THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 471, 5 June 1912, Page 2

THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

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AN INDIAN SOLDIER STORY. BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. PART 4. " Try and trust to us, my girl,' said Lawrence, quietly ; and reassur ed by his look she hurried into th< room from which a babble of femalt voices mingled with sobs and cries came out into the hall as she opened the door. To Lawrence's great delight, the sisters came forth hastily togetherMiss Leslie eagerly taking his extended hand, while sister Laura's little soft palms clasped themselves inv-oluntarib, upon his arm. "Is there great danger ? Prav tell us, Mr. Lawrence !" exclaimed Miss Leslie.

"Papa—have you seen papa, Mr Lawrence ?" exclaimed sister Laura.

"No, there is no great danger, now," said Lawrence, releasing the hand that lay so anxiously in his. " I merely came here with one oi my men —from the outside." Wounded?" exclaimed Miss Leslie, with a shudder.

" Yes, hut very slightly. He was shot at in the bazaar."

" But papa!— have you seen him?" said Laura. " No ; is he not here?" " Oh, no, no, no !" sobbed the girl. " Tell him, Ella —I cannot." Miss Leslie seemed to mate an effort over herself. "Papa did not seem satisfied with Colonel Bruce's arrangements, Mr. Lawrence," she said. "He thought the colonel took too serious a view of the matter, and he determined to go out and see the native troop* himself."

" But he did not go ?" exclaimed Lawrence. " He did not pass the gates ?" " Oh, no," said Miss Leslie ; did not pass the gates, but went only out by the little v postern at the bottom of the compound." " What madness !" exclaimed Lawrence.

"Mr. Lawrence," said Miss Leslie, with dignity as she withdrew her hand, " surely papa, as governor of this city, must know what is best. He said, if he saw the sepoys and sowars, he could calm them he was sure."

" Has he gone protected, and well armed ?"

" No, papa has gone alone and without even his sword," Laura sobbed „

" And the scoundrels are shooting down every British officer they meet."

" Mr. Lawrence," exclaimed Miss Leslie, indignantly ; for at his words Laura uttered a low cry and fainted.

"Fool —idiot that I am," he cried, ,passionately. " Pray forgive my folly, Miss Leslie. I ought to have known better," he cried catching her hand. " I would do anything tc please you," he muttered, " and 3 act like a madman."

" Help me to carry my sister into this room, sir," she said, " and then see if you can be of any service to papa—if the danger is as great as you say." Lawrence forbore to speak, but he darted an imploring look at the beautiful girl before him, as, thrusting the revolver in his belt a little on one side and kicking back the steel scabbard of his sword, he stooped quickly, raised the slight form of Laura and prepared to follow her sister, who led the way into the room next to that where the fugitive officers' ladies had collected. As Lawrence passed in and the door swung behind him Jackson, the private, suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor, and stood listening as if in doubt where the lieutenant had gone, for Whom he seemed to have a message. To the surprise of Ella Leslie, the room into which she led the way was quite dark, saving such faint light as was shed by the stairs. Her first impulse was to summons one of the servants to bring candles, but she remembered on the instant that the native domestics had all fled ; and hurrying to a side table, she took a wax taper from a china ornament and striking it, held it to one of the candles that should have stood there burning. As the light shone through the room a cry rose to her lips ; but she was sufficiently strong-minded to suppress it, and hastily stepping forward she threw herscLf between the Impending danger and him who held up her sister. For as the light flashed up, a darkvisaged man, in white cotton loose garments, glided noiselessly to the door and locked it, standing wntry after while at least twenty others with glistening eyes, appeared clustered on either side of the window, which was noiselessly closed and the curtains hastily drawn across.

Lawrence took the situation in at a glance, and saw that by some means —probably through the aid of one of the native servants —a wellarmed body of men had got possession of the house, proi>ably to renev the attempt of the previous day. The men were evidently not a part?, of the native troops who had mutinied, but seemed, from their white dresses and turbans, to be the followers of some chief while he, whe was their leader, wore a puggaree and had his waist swathed in white shawls in which were stuck three oi four jewelled pistol 3 and; a long knife, while in his hand lie held e long, keen-looking tulwar and rounc native shield.

The men's eyes rolled and glistened as the chief —on Lawrence and hi: companions shrinking away —cooll? lit a couple more of the cancL'es. ano then in a low voice, whispered hi:

directions to the fierce- looking men. But Lawrence did not wait for this. He was too great a soldier : even though belonging to the cavalrj not to supplement his weakness b5 every aid at his hand ; and to the astonishment of the enemy, he let Laura Leslie glide down to his feet in a corner of the room as he pulled a big couch in front of him, and by a great, exertion of strength drew out one end of the piano from the wall. So that in less time than it takes to tell it he had provided himself with a breastwork which enclosed the corner where they stood, the piano thoroughly protecting the two girls, while now, sword in one hand, revolver in the other, he prepared to meet such enemies as should attack him across the couch.

"A man can only die once, he muttered between his teeth, " and I would die a dozen times rather than these poor girls should fall into the hands of these miscreants."

He then glanced round the room, seeking a bell or some means by which he could make his perilous position known ; but the handles of the bells were on the other side and quite out of his reach. " Never mind, the first shots will give the alarm," he muttered, as, letting his sword hang by its knot he took advantage of the* surprise and hesitancy produced by his rapid action amongst his energies to unbuckle and drop his belt and scabbard on the floor.

There was yet time, for the enemy still held hack ; so Lawrence relieved himself of his cross-belt and cart-ridge-belt, ending by laying it open ready to obtain more cartridges and then placing his sword on the piano for an instant, he rapidly tore ofl his tunic and rolled up his sleeve over his muscular right fore-arm.

The enemy looked on, half astonished at his daring, while Laura , regained consciousness ; and, as the sisters crouched there, a glow of pride in spite of the shuddering sensation which pervaded her, shone in Ella Leslie's eyes—admiration for the bravery of her young fellow-country-man, who stood there, ready to do and die in her and her cister s defence.

" Keep quite still," said Lawrence in a low, stern voice. ' " I'll do my "best. ' Help must come directly I begin to fire." He said these words without glancing towards the sisters, for his eyes were carefully fixed upon his enemies who now seemed preparing to advance. As he spoke, though he ran his- thumb along the edge of hie sabre to find it unsharpened, there being a thick, uncutting edge, just as it had left the makers. Fortunately the point was sufficiently keen ; and as his fingers closed tightly round the hilt, the muscles of his arm stood out rigid and firm.

Lawrence saw what was' coming the next moment, and sheltered himself behind the piano ; for half a dozen men blew the matches of their pieces and presenting, would the next instant have fired a volley. Their leader rushed forward, though and threw up the barrels of the pieces, uttering some fierce orders in his own tongue —the result being that swords were drawn and the men prepared for a general assault. The room was large and some little space intervened between the intending combatants, the nearest to Lawrence being the man by the door who was some two yards off on his left. " Oh, for half a dozen of my lads, muttered. Lawrence ; and then, as he saw the matchlock barrels thrown up he continued to himself, " That is the plan, is it ? No firing for feai of giving the alarm." He felt the bullets in the various chambers of his revolver with the lever ramrod, and made sure that it was loaded, and then as the men ad vanced he stood upon his defence. "Ha !" he muttered, giving a sharp glance at the man at the do 0 r; " that means an ugly attack on the left flank." As this thought ran through hip mind, the swarthy-looking native poised his tulwar in the air, held his head down beneath his shield, and repared to spring forward ; but on finding himself covered with the barrel of a revolver, he ducked and leap cd and ran with head down av. a> from the door to join his companions. " Coward .'" muttered Lawrence a a his spirits rose hopefully ; whereas a minute before he only saw a prospect of holding out for a certain time, now, numerous as- his enemies were, there was the possibility that he might hold out till assistance came. He withdrew his ideas about the cowardice. of his foes the next, moment, for a dozen men forward, uttering a lov.-, hoarse "Ha ha !" whirling their sabres in the air, and guarding themselves wit! their shields. Crack—crack —crack ! Three sharp reports from the re volver and as many went down ; one quivering in the agonies of death the other two with bullets througt their lungs, ambling painfull? ft J from beneath their companions' feet. The effect of this rapid dischargi was to check the advance, the umn jured men darting back, while as t.hi thin blue smoke curled upwards Lawrence stood hesitating as t< whether he should fire again or v, ait for a second advance. He determined on the latter , anc without taking his eyes from his ene mies, he stooped down to take threi fresh cartridges. As he did so the wailing and cries in the next room told him that th alarm was taken by the officers' lad ies. Just at that moment the roar o heavy firing came from without hot) cannon and musketry—enough to e.f fectually drown any noise that miglv be made in "that room ; and takini advantage of this the leader of th' men urged them on once more.

They needed little "urging ; and he'ore Lawrence had time to attempt to unload, the men uttered their guttural cry again, and dashed forward. Orach — crack — crack !

Three more shots from the revolver. Torn one of which an enemy went town, shot through the head, and mother uttered a cry of rage, fur his sword-arm fell to his side shattered, The other shot, merely scored an enemy's shoulder, making him savagely angry with the pa.in.

There was again a pause, nut no time for reloading. and Lawrence ield his revolver in his hand, hesitating whether he should hurl it. at. the irst. comer.

He let. it fall, though, to his side, as one of the men dashed forward jnit made a cut at him with his Itc:i :ulwar.

It was a blow that, would h've. ;loven his head; but with an active turn, the young man avoided it., and :.he keen blade struck deep into the lard wood of the piano, making the .vires ring, while before tlv man ?.ould extricate his weapon, the point of Lawrence's sabre had passed right through his throat in a deadly ihrust delivered from the shoulder ; and, as with a rapid backward draff, the young dragoon withdrew his sword, his enemy uttered a wild, gurgling cry, anh fell prone upon his lace.

Upon this three others rushed at the young man, but he pave point at once at one to the right, striking him full in the chest ; struck the next full in the face with the pommel of his sabre as he wrenched it from his enemy's breast, and sent she man he struck staggering against the third, so as to disarrange his aim as he was making a formidable mt, which, if it had taken effect, would have ended Lawrence's career ; while before the Indian could recover himself, the joung man delivered so slashing a blow, that in spite of the bluntness of bis weapon, his enemy went down thoroughly placed hors dt combat. There was an ominous muttering amongst the Indians, who held back, although their leader kept urging them forward by voice and gesticulation. The noise of distant firing increased to a loud roar, which drowned the sounds of combat in the room and the matchlock men once more seized their weapons. Lawrence stood behind the sofa on the defensive, panting with his late exertions ; and as he did so, two matchlock bullets whizzed by him, and entered the wall behind his head with a dull thud.

At that moment he felt himself touched, and, looking sharply round he saw Ella Leslie as she crouched there, holding out to him his revolver.

" No, no —empty !" he said, sharply, turning his face once more to his foes ; but Ella hastily touched him again, and on looking down he saw that in her other hand she held his open pouch. ~He caught the pistol joyfully, for it placed at least four of his enemies at his mercy even if lie did not disable a couplp. more.

" Done like a soldier's daughter," he muttered, as he cocked the piece. " Brave, true woman, io think of loading it." It was the salvation of all three for the minute ; for. as he stood ready, it was only just in time to meet the coming onslaught. the Indians being now mocked and goaded into making another ni Lack --their leader, although he had been j. ori 111; his men for l>eing held at bay by >ne eater of pig's flesh, religiously keeping himself out of harm's way.

Before the Indians couia. make their rush Lawrence began tiring swiftly shot after shot, but with not so good effect as he!ore. for only three of his enemies rolled over, while, now getting maddened with rage, four more rushed at him.

Lawrence threw down his empty revolver once more, and. cut. down one man. ran another through and was then hard pressed by the other two —one of them delivering a sharp cut on the young man's left shoulder which made the blood spurt out and dye his shirt-sleeve, whilst a low wail arose from behind tlie piano.

The man's victory was nearly bought ; for. resorting to his former tactics, Lawrence smote the rutlian with all his might upon ihe forehead with the hilt of his sword, the blow falling with crushing violence, nnd dropping the man like a stone. Lawrence thee, leaped hack to avoid his other adversary's cut, receiving it upon his blade, which shivered with the violence of the blow, and broke off close to the hilt.

Some men would have been dazed by the calmitv which left them helpless in the presence of a ruthless, well-armed foe ; Tint Lawrence was quick as lightning in act. and deed, and bronchi into force his old col lege training. For before the savage Indian could swing his weapon round for another blow, the youn.: man drew back and shot out his hilt, armed list right from the shoulder, with that tremendous Uriiish blow only known to him who has amused himself with the gloves, and the light, sinewy Indian received it rie.ht in his teeth, and fell backwards, completely knocked off his feet, to lie groaning where he fell, with broken jaw. There was a pause once more, am! Lawrence stood panting for ;i mo meet or two. " Quick, quick !" exclaimed a voice at his side ; and Ella {landed the loaded revolver once again. It was too late ; Ire saw it whili leaping over the sola in face of Ins enemies. His object: was to wrench ;i tulwar from the hand of one of his prostrate foes ; but as he alighted, his ifoot slipped on the. bloody floor and he fell heavily. (.To be jCoaiiGsiotl.)