Chapter 19: The Battle Of Maiwand.
The servants were squatting in a circle near their masters, andenjoying their share of the breakfast. The two Syces wereBeloochees, the others were men from the Deccan--the regimenthaving been stationed at Poona, before going up into Afghanistan.Of these, the Syces alone understood the Afghan language.
After the men had finished their meal, Yossouf strolled away byhimself into the village. When he returned, Will saw that he wishedto speak to him so, rising carelessly from the ground, he walked tothe ponies--which were tied up near--and called Yossouf, as if togive him some instructions respecting them.
"Well, Yossouf, what is it? Have you learned anything?"
"No, sir, nothing. But the people no longer speak to me freely.They must have guessed, when they saw me speaking to you, that Iwas warning you; but I don't think things are right. The childrenare all in the houses, instead of playing about in the street. Afew of the women are standing at their doors, but most of them areinside, too."
"But if the men are thinking of attacking us why shouldn't they doso, at once?"
"There are not above twenty or thirty men here, sahib. They may notthink they are strong enough. Perhaps they have sent to some of thevillages, for help."
"Likely enough, Yossouf; I did not think of that. Do you go upabove the village, and have a good look round. I will try andpersuade my friends to be moving."
Yossouf moved off at once; and Will stood for a minute or two,thinking what was the best to do. The position was not pleasant.Yossouf's suspicions might be altogether unfounded; but Will hadfound him to be so uniformly right, on former occasions, that hedid not like to neglect his advice, now. After a little furtherthought, he joined his companions.
"Come," he said, "we had really better be moving. I believe we arein real danger."
The earnestness with which he spoke roused the others, who were alllying at full length on the ground.
"But as we said before, Gale," Fortescue urged, "why shouldn't theynow attack us, if they wanted to? We have been here more than anhour."
"Perhaps they may think we shall all take a nap, after our tiffin,"Will replied; "perhaps--as Yossouf thinks--they have sent off tosome other villages, for assistance. He has gone up the hillside tolook out. Anyhow, I can assure you, I think we had better bemoving."
"It is beastly hot," Hammond said, getting up and stretchinghimself; "but as you are so earnest about it, Gale, perhaps we hadbetter make a move. As you say, you know no end more of thesefellows than we do; and you certainly ain't a fellow to get into afunk about nothing.
"Come on, boys, we had better do as Gale tells us."
"That's right," Will said, cheerfully. "And look here, if we getaway from here without any disturbance, and find it all right, wecan halt again, at the first shady place we come to; and stop therefor two or three hours, till it gets cool."
"Wait a moment," he went on, as Hammond was about to order theponies to be saddled. "Just let us settle what we had best do,should they attack us; which, if they mean it, they will do whenthey see we are moving off.
"I have been thinking it over. We have all got bullets in ourpockets, to drop into our guns over the shot, in case of necessity.But these smooth-bore fowling pieces are of no good, except atclose quarters; while the Afghan matchlocks will carry straight, along way. Therefore, if we had to make a running fight of it, weshould get the worst of it; for these fellows could keep up withus, easily--besides, there are the servants. Therefore, if a shotis fired, my advice is that we should make a dash at the chief'shouse. Seize that, and hold it."
"Yes, that would be a good plan," Fortescue said, for they were allsobered now, by Will's gravity; and convinced that there must begood grounds for his belief in danger.
"Look here, Gale, we are all senior to you in the date of ourcommissions, but you have seen no end of service and adventure;therefore I vote that you shall be commanding officer, until we getback to camp."
The others willingly agreed.
"Very well," Will said, "I will do my best.
"Hammond, will you tell your servant to get ready for a start, atonce. Speak to him quietly and carelessly. Then, as the men move upmore towards the ponies, tell them--in Hindustanee--to go abouttheir work quietly but, in case of any trouble with the Afghans, toout with their swords, and join us in a rush at the chief's house."
Hammond carried out his instructions. The two Beloochees were nottaken by surprise; for they, as well as Yossouf, had been feelinguneasy at the disappearance of all women and children from thescene. The other men looked startled; but they were stout fellowsand, as all the native servants, were armed with swords, to enablethem to resist sudden attacks by the country people; and as theyhad unbounded faith in their masters, they went about the work ofpacking up the plates and dishes, and preparing for a start,quietly enough.
As the Syces began to put the saddles on the tats, the Afghansspoke quickly and angrily together. Two or three minutes later,Yossouf arrived. He had evidently been running, for his breath camequick; but he now walked forward in a leisurely way.
"Two large parties are coming, master; one down the valley, and theother across the hills. They have got flags with them, and I amsure they are going to attack us."
Just at this moment an Afghan lad joined his seniors, and spokerapidly to them. Will judged at once that he also had been placedon the watch. The chief of the village, accompanied by two or threeof his men, now stepped forward.
"Ask the sahibs," he said to Yossouf, "why they are in such ahurry--why they want to start in the heat of the day? They hadbetter wait till it is cooler."
Will did not wait for Yossouf's translation, but answered direct:
"We have duties at the camp, and must return at once."
The chief was surprised that one of the young officers should speakhis tongue so fluently.
"It looks as if you were not pleased with the hospitality of ourvillage," he said, "that you should hurry away so quickly."
"We are content with it--so far--but we must be off, now.
"Bring up the ponies quickly," he said to Yossouf. "Never mindthose things, there is not a moment to be lost."
Yossouf and the servants brought up the ponies. The chief laid hishand on one of the bridles, and drew a pistol.
"Kaffir dogs," he said, "you shall not leave us, at all."
Will's hand was already on his revolver and, before the chief couldlevel his pistol, he fired; and the Afghan fell dead.
There was a shout of rage from the others, and their longmatchlocks were leveled It was well the party were prepared, or allmight have been shot down, at once; but the instant Will fired, hisfriends raised their double-barreled guns to their shoulders andlet fly the contents among the Afghans who--thrown into confusionby the sudden and unexpected attack--fired wildly, several of themdropping, from the effects of the shot.
"Now," Will shouted, "to the house, everyone of you!"
There was a rush and, before the Afghans knew what had happened,the little party had burst through those standing at the door ofthe house, and had barred and bolted it within. There were but twomen inside; and these, running upstairs, leaped from the windows. Awild screaming was heard from the women and children.
"Yossouf, tell these women that we don't want to hurt them; butthat they must be silent, and keep the children quiet, We have gotenough to think about without this frightful row, inside. Then,when you have got them quiet, put them all in one room together,upstairs, and keep guard at the door. See that none of them leavethe room; for they might steal down and open the door, to admittheir friends, while we are busy.
"What! Fortescue, are you hit?"
"I am done for!" the young officer replied, faintly; "one of theirbullets has gone through my body; but never mind me, now."
As he spoke he tottered, and would have fallen; had not the otherssupported him, and gently laid him down on a heap of skins, whichserved as an Afghan bed. Then--leaving his servant to attend tohi
m, for a minute--the others ran upstairs, to see what was goingon, without.
"Be careful!" Will exclaimed. "Don't show a head above the roof, orat a loophole, or you will get a bullet in your brain, to acertainty. Stand well back, so that they can't see you."
Already a pattering fire of musketry had broken out, round thehouse; but not an Afghan was to be seen, every man having taken hisposition in shelter.
"There is nothing to do, at present," Will said. "When the otherparties arrive, they may make an attack; but I don't think theywill do so, till night.
"Hammond, you had better go down to Fortescue, at present. One ofthe Syces can take Yossouf's place on guard over the women, and hecan help you. The lad is a good nurse, but I fear there is nothingto be done for the poor fellow."
A few minutes later a wild outburst of shouts and yells, and agreat firing of guns, announced that the other parties had arrived;and the cracking fire of the matchlocks around the fort becameincessant. The defenders did not attempt to return it. It wouldonly have been throwing away lives, uselessly, to approach any ofthe loopholes. In a quarter of an hour, Hammond rejoined hiscompanions.
"He is gone, poor fellow!" he said. "He never spoke again. Thebullet went close to the heart. I think he has bled to death,internally.
"I have handed his revolver to one of the Syces, and his gun to theother. Your man, Yossouf, has a revolver."
"What on earth are we to do now, Gale?" Plater asked. "You havebeen right thus far and, if it hadn't been for you putting us up tomake a rush here, we should have been done for, long ago. But weare not much better off; for here we are, cooped up, and thebetting is a hundred to one against our being rescued, in time. Noone will know where to look for us and, though we may beat them offtwo or three times, in the end it is likely to go hard with us."
"Couldn't we send a messenger, with the news of the fix we are in?"Lowther asked; "though I don't see how any one is to get through."
"That's what I have been thinking about, ever since I first plannedcoming here," Will said; "but I am sure no one could get through.The Afghans know the importance of it and, when it gets dark, theywill be so thick round the place that a mouse couldn't make its waythrough them, unobserved."
The situation was gloomy enough; but there was no lack of goodspirits among the young officers, the danger causing their blood tocourse rapidly through their veins. Will sat on the floor, apartfrom the others. They had made him their commanding officer, andthe responsibility of thinking for them devolved upon hisshoulders.
Suddenly a thought struck him, and he leaped to his feet, with ashout.
"I've got it!"
"You will get it, if you don't mind," Hammond said, dryly; as abullet passed through one of the loopholes, and struck the wall aninch or two from Will's head. "But what is it?"
"When it gets quite dusk we will call a parley, and tell them wedon't want to keep the women here. They are only in our way, andeat up the food; so we will open the door, and let them go."
"But what will you do that for, Gale? You were saying, a short timeago, that the women could be kept as hostages."
"So they might, Hammond; but it will be more useful to us to letthem go. There are seven women here. Six of them shall go out; andwith them, in the clothes of the seventh, Yossouf."
"Capital! Capital!" the others exclaimed. "Don't you think theywill notice him?"
"No," Will said, "we won't do it till dusk, and some of these womenare as tall as he is. They will hurry them away as quickly aspossible, so as to recommence the attack and, wrapped up as theseAfghan women are, no one could see the difference. Once fairlyaway, we can trust Yossouf for finding an opportunity of slippingaway, and bringing us help."
Will now laid the plan before Yossouf, who at once agreed toattempt it. The day passed slowly, the fire of the enemy being keptup, without intermission.
"Now," Will said at last, "it is getting dark enough, let us putthe plan into operation. In the first place the women must beseparated, and taken into separate rooms; the one Yossouf has fixedupon, as nearest his height, into a room by herself. Then Yossoufmust tell the old mother of the chief that they are to be released;and that she must show herself on the roof, and make them stopfiring, till they have gone out. While she is doing that, he canslip down and dress himself in the robes of the woman. She must begagged, to prevent her screaming, or making a row, as hercompanions go out."
Greatly surprised was the old woman, at being told that she was tobe released. These Kaffirs must be mad, she thought, to give uptheir hostages. However, she at once proceeded to carry the ordersinto effect.
Before raising her head above the roof, she uttered a loudquavering cry--the cry of welcome of the Afghan women. The firingwithout instantly ceased. Again raising the cry, she stepped out onto the roof; and shouted that the English did not want to keep thewomen, and that the door would be open for them to comeout--providing the Afghans promised that no attempt to enter shouldbe made, and that none should move from their present places, untilthe women had fairly left.
There was a shout of surprise and satisfaction; and one of thechiefs rose to his feet, and gave the promise in the name of hiscompanions.
"How many are there of you?" he asked.
"Seven," the woman answered.
"Are the children to come?"
"We may take away the babies, but the three boys are to remainbehind."
Five minutes later the door of the fort opened, and seven figurescame out. Not a shot was heard, until they had passed down thestreet of the village, and had entered a house at the further end;then the rapid fire commenced again. Twice, during the evening, didthe Afghans attempt to storm the little fort, but were each timerepulsed, with loss; the fire of the five double-barreledguns--loaded with shot and bullets--and of the revolvers provingtoo much for them.
The second attack was made about eleven. A quarter of an hourlater, wild shouts were heard outside. There was an instantcessation of the enemy's fire; and then, in the silence, the deepthundering sound of galloping horses was heard.
"Hurrah!" Will shouted, "here they are."
A minute later, the Third Bombay Cavalry dashed up to the fort. Thedoor was thrown open, and the little garrison ran out.
"All safe?" the officer in command asked.
"All safe, except Fortescue--who was killed at the first attack."
"So we heard, from your boy," the officer said. "He has ridden backwith us, as guide.
"Now, lads, dismount and clear the village. Shoot every man youfind, turn the women out of the houses, and then set them on fire.Don't waste any time over it, for the rascals are swarming roundthe place.
"Captain Lawson, you take your troop and dismount it asskirmishers, round the place; and keep them off, till we have donehere.
"Here, you four men who brought the powder kegs, carry them insidethis fort. We are going to blow it up, to give them a lesson."
Ten minutes later, the cavalry were again in their saddles. Sparehorses had been brought for the four officers; and the servantsmounted the tats, which would be able to keep up with the cavalry.The flames were already bursting out brightly from the houses.
The yells of the Afghans rose high, and their bullets flew thicklyover the village; but they kept at a respectful distance. Theofficer in command gave the word, and the party set off at a trot.Before they had left the village a deep roar was heard, and theyknew that the Afghan fort was destroyed. Two hours later theyarrived safely in camp; where the four rescued officers were warmlycongratulated, on their narrow escape, by their friends.
On the 14th of July, the conspiracy among the Wali's troops came toa head. They openly mutinied; and marched out, with their cannonand arms, from the camp. This was situated at a short distance fromthat of the British, and Colonel Ripon was the first to gallop inwith the news.
Unfortunately, the British commander was not a man endowed withpromptness of decision; and no steps were taken, until themutineers had proceeded a considerable distance. Th
en the cavalryand artillery were despatched, in pursuit. Had the order been givenat once, there can be no doubt that the Wali's force would havebeen completely cut up; and those who escaped would have arrived amere horde of fugitives, for the most part without arms, at Ayoub'scamp.
Late as was the pursuit it was not ineffectual. Six British gunsopened fire upon the Wali's artillery--which was in rear of theretreating column--with such effect that the gunners were seizedwith a panic and, cutting the traces, fled for their lives. A goodmany were cut down by the British cavalry, and the six gunsdeserted by them were brought into camp.
Colonel Burrows' little force now stood alone; for he had with himbut 1500 infantry, 500 cavalry, and six of his own guns, besidesthose taken from the mutineers--a force altogether disproportionedto that with which Ayoub was advancing; swelled, as it was, by theaccession of the Wali's army. A message was sent to GeneralPrimrose at Candahar, asking for reinforcements; but that officer,although he had a considerable force at his disposal, declined todespatch any reinforcements, whatever.
News now arrived that Ayoub, instead of marching direct uponGirishk, had crossed the Helmund higher up; and was moving acrossthe country, by a line parallel with the road from Candahar toGirishk. By this movement he would have the option of placinghimself either between Colonel Burrows' force and Candahar; ofmarching direct upon the latter city; or of keeping to the north,and coming down upon the road between Candahar and Shahpur, andthen marching direct for Cabul. Under these circumstances GeneralBurrows determined to fall back, at once, to a spot where he mightoppose Ayoub's advancing force. Accordingly, the brigade marchedfrom the Helmund to a village called Khusk-I-Nakhud, and thereencamped. General Nuttal, with the cavalry, made reconnaissances inthe direction of the enemy.
The people of the country held altogether aloof, and no accurateinformation was obtained as to the strength of Ayoub's army; whichwas believed, by General Burrows, to be very much smaller than itreally was. Early in the morning of the 26th, it was known thatAyoub was marching upon Maiwand--a village farther to thenorth--and at half-past six, the troops moved out to intercept him.
It was at this time believed that it was only the enemy's cavalrywith whom we should have to deal. Upon arriving near Maiwand,however, news was brought in, by spies, that the whole of the enemywere at hand. The force was at once halted, in a positionsingularly ill-adapted for a fighting ground. Deep ravines ran bothto the right, and to the left, of the ground occupied by theBritish. By these, the enemy could advance under shelter, untilwithin a short distance. On either side were ranges of hills,completely commanding the position.
It is difficult to imagine a more unsuitable position than thatwhich General Burrows prepared to hold, with a mere handful oftroops, against an enormously superior force. What was the totalstrength of Ayoub's army was never exactly known--as it was swollenby enormous numbers of Ghazis, and tribesmen from the villages.These were, in fact, far more formidable opponents than the regularAfghan troops; as their tremendous rushes, and indifference to theloss inflicted upon them, were trying in the extreme for even thebest-trained troops to withstand.
The morning was thick, and but little could be seen of Ayoub'sarmy. His cavalry, indeed, were found to be moving about in largemasses; but these fell back, at our advance. LieutenantMaclean--with two horse artillery guns, and a small cavalryescort--galloped out on the extreme left, and opened fire on theAfghan cavalry. His infantry at once appeared in force, swarmingdown towards the guns; and these were withdrawn, to a positionnearer to our line.
The British infantry were formed in the following order: the 66thwere on the right, the Bombay Grenadiers in the center, and Jacob'sRifles on the left. Two guns were placed in position to support the66th, on the right. The remaining four British guns, and the sixsmooth-bore guns--captured from the Wali's mutineers--were placedbetween the Grenadiers and Jacob's Rifles. The 3rd Scinde Horse and3rd Bombay Light Cavalry were formed in the rear of the line.
As the enemy advanced, our guns opened a heavy fire upon them; butit was fully an hour before their artillery replied. Then thirtyguns were unmasked, and opened fire upon the British line. Undercover of this heavy fire, swarms of the enemy's irregulars advancedtowards our position. When within 600 or 700 yards of the 66th, theBritish opened with their Martini rifles; and the shower of lead,at such an unexpected distance, checked the advance of the enemy.
For some time the artillery duel continued; but the enemy's gunswere then moved on to the hills, on either side of the Britishposition, and a terrible crossfire was opened from both flanks. Atabout two o'clock, the smooth-bore guns began to get short ofammunition. Only sixty rounds had been captured with them and,there being no reserve of ammunition fitting them, they ceasedfire.
The position now became most serious. From the ravines on eitherside the Ghazis swarmed up, in vast numbers. The artillerythundered from the heights upon our troops. Some of their batterieswere brought up to within very short distances; and great numbersof the enemy, keeping along the ravines sheltered from our fire,came up in the rear and seized the villages there.
The companies of Jacob's Rifles on the left; after resisting, forsome time, the furious attacks of the Ghazis, began to waver. Theenemy's cavalry swept down in heavy masses; while our cavalry--forsome reason which has never been explained--remained inactive. Thegeneral has stated that he ordered them to charge, but that theywould not do so; the cavalry affirm that they never receivedorders. Anyhow, at this critical moment the 3rd Scinde Horse andthe 3rd Bombay Cavalry remained inactive.
The confusion amid Jacob's Rifles rapidly grew, in spite of theefforts of the officers to rally them. The Ghazis swept down uponthem; and the Rifles broke in confusion, and rushed among theBombay Grenadiers who--hitherto fighting steadily--also fell intoconfusion, as the Rifles and Ghazis burst into their ranks.
"This is hot work," Will Gale said to his captain, when the enemy'sguns, on the heights on either side, began to play on the line ofthe 66th with their flank fire.
"It is, indeed," the officer answered, "and the fire of the enemy,from the edge of that ravine, is very trying. I wish to heaven thegeneral would move us farther back. He has made a hideous mistakein fighting on such ground as this."
"It would be difficult to withdraw, now," Will said. "It wouldshake the confidence of the men. I think, myself, that we ought toadvance, and drive the enemy before us, till we take up some reallydefensible position; but I doubt if the Afghans would wait forthat. In all our history, a British charge against an Indian enemyhas always been successful, no matter how great the odds."
"It is a bad lookout," the captain said, as a shell burst close byhim, killing and wounding five or six men. "It is quite evidentthat if we stay where we are we must, in time, be annihilated. Ourfellows will stand, no doubt; they are English soldiers, and wellofficered. But how can one expect the two Indian regiments--withonly three or four white officers, each--to remain steady, undersuch a fire as this, and with these desperate charges of Ghazisupon them?"
Very steadily the 66th held their ground, in spite of a flankingfire of artillery and musketry. Every time the enemy gathered atthe edge of the ravine, for a rush, the heavy fire of the companyon the flank--which was wheeled back at a right angle to the line,so as to face them--drove them back to shelter again. The regimenthad suffered very heavily. Still, the officers felt that they couldendure, till nightfall.
Of victory, there was now no idea; for to conquer, men must actand, here, they were only called upon to suffer. Presently a wildtumult was heard to the left; and then the men of the scatterednative regiments burst, in a tumultuous mass, into the ranks of the66th.
"Steady, men, steady!" shouted the officers.
But it was of no avail. All was in hopeless confusion. Theartillery fired, until the Ghazis were within a few yards of them;then they hastily limbered up, and fell back. But the Ghazis weretoo close at hand, and two of the guns were lost.
Even now, had the cavalry charged upon the Afghans, time w
ould havebeen given to the broken infantry to form again into a solid mass,and to draw off from the field in good order. But the cavalryremained inactive. Both these regiments had a record of goodservice in the field; but their conduct, on this occasion, waslittle short of disgraceful.
Among the infantry all order was lost and, mixed up in a confusedmass, hemmed in on all sides by the enemy, they fell back--each manfighting for himself--upon the village behind. Here, in the walledenclosures, the 66th and the Grenadiers rallied, and fought nobly.Each house was used as a fortress, and only carried after adesperate struggle. Here Colonel Galbraith, and nine other officersof the 66th were killed; and the greater portion of the regimentshared their fate.
Some bodies of the troops--entirely cut off from the rest, in theirretreat--stood their ground in the open, and fought desperately tothe end; surrounding themselves, ere they died, with a ring ofslaughtered enemies. So desperate was the defense in some casesthat--outnumbering them fifty to one--the enemy never dared to cometo close quarters with the gallant band; which kept up a rain offire on them, till the last man had fallen. So long and stoutly wasthe village defended, that the great majority of the brokenfugitives had time to pass out behind.
General Burrows--who had done his best to stem the rout--drew offthe shattered remains; and fell back with them, in fair order.
Will Gale's company was in the right flank of the regiment and,therefore, farthest from the point where the line was broken by therush of the native troops. Seeing what was taking place, thecaptain formed his men into company square; and fell back to thevillage, in fair order. The company then threw itself into a house,with a walled garden, to the right of the village; and its steadyfire, in no slight degree, helped to keep back the Afghans, andcover the retreat. This they did, until General Burrows himselfrode up, and ordered them to fall in.
"Your company has done good service, sir," he said to CaptainFletcher; "and it is for you, now, to cover the retreat."
Slowly and in good order the company fell back and, joining thetroops who still retained their formation, retired slowly; facingabout, and pouring volley after volley into the Afghans, as theycame out through the village. For two miles, the enemy pressedclosely upon them; but their loss had already been immense, and alldesired to join in the plundering of the British camp. Thereforethe pursuit slackened and, three miles from the village, the rearguard were ordered to the main body, at quick march.