burlesques-第49章

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Abmednuggarees！'　thought　I。



〃'Gentlemen；'　said　I；　'I　see　ityou　are　cowardsnone　of　you　dare

encounter　the　chance　even　of　death。　　It　is　an　encouraging　prospect：

know　you　not　that　the　ruffian　Holkar；　if　it　be　he；　will　with　the

morrow's　dawn　beleaguer　our　little　fort；　and　throw　thousands　of　men

against　our　walls？　know　you　not　that；　if　we　are　taken；　there　is　no

quarter；　no　hope；　death　for　usand　worse　than　death　for　these

lovely　ones　assembled　here？'　　Here　the　ladies　shrieked　and　raised　a

howl　as　I　have　heard　the　jackals　on　a　summer's　evening。　　Belinda；

my　dear　Belinda！　flung　both　her　arms　round　me；　and　sobbed　on　my

shoulder　（or　in　my　waistcoat…pocket　rather；　for　the　little　witch

could　reach　no　higher）。



〃'Captain　Gahagan；'　sobbed　she；　'GOGOGOGGLEIAH！'



〃'My　soul's　adored！'　replied　I。



〃'Swear　to　me　one　thing。'



〃'I　swear。'



〃'That　ifthat　ifthe　nasty；　horrid；　odious　black　Mah…ra…a…a…attahs

take　the　fort；　you　will　put　me　out　of　their　power。'



〃I　clasped　the　dear　girl　to　my　heart；　and　swore　upon　my　sword　that；

rather　than　she　should　incur　the　risk　of　dishonors　she　should

perish　by　my　own　hand。　　This　comforted　her；　and　her　mother；　Mrs。

Major…General　Bulcher；　and　her　elder　sister；　who　had　not　until　now

known　a　word　of　our　attachment；　（indeed；　but　for　these　extraordinary

circumstances；　it　is　probable　that　we　ourselves　should　never　have

discovered　it；）　were　under　these　painful　circumstances　made　aware　of

my　beloved　Belinda's　partiality　for　me。　　Having　communicated　thus　her

wish　of　self…destruction；　I　thought　her　example　a　touching　and

excellent　one；　and　proposed　to　all　the　ladies　that　they　should

follow　it；　and　that　at　the　entry　of　the　enemy　into　the　fort；　and　at

a　signal　given　by　me；　they　should　one　and　all　make　away　with

themselves。　　Fancy　my　disgust　when；　after　making　this　proposition；

not　one　of　the　ladies　chose　to　accede　to　it；　and　received　it　with

the　same　chilling　denial　that　my　former　proposal　to　the　garrison　had

met　with。



〃In　the　midst　of　this　hurry　and　confusion；　as　if　purposely　to　add

to　it；　a　trumpet　was　heard　at　the　gate　of　the　fort；　and　one　of　the

sentinels　came　running　to　me；　saying　that　a　Mahratta　soldier　was

before　the　gate　with　a　flag　of　truce！



〃I　went　down；　rightly　conjecturing；　as　it　turned　out；　that　the

party；　whoever　they　might　be；　had　no　artillery；　and　received　at　the

point　of　my　sword　a　scroll；　of　which　the　following　is　a

translation：





〃'TO　GOLIAH　GAHAGAN　GUJPUTI。



〃'LORD　OF　ELEPHANTS；　SIR；I　have　the　honor　to　inform　you　that　I

arrived　before　this　place　at　eight　o'clock　P。M。　with　ten　thousand

cavalry　under　my　orders。　　I　have　burned；　since　my　arrival；

seventeen　bungalows　in　Furruckabad　and　Futtyghur；　and　have　likewise

been　under　the　painful　necessity　of　putting　to　death　three

clergymen　（mollahs）；　and　seven　English　officers；　whom　I　found　in

the　village；　the　women　have　been　transferred　to　safe　keeping　in　the

harems　of　my　officers　and　myself。



〃'As　I　know　your　courage　and　talents；　I　shall　be　very　happy　if　you

will　surrender　the　fortress；　and　take　service　as　a　major…general

（hookahbadar）　in　my　army。　　Should　my　proposal　not　meet　with　your

assent；　I　beg　leave　to　state　that　to…morrow　I　shall　storm　the　fort；

and　on　taking　it；　shall　put　to　death　every　male　in　the　garrison；

and　every　female　above　twenty　years　of　age。　　For　yourself　I　shall

reserve　a　punishment；　which　for　novelty　and　exquisite　torture　has；

I　flatter　myself；　hardly　ever　been　exceeded。　　Awaiting　the　favor　of

a　reply；　I　am；　Sir；



〃'Your　very　obedient　servant；



〃'JESWUNT　ROW　HOLKAR。



〃'CAMP　BEFORE　FUTTYGHUR；　Sept。　1；　1804。



〃'R。　S。　V。　P。'





〃The　officer　who　had　brought　this　precious　epistle　（it　is　astonishing

how　Holkar　had　aped　the　forms　of　English　correspondence）；　an

enormous　Pitan　soldier；　with　a　shirt　of　mail；　and　a　steel　cap　and

cape；　round　which　his　turban　wound；　was　leaning　against　the　gate　on

his　matchlock；　and　whistling　a　national　melody。　　I　read　the　letter；

and　saw　at　once　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost。　　That　man；　thought　I；

must　never　go　back　to　Holkar。　　Were　he　to　attack　us　now　before　we

were　prepared；　the　fort　would　be　his　in　half　an　hour。



〃Tying　my　white　pocket…handkerchief　to　a　stick；　I　flung　open　the

gate　and　advanced　to　the　officer；　he　was　standing；　I　said；　on　the

little　bridge　across　the　moat。　　I　made　him　a　low　salaam；　after　the

fashion　of　the　country；　and；　as　he　bent　forward　to　return　the

compliment；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　I　plunged　forward；　gave　him　a

violent　blow　on　the　head；　which　deprived　him　of　all　sensation；　and

then　dragged　him　within　the　wall；　raising　the　drawbridge　after　me。



〃I　bore　the　body　into　my　own　apartment：　there；　swift　as　thought；　I

stripped　him　of　his　turban；　cammerbund；　peijammahs；　and　papooshes；

and；　putting　them　on　myself；　determined　to　go　forth　and　reconnoitre

the　enemy。〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



Here　I　was　obliged　to　stop；　for　Cabrera；　Ros　d'Eroles；　and　the　rest

of　the　staff；　were　sound　asleep！　　What　I　did　in　my　reconnaisance；

and　how　I　defended　the　fort　of　Futtyghur；　I　shall　have　the　honor　of

telling　on　another　occasion。





CHAPTER　IV。



THE　INDIAN　CAMPTHE　SORTIE　FROM　THE　FORT。





HEAD…QUARTERS；　MORELLA；　Oct。　3；　1838。



It　is　a　balmy　night。　　I　hear　the　merry　jingle　of　the　tambourine；

and　the　cheery　voices　of　the　girls　and　peasants；　as　they　dance

beneath　my　casement；　under　the　shadow　of　the　clustering　vines。　　The

laugh　and　song　pass　gayly　round；　and　even　at　this　distance　I　can

distinguish　the　elegant　form　of　Ramon　Cabrera；　as　he　whispers　gay

nothings　in　the　ears　of　the　Andalusian　girls；　or　joins　in　the

thrilling　chorus　of　Riego's　hymn；　which　is　ever　and　anon　vociferated

by　the　enthusiastic　soldiery　of　Carlos　Quinto。　　I　am　alone；　in　the

most　inaccessible　and　most　bomb…proof　tower　of　our　little　fortalice；

the　large　casements　are　openthe　wind；　as　it　enters；　whispers　in　my

ear　its　odorous　recollections　of　the　orange　grove　and　the　myrtle

bower。　　My　torch　（a　branch　of　the　fragrant　cedar…tree）　flares　and

flickers　in　the　midnight　breeze；　and　disperses　its　scent　and　burning

splinters　on　my　scroll　and　the　desk　where　I　writemeet　implements

for　a　soldier's　authorship！it　is　CARTRIDGE　paper　over　which　my　pen

runs　so　glibly；　and　a　yawning　barrel　of　gunpowder　forms　my　rough

writing…table。　　Around　me；　below　me；　above　me；　allall　is　peace！　　I

think；　as　I　sit　here　so　lonely；　on　my　country；　England！　and　muse

over　the　sweet　and　bitter　recollections　of　my　early　days！　　Let　me

resume　my　narrative；　at　the　point　where　（interrupted　by　the

authoritative　summons　of　war）　I　paused　on　the　last　occasion。



I　left　off；　I　think（for　I　am　a　thousand　miles　away　from　proof…

sheets　as　I　write；　and；　were　I　not　writing　the　simple　TRUTH；　must

contradict　myself　a　thousand　times　in　the　course　of　my　tale）I

think；　I　say；　that　I　left　off　at　that　period　of　my　story；　when；

Holkar　being　before　Futtyghur；　and　I　in　command　of　that　fortress；　I

had　just　been　compelled　to　make　away　with　his　messenger；　and；

dressed　in　the　fallen　Indian's　accoutrements；　went　forth　to

reconnoitre　the　force；　and；　if　possible；　to　learn　the　intentions　of

the　enemy。　　However　much　my　figure　might　have　resembled　that　of　the

Pitan；　and；　disguised　in　his　armor；　might　have　deceived　the　lynx…

eyed　Mahrattas；　into　whose　camp　I　was　about　to　plunge；　it　was

evident　that　a　single　glance　at　my　fair　face　and　auburn　beard　would

have　undeceived　the　dullest　blockhead　in　Holkar's　army。　　Seizing；

then；　a　bottle　of　Burgess's　walnut　catsup；　I　dyed　my　face　and　my

hands；　and；　with　the　simple　aid　of　a　flask　of　Warren's　jet；　I　made

my　hair　and　beard　as　black　as　ebony。　　The　Indian's　helmet　and　chain

hood　covered　likewise　a　great　part　of　my　face　and　I　hoped　thus；

with　luck；　impudence；　and　a　complete　command　of　all　the　Eastern

dialects　and　languages；　from　Burmah　to　Afghanistan；　to　pass　scot…

free　through　this　somewhat　dangerous　ordeal。