Part 20

"I had just placed the sentries at the gate when, as the two officers rode over the bridge, one of Moolraj's soldiers who was standing on it rushed at the Sahib Agnew, knocked him off his horse with a spear, and then struck him twice with a sword. Then a trooper of the escort who was riding behind him spurred his horse forward against the sahib's assailant, and knocked him into the ditch. Lieutenant Anderson raised the Sahib Agnew. Moolraj, who was riding by him, pushed on across the bridge, and forcing his horse through the crowd rode away. A sirdar on an elephant then came forward, and the sahib was lifted into the _howdah_. Khan Singh got off his horse, and also mounted with the sirdar and Mr. Agnew. It seemed to me that all was over. Our men, who had piled their arms, had run to them when I cried out; but directly afterwards some of Moolraj's own party rushed at Lieutenant Anderson as he was remounting his horse and cut him down. They then rode off and the crowd dispersed, fearing no doubt that our men, who now crowded the wall, would fire on them; but this we did not do; we had no one to give orders, and feared that if we fired it might make matters worse. So when the place was clear I went out with this party, and finding that the white officer still lived, thought it best to bring him here at once."

While the native officer had been telling the story the party with the _dhooly_ had continued their way, and Percy rode forward at full speed to acquaint Mr. Agnew with what had happened.

"Order that everything possible shall be done for him," Mr. Agnew said when he had made his report, "and go on with the despatch. Every moment is of importance. I will tell you what happened first; and you can then tell the rest as you have heard it, for I myself know nothing about it."

Mr. Agnew then dictated the first part of the despatch, saying that he had entered the fort with Moolraj and Khan Singh. The former had handed over the keys to him, the Ghoorkas had taken possession and had replaced the Mooltan sentries. Seeing that Moolraj's soldiers looked sullen and discontented Mr. Agnew addressed them, telling them that they would not lose by the change of governors, but that their services would be retained on the same terms as before. Then, thinking by their manner that he had allayed their discontent, he had ridden out of the fort. He was conscious of receiving a heavy blow that knocked him from his seat, and remembered nothing more until he found himself in a _howdah_ on an elephant, with Rung Ram, who had been introduced to him as Moolraj's brother-in-law, bandaging up his wounds.

When Percy had written the native officer's report of the affair, Mr. Agnew dictated an earnest appeal to the Resident to send forward troops with all possible speed, as it was likely they would be besieged in the building, which certainly could not hold out for many days against the whole force at Mooltan.

This letter was at once sent off, and another was then dictated to Lieutenant Edwardes, a young political officer who had with him a Sikh force of twelve companies of infantry, three hundred and fifty troopers, two cannon, and two camel guns. He was on the other side of the Indus, and was occupied in settling the country and collecting revenue. Lieutenant Edwardes was urged to advance immediately with all speed to his assistance.

This letter also despatched, Mr. Agnew dictated a letter to Moolraj calling upon him to prove that he was innocent of all complicity in the attacks by at once arresting the criminals and coming in in person to the Eedgah. At the time that Moolraj received this letter he was presiding over a council, while the garrison, which was composed of Afghans, Hindus, and Sikhs, were taking the oath of allegiance to him. He briefly replied to Mr. Agnew's letter, saying that he could not comply with his request, for the garrison of the fort were all in rebellion, and the British officers had better look to their own safety. On the following evening a strong body of Moolraj's cavalry swept down and carried off the whole of the baggage animals of the force, the troops offering no active opposition. As, with the loss of the baggage animals, there was no possibility of the column retiring, the force was called into the building and ordered to prepare to repel an attack. Mr. Agnew was now so far recovered as to be able to get up and to issue the necessary instructions to the native officers.

"Things look very bad, sahib," Bhop Lal said as he and his comrade came into Percy's room when he went in with the intention of snatching a few hours' sleep, as he had been up the whole night before with Lieutenant Anderson.

"You think we shall not be able to defend ourselves until help comes?" Percy asked.

"There will be no defence at all, sahib. There have been men all day in camp moving about under pretence of selling things, but really as messengers from Moolraj and his officers, calling upon the men not to fire upon their brethren, but to join those who were resolved to fight to the death against the Feringhees and the traitor Lahore government who are their servants. All in Mooltan--Sikh, Mohammedan, and Hindu--had united for the common cause. Moreover, resistance, it was said, would be vain; no help could reach the Eedgah, and all who drew sword in defence of the Feringhees would be slain."

"And were they successful, Bhop Lal?"

"You will see, sahib, that not a shot will be fired when Moolraj advances against the place."

Percy went down again to Mr. Agnew, and told him what he had heard.

"I cannot doubt what you tell me, Mr. Groves; your man's information proved right before. But in any case there is nothing to be done. Anderson can scarcely stand. I am not fit to be out of bed. You and your two men, with perhaps the _moonshis_, seem to be alone to be relied on; and I need not say that resistance, even by two or three hundred men, would be hopeless, and would but entail the death of all. Escape, as far as Anderson and myself are concerned, is out of the question. We could not sit our horses half a mile, and the motion would cause our wounds to burst out bleeding again at once. It is not to be thought of. Danger for us there can be none. Moolraj can have no object in murdering two defenceless men, especially as he must know that such a crime would never be forgiven, and would involve him in a desperate war with England. At present he can assert that the attack upon us was the work of fanatics, and that he regrets the matter greatly, as, although determined to free himself from the dictation of Lahore, he had no thought of any hostility towards the British. Our lives, therefore, are perfectly safe. But I see no use in your waiting to share the captivity that we may probably have to undergo for a time, and I should recommend you to mount and ride off with your two men this evening."

"I can't do that, sir," Percy said bluntly. "I cannot desert you and Mr. Anderson, wounded as you are. It is possible, too, that the troops will, after all, prove faithful. But in any case it is impossible that I should leave you. It would be a bad beginning indeed of my service in the Company were I to run away and leave two of its wounded officers behind me."

Mr. Agnew was silent for a minute. "I cannot press the point, Mr. Groves," he said gravely, "for I feel that were I placed as you are I might myself disobey instructions. Stay, therefore, if you will; but I give you my stringent orders, and I will write them down and hand them to you in the morning, that if the troops here mutiny and surrender the place to Moolraj you are, if possible, to effect your escape and carry the news at full speed to Lieutenant Edwardes. If he marches on alone, ignorant of what has happened here, he will be met and overwhelmed by the whole of Moolraj's forces, and it is even probable that his troops, when they hear that those here have fraternized with the enemy, may also go over in a body. But whether they do so or not, it is of the highest importance that you should warn Lieutenant Edwardes of the treachery of the troops here. I shall put that down in writing in the morning, and I rely upon you to carry out the order. You can do no possible good to us by staying, and would probably indeed do us harm, as it might excite the passions of the Mooltan men when they enter to see one of us still uninjured, and blood once shed we might all be killed."

"Very well, sir; if you give me the written order I shall, of course, obey it, and, indeed, I acknowledge that your view of the matter seems to me unanswerable. The destruction of Lieutenant Edwardes' force would be a great misfortune, for it would immensely encourage the people here, and would enable them to make all their preparations for war undisturbed, as it would be a long while before the Lahore people could get together an army capable of capturing Mooltan.

"I see that I cannot be of use to you, and I agree with you. Moolraj will naturally protect you and treat you well, as he cannot wish to bring down the vengeance of the government of India upon him."

The two men were still waiting in Percy's room when he returned to it.

"Get the horses in readiness to mount at any moment," he said. "I have Mr. Agnew's orders that if the troops here join Moolraj, I am to ride at all speed to carry the news to Lieutenant Edwardes, who was ordered to advance from Dera-Futteh-Khan and to cross the ferry at Leia, where I shall probably find him. It is ninety miles away, but our horses will carry us there."

"It would be better to start to-night, sahib. We shall be hotly pursued if we go off in the daytime."

"I know that," Percy replied; "but it must be risked. Until it is certain that the troops here intend to join Moolraj I cannot go."

"Very well, sahib, whatever are your orders we shall obey them. If we get but a fair start there are not many horses in Mooltan that will be able to overtake us."

"That is so, Bhop Lal; and any that do come up with us we shall probably be able to give a good account of."

"We will watch by turns to-night, sahib; it is possible these rascals may intend to surrender the place to Moolraj before morning."

*CHAPTER XV.*

*THE NEWS OF THE MASSACRE.*

The night of the 19th of April passed off quietly. In the morning the guns of the fort opened fire against the Eedgah. A single shot only was fired in reply by the battery of the garrison, and then the whole of the artillerymen quitted their guns. The fort continued to fire for some time, but the distance was too great for any damage to be done, and the fire presently ceased. Mr. Agnew and Percy went to the gunners and exhorted them to return to their duty, but the men listened in sullen silence and gradually dispersed. In a short time they began to leave the building in parties of twos and threes, and by mid-day half the garrison had deserted.

"Here are your orders, Mr. Groves," Mr. Agnew said, placing a letter in Percy's hands. "You can use your own judgment as to going now or waiting until nightfall. My own opinion is, that it would be best for you to start at once. I do not know why Moolraj delays, for he must know that he will meet with no resistance. However, at night the place may be surrounded, and you might have more difficulty in getting off. In the next place, as you are ignorant of the country, you might miss your way and lose much precious time. And lastly, every hour is of consequence to Edwardes. Even now emissaries from Mooltan may be at work among his troops. I have mentioned in my orders that as the troops here have refused to fire and are deserting in great numbers, it is evident that Moolraj can enter whenever he chooses; and as it is of paramount importance to warn Lieutenant Edwardes to arrest his march, I have ordered you to start immediately, as you have expressed your willingness to undertake the service, although it is undoubtedly one of great danger. I have said that your own wishes would have led you to remain here with myself and Anderson and to share our fate whatever it might be, but that you have yielded to my anxiety that Lieutenant Edwardes should be warned. I have also inclosed a note to Edwardes, saying that your services will be at his disposal until you receive orders from the Resident."

"I will start at once, sir, as you think it best," Percy said, much moved at the thoughtful kindness of the wounded officer; "and there is little doubt I shall get through safely. I am splendidly mounted, and my men have also very good horses. I trust, sir, that I shall ere long meet you again."

"I hope so, confidently, Mr. Groves. It is evidently Moolraj's interest to treat us well, even if he keeps us as hostages, and I cannot think there is any danger. Good-bye, lad, and a safe ride to you!"

Percy then went in and said good-bye to Lieutenant Anderson, and with a heavy heart went out to his men.

"I am ready to start," he said; "get the horses to the back entrance without attracting more notice than you can help. These fellows might oppose our leaving. I will follow you in a minute or two and join you at the gate."

"There are many more of them about there, sahib, than there are at the main entrance. They are slinking away by scores, and I do not think that there is even a sentry on guard at this end. If we bring the horses up here and you mount, Akram Chunder shall mount also and lead my horse. I will run forward and unbar the gate, and if any of the fellows standing about interfere with me the three of us will be able to overpower them. We will have our pistols in readiness."

"Very well, perhaps that will be the best plan. I see there are very few of them about here. Do you fetch up the horses at once; I will get a couple of bottles of wine and some bread for our journey."

Percy was at the door of the court-yard again before the men came up with the horses. As they did so several of the soldiers standing about moved forward with scowling faces. They were, however, unarmed, having ostentatiously piled their muskets when the firing ceased. Percy drew the pistols from his holster, slipped the bottles and bread into their place, and leapt into the saddle.

"Stand back, men," he said authoritatively; "any one who interferes with us will get a bullet in his head. Keep abreast of me, Akram," he went on; "lead the other horse between us."

Bhop Lal ran forward ahead to the gate and began to undo the bars. Several of the men loitering near ran to stop him, but as Percy and Akram rode up they shrank back from the four levelled pistols. Bhop Lal threw the gate open, and leaping on his horse they rode out together, regardless of the angry shouts that pursued them.

"We will ride quietly for a while," Percy said, reining his horse into a canter when they had gone a few hundred yards. "We shall be within sight of the walls of Mooltan as we ride along between it and the river, and if we are galloping hard they may suspect something. The great point is to get to the ferry at Beelun before they are close to us. Once across we can laugh at them."

When they had gone half a mile Akram Chunder looked back.

"They are after us, sahib. There are fifty horsemen at least just coming out from behind the Eedgah, and," he added, "there are four men away to our right galloping at the top of their speed towards Mooltan."

"Then we will quicken our pace," Percy said, touching his horse with his heel. "We have six miles to ride to the ferry. We will gain another quarter of a mile on them if we can."

The horses were now put to their full speed and went along at almost racing pace. When abreast of the fort of Mooltan, which lay a mile away on their right, they could perceive that they had sensibly increased their lead. They had gone a quarter of a mile further when there was the boom of a heavy cannon, and a ball ploughed up the field a short distance behind them.

"I expected that," Percy said. "Those fellows from Eedgah have taken them the news of our escape. They are only wasting their shot. The betting is a thousand to one against their hitting us at this distance, going the pace we are."

Six guns were fired, but none of the shots came as near them as the first had done, and in twenty minutes they drew up their horses at the ferry. The boat was not there but was coming across and was within a couple of hundred yards of the shore.

"Do you dismount, sahib, and stand by your horse," Akram Chunder said; "they will take us for natives. But if they see you they may refuse to bring their boat up, for the sound of the cannon will have told them that something is wrong."

Percy did as his follower suggested.

"How slowly they come!" he said impatiently.

"There is time, sahib; it would not do to shout to them to hurry. We will dismount and lead our horses down to the water's edge; if you keep close to their heels you will not be noticed."

Some twenty country people got out of the boat when it touched the shore. Percy's men at once led their horses on board and he followed. The four boatmen looked surprised at seeing an Englishman, but made no remark.

"Push off at once," Bhop Lal said.

"We are going ashore to get our meal," one of the men replied; "we shall not start till we have got a boat-load."

"You will go at once," Bhop Lal said, drawing a pistol. "I will pay you as much as a whole boat-load would do, but I have no time to spare."

As the others also drew their pistols the men sullenly thrust their poles into the water and pushed off. They had gone less than a hundred yards when a body of horsemen rode furiously down to the water's edge and shouted to them to return.

"Go on," Percy said authoritatively; "if one of you hesitates for a moment, he is a dead man."

Seeing that the boat continued its way the sowars opened fire with their pistols, but though the balls fell round the boat the distance was too great for accurate shooting, and in two or three minutes they were altogether beyond range, the men poling lustily now so as to place themselves out of danger. The Indus is of great width at this point, but the waters are comparatively shallow and the stream gentle, and in an hour they gained the opposite shore. Percy had directed them to make for a point half a mile below the town of Kote, instead of the ordinary landing-place, where they might have encountered a number of people waiting for the boat to return, as the traffic was considerable and they had on their way across met two laden boats. As the water was shallow they had to get the horses over the side fifty yards from shore, and then, having well paid the boatmen, they rode to the bank. Cutting across the fields they avoided the town altogether, and struck the road a mile beyond it. Before leaving the river bank they saw that there were seven or eight loaded boats half-way over, the troopers having doubtless seized some of the country craft to convey them across.

"We shall be three or four miles on our way before they have all landed and mounted." Akram Chunder said. "We shall see no more of them."

The road was a good one, and for some time they rode fast; then they reined in their horses and proceeded at a slower pace.

"We have ninety miles in all to do," Percy said, "and we must not risk foundering the horses. They have had no exercise since they left Lahore and we must husband their strength. The troopers are not likely to pursue more than thirty miles from the ferry at the outside, perhaps not half that. When they learn that we are keeping our distance ahead of them they will see that they have little chance of overtaking us and will not care about killing their horses in a hopeless pursuit."

Whenever they passed through a village they went through at a regular pace as if in no way pressed for time. The natives were doubtless aware of the attack on the two English officers, but could hardly know that the Sikh troops had proved faithless, and would imagine that the white officer and his two men were riding ahead of that force on its way to join Lieutenant Edwardes. Before leading the horses out from the stable the men had filled their bags with grain, and after riding twenty miles from the ferry they stopped for two hours under some trees on elevated ground, where they could command a view down the long straight road two or three miles. As there were no signs of their pursuers at the end of that time they felt sure that these had given the chase up as hopeless, and therefore continued their journey at the pace the horses could best keep up. Soon after they started night fell, and the riding was much more pleasant than it had been during the heat.

They halted again for three hours at midnight, finished their bread and wine, and gave the horses another good feed. At eight o'clock in the morning they approached Leia, but hearing from some peasants that no force had arrived there up to the previous evening, they made a circuit of the town and crossed the river at the ferry, two or three miles distant from it. As they rode into the next village they saw that the street was crowded with Sikh soldiers, who were engaged in cooking their food.

"Are you from Mooltan?" a young officer asked, running out as they drew rein at the house where they had been told Lieutenant Edwardes had taken up his quarters.

"We are," Percy said, as he threw himself off his horse. "We left the Eedgah at one o'clock yesterday."

"How are Agnew and Anderson? Doing well, I hope?"

"They were both doing well when I left them, as far as their wounds went; but they are in a desperate position."

"Why, the place is a strong one; I know it well," Lieutenant Edwardes said. "Twelve hundred men with a battery of artillery ought to be able to hold it at least some days against all the troops in Mooltan."

"They might have done so if the troops had fought," Percy said; "but they have gone over to Moolraj. Half of them had left when I came away, and the others were leaving fast. I do not think there would be a score of men left them by sunset yesterday. I have a note for you, and I shall be glad if you will read Mr. Agnew's written orders to me. You will see that I did not leave the two wounded officers willingly."

By this time they had entered the house.

"Sit down and take something to eat while I glance through these papers. Mr. Agnew does you full justice," he went on, more warmly than he had before spoken, after reading the two documents. "You were, of course, obliged to obey orders, and could have been of no use to them under the circumstances. Agnew was evidently thinking much more of me than of himself. What do you think will happen to them?"

"Mr. Agnew was perfectly confident that as it was clearly to the interest of Moolraj not to draw the English into the quarrel between him and Lahore, he would protect and take good care of them."

"I sincerely hope so," Lieutenant Edwardes replied; "but Moolraj showed a very hostile front to us when Napier passed through with his force to join Sir Hugh Gough. He professed to stand neutral, but there was no doubt he would not have been neutral had he dared fight. Besides, there are the Mooltan rabble to deal with. Agnew would have done better to surrender at once to Moolraj directly he saw that the Sikhs had turned traitors. If he puts it off till night the _budmashes_ of Mooltan, knowing that the Eedgah is no longer defended, may take the matter in hand, in which case I would not give a rupee for the lives of the two Englishmen."

"When did the messenger reach you with the news?" Percy asked.

"At eight o'clock last night. So you have gained some fourteen hours upon him, as the despatch is dated half-past eleven."