Gil the Gunner - George Manville Fenn (people reading books .TXT) 📗

“If they would only leave the horses alone, they would keep the line far better!”

I looked at him in astonishment, for his conduct seemed in dead opposition to our plans, and still he made no sign; and at last, flushed, excited, and angry with him for losing what I looked upon as splendid opportunities, I said aloud—

“Isn’t it time to act?”

“Eh?” he exclaimed, with a start. “No; not yet. Wait! They’ll wheel again directly, and form a line in front of the houses. Yes; there they go. That will be our time. Yes; there goes the order.”

He was right; the troop was wheeled, and in another minute or two they were half across the plain, with the third gun about level with the centre of the village, when the rajah rode out into the front, raised his sword in the air, and the troop halted. Then, faintly heard, came another order, and men and guns came to the front, ready for a second advance down the plain and past us, probably at a trot.

“Hah!” ejaculated Brace, drawing back quickly. “Ready, Gil?”

“Yes,” I cried hoarsely.

“Now, my lad, the horses,” he said sharply, and there was a movement among the beautiful creatures as if his words had inspired them with excitement.

It was only a few yards to where they stood, and the next minute we each had a rein. Brace gave the order to mount, and we sprang into our saddles, a thrill running through me, as my knees once more gripped the elastic animal’s sides, and he uttered a snort of satisfaction.

“Now,” cried Brace, firmly. “I depend on you, Dobbs, my boy. Keep close behind me, and obey my orders instantly.”

The lad raised his hand to his helmet, and then loosened the trumpet slung over his shoulder, took it in hand with the bell mouth resting on his right thigh, and sat as firm as a statue.

“You, Vincent, on my right. As soon as we are out of the edge of the forest, we advance at a trot. Leave everything to me. Don’t draw till I give the order. Let them think first that we come peaceably.”

We advanced to the edge of the wood, and were just passing out, when I saw something which made me say—

“Look!—look!”

“Ah, just in time!” said Brace, for now out to the right of the village we could see a little crowd, and in front of them a party of sepoys, marching towards where the guns were drawn up. “Yes,” he repeated; “just in time. Forward! we shall be first.”

We took our places instantly, and rode out in the formation ordered, and as we advanced, with my Arab dancing beneath me, all excitement to be off, it appeared to me that we were not seen, and that the attention of the rajah was taken up by the advancing party of sepoys, evidently our late prisoners.

But the distance was still too great for me to be sure, and I had no time for thinking.

Then, all at once, I heard a shout, followed by others, and the rajah, who had had his back to us, reined round, and sat looking at us. There was a movement, too, all along the troop, as if men were in a disorderly way drawing their swords without waiting for an order, for there was a flash here and a flash there, the men evidently expecting an attack.

But, as the rajah realised that we were only three, he turned his horse and rode along the front of the troop shouting to his men, who all sat firm, and he turned then, and sat there looking haughty and calm, waiting evidently for what he must have taken as some envoy from his enemies.

And all this time we were rapidly lessening the distance; so were the sepoys, followed by quite a crowd; but they were advancing from the left, and the rajah had ridden to the extreme right, so that the sepoys had a greater distance to go; but they were getting excited now, and had commenced to run.

“You are too late with your news, you black-hearted scoundrels!” cried Brace, loudly, though his words would be heard only by us; and just then my Arab burst out with a loud challenge, followed by one from Brace’s horse, and it was loudly answered by first one and then another of their old friends in the troop, several of which became uneasy and excited.

“Well done, brave lads; neigh again,” cried Brace, excitedly, as we were now not two hundred yards from the row of black faces, while at the end, and twenty yards away, sat the rajah, with a couple more gallantly-dressed officers who had ridden out to him.

“They are waiting for our message, Gil,” cried Brace, wildly. “They shall have it directly. Ready, my lad—steady, horses. Right for the centre; never mind the rajah. Let him wait. Forward!”

We rode right for the centre of the troop drawn up there in the brilliant sunshine, and there it all is now vividly before my eyes as I write, and see myself riding on Brace’s left, and Dobbs the trumpeter just behind him on his right, ever growing nearer at our steady trot, with the opal of the Hindus’ eyes plainer each moment and a wondering expression clearly seen now upon their faces, as if they were asking what it meant.

There were the sepoys, too, on our right, running fast and shouting, but we reached the centre long before they, and the mob following, could attain to the end of the line nearest to them; and just then, as I glanced to my left, I saw the rajah clap spurs to his horse, as if to ride up, but he reined instantly, and his two companions followed his example; dignity forbade this. We must go to him.

But we did not.

As we reached the centre at our steady trot, but with our horses bearing hard on the bit, Brace shouted—

“Halt!”

Without a touch, our horses stopped short, and there was an uneasy movement of those facing us, the beautiful animals tossing their heads, snorting, and seemed to know what was coming.

Then in another instant Brace said to us softly—

“Right about face!” and we turned, and sat to the wonder of the sowars the rajah was training, while I felt how easily they might rush out and cut us down from behind.

But there was not time, for Brace thundered out—

“Draw—swords!” and then, “The troop will advance at a walk.”

There was a flash in the sunlight as our sabres leapt from their scabbards, and another as Dobbs raised his trumpet to his lips and his note rang out.

In an instant the whole line was in motion, advancing slowly, with the heavy dull trampling of the horses, loudly heard by me above the tumultuous beating of my heart.

I glanced to the right, and then at the rajah and his two officers glittering with gold and gems, motionless, and as if astounded. It must have struck him and his men that we were volunteers, renegades come to join them, and drill the little force. But as we came abreast of them, with the sowars all steadily in their places, and taking everything as a matter of course, Brace’s voice rose again—

“Trot!”

Again Dobbs’s trumpet rang out, and the splendid horses, all trained to the notes of that bugle, broke at once into a steady trot. The gun wheels and limbers rattled, and an exciting yell ran along the line, men beginning to drag frantically at their reins as the rajah and his officers now awoke to the position of affairs, and roared out orders. But, above the noise and the confusion in the line, Brace’s voice rose clear and loud—“Gallop!”

Then, clear ringing, and given with all his might, Dobbs blew forth a triumphant charge, and the sowars might as well have pulled at rocks as against the bits of the excited horses, as they broke into the swift race to which they had been trained, gathering excitement from the rattle of the wheels as, in a quarter of a minute, we were thundering away down the plain, our speed increasing, the guns leaping and bounding over the uneven ground; and as I gave one glance back, I saw the white-robed gunners leaping off the limbers, their men frantically trying to check their horses, and ending by throwing themselves off—one or two, then half a dozen, then more, till the track in our rear was dotted with white spots, till fully half the sowars had dropped off, and the horses dashed on in the wild exciting gallop that was almost terrific in its speed.

I saw, too, the rajah and his officers shouting and striving hard on our right, and trying to cut in before us, to stop the movement. Again, they might as well have tried to check the wind, and all they could do was to fall in the line, galloping with us, and striking at their men with their glittering tulwars, as gunners and riders sat watching for opportunities to throw themselves from their horses without being trampled to death.

It was all a matter of minutes; and by the time we had galloped a mile, half the men had dropped off and were left behind, while on we tore with a rush like a whirlwind; till all at once from the wood some hundreds of yards to the front and left, there was a rush, the flash of helmets; and, led by Haynes, our men dashed out at the double, as if to take up ground right on our front.

The effect was magical.

A great yell rose from behind us, and the sowars rolled or tumbled off their horses to a man, while as we thundered on, and left them behind, dotting the plain with white spots and patches, many of the poor wretches being unable to rise again, the rajah and his two followers reined up and sat fast, while a couple of hundred yards further on we three, riding at the head of a troop of horse and our six guns, prepared to halt. Brace threw up his sword, the trumpet rang out; and the horses, no longer in an even line, but in a regular drove, obeyed the call on the instant, while from our men in front rose a frantic cheer of excitement.

They tore over the ground to, meet us, literally yelling with delight. Formation there was none; it was a little crowd of armed men, each trying to be first to reach and find his horse, of to get to the gun to which he belonged; while at the word of command, the horses now pressed together in something approaching a line.

Then orders rang out quick and sharp, and so good was the training that in a very short time men were getting well in their places, a couple of guns were unlimbered, and shot after shot was fired, the grape sweeping the plain, and sending the rajah and his officers back at a gallop, while those dismounted ran or limped after them, some poor wretches being merely able to crawl, and about a dozen lay quite still.

Then discipline was for the moment at an end.

The order was given, “Cease firing!” and the men broke their ranks to run in a crowd round Brace, shouting, cheering, waving their helmets, swords, sponges, and rammers, and literally dancing with delight, while Haynes and the doctor were shaking his hands as if they would drag him off his horse.

The next minute they were at me, and, to my astonishment, the doctor was literally crying.

“Ah, God bless you, my boy!” he cried. “I never thought I could be such a fool.—Hi! hooray! hooray! cheer, my lads, cheer!” he shouted, as he waved his sun helmet. But the men were cheering, and they had now collected round Dicky Dobbs, two leading his horse, others hanging on to the saddle, and actually holding by the horse’s tail, as they marched