Draw Swords! Part 29

"Not a bit, lad; only thoughtful. I say we oughtn't to have been sent, because this isn't the sort of country for horse artillery. We want to be out in wide plains where there's room to gallop. Here, for instance, we could do nothing but sit on our horses while the enemy lined the sides of this valley with sharp-shooters to pick us off."

"Perhaps Soojeepur may turn out to be a plain country."

"Hope it is," said Wyatt abruptly; "but I don't think it is. We ought to be rifles, not what we are. Here's a pretty place for an ambush. If the Rajah's enemies know we're coming they'll be collected up yonder, and as soon as we get near enough they'll begin playing a game of skittles. We shall be the skittles, and the rocks the b.a.l.l.s."

"I say," said d.i.c.k merrily, "would you mind going to the rear, to ride beside Captain Hulton?"

"Yes, I should mind a good deal. I've been riding with him, and he's as obstinate as a pig."

"Oh!"

"I said we ought to send out the advance-guard farther, and double the rear-guard."

"And what did he say?"

"Told me to mind my own business; that we were not in an enemy's country, and that I was getting quite an old woman."

"Well?"

"I didn't like it."

"It did not sound pleasant. But you don't think there is anything to mind, do you?"

"I don't know that there is, young un, but it may have got about that we are coming, and if I were our friend's enemy, it is the very thing I should do."

"What--try and cut us off?"

"Of course. There's more done by scheming than hard work, they say, and I'm sure there is in war. Five hundred men attacking an enemy's rear at a critical time will do more towards producing a rout than five thousand fresh troops attacking the front. It's the sudden and unexpected that does so much in a battle."

d.i.c.k nodded and looked grave.

"What shall we do?" he said.

"Obey orders. Hulton's in command."

These last words were spoken in so decisive a way that d.i.c.k said no more, and rode on in silence; but for the rest of their ride, whenever a valley narrowed into a gorge, he watched the sides anxiously in search of marksmen waiting to dispute the way.

But he searched the sides in vain, and after encamping two more nights, the valley they were in debouched in a fruitful plain stretching far and wide, to snow-capped mountains glittering in the brilliant sunshine: while, as the officers halted to gaze down in wonder and admiration, they could trace the serpentine course of the widened-out river stretching far in all directions, fertilising the plain, and meandering on like a ribbon of silver, till many miles away they could see, through the wonderfully pure air, the gilded minarets and walls of an extensive city.

"Yonder's Soojeepur," said Hulton, riding up. "Now then, Wyatt, will there be room enough there for us to manoeuvre?"

"Yes, yes, dear boy," cried Wyatt enthusiastically. "Splendid!

Magnificent! Miles of galloping-ground. Ready to begin now if the enemy would come in sight."

"There you are, then," cried d.i.c.k, rising in his stirrups; "look yonder."

He pointed right away, and his companions shaded their eyes, and made out in the distance the glint of arms in the sunshine; and, as the order was given to halt, the officers made out that a large body of horse was coming in their direction.

Satisfied of this, the captain gave the order for the troop to advance, the baggage-train being halted where they were, with the few men appointed for their guard.

"Now then, d.i.c.k," said Wyatt as they trotted on, "this is right. Hulton wants to get us more out in the open. Yes, that's right; he's making for that low mound, from which we could sweep the plain in all directions. That's soldierly. See?"

"Yes, I see," replied d.i.c.k; "but these may be friends coming to meet us."

"Of course they may, and we shall be none the worse for being prepared.

But, by the same rule, they may be enemies, and we shall be all the better for being ready to receive them."

In less than an hour all doubts were solved by the advance of a little detachment of well-mounted men, who announced that the Rajah was coming himself to meet his friends with all his horse; and soon after the glittering array in attendance on the great chief, mounted in a silver howdah upon a huge elephant, nearly covered with cloth of gold, and with tusks painted and banded with the precious metal, rode up.

It was a sight which riveted all eyes--the Rajah's officers glittering with jewels and splendidly arrayed, while the Rajah himself, a handsome, dark-eyed man, was in simple, snow-white muslin and white puggree, his sole ornament being a diamond clasp over his forehead, from which rose a delicate white egret plume.

It was like a procession of hundreds of years before, many of the mounted men wearing small steel caps with spiked top and face-guard, while from all round the back depended a protective curtain of the finest chain-armour. Many of them, too, wore shirts of mail, fitting tight to the body, and without exception they carried light, curved tulwars and round shields.

In undress uniform, covered and begrimed with sweat and dust, it seemed to d.i.c.k that their troop cut a sorry figure beside the Rajah's force; and he looked sharply from one to the other of the haughty-looking chiefs on their handsome but undersized horses, fully expecting to see an air of sneering contempt upon their faces as they looked down upon the little auxiliary force which had come to join them.

But he soon saw that he was wrong. The Rajah and his party were men of war, and their eyes glittered with satisfaction as they roamed over the splendidly mounted, stalwart, picked men who rode with the guns, knowing, as they did from hearsay, what a tremendous power these light six-pounders were in the hands of the highly-drilled troop. They knew that the troop meant work, and possibly the saving of their country from a dangerous foe; and there was no mistaking the spontaneous, wild burst of welcome given in long-continued acclamations, which were repeated again and again as the mahout flourished his gilded ankus, and forced the great elephant to kneel so that the Rajah might reach down to shake hands with the officers.

"Something to write home about," thought d.i.c.k as he drew off his gauntlet to grasp the thin brown hand extended to him, when his turn came to meet the flashing dark eyes and pleasant smile turned upon him.

"I am glad to welcome you, sir," said the Rajah in excellent English, though with a strange intonation. "I would ask you to come up into the howdah to sit with me, but I have already asked Captain Hulton. Another time. It does not matter, for you have a beautiful horse, and you ride him well."

d.i.c.k was hot before; now he glowed, and found himself wanting in words when the Rajah loosed his hand.

The next minute the captain was mounting by using the elephant's trunk as a succession of steps, the intelligent beast helping him so that, with the aid of the mahout's hand and the friendly grasp of the Rajah, he climbed to the howdah; the elephant heaved and rolled like a boat among waves; and, at a word from the Rajah, his force divided and drew up on either side, facing inward for the troop to pa.s.s between them and then close in behind.

Wyatt took the command as the captain's horse was led by one of the men.

"Gallop back," said the former, "and order the rear-guard and train to advance at a trot, Darrell;" and, extricating himself from the crowd of hors.e.m.e.n, d.i.c.k sent his charger flying to the rear, a burst of exclamations following him as he pa.s.sed, while half-a-dozen dark-skinned, fierce-looking hors.e.m.e.n chipped spurs to their steeds'

flanks and followed him at a gallop.

His mission was soon accomplished, and the train came rumbling along; while, still followed by his self-formed escort, d.i.c.k galloped back to take his place by Wyatt, who was at the head of the troop, following close behind the Rajah's elephant, in advance of which were one half of the hors.e.m.e.n, the other half being in rear of the train.

"What do you think of this, d.i.c.ky?" said Wyatt as they rode slowly on towards the city.

"Very jolly," was the reply.

"Well, don't get swelled head over it, young un. I'm thinking that if this is going to be the sort of thing, we shan't want to go back to Roumwallah, Calcutta, or anywhere else."

"Why?"

"Because we are going to be the greatest people in the Rajah's army, and we shall want to stay."

"Nonsense!"

"Oh, no, it isn't. In about a month old Hulton yonder, perched up like an idol in a temple, will be made field-marshal; I shall be a general; and as for you--oh, you shall be my aide-de-camp."

"Thank ye," said d.i.c.k.