Part 9 (2/2)
”As you will,” he said coldly.
”But think--O, think! You cannot expect it of me. Have mercy! O, what am I saying?”
”Saying!” he cried, catching her hands in his, and speaking excitedly and fast; ”saying things that are sending him to his death. What do I offer you? Love, devotion, all that man can give. He would, if asked now, give up all for his life; and yet you, who profess to love him so dearly, refuse to make that sacrifice for his sake! You cannot love him. If he could hear now, he would implore you to do it. Think. I risk all; most likely my life will be given for his; perhaps we shall both fall. But you refuse. Enough; I must go; I cannot stay. There are many lives here under my charge; they must not be neglected for the sake of one. As I said before, it is the fortune of war; and, poor fellow, he has but a quarter of an hour or so to live, unless help comes.”
”Unless help comes!” groaned Miss Ross frantically, when, as Lieutenant Leigh reached the door, watching me over his shoulder the while, Miss Ross went down on her knees, stretched out her hands towards where Captain Dyer was bound to the gun, and then she rose, cold and hard and stern, and turned to Lieutenant Leigh, holding out her hand. ”I promise,” she said hoa.r.s.ely.
”On your oath, before G.o.d?” he exclaimed joyfully, as he caught her in his arms.
”As G.o.d is my judge,” she faltered with her eyes upturned; and then, as he held her to his breast, kissing her pa.s.sionately, she s.h.i.+vered and shuddered, and, as he released her, sank in a heap on the floor.
”Smith,” cried Lieutenant Leigh, ”right face--forward!” And as I pa.s.sed Miss Ross, I heard her sob, in a tone I shall never forget, ”O, Lawrence, Lawrence!” and then a groan tore from her breast, and I heard no more.
STORY ONE, CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
”This is contrary to rule. As commandant, I ought to stay in the fort; but I've no one to give the leaders.h.i.+p to; so I take it myself,” said Lieutenant Leigh. ”And now, my lads, make ready--present! That's well.
Are all ready? At the word 'Fire!' privates Bigley and Smith fire at the two gunners. If they miss, I cry fire again, and privates Bantem and Grainger try their skill; then, at the double, down on the guns.
Smith and I spike them, while Bantem and Grainger cut the cords. Mind this: those guns must be spiked, and those two prisoners brought in; and if the sortie is well managed, it is easy; for they will be taken by surprise. Hus.h.!.+ Confound it, men, no cheering!”
He only spoke in time; for in the excitement the men were about to hurray.
”Now, then, is that gate unbarred?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Is the covering-party ready?”
”Yes, sir.”
My hand trembled as he spoke; but the next instant it was of a piece with my gunstock. There was the hot square, with the sun s.h.i.+ning on the two guns that must have been hot behind the poor prisoners; there, too, stood the two gunners in white, with their smoking linstocks, leaning against the wheels; for discipline was slack; and there, thirty or forty yards behind, were the mutineers, lounging about, and smoking many of them. For all firing had ceased; and judging that we should not risk having the prisoners blown away from the guns, the mutineers came boldly up within range, as if defying us; and it was pretty safe practice at some of them now.
I saw all this at a glance, and while it seemed as if the order would never come; but come it did at last.
”Fire!”
Bang! the two rifles going off like one; and the gunner behind Captain Dyer leaped into the air; while the one I aimed at seemed to sink down suddenly beside the wheel he had leaned upon. Then the gate flew open, and with a rush and a cheer we, ten of us, raced down for the guns.
Double-quick time? I tell you it was a hard race; and being without my gun now--only my bayonet stuck in my trousers waistband--I was there first, and had driven my spike into the touch-hole before Lieutenant Leigh reached his; but the next moment his was done, the cords were cut, and the prisoners loose from the guns. But now we had to get back.
The first inkling I had of the difficulty of this was seeing Captain Dyer and Harry Lant stagger and fall forward; but they were saved by the men, and we saw directly that they must be carried.
No sooner thought of than done.
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