第 49 节
作者:
青涩春天 更新:2024-04-09 19:50 字数:9321
a tayspoonful of souchong; nor a thimbleful of bohay; nor the laste
taste in life of butther; salt or fresh; nor hot rowls or cowld!〃
〃In the name of heaven!〃 said Mrs。 Van; growing very pale; 〃what is
there; then?〃
〃Ladies and gentlemen; I'll tell you what there is now;〃 shouted I。
〃There's
〃Two drumsticks of fowls; and a bone of ham。
Fourteen bottles of ginger…beer;〃 &c。 &c。 &c。
And I went through the whole list of eatables as before; ending
with the ham…sandwiches and the pot of jelly。
〃Law! Mr。 Gahagan;〃 said Mrs。 Colonel Vandegobbleschroy; 〃give me
the ham…sandwichesI must manage to breakfast off them。〃
And you should have heard the pretty to…do there was at this modest
proposition! Of course I did not accede to itwhy should I? I
was the commander of the fort; and intended to keep these three
very sandwiches for the use of myself and my dear Belinda。
〃Ladies;〃 said I; 〃there are in this fort one hundred and twenty…
six souls; and this is all the food which is to last us during the
siege。 Meat there is noneof drink there is a tolerable quantity;
and at one o'clock punctually; a glass of wine and one olive shall
be served out to each woman: the men will receive two glasses; and
an olive and a figand this must be your food during the siege。
Lord Lake cannot be absent more than three days; and if he bewhy;
still there is a chancewhy do I say a chance?a CERTAINTY of
escaping from the hands of these ruffians。〃
〃Oh; name it; name it; dear Captain Gahagan!〃 screeched the whole
covey at a breath。
〃It lies;〃 answered I; 〃in the POWDER MAGAZINE。 I will blow this
fort; and all it contains; to atoms; ere it becomes the prey of
Holkar。〃
The women; at this; raised a squeal that might have been heard in
Holkar's camp; and fainted in different directions; but my dear
Belinda whispered in my ear; 〃Well done; thou noble knight! bravely
said; my heart's Goliah!〃 I felt I was right: I could have blown
her up twenty times for the luxury of that single moment! 〃And
now; ladies;〃 said I; 〃I must leave you。 The two chaplains will
remain with you to administer professional consolationthe other
gentlemen will follow me up stairs to the ramparts; where I shall
find plenty of work for them。〃
CHAPTER VII。
THE ESCAPE。
Loth as they were; these gentlemen had nothing for it but to obey;
and they accordingly followed me to the ramparts; where I proceeded
to review my men。 The fort; in my absence; had been left in
command of Lieutenant Macgillicuddy; a countryman of my own (with
whom; as may be seen in an early chapter of my memoirs; I had an
affair of honor); and the prisoner Bobbachy Bahawder; whom I had
only stunned; never wishing to kill him; had been left in charge of
that officer。 Three of the garrison (one of them a man of the
Ahmednuggar Irregulars; my own body…servant; Ghorumsaug above
named;) were appointed to watch the captive by turns; and never
leave him out of their sight。 The lieutenant was instructed to
look to them and to their prisoner; and as Bobbachy was severely
injured by the blow which I had given him; and was; moreover; bound
hand and foot; and gagged smartly with cords; I considered myself
sure of his person。
Macgillicuddy did not make his appearance when I reviewed my little
force; and the three havildars were likewise absent: this did not
surprise me; as I had told them not to leave their prisoner; but
desirous to speak with the lieutenant; I despatched a messenger to
him; and ordered him to appear immediately。
The messenger came back; he was looking ghastly pale: he whispered
some information into my ear; which instantly caused me to hasten
to the apartments where I had caused Bobbachy Bahawder to be
confined。
The men had fled;Bobbachy had fled; and in his place; fancy my
astonishment when I foundwith a rope cutting his naturally wide
mouth almost into his earswith a dreadful sabre…cut across his
foreheadwith his legs tied over his head; and his arms tied
between his legsmy unhappy; my attached friendMortimer
Macgillicuddy!
He had been in this position for about three hoursit was the very
position in which I had caused Bobbachy Bahawder to be placedan
attitude uncomfortable; it is true; but one which renders escape
impossible; unless treason aid the prisoner。
I restored the lieutenant to his natural erect position: I poured
half a bottle of whiskey down the immensely enlarged orifice of his
mouth; and when he had been released; he informed me of the
circumstances that had taken place。
Fool that I was! idiot!upon my return to the fort; to have been
anxious about my personal appearance; and to have spent a couple of
hours in removing the artificial blackening from my beard and
complexion; instead of going to examine my prisonerwhen his
escape would have been prevented。 O foppery; foppery!it was that
cursed love of personal appearance which had led me to forget my
duty to my general; my country; my monarch; and my own honor!
Thus it was that the escape took place:My own fellow of the
Irregulars; whom I had summoned to dress me; performed the
operation to my satisfaction; invested me with the elegant uniform
of my corps; and removed the Pitan's disguise; which I had taken
from the back of the prostrate Bobbachy Bahawder。 What did the
rogue do next?Why; he carried back the dress to the Bobbachyhe
put it; once more; on its right owner; he and his infernal black
companions (who had been won over by the Bobbachy with promises of
enormous reward); gagged Macgillicuddy; who was going the rounds;
and then marched with the Indian coolly up to the outer gate; and
gave the word。 The sentinel; thinking it was myself; who had first
come in; and was as likely to go out again;(indeed my rascally
valet said that Gahagan Sahib was about to go out with him and his
two companions to reconnoitre;)opened the gates; and off they
went!
This accounted for the confusion of my valet when I entered!and
for the scoundrel's speech; that the lieutenant had JUST BEEN THE
ROUNDS;he HAD; poor fellow; and had been seized and bound in this
cruel way。 The three men; with their liberated prisoner; had just
been on the point of escape; when my arrival disconcerted them: I
had changed the guard at the gate (whom they had won over
likewise); and yet; although they had overcome poor Mac; and
although they were ready for the start; they had positively no
means for effecting their escape; until I was ass enough to put
means in their way。 Fool! fool! thrice besotted fool that I was;
to think of my own silly person when I should have been occupied
solely with my public duty。
From Macgillicuddy's incoherent accounts; as he was gasping from
the effects of the gag and the whiskey he had taken to revive him;
and from my own subsequent observations; I learned this sad story。
A sudden and painful thought struck memy precious box!I rushed
back; I found that boxI have it still。 Opening it; there; where
I had left ingots; sacks of bright tomauns; kopeks and rupees;
strings of diamonds as big as ducks' eggs; rubies as red as the
lips of my Belinda; countless strings of pearls; amethysts;
emeralds; piles upon piles of bank…notesI founda piece of
paper! with a few lines in the Sanscrit language; which are thus;
word for word; translated:
〃EPIGRAM。
〃(On disappointing a certain Major。)
〃The conquering Lion return'd with his prey;
And safe in his cavern he set it;
The sly little fox stole the booty away;
And; as he escaped; to the lion did say;
'AHA! don't you wish you may get it?'〃
Confusion! Oh; how my blood boiled as I read these cutting lines。
I stamped;I swore;I don't know to what insane lengths my rage
might have carried me; had not at this moment a soldier rushed in;
screaming; 〃The enemy; the enemy!〃
CHAPTER VIII。
THE CAPTIVE。
It was high time; indeed; that I should make my appearance。 Waving
my sword with one hand; and seizing my telescope with the other; I
at once frightened and examined the enemy。 Well they knew when
they saw that flamingo…plume floating in the breezethat awful
figure standing in the breachthat waving war…sword sparkling in
the skywell; I say; they knew the name of the humble individual
who owned the sword; the plume; and the figure。 The ruffians were
mustered in front; the cavalry behind。 The flags were flying; the
drums; gongs; tambourines; violoncellos; and other instruments of
Eastern music; raised in the air a strange; barbaric melody; the
officers (yatabals); mounted on white dromedaries; were seen
galloping to and fro; carrying to the advancing hosts the orders of
Holkar。
You see that two sides of the fort of Futtyghur (rising as it does
on a rock that is almost perpendicular) are defended