Blue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan Part 26

"Simkin," he said, as his comrade also got up, "I'm not goin' to lie hidin' here while our boys are engaged wi' the savages."

"No more am I, Moses," returned Rattling Bill, with something of the jovially reckless air still lingering on his solemnised visage. "But we've not much chance of getting back to the zerebas without arms."

"What d'ee call _that_?" asked Moses, holding out his chopper.

"A very good weapon to fight the bush with," answered Simkin, "but not worth much against Arab spears. However, comrade, choppers are all we have got, so we must make the most of 'em. They say a good workman can work with any tools. What d'ee propose to try? I'll put myself under your orders, Moses; for, although you are a meekish sort of a fellow, I really believe you have a better headpiece than most of us."

"I propose that we simply go at 'em," said Moses. "Take 'em in rear, cut our way through, and get into the zereba--that's all. It don't take much of a headpiece to think that out."

"Go ahead, then! I'll back you," said Rattling Bill, without the least touch of bravado, as he bared his right arm to the shoulder. Both men were in s.h.i.+rts and trousers, with sleeves tucked up and their brawny arms exposed--Arabesquely brown up to the elbow, and infantinely white above that!

The intended rush might have been successful, but for a change in the tactics of the enemy. Seeing that they were severely repulsed at the corner of the square, where Molloy and his tars worked the Gardner gun, while Miles and his comrades plied bullet and bayonet, the Arab chief sent a body of his followers to reinforce this point. It was just at the moment that Moses and Simkin made the dash from their place of concealment, so that they actually leaped, without having intended it, into the very midst of the reinforcements!

Two of the Arabs went down before the choppers instantly, and the others--almost panic-stricken by the suddenness and severity of the a.s.sault--turned to fly, supposing, no doubt, that an ambush had caught them. But seeing only two men they ran back, and would certainly have made short work of them if rescuers had not come up.

And at this point in the fight there was exhibited a curious instance of the power of friends.h.i.+p to render steady men reckless. The incident we have just described was witnessed by the troops, for, the moment the two soldiers left their place of concealment they were in full view of the large zereba.

"That's Moses!" exclaimed Armstrong excitedly.

Without a moment's hesitation he sprang over the defence-works and ran to the rescue, clubbing his rifle as he went and felling two Arabs therewith.

"You shan't die alone, Willie!" muttered our hero, as he also leaped the fence and followed his friend, just in time to save him from three Arabs who made at him simultaneously. Two of these Miles knocked down; his comrade felled the other. Then they turned back to back; Moses and Simkin did the same, and thus formed a little _impromptu_ rallying square. This delayed the catastrophe, which seemed, however, inevitable. The brave little quartette, being surrounded by foes, could do nothing but parry with almost lightning speed the spear-thrusts that were made at them continually.

Seeing this, the heart of Jack Molloy bounded within him, and friends.h.i.+p for the moment overcame the sense of duty.

"You can only die once, Jack!" he exclaimed, drew his cutla.s.s, leaped out of the zereba, and went at the foe with a thunderous roar, which, for a moment, actually made them quail.

Infected with a similar spirit, Stevenson, the marine, also lost his head, if we may say so. Resolving to run a-muck for friends.h.i.+p's sake, he followed the sailor, and increased the rallying square to five, while Molloy skirmished round it, parrying spear-thrusts, at once with left arm and cutla.s.s, in quite a miraculous manner, roaring all the time like an infuriated lion, and causing the enemy to give back in horror wherever he made a rush.

A root, however, tripped him up at last, and he fell forward headlong to the ground. A dozen spears were pointed at his broad back, when a tall majestic Arab sprang forward and held up one hand, while with the other he waved a sword.

At that moment a strong force of the enemy came down with an impetuous rush on that corner of the zereba, and, coming between it and the little knot of combatants, hid them from view.

The attack at this point was very determined, and for a few moments the issue seemed doubtful, for although the enemy fell in heaps they came on in such numbers that the defenders were almost overwhelmed. Steadiness, however, combined with indomitable courage, prevailed. Everywhere they were repulsed with tremendous loss. Many instances of personal bravery occurred, of course, besides those we have described, but we may not pause to enumerate these. Tenacity of life, also, was curiously exhibited in the case of some of the desperately wounded.

One man in charge of two mules outside the zereba was trying to bring them in when he was attacked, and received three terrible spear-wounds in the back and one in the arm, which cut all the muscles and sinews.

Yet this man ultimately recovered, though, of course, with the loss of his arm.

Another man lost a leg and an arm, and was badly wounded in the other leg and in the hand, and, lastly, he was shot in the jaw. After being operated on, and having his wounds dressed, the doctor asked him how he felt.

"All right, sir," he answered. "They've crippled me in arms and legs, and they've broke my jaw, but, thank G.o.d, they have not broke my heart yet!"

It was eight minutes to three when the Arabs made their first rush, and it was just ten minutes past three when the enemy was finally repelled and the bugle sounded "Cease firing." Yet into these pregnant eighteen minutes all that we have described, and a vast deal more, was crowded.

Nearly four hundred of our men were killed and wounded, while the enemy, it is believed, lost over two thousand.

It is said by those who were present at the engagement that the officers of the 17th Bengal Infantry were heard to say that if their men had not given way, there would have been no "disaster" at all, and General McNeill instead of being accused of permitting himself to be surprised, would have got credit for a heroic defence against overwhelming odds.

If he had carried out his instructions, and pressed on to the end of eight miles, instead of prudently halting when he did, there can be no doubt that the force would have been surprised and absolutely cut to pieces.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

REFERS TO SERGEANT HARDY, AMYTOOR-LAWYER SUTHERLAND, AND OTHER MATTERS.

Among the wounded in the great fight which we have just described was Hardy the sergeant.

His position at the time the Arabs broke into the square was close to the right flank of the Indian Native Regiment, which gave way, so that it was he and a number of the flank men of his company who had to do most of the hand-to-hand fighting necessary to repair the disaster and drive back the enemy. Of course every soldier engaged in that part of the fight was, for a time, almost overwhelmed in the confusion, and many of them were surrounded and severely wounded.

When the Native Infantry broke, Hardy's captain sprang to the front, sword in hand, and cut down two of the foe. As he did so, he was, for a moment, separated from his company and surrounded. A powerful Arab was on the point of thrusting his spear into the captain's back when Hardy observed his danger, bayoneted the Arab, and saved the officer. But it was almost at the cost of his own life, for another Arab, with whom he had been fighting at the moment, took advantage of the opportunity to thrust his spear into the chest of the sergeant, who fell, as was thought, mortally wounded.

This, however, was not the case, for when the fight was over, his wound, although dangerous, was not supposed to be fatal, and he went into hospital on returning to Suakim. He was a Blue Light, and his temperance habits told in his favour. So did his religion, for the calm equanimity with which he submitted to the will of G.o.d, and bore his sufferings, went far to a.s.sist the doctor in grappling with his wound.

But his religion did more than that, for when he thought of the heaven that awaited him, if he should die, and of being "for ever with the Lord," his heart was filled with joy; and joy not only "does not kill,"--it is absolutely a source of life. In the sergeant's case it formed an important factor in restoring him to partial health.

One evening, some time after the battle of McNeill's zereba, Sutherland and Gaspard Redgrave were seated beside the sergeant's bed--cheering him up a bit, as they said--and chatting about the details of the recent fight. Once or twice the sergeant had tried to lead the conversation to religious subjects, but without success, for neither Sutherland nor Gaspard were seriously disposed, and both fought shy of such matters.

"Well, it's very kind of you to come an' cheer me up, lads," said Hardy at last; "and I hope I may live to do the same for you, if either of you ever gets knocked over. Now, I want each of you to do me a favour.

Will you promise?"

"Of course we will," said Gaspard quickly.

"If we can," said the more cautious Scot.

"Well, then, Gaspard, will you sing me a song? I think it would do me good."

"With the greatest pleasure," answered the soldier; "but," he added, looking round doubtfully, "I don't know how they might like it here."

"They'll not object; besides, you can sing low. You've got the knack of singin' soft--better than any man I ever heard."

"Well, what shall it be?" returned the gratified Gaspard.

"One of Sankey's hymns," said the sergeant, with the remotest semblance of a twinkle in his eye, as he took a small hymn-book from under his pillow and gave it to his friend.

Gaspard did not seem to relish the idea of singing hymns, but he had often heard the Blue Lights sing them, and could not plead ignorance of the tunes; besides, being a man of his word, he would not refuse to fulfil his promise.

"Sing Number 68, `Shall we gather at the river?' I'm very fond of that hymn."

In a sweet, soft, mellow voice, that charmed all who were within hearing, Gaspard began the hymn, and when he had finished there was heard more than one "Amen" and "Thank G.o.d" from the neighbouring beds.

"Yes, comrades, we shall gather there," said the sergeant, after a brief pause, "for the same Almighty Saviour who saved _me_ died for _you_ as well. I ain't used to wettin' my cheeks, as _you_ know, lads, but I s'pose my wound has weakened me a bit! Now Sutherland, the favour I have to ask of--"

"If ye're thinkin' o' askin' me to pray," broke in the alarmed Scotsman, "ye may save your breath. When I promised, I said, `if I _can_.' Noo, I can _not_ pray, an' it's nae use askin' me to try. Whatever I may come to in this warld, I'll no be a heepycrit for ony leevin' man."

"Quite right, Sutherland--quite right. I had no intention of asking you to pray," replied Hardy, with a faint smile. "What I want you to do is to draw out my will for me."

"Oh! I'm quite willin' to do that," returned the relieved Scot.

"You see," continued the sergeant, "one never knows what may be the result of a bad wound in a climate like this, and if it pleases my Father in heaven to call me home, I should like the few trifles I possess to go in the right direction."

"That's a wise-like sentiment," returned his friend, with an approving nod and thoughtful frown.