George Manville Fenn

“ Up there before you, where the sun shines on those glorious peaks, it is eternal winter, only that there is so much melting in the hottest parts of the day.”
“To make the rivers, sir?”
“Of course!”
“And the rain helps when they’re all in the clouds up there, I suppose, sir?”
“Rain!” said Bracy, laughing; “there is no rain there, my lad; when the clouds discharge their burden it is in the form of snow. But now, silence once more. The less we talk the better till we are among the snow, for at any moment we may be walking into a trap.” ”

“ To any one perched on high, as were a few scattered goats, the regiment, with its two mounted officers, its long train of mules, ambulance, and baggage-guard, and the native attendants, must have looked like a colony of marauding ants on their march, so wonderfully was everything dwarfed; even the grand deodar cedars growing far down the precipitous slopes below the track, which were stately trees, springing up to a hundred and a hundred and fifty feet, looking like groups of shrubs in the clear, pure air. ”

“ Bracy nodded and looked thoughtful.
“Yes,” he said at last; “the world’s a long way from being played out yet. We can see hundreds of peaks, and the soft blue valleys between them, which I suppose have never been traversed by man.”
“That’s right enough, and that’s where the wild sheep and goats are just as they always have been, perfectly undisturbed. Thousands—perhaps millions, without counting the goats and yaks, which look as if they were a vain brood of beast who try to grow tails like a horse.”
“I suppose you’re correct, Drummond,” said Bracy. ”

“ Before the rain came the sun had seemed to beat down with double force, and the valley had become intolerable during the day, the perpendicular rocks sending back the heat till the fort felt like an oven, and the poor fellows lying wounded under the doctor’s care suffered terribly, panting in the great heat as they did, feeling the pangs of Tantalus, for there, always glittering before their eyes in the pure air, were the mountain-peaks draped in fold upon fold of the purest ice and snow. ”

“ The yell was answered by the Colonel’s voice shouting clearly the order for the gates to be shut; but the massacre had begun, the mad Mussulman fanatics who had undertaken the forlorn hope being ready to do or die; and, as the rattle of the moving gates began, an answering war-cry came from not far away, the rush of a large body of men making for the opening being plainly heard.
“Taken by surprise!” shouted Bracy wildly as he realised the horror. “Gedge, it means the slaughter of the poor women and our wounded comrades in the ward. Here, quick, my sword! my revolver! Quick! get one yourself.” ”

“ Nature has bound you down so that your wound may not be disturbed till it is well.”
“There, don’t talk about it,” said Bracy quickly. “I want to know how things are going on. I don’t hear half enough.”
“All right, old man,” cried Roberts cheerfully. “You shall have it in brief. This is a hole—we’re in a hole—the Dwats, bless ’em! are like the sand upon the seashore, and they come sliding into the hole. Then we shovel ’em out, and just like sand they come trickling down again upon us. Now it’s down one of the gullies, now it’s down another; and the more we kill the more seem to come on.” ”

“ I have perfect faith in my officers; but this is a matter of conscience on my side. Bracy, I find that our ammunition will not last a month. Once that is gone, we are no longer the superiors of the enemy. The bayonet is a splendid weapon; but these hill-tribes are magnificent swordsmen, and when, many times outnumbering us as they do, they come on to a hand-to-hand fight, adding their reckless religious fervour to their natural bravery, they must master us in the end; and that means taking the fort, and—you know what would follow. ”

“ Bracy was silent for a few minutes, and lay gazing wistfully through the window at the dazzling snow-peaks flashing miles away in the bright sunshine. Then he shook his head slowly from side to side.
“It’s of no use to be self-deceiving,” he said at last. “I know as well as can be, Rob, what’s wrong. I’m not going to die.”
“Die? Ha, ha! I should think not. Take more than a bullet-hole to kill you.” ”

“ Then Roberts spoke:
“You can swim, Drummond?”
“Yes, in smooth water,” was the reply. “I don’t know about cascades.”
“You’ve got to, my lad,” said Roberts shortly. “What about your men? You can, I know, Gedge.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You others?”
“I can swim a few strokes, sir,” said one.
“Never was no water, sir, where I was,” replied the other.
“A few strokes!” cried Roberts fiercely. “No water! Shame on you, lads! No one who calls himself a man ought, to be in a position to say such a thing. Well, we’ll do our best. Don’t cling, or you’ll drown us as well.” ”

“ How can I be stronger when I am as weak as a baby, unable to move hand or foot? There; I beg pardon for being so disagreeable.”
“Oh, nonsense! Who thinks you disagreeable?”
“You do, Rob; only you’re such a good old chap that you won’t notice my sick man’s whims.”
“Love ’em,” said Roberts coolly. “More you go it the better I like it, because it’s all a sign of the spirit in you kicking against your weakness. I know how you feel—want to come and have another go in at the Dwats?”
“Yes,” said Bracy in a sharp whisper through his closed teeth. “I do long to help give them an awful thrashing.” ”

“ A bold dash was the only chance, and this was about to be attempted, while the rear of the regiment was being terribly harassed by the enemy closing in.
The last arrangements had been made, and the swarthy little fellows, so long held in by the tight rein, were trembling with excitement as they stood together in shelter, with fixed bayonets and kukris, waiting to make the rush. The bugle was being raised to the holder’s lips to sound the advance, when a thrill of joy surged through the British leaders’ breasts, for the help they needed came in the nick of time. ”

“ Then a couple more dropped as they came on, while a volley from below rattled out and made their attack feeble and aimless, though they reached their goal, one to make a slash at Gedge as he was pinned by the lad’s bayonet, while two more struck at Bracy. Then the Ghoorkhas were upon them, racing over the snow, their crooked knives flashing, and the remaining enemy were fleeing for their lives, scattering far and wide, with their pursuers overtaking man after man, whose white-coats made blots on the glistening snow, and many a terrible stain. ”

“ Bracy closed his glass, and turned with wrinkled brow to Gedge, who took this as an invitation to give his opinion; and he went on at once, as if in answer to a few remarks from his officer.
“Yes, sir,” he said; “it is a nice game, and no mistake. The cowards! Look at ’em, sir. That’s what they mean to do—come sneaking along after us, waiting for a chance to rush in and take a stroke, and then slipping off again before we can get a shot at ’em. That’s what they think; but they’re making the biggest mistake they over made in their lives. They don’t know yet what one of our rifles can do.” ”

“ It was only to recover themselves and pour fiercely in through the dense smoke, to begin yelling with rage as they found by degrees that the long ward was empty, and a fresh barrier of bayonets bristling ready for them at the farther door, where a couple of charpoys had been hastily thrown across one upon the other, and piled on the top was all the bedding, principally rough straw mattresses and blankets—a slight enough breastwork, but impervious to sword-cuts, while to reach over in order to make a blow was to expose whoever struck to a deadly bayonet-thrust. ”

“ Bracy was silent as he kept on using his glass, with the valley below growing clearer—so light now that, the young soldier could begin to see something of the fight with the naked eye, and he joined in the eager watch downward for a time before repeating his question.
“I fear not, my lad,” said Bracy, with a sigh. “The enemy are cut in two; one body is retreating down the valley in the direction of the fort; the other, widely scattered, is making for the snow-slope.”
“Not coming this way, sir?” cried Gedge. ”

“ Other men made a rush for their quarters from the walls where they had flocked, unarmed, to be spectators of the capture; but to reach them and their rifles and ammunition they had to cross the court, which was now one tossing chaos of cutting and slashing fiends in human form, rushing here and there, and stumbling over the frightened sheep, which plunged and leaped wildly, adding greatly to the din by their piteous bleating, many to fall, wounded, dying, and struggling madly, beneath the sword-cuts intended for the garrison. ”

“ They’d never have made the ascent of any of their mountains. I tell you that in our shooting-trips up yonder we’re as safe as we are here. Safer, for the beggars keep away from there, while here they’re lying up in every hole and corner all around.”
“He’s about right,” said Roberts thoughtfully; “and, now you’re strong enough again, I don’t like to lose our trips. We don’t get much pleasure up here. Let’s make our hay while the sun shines.”
“Even if it is in the snow,” said Bracy. “Very well; I’m glad enough to go, for the mountain air seems to send fresh vigour through me every time I climb.” ”

“ I hear the bugle and the firing, and sometimes a shout or two, and then I lie wondering what everything means—whether we’re driving them away or being beaten, and no one to tell me anything but that dreadful woman; for old Morton thinks of nothing but sword-cuts and bullet-wounds, and will only talk of one’s temperature or one’s tongue. I tell you it’s maddening when one wants to be up and doing something. ”

“ The lightning flashed as if it were splintering the peaks which pierced the clouds, and the peals of thunder which followed sounded like the falling together of the shattered mountains, while amidst the intense darkness the sentries on the walls could hear the hiss and seething of the rain as it tore by on the rushing winds which swept through gorge and valley. ”

“ Roberts was right, for upon the last of the weary beasts bearing the baggage reaching the end of the defile, the young officers found themselves face to face with a couple of companies of their fellow-countrymen, bronzed, toil-worn looking men, many of them bearing the marks of hardly-healed sword-cuts, and looking overstrained and thin as if from anxiety and overwork, but one and all with their faces lit up by the warmth of the welcome they were ready to give the regiment which had come to their help. ”

“ The fact of a force like ours being at their mercy would set all the marauding scoundrels longing. Well, we have done everything possible. We’re safe front and rear, and we can laugh up here at any attack from below on the right.”
Just about the same time Bracy and his friend Roberts were tripping and stumbling along with their company, the slowness of the baggage giving them time to halt now and then to gaze in awe and wonder at the stupendous precipices around and the towering snow-mountains which came more and more into sight at every turn of the zigzag track. ”

“ Bracy dashed ahead, waving his sword, and his half-company of boys cheered as they followed him; while as soon as they started there was a tremendous crashing of dislodged masses of rock, which came thundering down, fortunately sent too soon to injure the charging soldiery, who were saved from a second discharge by a sharp crackling fire from the rocks which they were to have occupied, the rapid repetitions telling that a strong company of their friends were at work, and the bullets spattering and flicking among the enemy, driving them at once into cover. ”

“ I never felt anything like it in my life.”
“Bracy, old chap,” said Roberts just then, “we mustn’t forget about that fellow’s boots. I’ve a pair, too, as soon as I can get at my traps. I say, I know you’ve got a mother, but have you any sisters?”
“Yes; two.”
“I’ve three. Now, can you explain to me why it was that as soon as I was marching by those poor women yonder I could think of nothing but my people at home?”
“For the same reason that I did,” replied Bracy rather huskily. “Human nature; but thank Heaven, old man, that they’re not here.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Roberts thoughtfully. ”

“ He put away the glass in the darkness, which now seemed to roll down upon them like a cloud from the mountains, giving the snowfield a ghastly look which made Bracy hesitate.
“I’m afraid it would be better to go off to the left among the stones.”
“Don’t, sir, pray,” said Gedge earnestly.
“But our dark bodies will show against the snow.”
“Not they, sir. We’ll roll in it, and it’ll be darker in half-an-hour. They’ll be all that before they get here—won’t they?”
“Quite. They are sure to come on very slowly, and allow time for part of them to get right into our rear.” ”

“ Mr Bracy, sir, do—do say that our lads are whipping the beggars back.”
“Yes,” cried Bracy excitedly; “I can see now; the hill-men are scattered and running towards the mountains.”
“Hoorray!” yelled Gedge. “Hoorray! Hoorray! Hark at the steady volleys still, sir! Hoorray! Who wouldn’t be a soldier of the Queen?”
“Ha! Who indeed?” sighed Bracy.
“And it don’t matter, sir, now?” said Gedge.
“No; not so much, my lad; but they’ll be harassed like this all the way to the Ghil Pass.”
“And drive the beggars back, sir. But don’t you think we ought to make one try to get down to them, sir? ”