Fix Bay'nets: The Regiment in the Hills

“Ha!” ejaculated Gedge, exhaling an enormous amount of pent-up emotion, and drawing his arm across his thickly perspiring brow, while a pleasant, contented smile lit up his plain features, as he drew himself up more stiffly to attention, waiting for orders.

“Well done, Gedge!” said Roberts softly. – “You’ve picked the right lad, Bracy.”

Gedge did not move a muscle, but stood as upright as the rifle at his side, and looking as inanimate, but quite as dangerous, while his two officers said a few words in a low tone. The next moment Roberts went out of the room, and Bracy turned to the lad.

“We have to carry everything ourselves, and we must take all we can without overloading, my lad, for we shall have to climb a great deal amongst the snow. Now, mind this: we have just three-quarters of an hour for preparation. Then we must pass out of the gate.”

Gedge did not move, but stood as if carved out of a block of hardened putty by the hand of an artistic drill-sergeant; listening, though, with his ears, which looked preternaturally large from the closeness of the regimental barber’s efforts, and seeming to gape. Then he left his rifle in a corner, and was off.

The result was that, with five minutes to spare, officer and man, strangely transformed by their thick, woolly overcoats, stood ready in that room. Haversacks of provisions hung from their broad leather bands; revolvers balanced dagger-bay’nets from their belts; as much ammunition as they could carry was in their pockets, and necessary odds and ends were bestowed in satchels.

“All ready?” said Roberts at last.

“All ready. Nothing forgotten that I can think of.”

“Then you will start at once. I have warned the men that you are to be allowed to slip out quietly, or they would have cheered you.”

“Thanks,” said Bracy. – “You hear that, Gedge?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You will follow me without a word.”

Gedge’s face now looked as if if had been carved in oil-stone, it was so hard, and he made no reply. But mentally he was discoursing vigorously in his wild state of excitement, for he could judge of his own appearance by that of his officer.

“Just like a couple o’ second-hand Robinson Crusoes out of a pantymime, and bound for the North Pole. Talk about a lark. Oh, don’t I wish my poor old mother could see her bee-u-tiful boy! – Poor old chaps! Poor old pardners! Won’t they be waxy when they knows I’m gone! Here, blessed if I can get, at my clean pocket-’ankychy, and I wants to shed a purlin’ tear for poor old Sergeant Gee.”

“Ready!” came to check the flow of Gedge’s thoughts, and, picking up his rifle, the fellow to that placed ready for Bracy, he stepped out into the court, to find all the men left in the fort gathered to see them start, for the news was every one’s property now; and as they marched towards the gates there was a low murmur, but no man stirred.

It was different, though, with the women; though here, too, all was done in silence. Officers’ wives stepped forward to press Bracy’s hands, with the tears standing in their eyes, and many a “God-speed!” was murmured in the ears of both.

“But no one shakes a hand with me,” said Gedge sadly to himself; and then, “Well, I’m blessed!”

For Sergeant Gee was on one side of him to lay a hand upon his shoulder.

“Good-bye, Gedge,” he said in his harsh, uncompromising way; “you’ll stick to your officer like a brave lad, I know.”

“Thank ye, Sergeant; and same to you,” growled Gedge; and then the tears stood in his eyes, for Mrs Gee had hold of his unoccupied hand, to press it hard, with a grip, in fact, like a man’s.

“Here,” she said, taking a small, flat, black packet from her breast, and Gedge saw that it was envelope-shaped, but home-made in oil-skin, and instead of being adhesive; there was a neat button and buttonhole. “Put that in your breast-pocket, my boy,” she said, “and never part with it. Bandages, oiled silk, needles and thread, and a pair o’ scissors. And mind this: plug a bullet-hole directly; and whatever you do, clean water, and lots of it, for all wounds.”

“Thank ye, missus.”

“For you and Mr Bracy too. There, Bill Gedge, you’re a brave lad, and I’ll kiss you for your mother’s sake, in case you don’t come back; and if ever I return to England I’ll write and tell the Queen how her brave boys are always ready to do or die, though I know she won’t get my letter if I do.”

The men nearly disobeyed orders when Mrs Gee took hold of Gedge by his woolly poshtin and gave him a sounding kiss first on one cheek and then on the other, but they forbore; and the brave lad’s eyes very nearly brimmed over the next moment, for, leaving Bracy, now on his way to the gate, the officers’ ladies crowded round Gedge and shook hands, two dying to thrust upon him packages of what would have been luxuries to them in nights to come; but he was obliged to shake his head, for he was already laden to the fullest extent.

“Now, Gedge!” came from the gate, and the next minute it had been opened and closed after two bulky, stooping figures, who, with rifles at the trail, started off in Indian file along the track by the river-side, making for the upper portion of the valley, but without uttering a word.

Their ears were listening, though, to the sounds of firing in the distance, the reports of many pieces coming reverberating out of the chasm-like rift leading south. Their eyes, too, were as much upon the alert as those of some timid animal whose life depends upon its watchfulness from day to day, existing, as it does, in the midst of numberless enemies, who look upon it as their natural prey.

But though their rolling eyes scanned every spot familiar, from long experience, as the lurking-place; of an enemy, there was not a glimpse of a white coat nor the gleam of a polished weapon to be seen. At the same time, careful watch was kept upon the track they traversed every time it opened out sufficiently for a forward glance of any extent, and the heavy, matter-of-fact, hill-country-looking pair had nearly reached a spot from whence a good view of the fort could be obtained before a word was spoken.

Then the silence was broken by Bracy, who said abruptly:

“Don’t look back, my lad.”

“No, sir,” came promptly from the front.

“Our lookout is forward from this hour till the time we bring back help to those we leave behind.”

Gedge was silent, and kept on the watch, as, with rounded shoulders and camelled back, he planted his puttee-bandaged legs in the safest parts of the rugged track.

“Well, don’t you want to know where we’re going?”

“Yus, sir; ’orrid.”

“Over the mountains to bring back a Ghoorka regiment, my lad.”

“Right, sir.”

“And by the hardest way we can find.”

“Something like them ways over the snow, like you goes for the bears and sheep, sir?”

“Yes: and harder ways still, Gedge: for to meet any of the people may mean – ”

Bracy paused, and Gedge waited for him to end his sentence. But he waited in vain, till he was tired, and then finished it to himself, and in the way he liked best.

“May mean,” he said, and then paused – “having to put bullets through some o’ these savage savages, for I’m blest if I’m going to let ’em have the first shot at us. Yes,” he added, “savages; that’s what’s about their size. I never see such beasts. Yes, that’s what they are – wild beasts. I don’t call such things men. The best of it is, they thinks they’re so precious religious, and sticks theirselves up to pray every morning and every night, I’m blest! – praying! – and often as not with their knives and swords! Ugh! and phew! My word! it’s warm walking in these here coats. Wish I hadn’t got mine.”

Is thought electric, or magnetic, or telepathic, or scientific, some way or another, that so often it is communicated from one person to another free of cost, and without a form, or boy to leave it, and wait for an answer? Certainly it was in that, clear mountain air, which blew softly among the cedars in the valley, coming off the clear ice and dazzling snow from one side, getting warmed in hot sunshine, and then rising up the mighty slopes on the other side, to grow from pure transparency, in its vast distance and extent, to be of a wonderfully delicious amethystine blue.

Anyhow, Gedge had no sooner given himself his opinions about the heat engendered by walking in a thick, sheepskin coat than Bracy said:

“Find the poshtin hot, Gedge?”

“’Ot ain’t the word for it, sir,” was the reply. “I ain’t quite sure whether it’s me, or whether they didn’t scrape the fat off proper when they tanned the skin, sir; but something’s running.”

“Steady down, then. It is very warm here among the cedars; but they hide us from the enemy, my lad. As soon as we begin to climb we shall be getting out of summer into winter; and by the time it’s dark, and we lie down to sleep, we shall think it would be pleasanter if we had two apiece.”

“Shall us, sir? Well, you know, sir; but all this caps me. Here we are, as you say, in summer, and we’ve on’y got to climb up one o’ them mountains and there we are in winter. They say it freezes there every night.”

“Quite right, Gedge.”

“But all the snow melts away some time in the year?”

“Never, my lad. Up there before you, where the sun shines on those glorious peaks, it is eternal winter, only that there is so much melting in the hottest parts of the day.”

“To make the rivers, sir?”

“Of course!”

“And the rain helps when they’re all in the clouds up there, I suppose, sir?”

“Rain!” said Bracy, laughing; “there is no rain there, my lad; when the clouds discharge their burden it is in the form of snow. But now, silence once more. The less we talk the better till we are among the snow, for at any moment we may be walking into a trap.”

“Like we did, sir, when you three gentlemen come and whistled us from the side o’ them falls?”

“Yes.”

“Well, we don’t want none o’ that sort o’ thing, sir, or we shall never be bringing that ridgement back.”

“Right. Now you see the necessity for taking to the snow where the hill-men rarely climb.”

“Yus, sir, going; but what about coming back?”

“The same, or a nearer way.”

“But with a ridgement, sir?”

“Oh yes; the Ghoorkhas will go anywhere if they are told.”

“So’ll us,” said Gedge to himself; and then, with a word or two at times from behind, he trudged on and on towards the mighty snowfields, but ever with his eyes on the lookout for the danger – keen knife, tulwar, matchlock, ball, or spear – invisible so far, but which at any moment might be so near.

Chapter Twenty Five

First Checks

The last echoes of the distant firing had quite died out; the windings of the river valley had long enough hidden away the mountainous hills which surrounded the fort; and far below where they slowly toiled along the faintly-marked track, worn where there was pasture by the feet of the mountain sheep, the river rushed, torrent-like, along in a greatly narrowed bed, whose perpendicular shrub and fern decked sides hid its leaping and tearing waters from the travellers’ gaze. At rare intervals the river made a plunge over some mighty rock and flashed into sight, though its position was often revealed by a cloud of spray, which rose like steam into the sunshine, to become brilliant with an iris which, rainbow-like, spanned the falls.

The ascent had been gradual but marked, for, though trees were in abundance, rising in clumps of spires, their tops were well below the adventurers, while, where they trod, the forest was dwarfed and scrub-like, but thick enough to greatly hinder their advance.

Hardly a word had been spoken for hours, during which the watchfulness observed had been painful, especially when they had crept along under cover by three lateral valleys, familiar to both as the roads by which the enemy had approached for their attacks, one to the east being that made unenviable by the terrible adventure when they had received their wounds.

The passing of the mouths of these gorges was a crucial task, from its being almost a certainty that part of one or the other of the tribes would be, stationed there. But the slow approaches and all the caution exercised, as far as Bracy could judge, were waste of energy: not an enemy was seen, and when, twice over, rifles were brought to the ready, and their bearers stood prepared to fire at the foe rustling along among the low growth and tangle, it was to find, to their great relief, that the alarm was caused in the first instance by goat-like sheep, and in the other by a bear, which had been feasting upon the berries growing low down the cliff towards the hidden torrent.

The sun was long past the meridian, and, in spite, of the height, their shut-in position made the breathless valley seem hotter than ever, while the thorny nature of the low growth hindered them so much that at last Bracy had hard work to force his way through a tangled mass, whose thorny hooks clung to the poshtin he was wearing, and kept on robbing it of its wool. This brought them to a standstill, and Gedge, who had just freed himself from similar hindrances, stepped back, with his dagger-like bayonet in his hand, with which he delivered a few sharp cuts, and Bracy struggled out.

“Ha!” he said; “that’s better.”

“Yus, sir; these are handier tools than the old-fashioned bay’nets; but what we ought to have had was a couple o’ those pretty, bill-hooky blades the Ghoorkha boys use. They’d make short work of briars and brambles and things. Toothpicks, our lads calls ’em; and the little fellows the Toothpick Brigade. – Tired, sir?”

“Terribly!” said Bracy. “This is awful going; but we shall be out of the wood before many hours have passed. We might have avoided this by striking up to the left, but I felt that it was not safe. Better be slow and sure. Look, my lad, it is more open yonder, and seems like a way down to the torrent. We’ve earned a rest, and we must have one. Let’s get down to where we can reach water, and lighten our load by making a meal.”

Gedge’s eyes sparkled, and he led on at once, reaching at the end of some hundred paces a sharp slope, which showed traces of the moss and ferns having been trampled down, while twigs were broken here and there, some being left hanging, and others snapped sharp off!

“People been along here, Gedge,” said Bracy, taking suspicious notice of the signs around.

“No, sir, I think not,” said the lad, whose keen eyes were busy. “I should say it was only goats. Pst!”

Gedge had been speaking in a low tone, but the “Pst!” was sharply distinct, and had its effect. For in an instant there was a rush, and something brown came into sight, making the adventurers present their rifles in the full belief that they were about to be face to face with an enemy. But the next moment the object rose up to peer over the bushes and all around, proving to be a great brown bear, whose little, pig-like eyes flashed and glistened as it scanned the place, looking wonderfully human in its actions as it balanced itself upon its hind-legs, its fore-legs hanging half raised on either side, till it caught sight of the disturbers of its solitude, when it uttered a growling grunt, dropped down on all-fours again, and dashed up the slope towards the mountains.

“Might easily have shot him, sir,” said Gedge as the sounds of the breaking twigs died out.

“Easily,” said Bracy; “but we have as much as we can carry now, and – Hark!”

Gedge was already listening, for, from up in the direction taken by the bear – which, unfortunately, was the continuation of their route – the report of a gun rang out, followed by another and another. Then there was a burst of exultant shouts, and the pair drew back more into shelter.

“They’ve hit him, whoever they are, sir,” whispered Gedge excitedly: “and they’ll be along here direckly. Which way will you go, sir? We can’t go that.”

“Away towards the water, my lad,” said Bracy, quickly. “They’re coming down to reach the fort.”

He led the way himself now, following the easier portions of the slope, and when close to where the now narrow river came thundering down, he plunged in amongst a chaos of creeper and fern hung rocks, down in a hollow of which they sank into a kneeling position, crouching low and waiting.

“Well hidden, are we not, Gedge?” whispered Bracy.

“Splendid, sir. Couldn’t see us ’less they was close to, and if we kept our heads down they’d take us then for sheep.”

“And fire at us.”

“They’d better not!” growled Gedge. “But, say, sir, as we’re resting mightn’t we just as well have a bite?”

“Could you eat now?” whispered Bracy.

“Could I eat now, sir?” said the lad wonderingly. “It’s couldn’t I eat! My! If you only knew what I’ve been feeling ever since dinner-time you wouldn’t ask that.”

“Go on, then,” said Bracy, and as he listened he saw his companion take a packet of bread and meat from his haversack and begin to munch, when the sight of the food so woke him up to the state of his own appetite that he opened his wallet, drew out some hastily-cut mutton and bread-cake sandwiches, and went on eating till there was the sound of voices close at hand, followed by the rustling of leaf and twig, with the dull tramp of soft feet telling that a large body of men were passing in Indian file, talking loudly; but the hidden pair were well concealed and satisfied that they were perfectly safe, till all at once a voice was raised, and they heard the word “Water” uttered in the Dwat dialect.

There was an eager buzz of voices at this, and instead of continuing their course the party clustered together, and, to Bracy’s horror, began to descend the sharp slope as if coming right upon their hiding-place, but turning off by one of the bigger rocks, and rapidly crushing through the thin shrubs and ferns so close that Bracy, as he lay there, could have touched one man by stretching out the barrel of his rifle.

For the next ten minutes the position was agonising, the men coming and going, and even the noise they made in drinking just below was plainly heard; while Bracy, as he cowered down among the ferns, felt that it was impossible for them to escape the observation of the keen-eyed mountaineers.

But still the discovery was deferred; and, as the drinking went on, a gleam or two of hope illumined the position, but only to be damped again, and Bracy held his revolver ready, for there was a sudden movement on the part of one of the men, whose sword and shield seemed to be of a superior type, like his cotton clothes and the turban he wore.

It was as if this man had just caught sight of them, and, his curiosity being excited, he came straight on, drawing his keen tulwar and striking with if to right and left so as to clear the way towards the rocks, his eyes seeming to be fixed upon those of Bracy, who slightly raised the muzzle of his revolver, his finger resting upon the trigger.

Probably never was man nearer to his death, for the slightest additional pressure of the young officer’s finger would have sent a bullet crashing through the man’s breast, as he came on till almost within touch, when he suddenly turned round, and seated himself upon a mossy rock just in front, his broad back, in its loose while cotton garb, effectually hiding the fugitives from the men going up and down.

Bracy felt as if he would have given anything to have been able to utter a low “Hah!” of relief, as he breathed long and heavily, instead of crouching there nearly suffocated by holding it back; for he knew that the slightest movement, the faintest sound, must result in the man, evidently the leader, turning sharply, sword in hand, to discover the pair lying so close.

“I should have a bullet through him ’fore he could lift his sword,” said Gedge to himself; “but what’s the good o’ that? Twenty or thirty would be upon us before we could get away, and a nice condition we’re in for that! Why, I feel like a fat sheep at Christmas. Couldn’t run if I wanted to, and I don’t, ’less he runs fust, and he won’t, I know. Know him too well.”

Bracy’s thoughts were many as he crouched there. He wanted to feel decisive; but the weary walk, heavily-laden as he was, had dulled his brain a little, and he could not come to a conclusion as to whether it would not be best to take the initiative and attack at once, trusting to their sudden appearance and the shots they could be creating a panic; for it was not likely that the enemy would imagine such an attack would be made unless by a force at least equal to their own.

The idea was tempting; but, on the other hand, it seemed madness to make so wild a venture; and he was giving it up, when they were both startled by half-a-dozen of the party who were going and coming stopping short just in front of their leader, to begin taking out some blackish-looking cakes. Then others beginning to join them, they looked round, and a couple of the party pointed to the rocks behind which Bracy and Gedge were hidden.

That was fatal, and from the movement which followed it was evident that they were about to make this their resting-place.

At the same moment Gedge’s hand stole forward and touched his leader’s arm, when Bracy softly turned his head, to see his follower holding his revolver in his right hand, signing as if asking should he use it.

Bracy did not delay his silent reply, for, quick as lightning, he had realised that in another few moments they would be forced to fight in defence, and that it was far better to take the initiative and make the enemy believe that they had fallen into an ambuscade. He gave a short nod, raised his own revolver, glanced at Gedge to see that he was ready, and then roared at the top of his voice:

“Fire!”

Gedge’s shot followed his sharply, and then in rapid succession they fired again and again till a dozen bullets had gone hurtling over their sheltering rock amongst the trees, and then, springing up, they fixed bayonets with a rattle, and stood ready to fire again; but not an enemy was visible to charge or be shot down.

For at the word “Fire!” the chief had made a sudden bound from the stone, upon which he had sat, and rushed at his men, who turned and fled at full speed away in the direction from which our adventurers had come: and for the next few minutes Bracy and Gedge stood listening as they recharged their revolvers, hearing the distant crackling and rustling of leaf and twig till all was still.

“Think they’ll rally, Gedge?” said Bracy at last.

“Not them, sir: it was too much of a scare, and so sudden. It’s hard work to start these beggars running, but once you do get ’em on the move it’s twice as hard to stop ’em.”

“You are right,” said Bracy quietly.

“They’ll go on till they come upon the next lot o’ their pardners, and then they’ll tell ’em they were attacked by two whole ridgements, and show their wounds, if they’ve got any. Don’t think I hit one, sir. Did you?”

“I did not even try to,” said Bracy. “I only thought of firing as quickly as I could. Now, then, a drink of water apiece, and forward. We can’t stop to rest, but must eat as we go.”

They hurried down in turn to where the tribes-men had refreshed themselves, each watching while the other drank hastily, and remounted to the track; after which, food in hand, they were about to recommence their journey, when Gedge started.

“What is it?” said Bracy quickly.

“One on ’em down, sir. Didn’t think we had hit any of ’em, but yonder’s one lying among the bushes.”

“Yes,” said Bracy; “perfectly still. I saw and covered him while you were drinking, and was going to see if he is dead as we went by, in case he might be only wounded, and dangerous.”

“Pouf!”

“What is it?” said Bracy wonderingly, for Gedge had broken into a quiet little laugh.

“It’s the bear they shot, sir, and brought into camp with ’em. Won’t come back to fetch it – will they?”

“We will not stop to see,” said Bracy quietly. “Now, forward once more.”

Their path took them by the dead bear, whose paws were bound together with twigs, and a freshly-cut pole was thrust through, showing how the trophy had been borne so far. The next minute the pair were steadily climbing again, and finding by degrees that, though the slope increased, the way was less cumbered with dense growth, so that the advance was easier; while as the sun sank lower a gentle breeze sprang up to refresh them, making Gedge stretch out and increase the pace, in spite of the path growing more steep.