Gil the Gunner Part 36

Just then one of our men uttered a deep sigh, and as I looked in the direction from which the sound had come, I could not help thinking how dependent we were upon our posts at a time like that, with our poor weary fellows lying about fast asleep, and the thought had hardly occurred to me, when I sprang up, for there was a challenge from our sentry out in the direction of the rajah's town.

Brace was on the _qui vive_ at once, and we stood there listening and trying to pierce the gloom when a dimly seen white figure stole up; and I was thinking how easily a daring party of natives might rush in amongst us, and, in a few minutes of surprise, cut us up, when the figure spoke, and I recognised Dost's voice.

"What news?" cried Brace, eagerly.

"I got right in among the people," said Dost, quietly. "They hardly noticed that I was a stranger, most of them taking me for one of the rajah's followers."

"And what have you learned?" said Brace, eagerly--"that they march to-morrow!"

"No, sahib, they stay here to drill till the maharajah is satisfied, and then they go to join the other chief."

"Yes, yes," said Brace. "But you are sure they stand fast here for the present?"

"As sure as man can be, sahib," replied Dost. "The rajah says that he will stay; but if he learns that you are here he will either attack you, or go at once."

Brace remained very thoughtful as soon as Dost was dismissed, and quite a little council of war was held, to which Haynes was summoned, and after much talking, we could only come to the conclusion that an attack would be full of the risk of failure. Such an attempt would be unsatisfactory, Brace said, unless we could thoroughly scotch the rajah's power by carrying off all the horses and guns, and to do this seemed impossible in the face of such strong odds and the careful watch kept by the enemy.

"Can any one suggest a ruse by which we could capture them?"

"What about a night attack with lights and plenty of shouting?" said the doctor.

"We have no lights," replied Brace; "and if we had, we should scare the horses as well as the enemy, and send them galloping over the plains."

"Better keep to my own profession," said the doctor grimly.

"Haynes, can you suggest anything?" said Brace.

"No; I leave that to you. But what you ask me to do I'll do with all my might."

"I know that, old fellow; but I want some suggestion. You, Vincent, can you propose anything?"

"Only for us to steal up to their quarters, cast loose the horses, and then carry them off some night--to-night, if you like. The guns would be of no use to them without horses, and, once mounted, we could cut them up."

"Good!" said Brace, patting me on the shoulder. "But how are we to get at the horses without being discovered?"

"By the help of Dost and his spying."

"Yes, it must be somehow in that way; but I cannot see the scheme yet in a successful form. Well, we shall do nothing to-night. Let's rest, those of us who can. But about rations; how long can we hold out?"

"Till to-morrow night," said Haynes.

"By that time, sahib, I shall be able to get a donkey load or two of food. I know this country, and to-morrow I can go to the villages away to the east, and buy rice and cakes."

"About water?"

"There is a good spring a hundred yards away," said the doctor quickly; and at rest on this point, careful watch was set, silence enjoined, and soon after the little camp was asleep.

I was so utterly wearied out, that I believe I was one of the first to drop off, and the next thing I remember is lying on my back gazing up at the bright golden shafts of sunlight which penetrated the dense leaf.a.ge overhead.

It was morning once more, and I immediately began to think about our guns.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

That day pa.s.sed slowly away, with the heat increasing till the afternoon, and then slowly declining again towards evening. The greatest care was taken of the sepoy prisoners, and the men had the most stringent orders not to go anywhere near the edge of the wood, lest they should be seen by any of the natives at the rajah's camp, and nothing could have been better than their conduct--all, to a man, busying themselves in polishing up their accoutrements and waiting patiently until their services were wanted, for the discipline of our troop was perfection.

Quite early in the day I went to Sergeant Craig, but the doctor was by him.

"A little irritable this morning," said the latter. "Wounds going on all right; but they pain him, and I've given him something to make him sleep. Don't disturb him, poor fellow."

"Is he worse?" I whispered.

"Worse? No; better. I'm making a splendid job of him. He'll be about again before long."

I had to come away disappointed, but I soon had something else to take up my attention; for, as I was wondering what sort of a plan Craig's would be for seizing the guns, Dost came up to me.

"Going to the captain, sahib," he said. "He will give me rupees, and I can go, and buy food."

"But you'll be careful not to betray our hiding-place, Dost."

"The sahib may trust me," he said, proudly. "They will only think me one who buys to sell again."

I walked with him to where Brace was standing, watching the changing guard over our prisoners, and he turned to us sharply.

"Ready to start, Dost?"

"Yes, sahib," replied the man, holding out his hand for the rupees. "I will try all I can to get plenty, but it will be poor food for the sahib."

"Never mind. Now, be careful."

"Yes, sahib," said Dost, taking the rupees given to him, hiding them in a fold of his turban, and then salaaming and going off amongst the trees, while after satisfying himself about the safety of his prisoners, Brace laid his hand upon my shoulder, and led me toward the edge of the deep forest, which we approached carefully, going down on our hands and knees before peering out, and seeing a long line of men, with their laden donkeys, each bearing a heavy yellowish-green pile.

"The gra.s.s-cutters," I whispered, as the men led their animals up toward the little flat, which looked bright and cheerful in the morning sunshine.

"I'm glad to see that, Gil, my lad," said the captain. "It shows that they are taking good care of the poor horses." As we watched, the line of gra.s.s-cutters disappeared in a hollow, and we could then see the sentries, with their drawn swords, slowly marching up and down, while a couple more at a distance gave a hint of the care Ny Deen was taking to guard against surprise.

As we had half expected, quite early in the morning the troop rode slowly out, the men in white, looking fairly soldierly, and the horses, as far as we could judge at that distance, in excellent condition, and carefully groomed.

"Gil," said Brace, suddenly, "go back and send three men with the horses a good half-mile further into the forest. Let them stay there till I send for them back. If they are within hearing here, one of them is sure to hear the jingle of the accoutrements, and neigh out a challenge."

"Of course; it would be ruinous," I said, "unless we use it as a lure to bring them near to us, and then made a sudden dash."

"It would not bring them near, Gil," said Brace, smiling, "but send them farther away. Ny Deen did not plot and plan and suffer, as he has suffered, to get those guns, and make himself master of a dashing troop of horse artillery, to run any risk of losing it again."

"No," I said, thoughtfully; and I hurried away, feeling how right he was.

The task did not take me many minutes; I only stopped to see three men leading off our three beautiful chargers, and gratified myself with a few pats on their glossy necks, before hurrying back and creeping down by Brace's side, where I watched with him the drilling and training of the native gunners, who, under the orders of Ny Deen, whose clothes glittered in the sun, went slowly and fairly through the gun-drill, making believe to carry cartridges to the gun muzzle, ram them home, fire, and then sponge out the bores, and all in a way which went to prove that, after a few months, they would be clever enough gunners to do a great deal of mischief to a foe.