“Five mules as a minimum then, sir?”
“I take six, Major Pearce, for needing to entertain on occasion. If the Brigadier comes to my tent then I must have a drink for him, and a glass as well.”
Septimus thanked the colonel and went to confer with Cooper.
“Five mules, sir. Got ‘em, sir. Made the arrangements last month, before every other bugger wanted to buy ‘em, sir; got seven, in fact, sir. Need to hire on a syce for each of ‘em, sir – better that way and they’re cheap enough – cost a damn sight less than the animals, sir.”
“Do it for me, Cooper. What of your own needs?”
Cooper made it clear that he did not have to put on the front of an officer, but he would be pleased to have the two extra mules for his own. Septimus made a mental wager that the second would carry a pair of ankers of rum to be sold on the sly – fifty pounds in pocket, possibly more!
Septimus conferred with Marianne on the furbishing of his personal mule train, discovered that she had all well in hand.
“I took tea with Mrs Colonel last week, my love! It occupied a whole hour, but we wrote out a list – including necessary medical supplies, sir!”
Septimus had not given thought to that matter – he was as likely as any to catch the camp fevers and a fraction more at risk than most when it came to wounds in the field.
“Cooper has also given me a list of necessaries for the purpose – he having experience in India as well as the Sugar Islands. As well, sir, there is the matter of thick cotton stockings, rather than wool, and unmentionables, not being on your list.”
The term was not one that Septimus used; he raised an eyebrow.
“Smallclothes, sir! One gathers that the term is not to be used in polite company – or so the John Company wives insist, and they are far more polite than you and I, it would seem.”
“Tut! The County must not mock lesser mortals – or not in India, my dear!”
She grinned, said that she would never do so out of doors, where she might be overheard.
“On that topic, Septimus, of the underbred, that is, we are to dine with the Melkshams on Friday. A formal celebration, one understands, and Mrs Colonel has warned me that we must don all of our finery. The gentleman is to make an announcement, he has whispered, of interest to all of his well-wishers.”
“Damned nuisance! Do we know what it may be?”
She shook her head, suspected that it might be of his intention to sell up and go Home.
“He has children, his heir and a son of sixteen years and three daughters at two years younger apiece. He did not send the boys to England to school, having no contacts or relatives there who could put them into a proper place. He has used the services of tutors instead. It is not a problem to concern us, sir; Jonathan will not be of an age to go off to a school when we return.”
“Should we send him away for an education, do you think?” Septimus was inclined to be dubious about the benefits of going away; he had disliked his schooldays even as a day-boy, had remained only because he had been too lazy to run.
“Winchester College is to hand and provides an education and will give him the chance to rub shoulders with the best… Even so, I would prefer him to stay at home… boys can get into terrible habits of expense and silliness in such places. Mama told me of the problems faced by more than one neighbouring family as a result of a spendthrift son.”
“I am inclined to agree with you, my dear. A good tutor will offer him, and any brothers, a sufficient grounding in education if he should wish to go up to University, and more than enough if he chooses the Army as a career. He might, of course, not wish to pursue either course… I am inclined to allow him a modicum of choice in his future, so long as he wishes to work at something! I do not favour idleness, my dear – I tried it and it was not good for me!”
“What of sisters, sir?”
“So that they are as handsome as you, ma’am, why should they care for an education? They will find husbands, I do not doubt; there will be captains and majors of my acquaintance and often at our house.”
She was inclined to agree that girls had better things to do than addle their brains with learning, though they must be easily able to read and write and mind their household accounts as well as to play and sing and dance.
The Melkshams had assembled almost all of the leading lights of Bombay – every King’s officer of colonel and above and selected majors; a number from the Company’s service, picked out on the quality of not habitually getting drunk while the soup was still on the table; every senior Company official, including the judges, and all of the independent merchants of ten thousand pounds a year and more. They had invited the Bishop, but he had turned them down on the grounds of it being some Church Festival or another – but that was typical of the man, he had no sense of social obligation!
The assembled throng applauded his comment and suggested that at least they would get away without twenty minutes of Grace while the soup became tepid.
They ate several forms of curry, Melksham commenting that he had been unable to lay his hands on a Chinaman, try as he might, raising his glass to Septimus to show there was no ill-feeling. There was a general envious laugh – not all of those present had eaten at the Major’s table yet and they wished to keep on his good side and achieve an early invitation.
The men came early away from their port and joined the ladies in the huge withdrawing room where Melksham stood to make his announcement.
As expected, he was to sell up and return to England; in fact, he had already disposed of the great bulk of his assets and had booked passage on a ship leaving for the Cape within the week. Unexpected by almost all was the pleasure he had in stating that his second son, Mr George Frederick Melksham, had taken up a commission as ensign in the Hampshire Regiment, the purchase confirmed in the last Overland Bag.
The colonel caught Septimus’ eye and nodded, almost ruefully.
The young man, who had slipped away from the table earlier, was brought into the room, in Dress uniform, to the congratulations of all. Melksham senior led him to the colonel to introduce him.
“You are very welcome, Mr Melksham! You are lucky as well, for you are to be placed in C Company, which is under the auspices of Major Pearce, here.”
Septimus made his greeting, smiling kindly and introducing the boy to Marianne and rapidly summing him up. He was of medium height but had probably made most of his growth – had obviously been shaving for a year or two; stockily built and carrying muscle rather than fat, so presumably not an idler by habit; he was alert of eye, might not be too fundamentally stupid, so did not take after his mother! With luck, he would do. If he showed a bad bargain, that would be unfortunate, because there would be no getting rid of him. He would have a private income, and not a small one, probably, so he would have every opportunity to go to the bad… Septimus hoped he might be lucky, saying a few encouraging words to the lad.
Later he managed a quiet chat with the colonel.
“Unusual sort of thing, sir, a merchant’s son taking his commission out here?”
“Colonel Whittaker went home last year, succeeding to the baronetcy on his brother’s death, the only son, still a bachelor, having made a mistake at a fence out hunting not so long before. Rumour had it that the colonel was a gambler and was well into local money-lenders – which is not the wisest of habits. Suffice it to say that when he left he seemed very prosperous and there was no set of demanding creditors at his tail. I more than suspect that he secured the commission for young Melksham. Rare in the extreme, Major Pearce!”
“Do we know anything of the boy?”
“Nothing at all – but with his father’s money there would be never a rumour in circulation, sir!”
They glanced across at the lad, saw him to be talking quietly with one of his father’s merchant acquaintance and holding a half-full glass of a very pale liquid.
“Wine-and-water, unless I am much mistaken, Major Pearce. There may well be hope for
the young fellow – he will not get drunk on that!”
Septimus decided that the new ensign must be encouraged into a successful career – his family could do great damage to the battalion.
“Mr Robbins, you are to have Mr Melksham as ensign. Look after him, please, as you would any youngster fresh to the battalion and off on campaign almost immediately. He has only a few days to learn the basics and we cannot leave him behind in barracks without humiliating him, so assign a sergeant to teach him the words of command and show him how to wear a uniform and stand. One of the better sergeants, if you would be so good.”
Robbins did not seem overwhelmed by the honour done him, but he knew of Melksham Senior, and had an inkling of the pressure that might be brought to bear upon the battalion, quite possibly on the Brigade. He would cooperate, and hope that the good word was also said about him.
“Talk to him about his personal accoutrements, if you would be so good, Captain Robbins. I suspect that he may have half a household of servants, twelve mules and an elephant in his train!”
The boy behaved well in the Mess, silent when it was appropriate and not very noisy at any other times. More than that was not demanded of an ensign.
It was a fortunate thing that Taft was a captain and in the nature of things would not seek out the company of an ensign; otherwise he might have gravitated to the only other man with a substantial personal income and would then undoubtedly have introduced him to his own habits and pleasures.
One day before they left the cantonment, Septimus called his captains to a formal meeting.
“Gentlemen, I wish to settle a few matters of routine before we march. This is to be a small campaign of limited scope, or so the Brigadier informs us. We do not know what the local rajahs may say, however – they may raise the whole of the North of India in alliance against us! It is wise therefore to treat this expedition as something other than a Sunday afternoon stroll. The Brigadier has yet to inform us of the precise order of the column; no doubt he will tell us quite soon – even before we set out… possibly. There are to be three regiments of Company Cavalry and we may assume that at any given moment one at least will be advanced in a scouting role – but that does not mean that we can march relaxed and safe of any fear of ambush. The company in the lead at any moment should have a platoon to its front and flanks, the men in pairs and to give an alarm at the least indication of an enemy.”
He paused for a moment, head cocked enquiringly, but all five men showed instant compliance. There was no suggestion that he was over-cautious.
“Night pickets, gentlemen. Companies will take turns, a night each, one half of the men alert at all times, the remainder to sleep fully dressed and loaded. You may consider two hours turn about to be best for the hours of darkness.”
“Do we know what the other battalions will be doing, sir?”
“I am sure that the Brigadier will see fit to inform us, Mr Carter.”
The captains caught each other’s eyes but made no comment; they were sure that the major was showing a lack of trust in the Brigadier’s competence, was warning them to be ready.
An aide arrived an hour before dinner, presented Colonel Horncastle with a thin folder of orders and wandered off without giving any spoken message.
“No verbal, Gentlemen!”
Colonel Horncastle stared at his majors, exasperation and plea both obvious in his eyes.
The ‘verbal’, a more or less brief explanation of the way the officer commanding was thinking, was essential. Orders could never cover every eventuality and the battalion officers needed to have an inkling of how they would be expected to react. Did the General wish them to be defensive and cautious, or quite the opposite? Did he regard the day’s set of objectives as vital or were they merely vague aims? The absence of a verbal tended to suggest that the Brigadier was not thinking at all.
Horncastle opened the folder, pulled out the sheets of orders.
“No maps!”
The majors shook their heads in unison as the colonel leafed through the orders.
“One regiment of company cavalry is to ride ahead; the second to cover the siege artillery, to keep with them if they fall behind; the third to maintain close escort. They are to rotate daily. Sensible enough.”
“Does he specify distances, sir? How far ahead?”
“No mention of such, Major Pearce.”
They shook their heads again, the disdain of infantry for the horse-soldiers showing through. They fully believed that cavalry must be constrained by precise and simple orders, for being unable to think for themselves.
“Order of March, gentlemen. King’s battalions to lead, followed by a pair of batteries of horse artillery. One battalion of sepoys, then the siege train to be followed by the remaining horse artillery and the other battalion. Baggage to follow, unprotected.”
“Retain our rations and powder and ammunition with the Battalion, sir?”
“While it is possible, yes, Major Reynolds. If a fast march is called for, then it will not be feasible to keep them in company.”
“Battalions to alternate at the head of the column, sir? Officers to ride, sir?”
“Not specified, gentlemen. I shall speak to the Devons.”
If the Indians were demoralised and dispirited then the Brigadier’s orders should be adequate. If they put up a fight then there could be problems.
The column formed up well before dawn, the infantry taking station on the big parade ground, cavalry to one flank, artillery on the other.
The Brigadier appeared at dawn and took a salute before leading them to the gate.
They slow-marched out, the three sets of units coming together with a reasonable semblance of efficiency.
Out of town and on the beaten track north they made their march pace for a short while before being brought to a halt while the siege guns caught up.
Colonel Horncastle was fretting.
“The siege guns should have been marched up to the border last week, Major Pearce, under escort of cavalry. We should have joined them there. As it is we will be at least ten days on the road to our first objective; they will have the better part of a week’s warning that we are coming.”
“Will they advance to attack us, sir?”
“Possibly, Major Pearce. There are minor rivers to be crossed and if I was them I would hold each one, inflicting casualties in a series of small actions. They will outnumber us and can afford to lose three and four to our one.”
Septimus made a point of speaking to the Quartermaster, quietly arranging that made cartridges would be to hand against urgent need.
No attack eventuated. They broke the border and moved slowly towards the first town. The fields were empty, people and animals alike not to be seen. The wells in the deserted villages were all clean, no attempt made to render them unusable.
“I would have dropped a dead buffalo into each, Major Pearce. We would then need to carry all of our water from the rivers, leaving us spread out to protect the wagons as they took the barrels to be filled and brought them back again.”
Septimus decided that it was to be a learning exercise. The colonel was aware that he had experience only of campaigns in the limited area of a small island. He was now to discover how much more complicated it could be to fight over tens, even hundreds of miles. Horncastle had fought in America, had learned a few hard lessons there and was willing to explain, to indicate what the weaknesses and strengths of the Brigadier’s orders might be.
They reached the first town – a small place, as all four were said to be. ‘Small’ in India meant something different, it seemed. The wall they faced was at least a half of a mile long.
“Baked clay brick, Major Pearce. Two at least of made walls, each of perhaps eight or ten courses of brick and set not less than twenty feet apart, the gap filled with soil and rubble as well. Hell’s own job to penetrate, so we shall batter the gatehouses which are of conventional stone.”
They dug a first trench from which to star
t their parallels, the trenches and gun pits that would gradually creep closer to the walls until the siege guns were in effective range of the gate.
A single twenty-four pounder fired at the limit of its carry, to serve as an announcement of siege.
The great gates flung open in response; a delay and then a small procession.
“A detachment of light cavalry, a ceremonial guard; an elephant with a howdah but no armour, no gun on its back. A dozen or more of horsemen in silks; no armour again, and no more than a dress sword, or whatever, apiece. A deputation to offer talks, I would imagine; possibly even the Rajah in person to surrender the town without bloodshed. I hope so, Major Pearce!”
The Brigadier rode forward with his staff about him. He took no other escort, in a display of confidence and boldness designed to impress both sides.
The elephant knelt and the occupants of the howdah were escorted to ground level; the Brigadier’s party dismounted in courtesy. There was a few minutes of conversation before the two groups bowed to each other, an agreement obviously made.
Staff officers came trotting back to the battalions.
Raging Rajahs (Man of Conflict Series, Book 2) Page 15
