Draw Swords! Part 72

"I mean, of our men."

"Poor Rob Hanson. The Wazir cut him down."

"Oh!" cried d.i.c.k, rising up again into a sitting position. "Poor Rob Hanson! But not dangerously?"

"Robson is afraid so."

"Where is he?"

"With half-a-dozen of the lads. Robson has them in one of the wagons, out of the suns.h.i.+ne."

"I must go to him."

"You can't now. If you can move you must help with the men."

"I will directly; but you said the Wazir cut Hanson down?"

"Yes--the last man he'll hurt. He had just struck you off your horse when Hanson, who was serving a gun, went at him and got the cut meant to finish you; but he ran the Wazir through first, and saved your life."

d.i.c.k got quite up on his feet now, and stood holding on by his friend, both mentally and bodily stunned.

But by degrees he came round, and, when a few minutes later Hulton rode up, he was ready to mount once more, Wyatt having managed to drive out a great dint from his friend's helmet by thrusting with his knee and delivering a few blows with the pommel of his sword.

"A good headpiece, d.i.c.k," he said. "It has saved your life twice over."

"Well, Darrell," said Hulton, who looked very white and faint, "we've scattered them, you see, and killed the arch-enemy, who made his final bite."

"Yes," said d.i.c.k faintly, "we've won."

"How is it with you, my lad? Where's it to be--one of the wagons with the wounded, or can you mount?"

"Mount," said d.i.c.k shortly. "I'm getting clearer now."

"Well, Wyatt, what now? The enemy are between us and cantonments.

What's to be done? It seems to me that the fighting has only just begun."

"Yes; and it seems madness to take the poor boys through those pa.s.ses.

I could see that they had foot there. You look. Try this 'gla.s.s'."

Hulton stood grazing through the gla.s.s for some minutes.

"Yes," he said, "hundreds; but they are retreating."

"To where they can throw down stones upon the lads' heads. What's to be done?"

"Beg pardon, gentlemen," said Sergeant Stubbs, who had been threading his way through the resting horses and men.

"What is it, Sergeant?" asked Hulton.

"Well, sir, it's a queer thing to say, but I've got a man starving to death in my head."

The three officers stared at the powder-blackened sergeant, who stood looking strangely from one to the other, with a big pocket-handkerchief in his hand.

"Here, come along with me, Stubbs," said Wyatt quickly; "the doctor will give you something."

"I ain't going mad, sir. I haven't got a touch of the sun, sir,"

protested the sergeant. "I know what I say. Look here, gentlemen; I tied the bag up in this to bring it to you, but in the hurry and rush it got stuffed among my traps, and I've just got it out of the wagon and brought it. I was afraid it would be found, and I should be charged with looting."

"What is it?" said d.i.c.k excitedly.

"It's a silk bag of dymonds and pearls and all sorts, sir, as I got hold of."

"The missing jewels--the Ranee's gems!" cried d.i.c.k. "How did you get those?"

"Well, it was like this, sir," said the sergeant: "I was in the temple yonder, down by that doorway place I showed you, sir, when I hears a scuffling sort of noise, and I dropped back among the images, and out comes one of the big priests in an awful hurry with that bag in his hand. As soon as he was out of the dark hole he opens it, puts in his hand, and takes out something to look at, puts it back again, and then gives a peep round to see if any one was about, and then makes for the staircase. Then all in a minute it come to me. This bag was all precious stones, worth a lac of rupees, perhaps. 'Part of the Rajah's treasure,' I said to myself, 'that we're put here to guard.'"

"Oh!" gasped d.i.c.k.

"I followed him, of course, sir, for it was plain enough he was stealing, and I had to go gently, too, so as not to be heard. Where do you think he was going, sir?"

"How can I tell?" cried d.i.c.k, pressing a hand to his aching head.

"Up to the back of the big image, sir, where the hiding-places like cells are."

"Yes; and then?" said d.i.c.k.

"Well, sir, I arrested him for looting, took away the bag, and shut him up in the big idol, a prisoner, spite of all he could say. And there he is now, and he may shout for help till all's blue; no one could hear him call. Now do you see what I mean?"

"Yes; it's horrible," cried d.i.c.k. "The man will starve to death."

"He will, sir, as sure as I'm here. And you know it was the moment I got down to the temple floor again that one of the guard came with the order for us to evacuate the place; and from that minute, what with the hurry and confusion and one thing and another, I never remembered a word about it till just now, when the fighting and smoke seemed to clear my head."

"Then we must go back at once," cried d.i.c.k.

"Go back!" said Hulton.

"Yes; we cannot let that poor wretch die so horrible a death. And besides, we can restore the jewels to the Ranee and show her that I am innocent."

"It would be enough to show the Rajah," said Hulton dryly.

"Well, why not?" cried Wyatt. "The jewels are here, the enemy there where it would be madness to go; the Wazir is dead, and you have the priest a prisoner ready to prove the conspiracy to his highness. Last of all, you have defeated his enemies and ours."

"Yes," cried d.i.c.k, "we must go back."

"Right," cried Hulton, catching the suggestion from the others. "We can ride back in triumph and completely change the state of affairs. Sound, Wyatt! and let's ride back at once."

It was quite time to sound the trumpet for mounting once again, for the flas.h.i.+ng of steel in the distance told of a fresh body of horse approaching from the direction of Soojeepur.

The battle seemed about to be renewed.