Part 24 (1/2)

The convoy reached Jellalabad without further adventure, and Captain Edwards reported to the general the events of the march. He was requested to give a full written report of the affair; and the general stated that, in forwarding it, he should certainly append a recommendation that Lieutenant Gale should receive the Victoria Cross, for his gallantry in venturing through the Afghans to fetch a.s.sistance for the convoy.

Will himself, as soon as he reached Jellalabad, hurried away to the cantonment of the Norfolk Rangers; who were in a village, a mile distant from the town. He was not recognized, as he pa.s.sed through the soldiers scattered about the village street; and was soon at the princ.i.p.al house, where the colonel had his quarters. On sending in his name, he was at once shown into the room where the colonel was at work.

”I am indeed glad to see you,” the latter said, rising and shaking him heartily by the hand; ”and I congratulate you, most warmly, on your promotion. I promised to do what I could for you, when you joined; but I did not expect that it would be so soon.”

”I am indeed obliged to you, colonel, for your kindness,” Will said; ”and am conscious how much I owe to you.”

”Not at all, my boy, not at all. It was General Roberts, himself, who recommended you for your commission; and I was only too glad to back up his recommendation, to the best of my power. We all thought you were gone, when you were reported as missing at Ali-Kheyl, and we heard from the sentry that--having gone forward, to investigate the origin of a noise he had reported to you--you were suddenly fired upon; and that he saw no more of you, as he ran back to the picket. I was glad, indeed, when the report was received from poor Cavagnari that, upon his arrival at Cabul, he had found you there, just recovering from your wounds.

”Then, of course, we gave you up again, when we heard of the ma.s.sacre of the mission; and it seemed like a resurrection from the dead when I got a letter from Roberts, saying you were found again, and that he was recommending you for a commission.

”I see by the Gazette you are appointed to the 66th, and we were expecting to see you on your way down. Had you any difficulty in getting through the pa.s.ses?”

”The convoy was attacked, sir, by the tribesmen, when near Jugdulluk; but the garrison came out to our rescue, and we got through safely. But we had thirty men killed or wounded.”

”A smart affair!” the colonel said. ”And now, of course, you will take up your quarters with us, for a day or two, before you go on.

The officers will all be glad to see you; and you will be able to tell us all about the attack on the mission, and the recent fighting. Roberts has been having some hot work, there.

”We have been grumbling horribly at our bad luck. We thought, at the time, we were fortunate at being sent back to India, when peace was signed, instead of being kept in the Khurum valley. But the consequence has been that we have been out of it all. However, we must look upon you as our representative.”

Will hesitated about staying, but the colonel overruled his objection; saying that, as there would be no fighting until the spring, there could be no particular hurry for him to join his regiment. A spare room was placed at his disposal, in the colonel's quarters, and Will was soon made at home. The officers flocked in, upon hearing of his arrival; and all congratulated him, most warmly, upon his promotion. An hour later, a mounted orderly rode up to the colonel's quarters.

”Is Lieutenant Gale here?” he asked.

Will went forward.

”A note from the general,” the orderly said and, handing it to him, ”also one for Colonel Shepherd.”

Ill.u.s.tration: Letters from the General.

Will's note was simply an invitation to dine, that evening, with the general. The colonel's letter was as follows:

”Colonel Shepherd,

”As Lieutenant Gale was promoted from your regiment, I think it is likely that he has found his way to you. I have written to ask him to dinner; please spare him to me. I hope you will do me the pleasure of accompanying him. He has performed a most gallant action; and I have just had the pleasure of writing a dispatch, recommending him for the V.C.”

Will and the colonel at once wrote notes, accepting the invitation.

When these had been sent out to the orderly the colonel read aloud, to the officers present, the note he had received from the general.

”Now,” he said, turning to Will, ”what is that you have been doing?

You told us the convoy had been attacked, and sharply pressed; but you said nothing of your share in the affair. What was it?”

”It was simple enough, sir,” Will answered, coloring hotly. ”We were surrounded, just at the mouth of the defile. The enemy held the valley in front in great force, and another party were pressing on our rear. Things looked awkward; and so I volunteered, with my faithful Afghan boy, to get through the fellows in front, and make my way down to Jugdulluk--which was four miles away--to bring the garrison up on their rear.

”It was simple enough and, in fact, there was less danger than in remaining with the convoy, to be popped at by the Afghans. The night was very dark and, down in the bottom, one could hardly see one's hand. The Afghans had been cleared pretty well off the road, by our fire; so there was no difficulty, whatever, in making our way down. We were, in fact, only questioned once; and my boy's statement, that we were wounded and were going to the rear, was accepted at once.”

”The fact that you succeeded,” the colonel said, ”does not detract from the pluck required to attempt such an adventure. To my mind, there is more courage required in venturing, alone, through the midst of the Afghans, at night, than there would be in charging any number of them, in hot blood, in the light. You have earned the V.C. well, Gale; and I am sure we all feel proud of you, though you do not belong to us, now.”

There was a chorus of approval from the officers around.

”I don't belong to you now, sir, but,” Will said, earnestly, ”I shall always feel, whatever regiment I may be with, that the Norfolk Rangers are my corps. It is the kindness which was shown me, here, which has put me in the way of rising; and I shall never forget it.”