Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Edmund William (top non fiction books of all time .TXT) 📖
- Author: Edmund William Edmund William
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Which Fortunately Stood Ready Saddled At The Door Of The Surgery, And
Rode Straight At The Leader Of The Party, A Huge, Burly Seik, And
Engaged Him; But He With His Light Sabre, And Less Powerful Arm, Was No
Match For The Mahomedan Soldier, Who With One Blow Smashed The
Regulation Toasting Fork, And With His Left Hand Seized The Surgeon By
The Shoulder, And Was Forcing Him Backwards Preparatory To Giving Him
The Final Thrust Through The Throat; The Other Scoundrels Being Engaged
In Beating Down The Bayonets Of The Guard. At This Critical Moment, And
Before A Man Of The Wounded Had Been Touched, About A Score Of Troopers,
Headed By Carlton, Appeared On The Scene Of Action, And Entirely Changed
The Programme. With A Single Stroke Of His Flashing Sabre, Arthur Dealt
Their Leader Such A Blow That He Was Fain To Release His Hold On
Draycott And Turn To Defend Himself; By This Time The Conflict Had
Become General Fierce And Bloody.
"Death To The Cowardly Ruffians; Save Our Wounded Comrades," Shouted
Carlton, As, With A Vigorous Thrust He Sent His Weapon Deep Into The
Chest Of His Dusky Opponent, Placing Him At Once And Forever _Hors De
Combat_. Imitating The Dashing Conduct Of Their Youthful Leader The
Dragoons Fought As British Soldiers Can Fight When Their Mettle Is Up,
And Roused By The Gallant Bravery Of Their Pet Officers, In Less Than
Twenty Minutes From The Striking Of The First Blow Every One Of The Seik
Horse Were Either Cut To Pieces Or Taken Prisoners. The Report Of The
Encounter Was Spread Far And Wide, And Not A Man In The Regiment, From
The Colonel To The Trumpeter Stood So High In The Estimation Of Both
Officers And Men Throughout The Brigade As Did Our Hero. Conspicuous
Bravery On The Battle Field Seldom Fails To Elicit Rapturous Applause
From Every Branch Of The Service.
The Fall Of Mooltan And The Capture Of Its Dewan Moolraj Did Not, As
Had Been Anticipated By Many, Put An End To The Campaign. Disaffection
And Disloyalty Had Spread Throughout The Country, And The Seiks Were
Everywhere Arming To Resist What They Were Pleased To Assert Was The
Intention Of The East India Company, Namely: The Subjugation Of The
Entire Country Of The Five Rivers; And Large Masses Of Soldiery, Under
Experienced Leaders, Had Congregated On The Plains Eager For The Fray.
Not Many Days Elapsed After The Reduction Of Mooltan Before The Army
Received Orders And Pressed On With All Expedition To That Part Of The
Country Where The Battle Of Chillianwalla Was To Decide The Question At
Issue Between The Contending Forces.
The Result Of The First Day'S Struggle Was Undoubtedly Very Much In
Favor Of The Seiks, And Can Only Be Accounted For In This Way: The
Followers Of The Prophet Had For A Considerable Time Been Massing
Themselves Under Experienced Leaders And Had Established Their Position
In A Manner Best Suited To Resist The Advancing Foe, This They Were
Enabled To Do By Their Thorough Knowledge Of The The Country, Without
Any Great Exertion Or Hardship, Being Undisturbed, And Certain That The
Enemy Could Not Approach But In a Certain Direction, And That Point
Alone Had To Be Watched. But Not So With The British. Long Forced
Marches, Outlying Pickets, Advance Guards, And All The Harrassing
Fatigues Incident To Moving Through An Enemy'S Country Had To Be Borne.
This To A Considerable Extent Wearied The European Soldiery, Though It
Could Not Dispirit Or Discourage Them, And Again They Were Suddenly
Attacked Ere They Were Well Prepared To Do Battled. Yet They Pressed On
To A Scene Which Was To Terminate In So Bloody A Conflict. But The
Second Day Told A Very Different Tale; Whatever Advantage Had Been
Gained, During The Early Stage Of The Fight, Was Not Only Nullified, But
Their Successes Became A Sort Of _Ignis Futuris_ That Lured Them On To
Their Destruction, For During The Night The British Were Reinforced By A
Column Of Fresh Troops From Bombay And The Action Opened With Twofold
Vigor, And So The Mighty Tide Of Battle Rolled On. Towards Evening The
Decisive Blow Was Struck; The Seiks Were Beaten At All Points And Fled
In Wild Confusion And Dismay, Leaving Their Unconquerable Antagonists
Masters Of The Field.
"Colonel," Said An Aide-De-Camp, Dashing Up At Full Gallop, "Your
Regiment Will Move One Hundred And Fifty Paces To The Right," And Then,
Touching His Horse With His Spur, Darted Off In another Direction.
"Threes Right Forward," And The Dragoons Moved To The Position Assigned
Them. A Brigade Of Guns That Had Been Brought Up Under Cover Of The
Cavalry Now Opened Upon The Advancing Seik Horse With Terrible Effect,
Throwing Them Into Such Confusion As To Prevent Them From Rapidly
Reforming. At This Moment The Order Was Received For The Dragoons To
Wheel Into Line And Charge, And Ere The Seiks Had Recovered, Were Among
Them, And The Flower Of The Enemy'S Cavalry Had To Give Way Before The
Impetuous Charge Of Our Light Dragoons. There Were More Hand To Hand
Encounters In This Affair Than Has Been Recorded In any Other Engagement
Of The Campaign. During The Melee, One Of The Commanding General'S
A.D.C.'S Had A Narrow Escape. A Powerful Looking Seik Rode At Him, But
On Coming Within Arm'S Length The Staff Officer'S Horse Stumbled Over
Some Dead Or Wounded Men; The Sword Of The Dusky Warrior Was Raised To
Give The Blow, Which Must Have Proved Fatal, And In another Moment There
Would Have Been A Vacancy On The General'S Staff, But Arthur, Who Had
Been Hewing With Might And Main Within A Few Yards Of The Spot, Seeing
The Imminent Peril Of His Countryman, Dashed Up, Shortening His Sabre As
He Did So, And, With A Powerful Thrust, Sent It Clean Through The Body
Of The Seik; The Blow Intended For The Head Fell Harmless On The Plated
Scales Of The Epaulet Of The Aide As He Recovered Himself In The Saddle.
"Thanks, Carlton, My Dear Fellow, For This Good Service; I Will Not
Forget It, Should It Ever Come To My Turn To Assist You In any Way," Was
All That Could Be Said In The Hurry And Excitement Of The Conflict, For
The Tide Of Battle Still Rolled On. A Two Gun Sheet Battery Which Had
Been Committing Great Havoc On A Column Of Infantry, Was Still Throwing
Grape And Canister With Murderous Effect. These Discharges Had Again And
Again Swept Through The Little Party. The Seik Gunners Stood Manfully To
Their Guns Until The Infantry Came Within Fifty Yards Of Them. "Charge,
Men, Charge," Shouted A Very Handsome Officer Of The Bombay Fusiliers,
"They Cannot Stand The Bayonets Of The Old Toughs. Forward." The Men
Sprang To The Charge, And About One Hundred Of The Fusiliers To The Very
Teeth Of Destruction, Facing Inevitable Death With A Coolness And
Fearlessness So Characteristic Of The British Soldier. But A Body Of The
Enemy'S Horse Suddenly Appeared On The Flank Of The Column Of Infantry
Compelling Them To Form Square To Resist Cavalry, And Thus The Brave
Little Party Were Placed In a Precarious Position, Being Cut Off From
Their Supports. A Withering Volley From The Right And Rear Face Of The
Square, Followed By A Rapid File-Firing From The Standing Ranks, Emptied
Quite A Number Of Saddles And Drove The Troopers Off.
An Officer Of Dragoons At The Head Of A Party Of His Men Rode At The
Seik Artillerest, Who, With The Exception Of Two, Abandoned Their Guns
And Were Endeavouring To Escape By Retreat, But They Were All Either Cut
Down Or Captured. The Two Who Yet Remained At Their Post Waited For The
Infantry To Advance Sufficiently Close To Make Their Fire Tell With
Murderous Effect, They Then Raided Their Lintstocks To Fire, Which Must
Have Proved Horribly Fatal To The Fusiliers, When Arthur Carlton, For It
Was He Who Led, Appeared Out Of A Cloud Of Dust And Smoke Close To The
Battery. Leveling His Pistol, He Shot Down One Of The Seik Gunners, The
Lintstock Of The Other Was Within A Few Inches Of The Vent. A Second
More And A Frightful Gap Would Have Been Made In The Ranks Of The
Advancing Fusiliers.
A Shout That Can Only Be Given By A British Throat, Broke On The Ear Of
The Unfortunate Artillerest, Who Hesitated For A Moment. It Was His
Last, For A Down Stroke From Arthur'S Flashing Sabre Fell Upon His Neck,
Separating The Head From The Body. The Fusiliers Dashed Up, And The
Battery That Dealt So Much Destruction Among The Infantry Was Captured
At Last.
"Splendidly Done, By Jupiter. Those Men Are The Fusiliers Of The Bombay
Column, Are They Not? And Who Is That Cavalry Officer?"
"Cornet Carlton, Light Dragoons, Your Excellency; The Same Officer Who
Saved Your Excellency'S Despatch And My Life, That I Mentioned To You
Some Half Hour Since," Was The Earnest Reply, Of One Of The Aides.
"Gallant Fellow, Bravely Done, Only A Cornet, Must Have His
Lieutenancy, Hargraves, See That I Do Not Forget This In My Despatches
To The Government To-Morrow." Then, Turning To His Chief Of Staff, Said,
"Give Orders For The Dragoons And Light Artillery To Pursue For Half An
Hour. The Enemy Is Beaten At All Points, And Get The Infantry Under
Canvass With As Little Delay As Possible." "The Action Is Over," Said
The Commander-In-Chief, Closing His Field Glass, And With His Staff Left
The Ground. And Thus, After Two Days Hard Fighting, The Name Of
Chillianwalla Was Added To The List Of Victories That Has Been
Emblazoned On The Page Of History, Showing The Prowess And Valour Of
British Troops In India, And The Name Of Arthur Carlton Was Added To The
List Of Lieutenants Borne On The Muster Roll Of The Light Dragoons.
It Is Not Our Intention To Take The Reader Over The Battle Fields Of
Peshawa, Suffice It To Say That Our Dragoon, With His Regiment, Scoured
The Plains Of The Punjaub Up To The Very Mouth Of The Iron Kybre Itself,
Which Had Proved Fatal To So Many Of Our Gallant Countrymen.
A Group Of Officers Had Assembled Around The Withered And Charred Stump
Of A Large Tree, Chatting And Smoking, The Ruddy Glare Of The
Neighboring Camp Fire Throwing Its Fitful Light Upon The Uniform And
Accoutrements Of The Little Party, Showing Them To Be No Other Than Our
Old Friends Of H.M. Light Dragoons, Waiting For The Order To Commence
Their Morning'S March.
"Why Are We Not On The Move?" Enquired Major Hackett, As He Joined Them.
"Something Gone Wrong With The Baggage, I Suppose," Responded One Of The
Party, "But Here Comes Old Rations, (For It Was By This Name That The
Quartermaster Was Usually Styled By The Men Of His Regiment) He,
Perhaps, Can Tell Us Something About It."
"Well, Quartermaster, Can You Explain The Cause Of The Delay. Have You
Seen The Colonel, Or Are We To Be Kept Here All Day?" And The Major
Flung Away The End Of His Cigar With An Air Of Annoyance. The
Good-Humored Quartermaster Explained, In Somewhat Of A Round-About Way,
That Everything Would Be All Right In a Few Minutes.
"Out With It, Davison, Tell Us What Is The Row. You Don'T Laugh All Over
Your Face And Half Way Down Your Back For Nothing, I Know," Said Arthur,
Reining Up His Horse Alongside That Of The Quartermaster, Who, By The
Way, Was A Special Friend Of Our Young Lieutenant. "Just Illuminate And
Turn On The Gas A Little, As It Were."
"Well, Then, Gentlemen," Resumed That Worthy Functionary, "It Appears
That This Morning, On The Elephants Being Brought Up To Carry The Mess
And Hospital Tents, One Of The Number Was Found To Be Missing, And The
Muccadem Declared That It Was Useless To Attempt To Put Anything Extra
On The Others, For That They Would Not Stir A Peg If So Overloaded. I
Did Not Know What To Do In This Dilemma; The Tents Could Not Be Left
Behind, So I Sent For Fortescue, Who Was In charge Of The Government
Cattle, To Ask His Advice. In a Few Minutes He Came Cantering Up. I
Explained Matters. The Elephant Cannot Be Far Off." At This Moment A
Muccadem Came Running Up To Say That The Animal Was In The Jungle, About
A Quarter Of A Mile Off, But Was Refractory And Would Not Budge An Inch
In The Direction Of The Camp.
"Divide His Load Among The Other Four," Said Fortescue.
"But They Will Not Carry It, Sir," Replied The Native Inspector.
"I Know That As Well As You Can Tell Me, But Do As I Order You."
The Inspector Salammed And Obeyed, But The Animals Would Not Move. "Now
Take Off The Load From Two And Give Them A Couple Of Tether Chains."
This Was Done, The Loads Removed, And A Long Chain, Used For
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