Draw Swords! Part 39

"Oh, yes, I've heared."

"I'm going to take to that way of thinking, for it seems to me that young d.i.c.k Dare-all must have been an old fighting-general come to life again."

And his comrade said, "Yah!"

But d.i.c.k, of course, heard nothing of this, or he would have called himself, in his straightforward, honest way, a jackdaw in borrowed plumes.

It might have meant nothing, but the sentry on duty at the closed gates noticed that the street in front was twice over filled with armed men, who hung about for some time; but he attributed it to the changing position of some of the Rajah's forces, and when guard was relieved he had nothing to report. Neither was his successor disturbed till about nine o'clock, when there was the jingle of accoutrements, trampling of horses, and the soft, shuffling sound of an elephant's feet.

Wyatt had returned, and upon finding the gates closed he dismounted outside, and was admitted as his escort rode away.

"Why, d.i.c.k," he said when they met, "have you been besieged?"

Explanations followed.

"Quite right. Old Stubbs is a fine, sterling fellow--a man to be trusted. I'm glad it was done, for things are very bad here--worse than I should have imagined; and if something pretty firm is not done the Rajah will lose his throne, and then, if we're not cut up first, we shall have to fight our way back to cantonments."

"What ought to be done?"

"The safest thing would be to take off the heads of the princ.i.p.al conspirators; only that is impossible."

"Why?"

"Because one is the Rajah's mother, and the other the chief Brahmin.

But I'm too tired to talk. Let's visit the posts and then try and get a sleep."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

HOW THE GUNS WORKED.

The next day there was a repet.i.tion of the evolutions, the enemy having drawn off, but only to make another attack during the afternoon and receive further punishment from Wyatt's troop, which was forced, by the desperate efforts to destroy it, into a series of retreating tactics which took them miles away over the open ground, upon which they could turn and fire over and over again.

The punishment inflicted by the well-served guns was terrible, and the enemy's cavalry was never allowed to get within touch, the horse artillery galloping away to take up position as often as could be on high ground, till well on in the day, when, enough having been done without loss, it was Wyatt's intention to make for the city gates and take refuge there.

But the enemy's swordsmen were not beaten. They kept on following up with desperate pertinacity, their leaders seeing that until the Rajah's new allies were destroyed there was no chance of winning the day. Hence it was that, towards sunset, Wyatt found himself quite unsupported half-a-dozen miles from the city, and with a strong body of cavalry between him and safety.

"There are two ways open, d.i.c.k," said Wyatt as they waited, breathing their horses at the top of a slope, the enemy a thousand yards away awaiting their coming, and so posted that, if the troop advanced upon the main body, a wing thrown out on either side would close in and take them as in a trap.

Wyatt stood with his arm through his bridle, talking with d.i.c.k as he watched the enemy's movements through his gla.s.s.

"Well," said d.i.c.k, after waiting some moments for his companion to speak, "what do you say?"

"Charge through them or retreat."

"Go right away?"

"Yes; we have our rations, and can make them last."

"Camp out, and risk attacks during the night?" said d.i.c.k.

"Yes; that's the worst of it. Then you advocate charging right through?"

"I didn't say so," said d.i.c.k; "but that seems the thing to do."

"Yes," said Wyatt, closing his gla.s.s and letting it fall to the extent of the slings. "We might gallop to that hillock and give them a salvo first."

"Suppose they charged; they'd be upon us before we could limber up, and, even if we got away in time, we should only have tired the horses more and done no particular good. They only come together again like sand."

"Words of wisdom, General d.i.c.k," said Wyatt. "I tell you what--we'll spoil that trap they have been setting for us by a feint. We'll rest the horses as long as they will let us, and then move off to the left as if we meant to get round the other side of that palm-tree tope. They will send off half their men to intercept us, and as soon as they have got out of sight we'll turn, right incline, and charge straight through the rest. They'll never expect such an attack as that."

d.i.c.k nodded his satisfaction as he grasped his companion's plan.

"Yes," he said, "it will be a grand surprise, for they'll think we're retreating."

A few minutes were devoted to examining girths and the harness of the teams. Then, with the trumpeter close up to Wyatt, the preparatory note was blown, the order to mount was given, and as their movements were carefully watched by the enemy, who were seen to close up a little, the troop advanced, changed front, and went off at a steady trot away to the left, as if to put the patch of forest between them and the trap laid, and escape by getting back to the city after taking a long sweep round.

Matters fell just as Wyatt had antic.i.p.ated. As soon as the manoeuvre was grasped, there was a quick movement among the great body of irregular cavalry, and about half went off at a gallop to intercept them on the far side of the tope, while the rest sat firm.

The troop kept on at their steady trot, and as the head of the troop nearly reached the far side of the patch of woodland, the trumpet rang out "Gallop!" and away they went as if racing to pa.s.s round their side first.

The effect on the enemy was electrical. They tore on like a whirlwind, and as they pa.s.sed out of sight the trumpet sounded again, the head of the troop swung round with Wyatt in front, and dashed straight at the centre of the remaining half of their foes, which was just being put in motion as if to pursue them.

The term "taken aback" thoroughly exemplifies the effect of the manoeuvre, for as the enemy saw the troop bearing down upon them at full gallop--absolutely tearing over the ground _ventre a terre_--a shiver seemed to run through the dense body of hors.e.m.e.n. There was a movement to advance, another to retire, and again a confused attempt to open out to right and left, and then the whole body was seething, as it were, in a state of confusion; while all the time, with a strange, rumbling, rattling sound, the little column, with swords flashing out now in the evening sunshine, tore along, getting nearer and nearer, till, with a loud hurrah, the head of the troop was upon them.

But not upon a dense ma.s.s of cavalry waiting to receive their charge; for, with one impulse, the enemy broke and melted away in a wild radiation from the spot where they had stood, scattering in all directions, and galloping for their lives; while, without the loss of a man, Wyatt and his followers tore right through, making for a knoll half a mile ahead, where a halt was called, to breathe the horses and once more unlimber the guns.

There was method in all this, for that which Wyatt had also antic.i.p.ated was once more about to happen.

There was nothing to fear from the half that had been dispersed. They were still in full flight, utterly broken, without cohesion, and not likely to form up into a whole again for hours. But the half that had charged round the tope of palm-trees was still in hand, and fierce for fight on finding how they had been outmanoeuvred; and as soon as they had realised what had happened, their leaders halted them, gathered them--as much as such an irregular body could be gathered--in hand, and came in pursuit.

"A couple of rounds from each gun, Darrell, lad," said Wyatt. "We shall just have time, and then off and away for home. It will sicken some of them."

The guns were loaded, and, linstock in hand, the men waited till the order was given, Wyatt pausing too long to give them time to get a second round from each gun, as d.i.c.k thought, knowing well what the consequences would be if the fierce hors.e.m.e.n could get among them with their keen tulwars before the troop could limber up.

But Wyatt knew exactly from long experience what his men could do, and had calculated correctly.

Number one belched forth its little storm of grape; number two followed; and before number six had been fired, number one was ready again.

As the first charge of grape made a gap in the advancing body of horse, there was a yell of rage, and they tore on faster. The second had a similar effect, the men rushing on heedless of the killed and wounded they left behind, strewing the field; but, as the other guns spoke out, confusion began to set in, and by the time number one discharged its second cartridge, men were opening out, others were drawing rein. But still a brave half of them came thundering on, and they were within a couple of hundred yards as the rest of the second round was poured into them, with such dire effect that the scared horses stopped, kicking and plunging, and the gallant charge came to an end, the leaders of the crowd hesitating, and then wheeling to right and left, and tearing off in full retreat, till the great plain was dotted with fallen and galloping hors.e.m.e.n, all cohesion gone, and every man fleeing for his life.

The next minute the order was given to limber up: but Wyatt made no effort to leave the ground for a time, waiting to rest the horses and scan the field, ready to send a round-shot bowling at the first knot of gathering hors.e.m.e.n that collected as a nucleus for another charge.

But not one centre appeared--it was a case of every man for himself-- and, closing his gla.s.s with a snap, Wyatt rode close to d.i.c.k's side and reached over to shake hands as he said:

"Well done, us, d.i.c.k! I think we may call this the Battle of Palm Tope, and say we've won."

"It's horrible," said d.i.c.k hoa.r.s.ely, as his hot hand clung to his friend's; "but how gallant, and how grand!"