Gil the Gunner Part 37

The proceedings were very similar to those we had seen on the previous day, only that the troop marched by us much more closely, and I had a better view of Ny Deen, unmistakably our syce at the barracks, but now transformed into a gorgeously dressed, princely looking chief, mounted on his graceful-looking Arab, whose hoofs hardly seemed to touch the ground, so beautifully elastic was every bound as it cantered by.

I was admiring the group before me, and had turned to whisper something to Brace, but I saw such a fixed look of misery and despair in his face that I was silent, and felt for him, knowing, too, that I ought to have been as much hurt at the loss of our horses and guns as he.

We crouched there, watching and listening to the dull trample of the horses over the plain, the jingle of the swords, and the peculiar unmistakable rattle of gun-carriage and limber. Now they halted, and pretended to fire; now they limbered up, and advanced and retreated, and finally, in capital order, marched down to their quarters, the guns being parked, as before; and not till then did Brace give any sign of his presence by giving vent to a low, deep sigh.

"If I could only think of some scheme!" I kept on saying to myself, as I walked back with him to our little camp; but the more I tried to invent some plan, the more hopeless it all seemed. The only idea I had was to gather our men together in two bodies, to be hidden among the trees, half on one side of the plain, half on the other, and one of those parties to attack and try to surprise the troop when they came near, when, if they took alarm and galloped off to the other side, they would be running into the arms of another little ambuscade, whom we could go over to help.

I had just got to this point, when Brace turned to me sharply.

"You have just thought out some plan," he said. "What is it?"

I told him, and he listened patiently to the end.

"What do you think of it now?" he said, gravely.

"I think it's as bad and stupid as ever it can be," I cried, pettishly.

"You are right, Gil," he said; "it is. Absolutely hopeless, my dear boy. No; men on foot cannot catch Arab horses. They would be off at a very different pace to that we have seen, directly we showed ourselves.

It would not do, Gil--it would not do."

I sighed now, partly from vexation, and we joined our companions in the miserable meal, of which we were badly in want. Then the horses were fetched back, and we anxiously awaited the return of Dost, who joined us just at dusk, driving two donkeys before him, so laden with provisions that our prospects looked ten times as hopeful.

"Why, Dost, man," said Brace, smiling at him, "I was thinking ten minutes ago that it would be impossible for us to hold this position for want of food. You have given us two or three days more. Quick! let's give the poor lads a good supper, Gil; they want it badly."

That night, just at watch-setting, I went again to see Craig, but with no great hope of his having any plan worth listening to, for the whole business seemed to be impossible. There is only one way, I said to myself: a dash at them by night, sword in hand. But when I reached the place where the poor fellow lay, he was sleeping easily, and it was quite out of the question to waken a wounded man.

All was quiet in the camp at last, and, fortunately for us, the weather lovely. We had our quiet talk after watch-setting, and it fell to my lot that night to have to make the rounds, so that I had plenty of time for thought, as I leaned against a tree, and tried once more to make some plan, but tried in vain.

Then I listened to faint distant sounds in the rajah's village, and to the howling of the jackals, with the croakings, whisperings, and mutterings which came out of the black forest, all sounding so weird and strange that I was glad to keep going from post to post, to chat in a whisper with the men, and make sure that no attempt at evasion was being made by our prisoners, who all appeared to be asleep.

And so my part of the uneasy night watch pa.s.sed away, and I was relieved by Brace.

"Thought out anything?" I said.

"No," he replied. "Have you?"

I shook my head, and went and lay down to drop asleep on the instant, and wake up at daybreak according to my custom.

I had hardly risen when the doctor came to me.

"Vincent, my lad," he said, "I don't think Craig is any worse, but he is uneasy. He has got something on his mind, and wants to speak to you."

"To me?" I said eagerly. "I'll go."

I hurried to where the poor fellow lay, and he signed to me to kneel down by him.

"Why, Craig, man," I said, "what is it?"

"What is it?" he said angrily. "That doctor has been giving me stuff to keep me asleep just at a time when I could help you all so."

"Help us? How? With that plan of yours for getting the guns and horses back?"

"Yes," he whispered eagerly. "I wouldn't say a word to any one else as I spoke to you first."

I looked at him curiously.

"Oh no," he said, as he interpreted my look. "I'm not feverish or delirious. Quite calm and cool, sir. Listen!"

I bent down, and he began talking in a low whisper, full of earnestness, as he unrolled his plan, and as he went on my heart began to beat, and my cheeks to flush.

"That makes your eyes sparkle, sir, doesn't it?" he said. "That will do, won't it?"

"Do, Craig!" I whispered. "It's glorious. If it succeeds, they ought to give you a commission."

"Think so?" he said. "Ah, well, perhaps I shan't live to want it. But what are you going to do?"

"Go and tell the captain, of course," I cried.

"That's right; go and tell him, sir," whispered the wounded man; "and good luck to you. Oh, if I could only have been in the game!"

"I wish from my heart you could have been, Craig," I said, pressing his hand.

"And you won't leave me behind, sir, to the crows?"

"If you are left behind, Craig, I shall be left behind too," I said.

"But left! Why, you'll be riding on a limber or in the waggon, man.

There, I must go and tell him. Hurrah! Oh, Craig, if I had only been born with a brain like yours!"

"Perhaps you would have only wasted your life, sir, as I did. But go along and tell him, and G.o.d bless your efforts, for it may mean saving thousands of innocent lives, and preventing the pandies from running riot over the country, and marking their track in blood."

The next minute I was seeking Brace, feeling that I had the guns under my hands; and so occupied that I did not notice a peculiar fact.

Our prisoners were not in their customary places, though the sentries were on guard!

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

Bubbling over with excitement, I was not long in finding Brace, whom I took aside and told of the plan.

He stood with knitted brows in perfect silence, hearing me to the very end, and then, feeling chilled and disappointed, I looked into his stern face, and said--

"Then you don't think it will do?"

He did not speak for a few moments. Then he gripped my wrist with all his might.

"Gil," he said huskily, "it almost stunned me. The idea is as grand as it is simple. It is certain of success. My dear boy, what a brain you have!"