Gil the Gunner Part 30

"What is it?"

"The hoof-marks. They are very deep here," I said excitedly, as my fingers traced the deep impressions one after the other, and close enough together for me to divine that many horses had pa.s.sed.

"Well, yes," he said impatiently; "they are here, of course. I noticed that some were crushed out by the wheel-tracks."

"Yes," I cried; "but we are going wrong; the hoof-marks are all coming this way."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

"What?" cried Brace, excitedly; and he raised his voice, so that I sprang to my feet, and s.n.a.t.c.hed my sword from its scabbard with the edge grating in an ominous way as it left the steel sheath.

My companion also stood upon his guard, and we stood there in the darkness listening, but there was not a sound, though we were within a few feet of houses at each side.

"No challenge," he whispered, and going down on one knee, he felt about the wet earth for a few moments.

"Yes," he said, drawing in his breath with an angry hiss; "we are going wrong." Then, after a pause, as he stood behind me--"Never mind; we'll trace them this way first, and find where the ruts enter the village.

It will be a guide."

We resumed our steady progress, walking with one foot in the wheel-tracks for about twenty yards further, and then Brace's sword suddenly struck something, either tree or upright. It proved to be the latter, being the support of a great shed, and here I found that the ruts suddenly became confused--branching off, and directly after I found traces of horses having been picketed about where we stood.

"Yes," said Brace quickly, "here's where they have been tethered. They must have altered their position. Quick! let's follow them up."

We went off at once, finding no difficulty in keeping to the trail, which, as far as we could tell in the darkness, swept round the outside of the village, for every now and then we tried off to right and left, to find cottages on the latter side, what seemed to be cultivated fields on the other.

Then, all at once, the houses ceased, and the tracks grew deeper with the wheel-ruts half filled with water, and it was evident that the horses had struggled hard to drag the guns through soft ploughed fields.

"Brace," I said, after we had tramped on through the heavy ground for about a quarter of a mile.

"Yes."

"I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very much afraid--"

"That settles it, Gil, lad," he said quickly. "You are thinking as I have been for the last quarter of an hour, are you not? That we are too late?"

"Yes. They have deserted the place."

"Undoubtedly. I ought to have grasped the notion at once. We could not have got into this village unchallenged. We have not been drilling before these men so many years for them to occupy a place like this without sentries."

"Can we have failed?" I said despondently.

"Oh no; say we have not succeeded yet," he cried cheerily, as he clapped me on the shoulder. "You and I are going to recapture those guns, Gil, my lad. We must; we must."

"But what are you going to do now?" I asked.

"Practise patience, lad. We have spent many hours over this vain struggle, and it is madness to go wandering about in the darkness, so let's get back to the village and pick out the best house we can, and rest till daylight. It is the only course open to us. There, we need not whisper now."

"I wish I was stronger," I said rather despondently.

"Bah! you are tired. So am I. Cheer up, lad. You'll feel like a new man when you've lain down for an hour. Nothing like it. Flat down on your back. It is the most refres.h.i.+ng thing there is."

As he was speaking, we were following the track back toward the village, and as there was no need now to practise caution, the distance did not seem great before we were abreast of the houses again, and after pa.s.sing his hands over the entrances of one or two, Brace entered the third cautiously, stood within; there was a rustling noise, a sharp crackling, and the match he had struck blazed up and spread what appeared to me quite a brilliant glare around.

"No," he said sharply, "we are not dogs, to rest in such a kennel as this. There must be a decent house somewhere."

But for a long time it seemed as if there was not, and I was ready to say, "Anything will do," when we cautiously entered another door; a light was struck, and though the place was deplorable enough, it did not look so desolate, and it had evidently lately been occupied, for there was a half-burned candle standing on a rough stool, and to this candle Brace applied his match.

"Officers' quarters, I should say," he cried cheerily. "Why, Gil, this is the very thing; three charpoys, and there has been eating and drinking going on. But, look out!"

He raised the candle with one hand, and with his sword advanced, made for a ragged purdah or curtain hanging from the roof just beyond the farthest native bedstead.

"Here, Gil," he said sharply, "I'll defend you; come and s.n.a.t.c.h away this piece of hangings."

I did as he told me, with my heart beating heavily the while, and, holding my sword ready, I s.n.a.t.c.hed the purdah aside, when the light fell upon the thin, deeply lined face of an extremely old-looking Hindu, whose white beard seemed to quiver as he threw up his arms and fell down before us.

"My lord will not slay his servant," he cried in a trembling voice in his own tongue. "He has done no harm."

"Come out," cried Brace in Hindustani. "Why were you hiding there?"

"Thy servant was afraid that the white sahib would slay him."

"What are you doing here?"

"Thy servant was too old to go when the budmashes came, and all the others fled away."

"Where are the budmashes now?"

"Thy servant knoweth not. They all rode off with the great guns directly it began to grow dark to-night."

"Put up your sword, Gil," said Brace. "The poor old fellow is frightened out of his wits."

Then, turning to the old Hindu--

"Is there no one left in the village?"

"No, sahib. They have all fled but me."

Brace was silent for a few minutes, and then he said sharply--

"Look here, old man, you can walk?"

"Yes, sahib, a little way; not very far."

"Gil," said Brace, thoughtfully, "he could walk well enough to guide us back to the tope. The doctor will be back by now, and anxious. Shall I make him do it?"

"No," I said excitedly. "He may see some of the mutineers afterwards, and tell them we are following."