CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIFTH
THE FIGHT AT THE BEND
At early morning, after a quiet night, Lawrence sent one of the men backto announce the approach of a flag of truce. Bob hurried at once to thebreastwork. Three Kalmucks were advancing along the track, one of themapparently an officer. No others of the enemy were in sight. The envoyshalted within a short distance of the entrenchment, and the officerbegan to speak in a loud shrill voice.
"What does he say?" asked Bob.
"I can't make it out," replied Lawrence. "Do any of you men understandhim?"
The men, Sikhs and Pathans, acknowledged that they did not, whereuponBob made signs to the Kalmuck to wait, and despatched a man to fetchShan Tai, who as a western Chinaman might be able to act as interpreter.
When the cook arrived, and heard what was required of him, he shouted afew words to the officer, who responded with a speech of some length,very rapidly uttered. The purport of it was to propose terms. Heoffered the garrison the honours of war if they would surrender the mineand make no further opposition to the passage of the army up the valley.They would be allowed to depart unmolested, with bag and baggage; andthe two white men, if they pleased, might return to their own country byway of Central Asia, through the Kalmuck lines.
Bob's reply was made without hesitation. He pointed out that theKalmucks were the aggressors. Hostilities had not been of his seeking.All that he had desired was to live at peace and pursue his occupationas miner, whereby he gave employment to several score of workmen,including many of the officer's fellow-countrymen.
"We have been wantonly attacked," he said, "without warning and withoutprovocation, and we are resolved to defend the property of the lateowner of the mine, who was murdered by a man acting apparently incollusion with the force to which you belong. I reject your terms. Butin order to avoid further bloodshed, I am willing to refer the matter tothe Sirkar, and will abide by the decision of the Viceroy of the Emperorof India."
The officer had evidently come prepared for a refusal, for he at onceput forward a modified proposal. He offered to leave the Englishmanundisturbed at the mine if he on his side would refrain from attackingthe army as it marched past. Bob saw the dilemma in which he wasplaced. The question was no longer a personal but an imperial one.Rejection of the offer would imply that he stood as an outpost of theEmpire. But his answer was equally clear and emphatic. He declined tomake terms of any kind with the enemy. The Kalmuck returned to his ownlines, manifestly chagrined at the failure of his mission.
Bob expected that the rejection of the enemy's proposals would result ina more sustained and vigorous attack, and as soon as the officer haddeparted he set his men to complete the repairing of the breastworkwhich Lawrence had begun in the night. Presently the Kalmucks openedfire with rifles and field guns, and throughout the day the bombardmentand sniping from the rocks intermittently continued; but there was nofurther attempt to rush the position. In the intervals Bob had freshstones brought up for the repair of the breastwork, which had beenconsiderably knocked about. The casualties among the garrison, however,were slight, and at the end of the fourth day Bob felt that he couldreasonably congratulate himself on the success of his stand.
But he was still very anxious. Though the enemy had shown surprisingsluggishness, he did not flatter himself that they had any idea ofabandoning their task. More and more he wondered why they did notattack during the night, when, so far as they knew, the advantage wouldbe wholly with them. For the first time since the commencement of thestruggle he failed to sleep well, waking frequently, then dozing offagain.
About four o'clock in the morning he was roused by the sound of tworifle shots in quick succession. Springing fully clothed from his bed,he rushed into the compound, called up the detachment whose turn it wasto take duty at the breastwork, and led them at the double across thebridge and down the track. By the time he reached the position he founda furious fight in progress. The two scouts whom Lawrence had thrownout to give warning if the enemy moved had heard the tramp of menadvancing, fired their rifles as a signal, and run back to join theirown party. They were so closely followed by the Kalmucks, whose formscould be dimly seen in the twilight, that Lawrence had been unable tofire at once for fear of hitting the scouts, so that the enemy werewithin a few yards of the breastwork before they met with anyresistance.
Reinforced by Bob's men, the party now opened fire with deadly effect,but the attackers were so numerous that the rush was scarcely checked.There was only time for a second volley before the head of the enemy'scolumn surged up against the breastwork. They had held their fire untilthey were able to see the dark forms of their adversaries. Then theirshots, fired point-blank, laid low several of the Sikhs and Pathans.Supported by the swarms in their rear they began to clamber up therampart, in the teeth of the bristling bayonets opposed to them. Ontheir side was the advantage of numbers: on the side of the defendersthat of position; but Bob recognised in a minute that his men, ply theirbayonets as they might, must soon be overwhelmed by sheer weight.
Suddenly a beam of light flashed over and past the scene of theconflict, resting on the track immediately beyond the breastwork, whichwas crowded with yelling Kalmucks pressing on to support their comrades.Gur Buksh in the compound had switched on the searchlight. It was notthe blinding glare associated with the searchlights of forts andbattleships, but it had sufficient illuminating power to show up thedisorderly mass of the charging force.
For a moment it made no alteration in the conditions. Bob and hisbrother, with barely a score of men left to them, were hard pushed tohold the breastwork. Faster than they could hurl the enemy down at thepoint of the bayonet, others swarmed up. Bob was on the point ofshouting an order to retire to his own original breastwork up the trackwhen, above the shouts and yells of the combatants, sounded thecharacteristic rattle of the machine gun. Instantly he recognised howthis might operate in his favour. The gun could not be trained on themen who were actually at grips with him, but in a few seconds it hadswept a huge gap in the column advancing in serried ranks along thetrack, and deprived his immediate assailants of their support.
He at once took advantage of this fortunate diversion. Instead ofretiring, he cried to the men to stand firm, and the desperate work atthe rampart went on. For some time the Kalmucks there did not know orfailed to appreciate what was happening behind them. They still pressedon and up, and but for the timely arrival of another dozen mendespatched by Gur Buksh from the mine they might even now have carriedthe position. The reinforcement turned the scale. Bob called on hismen for a final effort, and he and Lawrence flashed their revolvers inthe very faces of the crowd. Fired by their example the men thrust andjabbed with redoubled energy, and in a few minutes hurled the last ofthe assailants back on to the track.
They found themselves in a terrifying quandary. The space between themand their baffled comrades was illuminated by the fatal band of light.The machine gun had ceased to play on the track when it was cleared ofthe enemy. Now there were forty or fifty men trapped in the darkwedge-like area between the beam of the searchlight and the breastwork.They knew that if any of them dared to attempt a rush back they would bethe target for innumerable bullets. One or two did rashly hazard aretreat, but as soon as they encroached upon the luminous band the gun'srattle scarcely gave them warning of the shots that fell among themalmost instantaneously. The rest cowered in the darkness, waiting fordeath.
Bob had to hold his men with a tight rein to prevent them from leapingthe breastwork and massacring their despairing foes. He had thought ofa better way. Fyz Ali could make himself understood by them. Throughhis lips Bob told them that if they laid down their arms they mightretire, taking their wounded with them. They eagerly accepted theproffered mercy, but shrank from acting on it, until they were assuredthat a message had been sent to the havildar to refrain from firing atthem. Then, utterly cowed, they handed their weapons over thebreastwork,
gathered up such of their comrades as were yet alive, andcarried them in all haste across the illuminated space and out of sight.
This was an auspicious beginning for the fifth day. It was the greatesttriumph that the garrison had as yet achieved, and the men wereproportionably elated. The enemy on the other hand were dejected anddespondent. For some hours they remained at a distance. In theafternoon, however, they resumed their skirmishing tactics, and undercover of a renewed bombardment crept nearer and nearer to thebreastwork. When their field guns had to cease fire for fear of hittingthe skirmishers, Bob decided to venture a charge, and led twenty of hisbest men in a sudden leap over the barricade. The enemy did not waitfor the touch of the terrible bayonets. They fired a scattered volleyand fled. A lucky shot from Ganda Singh's rifle brought down one of therearmost, and he rolled down the rocks on to the track. Acting on theunconsidered impulse of the moment Bob sent two of the Sikhs to make himprisoner, and when Lawrence shortly afterwards returned to the compoundfor his afternoon sleep, he took the wounded man with him, and had hisinjuries attended to.
He proved to be an officer. Interrogating him through Shan Tai,Lawrence learnt that the general himself was on his way to the mine tomake a personal inspection of the position. The Kalmuck, who seemedgrateful for the attentions shown him, advised Lawrence to yield. Hispeople's comparative inactivity that day was only preliminary to acrushing blow. "Without your flying machine," he said, "you would bythis time have been destroyed. That gave you an advantage. Soon theadvantage will be on our side."
"Will the presence of your general do so much for you?" asked Lawrence.
The man refused to say any more; but his manner, and the half-smile uponhis face, gave Lawrence an uneasy feeling that the Mongol general musthave a trump card to play. He was so much impressed by the officer'shint of a great stroke impending that instead of seeking his bed, hehurried back to inform Bob.
"What can he mean?" he asked.
"I can think of nothing but that the general is bringing up largereinforcements, and means to throw them upon us and carry the positionby sheer weight of numbers. He won't care how many lives he chucksaway, and everything depends on whether his men's discipline is goodenough to stand the racket. I don't know how far these Kalmucks have acontempt for death like the Japanese."
"Don't you think I'd better fly a few miles down the track and see whatis going on?"
"But you're tired out. You've been at it since midnight."
"That's all right. I shall sleep easier when I know what we've got toexpect."
"Very well then. Don't go far, and keep high."
The appearance of the aeroplane over the track, with Lawrence and Fazlon board, was a signal for the enemy to scurry to cover. Not a shot wasfired; their only thought was to escape the terrible bombs which theyassociated with the flying machine. But Lawrence did not intend to usehis bombs. What he saw, or Fazl reported to him, proved that his stockof missiles was insufficient for any greater effect than to retard, fora few hours at the most, the inevitable crisis. Two field guns were inposition at the enemy's advanced entrenchment. Near by, men had beenengaged in constructing platforms for other guns, until the sight of theaeroplane sent them to cover. Farther down the track, at intervals,five or six similar weapons were being dragged up; to destroy them all,even if he were lucky enough in his aim to do so, would exhaust hisstock of bombs, and he felt that he must hold some in reserve for theultimate defence of the mine.
The track, as far as he could see it, was almost choked with men andanimals. The men scattered as well as they could when they saw theaeroplane; some shots were fired at it, harmlessly. It was impossiblefor Lawrence to guess the magnitude of the reinforcement that was beingpushed forward; but it seemed to him that several regiments must havebeen sent on from the main army. The bodies of mounted men wereseparated by long convoys of provisions and ammunition, carried on thebacks of mules and camels. It almost appeared as if a regular advanceof the whole force had begun. The Kalmuck general was clearly confidentof his power to break the resistance of the little band that hadhitherto withstood his passage.
Lawrence flew as far as the bridge; it seemed useless to go farther. Hehad seen what he had expected to see: a vast and overwhelming force. Buthe had obtained no definite clue to the meaning of the captive officer'svague hint of a master stroke. That the enemy had a crushingsuperiority in numbers he had known all along: there was nothing toindicate that they had anything more than the advantage of numbersstill. The presence of their general might act as a stimulus; but thenature of the position precluded any marked change in their mode ofoperations. It was essentially a position that could be won only bydogged, unfaltering determination: the issue depended on the fightingman, not on the tactician.
Perhaps if Lawrence had continued his flight to the plain on which themain army was encamped, he or Fazl might have noticed one slight changesince his former visit in Major Endicott's company. A field telegraphhad been laid down, stretching away to the north. This might well haveescaped his observation from the great altitude to which he must ofnecessity have risen. Even if he had seen it, probably it would havesuggested nothing more than one of the ordinary accompaniments of anarmy in the field. Yet that single wire was the clue to the Kalmuck'scryptic warning.
On returning to the mine his report to Bob was necessarilydisappointing. It was clear that everything still depended on blockingthe enemy's advance. If they could once establish themselves on thesouthern side of the bend, and bring their guns to bear directly on thecompounds, a few hours' bombardment would render the place untenable: itwould be the beginning of the end. Against it the garrison were almosthelpless. They had only ten rounds of ammunition for the captured fieldgun; and though the machine gun was in better case, not even the bravestof men--and Gur Buksh was that--could for long work his gun under thedeadly fire of a whole park of artillery.
"Is there any possible way of strengthening our breastwork?" askedLawrence, as with sinking hearts they discussed the situation.
"We can erect a second rampart in the night," suggested Bob. "It wouldtake them a little longer to knock to pieces, and give us time. Everyminute gained is valuable. You see, they can't bring their guns intodirect line with the mine until they've driven us away, they can't dothat without charging, and they can't charge without ceasing firetemporarily."
"Yes, I see that, but with four or five field guns at work they'll soonsmash even a double breastwork, and then the way's clear for a charge. Iwish I had bombed their guns now."
"You can do it to-morrow morning. I don't want to spend our lastdynamite till absolutely the last moment. To-morrow's the seventh day.If the Chief has been able to keep his word we shall be reinforced sometime during the day, and then----"
"You say 'if.' There's a doubt about it, isn't there? I've felt it allalong."
"There is, of course. He may not have been able to spare the men. Buthang it all! what's the good of looking on the dark side? We've heldour own for a week, and even if we're smashed in the end I bet the delayis worth a good deal to India. The loss of time is a serious matter forthe enemy. But for us the whole twenty thousand of them would be now onthe flank of our army. I can't imagine any force of ours of the samesize being checked in this way by a mere handful of men in a gorge. Idare say the reason is that the Kalmucks aren't used to hill fighting.They're best in a cavalry raid; here their horses are only a nuisance,and they're rather slow to adapt themselves to the conditions. Butthey've had a week to get used to them; and the worst of it is that ourfellows, plucky as they are, are pretty nearly worn out."
"Do you think they'll jib if relief doesn't come?"
"What's the good? They'd only be massacred. They'll fight to the lastgasp.... I say, I've got an idea. There's plenty of wire knockingabout the mine: let's make a couple of wire entanglements and set themup in the night, just beyond the breastwork. If we take care the enemywon't hear us; they certainly won't see us."
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sp; "Wouldn't they notice them when they make their rush?"
"That's possible, of course; but I rather fancy they'll be so hot to getat us that they won't. The wire won't show up much against thebackground of rock. Anyhow, it's worth trying. Any check would give usthe chance to pepper them from the breastwork, and judging by what we'veseen already they'll be in a panic that they'll take some time torecover from. Now you must get a sleep, so go back to the mine and tellGur Buksh to get all the wire he can and set all the men to work; itwon't be the first time he's had such a job, you may be sure."
When Lawrence had arranged this with the havildar, and was proceeding tothe house, he noticed Ditta Lal walking with an air of dejection aboutthe compound. The Babu's hands were clasped behind his back; his eyeswere bent on the ground, or rather on the intervening promontory of hisperson. He looked up as Lawrence drew near.
"Gigantic undertaking, sir," he said sorrowfully.
"Pretty stiff, certainly," replied Lawrence.
"Stronger word is requisite in this exigent, sir. Such task transcendsthe topmost rung of art. Without excessive reverence for dictum ofbloated antiquity, I hold with him who sings 'born not made.'"
"Well, we can only do our best," said Lawrence, puzzled by the Babu'swords.
"What shadows we are, what shadows we pursue!" sighed Ditta Lal. "Aftermountainous travail I produce splendiferous line; I rack my cranium forcolleague or successor; but final word, whose function is to charmattentive ear, eludes, evades, crumps. To wit: 'And batters blackguardswith his boisterous bomb!'--line perfect in harmony and melody and allthat; but when I run through alphabet for rhyme--_com, dom, fom, gom,hom_, and so on till I come to blank wall at _zom_: not a word, sir,that fulfils mutual demand of sound and sense--not one word."
"What on earth are you gassing about, Babu?" asked Lawrence, who had notheard of his previous conversation with Bob.
"Of what, sir, but task entrusted to unworthy servant by honourablebrother, to compose song of victory, ode, epic, or what not, incelebration of happy and glorious achievement about to be consummated!But I will not despair; nil desperandum; as you truly remark, we can butdo our best; resources of civilisation as represented by B.A. degree ofCalcutta University are not exhausted; something attempted, somethingdone, shall earn my night's repose, of which I shall be jolly andunmistakably glad, for agony of expressing thoughts too deep for tearswrings honest brow, sir."
Lawrence feared that the stress of the situation was making the Babumad; but he spoke a sympathetic word, and passed on.