The Ruined Cities of Zululand Part 43

In one spot alone, the bodies of three thousand mutineers had been found, every corpse showing that death had been caused by the deadly bayonet. Major Hughes had proceeded thus far, and was just asking his way from a captain of the Royal Artillery, when down a roughly cut road, his horse white with foam, came an officer of the 9th Lancers.

Pulling up with a sharp jerk, which brought the tired animal on his haunches, and sent the light gravel flying in the air--

"You are Major Hughes, commanding the 150th?" he asked.

"I am; on my way to report myself as having joined."

"You will find the chief in the Martiniere compound. Officers commanding regiments are directed to join him there. Evil tidings have arrived."

Touching his horse with the spur the officer dashed on.

"Who is that?" inquired Hughes from his companion; "I saw him with Sir Colin."

"Captain Ogilvie, of the 9th Lancers, aide-de-camp to Sir Colin Campbell," was the reply; "and I'd advise you to be jogging. He himself must be yonder where you see the group of men."

Retracing his steps, Major Hughes soon stood in the Martiniere compound.

A group of officers of all arms surrounded Sir Colin. Colonel Hay, 93rd Regiment, was speaking as Hughes strode up, and just outside the group an officer dismounted, but holding his horse by the bridle, stood listening. The poor fellow's uniform was torn and dirty, the horse, whose colour had once been grey, was now of a blue black with sweat and foam, his head was hanging down, and it was evident that steed and rider were dropping with fatigue.

A twisted sc.r.a.p of paper was between Sir Colin's fingers, his brows were knit, and the forage-cap he wore was pushed from his forehead.

"Bad news from Cawnpore," whispered an officer of Hussars, as Major Hughes joined the group.

"What has gone wrong?" asked the latter.

"The Gwalior Contingent have attacked the city, and poor Edwardes yonder has managed to get through their lines, the bearer of urgent requests for help."

"Silence, gentlemen," said Sir Colin. "There is not an hour to be lost.

The troops will break ground immediately, falling back from their position of Dil Kooshah and the Martiniere. Commanding officers of corps will at once make their preparations, and will move at daybreak, taking up their several positions on the plain below the city, exactly where each corps bivouacked before the attack. Good morning, gentlemen.

Captain Gough, send the Quartermaster-General to me. Major Hughes, give this to General Outram," he continued, handing him a note. The little crowd of officers melted away, and borrowing a horse from a captain of Lancers, Major Hughes rode through the confusion, towards the Bunnee camp, the position occupied by General Outram.

It was past midnight when he reached the lines, and was challenged by the outlying pickets, yet he found the General awake and watchful, for every now and then a heavy prolonged thud shook the air, telling of the firing of great guns, and though Cawnpore was forty miles away yet every man of the little army knew that the Gwalior mutineers, with a force far exceeding any which Sir Colin Campbell could bring against them, were pressing hard upon the handful of men who garrisoned the entrenchments.

Major Hughes delivered his letter. It contained an enclosure from Brigadier Carthew, telling a sad tale. One after another the different outposts had been taken, and given to the flames. The enormous force opposed to them was literally crus.h.i.+ng out the handful of the defenders of Cawnpore, and unless immediate help came all were lost. Such were the details, of which he was the bearer, and they were disastrous enough. The note itself directed Brigadier Outram to move forward one portion of the force early the next morning, Sir Colin Campbell proposing to join the advanced guard.

"Major Hughes, you will be under arms by daybreak." "Good night" were the only words which greeted him, as General Outram turned to his aide-de-camp and summoned his staff round him to make his arrangements for the advance.

"Take this to Brigadier Greathead. The 8th, the 2nd Punjaub Infantry, with the 150th Regiment will form the advance," were the last words which reached his ears as he stepped forth into the night, to find his corps as best he might. A sentry, who had held his horse, pointed out the lines of the 150th, and taking his way to a large tent which he rightly conjectured to be the mess tent, the officers were soon roused, and flocking around him.

"Do you remember I said you were a lucky fellow, Major," said Harris, as he shook his commanding officer warmly by the hand, "that night when we shot the tiger at Bellary?"

"I think you were the lucky fellow, then," replied Major Hughes, laughing.

"Yes, but only fancy Colonel Desmond being sent home on sick leave.

Colonel Sedley invalided from the effects of that ball through the lungs at Quatre Bras, and you joining just in time to take the command."

"Well, it was lucky, I must own. And what has become of Major Ashley?"

"Hit in the neck at the storming of the Dilkhoosha House,"--replied Harris, now Lieutenant of the Light Company; "but here's Curtis."

"How are you, Curtis?"

"Glad to see you once more among us," was the reply, as that officer, now the senior captain of the regiment, shook hands with him, "and where's the Kaffir bride you promised to bring back?" he added, laughing.

And one after another flocked in, roused out of their well-earned slumbers by the hasty summons, glad to welcome an old comrade, and pleased to hear of the advance.

"I say, Biddulph, won't we trounce those Gwalior chaps? They'd have done better to have stayed at Calpee, and they'll know it when old Colin gets at them."

"There goes the reveille," replied Biddulph, as the quivering notes of the bugle rose on the air, the morning light just breaking grey over the plain, showing the tents of the little force lying here and there.

"The 150th Regiment will fall in at once, and move off on the Cawnpore road, as soon as ready," shouted a mounted orderly officer as he rode up.

"Major Hughes, the Brigadier desires you will cover your advance with the Light Company, and move on slowly, the sooner the better."

Saluting as he spoke with his sword, the officer rode away to deliver his orders, and the work of inspecting their several companies went on rapidly by the regimental officers of the corps destined to lead the advance.

For the first time Major Hughes, as he sat on his borrowed horse in the grey dawn, found himself in command of the regiment he had entered as an ensign, and that too with an enemy of overpowering strength in his front. He thought of Isabel, his wife, "where was she now?" and then the memories of the past thronged quickly upon him; the elephant hunt on the s.h.i.+re river, the "Halcyon," the death of the old n.o.ble; and he had left that brave wife, who had herself been the first to bid him go alone, without a protector. What if he fell in the unequal fight which was to take place? and then on the sharp morning air came the subdued but heavy thud, which told him of his countrymen and countrywomen in dire peril, with the soldiers of the treacherous Nana gathering closely around them. The Adjutant rode up, giving in his report. Was there a quiver in the voice which gave the order, "With ball cartridge. Load?"

The regiment stood in column of companies, bayonets fixed and shouldered, the Grenadier company leading.

"By double files from the centre rear wing to the front. Two centre sections outwards wheel," were the words of command, hoa.r.s.ely shouted.

"Quick march."

By this manoeuvre, the two centre sections of each company opening out, permitted that immediately in their rear to pa.s.s through their ranks.

Thus the Light Company, from being in rear of all, now became the leading one, advancing through the opened sections four deep at the double, each company closing its ranks, and following in its turn, the Grenadiers forming the rear guard.

"Captain Curtis, throw out the light bobs as skirmishers, and advance cautiously," said Hughes, the men having cleared the Grenadiers, and again formed up as a company.

The notes of the bugle sounding the Light Infantry call to extend from the centre, floated on the air; the light company obeyed it, spreading across the country, their right flank resting on the left of the skirmishers of the Punjaub Infantry, their own left on the right of the Light Bobs of H.M.'s 8th Foot, the whole regiment moving off along the Cawnpore road just as the bugles of the different brigades rang out on the plain, and the guns of Colonel Bourchier's battery of Horse Artillery came jingling along in rear.

"How slowly we move on, with the halt sounding every moment, Curtis!"

said Major Hughes, as he sat on his horse at the head of the regiment, speaking to his senior captain, towards midday of the 27th of November.

"Slowly indeed, and our force is weak, in artillery particularly. Two troops of Horse Artillery, the Naval Brigade, one heavy field battery, and three light ones, with the 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Brigades, and a handful of cavalry, seem a small force."

"The more the honour for us; they shall hear of us with pride in the old land," answered Hughes. "If ever we meet those scoundrels of Nana's with the bayonet, we will teach them a lesson."

The regiment was halted near the village of Onao, on a slight eminence, and the two officers looking back could see the long tortuous march of the little army, while far away, far as the eye could reach, the plain was covered with the vast horde of camp followers, which is the great pest of a march in India, mixed with camels and baggage waggons.

The jingling of accoutrements was now heard, as, at a sharp trot, a splendid regiment of English cavalry moved to the front.

"Look out, 150th, there'll be sharp work for you soon!" shouted the officer commanding, as he rode past, his words replied to by a cheer from the men.

"Major Hughes, call in your light company!" shouted an orderly officer, as he dashed on, not checking his horse. "The Lancers will act as videttes."

Almost at the same moment, the bugles of the 8th Regiment on the left, and the Punjaub Infantry on the right, were heard, sounding the recall, as an officer of Hodgson's Horse came up at a hard gallop from the front.

"Bad news from Cawnpore!" he shouted. "Wyndham's hard pressed; all his outposts driven in, and hardly able to hold his entrenchments!"

"Steady, men, steady!" called Hughes, as a thrill of excitement ran through the corps.