THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 486, 27 July 1912, Page 2

THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

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AN INDIAN SOLDIER STORY. BY GEORGE MANVILLE FBNN. PART 19. • CHAPTER XIV. PLAYING WITH FIRE. For a moment Jackson seemed ready to disobey orders, and half turned to flee, but a glance right and left showed him his officers standing firm, and he felt at once the strength given by discipline, remaining perfectly firm as the native troopers thundered down.

The dust flew up in clouds behind the trampling hoofs, the noise increased, and the savage faces grew momentarily more distinct till they were within a few yards, and had the three Englishmen now swerved for a moment thej would have been cut down and ridden over.

Their firmness saved them, foi when their' fate seemed sealed, the troopers opened out right and left, passing them standing as it were in a lane whose sides were panting horses, and then reining up the sowars surrounded them.

'* Who are you, dogs of a defiled sire ?" exclaimed one who seemed to be the leader, speaking in Hindostanee. 1

" Allah is great," said Melton, in the same tongue, { but with a peculiar barbarity of accent ; and he supplemented it with some monosyllabic jargon which made all present stare. The leader angrily repeated his question, and Melton salaamed once again, and repeated his assertion, " Allah is great."

" Does the leader of this band of heroes, whose eyes flash like the lightnings from the great hills, speak the tongue of the Feringhee' dog ?" asked Melton, after a pause, and as he spoke turning his native tongue into almost as bad a jargon as he had used before.

" Yes," replied the leader, in good English. " Who are you ?"

'* Thy servants," said Melton, proudly, " are sowars of the Alunghur light horse who rose to conquer fourteen suns ago. We were fcrave, and slew the Feringhee dogs who led us. Ten guns played upon us ; a regiment of their horsemen galloped in pursuit, and we were cut to pieces., scattered, and the four hundred brave sons of Islam, where are they ? Ask the vultures of the heavens, ask the Pariah dogs who crawl through the night, and they can tell. Look," he said, tearing off his bandages, and showing his half-healed scars —" see what the enemy has done. Look here too," he cried, savagely, and with a wild look of excitement in his eyes; and he tore the bandages from Lawrence and displayed Ms wounds. Then, turning to Jackson, he seized his arm, and was proceeding to denude it when the young man uttered a sharp cry of pain, and winced. " Don't • sir," he whispered ; " my arm's all white, and they'll find us out." " What does he say ?" exclaimed the leader. '

"He says his wounds bleed still, and call for vengeance against his enemies." To endorse his words Jackson's stabs were evidently bleeding freely, and, as tearing a fresh bandage from his robe, Lawrence proceeded to bind it over the other, the dark red stain came through, and the savage horsemen raised a yell of rage. The chief and several others bent down from their saddles and looked at the injuries displayed by the two officers, and a low murmur of discontent ran through them, the words spoken being carried from man to man till the whole body knew. " Whj are you come here ?" asked the leader then.

" Why are we come !" said Melton, speaking through his teeth, while Lawrence and Jackson stood now, with folded arms. " Because the blood of our brothers called us to revenge them ; because a new day has risen on the land —a fatal day foi the Feringhee. It is spoken. They are withering before the blast—scattered like the dust. We three fled from many ; one died on the weary way. We heard of Hissar,. the great Rana, and we go to him and say, give us tulwars, and spears, and horses, that we may fight with the oppressor of our land."

" Bring horses," said the leader, briefly. Three noble-looking creatures were led into the centre.

"Mount," said the leader, looking suspiciously from one to the other. Jackson was nearest to the horses, and in obedience he placed one foot in the stirrup, raised himself carefully, threw his leg over, and then seemed to collapse, sliding off and falling heavily to the ground.

" He cannot ride," said the leader, in a hissing whisper, as he bent down over Melton. " Are there such things as spies ?" " Ride !" said Melton, scornfully. " Our brother can ride like the wind, and has trampled his enemies under his feet, but his wounds bleed and he is faint."

A murmur of acquiescence ran through the crowd. " Let us see my brave brethren mount and ride them. Let us see them handle the lance."

A couple were handed to the young officers, and Melton advanced to the earest horse, which snorted and shied, and tried to kick him ; but seizing his opportunity, he vaulted on to the lithe creature's back turned round, saw that Lawrence was also mounted on a wild, unmanageable teed, and touched his own with his heel.

As the horse sprang forward Melton tossed his lance in the air, ut-

tcrcd the wild cry tof the irregular horsemen,' "Allah —allah-hu," and darted off, closely followed by Lawrence, -who, with variations of his own, followed his companion's example, as at full gallop, and wheeling here and there, they feigned an engagement with an enemy, stabbing

and foining with their lances, ending by charging down at full speed upon the troops, but throwing up their lance points, and stopping short withi* a few yards, to sit rigidly in their saddles, but not as would a dragoon, but with short stirrups and their knees close up to the saddle bows.

"If thy servants had been spies, they would have fled," said Melton), mockingly. " Our brethren are welcome," said the leader, " and will keep these horses. Bring tulwars for our new trethren."

Sabres were brought and buckled on, Lawrence immediately ignoring all present in the interest he took in his blade, which he drew and whirled about his head, before giving cuts with it which " whished " through the air.

Melton, too, carefully l tried the temper of his 'Blade, and setting spurs to his horse, rode straight at a sappling palm some fifty yards away, and with apparent ease cut through the trunk, so that the top fell prone ; while he carefully wiped the blade and trotted back to his chief's side, looking elate and proud.

*' Can he ride ?" said the chief, pointing to Jackson, who was now recovering from his faintness. Jackson overheard the words, and leaped into the, saddle, when the horse made a dash to run off with its rider ; but with a clever manipulation of the reins, the young man checked him and brought him' back, handling him and keeping his seat in a way that showed him to be an accomplished horseman.

" Our brothers are welcome," said the leader, gravely. " Let them fight with us, and get revenged upon the enemies of our land —the Feringhee dogs whose blood we are pouring out like water." Fortune is said to favour the brave, and in this case the saying seemed to be fulfilled, for by open daring had the plan been carried through. As the body of horsemen rode back Melton . learned that they were a portion of the men who had been sent out to form a second ambush in case the first that were still in waiting missed fire.

The doubts that might have lingered amongst the trio as to the correctness of Jackson's belief in the character of the guide were now swept away, for it came out in conversation that he was no other than a cousin of Hissar, who had undertaken to lead thte Feringhee horsemen into his hands, " using the poor prisoners' note as a bait. " And he failed," said Lawrence, to *■ his companion. " Well, may we he more fortunate in our visit to the enemies' camp." Camp, however, there was none, for Chardagh proved to be a very handsome, walled city, teeming with inhabitants, dwelling in the low structures along the narrow lanes, while Hissar's palace was a noble building, surrounded by a high wall, over which towered minaret and dome. As the body of horse filed through the narrow streets, they encountered the Rajah himself going} in procession through the place ; and as the glittering, barbaric train swept by, the adventurers recognised in the principal figure that of the scornfullooking Eastern noble they had seen on the occasion of their march to the unfortunate city now in possession of the enemy. Glittering as had been the cavalcade before it was now lavish in its Eastern pomp. The escort was many times as strong, and the chief's followers were rich in gold and costly trappings. Here rode a horseman in glistening helmet, chain armour, and gorgeous yellow coatee, glittering with ornaments, while his egret plume was held in its place by a jewel.

Beside, perhaps, one in turban of cloth of gold, while his gorgeous belt was full of ornamental pistols and daggers. There was the same taste for show in their followers, who were draped in costly shawls of Lahore silk and the finest Dacca muslins. Man seemed to vie with man in the extent of the armoury he carried about his person ; but it was impossible to help smiling! at the mixture for here marched a man with a heavy matchlock, beside him was one with an Enfield rifle of the newest construction while again, close by would tramp a man in steel skull-cap with a fringe of rings hanging therefrom, and a steel guard to protect the face- from sabre cuts while he carried a curved sword and a round steel shield.

The horses were magnificent and gay in their trappings. Miany bad their manes and tails dyed scarlet or blue, one being of rich yellow. Then came, amidst a crowd of matchlock men preceded by trumpeters and drummers, seven enormous elephants, each with its tasks sawn ofi square about the middle, and then looped with silver and gold rings. The broad fronts of the monsters were gaily • painted, while fringes of gold, appertaining to the costly housings, hung ov«3r their huge fronts and broad flapping ears. The housings themselves wore of velvet, and the howdahs magnificent specimens of metal work, erne being certainly of silver, while the others were probably of feome inferior meta] richly filmed and plated with gold. A dignitary of the IRana's court rode on each of the :first six elephants, witli a mahout in a rich livery in front, resting hais steel hook upon his thigh, while bcftind clustered the holders of b ?*Kia#t umbrellas

ind chowries, to keep away the flies rom the august countenances of the )ccupants of the howdahs. Then came a brilliant squadron oi rregular cavalry, beautifully mountid, and with every man clothed as :eemed good in his own eyes —cloth )f gold, the costliest shawls, turjans blazing with gems, and a perect armoury cf weapons in his glit:ering cummerbund were the special eatures of the band, and Lawrence said in a whisper to Melton : " Jack, wouldn't our lads like to charge these gay-looking scoundrels md loot them afterwards."

There was too great a noise of Draying trumpet, beating cymbal and Irum thumping for these words to be overheard ; but Melton, as he gave i sharp nod and kept himself rigid jlanced hastilj to the right and leTt :n search of danger. Then came the seventh elephant, a monster quite twelve feet high whilo ;he howdah was so large and of so ornamental a nature, that the occupant was fully four feet higher still. The elephant was more gaudily paint;d than its fellows ; its tuslcs were jilded, and the scarlet velvet housing with which it was nearly covered was heavy with gold and gems. The howdah was crusted thickly, too, with gold and the ropes and bands which held it in its place weve Df silk. As for the attendants they tvere in magnificent scarlet, uniforms, ind turbans laced with gold, and the :oatees somewhat resembled those of i bandsman.

But their grand effect was spoiled to a European eye by the attendants' bare, black feet and legs ; though of course, when an Indian wears gold rings an his greati toes, to wear a shoe or slipper would be to rob him of much of his dignity. In the bowdah was Hissar himself —lord of the sun—the future ruler of that portion of India, according to his followers, already so in his own belief.

The friends looked at the man with a mingling of curiosity and aversion ; for it was quito. possible that he might even then have come from an interview with those they loved and who were now his prisoners.

Hissar was of comparatively fail complexion with a fat, heavy, sensual face, thick lips and large dreamy eyes ; and as he sat there, a blaze of splendour, he seemed to look from side to side from under his long eyelashes with a half-suspicious, half-contemptuous aspect, like one who looked down upon, and yet feared his surroundings. A blaze of splendour is no inapt term to apply to his costume whicb was crusted with jewels. He wore a kind of headpiece somewhat resembling a helmet, which was one mass of large pearls, banded round the edge and hooped over with pearls and diamonds ; and from this arose like a spray from an aigrette of flashing gems the graceful plumes of the white egret, which yielded tc every puff of wind from the attendants' chowries. Breast, back, and sleeves were crusted with gems, giving the wearer the appearance of being cased in an armour of precious stones, so that at every movement of the elephant the light flashed in a thousand tery scintillations from the Rana's person ; but even he had bare feet and toes made clumsy with rings.

"I should sas he don't think nc small beer of hisself," said Jackson, in an audible whisper—fortunately, however, only heard by his two companions, who sat calm and stolid upon their beasts as any native of the East, till the brilliant cortege—which struck Lawrence ns being a dream out of the " Arabian Nights" —had swept by The leaders of the troop then gave the word, and the adventurers and their new companions in arms filed off to one of the courts of the palace, where, to the great delight of Melton and Lawrence, they found that they were stationed. Here all was a mingling of barbaric pomp and splendour, and that which was mean and sordid. Naturally a great deal of the dirt and confusion was caused by the great influx of armed men who had obeyed the call to arms, and the advent of a large body of horse and foot to the courts of the palace robbed it of much of its order ; but the adventurers saw enough to convince them that gold and precious stones were mingled with foul habits and a want of domestic comforts such as would be found In any cottage of the working people of England. Lawrence and Jackson modelled their behaviour to that of their companion, who, upon their reaching their quarters, seemed to sMit himself up in a cold reserve, and after seeing to the comfort of his horse, calmly sat down and began to smoke.

" We can do nothing but wait our opportunity," said Melton. " Let us keep perfectly still, and by degrees we shall find out where they are imprisoned." " Yes," said Lawrence, " but once find that out and there will be some hope. If we could only get them mounted on a couple of swift horses with us for an escort, and a clear start Hissar might pursue and welcome, for I should have no fear." At this moment refreshments were served out, and Melton could not but remark that a goodly portion was placed before him and his companions, whtile the leader came round, and saw that they were well provided for before seeking his own portion.

(To be continued.)