CHAPTER THREE.
FIRST TROUBLES.
"Steady, my lads! steady!" said Lieutenant Bracy. "Not too fast, or weshall leave the baggage behind."
Warnings like this had to be given again and again; for, though thetrack was as bad as ever, it was for the most part downhill, and thepatches of snow lying in the jagged hollows on either side of the passwere less frequent, while the sheltered slopes and hollows were greenerwith groves of stunted fir and grass, and, far below, glimpses wereobtained of deep valleys branching off from the lower part of the pass,whose sides were glorious in the sunshine with what seemed to be tinyshrubs.
For the men required checking. They were growing weary, in spite oftheir midday halt, and longing to get to the ground below the snow-line,where they were to camp for the night.
Colonel Graves was no less eager; for, though his little force was safeenough on the right, where the side of the pass sloped precipitatelydown, the track lay along a continuation of the shelf which ran upon thesteep mountain-side, the slope being impossible of ascent, save here andthere where a stream tumbled foaming down a crack-like gully and therocks above them rose like battlements continued with wonderfulregularity, forming a dangerous set of strongholds ready to conceal anenemy who could destroy them by setting loose stones in motion, or,perfectly safe themselves, pick the men off at their leisure.
"I shall be heartily glad to get on to open ground again, Graham," saidthe Colonel.
"My heart has been in my mouth for the last two hours," was the reply."We can do nothing but press on."
"And trust to the rocks up there being impassable to the enemy, if thereis one on the stir."
"Yes; I don't think he could get up there," replied the Major; "butthere is an enemy astir, you may be sure."
"I suppose so. The fact of a force like ours being at their mercy wouldset all the marauding scoundrels longing. Well, we have done everythingpossible. We're safe front and rear, and we can laugh up here at anyattack from below on the right."
Just about the same time Bracy and his friend Roberts were tripping andstumbling along with their company, the slowness of the baggage givingthem time to halt now and then to gaze in awe and wonder at thestupendous precipices around and the towering snow-mountains which camemore and more into sight at every turn of the zigzag track.
"I suppose the Colonel knows what he's about," said Bracy during one ofthese halts.
"I suppose so," replied Roberts. "Why?"
"Because we seem to me to be getting more and more into difficulties,and where we must be polished off if the enemy lies in wait for us inforce. Why in the world doesn't he try another way to Ghittah?"
"For the simple reason, my boy, that there is no other way from thesouth. There's one from the north, and one from the east."
"That settles the question, then, as to route; but oughtn't we to haveflankers out?"
"Light cavalry?" said the Captain grimly.
"Bosh! Don't talk to me as if I were a fool. I mean skirmishers outright and left."
"Look here, young fellow, we have all we can do to get along by theregular track."
"Irregular track," said Bracy, laughing.
"Right. How, then, do you think our lads could get along below there?"
"Yes; impossible," said Bracy, with a sigh; and then glancing upward atthe towering perpendicular rocks, he added, "and no one could get alongthere even with ropes and scaling-ladders. Well, I shall be preciousglad to be out of it."
"There, don't fret. I expect we shall find any amount of this sort ofcountry."
"Then I don't see how any manoeuvring's to be done. We shall be quiteat the mercy of the enemy."
"Oh! one never knows."
"Well, I know this," said Bracy; "if I were in command I should devotemy attention to avoiding traps. Hallo! what's amiss?"
The conversation had been cut short by the sharp crack of a rifle, whichset the echoes rolling, and the two young officers hurried forward pasttheir halted men, who, according to instructions, had dropped down,seeking every scrap of shelter afforded by the rocks.
"What is it?" asked Bracy as he reached the men who were in front, theadvance-guard being well ahead and a couple of hundred feet below.
Half-a-dozen voices replied, loud above all being that of Private Gedge:
"Some one up there, sir, chucking stones down at us."
"No," replied Bracy confidently as he shaded his eyes and gazed up; "astone or two set rolling by a mountain sheep or two. No one could be upthere."
"What!" cried the lad excitedly. "Why, I see a chap in a whitenightgown, sir, right up there, shove a stone over the edge of theparrypit, and it come down with a roosh."
"Was it you who fired?"
"Yes, sir; I loosed off at him at once, but I 'spect it was arickershay."
"Keep down in front there, my lads," said Captain Roberts. "Did any oneelse see the enemy?"
A little chorus of "No" arose.
"Well, I dunno where yer eyes must ha' been, pardners," cried Gedge in atone full of disgust; and then, before a word of reproof or order forsilence could be uttered, he was standing right up, shaking his fistfiercely and shouting, "Hi, there! you shy that, and I'll come up andsmash yer."
The words were still leaving his lips when Bracy had a glimpse of aman's head, then of his arms and chest, as he seemed to grasp a greatstone, out of a crack five hundred feet above them, and as it fell hedisappeared, the sharp cracks of half-a-dozen rifles ringing out almosttogether, and the stone striking a sharp edge of the precipitous face,shivering into a dozen fragments, which came roaring down, striking andsplintering again and again, and glancing off to pass the shelf with awhirring, rushing sound, and strike again in a scattering volley farbelow.
"Any one touched?" cried the Captain.
"No, sir; no, sir."
"I think that chap were, sir," whispered Gedge, who was reloading closeto Bracy's side. "I didn't have much time to aim, sir, and the smokegot a bit before my eyes, but he dropped back precious sudden. But oh,dear me, no!" he went on muttering, and grinning the while at hiscomrades, "I didn't see no one up there. I'd got gooseb'ries in my head'stead of eyes. Now then, look out, lads; it's shooting for nuts, andforty in the bull's-eye."
"Hold yer row; here's the Colonel coming," whispered the man next him.
"Keep well under cover, my lads," said Bracy as the clattering of hoofswas heard.
"Right, sir," said one of the men.
"Why don't you, then?" muttered Gedge.
"Silence, sir!" snarled Sergeant Gee, who was close behind.
"All right," said Gedge softly; "but I don't want to see my orficer godown."
For, regardless of danger, while his men were pretty well in shelter,Bracy was standing right out, using a field-glass.
"Cover, cover, Mr Bracy," cried the Colonel sharply, and as he reinedup he was put quickly in possession of the facts.
"Shall we have to go back, Sergeant?" whispered Gedge.
"You will--under arrest, sir, if you don't keep that tongue between yourteeth."
"All right, Sergeant," muttered Gedge. "I only wanted to know."
He knew directly after, for the Colonel cried sharply:
"That's right, my lads; keep close, and fire the moment you see amovement. You six men go over the side there, and fire from the edge ofthe road."
The section spoken to rose and changed their positions rapidly, and asthey did so a couple more blocks of stone were set in motion from above,and struck as the others had done, but did not break, glancing off, andpassing over the men's heads with a fierce _whir_.
"Cover the advance with your company, and change places with therear-guard when they have passed. Steady, there, my lads," continuedthe Colonel to the next company of the halted regiment; "forward!"
He took his place at their head, and advanced at a walk as coolly as ifon parade; and the first movement seemed like a signal for stone afterstone to be sent bounding down, and to be passe
d on their way by thelong, thin, bolt-like bullets from the covering company's rifles, whichspattered on the rocks above and kept the enemy from showing themselves,till, finding that every stone touched in the same place and glanced offthe projecting shoulder half-way up, they became more bold, irritatedwithout doubt by seeing the soldiers continue their course steadilyalong the track in spite of their efforts to stop their progress.
"That's got him," cried Bracy excitedly as he watched a man, who at thegreat height looked a mere dwarf, step into full view, carrying a blockupon his shoulder.
This he heaved up with both hands above his head, and was in the act ofcasting it down when three rifles cracked, and he sprang out into space,diving down head first and still grasping the stone, to pass close overthe marching men, strike the stony edge of the shelf, and shoot off intothe deep valley below.
The horrible fall seemed to impress the covering party strangely, andfor a brief space nothing was heard but the irregular tramp of thepassing men.
"That's put a stop to their little game," whispered Gedge.
"Look out! fire!" growled the Sergeant; and a couple more of the enemyfell back, after exposing themselves for a few seconds to hurl downstones.
"Serve 'em right, the cowards," said Gedge, reloading. "If they want tofight, why don't they come down and have it out like men?"
"I say," whispered his neighbour on the left, "you hit one of them."
"Nay, not me," replied Gedge.
"You did."
"Don't think so. Fancy I hit that beggar who pitched down, stone andall. I felt like hitting him. But don't talk about it, pardner. One'sgot to do it, but I don't want to know."
"No," said Bracy, who overheard the words and turned to the lad, "it'snot pleasant to think about, but it's to save your comrades' lives."
"Yes, sir, that's it, ain't it?" said the lad eagerly.
"Of course," replied Bracy.
"And I ought to shoot as straight as I can, oughtn't I?"
"Certainly."
"Hah!" ejaculated Gedge, and then to his nearest comrade, "I feel a dealbetter after that."
The stony bombardment continued, and Bracy watched every dislodged blockas it fell, feeling a strange contraction about the heart, as it seemedcertain that either it or the fragments into which it splintered mustsweep some of the brave lads steadily marching along the shelf, horriblymutilated, into the gulf below.
But it was not so; either the stones were a little too soon or too late,or they struck the side and glanced off to fly whirring over the line ofmen and raise echoes from far below. For, after certainly losing four,the enemy grew more cautious about exposing themselves; and as theminutes glided by it began to appear as if the regiment would get pastthe dangerous spot without loss, for the baggage mules and heavily-ladencamels were now creeping along, and the covering party at a word fromCaptain Roberts became, if possible, more watchful.
It was about this time that Bill Gedge, who tired seldom, but with theeffect of keeping the stones from one special gap from doing mischief,drew the Sergeant's attention to that particular spot, and, hearing hisremarks, Bracy lay back and brought his field-glass to bear upon it.
"It ain't no good firing at a pair o' hands coming and going," saidGedge. "I want to ketch the chap as is doing that there bit o' bricklaying."
"Bit of what!" cried Bracy.
"Well, I calls it bricklaying, sir. You see, I've watched him ever solong, sticking stones one above another, ready to shove down alltogether. I think he means to send 'em down on the squelchy-welchies."
"The what?" cried Bracy, laughing.
"He means the camels, sir."
"Oh. Yes, I can see," continued Bracy. "Looks more like a breastwork."
Even as he spoke there was a puff of smoke, a dull report, and a sharpspat on the rock close to the young officer's hand, and he started up,looking a little white, while Sergeant Gee picked up a flattened-outpiece of lead.
"Right, sir," he said; "it is a breastwork, and there's a couple o' longbarrels sticking out."
"Let them have it there," cried Captain Roberts. "They're opening firewith their jezails."
"Yes, sir," said Gedge in a whisper; "we've just found that out forourselves."
He drew trigger as he spoke, and as the smoke rose and he looked up,loading mechanically the while, he caught sight of a long gun droppingswiftly down, barrel first, to fall close by one of the camels, gruntingand moaning as it bore its balanced load along the shelf.
"Mine," cried Gedge. "I hit the chap as he was looking down. I wantsthat there long gas-pipe to take home."
"Thank you, Gedge," said Bracy in a low voice. "I believe you've savedmy life."
"Not me, sir; he shot first, but it did look near."
"Horribly, my lad, and he'd have had me next time."
"Think so, sir?" said the lad, taking aim again. "Well, there's anotheron 'em shooting, and I want to get him if I can. Stop him fromcommitting murder, too."
Gedge took a long aim, and his finger trembled about the trigger fornearly a minute, but he did not fire; and all the while, evidently setin motion by a good strong party of the enemy, the stones came crashingand thundering down, in spite of the firing kept up by the coveringsections, whose rifle-bullets spattered and splashed upon the rocks, andoften started tiny avalanches of weathered debris.
Then all at once Gedge fired, and the long barrel, which had been thrustout from the little breastwork and sent down dangerous shots time aftertime, was suddenly snatched back, and the lad reloaded, lookingsmilingly at the lieutenant the while.
"Good shot," said Sergeant Gee importantly. "You didn't do yourfiring-practice for nothing, my man."
"Did you hit him, Gedge?" cried Bracy eagerly.
"Yes, sir; he had it that time. I could ha' done it afore if he'd ha'showed hisself."
"But he did at last."
"That he didn't, sir, on'y his shadder on the stone, and I aimed atthat."
"Nonsense!" cried the Sergeant.
"Ah, well, you'll see," said Gedge, and he turned with a grin to hisofficer. "I foun' as I should never hit him strite forrard, sir, so Ithinked it out a bit, and then aimed at his shadder, and it was liketaking him off the cushion--fired at the stone where I could see theshadder of his head."
"Ah! a ricochet," cried Bracy.
"That's it, sir; a rickyshay."
The stones continued to fall without effect; but no one above attemptedto expose himself again to the deadly fire from below.
Suddenly Bracy started from his place.
"Up with you, my lads; forward!"
Waving his sword, he made a rush, leading his men along thedeadly-looking piece of road swept by the stones from above, for therear-guard had passed in safety; and, with his breath coming thick andfast, he dashed forward, knowing full well that their first movementwould be the signal for the stones to come down thick and fast. He wasquite right; for, as the men cheered and dashed after their twoofficers, block after block came whirring down, crashing, bounding,shivering, and seeming to fill the air with fragments so thickly that itwas quite impossible to believe the passage of that hundred exposedyards could be accomplished in safety. But they got across untouched,and the men cheered again as they clustered about their officers, theprecipitous spot where they now stood being sheltered from the danger,apparently inaccessible even to the enemy.
"Bravo, my lads!" cried the Captain.
"Splendidly done," said Bracy, breathless, "and not a man hurt."
"All here?" said Captain Roberts.
"Yes, sir;" "Yes, sir," came in a scattered volley of words.
"No--stop!" said Bracy excitedly. "Where's Gedge?"
There was a dead silence, the men looking at one another and then backalong the stone-strewed track, only a third of which was visible. Butthere was no sign of the missing man, and after a word or two with hisbrother officer Bracy doubled back, followed by Sergeant Gee, till theyhad rounded a bend of the track and could command t
he whole distance.As they halted to examine the road, another stone fell from above,struck the road, and then bounded off into the valley.
"There he is," cried Bracy excitedly, thrusting his sword back in itsscabbard. "Just beyond where that stone fell."
"Yes, sir; I see him now. It's all over with the poor lad. Here, sir;don't, sir. What are you going to do?"
"Do? Fetch him in," said Bracy sharply.
"No, sir; don't, sir. It's like going to a 'orrid death," faltered theSergeant, whose face was of a clayey hue. "You mustn't go, sir. Youought to order me to fetch him in, and I will if you tell me."
"I'm not going to tell our lads to do what I daren't do myself," saidBracy coldly. "They can't see us here--can they?"
The Sergeant glanced upward, but the view in that direction was cut offby projecting masses of stone.
"No, sir; they can't see us here."
"Then here goes," cried the young officer, drawing a deep breath andpressing his helmet down upon his head.
"No, sir; don't--" began the Sergeant in tones of expostulation; but hedid not finish, for before the second word had left his lips Bracy wasbounding along as if running in an impediment race, leaping masses ofstone, avoiding others, and making for where he could see the motionlessfigure; of Gedge still grasping his rifle and lying face downward amongthe stones.
A yell arose from above as Bracy bounded into view, and stones began tofall again; while, upon reaching the fallen man, the young officer,completely ignoring the terrible peril in which he stood, bent down,passed his arms about the waist, raised him, and with a big effort threwhim over his shoulder; and then turned and started back, carrying thepoor fellow's rifle in his right hand.
The yells from above increased, and before Bracy had gone half-a-dozenyards of the return journey there was a loud _whish_, and he stoppedshort, for a block of stone struck the path not a yard before him, andthen bounded off. For a moment or two Bracy felt mentally stunned bythe close approach of a horrible death; then, recovering himself, hestrode on again, feeling strongly that it was more perilous to standstill than to go on, with every step taking him nearer to safety.
There was an intense desire burning within him to try and run, but therugged path forbade that, and he tramped slowly on with his load, withthe air seeming to his heated imagination to be thick with the fallingmissiles which came hurtling around.
"The next must do it," he found himself muttering, as he went on withwhat, though only a matter of minutes, seemed to be a long journey,before, coming confusedly as it were out of a dream, he heard thecheering of his men, and Sergeant Gee and three more relieved him of hisload, while the crash and rattle of the falling stones seemed to be farbehind.
"Hooray!" A tremendously hearty British cheer--only that of a company,but as loud it seemed as if given by the whole regiment; and the nextthing out of the confused dream was the feeling of his hand beinggrasped, and the hearing of his brother officer's voice.
"Splendid, old man!" he whispered. "Talk about pluck! But what's thematter? Don't say you're hurt?"
"No--no, I think not. Only feel a bit stunned."
"Then you're hit by a stone?"
"No, no. There, I'm better now. Here! That poor fellow Gedge! I hopehe isn't killed."
They turned to the little group of men who surrounded poor Gedge, nowlying on his back, with Gee upon one knee bending over him, and tryingto give him some water from his canteen.
"Dead?" cried Bracy excitedly.
"'Fraid so, sir," replied the Sergeant. "Stone hit him on the 'elmet,and I expect his head's caved in."
"Bathe his face with a handful of the water," said Bracy sadly. "Poorlad! this was horribly sudden."
Both he and Roberts looked down sadly at the stony face so lately fullof mischievous animation, and in view of the perilous position in whichthey stood and the duty he had to do, the Captain was about to order themen to make an extempore stretcher of their rifles and the Sergeant'sstrong netted sash, so that the retreat could be continued, when Geedashed some water in the prostrate lad's face.
The effect was marvellous. In an instant a spasm ran through the stonyfeatures. There was a fit of coughing and choking, and as the menaround, always ready for a laugh, broke out, the supposed dead openedhis eyes, stared blankly, and gasped out:
"Stow that! Here, who did it? Here, I'll just wipe some one's eye forthat, here, I know--I--here--I s'y--I--er--Mr Bracy, sir! You wouldn'tplay tricks with a fellow like that? Ah, I recklect now!"
The poor fellow's hand went to his bare head, and he winced at the acutepain the touch gave him.
"I say, sir," he said, "ketched me a spank right there.--Is my 'elmetspoiled?"
"Never mind your helmet, Gedge, my lad," cried Bracy, who was bendingover him. "There, you must lie still till we get something ready tocarry you to the ambulance."
"Kerry me, sir! What for? Ain't going to croak, am I? Not me. Here,I'm all right, sir. Give's a drink outer my bottle.--Hah! that'sgood.--Drop more, please, Sergeant,--Thanky.--Hah! that is good. Feelas if I could drink like a squelchy-welchy.--Here, I s'y, where's myrifle?"
"I've got it, pardner," said one of the lads.
"Oh, that's right. Ain't got the stock skretched, hev it?"
"No, no; that's all right, Bill."
"Glad o' that. Here, I s'y; I went down, didn't I?"
"Yes, my lad; just in the middle of the worst bit where the stones werefalling."
"That was it--was it? Well, I did wonder they never hit nobody, sir,but I didn't expect they'd hit me."
"What are you going to do, my lad?" said the Captain sharply.
"Get up, sir.--Can't lie here. 'Tain't soft enough. I'm all right.Only feel silly, as if I'd been heving my fust pipe.--Thanky,Sergeant.--Here, it's all right; I can stand. Who's got my 'elmet?"
The poor fellow tottered a little, but the British pluck of his naturemade him master the dizzy feeling, and the old familiar boyish grinbroke out over his twitching white face as he took hold of the helmethanded to him and tried to put it on.
"Here, I s'y," he cried, "no larks now; this ain't in me."
"Yes, that's yours, Gedge," said the Sergeant.
"Got such a dint in it, then, that it won't go on."
"No, my lad," said Bracy. "Here, Sergeant, tie my handkerchief roundhis head."
"Yes, sir; thank ye, sir. Here, hold still, Gedge," cried the Sergeant.
"Well, I'm blest!" muttered the poor fellow; "there's all one sidepuffed out like arf a bushel basket. Here, I've often heard of chapshaving the swelled head when they've got on a bit; but I won't show it,mateys. I won't cut your company.--Thank ye, Sergeant."
"Fall in," cried the Captain. "Gedge, you'll have to be carried. Twomen. Sergeant, and change often."
"I can walk, sir, please," cried Gedge. "Let me try. If I can't someun can carry me then."
"Very well, try.--Forward."
The march was resumed, but after a few steps the injured lad was glad tograsp the arm offered him by Gee.
"Thanky, Sergeant," he said. "Just a bit dizzy now, and I don't want togo over the side. Better soon; but, I say, did you fetch me in?"
"No: it was Mr Bracy," said Gee gruffly.
"Oh, him!" said the lad quietly, and with a curious look in his eyes ashe gazed in the young lieutenant's direction. "Well, thank ye, sir;much obliged," he said in an undertone. "I'll say so to you some time.But I say, Sergeant, talk about having a head on; I've got it now."
"Yes; but don't talk. Hullo! they're up above us again yonder."
"What, the Dwat you may call 'ems?"
"I s'pose so," said the Sergeant gruffly, as a stone crashed down closeto the foremost man.
"And me not able to shoot!" muttered Gedge. "Well, of all the hardluck! But I owe some on 'em something for that shy at my coco-nut; andoh! I s'y, Sergeant, it's just as if some one was at work at it with apick."