Under the Rebel's Reign Part 39

Again a silence fell upon the little party, a silence only broken by the sound of the resting horses' movements and the buzzing of insects now abroad in the cooling air. On all sides, as far as the eye could reach in the darkening night, soldiers lay about in various att.i.tudes of rest. Here and there, though infrequently, small groups sat smoking and talking, but mostly the weary men slept. One or two sentries, doing short reliefs of watch, hovered about, leaning for support on their carbines.

The scene was an impressive one, and, to Belbeis, who understood not the daring of a British soldier, it seemed a pity that so many men should be doomed on such a futile effort as Helmar had said. George sat scanning the scene with very different feelings. He knew the subtle strategy of the soldiers, and was convinced that the task in hand must be more than possible, or this small force would never have been sent on such an errand.

At last George and the guides curled themselves up and slept, the problem of the work in hand no longer interesting them. At last, after a period that seemed all too short to the weary men, came the first streak of dawn, and the guard walked among them, rousing each as he went for the beginning of the last stage of the journey. In a few minutes all was bustle and activity. The neigh of horses, the clatter of accoutrements, the voices of the men, resounded on all sides. With the trained discipline of soldiers, everything was in readiness before daylight, and, as the dawn began to broaden, the journey was resumed. On they rode, mile after mile, hour after hour; daylight gave place to sunrise, and with it the heat of the day once more brought streaming perspiration out on the horses and riders.

None but those accustomed to the terrible heat of the tropics could understand the terrors of that journey to the Western-bred men.

Every minute, every second of the day was a constant agony to man and beast, but still with indomitable pluck they kept on. At mid-day a halt was made and food partaken of; here many of the men had to fall out, their horses too exhausted to go further. The weary faces of the men told their tale, and the officer anxiously scanned the ranks in fear lest his troop would not be able to reach their destination.

It was an anxious time for the man in command, but, with set purpose and grim determination, no thought of retreat entered his mind. So long as horse could travel, so long must the journey be kept up.

George's horse seemed indefatigable, and still, at every halt, champed impatiently at its bit. Some of its spirit seemed to be communicated to its rider, for though absolutely worn out, he anxiously sought to hurry on.

This part of the route was less barren and dreary; their course lay fairly near the ca.n.a.l, and signs of agriculture appeared at intervals.

Again, with diminished ranks, the order of march was resumed. Horses floundered in the sand, too weary to lift their feet, others with drooping heads marched along in a dogged determined sort of way that betokened their condition. It was terrible.

The officer riding beside Helmar was well mounted, and his horse as yet showed no signs of giving in. Observing the freshness of Helmar's mount, he said----

"Your horse stands it well."

"Yes, he is one of the purest Arabs. He travelled over this journey the day before yesterday, and he is fresher now than any of them,"

replied George with pride.

"Marvellous! marvellous!" replied the officer. "What we shall be like when we reach Cairo I shudder to think; this journey is awful."

"The ranks are thinning," said Helmar, "our advanced guard can scarcely keep their seats. Heaven only knows what will happen if we are attacked!"

"Let us trust that nothing of the sort occurs," answered the officer. "Even as it is, I do not see that we can do anything to-night."

"What! is the attack on the city to be carried out to-night?"

exclaimed George, incredulously.

"Those are the orders," replied his superior, simply.

George relapsed into silence, wondering even more at the ways of the Commander.

The sun was sinking, and they were now nearing their destination.

Already in the distant haze they could see some of the spires of the city they were to take. Each man of that devoted little band realized that the critical moment was nearing, and each man braced himself for the effort that would be expected of him. The nightmare of it all was not yet pa.s.sed, and the last stage, they knew, would be worse than its predecessors.

Six miles from the city a halt was made. The sun had already set, and the party that, at the start, had been a smart, compact, and fit body of troops, now trailed up to the halting-place in a scattered line, horses hardly able to put one foot before another, the men reeling and fainting with exhaustion in the saddle. It was a despairing sight to the officers in charge, with work to carry out that now seemed hopeless.

As each man rode up, the last flicker of discipline a.s.serted itself, and they closed up their ranks in one long line, whilst the officer rode down inspecting them. After that the horses were off-saddled.

After a rest of two hours had been given, the men were called up and their Chief addressed them.

"It is," he said, "absolutely necessary to ride into Cairo to-night!

Many men and horses are not fit to move, but the orders must be obeyed. I shall leave it to you yourselves to decide who can travel on. The officers will inspect their troops and a.s.sist in that decision."

After this, weary as they were, volunteers were not wanting, to a man they were all anxious; but on inspection it was found that one hundred and fifty only out of that nine hundred were fit to proceed further, and so it was decided that the gallant Major Watson should march in at the head of this infinitesimal force and demand the surrender of twenty thousand armed rebels.

The task seemed utter madness, even to Helmar, whose adventurous spirit had made him one of the first to volunteer. Directly darkness closed in, the advance was made; one hundred and fifty tired but desperate men started on that fateful mission. George never expected to come out of it alive, and many and varied were his thoughts as the little band made its way towards the town. The one thing that he regretted most was, that he had not been able to see Osterberg before he left Tel-el-Kebir. He had been too tired to seek him out after his interview with the Commander-in-Chief in that labyrinth of tents, and by the time he left in the morning, doubtless the boy was with the fighting line at the trenches. Well, it couldn't be helped now; if George survived this night's work he would see him again some day, and if not----

Here his reflections were broken in upon by the word being pa.s.sed down the line to urge their horses into a trot, but with strict injunctions to keep together. Helmar was still on the lead, accompanied by Belbeis and the officer.

"Four more miles and then we are in for it," said the latter, as his horse quickened his pace.

"Yes, sir," replied Helmar, "four more miles and then--Death or Glory."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "They rode straight for the citadel." p. 344]

Nothing further was said, and in grim silence the march was continued. Major Watson now headed his men, and the outskirts of the town were reached. Without hesitation the gallant Major rode straight for the citadel. The clatter of mounted men in the streets alarmed the natives, but the darkness kept the numbers of the invaders covered, and it was believed the British were upon them.

Hundreds flung down their arms and grovelled in the dust, as this victorious little army galloped on. At length the city itself was entered. Each man of the one hundred and fifty sat on his horse with his arms ready for use, prepared to fight to the last. But no opposition was offered them.

Natives kept behind their doors in fear and trembling, thinking that the rest of the army was following, ready to adopt their own barbarous methods and ma.s.sacre every one they came across. Panic had seized the city, and every one waited the catastrophe that each felt was about to fall upon them.

On rode Major Watson towards the eminence on which stood the citadel; as they came to it the poor worn beasts could scarcely carry themselves up the hill. By superhuman efforts at last the gates were reached. The crucial point had come.

CHAPTER x.x.x

CAIRO SAVED AND HELMAR'S REWARD

As they arrived outside the citadel of Mehemet Ali, Helmar looked up at the frowning wall of the great fortress. Here he was at the place where he had received his inhuman treatment; this was the place where he had been found by his friends and rescued when in dire extremity. Under what different circ.u.mstances was he now returning to it. No longer to be a place for the perpetration of atrocities, they had come to demand its surrender, and, with that surrender, the capitulation of the town. And how was this done? By the daring of a devoted little band of a hundred and fifty exhausted, though determined, men!

Twenty thousand fanatics in the city and ten thousand troops in the citadel--was there any limit to the daring recklessness of the British soldier? After this exhibition, George thought not, and waited to see what next this brave little band was capable of.

During the short pause while the garrison was being summoned, the men, with stern, set faces, gripped their weapons ready for any emergency. As Helmar glanced at the faces of those nearest him, the expressions he saw written upon their features put all doubt as to their intentions at rest. He had said truly on his journey to Cairo that they were marching to "Death or Glory!"

At last the gates were flung open and Major Watson's summons answered. The troops marched in, and to their utter surprise found the commandant willing and ready to yield up his sword. After that, the whole of the garrison laid down their arms like a flock of sheep. Without a blow, without any resistance whatsoever, one hundred and fifty thirsty, hungry, exhausted men had captured Cairo, with its enormous garrison of nearly thirty thousand rebels! The feat was one unprecedented in history, and though it reflected little credit on the sagacity of the leaders of the campaign, it at least was a tribute to the commander's knowledge of the peculiarities of the Eastern character, and the reckless devotion to duty of the men under his command.

The work of receiving the submission of the troops seemed as if it would never end, and Helmar, wearied beyond words with the work, felt that he was at the limit of bodily endurance. At last it was over, and he was at liberty to take his rest.

He sought out his two friends, who had been occupied in a similar manner, and the three men set out in search of quarters. There was no fear from attack by the populace. Terror had been struck into their hearts, and they hugged their dwellings, fearful that to show their faces abroad would bring down summary chastis.e.m.e.nt upon them.

With this knowledge of security, they prepared to take their hard-earned rest. After a little trouble, quarters were found.

"Well, Belbeis," exclaimed Helmar, with a triumphant smile, "what do you think of it now? We are not going to die, as you prophesied!"

Belbeis seated himself preparatory to enjoying a comfortable smoke, smiling benignly on his two companions the while.

"Allah is great, and Mahomet is His prophet. The English are a brave race."

"You've about struck it there," answered George, yawning and stretching himself out on a heap of rugs. "To use an expression of your own--it is Kismet. I wonder what will happen next?"

"Sleep," replied the Oriental, laconically.

"Yes, and not before we need it. I suppose you will stick to the English now?"