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