Part 27 (1/2)
”Come in with me,” the Major said, and led the way into the tent, where the lamps were still burning on the breakfast table, although the light had broadened out over the sky outside. It was with grave antic.i.p.ation of evil that the Major took the paper from its envelope, but his worst fears were more than verified by the contents.
”My Dear Major: The General has just received a telegram with terrible news from Meerut. 'Native troops mutinied, murdered officers, women, and children, opened jails and burned cantonments, and marched to Delhi.' It is reported that there has been a general rising there and the ma.s.sacre of all Europeans. Although this is not confirmed, the news is considered probable. We hear also that the native cavalry at Lucknow have mutinied.
Lawrence telegraphs that he has suppressed it with the European troops there, and has disarmed the mutineers. I believe that our regiment will be faithful, but none can be trusted now. I should recommend your preparing some fortified house to which all Europeans in station can retreat in case of trouble. Now that they have taken to ma.s.sacre as well as mutiny, G.o.d knows how it will all end.”
”Good Heavens! who could have dreamt of this?” the Major groaned.
”Ma.s.sacred their officers, women, and children. All Europeans at Delhi supposed to have been ma.s.sacred, and there must be hundreds of them. Can it be true?”
”The telegram as to Meerut is clearly an official one,” Bathurst said.
”Delhi is as yet but a rumor, but it is too probable that if these mutineers and jail birds, flushed with success, reached Delhi before the whites were warned, they would have their own way in the place, as, with the exception of a few artillerymen at the a.r.s.enal, there is not a white soldier in the place.”
”But there were white troops at Meerut,” the Major said. ”What could they have been doing? However, that is not the question now. We must, of course, return instantly. Ask the others to come in here, Bathurst.
Don't tell the girls what has taken place; it will be time enough for that afterwards. All that is necessary to say is that you have brought news of troubles at some stations unaffected before, and that I think it best to return at once.”
The men were standing in a group, wondering what the news could be which was deemed of such importance that Bathurst should carry it out in the middle of the night.
”The Major will be glad if you will all go in, gentlemen,” Bathurst said, as he joined them.
”Are we to go in, Mr. Bathurst?” Miss Hunter asked.
”No, I think not, Miss Hunter; the fact is there have been some troubles at two or three other places, and the Major is going to hold a sort of council of war as to whether the hunt had not better be given up. I rather fancy that they will decide to go back at once. News flies very fast in India. I think the Major would like that he and his officers should be back before it is whispered among the Sepoys that the discontent has not, as we hoped, everywhere ceased.”
”It must be very serious,” Isobel said, ”or uncle would never decide to go back, when all the preparations are made.”
”It would never do, you see, Miss Hannay, for the Commandant and four of the officers to be away, if the Sepoys should take it into their heads to refuse to receive cartridges or anything of that sort.”
”You can't give us any particulars, then, Mr. Bathurst?”
”The note was a very short one, and was partly made up of unconfirmed rumors. As I only saw it in my capacity of a messenger, I don't think I am at liberty to say more than that.”
”What a trouble the Sepoys are,” Mary Hunter said pettishly; ”it is too bad our losing a tiger hunt when we may never have another chance to see one!”
”That is a very minor trouble, Mary.”
”I don't think so,” the girl said; ”just at present it seems to me to be very serious.”
At this moment the Doctor put his head out of the tent.
”Will you come in, Bathurst?”
”We have settled, Bathurst,” the Major said, when he entered, ”that we must, of course, go back at once. The Doctor, however, is of opinion that if, after all the preparations were made, we were to put the tiger hunt off altogether, it would set the natives talking, and the report would go through the country like wildfire that some great disaster had happened. We must go back at once, and Mr. Hunter, having a wife and daughter there, is anxious to get back, too; but the Doctor urges that he should go out and kill this tiger. As it is known that you have just arrived, he says that if you are willing to go with him, it will be thought that you had come here to join the hunt, and if that comes off, and the tiger is killed, it does not matter whether two or sixty of us went out.”
”I shall be quite willing to do so,” said Bathurst, ”and I really think that the Doctor's advice is good. If, now that you have all arrived upon the ground, the preparations were canceled, there can be no doubt that the natives would come to the conclusion that something very serious had taken place, and it would be all over the place in no time.”
”Thank you, Bathurst. Then we will consider that arranged. Now we will get the horses in as soon as possible, and be off at once.”
Ten minutes later the buggies were brought round, and the whole party, with the exception of the Doctor and Bathurst, started for Deennugghur.
CHAPTER XII.