At the Point of the Bayonet

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Towards morning they formed up; passed out through one of the
breaches, led by their officers; made a rush at the battery that
had been doing so much damage, bayoneted or drove off the enemy
stationed there, and spiked the guns.

In the meantime, some guns had been playing against the southern
walls. Here they were able to approach, through gardens and the
ruins of a village, until near the defences and, establishing a
powerful battery, opened fire, and soon made a breach in the walls
between the Turkoman and Ajmere gates.

Unable to hinder them the Sepoys, aided by a portion of the
population, worked from the morning of the 10th until that of the
12th to form an inner defence. The houses near the breach were
pulled down, and the materials used for forming strong barricades
at the mouths of the streets leading from it. The houses themselves
were loopholed, and everything was prepared for a desperate
defence. During that day the guns continued to enlarge the breach;
and the Sepoys, who had laboured almost incessantly for four nights
and days, were able to lie down for some hours.

That night passed quietly. Holkar had probably heard, from
adherents in the town, of the retrenchment that had been formed;
and Colonel Ochterlony believed that the absence of any movement
towards the breach was a sign that he was making preparations for a
sudden attack at some other point. Sentries were placed along the
walls facing the encampment of his army and, just before dawn, the
discharge of a musket, at the Lahore gate, showed that it was
against it that the enemy's attack was directed.

The Sepoys had been bivouacked in an open space, in the centre of
the city, and they at once proceeded to the point threatened. In
the dim early morning light, a great mass of men could be made out
approaching and, at the same moment, fifty guns opened fire on the
gate, to cover their advance. The cannon on the bastion by the gate
replied, directing their fire on the infantry column. These,
however, pushed forward with loud shouts. Many of them carried
ladders and, although suffering heavily from the musketry
fire--opened as soon as they came within easy range--they placed
the ladders against the wall, and strove to climb them. The face of
the wall was flanked by the bastion and, from this, an incessant
fire of musketry was maintained by a strong force of Sepoys; while
others repulsed, with the bayonet, the efforts of their assailants
to gain a footing, and hurled backwards many of the ladders.
Holkar's men, who had expected to effect a surprise, and carry the
wall before its defenders could arrive there, soon lost heart and
in a short time fled, leaving most of their ladders behind them.

The little garrison remained under arms all that day and the next
night, expecting another assault. But, on the morning of the 15th,
Holkar and his army were seen marching away in the distance and, on
the 18th, Lord Lake arrived.

Harry had not taken part in the defence of Delhi. He had, on the
day before Holkar's army arrived before the city, ridden out to
Sekerah, some five-and-twenty miles away. It was some distance
beyond any point he had hitherto reached; but the petty rajah, who
held a wide jagheer, could put five hundred men in the field. A
small British force had been stationed there; but it had been
recalled, at once, when Harry brought the news of the probable
approach of Holkar. The rajah then promised to send three hundred
of his troops, to aid in the defence of the city; but none had
arrived, and Harry's mission was to urge him to send them off,
instantly.

The rajah had, however, heard that Holkar's force was within a
day's march of the capital and, entertaining no doubt that he would
carry the feeble defences without difficulty, had resolved to throw
in his lot with him. Harry was now riding in uniform, having
obtained the loan of a jacket, trousers, and cap from one of the
British officers of the garrison. The rajah received him in his
palace; and Harry saw at once, by the scowling faces of the men who
gathered round him, that he had only waited for the news that
Holkar's army was near Delhi before throwing off the mask of
friendship.

"I have come over, Rajah," he said, "to tell you that Colonel
Ochterlony requests that you will send every available fighting man
to Delhi, at once. He prays you to despatch as many as you can
possibly gather together."

The rajah replied coldly:

"Why should I do so? By tomorrow night Holkar, with his great army,
will have captured the town. Why should I send my men there to die,
fighting for strangers? I take no orders from them. I have received
the Emperor's, it is true; but he is old and infirm, and is a
prisoner in your hands."

"I deny that he is a prisoner, Rajah. He is treated with all
honour, and is in a very different position from that which he
occupied when he was imprisoned by the Mahrattas."

"The Mahrattas are a great people," the rajah answered, angrily.
"Has not Holkar driven a force of the infidels into Agra? And soon,
when he has captured Delhi, he will defeat the rest of them, and
carry his arms to Benares."

"In that case," Harry said quietly, "it is a pity that he did not
first crush the English army, and then march to Benares, and finish
with Delhi at his leisure. Instead of so doing he has avoided a
battle, and is retiring north with his army."

"It is not true!" the rajah shouted. "He wishes first to gain
possession of the capital, to liberate the Emperor and, after that,
he will soon make an end of your people."

He made a sign to those standing round him, who immediately threw
themselves upon Harry. The latter offered no resistance, seeing
that it would only lead to his being killed, on the spot.

He was at once dragged out from the audience chamber to the
courtyard beyond. He saw the bodies of the two native troopers who
had accompanied him. Abdool, who had also been with him, was
missing and, knowing how watchful and active he was, he hoped that
he might have mounted and ridden off, before he could be attacked.

Chapter 17: An Escape.

Harry's arms were at once bound. He was placed on a horse and,
escorted by ten natives, was taken out of the town and, after a
ride of three hours, arrived at the foot of a strong hill fort,
perched on a lofty rock. Here the party dismounted. Halfway up the
hill they passed through a gate in the lower wall; and then mounted
to the fort, where the officer in command received them and, on
reading an order from the rajah, conducted the prisoner into a room
at the summit of the highest tower. His arms were then unbound, and
the governor and soldiers left the room, locking and barring the
door behind them.

On the way, Harry had thought over his position. It did not seem to
him desperate, if only Holkar failed to capture Delhi; and even if
he did so, there was still some hope. He had no doubt that the
rajah was waiting to see how matters went. If Holkar captured the
city, he would probably send him in to him as a pledge of his
goodwill; but he might still hesitate, until he saw the issue of
the battle that was likely to be fought outside the walls, when the
English army arrived there. He had hitherto affected friendship
with the English; and had offered no objection, whatever, to the
small force being stationed near his town. But, doubtless, the news
of the disaster to Colonel Monson's force had shaken him; and
convinced him that the English were not invincible, and that
Holkar's immense army would inflict a decisive defeat upon them, in
which case those who had shown any friendly feeling towards the
English would be made to suffer for it--by devastation of their
lands, and the loss of their jagheer, if not of their lives. Harry
felt, therefore, that the success of the attack on Delhi would
probably be as disastrous, to himself, as to all the defenders of
the city.

His first impulse was to look out from the loopholes of the tower.
On the one side, as he had noticed, the rock fell sheer away from
the foot of the wall, to a depth of two or three hundred feet. On
the other side he looked down into a courtyard, sixty feet below
him. This was surrounded by high and very strong walls, bristling
with cannon; and with strong circular bastions at each corner.

Immediately below him was the flat roof of the house occupied by
the rajah, when staying at the fort; and round the yard were low
buildings, doubtless containing provisions and munitions of war;
and some of them allotted to the picked corps who did duty there,
the huts for the rest of the garrison being lower down the hill,
near the second wall.

In one corner of the room was a door. On trying it, he found it to
be unfastened and, opening it, he walked out. There was a flight of
narrow stone steps, in what was evidently a projecting turret.
Ascending these, he found himself on a flat roof, on the top of the
tower. He spent half an hour here, examining carefully the features
of the ground and the defences of the fort. The place, though
strong, did not approach, in this respect, many of the hill forts
that he had seen in the Deccan; and he concluded that a British
force of moderate strength could easily effect its capture though,
if stoutly held, it could defy native attack.

He then returned to the room below. Half an hour later, some armed
natives entered. One of them carried a large bundle of straw, which
he threw down in one corner; another bore a dish of rice, and a
third a skin of water. They had evidently been told not to address
him for, as soon as they had placed their burdens on the ground,
they retired without any remark.

"This is bad," Harry said to himself, when they had left. "I would
just as lief sleep on straw as on a bed but, if I had had some
blankets, I might have made myself a rope; though I don't think it
would have reached the roof of the house below, much less to the
courtyard, so that idea must be given up. I have heard of fellows
working their way through the floors of their cells; but they have
taken away my knife, and there is not a scrap of furniture from
which I could get some iron to manufacture a tool. There is no
concealing a knife, when they bring my food; for it is sure to be
as it is today--rice, or some other grain, boiled, and not even a
spoon to eat it with.

"The door seems the only possible way though, at present, I cannot
see where the possibility comes in. It is of solid wood, and strong
enough to cage a tiger. Still, if I am to get out, I fancy that it
must be through the door."

A closer examination of it did not increase his hopes. Even when he
pushed his hardest against it, it did not yield in the slightest
degree. He sat down on the straw, and turned over every possible
idea in his mind. No scheme of getting out of the difficulty
presented itself.

"The only chance that I can see is that, instead of four fellows
coming up with the man who brings my food, there may be only two.
Taking them by surprise, and snatching a weapon from them, I might
manage three of them; but I could not even hope to silence five,
before they gave the alarm.

"I hope that Abdool got away safely. I think that if he did, he was
likely, when he had once shaken off pursuit, to come back and try
to find out what had become of me. His face could not have been
particularly noticed, for I expect the troopers were attacked as
soon as I entered that scoundrel's house; and if he took off his
uniform, and went in in native dress, there would be little chance
of his being recognized. When he finds out where I have been taken,
he will no doubt go back to Delhi, and report; but with Holkar
within two miles, they have too much on their hands to think of
sending to demand my release. If Holkar fails to take the place,
and retires as Lake approaches, there will no doubt be a hot
pursuit; and certainly they could not send two or three hundred men
here. Less than that would be of no good, whatever. The rajah has
committed himself, by the murder of my troopers and, as he cannot
hope for forgiveness, he would either fly to Oude, or else move in
here with his force, with which he would think himself safe from
anything short of an army.

"It is certain that, with such important work on hand, no men can
be spared for a rescue expedition. No, there is not a shadow of
chance, unless Holkar is defeated."

Having settled this matter in his mind, and decided that no amount
of thinking would enable him to see a way of escaping; Harry
dismissed the subject from his thoughts, ate his rice, and lay down
as soon as it became dark, having had but little rest for the past
week.

Two days passed. As he was sitting on the platform over his cell,
he heard a distant boom, and knew that Holkar was besieging Delhi.
The next day, to his satisfaction, the sound of cannonading was
again distinct.

"At any rate," he said to himself, "Holkar has not carried the
place by a sudden rush. There is a regularity about the fire that
shows that it is deliberate. No doubt they are breaching one of the
walls."

Going to the other side of the platform, he saw that a good many of
the rajah's followers were standing on the wall, listening to the
firing. The wall itself was some thirty-five feet below the spot
where he was standing; neither loophole of his cell commanded a
view of it, so that a prisoner could hold no conversation with the
guard below.

Presently another man came up on to the walls, and approached the
group there. He was, like the others, dressed in a small white
turban, a short jacket made of unbleached hemp; underneath which
was a loose tunic, bound at the waist with a sash, and coming down
to the knees. He carried a spear and matchlock, and across his
shoulder a small shield was slung. The others did not turn round
and, when a few yards from them, he looked up at Harry; and the
latter saw, to his delight, that he was Abdool.

Harry dared not make any gesture that might be noticed; but he
nodded his head slightly, and walked to the other side of the
platform, where he remained for a short time, and then returned.
Abdool looked again in his direction; but continued to talk with
the others as to the attack upon the town, and agreed with them
that Holkar would make short work of its defenders.

Presently the whole party descended to the courtyard, together.
Some of them went down to the lower wall, to talk to their comrades
there; but whether Abdool accompanied them, or was still in the
fort, Harry could not make out. He did not, indeed, remain long on
the platform but, after looking towards Delhi for some little time,
he went down to his room.

It was evident that Abdool had enlisted in the rajah's service; and
had, no doubt, been engaged by the governor of the fort. The rajah
would be uneasy in his mind, and would assuredly take on any men
that presented themselves; in order to strengthen himself, if
Holkar failed to take the town; and also to gain the latter's
approbation, by joining him with as large a force as possible.
Probably Abdool had only enlisted on the previous day; and would,
of course, need time to acquaint himself with the fortifications,
the position of the guards, and the manner in which he could best
communicate with him.

Harry's meals were brought up twice a day, at seven o'clock in the
morning and at nightfall. Hitherto he had been quiet and patient,
as there was nothing to be done but to await the course of events.
Now that he knew Abdool was there, and would certainly endeavour to
open communications with him, it was difficult for him to keep
quiet; and he passed hours in pacing round and round his room.
Occasionally he went up to the roof, but he could see no signs of
Abdool; and therefore remained but a short time on the lookout as,
were he to keep on watching the courtyard, it might attract notice,
and the idea might occur to someone that he was expecting some
signal to be made to him.

Three days passed without a sign; and then, when the guard came in
with his ration, Harry saw that Abdool was one of the number. As he
glanced at him, Abdool, who was standing a little way behind the
others, shook his head, and retired with them. Harry felt a
momentary disappointment; but saw at once that nothing could be
attempted in broad daylight; and that it was at night, only, that
there was a possibility of success. He thought that Abdool had only
come up in order to see the nature of the fastenings of the doors,
and the general position.

He was not with the party who came up in the evening but, in the
centre of his rice, Harry found a small piece of paper rolled into
a ball. There was not, however, light enough to enable him to read
it; but he lay awake half the night and, at the first gleam of
daylight, went up on to the platform and, seating himself so that
he was not visible from below, waited till he could see to read the
letter. It was, of course, in Mahratti; and so badly written that
he had difficulty in deciphering it. He finally, however, made it
out.

"Tomorrow evening, when I come up, we will attack the others, if
all goes well; if not, will try the next evening."

So intent was he, in deciphering the writing, that he had hardly
noticed the outburst of heavy firing in the distance. He had feared
the enemy had captured Delhi on the previous day, as he had heard
no firing; but now the roar of cannon was very heavy, and he had no
doubt that Holkar was trying to take the town by assault.

In less than half an hour the sound ceased, suddenly.

"They have either taken the town, or been beaten off decisively,"
he said to himself.

In the afternoon he saw a party of horsemen approaching, followed
by some palanquins.

"That looks hopeful," he said to himself. "A messenger has probably
brought the rajah news that the assault has failed, and he is
bringing his zenana here for safety, until he hears the issue of
the battle, which will probably take place in a day or two. I
wonder whether this will upset Abdool's plans!"

The rajah's return was greeted by the discharge of matchlocks.
Presently, however, this was succeeded by cries of rage and a
clamour of voices.

"Holkar has been thrashed. Now it is a toss up whether the rajah
will, in his anger, send up and have me brought down and executed.
I think the chances are in my favour. The fellow is evidently
crafty, or he would not have persuaded Ochterlony that he was
friendly towards us; and I think he will hold me as a sort of
hostage so that, if Holkar is defeated, he may make favourable
terms for himself by offering to surrender me."

It was not until an hour later that Harry heard a party ascending
the stairs. When the door opened, he saw that two of the men
carried torches. Abdool, who was in the rear, closed the door
behind him, and then said, "Now sahib!" and struck down the man in
front of him with his tulwar.

Harry had risen to his feet, as he heard the men coming; and had
braced himself up for a spring, when Abdool gave the word. With a
blow straight from the shoulder, he struck the man carrying the
dish senseless to the floor; tore the sword from his sash; warded
off a hasty blow delivered by one torch bearer, who was too much
astonished at the sudden attack to act with decision, and cut him
down; while, at the same moment, Abdool almost severed the neck of
the other.

"Thanks, Abdool," Harry said, grasping his follower's hand, "you
have saved my life!"

"Not yet, sahib. Our work has but begun. There are other dangers to
be met. However, the arrival of the rajah has been fortunate. The
news he has brought has--but first, let me finish the man you
knocked down."

"There is no occasion for that. Tear his sash into strips, and bind
his hands and feet; and gag him with his own turban.

"Now, what is our next step?"

"I have a rope round my body, sahib, to lower ourselves on to the
ramparts. I am wearing an extra suit of clothes, so that you can
get up as one of the garrison. I think we have plenty of time, for
it is not likely that these men will be missed. Everyone is too
excited by the news, that Holkar has failed to take Delhi, to
notice whether we return or not."

He took off the outer garment that he had brought with him, while
Harry removed his uniform and attired himself in it and, placing
the turban of one of the soldiers on his head, possessed himself of
a shield, spear, and dagger, and then said:

"What next, Abdool?"

"We will put out these torches, sahib,"--these were still burning
on the floor--"the light might be noticed from below, and they
might wonder why we stayed here so long."

"Are there any guards on the walls?"

"No, sahib; they have them on the lower wall, but not here."

The torches were extinguished, and then they went up to the
platform above. They fastened one end of the rope to the
battlement, having first tied knots at short intervals.

"I will go down first on to the wall, sahib; and if by chance any
man may have come up from below, which is not likely, I can hide,"
and he at once commenced to lower himself down.

In two or three minutes, Abdool was joined by Harry. The courtyard
was dark, save that a few torches burned here and there. A great
babble of talking was going on, and the windows of the rajah's
house were lighted up.

"What are your plans, Abdool? I see that we shall be able to get
through the gates, here, without fear of discovery. Is the gate
through the other wall shut?"

"Yes, sahib, it is always closed at sunset. Except where the road
comes up to the gate, there is only one place where the rock
projects at the foot of the wall, and there is a possibility of
climbing down. That was where I had intended we should cross the
wall. The height is but twenty feet, there, and I have another rope
of that length. There are no sentries placed, except over the gate.

"It is quite possible that, even there, there is none tonight.
There is no order among these fellows, as there is among the
Company's troops and, as there is no enemy near, they think that
such a watch is unnecessary; and if any have been sent there, they
are pretty sure to have gone to the huts, to talk over the news
from Delhi. The matter should be easy enough.

"We may as well start at once. These fellows will quieten down
presently, and will then be more likely to hear any noise we may
make."

Looking about, they went down by the stairs leading to the
courtyard and walked carelessly across. Taking care to avoid
mingling with the excited groups and, at the same time, keeping as
far from the torches burning in the courtyard as possible, they
passed through the gate--which was standing open without a
guard--and followed the zigzag road, with towers placed at its
corners, each mounting two guns so as to sweep the approach.

There were two high walls on either hand, loopholed for musketry;
and Abdool said that there was a platform, wide enough for two men
to pass, along the whole length of it. The road terminated in a
heavy gate, some forty yards above that through the outer wall. A
bastion covered it so that, were the lower gate carried, an enemy
would not be able to bring guns to bear against it. This gate stood
open and, passing through it and behind the bastion, they came at
once upon the low, stone-built huts where the majority of the
garrison lived, in time of peace.

Several torches were burning here, and round each of these were
groups of men, talking excitedly. Leaving Harry behind one of the
huts, Abdool strolled up for a few minutes, to listen to the
conversation, and then rejoined his master.

"What are they saying, Abdool?"

"They are saying, sir, that it was wrong of Holkar to attack the
city, before he had defeated the English. It has cost many lives.
But when the English are defeated he will be able, without doubt,
to capture the city; which probably would open its gates to him,
seeing that no assistance could come to them."

"No one doubts, then, that Holkar will defeat us?"

"Not in the least," Abdool replied. "They say that he has two
hundred cannon. These will mow down the English. Then the cavalry
will charge, and there will be an end of the matter."

"They seem to have forgotten all about Laswaree," Harry said. "But
we had better be going. Where is the way up to the wall?"

"Close by, sahib."

They ascended the steps. As far as could be seen the wall was
entirely deserted, and they made their way cautiously until close
to the gate. Harry then stopped, and Abdool went on with noiseless
tread. He soon returned.

"It is as I thought: no sentries are yet posted."

"But that tower over the gate, Abdool, is a great deal too high for
us to descend by that rope that you have got."

"Yes, sahib. We go out by an entrance on to a bastion, flanking the
gate. The rope will be long enough there or, at any rate, there
will be but a very short drop."

They entered the tower through the door communicating with the
wall. Abdool led the way.

"Keep close to me, sahib. I went down here this morning, and can
find my way in the dark. I did not think that there was much chance
of our coming this way, but it was better to find out all about
it."

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