Fix Bay'nets: The Regiment in the Hills

“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? Same as I said last night?”

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.

“Yes, as far as I can see; and our men are steadily in pursuit, firing wherever a crowd collects.”

“That’s the way to do it, sir; but that’s cutting off our retreat.”

“Yes.”

“Well, then, sir, we must lie low till the enemy is cleared off. They won’t come up here.”

“No; they must be making for the track we crossed – the one below there, where we saw the men going towards the valley-bend.”

“That’s it, sir, and they’ve got their work cut out; but our lads won’t follow ’em right up there.”

“No; they will only follow till they have scattered them as far as possible.”

“And then go back, sir, and leave us where we are.”

“Yes,” said Bracy sadly.

Gedge was silent for a few minutes, during which they still watched the scene below. Then he broke out with:

“It’s all downhill, sir.”

“Yes, Gedge,” said Bracy drearily; “it is all downhill now to the end.”

“You ain’t listening to me, sir,” cried the lad. “Do put that glass away, sir, and we’ll have a try.”

“A try? What! to get down below? You try, my lad; but there is the terrible risk of being cut to pieces by the enemy if they see you.”

“Don’t begin that again, sir, please. You know I won’t leave you, but let’s have a try.”

“I am helpless, my lad – as helpless as a figure half of lead.”

“But I ain’t, sir,” cried Gedge. “The sight of our lads below there seems to ha’ woke me up. I’m ready to die game; but I want to make one spurt for life first.”

“Why, Gedge,” cried Bracy excitedly as he lowered the glass from his eyes, “they’re not our fellows after all.”

“What, sir!”

“No; and there’s a detachment down yonder coming from the east. I can almost see that they’re doubling to get up in time.”

“From the east, sir? Then the Colonel ain’t retreating?”

“No. – Hurrah!”

“Hoorray!” roared Gedge, joining in.

“They’re the Ghoorkhas, Gedge. They must be a thousand strong.”

“Then one o’ the messengers must ha’ got to them after all.”

“Yes; that must be it, Gedge; and they surprised the enemy’s camp at dawn.”

“That’s it, sir!” yelled Gedge. “Hoorray! hoorray again! Then there is life in a mussel after all.”

“They’ve scattered this force, Gedge, and the fort will be relieved, for the bravo little fellows will cut their way through all.”

“Yes, sir. Now then, sir, you needn’t hardly move. There’s a bit o’ slaty stone yonder as’ll do, and all I want of you, sir, is for yer to sit still upon it, and nuss the rifles while I steer you down to the truck.”

“Right in among the enemy, my lad?”

“Right through ’em, sir. They’re on the run, and won’t dare to stop to go at us. I never heard of a nigger as’d stand a moment when a Ghoorkha was coming after him with his crooked knife.”

“Let’s try,” said Bracy, setting his teeth. “Life is sweet, my lad.”

“Even without sugar, sir. Why, bless your ’eart! there’s a lot of it in us both yet, sir. This here’s nothing to what we’ve been and done.”

Wild with excitement now, Gedge fetched the heavy slab of stone, almost as much as he could lift, drew it close up behind Bracy, and placed his arms under the young officer’s shoulders.

“Now, sir,” he said, “you set your teeth just as if the doctor was going to use his knife.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Draw you right back on to this stone, sir. I must hurt you a bit, but I can’t help that.”

“Go on,” said Bracy; and the next moment he was drawn back upon the stone, with no worse suffering than a fit of faintness, for his leg was numb with the cold.

“Right, sir. Now your rifle and mine across your legs. Stop; my poshtin first. May want it again. Got the cartridges handy?”

“Yes.”

“Then I sits here between your legs, sir. Just room, and I can steer and put on the break with my heels. Ready, sir?”

“Yes.”