burlesques-第57章

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bundles　to　fill　the　ditch；　fascines；　gabions；　culverins；　demilunes；

counterscarps；　and　all　the　other　appurtenances　of　offensive　war。



On　they　came：　my　guns　and　men　were　ready　for　them。　　You　will　ask

how　my　pieces　were　loaded？　　I　answer；　that　though　my　garrison　were

without　food；　I　knew　my　duty　as　an　officer；　and　had　put　the　two

Dutch　cheeses　into　the　two　guns；　and　had　crammed　the　contents　of　a

bottle　of　olives　into　each　swivel。



They　advanced；whish！　went　one　of　the　Dutch　cheeses；bang！　went

the　other。　　Alas！　they　did　little　execution。　　In　their　first

contact　with　an　opposing　body；　they　certainly　floored　it　but　they

became　at　once　like　so　much　Welsh…rabbit；　and　did　no　execution

beyond　the　man　whom　they　struck　down。



〃Hogree；　pogree；　wongree…fum　（praise　to　Allah　and　the　forty…nine

Imaums！）〃　shouted　out　the　ferocious　Loll　Mahommed　when　he　saw　the

failure　of　my　shot。　　〃Onward；　sons　of　the　Prophet！　the　infidel　has

no　more　ammunition。　　A　hundred　thousand　lakhs　of　rupees　to　the　man

who　brings　me　Gahagan's　head！〃



His　men　set　up　a　shout；　and　rushed　forwardhe；　to　do　him　justice；

was　at　the　very　head；　urging　on　his　own　palanquin…bearers；　and

poking　them　with　the　tip　of　his　scimitar。　　They　came　panting　up　the

hill：　I　was　black　with　rage；　but　it　was　the　cold；　concentrated　rage

of　despair。　　〃Macgillicuddy；〃　said　I；　calling　that　faithful

officer；　〃you　know　where　the　barrels　of　powder　are？〃　　He　did。　　〃You

know　the　use　to　make　of　them？〃　　He　did。　　He　grasped　my　hand。

〃Goliah；〃　said　he；　〃farewell！　　I　swear　that　the　fort　shall　be　in

atoms；　as　soon　as　yonder　unbelievers　have　carried　it。　　Oh；　my　poor

mother！〃　added　the　gallant　youth；　as　sighing；　yet　fearless；　he

retired　to　his　post。



I　gave　one　thought　to　my　blessed；　my　beautiful　Belinda；　and　then；

stepping　into　the　front；　took　down　one　of　the　swivels；a　shower　of

matchlock　balls　came　whizzing　round　my　head。　　I　did　not　heed　them。



I　took　the　swivel；　and　aimed　coolly。　　Loll　Mahommed；　his　palanquin；

and　his　men；　were　now　not　above　two　hundred　yards　from　the　fort。

Loll　was　straight　before　me；　gesticulating　and　shouting　to　his　men。

I　firedbang！　！　！



I　aimed　so　true；　that　one　hundred　and　seventeen　best　Spanish　olives

were　lodged　in　a　lump　in　the　face　of　the　unhappy　Loll　Mahommed。

The　wretch；　uttering　a　yell　the　most　hideous　and　unearthly　I　ever

heard；　fell　back　dead；　the　frightened　bearers　flung　down　the

palanquin　and　ranthe　whole　host　ran　as　one　man：　their　screams

might　be　heard　for　leagues。　　〃Tomasha；　tomasha；〃　they　cried；　〃it　is

enchantment！〃　　Away　they　fled；　and　the　victory　a　third　time　was

ours。　　Soon　as　the　fight　was　done；　I　flew　back　to　my　Belinda。　　We

had　eaten　nothing　for　twenty…four　hours；　but　I　forgot　hunger　in　the

thought　of　once　more　beholding　HER！



The　sweet　soul　turned　towards　me　with　a　sickly　smile　as　I　entered；

and　almost　fainted　in　my　arms；　but　alas！　it　was　not　love　which

caused　in　her　bosom　an　emotion　so　strongit　was　hunger！　　〃Oh！　my

Goliah；〃　whispered　she；　〃for　three　days　I　have　not　tasted　food

I　could　not　eat　that　horrid　elephant　yesterday；　but　nowoh！

heaven！　。　。　。　。〃　　She　could　say　no　more；　but　sank　almost　lifeless

on　my　shoulder。　　I　administered　to　her　a　trifling　dram　of　rum；　which

revived　her　for　a　moment；　and　then　rushed　down　stairs；　determined

that　if　it　were　a　piece　of　my　own　leg；　she　should　still　have

something　to　satisfy　her　hunger。　　Luckily　I　remembered　that　three　or

four　elephants　were　still　lying　in　the　field；　having　been　killed　by

us　in　the　first　action；　two　days　before。　　Necessity；　thought　I；　has

no　law；　my　adorable　girl　must　eat　elephant；　until　she　can　get

something　better。



I　rushed　into　the　court　where　the　men　were；　for　the　most　part；

assembled。　　〃Men；〃　said　I；　〃our　larder　is　empty；　we　must　fill　it　as

we　did　the　day　before　yesterday。　　Who　will　follow　Gahagan　on　a

foraging　party？〃　　I　expected　that；　as　on　former　occasions；　every

man　would　offer　to　accompany　me。



To　my　astonishment；　not　a　soul　moveda　murmur　arose　among　the

troops；　and　at　last　one　of　the　oldest　and　bravest　came　forward。



〃Captain；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　of　no　use；　we　cannot　feed　upon　elephants

for　ever；　we　have　not　a　grain　of　powder　left；　and　must　give　up　the

fort　when　the　attack　is　made　to…morrow。　　We　may　as　well　be

prisoners　now　as　then；　and　we　won't　go　elephant…hunting　any　more。〃



〃Ruffian！〃　I　said；　〃he　who　first　talks　of　surrender；　dies！〃　and　I

cut　him　down。　　〃Is　there　any　one　else　who　wishes　to　speak？〃



No　one　stirred。



〃Cowards！　miserable　cowards！〃　shouted　I；　〃what；　you　dare　not　move

for　fear　of　death；　at　the　hands　of　those　wretches　who　even　now　fled

before　your　armswhat；　do　I　say　YOUR　arms？before　MINE！alone　I

did　it；　and　as　alone　I　routed　the　foe；　alone　I　will　victual　the

fortress！　　Ho！　open　the　gate！〃



I　rushed　out；　not　a　single　man　would　follow。　　The　bodies　of　the

elephants　that　we　had　killed　still　lay　on　the　ground　where　they　had

fallen；　about　four　hundred　yards　from　the　fort。　　I　descended　calmly

the　hill；　a　very　steep　one；　and　coming　to　the　spot；　took　my　pick　of

the　animals；　choosing　a　tolerably　small　and　plump　one；　of　about

thirteen　feet　high；　which　the　vultures　had　respected。　　I　threw　this

animal　over　my　shoulders；　and　made　for　the　fort。



As　I　marched　up　the　acclivity；　whizpiffwhir！　came　the　balls

over　my　head；　and　pitter…patter；　pitter…patter！　they　fell　on　the

body　of　the　elephant　like　drops　of　rain。　　The　enemy　were　behind　me；

I　knew　it；　and　quickened　my　pace。　　I　heard　the　gallop　of　their

horse：　they　came　nearer；　nearer；　I　was　within　a　hundred　yards　of

the　fortseventyfifty！　　I　strained　every　nerve；　I　panted　with

the　superhuman　exertionI　rancould　a　man　run　very　fast　with　such

a　tremendous　weight　on　his　shoulders？



Up　came　the　enemy；　fifty　horsemen　were　shouting　and　screaming　at　my

tail。　　O　heaven！　five　yards　moreone　momentand　I　am　saved！　　It

is　doneI　strain　the　last　strainI　make　the　last　stepI　fling

forward　my　precious　burden　into　the　gate　opened　wide　to　receive　me

and　it；　andI　fall！　　The　gate　thunders　to；　and　I　am　left　ON　THE

OUTSIDE！　　Fifty　knives　are　gleaming　before　my　bloodshot　eyesfifty

black　hands　are　at　my　throat；　when　a　voice　exclaims；　〃Stop！kill

him　not；　it　is　Gujputi！〃　　A　film　came　over　my　eyesexhausted

nature　would　bear　no　more。





CHAPTER　IX。



SURPRISE　OF　FUTTYGHUR。





When　I　awoke　from　the　trance　into　which　I　had　fallen；　I　found

myself　in　a　bath；　surrounded　by　innumerable　black　faces；　and　a

Hindoo　pothukoor　（whence　our　word　apothecary）　feeling　my　pulse　and

looking　at　me　with　an　air　of　sagacity。



〃Where　am　I？〃　I　exclaimed；　looking　round　and　examining　the　strange

faces；　and　the　strange　apartment　which　met　my　view。　　〃Bekhusm！〃

said　the　apothecary。　　〃Silence！　　Gahagan　Sahib　is　in　the　hands　of

those　who　know　his　valor；　and　will　save　his　life。〃



〃Know　my　valor；　slave？　　Of　course　you　do；〃　said　I；　〃but　the　fort

the　garrisonthe　elephantBelinda；　my　lovemy　darling

Macgillicuddythe　scoundrelly　mutineersthe　deal　bo　。　。　。　。〃



I　could　say　no　more；　the　painful　recollections　pressed　so　heavily

upon　my　poor　shattered　mind　and　frame；　that　both　failed　once　more。

I　fainted　again；　and　I　know　not　how　long　I　lay　insensible。



Again；　however；　I　came　to　my　senses：　the　pothukoor　applied

restoratives；　and　after　a　slumber　of　some　hours　I　awoke；　much

refreshed。　　I　had　no　wound；　my　repeated　swoons　had　been　brought　on

（as　indeed　well　they　might）　by　my　gigantic　efforts　in　carrying　the

elephant　up　a　steep　hill　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　length。　　Walking；

the　task　is　bad　enough：　but　running；　it　is　the　deuce；　and　I　would

recommend　any　of　my　readers　who　may　be　disposed　to　try　and　carry　a

dead　elephant；　never；　on　any　account；　to　go　a　pace　of　more　than

five　miles　an　hour。



Scarcely　was　I　awake；　when　I　heard　the　clash　of　arms　at　my　door

（plainly　indicating　that　sentinels　were　posted　there）；　and　a　single

old　gentleman；　richly　habited；　entered　the　room。　　Did　my　eyes

deceive　me？