burlesques-第43章

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conquered　and　slain　by　some　more　successful　rebel。　　Chowder　Loll

Masolgee；　Zubberdust　Khan；　Dowsunt　Row　Scindiah；　and　the　celebrated

Bobbachy　Jung　Bahawder；　had　held　for　a　time　complete　mastery　in

Delhi。　　The　second　of　these；　a　ruthless　Afghan　soldier；　had

abruptly　entered　the　capital；　nor　was　he　ejected　from　it　until　he

had　seized　upon　the　principal　jewels；　and　likewise　put　out　the　eyes

of　the　last　of　the　unfortunate　family　of　Afrasiab。　　Scindiah　came

to　the　rescue　of　the　sightless　Shah　Allum；　and　though　he　destroyed

his　oppressor；　only　increased　his　slavery；　holding　him　in　as

painful　a　bondage　as　he　had　suffered　under　the　tyrannous　Afghan。



As　long　as　these　heroes　were　battling　among　themselves；　or　as　long

rather　as　it　appeared　that　they　had　any　strength　to　fight　a　battle；

the　British　Government；　ever　anxious　to　see　its　enemies　by　the

ears；　by　no　means　interfered　in　the　contest。　　But　the　French

Revolution　broke　out；　and　a　host　of　starving　sans…culottes　appeared

among　the　various　Indian　States；　seeking　for　military　service；　and

inflaming　the　minds　of　the　various　native　princes　against　the

British　East　India　Company。　　A　number　of　these　entered　into

Scindiah's　ranks：　one　of　them；　Perron；　was　commander　of　his　army；

and　though　that　chief　was　as　yet　quite　engaged　in　his　hereditary

quarrel　with　Jeswunt　Row　Holkar；　and　never　thought　of　an　invasion

of　the　British　territory；　the　Company　all　of　a　sudden　discovered

that　Shah　Allum；　his　sovereign；　was　shamefully　ill…used；　and

determined　to　re…establish　the　ancient　splendor　of　his　throne。



Of　course　it　was　sheer　benevolence　for　poor　Shah　Allum　that

prompted　our　governors　to　take　these　kindly　measures　in　his　favor。

I　don't　know　how　it　happened　that；　at　the　end　of　the　war；　the　poor

Shah　was　not　a　whit　better　off　than　at　the　beginning；　and　that

though　Holkar　was　beaten；　and　Scindiah　annihilated；　Shah　Allum　was

much　such　a　puppet　as　before。　　Somehow；　in　the　hurry　and　confusion

of　this　struggle；　the　oyster　remained　with　the　British　Government；

who　had　so　kindly　offered　to　dress　it　for　the　Emperor；　while　his

Majesty　was　obliged　to　be　contented　with　the　shell。



The　force　encamped　at　Kanouge　bore　the　title　of　the　Grand　Army　of

the　Ganges　and　the　Jumna；　it　consisted　of　eleven　regiments　of

cavalry　and　twelve　battalions　of　infantry；　and　was　commanded　by

General　Lake　in　person。



Well；　on　the　1st　of　September　we　stormed　Perron's　camp　at　Allyghur；

on　the　fourth　we　took　that　fortress　by　assault；　and　as　my　name　was

mentioned　in　general　orders；　I　may　as　well　quote　the　Commander…in…

Chief's　words　regarding　methey　will　spare　me　the　trouble　of

composing　my　own　eulogium：



〃The　Commander…in…Chief　is　proud　thus　publicly　to　declare　his　high

sense　of　the　gallantry　of　Lieutenant　Gahagan；　of　the　　cavalry。

In　the　storming　of　the　fortress；　although　unprovided　with　a　single

ladder；　and　accompanied　but　by　a　few　brave　men；　Lieutenant　Gahagan

succeeded　in　escalading　the　inner　and　fourteenth　wall　of　the　place。

Fourteen　ditches　lined　with　sword…blades　and　poisoned　chevaux…de…

frise；　fourteen　walls　bristling　with　innumerable　artillery　and　as

smooth　as　looking…glasses；　were　in　turn　triumphantly　passed　by　that

enterprising　officer。　　His　course　was　to　be　traced　by　the　heaps　of

slaughtered　enemies　lying　thick　upon　the　platforms；　and　alas！　by

the　corpses　of　most　of　the　gallant　men　who　followed　him！when　at

length　he　effected　his　lodgment；　and　the　dastardly　enemy；　who　dared

not　to　confront　him　with　arms；　let　loose　upon　him　the　tigers　and

lions　of　Scindiah's　menagerie。　　This　meritorious　officer　destroyed；

with　his　own　hand；　four　of　the　largest　and　most　ferocious　animals；

and　the　rest；　awed　by　the　indomitable　majesty　of　BRITISH　VALOR；

shrank　back　to　their　dens。　　Thomas　Higgory；　a　private；　and　Runty

Goss；　havildar；　were　the　only　two　who　remained　out　of　the　nine

hundred　who　followed　Lieutenant　Gahagan。　　Honor　to　them！　honor　and

tears　for　the　brave　men　who　perished　on　that　awful　day！〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



I　　have　copied　this；　word　for　word；　from　the　Bengal　Hurkaru　of

September　24；　1803：　and　anybody　who　has　the　slightest　doubt　as　to

the　statement；　may　refer　to　the　paper　itself。



And　here　I　must　pause　to　give　thanks　to　Fortune；　which　so

marvellously　preserved　me；　Sergeant…Major　Higgory；　and　Runty　Goss。

Were　I　to　say　that　any　valor　of　ours　had　carried　us　unhurt　through

this　tremendous　combat；　the　reader　would　laugh　me　to　scorn。　　No：

though　my　narrative　is　extraordinary；　it　is　nevertheless　authentic；

and　never；　never　would　I　sacrifice　truth　for　the　mere　sake　of

effect。　　The　fact　is　this：the　citadel　of　Allyghur　is　situated

upon　a　rock；　about　a　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　and

is　surrounded　by　fourteen　walls；　as　his　Excellency　was　good　enough

to　remark　in　his　despatch。　　A　man　who　would　mount　these　without

scaling…ladders；　is　an　ass；　he　who　would　SAY　he　mounted　them

without　such　assistance；　is　a　liar　and　a　knave。　　We　HAD　scaling…

ladders　at　the　commencement　of　the　assault；　although　it　was　quite

impossible　to　carry　them　beyond　the　first　line　of　batteries。

Mounted　on　them；　however；　as　our　troops　were　falling　thick　about

me；　I　saw　that　we　must　ignominiously　retreat；　unless　some　other

help　could　be　found　for　our　brave　fellows　to　escalade　the　next

wall。　　It　was　about　seventy　feet　high。　　I　instantly　turned　the　guns

of　wall　A　on　wall　B；　and　peppered　the　latter　so　as　to　make；　not　a

breach；　but　a　scaling　place；　the　men　mounting　in　the　holes　made　by

the　shot。　　By　this　simple　stratagem；　I　managed　to　pass　each

successive　barrierfor　to　ascend　a　wall　which　the　General　was

pleased　to　call　〃as　smooth　as　glass〃　is　an　absurd　impossibility：　I

seek　to　achieve　none　such：





　　　　　〃I　dare　do　all　that　may　become　a　man；

　　　　　　Who　dares　do　more；　is　neither　more　nor　less。〃





Of　course；　had　the　enemy's　guns　been　commonly　well　served；　not　one

of　us　would　ever　have　been　alive　out　of　the　three；　but　whether　it

was　owing　to　fright；　or　to　the　excessive　smoke　caused　by　so　many

pieces　of　artillery；　arrive　we　did。　　On　the　platforms；　too；　our

work　was　not　quite　so　difficult　as　might　be　imaginedkilling　these

fellows　was　sheer　butchery。　　As　soon　as　we　appeared；　they　all

turned　and　fled　helter…skelter；　and　the　reader　may　judge　of　their

courage　by　the　fact　that　out　of　about　seven　hundred　men　killed　by

us；　only　forty　had　wounds　in　front；　the　rest　being　bayoneted　as

they　ran。



And　beyond　all　other　pieces　of　good　fortune　was　the　very　letting

out　of　these　tigers；　which　was　the　dernier　ressort　of　Bournonville；

the　second　commandant　of　the　fort。　　I　had　observed　this　man

（conspicuous　for　a　tri…colored　scarf　which　he　wore）　upon　every　one

of　the　walls　as　we　stormed　them；　and　running　away　the　very　first

among　the　fugitives。　　He　had　all　the　keys　of　the　gates；　and　in　his

tremor；　as　he　opened　the　menagerie　portal；　left　the　whole　bunch　in

the　door；　which　I　seized　when　the　animals　were　overcome。　　Runty

Goss　then　opened　them　one　by　one；　our　troops　entered；　and　the

victorious　standard　of　my　country　floated　on　the　walls　of　Allyghur！



When　the　General；　accompanied　by　his　staff；　entered　the　last　line

of　fortifications；　the　brave　old　man　raised　me　from　the　dead

rhinoceros　on　which　I　was　seated；　and　pressed　me　to　his　breast。

But　the　excitement　which　had　borne　me　through　the　fatigues　and

perils　of　that　fearful　day　failed　all　of　a　sudden；　and　I　wept　like

a　child　upon　his　shoulder。



Promotion；　in　our　army；　goes　unluckily　by　seniority；　nor　is　it　in

the　power　of　the　General…in…Chief　to　advance　a　Caesar；　if　he　finds

him　in　the　capacity　of　a　subaltern：　MY　reward　for　the　above　exploit

was；　therefore；　not　very　rich。　　His　Excellency　had　a　favorite　horn

snuff…box　（for；　though　exalted　in　station；　he　was　in　his　habits

most　simple）：　of　this；　and　about　a　quarter　of　an　ounce　of　high…

dried　Welsh；　which　he　always　took；　he　made　me　a　present；　saying；　in

front　of　the　line