"

  "Quite well, Ned. Not a scratch either of us."

  "And the Hargreaves?"

  "Mrs. Hargreaves and the girls are all right, Ned, and will be into-morrow; all the rest are gone."

  "Gone! dear, dear! I am sorry. Now, Dick, come to the fire and bandageup my arm; and you must congratulate me, old boy, for by the slaughterto-day I have my company."

  "Hurrah!" Dick exclaimed joyfully. "That is good news. What luck! noteighteen yet, and a captain."

  It was only on the 1st of December that the whole of the convoy fromLucknow were gathered in tents on the parade-ground at Cawnpore, andall hoped for a short period of rest.

  On the morning of the 3d, however, notice was issued that in two hoursthe women, children, and civilians of Lucknow would proceed toAllahabad, under escort of five hundred men of the Thirty-fourthRegiment. It would be a long march, for the convoy would be incumberedby the enormous train of stores and munitions of war, while a largenumber of vehicles were available for their transport.

  Colonel Warrener heard the news early, and knowing how interested hissons were in the matter, he rode round to their respective camps andtold them. Leaving them to follow, he then rode over to the Hargreaves'tent.

  They had just heard the news, and short as the time was, had so fewpreparations to make that they were ready for a start. A dawk-garry, orpost-carriage, was allotted to them, which, the ayah riding outside,would hold them with some comfort, these vehicles being speciallyconstructed to allow the occupants, when two in number only, to liedown at full length. It would be a close fit for the three ladies, butthey thought that they could manage; and it was a comfort to know that,even if no tents could be erected at night, they could lie down inshelter.

  The young Warreners soon arrived, and while their father was discussingthe arrangements with Mrs. Hargreaves, and seeing that a dozen ofclaret which his orderly had at his orders brought across, with abasket of fruit, was properly secured on the roof, they sauntered offwith the girls, soon insensibly pairing off.

  "It will be two years at least before I am home in England, Nelly,"Dick said, "and I hope to be a lieutenant soon after, for I am certainof my step directly I pass, since I have been mentioned three times indispatches. I know I am a boy, not much over sixteen, but I have gonethrough a lot, and am older than my age; but even if you laugh at me,Nelly, I must tell you I love you."

  But Nelly was in no laughing mood.

  "My dear Dick," she said, "I am not going to laugh; I am too sad atparting. But you know I am not much over fifteen yet, though I too feelolder--oh, so much older than girls in England, who are at school tilllong past that age. You know I like you, Dick, very, very much. Itwould be absurd to say more than that to each other now. We part juston these terms, Dick. We know we both like each other very much. Well,yes, I will say 'love' if you like, Dick; but we cannot tell the leastin the world what we shall do five years hence. So we won't make anypromises, or anything else; we will be content with what we know; andif either of us change, there will be no blame and misery. Do you agreeto that, Dick?"

  Dick did agree very joyfully, and a few minutes later the pair, verysilent now, strolled back to the tent. Ned and Edith were alreadythere, for Ned had no idea of speaking out now, or of asking Edith toenter into an engagement which she might repent when she came to entersociety in England; and yet, although he said nothing, or hardlyanything, the pair understood each other's feelings as well as did Dickand Nelly.

  All was now ready for the start, everything in its place, and the ayahon the seat with the driver. Then came the parting--a very sad one.Mrs. Hargreaves was much moved, and the girls wept unrestrainedly,while Colonel Warrener, who had made his adieus, and was standing alittle back, lifted his eyebrows, with a comical look of astonishment,as he saw the farewell embraces of his sons with Edith and Nelly.

  "Humph!" he muttered to himself. "A bad attack of calf love all round.Well," as he looked at the manly figures of his sons, and thought ofthe qualities they had shown, "I should not be surprised if the boysstick to it; but whether those pretty little things will give thematter a thought when they have once come out at home remains to beseen. It would not be a bad thing, for Hargreaves was, I know, a verywealthy man, and there are only these two girls."