Gil the Gunner Part 85

"How far is it?"

"About sixty miles from here--perhaps seventy. Once this maharajah is taken, we shall go to the relief of the place."

Just then there was a loud shouting, and my father sent an orderly for news; but the cause of the noise was announced directly.

The fire was gaining ground, and there was a possibility of its reaching the palace.

My father, who had thrown himself upon the cushions to s.n.a.t.c.h a few minutes' rest, sprang up.

"Come, Gil," he said, "you had better keep by me now, till your troop comes back. But have you no other clothes?"

"None," I said, "and I look like a enemy."

"No, no. A friendly native," said my father, laughing, as he hurried out to where a number of buildings were blazing furiously, and a company of the regiment were busily engaged in trying to extinguish the flames.

A few short, sharp orders were given, the men ceased their hopeless toil, and a sapper sergeant and a dozen men set to work to finish the task.

This they did by making a way amongst the people who had not fled. A quant.i.ty of powder was obtained from the rajah's magazine, and in less than half an hour, bags were planted here and there, several houses blown up, and all chance of the fire spreading was at an end.

As the night wore on, with every one but the pickets s.n.a.t.c.hing some rest, there were different little incidents full of excitement, officer after officer coming in to make his report to my father. First there was the lancer officer who had not succeeded in capturing Ny Deen, who, with a very strong body of men, had entered a forest many miles away, and so evaded further pursuit.

Next came Brace, to announce that he had been too late to do any good in the darkness; but he had the news to impart that Ny Deen and his flying men had formed a conjunction with the little army which had been in pursuit of our men when the sham flight had been carried out.

Toward morning, this information was endorsed by the arrival of the foot regiment with the half of our horse artillery troop, and the lancers, who had all performed their duty with very little loss.

"Lie down and sleep, Gil," said my father. "We shall have hard work to-morrow."

"But suppose the rajah comes back to-night to try and surprise us?"

"He will not," said my father quietly. "He would, but he will not get his men up to the work. Hallo! what's this?"

For at that moment a white figure entered the room, looking perfectly clean and neat.

"Dost!" I exclaimed.

"Who is Dost?" said my father.

"My servant."

He had come to announce that a supper was spread in the outer room, and upon our going, there stood Salaman and three of his a.s.sistants, all of whom Dost had hunted out, and ordered to set to work.

"Very tempting," said my father; "but is all this safe?"

"On my head be it, sahib," said Dost, respectfully. "There is no poison in the meat."

The supper, which was partaken of by a dozen officers as well, being finished, we returned, after going the rounds, to my sleeping-chamber.

"Go to sleep, Gil, boy," said my father. "Our pickets will give plenty of notice if Ny Deen comes."

But I could not sleep for thinking of Brace, who had not been to the supper, and I wanted to make my position clear before my mind would be at rest.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.

The strange silence that reigned in the palace, the dying out of the fierce glare of the fire, and utter exhaustion, at last weighed down my eyelids, and I dropped into an uneasy sleep, but only to dream about escaping over the roofs with Dost, being captured, and then watching the terrible a.s.sault and carrying of the rajah's house. From that I wandered into the meeting with my father, and fancied that I was going with him to Nussoor, where my mother and sister would not recognise me because Brace had been there first and told them I was a miserable renegade who had gone over to the rebels, and slain women and children with a tulwar whose hilt and sheath were covered with jewels.

Oh dear, what nonsense one does dream when one's brain gets into a fevered state.

I was calling Ny Deen to witness to my perfect innocence, for he was somehow there at Nussoor, when my father suddenly said--

"It is of no use, Gil. You may as well get up."

I started awake to see that his grey, worn face was bent down over me, and found that he was holding my hand.

"You had better rouse up, and have a bath, lad," he said kindly. "Your sleep is doing you no good."

"Oh, what a horrible muddle of a dream," I exclaimed, as I sprang to my feet.

"You should have undressed, my lad. You are bathed in perspiration."

Dost came in just then with coffee borne by Salaman, and I turned to him directly.

"How did you escape?" I cried.

"I was beaten down, sahib, and I managed to crawl away. I was not much hurt," he added, with a smile.

"I am glad," I cried; and ten minutes later I was out in the court with my father, listening to the arrangements being made; and soon after I was audience to a little council of war in the rajah's princ.i.p.al room, where it was arranged that two strong companies of the other foot regiment should garrison the palace, and hold it while a troop of lancers stayed back to help preserve order in the town.

An hour later, they were forming a marching column to go out and give battle to the rajah and his force, which lay, according to spies, ten miles away, holding a patch of forest beyond the swift river which ran from there to this town.

"Which will you do, Gil?" said my father; "come with me, or stay with the major who is in command here?"

"I want to go back to my troop," I said sharply; and as I spoke, Brace, who had before met me that morning, came in looking very careworn, and with his uniform almost in rags.

"Ah, well," said my father; "here is your captain."

I hesitated for a moment, and then walked across to Brace, who moved away to one of the windows.

"You wish to speak to me, sir?" he said coldly.

"Of course I do," I cried pa.s.sionately; "why are you so ready to condemn me unheard?"

"Say what you wish to say; we march in five minutes," he replied.

I could not speak, for the hot sensation of indignation which burned within me.

"You are silent," he said, with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders.