AN INDIAN SOLDIER STORY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 477, 26 June 1912, Page 2

AN INDIAN SOLDIER STORY.

BY GEORGE MANVILLE PENN. PART 10. " Above all," he whispered, "mark well the place where the ladders are, and if I'm cut down, keep together, and help one another in the retreat," They could just make out the white garments of the sepoys, who were clustered upon the roof, for the most part smoking for the noise oi their hubble-bubble pdpes could be faintly hoard. There were others, too, right and left to be seen on the lower houses, where roofs had been turned into forts ; but where watching was going on it was at the interior of the magazine, and consequently the little party of darkclothed men were enabled to cross the intervening space, and stand together at last under the shelter ol the house they meant to destroy.

It seemed a terrible and a treacherous plan th'is —to hurry perhaps two score souls into eternity on the instant, and Melton's heart rose against it ; but he knew that if left to themselves the mutineers would spare neither man, woman, nor child of those who looked to him and the men of his regiment for protection, and this removed all scruple respecting what he could not but look upon as an unsoldierly proceeding. Fortunately for their purpose the door of the building, which had evidently been the house of a native of some importance, was wide open and this made the prospect of the explosion being successful the more certain.

Four men stood ready, sword and revolver in hand, while the others laid the powder bags some distance within the door.

Melton took the lead in this, planting two each containing some twenty pounds of powder against the passage wall. Then, tearing open another, he'piled up the loose powder around them.

A desperate man could now have fired the heap in an instant by discharging his revolver into ijb, and sooner than fail, Melton felt ready to send off his - men and to pursue this course ; for there were sounds above as of men moving .and descending from the roof. But life was sweet —doubly sweet now that he had others to protect ; so taking the fuse, he placed one end in the powder, laid it for some little distance, and then, giving the word to his men, he held the other end for a moment in a dark lantern, and then leaving it burning and spluttering he followed his party.

As he reached the entrance he found that one of them was waiting and had been watching his efforts. " She's out, sir," said the man.

Melton turned sharply round and found that the fuse had ceased to spark and splutter, while a sharp gust of wind rushed past them ; and though he could not see, he felt sure tbat the powder had been scattered away.

It required the nerves of a brave man to go back and replace that powder and fuse. A desperate determined man could easily nerve himself to do it once ; but after the first performance the danger seemed too terrible, and Melton for a moment hesitated.

It was but for a moment. He had undertaken to Tire the mine, and come what might, ' Tie must do it. Th< lives of perhaps hundreds depended upon it ; so, nerving himself onc< more he stepped back, found that there was only a spark in the fuse, which, however, was still burning and scintillating slightly, but th< powder had been scattered by the wind.

It was treacherous work, though, for, as he stooped down to scoop ui the black grains with both hands and bring the contents of the bags 'ir connection with the fuse, a spark flew from it like a little star, set fire to some of the wind-scattered powder, and in a moment the entry was lit up by the blaze.

Melton gave himself up for lost, for he knew that the blaze would betraj their whereabouts to the enemy while it was very doubtful if it would explode the mine.

Quick as thought, then, he threw himself doAvn upon the burning powder just where, like a snake, it was running across the floor, and, at thi expense of terrible burns he beat it out, just as loud cries rose froir above and firing recommenced. "Quick ! Light the fuse !" criec Melton to the man who now helc the lantern. But the man was con fused, and hung back.

Melton dashed at him, and dragged the dark lantern from him, tore i" open, and drew out the lamp, whil' the descending steps grew nearer Then, as the foot of the first mai touched the bottom, and his nexstep was in the powder, Melton the burning lamp right into th' heap.

He leaped away as he did so an< ran for his life ; but in the light she* by the flaring lamp he just caugh sight of three black savage faces and the glint of waving tulwars then there was a blinding flash an 1 ' some awful force seemed to lift hin from his feet and to hurl him head long to the earth.

Melton could have been insensibl but for a moment or two, and the he awoke to lind that he was bein dragged towards the wall by hi men, and thai he could not hel them in the slightest degree. There was a terrible confusion a round. Burning wood lay abou them ; there was a hideous smell c burnt powder, and a black pall c smoke, added, byits density, to i.b

obscurity of the night. There was 111.:: noise of firing and excited voices to be heard too, on every side, momentarily increasing ; and this roused Melton somewhat to a sense of their position.

" I can stand now, my lads," he raid, huskily ; and as he spoke his a~ad seemed to swim and the burning i r 0 3.1 seemed to dance. " Are jou ill here ?" " Yes, sir, I think so," said a

roice. " Is the house blown up ?" " I don't thinb there's s scrap st n.ling, sir," said the same speakr out of the black cloud. " To the wall then—quick !" " It's all very fine to say to the vail," grumbled a voice, " but I 'cn't believe there ain't no wall left."

"Nonsense, man ! Here to the left."

'"Lord, no sir," said the sergeant. "That's where the house were. Thin, smoke's confusing. I think the ladder lies this way."

"Forward, then," said Melton ; and in response to his word a dozen muskets were fired somewhere from the darkness, so that the bullets went whistling by, fortunately without striking a single man, and though they were fired from very close at hand, so dense was the heavy black smoke of the explosion that not even the flash of the pieces was seen. " Here's the wall, sir," said the sergeant, the next minute in a whimper ; "but there's no ladder." " A man each way, right and left," said Melton, who in spite of the pain and numbness of mind he endured, was every moment growing better able to issue his orders. " Whoever finds the ladder is to give a low whistle."

Two men glided off and the firing went on, each minute growing more 'urious, while to their left a dull began to penetrate the smoke which protected the little party from; the firing of the enemy. " The ruins are beginning to blaze, sir," said the sergeant, " and it will be hot for us here directly. Why, aanj me, if here ain't the ladder blowed away from the wall by the sxplcsion !."

He gave a low whistle, and then, seizing the ladder, he ran with it to the wall.

As he rearer it the two men came running back, both turning, to fire their revolvers at tfc* enemy by whom they were pursued ; and fortunately the dull glow became faint once more, so that the darkness favoured their escape.

" Now, my lads, over !" cried Melton ; and the men rushed up the ladder, climbed on the wall, and dropped down the other side, for they had reared it in a fresh place some yards from the ladder by which they had ascended.

"Over you go, sir," said the sergeant, when only he and Melton were left, and the noises around grew very near.

"No, no. Over with you, sergeant." " But you are weak and wounded, sir. Go on," said the man. " Forward !" roared Melton, fiercely ; and the sergeant sprang up the ladder, threw himself astride the wall, and reached down his hand to help his officer.

This little altercation had nearly proved fatal for Mefton. Attracted by the voices, a score of the enemy, who had been groping about in search of the adventurers, now dashed at them ; and, as if to aid their search, the wind came sweeping along, driving the black pall of smoke before it, and making the smouldering ruins of the blown-up house blaze with a furious flame, showing Melton struggling ,up the ladder and the sergeant seated astride on the wall.

With a howl of rage the enemy darted at the ladder, while others fired at the fugitives, the bullets whistling by them.

" Here, quick, sir—your hand !" shouted the sergeant ; and he caught Melton's wrist in a grip of iron. " Here, below there ; hold on by my leg," he roared to his comrades in safety; and a man leaped up and grasped his ankle.

It was well that the sergeant, was an active man of almost herculean strength, for at that, moment the ladder was dragged away, and Melton left suspended in the air. It was but a moment's work, and neither of the actors could well have told afterwards how it was done ; but as the ladder fell, and the savage enemy leaped, tulwar in hand, tc hack the young officer to pieces, he caught with his disengaged hand at the other extended to him by the sergeant, was dragged up to the top of the wall, and then the pair fell, 05 rather rolled down into safety amongst their companions, who brok< their fall before they lay panting od the ground.

" That was as nigh as a toucher, sir," gasped the sergeant, struggling up. " Sergeant, you saved my life,' panted ' Melton. " But what's that ?"

A brilliant flash of light and £ heavy noise as of thunder had shaker the ground where they crouched. Then came a few minutes' silence, followed by yells and cries as if paudemoniun had broken loose, and Melton divinec what was wrong.

" The scoundrels have blown dowr part of the wall," he cried, " an; are attacking in force." And to endorse his words then rang out the rolls of drums and th< gathering calls of bugles, as the English soldiery were summoned to repe the fresh attack. CHAPTER VII. A REPULSE. It was quite time that the a lan. should be given, for, as in obediene to the various calls, the defenders o the magazine hurried to their posts it was to find that a long piece o

the wal'i had been blown down, and the mutineers were swarming intc the enclosure in a furious crowd. The. darkness and confusion consequent upon the explosion favour, ti their advance —the few defenders n. the wall, after firing a shot or i being easily driven back, and the fate of the occupants of the magazine seemed sealed. On came the scoundrels, yelling and firing and spreading themselves all over the place, while hundreds more pressed in through the great gap in the wall, and all appeared their own; for in the darkness resistance seemed every moment to grow more difficult.

For there was a savage recklessness in the way in which the sepoys rushed on their foes, cutting fiercely hsrc and there, and apparently feeling their life well spent if they could slay two or three Englishmen before they fell beneath the bayonets of those they attacked.

It was so here, and their attack produced terrible confusion amongst the troops but discipline soon prevailed. The cavalry and infantry both answered to their calls, men catching up their rifles and cartouche boxes fixing their bayonets and forming up in line as if on parade, while the officers prepared for something like coherent action.

Colonel Brandon took the Jead and though his men were fretting at their inaction, and falling fast, he waited till he had given instructions to Colonel Bruce to extend his men in line and sweep the left of the court, firing as they went, while he would extend his infantry to the right and do the same.

" Tell Colonel Bruce," he said in conclusion to his aide-de-Camp, "that when the bugle sounds the charge, his men are to give the scoundrels the bayonet !"

The defenders had formed up so far back towards the wall that the open court was entirely in the hands ol the mutineers, who now spread all over it in a fierce mob, hungering for blood ; and, believing that the day was their own, they began to 1 make for the buildings to plunder and massacre all that were therein.

It was with a yell of dismay, then, and surprise, ~ that in the darkness, through which their white cotton garments seemed to gleam, they suddenlj saw flash out in a long line five hundred tongues of flame, the messengers that sent as many conical bullets whistling through their ranks, and cumbering the court with the dead and wounded.

But they were not appalled ; for as soon as they had recovered from their first surprise they began to take some form and to return the fire. It was a feeble and scattered reply, though, while that of the long line of well-drilled men became constant as the soldiers steadily advanced, firing as they came, till there was one continuous roll of musketry.

This was continued half across the court, the right an'd left of the line being gradually thrown forward in a half circle, so that the mutineers werei swept slowly back towards the great breach, till at last out rang the bugle. The men paused for a moment to steady the rank ; and then, shoulder to shoulder, and with a ringing cheer, they dashed forward in the charge,, bayoneting their adversaries, and driving them in a blind mob who cumbered the ground at every step with their fallen, right through the breach, which was then held by the bristling chevaux-de-frise of bayonets.

But the task was not done yet in the court, which still swarmed with mutineers, though the main body was driven out. There were the wounded, too, who still fought desperately, cutting and firing at everybody whe approached them, neither giving nor expecting quarter. And with suet fanatics and situated as he was, there was no other course left open to Colonel Brandon who reluctantly gave orders for the bayoneting of all within the walls.

It was a horrible scene of carnage, but it did not last long ; for the English blood was up, and the men :elt little compunction in quenching the flame of a set of men who spared neither woman nor child who came into their hands.

In a very few minutes, then, the court was completely cleared, and those who had tried to find refuge iD the various buildings had been hunted out and bajoneted.

" It is very horrible," said Melton who sat propped up against the wall of one of the buildings, supported by the sergeant, and protected by his men, who had not taken part in the defence. And it was well that thej had stayed by him, for half a dozen tulwar-armed fanatics had dashed al him when the court was filled, bul only to leave their bodies spread around as after a sharp .struggle, thes fell to the revolvers of his men. "H is very horrible, sergeant," said Melton as he saw a portion of th( bayoneting, " and not in our way." " No, sir, 'taint light-horse wori at all ; but I'd sooner send a bayonei through a dozen of those nigger: than see them get at our women anc spit the children on their swords. 1 have got a wife and two bairns witl the regiment, sir, and I feels warn about 'em." Melton could say nothing, for In knew that unless these stern reprisals were made there was no hope fo those who depended on them for pro tection. " What arc they doing now ?" In inquired as the yelling of the eneiro seemed to be confined to the exterio' of the wall. " (Jotting a cniipfe ni guns to com mand that breach, 1 think, sir." th< sergeant said : "but I'll sec." He ran <>ff and came back in ;i minutes i.» .say ihat ho was rightfoi C<donel lirandon bad now bl'ough' his artillery into use. To In' Continued.