Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (best book club books of all time txt) 📗

Although They Chapter 5 Pg 28

Often Hauntingly Boasted Of Fighting With The Greatest Power In

Hindostan,  Until Within Two Or Three Months Of The First Battle,  And

Even Then The Rude And Illiterate Yeoman Considered That They Were About

To Enter Upon A War Purely Defensive,  Although One In Every Way

Congenial To Their Feelings Of Pride And National Jealousy. To The

General Impression Of The Seiks,  In Common With Other Indian Nations,

That The English Were And Are Ever Ready To Extend Their Power,  Is To Be

Added The Particular Bearing Of The British Government Toward The

Punjaub Itself.

 

Throughout This Campaign It Was By The Fortune Of War Determined That

Arthur's Regiment Should Serve,  And Among The Brave Men Who Rode In Its

Ranks No Heart Beat Higher Or Bosom Burned With Greater Military Ardor

At The Prospect Of Glory Now Opening Before Them,  Than That Of Arthur

Carlton,  For With Him Promotion Was The Oyster To Be Eagerly Sought For,

But Which Could Only Be Opened By The Sword,  And No Service,  However

Dangerous,  Must Be Shirked,  In Order To Attain This Desired End.

 

"Gentlemen,  It Affords Me Much Pleasure To Be Able To Announce To You

That I Have Just Received The Order For The Light Dragoons To Proceed

Forthwith And Join The Field Force Now Advancing Towards The River

Sutlej,  For The Purpose Of Reducing The Strong Fortress Of Mooltan,  And

Capturing Its Dewan,  The Notorious Moolraj,  Who For Some Time Past Has

Been Sowing The Seeds Of Disaffection Amongst His Subjects,  And Has At

Last Succeeded In Inducing The Seiks And Others To Take Up Arms And Act

Offensively Against Our Government. This,  Of Course,  Can Lead To But One

Result--Their Overthrow And Ultimate Defeat; But It Will Also Give Our

Regiment An Opportunity Of Gaining Fresh Laurels And Again Proving To

These Fellows How Dangerous It Is To Measure Weapons With British

Cavalry. We March The Day After To-Morrow."

 

Thus Spoke Colonel Leoline,  Commanding The Regiment In Which Young

Carlton Was Serving As A Cornet.

 

This News,  So Pleasing To The Ear Of The Soldiers,  Was Received With The

Utmost Enthusiasm By Every Officer Present. They Gave Three Cheers For

Their Gallant Leader,  And Another Rouser For The Service They Belonged

To,  Which Made The Walls Of Their Mess Room Ring Again,  So Delighted

Were They At The Prospect Of Leaving Their Quiet,  Humdrum Quarters For

The Dash And Excitement Of The Battle Field.

 

The Panorama Which Opened To The View On The Mornings Of The--Was

Glorious In The Extreme,  And One Well Calculated To Awaken Feelings Of

Emotion In The Most Obdurate Breast. The Dark Waters Of The Sutlej

Glittering In The Sun's Rays As They Flowed Onward,  All Unconscious Of

The Bloody Strife About To Be Enacted On Its Banks: The Frowning

Fortress,  With Its Embattled Walls Bristling With Cannon And Swarming

With Men,  Whose Dusky Figures Beamed With Hate And Defiance; Around The

Outskirts Of The Town Were The Battalions Of Seik Soldiery,  Drawn Up

Under The Dewan Moolraj,  Watching With Savage Anxiety The Approach Of

The British Force,  Whose Regiments Of Cavalry That Headed The Advance

Opened Their Glittering Ranks To The Right And Left And Made Apparent

The Serried Battalions Of Infantry And The Frowning Batteries Of Cannon.

 

The Scene Was Grandly Magnificent. The Eye Included The Whole Field And

Glanced Approvingly From The Steady Order Of One Foe To The Even Array

Of The Other. All This Spoke Gladness Of Mind And Strength Of Heart; But

Beneath The Elate Looks Of The Advancing Warriors There Lurked That

Fierce Desire For The Death Of Their Fellow-Men Which Must Ever Impel

The Valiant Soldier.

 

With The General Details During The Progress Of The Siege Our Story Has

Little To Do,--Suffice It To Say That It Was A Bloody And Protracted

Chapter 5 Pg 29

Affair. The Mooltanees Fought With Their Usual Desperate Valor,  But They

Had To Cope With Men Who Never Turned Their Backs Upon A Foe When The

Fiat Of Battle Had Gone Forth,  Who Scorned To Yield Even When Greatly

Outnumbered,  And Regarded Defeat,  If Not Actually A Crime,  An

Imperishable Disgrace; And So The Strife Waged Fast And Furious Up To

The Closing Hours Of The Conflict.

 

The Siege And Train Heavy Ordinance Of The Besieging Force Hurled Their

Ponderous Shot And Shell Against The Masonry And Buildings That Defended

The Town And Citadel,  Destroying,  Crushing,  And Burning With Terrible

Effect,  While The Field Artillery Poured Forth Continuous Discharges Of

Lighter Projectiles Of Every Description Then In Use,  Sweeping With

Dreadful Result Every Opposing Force That Appeared On The Walls Or Other

Parts Of The Fortification. Amid The Dire Confusion And Heavy Clouds Of

Smoke Caused By The Incessant Cannonading The Infantry Effected An

Entrance Among The Advanced Mounds And Trenches Of Petty Outworks,  And

Animated By Their Partial Success,  Formed Themselves Simultaneously Into

Wedges And Masses,  And Headed By Their Brave Leaders Rushed Forward In

Gallant Style. With A Shout They Leaped The Ditch And Up Swarming

Mounted The Ramparts And Stood Victorious Amid The Captured Cannon.

 

The Cavalry Were Effectually Employed Around And About The Outworks Of

The Town,  And Many A Dashing Charge And Smart Encounter Took Place

Wherever The Enemy's Horse Made A Sortie Or Sally,  Which Was Of Frequent

Occurrence.

 

Wherever The Blows From The Tulwa's Of The Seik Horse Rained Heaviest

There Was To Be Seen The Flashing Sabre Of Our Young Cornet,  Cutting And

Slashing With Right Good Will. The Early Training Of Old Bridoon Stood

Him In Good Stead,  And Although Scarcely Twenty-One He Had Strength And

Nerve Far Beyond His Age,  And On Several Occasions His Conspicuous

Bravery Drew Forth The Hearty Plaudits Of His Own Men And Others Who

Witnessed His Dashing Courage.

 

In One Of The Outworks Captured From The Enemy During The Early Part Of

They Siege Had Been Erected A Field Hospital For The Wounded,  Under

Charge Of Assistant Surgeon Dracott Of The Light Dragoons. Now It So

Happened That On The Day Of The Grand Attack A Party Of Seik Horse In

Attempting To Effect A Retreat From The Town Were Met By The Dragoons,

And After A Severe Contest Driven Back And Pursued As Far As It Was

Thought Advisable. A Number Of These Fellows Turned Down A Narrow

Passage In Hopes Of Escaping Into The Country At Another Point Less

Guarded,  And In So Doing Came Suddenly Upon The Hospital Alluded To,  In

Which There Was A Considerable Number Of Poor Fellows Who Had Been More

Or Less Hurt During The Attack. Filled With Rage And Discomfiture At The

Failure Of Their First Attempt,  And Seeing The Place Was Guarded Only By

A Small Party Of Sepoys,  For Whom They Had A Supreme Contempt--For The

Independent Yeomanry Warriors Of Afghanistan And The Punjaub Held In

Light Estimation The Hired Native Soldiery Of Southern India. There Were

Numerous Instances On Record During The Afghan And Seik Wars Where The

Men Of The North Were Seen,  Sword In Hand,  To Attack The Company's

Sepoys,  Beat Down Or Turn Aside Their Bayonets,  And With The Other Hand

Drag Them From The Ranks By Their Cross Belts And Slay Them. Even When

Run Through The Body They Have Been Known To Seize A Firm Grip Of The

Musket Until They Had Dealt A Fatal Blow To Their Antagonist And Both

Fall Together Mortally Wounded,  So Hostile And Revengeful Were They One

To Another When Engaged In Conflict,  Creed Against Creed,  For The Sepoys

Of The South Were,  As A Rule,  Hindoos,  While The Seiks And Afghans Were

Mahomedans--They Conceived The Brutal Design Of Destroying The Hospital

And Ruthlessly Putting To Death All They Could Lay Their Hands On,  In

Revenge For The Morning's Defeat,  Then Escape To The Plains Beyond The

Town. After A Few Moments' Consultation They Commenced The Onslaught;

The Sepoy Guard Made But A Feeble Resistance To These Powerful Horsemen,

Chapter 5 Pg 30

They Threw Down Their Arms And Fled In Haste Leaving The Poor Invalids

To Their Mercy.

 

Draycott The Moment He Guessed Their Design Sprang On To His Horse,

Which Fortunately Stood Ready Saddled At The Door Of The Surgery,  And

Rode Straight At The Leader Of The Party,  A Huge,  Burly Seik,  And

Engaged Him; But He With His Light Sabre,  And Less Powerful Arm,  Was No

Match For The Mahomedan Soldier,  Who With One Blow Smashed The

Regulation Toasting Fork,  And With His Left Hand Seized The Surgeon By

The Shoulder,  And Was Forcing Him Backwards Preparatory To Giving Him

The Final Thrust Through The Throat; The Other Scoundrels Being Engaged

In Beating Down The Bayonets Of The Guard. At This Critical Moment,  And

Before A Man Of The Wounded Had Been Touched,  About A Score Of Troopers,

Headed By Carlton,  Appeared On The Scene Of Action,  And Entirely Changed

The Programme. With A Single Stroke Of His Flashing Sabre,  Arthur Dealt

Their Leader Such A Blow That He Was Fain To Release His Hold On

Draycott And Turn To Defend Himself; By This Time The Conflict Had

Become General Fierce And Bloody.

 

"Death To The Cowardly Ruffians; Save Our Wounded Comrades," Shouted

Carlton,  As,  With A Vigorous Thrust He Sent His Weapon Deep Into The

Chest Of His Dusky Opponent,  Placing Him At Once And Forever _Hors De

Combat_. Imitating The Dashing Conduct Of Their Youthful Leader The

Dragoons Fought As British Soldiers Can Fight When Their Mettle Is Up,

And Roused By The Gallant Bravery Of Their Pet Officers,  In Less Than

Twenty Minutes From The Striking Of The First Blow Every One Of The Seik

Horse Were Either Cut To Pieces Or Taken Prisoners. The Report Of The

Encounter Was Spread Far And Wide,  And Not A Man In The Regiment,  From

The Colonel To The Trumpeter Stood So High In The Estimation Of Both

Officers And Men Throughout The Brigade As Did Our Hero. Conspicuous

Bravery On The Battle Field Seldom Fails To Elicit Rapturous Applause

From Every Branch Of The Service.

 

The Fall Of Mooltan And The Capture Of Its Dewan Moolraj Did Not,  As

Had Been Anticipated By Many,  Put An End To The Campaign. Disaffection

And Disloyalty Had Spread Throughout The Country,  And The Seiks Were

Everywhere Arming To Resist What They Were Pleased To Assert Was The

Intention Of The East India Company,  Namely: The Subjugation Of The

Entire Country Of The Five Rivers; And Large Masses Of Soldiery,  Under

Experienced Leaders,  Had Congregated On The Plains Eager For The Fray.

Not Many Days Elapsed After The Reduction Of Mooltan Before The Army

Received Orders And Pressed On