THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 749, 27 February 1915, Page 6

THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

AN INDIAN SOLDIER STORY, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. I PART 11. Two nine-pounders had been run into position and charged with grape, and no sooner was this done, and ample preparations made for their being well served, than he gave the word, and the double 'line of men, whose bayonets bristled in the breach, where they were terribly exposed to the enemy's fire and fell fast, were withdrawn, dividing in the middle and falling back like the opening of gates, leaving the breach apparently to the eaemy. This was looked upon as a sign of defeat by the mutineers, seen, as it was, in the grey ; dawn of the morning, which had begun to lighten the lurid scene. They dashed forward, then in a crowd swarmed over the ruins of the wall, and yelling with triumph, prepared once more to carry all before them.

"Fire!" cried a low, distinct, roice.

There was. a flash—a deafening ringing report from one brass gun—and its charge of grape rushed hurtling through the yelling crowd which staggered for a moment with astonisI ,T nent ; but directly after the crowd behind closed up, and they advanced again over the bodies of the dead and dying. "Fire !" was repeated ; and the second gun sent its hurtling charge through the crowd, which .* again paused, but still, forced on by those behind, pressed on again. By this time the first gun was rer loaded, and delivered its murderous grape right into the crowd. The firing of the second piece effectually checked further advance ;. and, leaving the breach piled up with their dead, the enemy snatched up their wounded, and retired under cover, while they kept up a continuous but ineffectual fire on their foes. " That's a pretty good lesson for them, I think, Bruce," said Colonel Brandon. " Your men behaved admirably." "It was the effect of the good example set by yours," said Colonel Bruce, smiling. "But what is that?"

A loud shriek for help had rung out from one of the buildings, that in which the governor was lying attended by his two daughters ; and, drawing their swords, and followed by half a dozen-men, the two colonels hurried for the doorway. "Some of the scoundrels have got in there !" exclaimed Colonel Brandon. "Be ready with your bayonets my lads.!" he cried to his men and they rushed on. They were only in time, for it was as Colonel Brandon had surmised.

On seeing that the danger was over Melton, who was much shaken, rose, and laying one arm over the sergeant's shoulder and the other over that of one of the men he was led into' the building where the governor lay and where the doctor was holding his seance for the wounded men. They were passing the door where the sisters were in attendance on their father, when Melton noticed faiat it was ajar, and a sudden feeling of alarm seized him. No doctor could have so reanimated him as did the terror lest anything should be wrong ; and, starting forward, he grasped the' sword which hung by its knot from his wrist, and strode to the door. • " Is all well hepe ?" he said, knocking sharply. There was no reply, and he repeated his call when a loud gurgling noise saluted his ear. Melton paused no longer, but dashed open the door, when the sight that met his eye sent so fierce a thrill of rage through his frame that his injuries were for the moment forgotten and he threw himself forward, followed by his two men.. There, wild and staring, lay the governor upon the bed, with one of the sepoys standing over him, menacing him with a hideous long knife, while in the.far corner of the room, crouched the sisters, each with a sepoy's hand crushed over her mouth, while the miscre a nts held their tulwars to their, throats, threatening death if they moved. " We'll kill them if th'ey come," roared one of the sepoys, in broken English, as he glared at the newcomers. But his words were too late, for with a spring like that of a tiger, Melton threw himself upon the wretch who held the gentle girl he loved ; his sword passed through the ruffian's throat, and then hte lay prone upon hie enemy, exhausted, his whole remaining strength having been thrown into the effort. The other two made a dash for life, one of them delivering a savage cut at the prostrate officer as he passed. It was a blow that would have been fatal, but the sergeant caught it on his blade and ran the fellow through while the third was cut down by the private. So fierce was the hate of the second sepoy that pierced through and through as he was by the sergeant's sabre, he. turned in his death agony upon Melton, who lay helpless, dragged tho revolver from tire young man's belt, find was in the act of drawing the trigger with the barrel presented at the corner where the sisters cowered. But at that moment there was a dull swishing sound heard, a light thud, and the sepoy's hand dropped to the .floor lopped off at the wrist 'by a tremendous cut delivered by the sergeant. " Now, perhaps, tou'll die decently you murderous cur," roared the sergeant ; and the wretch, rolling his *veb«.n.q in fear. turned upon hia

face, bit at the fleor a»d lay dead. " Fetch half a dozen men here,-' said the sergeant hastily—and the private departed ; while, relieved from his danger, the governor sank oack with a sigh.

It was at the same moment that !;!i3 sisters came forward trembling to where Melton lay, with his eyes naif closed, breathing faintly ; for bhe sergeant had dragged the dead Sepoy from his breast. He was terribly disfigured, the jowder explosion having scorched his face and burned off the greater part Df his hair ; aad the sisters hardly recognising him stood by. Faint as he was Melton saw their emotion and a sad and bitter smile crossed his lips. "Are you hurt, ladies?" he said, faintly. " No," they said in a breath. " Thank God !" he murmured ; and then, turning away his face he buried t in his wounded hands and fainted away.

CHAPTER VIII.. SCORCHED. There was hard work for the defenders of the magazine as the sun rose higher ; for the mutineers rendered savage by the destruction by Captain Melton of the building which commanded the interior—a building represented now by a few charred ruins nearly level with the ground—and by their complete reverse after so successfully blowing down the piece of wall—began now a most harassing series of attacks. Colonel Brandon brought a couple more guns to bear on the breach, which was swept again, and again by grape-shot whenever the enemy made an attack ; and in the intervals he had a large body of men at work with spade and pick, cutting a deep entrenchment and throwing up the earth. This, as it grew seemed to madden the mutineers, who kept on making fierce, , unconnected attacks, so that the men who worked had to keep their rifles and bayonets by their sides, and either repel the attacks in that way, or, when they became too formidable, lie down in the ditch while the grape-shot was.sent rushing over them to clear the enemy away.

It was in the midst of this, and' during one of the t fierce struggles which were being settled at the point of the bayonet, that Colonel Brandon who, sword in hand, was leading his men on,, suddenly threw up his arms and dropped into the ditch. His men gave a roar of rage, and rushed on with txed bayonets to avenge him, completely clearing the breach and driving the Sepoys before them like a flock of sheep, till with great difficulty the men were rallied, and brought back. Meanwhile the colonel had been tenderly lifted up, and borne to the place now set aside as a hospital.

" Who's this ?" exclaimed the doctor, coolly, as he gave the finishing touches to the dressing of Captain Melton's wounds ; for he h&d been carried into the room where Lawrence lay, attended by the young private, Jackson. " Colonel Brandon, sir," said the men who carried their officer. " Good Heavens ! How unfortunate !" cried the doctor. "There, Melton, you must do now—and get well as soon as you can. That's right, my men. There—on that, mattress. No, no ; don't mind his buttons. Let me rip it off with mj knife. Don't move him more than you can help." The men reverently obeyed him, and then, suiting the action to the word, the doctor, with a keen surgical knife opened' the regimental coatee from top to bottom, and began his examination.' The wounded officers eagerly watched the while, Lawrence being so much better that he sat up on the edge of his bed, while Jackson joined the bearers —blood-besmeared, powderblackened men; as they had beeD while handling the spade and pick. " Humph !" muttered the doctor, half aloud, as he ripped away the shirt from the injured man's breast—- " bullet wound—here, you ; give me that probe "—this to Jackson—"no, no, not that ; the probe, stupid. That is right. Now, you, my man, raise him gently on one side, only a' few inches, so that I may press my hand beneath him." Two of the soldiers eagerly obeyed, and slightly lifted their leader when the doctor softly passed his hand beneath, and then drew it forth all bloody, holding it up for a few moments, and then letting the bullet fall from his fingers upon the'floor. Every man present gave a start ol horror, and an involuntary burst from them as the doctor said. quietly : " Poor fellow ! brave soldier ! Mj men, a cloak here and a litt'ir tc bear him away. Shot thromrh the heart —dead !" There was a terrible silence flier for a few minutes broken by the foui men who had borne the colonel in. and who now went out on tiptoe. Lawrence went softly to the deac man's side, and took his bland for e moment before laying it reverentlj down ; and while gazing upon thi calm placid features with his follow er, he was startled by hearing thes< words uttered in a low, pained voice " He died as a brave man and 8 soldier should. God rest him !" To his surprise he found that Mel ton had left his pallet and was lean ing o»er the dead —suffering himself however, to be led back to his bed by the doctor and his friend, to faint awqy from his exertions. Times were too- stern for much sor row ; but, talring<*ad.vantage of thv lull in the attacks, ir £&o colonel was borne to his hastily*-dug grave, follawed by as many of the troops as could be spared from the walls, an*! laid there, wrapped in his cloak, amidst a silence that was profound ; and it was with heavy hearts that e.

picked, party of the men of the grenalier company stepped forward to tvaken the echoes by firing a series of volleys over the grave. Man after man stepped forward with the officers to take a last look it the brave colonel, whom they had oved and trusted so well.

Their time of mourning was, how;ver rudely broken by the mutineers, ivho, surprised at first by the volleys irad directly after set it down to dissension in the camp of their enemies, and set to at once in a general attack.

For a couple of hours thus was cept up—the determination with which the sepoys came to the breach being worthy of a better, cause ; and it was not till the place was choked with the bodies of the dead and abounded—many of those who fell,, poor wretches, being either trampled to death in the continuous struggle, ar- afterwards slain by the storm of which kept plunging through the breach—that they began to desist. At last they drew off sullenly, and the invested English had the opportunity given them of so strengthening. the breach, and the other parts exposed to attack, that their position grew less perilous every hour. The next morning passed without a direct attack, and the next ; and bepond a desultory firing between the jentries and piekets, and the natives hidden in the houses and behind ivalls, there was very little done and few casualties. During this interval and the days of comparative peace which followed Colonel Bruce, who, though a cavalry Dfficer, had developed such qualities that he had been unanimously chosen to take the lead, strengthened their >■ position in every conceivable way. In addition he had the civilians of the party drilled and better armed ; the best marksmen of the two regiments placed in good positions for annoying the enemy ; and above all, had good arrangements made for the comfort and security of the sick and wounded. And so a fortnight passed away, during the latter part of which there were little attacks made, but none of any importance, and at the end of this jperiod Sir Graham Leslie was sufficiently recovered from his wounds to go about ; Lawrence and Jackson had returned to their duties; and Captain-' Melton; though declared by the doctor to be unfit, was very eager once more to join the ranks. Saving one or two Ugly scars, Lawrence seemed but little the worse —but Melton was terribly scorched, and so disfigured that he would not have been recognised by his friends.

Besieged as the English were, and .likely to be detained, if not conquered until help came from without,! Colonel Bruce had issued his orders, and the consequence was that everything went on in the most matter-of-fact way, just as if they were in barracks.

When the governor's daughters were sufficiently recovered from the severe shocks they had received, they began to mix more with the othier ladies of the unfortunate party, and it was during one of their walks across the compound or -, enclosure with their father that they encountered Lawrence and Melton. The sisters blushed : vividly as the young men approached and "both eagerly seized Lawrence's hands, and thanked him. Laura was even more affectionate in her greeting, retaining one hand while her pale young face brightened, and £he tears of gratitude fell down her cheeks. As for Ella, she was more calm, but there was a look of pride in her countenance as she essayed to thank her preserver for his brave conduct. "And your wounds, Mr. Lawrence," said Laura, tenderly—"they must have pained you horribly ?" "Well, they were tiresome,"' Bald he, lightly. "Wounds have a nasty knack of being unpleasant. But never mind them."

"Lieutenant Lawrence," said Sir Graham, rather pompously, "you behaved very well." And he bestowed two fingers on the young man, while the sisters coloured with annioyance. Meanwhile, Melton stood a little aloof, unnoticed —forgotten by all. He was so changed—moustache and whiskers burned away, his hair cut short, and skin discoloured—'that there was nothing surprising in this ; but he felt it bitterly as he stood in the presence of those for whom he had been ready to lay down his life. He loved Lawrence as a brother ; but as he saw the bright, affectionate greeting of the younger sister, a strange, hopeless feeling seemed to crush him down, and he looked bitterly and cynically on. "Yes," he muttered, "handsome, brave, and with all that would prove attractive to a beautiful woman, while I "

He sighed as he settled his injured arm in the sling, and mentally recalled the distorted countenance he has seen in the glass. "Ah, yes," said the governor, interrupting the conversation, "you must come and dine with us, Lawrence ; and when this terrible affair is over, and those misrepresented and injured men, the Sepoys, have been induced to forgive us, and return to their duty " "Which can never be, sir," said Melton, sternly. "Ah ! Who is this ?" said Sir Graham; angrily, as he turned to Melton and thejace to Lawrence. "This!" exclaimed Lawrence, hastily. "Ah, Jack, I forgot you for the moment. Here, old boy, come forward. Why, ladies, don't you know bim ? It's Captain Melton.'' To be Continued.