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

With All Expedition To That Part Of The

Country Where The Battle Of Chillianwalla Was To Decide The Question At

Issue Between The Contending Forces.

 

The Result Of The First Day's Struggle Was Undoubtedly Very Much In

Favor Of The Seiks,  And Can Only Be Accounted For In This Way: The

Followers Of The Prophet Had For A Considerable Time Been Massing

Themselves Under Experienced Leaders And Had Established Their Position

In A Manner Best Suited To Resist The Advancing Foe,  This They Were

Enabled To Do By Their Thorough Knowledge Of The The Country,  Without

Any Great Exertion Or Hardship,  Being Undisturbed,  And Certain That The

Enemy Could Not Approach But In A Certain Direction,  And That Point

Alone Had To Be Watched. But Not So With The British. Long Forced

Marches,  Outlying Pickets,  Advance Guards,  And All The Harrassing

Fatigues Incident To Moving Through An Enemy's Country Had To Be Borne.

This To A Considerable Extent Wearied The European Soldiery,  Though It

Could Not Dispirit Or Discourage Them,  And Again They Were Suddenly

Attacked Ere They Were Well Prepared To Do Battled. Yet They Pressed On

To A Scene Which Was To Terminate In So Bloody A Conflict. But The

Second Day Told A Very Different Tale; Whatever Advantage Had Been

Gained,  During The Early Stage Of The Fight,  Was Not Only Nullified,  But

Their Successes Became A Sort Of _Ignis Futuris_ That Lured Them On To

Chapter 5 Pg 31

Their Destruction,  For During The Night The British Were Reinforced By A

Column Of Fresh Troops From Bombay And The Action Opened With Twofold

Vigor,  And So The Mighty Tide Of Battle Rolled On. Towards Evening The

Decisive Blow Was Struck; The Seiks Were Beaten At All Points And Fled

In Wild Confusion And Dismay,  Leaving Their Unconquerable Antagonists

Masters Of The Field.

 

"Colonel," Said An Aide-De-Camp,  Dashing Up At Full Gallop,  "Your

Regiment Will Move One Hundred And Fifty Paces To The Right," And Then,

Touching His Horse With His Spur,  Darted Off In Another Direction.

"Threes Right Forward," And The Dragoons Moved To The Position Assigned

Them. A Brigade Of Guns That Had Been Brought Up Under Cover Of The

Cavalry Now Opened Upon The Advancing Seik Horse With Terrible Effect,

Throwing Them Into Such Confusion As To Prevent Them From Rapidly

Reforming. At This Moment The Order Was Received For The Dragoons To

Wheel Into Line And Charge,  And Ere The Seiks Had Recovered,  Were Among

Them,  And The Flower Of The Enemy's Cavalry Had To Give Way Before The

Impetuous Charge Of Our Light Dragoons. There Were More Hand To Hand

Encounters In This Affair Than Has Been Recorded In Any Other Engagement

Of The Campaign. During The Melee,  One Of The Commanding General's

A.D.C.'S Had A Narrow Escape. A Powerful Looking Seik Rode At Him,  But

On Coming Within Arm's Length The Staff Officer's Horse Stumbled Over

Some Dead Or Wounded Men; The Sword Of The Dusky Warrior Was Raised To

Give The Blow,  Which Must Have Proved Fatal,  And In Another Moment There

Would Have Been A Vacancy On The General's Staff,  But Arthur,  Who Had

Been Hewing With Might And Main Within A Few Yards Of The Spot,  Seeing

The Imminent Peril Of His Countryman,  Dashed Up,  Shortening His Sabre As

He Did So,  And,  With A Powerful Thrust,  Sent It Clean Through The Body

Of The Seik; The Blow Intended For The Head Fell Harmless On The Plated

Scales Of The Epaulet Of The Aide As He Recovered Himself In The Saddle.

 

"Thanks,  Carlton,  My Dear Fellow,  For This Good Service; I Will Not

Forget It,  Should It Ever Come To My Turn To Assist You In Any Way," Was

All That Could Be Said In The Hurry And Excitement Of The Conflict,  For

The Tide Of Battle Still Rolled On. A Two Gun Sheet Battery Which Had

Been Committing Great Havoc On A Column Of Infantry,  Was Still Throwing

Grape And Canister With Murderous Effect. These Discharges Had Again And

Again Swept Through The Little Party. The Seik Gunners Stood Manfully To

Their Guns Until The Infantry Came Within Fifty Yards Of Them. "Charge,

Men,  Charge," Shouted A Very Handsome Officer Of The Bombay Fusiliers,

"They Cannot Stand The Bayonets Of The Old Toughs. Forward." The Men

Sprang To The Charge,  And About One Hundred Of The Fusiliers To The Very

Teeth Of Destruction,  Facing Inevitable Death With A Coolness And

Fearlessness So Characteristic Of The British Soldier. But A Body Of The

Enemy's Horse Suddenly Appeared On The Flank Of The Column Of Infantry

Compelling Them To Form Square To Resist Cavalry,  And Thus The Brave

Little Party Were Placed In A Precarious Position,  Being Cut Off From

Their Supports. A Withering Volley From The Right And Rear Face Of The

Square,  Followed By A Rapid File-Firing From The Standing Ranks,  Emptied

Quite A Number Of Saddles And Drove The Troopers Off.

 

An Officer Of Dragoons At The Head Of A Party Of His Men Rode At The

Seik Artillerest,  Who,  With The Exception Of Two,  Abandoned Their Guns

And Were Endeavouring To Escape By Retreat,  But They Were All Either Cut

Down Or Captured. The Two Who Yet Remained At Their Post Waited For The

Infantry To Advance Sufficiently Close To Make Their Fire Tell With

Murderous Effect,  They Then Raided Their Lintstocks To Fire,  Which Must

Have Proved Horribly Fatal To The Fusiliers,  When Arthur Carlton,  For It

Was He Who Led,  Appeared Out Of A Cloud Of Dust And Smoke Close To The

Battery. Leveling His Pistol,  He Shot Down One Of The Seik Gunners,  The

Lintstock Of The Other Was Within A Few Inches Of The Vent. A Second

More And A Frightful Gap Would Have Been Made In The Ranks Of The

Advancing Fusiliers.

Chapter 5 Pg 32

A Shout That Can Only Be Given By A British Throat,  Broke On The Ear Of

The Unfortunate Artillerest,  Who Hesitated For A Moment. It Was His

Last,  For A Down Stroke From Arthur's Flashing Sabre Fell Upon His Neck,

Separating The Head From The Body. The Fusiliers Dashed Up,  And The

Battery That Dealt So Much Destruction Among The Infantry Was Captured

At Last.

 

"Splendidly Done,  By Jupiter. Those Men Are The Fusiliers Of The Bombay

Column,  Are They Not? And Who Is That Cavalry Officer?"

 

"Cornet Carlton,  Light Dragoons,  Your Excellency; The Same Officer Who

Saved Your Excellency's Despatch And My Life,  That I Mentioned To You

Some Half Hour Since," Was The Earnest Reply,  Of One Of The Aides.

"Gallant Fellow,  Bravely Done,  Only A Cornet,  Must Have His

Lieutenancy,  Hargraves,  See That I Do Not Forget This In My Despatches

To The Government To-Morrow." Then,  Turning To His Chief Of Staff,  Said,

"Give Orders For The Dragoons And Light Artillery To Pursue For Half An

Hour. The Enemy Is Beaten At All Points,  And Get The Infantry Under

Canvass With As Little Delay As Possible." "The Action Is Over," Said

The Commander-In-Chief,  Closing His Field Glass,  And With His Staff Left

The Ground. And Thus,  After Two Days Hard Fighting,  The Name Of

Chillianwalla Was Added To The List Of Victories That Has Been

Emblazoned On The Page Of History,  Showing The Prowess And Valour Of

British Troops In India,  And The Name Of Arthur Carlton Was Added To The

List Of Lieutenants Borne On The Muster Roll Of The Light Dragoons.

 

It Is Not Our Intention To Take The Reader Over The Battle Fields Of

Peshawa,  Suffice It To Say That Our Dragoon,  With His Regiment,  Scoured

The Plains Of The Punjaub Up To The Very Mouth Of The Iron Kybre Itself,

Which Had Proved Fatal To So Many Of Our Gallant Countrymen.

 

A Group Of Officers Had Assembled Around The Withered And Charred Stump

Of A Large Tree,  Chatting And Smoking,  The Ruddy Glare Of The

Neighboring Camp Fire Throwing Its Fitful Light Upon The Uniform And

Accoutrements Of The Little Party,  Showing Them To Be No Other Than Our

Old Friends Of H.M. Light Dragoons,  Waiting For The Order To Commence

Their Morning's March.

 

"Why Are We Not On The Move?" Enquired Major Hackett,  As He Joined Them.

 

"Something Gone Wrong With The Baggage,  I Suppose," Responded One Of The

Party,  "But Here Comes Old Rations,  (For It Was By This Name That The

Quartermaster Was Usually Styled By The Men Of His Regiment) He,

Perhaps,  Can Tell Us Something About It."

 

"Well,  Quartermaster,  Can You Explain The Cause Of The Delay. Have You

Seen The Colonel,  Or Are We To Be Kept Here All Day?" And The Major

Flung Away The End Of His Cigar With An Air Of Annoyance. The

Good-Humored Quartermaster Explained,  In Somewhat Of A Round-About Way,

That Everything Would Be All Right In A Few Minutes.

 

"Out With It,  Davison,  Tell Us What Is The Row. You Don't Laugh All Over

Your Face And Half Way Down Your Back For Nothing,  I Know," Said Arthur,

Reining Up His Horse Alongside That Of The Quartermaster,  Who,  By The

Way,  Was A Special Friend Of Our Young Lieutenant. "Just Illuminate And

Turn On The Gas A Little,  As It Were."

 

"Well,  Then,  Gentlemen," Resumed That Worthy Functionary,  "It Appears

That This Morning,  On The Elephants Being Brought Up To Carry The Mess

And Hospital Tents,  One Of The Number Was Found To Be Missing,  And The

Muccadem Declared That It Was Useless To Attempt To Put Anything Extra

On The Others,  For That They Would Not Stir A Peg If So Overloaded. I

Chapter 5 Pg 33

Did Not Know What To Do In This Dilemma; The Tents Could Not Be Left

Behind,  So I Sent For Fortescue,  Who Was In Charge Of The Government

Cattle,  To Ask His Advice. In A Few Minutes He Came Cantering Up. I

Explained Matters. The Elephant Cannot Be Far Off." At This Moment A

Muccadem Came Running Up To Say That The Animal Was In The Jungle,  About

A Quarter Of A Mile Off,  But Was Refractory And Would Not Budge An Inch

In The Direction Of The Camp.

 

"Divide His Load Among The Other Four," Said Fortescue.

 

"But They Will Not Carry It,  Sir," Replied The Native Inspector.

 

"I Know That As Well As You Can Tell Me,  But Do As I Order You."

 

The Inspector Salammed And Obeyed,  But The Animals Would Not Move. "Now

Take Off The Load From Two And Give Them A Couple Of Tether Chains."

This Was Done,  The Loads Removed,  And A Long Chain,  Used For Camp

Purposes Given To Each,  Who Caught Them Up