Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Edmund William [reading a book .TXT] 📗

Happy In The Enjoyment

Of Each Others Society,  And Framing Projects For Their Union,  At Some

Future Period,  When The Young Lieutenant Should Have Advanced

Sufficiently In His Profession To Warrant That Consummation So Devoutly

To Be Wished For.

 

Lurid Flames And Thick Dark Smoke Shot Up From Many A Burning Bungalow,

While The Roar Of Artillery And Discharge Of Musketry,  Convinced The

Fugitives That The Conflict Was Still Going On Between The Defenders Of

The Fort And The Miscreants Who Vainly Endeavoured To Effect An Entrance

In Order To Put To Death Any Europeans Who Had Taken Shelter Within Its

Walls. Parties Of Sepoys Were Looting The Bazaars And Residences Of The

European Officers Of Whatever They Could Lay Their Hands Upon,  While The

Cavalry,  Both Regular And Irregular,  Were Riding Hither And Thither In

Search Of Christian Men,  Women,  Or Children,  Who Might Have Been

Unfortunate Enough Not To Have Gained Admission To The Fort,  Or Make

Good Their Escape From The Fated Place Ere It Was Too Late.

 

"Look,  Dearest Arthur," Exclaimed Edith,  Pointing With Her Riding Whip

To A Bend In The Road Some Distance Below Them,  "What Are Those

Horsemen? Are They Friends Or Foes? Oh! I See You Change Colour,  And We

Are Lost. But Is There No Hope For Us?"

 

For A Few Moments Carlton Remained Silent,  Measuring With A Practised

Eye The Distance Between Those Advancing And The Spot On Which They

Stood. For Himself He Had Not A Single Thought,  But For Her In Whom His

Whole Soul Was Bound,  The Thought Of What Would Be Her Fate,  Should She

Fall Into The Hands Of Those Who He Well Knew Were Bent On Their

Capture,  It Was This Agonizing Thought That Caused A Convulsive Shudder

To Run Through His Whole Frame,  And Rendered Him For The Moment

Speechless. But It Was Only For A Moment; His Deep Love For The

Beautiful Being At His Side,  And Her Imminent Peril,  Roused Him To

Immediate Action.

 

"It Would Be Wrong For Me To Attempt To Conceal The Fact Of The Great

Danger In Which We Stand. Our Pursuers Are Irregular Troops; Men Who

Have Been Taught To Hate Everything Christian,  Being The Followers Of

Petty Rajahs,  Who For Some Act Of Their Own,  Or Some Of Their Families'

Treachery Or Disloyalty To Our Government,  Lost Their Landed

Possessions,  And Consequently Their Revenue And Power; But,  Dearest,

They Shall Only Reach You Over My Dead Body. They Would,  In The Long

Run,  Overtake Us; But Could We Reach A Wooden Bridge That Crosses A

Small River,  A Few Miles Up The Road,  I Believe We Could Yet Elude

Them. For There Is An Old Road Leading From The Ford And Running

Parallel With The One We Are On. It Has Not Been Used For The Past Two

Years,  And They,  Being Strangers In This Part Of The Country,  Will,  In

All Probability,  Know Nothing Of It,  And By This Way We May Escape.

Courage,  Dearest Edith,  All May Yet Go Well With Us."

 

"Your Love And Devotion,  Dear Arthur,  I Have Never For One Moment

Doubted,  And Confidently Trust Myself To Your Protecting Arm And Loving

Heart. But What Can One Single Arm Do Against Numbers; But Should Those

Wretches Overtake Us,  The Spirit Of The Effinghams Will Teach Me How To

Act,  And,  If Necessary,  How To Die." As She Said This,  She Drew From The

Folds Of Her Riding Habit,  A Handsome Five-Chambered Revolver. "I Will

Never Become Their Prey,  Nor Shall You Perish Unavenged While I Have

Strength To Draw A Trigger," Exclaimed The Beautiful Girl,  Now Excited

Beyond Measure At The Critical Position In Which She Found Herself

Placed. "Brave And Noble Girl," Responded Arthur,  As He Bent Over And

Imprinted A Kiss On The Lovely Brow. And In another Moment They Were

Bounding Along The High Road At A Hand Gallop.

 

"We Are Gaining On Them," Shouted One Of The Pursuers,  As He Caught

Sight Of The Two Lovers Flying Along A Straight Piece Of Road At No Very

Great Distance In Front Of Them. "But We Shall Have Some Tough Work

Before We Capture The Young Fellow Or I Am Much Mistaken."

 

"Curse Him," Growled Out A Tall Athletic Fellow In The Uniform Of A

Russeldah. "I May Thank Him For My Court Martial And Loss Of Commission

In The Regulars; But My Turn Is Coming Now. He And His Dainty Lady Shall

Curse The Hour Of Their Birth Before I Have Done With Them. 'Remember,'

Said He,  Turning To The Party,  Of Whom He Was Evidently The Leader,

'They Must,  If Possible,  Be Taken Alive. Their Money And Valuables--And,

Doubtless,  They Have A Good Store About Them--You Can Divide Among

Yourselves; I Will Not Touch One Rupee Of It; But Their Lives Are Mine."

A Shout Of Approval Followed This Last Speech,  And The Whole Party

Pushed Forward With Increased Speed.

 

The Little Wooden Bridge,  Referred To By Carlton,  Was At Length Gained.

During The Ride He Had Communicated To Edith The Steps He Intended To

Take On Gaining The Cover Of The Old Road. Turning Sharply To The Right

They Entered The Jungle,  And Made Their Way Into The Stream That Crossed

The Road,  Then Passing Up The Centre And Under The Bridge,  They Landed

About One Hundred And Fifty Paces Higher Up On The Opposite Bank,  And,

Having Dismounted,  Arthur Sought For,  And Soon Found,  The Entrance To

The Road They Were In Search Of,  Now Overhung With Brambles And Creeping

Plants. Pushing Them Carefully Aside,  They Entered,  And Found Themselves

In A Narrow Track,  Overgrown With Soft Grass. Assisting Edith To

Remount,  Carlton Threw The Bridle Of His Own Horse Over The Stump Of A

Tree,  Then Said To Her,  In a Voice Hoarse With Emotion,  And Pointing To

A Small Opening Between The Bushes,  "From This Point You Can Watch The

Results Of My Endeavours For Our Mutual Safety. Should I Fall,  Turn And

Fly. This Road Will Lead You To Rutlaum." Then Snatching A Hasty Kiss,  He

Retraced His Steps To The Edge Of The Main Road,  Taking Up His Position

Under The Cover Of The Thick Bushes.

 

The Road Leading To The Bridge Was,  For About One Hundred Yards,

Perfectly Straight,  And Much Narrower Than At Other Points,  And The

Jungle At Both Sides Was Both Thick And Dense. Rather An Awkward Place

For Cavalry,  Should There Be Any Infantry Lurking In ambush,  Watching To

Give Them A Hot Reception. I Have Said That Arthur Was Thoroughly Armed;

Besides His Two Revolvers And Sabre,  He Had His Double-Barreled

Tiger-Rifle,  A Breech-Loader Of The Newest Pattern,  Which Had Only

Lately Been Introduced Into India. Arthur Had Not Long To Wait For His

Foes,  For The Clattering Of The Armed Hoofs Of Their Troop Horses Were

Soon Heard Coming Along At A Rapid Pace. There Were Nine Of Them,  Riding

Three Abreast. As Soon As They Were Within Range,  Carlton Coolly

Levelled His Rifle And Discharged Both Barrels In Rapid Succession,

Shooting The Centre File Through The Chest,  Who Fell Dead Instantly,  And

Lodging His Other Bullet In The Shoulders Of The Horse Of The File On

His Right,  Bringing Both Steed And Rider To The Ground,  The Latter

Underneath,  His Leg Being Crushed By The Fall. So Sudden And Unexpected

Was The Attack,  That The Two Men Who Were Riding Immediately In Rear,

Unable To Check Their Speed In Time,  Their Horses Stumbled And Both

Their Riders Were Thrown. They Were,  However,  Not Much Hurt By Their

Fall And Were Soon In Their Saddles Again. The Dead And Wounded Men Were

Removed To Some Soft Grass On The Side Of The Road. But This Delay,

Short As It Was,  Enabled Arthur To Reload And Shift His Position,  Which

He Did By Rapidly Passing Under The Bridge To The Opposite Side Of The

Road,  Being Too Good A Soldier To Neglect This Opportunity.

 

"Forward!" Shouted The Russeldah. "Follow Me! I Will Soon Unkennel The

Foe. May The Grave Of His Fathers Be Accursed,  And His Bones Be Burned,"

And,  After Uttering This Anathema,  He Drove The Rowels Of His Spurs Into

His Horse'S Flanks,  Springing Him,  At Least,  Two Lengths In advance Of

His Followers,  And Making A Dash For The Bush From Whence The Smoke Of

The Rifle Was Seen To Issue. But Ere The Scoundrel Reached It,  A Bullet

From Arthur'S Rifle Went Crashing Through His Brain. A Second Brought

Another To The Earth With A Broken Thigh Bone. The Others Reined Up In

Time To Avoid The Accident They Had Before Experienced. On Finding Their

Leader To Be Quite Dead,  And Only Five Of Their Number Fit To Carry On

The Contest,  They Consulted Together As To The Expediency Of Any Further

Pursuit; Besides,  They Could Not Understand Being Attacked From Both

Sides Of The Road. They Had Seen No One Cross,  And Never Dreamed Of The

Passage Under The Bridge,  And Imagined There Must Be Others Concealed In

The Jungle. Taking Advantage Of This Opportunity,  Arthur Returned The

Way He Came As Quickly As Possible,  And,  Mounting His Horse,  Regained

His Beloved Edith,  Who Had Witnessed The Whole Affair. She Was About To

Thank,  With Ardent Words Of Gratitude,  Her Gallant Lover,  When He

Silenced Her With A Motion Of His Hand,  And Whispered To Her To Follow

Him. They Proceeded Slowly For A Time,  Carefully Avoiding The

Overhanging Branches,  Lest They Should Attract The Attention Of Either

Of The Troopers,  Who Were Still Halted On The High Road At No Great

Distance,  And As Carlton Afterwards Affirmed,  A Chance Shot From One Of

Their Carbines Might Have Proved Fatal To One Or Perhaps Both Of Them.

After Riding Some Distance They Had The Satisfaction,  On Looking Back,

Of Seeing That Their Cowardly Pursuers Were Returning The Way They Came,

Carrying Their Dead And Wounded With Them. But Still They Had A Very

Long Ride Before Them,  Under A Scorching Sun,  Before They Could Consider

Themselves Safe From Further Pursuit; And The Deep Shadows Of The Dark

Jungle Had Closed Around Them As They Pushed Their Way Along The Dusty

Road. And It Was Not Until The Moon Had Risen In all Her Splendour,  High

Above Their Heads,  That Edith,  Worn Out With The Excitement And Fatigue

Of The Day'S Journey,  Attended By A Gallant Cavalier,  Reached Rutlaum.

 

Fortunately,  They Experienced No Difficulty In Tracing The Whereabouts

Of The Bartons,  Who Had Not,  As Yet,  Left The Place. The News Of The

Disaster At Goolampore Had Not Reached Rutlaum,  The Mutineers Having

Cut The Telegraph Lines,  And The Intelligence Would Not,  In all

Probability,  Be Received For A Couple Of Days; And It Was Agreed That It

Should Be Suppressed As Long As Possible. It Was Arranged That The

Family Should Leave On The Following Evening By The Palkee Dawk For The

Coast. Carlton,  Of Course,  Called On The Officer Commanding The Post,

And Explained To Him All He Knew Concerning The Outbreak,  And Exactly

How Things Stood When He Left The Station.

 

The Bartons Were Delighted To Have Edith With Them Again,  For Nothing

Had Gone Right During Her Absence. Mrs. Barton Had Not Been Accustomed

To Take Any Part In The Household Arrangements Or Keeping The Servants

In Order,  Consequently Everything Had Gone Wrong.

 

Edith Grew Eloquent When Describing The Dauntless Courage Of Carlton In

Rescuing Her From A Fate Too Horrible To Be Thought Of. On Hearing This,

Arthur Rose At Least Fifty Per Cent. In The Estimation Of Mrs. Barton,

With Whom He Had Always Been A Great Favourite,  And She Warmly Thanked

Him For The Exertion He Had Made In behalf Of Her Young Friend. Taking

Advantage Of The Opportunity Thus Afforded Him,  Arthur,  On The Spur Of

The Moment,  Disclosed To Her Everything Concerning His Engagement To

Edith,  And Solicited Their Approval To The Union On His Attaining The

Rank Of Captain. He Was Warmly Supported By Edith,  Who Did Not Hesitate

To Declare Her Affection For One Whom She Had Known So Long,  And Who Had

Risked So Much For Her. And When Mrs. Barton Found That The Wedding Was

Not To Take Place For Some Time,  And That Edith Was To Return With Them

To England,  She Professed Herself To Be Satisfied On The Subject,

Whereupon It Was Arranged That The Party Should Proceed To The Sea

Coast. On Reaching Doollia,  The Lovers Parted In Hopes Of Meeting Again

At No Distant Day In england,  For The Ratification Of Those Vows That

Were Exchanged During Their Ride For Life Through The Goozeratte.

 

Independent Of The Inward Satisfaction Felt By Edith,  That Her

Engagement To Arthur Had Met The Approval Of The Kind Friends To Whom

She Owed So Much,  She Experienced A Great Deal Of Pleasure During The

Overland Journey To Europe. Both Horace And Pauline Had Twice Traversed

The Route,  And Therefore Were Enabled To Point Out The Various Objects

Of Interest That Were Met With In The Different Places