Part 28 (1/2)
A minute later there was a gleam of tawny yellow among the long gra.s.s, and quick as thought the Doctor fired. With a sharp snarl the tiger leaped out, and with two short bounds sprang onto the head of the elephant ridden by Bathurst. The mahout gave a cry of pain, for the talons of one of the forepaws were fixed in his leg. Bathurst leaned forward and thrust the spear he held deep into the animal's neck. At the same moment the Doctor fired again, and the tiger, shot through the head, fell dead, while, with a start, Bathurst lost his balance and fell over the elephant's head onto the body of the tiger.
It was fortunate indeed for him that the ball had pa.s.sed through the tiger's skull from ear to ear, and that life was extinct before it touched the ground. Bathurst sprang to his feet, shaken and bewildered, but otherwise unhurt.
”He is as dead as a door nail!” the Doctor shouted, ”and lucky for you he was so; if he had had a kick left in him you would have been badly torn.”
”I should never have fallen off,” Bathurst said angrily, ”if you had not fired. I could have finished him with the spear.”
”You might or you might not; I could not wait to think about that; the tiger had struck its claws into the mahout's leg, and would have had him off the elephant in another moment. That is a first rate animal you were riding on, or he would have turned and bolted; if he had done so you and the mahout would have both been off to a certainty.”
By this time the shouts of some natives, who had taken their posts in trees near at hand, told the beaters that the shots they had heard had been successful, and with shouts of satisfaction they came rus.h.i.+ng down. The Doctor at once dispatched one of them to bring up his trap and Bathurst's horse, and then examined the tiger.
It was a very large one, and the skin was in good condition, which showed that he had not taken to man eating long. The Doctor bound up the wound on the mahout's leg, and then superintended the skinning of the animal while waiting for the arrival of the trap.
When it came up he said, ”You might as well take a seat by my side, Bathurst; the syce will sit behind and lead your horse.”
Having distributed money among the beaters, the Doctor took his place in his trap, the tiger skin was rolled up and placed under the seat, Bathurst mounted beside him, and they started.
”There, you see, Doctor,” Bathurst, who had not opened his lips from the time he had remonstrated with the Doctor for firing, said; ”you see it is of no use. I was not afraid of the tiger, for I knew that you were not likely to miss, and that in any case it could not reach me on the elephant. I can declare that I had not a shadow of fear of the beast, and yet, directly that row began, my nerves gave way altogether. It was hideous, and yet, the moment the tiger charged, I felt perfectly cool again, for the row ceased as you fired your first shot. I struck it full in the chest, and was about to thrust the spear right down, and should, I believe, have killed it, if you had not fired again and startled me so that I fell from the elephant.”
”I saw that the shouting and noise unnerved you, Bathurst, but I saw too that you were perfectly cool and steady when you planted your spear into him. If it had not got hold of the mahout's leg I should not have fired.”
”Is there nothing to be done, Doctor? You know now what it is likely we shall have to face with the Sepoys and what it will be with me if they rise. Is there nothing you can do for me?”
The Doctor shook his head. ”I don't believe in Dutch courage in any case, Bathurst; certainly not in yours. There is no saying what the effect of spirits might be. I should not recommend them, lad. Of course, I can understand your feelings, but I still believe that, even if you do badly to begin with, you will pull round in the end. I have no doubt you will get a chance to show that it is only nerve and not courage in which you are deficient.”
Bathurst was silent, and scarce another word was spoken during the drive back to Deennugghur.
The place had its accustomed appearance when they drove up. The Doctor, as he drew up before his bungalow, said, ”Thank G.o.d, they have not begun yet! I was half afraid we might have found they had taken advantage of most of us being away, and have broken out before we got back.”
”So was I,” Bathurst said. ”I have been thinking of nothing else since we started.”
”Well, I will go to the Major at once and see what arrangements have been made, and whether there is any further news.”
”I shall go off on my rounds,” Bathurst said. ”I had arranged yesterday to be at Nilpore this morning, and there will be time for me to get there now. It is only eleven o'clock yet. I shall go about my work as usual until matters come to a head.”
The Doctor found that the Major was over at the tent which served as the orderly office, and at once followed him there.
”Nothing fresh, Major?”
”No; we found everything going on as usual. It has been decided to put the courthouse as far as we can in a state of defense. I shall have the spare ammunition quietly taken over there, with stores of provisions.
The ladies have undertaken to sew up sacking and make gunny bags for holding earth, and, of course, we shall get a store of water there.
Everything will be done quietly at present, and things will be sent in there after dark by such servants as we can thoroughly rely upon. At the first signs of trouble the residents will make straight for that point.
Of course we must be guided by circ.u.mstances. If the trouble begins in the daytime--that is, if it does begin, for the native officers a.s.sure us that we can trust implicitly in the loyalty of the men--there will probably be time for everyone to gain the courthouse; if it is at night, and without warning, as it was at Meerut, I can only say, Doctor, may G.o.d help us all, for I fear that few, if any, of us would get there alive. Certainly not enough to make any efficient defense.”
”I do not see that there is anything else to do, Major. I trust with you that the men will prove faithful; if not, it is a black lookout whichever way we take it.”
”Did you kill the tiger, Doctor?”
”Yes; at least Bathurst and I did it between us. I wounded him first. It then sprang upon Bathurst's elephant, and he speared it, and I finished it with a shot through the head.”