Part 23 (2/2)

”I know what my duty is, sir,” Captain Minchin said, ”and do not require to be taught it, by so very young an officer as yourself.”

”Very well, sir,” Charlie replied, calmly. ”I have seen a great deal of service, and have taken part in the defence of two besieged towns; while you, I believe, have never seen a shot fired. However, as you're in command you will, of course, take what steps you think fit; but I warn you that, unless those buildings are destroyed, the fort cannot resist an a.s.sault for twenty-four hours.”

Then, bowing quietly, he retired; and returned to Mr. Haines' house. That gentleman was absent, having gone to the governor's. He did not come back until late in the evening. Charlie pa.s.sed the time in endeavouring to cheer up Mrs. Haines, and her daughter; a.s.suring them that, if the worst came to the worst, there could be no difficulty in their getting on board s.h.i.+p.

Mrs. Haines was a woman of much common sense and presence of mind; and, under the influence of Charlie's quiet chat, she speedily recovered her tranquillity. Her daughter Ada, who was a very bright and pretty girl, was even sooner at her ease, and they were laughing and chatting brightly, when Mr. Haines arrived. He looked f.a.gged and dispirited.

”Drake is a fool,” he said. ”Just as, hitherto, he has scoffed at all thought of danger, now he is prostrated at the news that danger is at hand. He can decide on nothing. At one moment he talks of sending messengers to Suraja Dowlah, to offer to pay any sum he may demand, in order to induce him to retire; the next he talks of defending the fort to the last. We can get him to give no orders, to decide on nothing, and the other officials are equally impotent and imbecile.”

On the 18th, the army of the nabob approached. Captain Minchin took his guns and troops a considerable distance beyond the walls, and opened fire upon the enemy. Charlie, enraged and disgusted at the folly of conduct which could only lead to defeat, marched with them as a simple volunteer.

The result was what he had antic.i.p.ated. The enemy opened fire with an immensely superior force of artillery. His infantry advanced, and clouds of hors.e.m.e.n swept round the flanks, and menaced the retreat. In a very few minutes, Captain Minchin gave the order to retire; and, abandoning their guns, the English force retreated in all haste to the town.

Charlie had, on setting out, told Mr. Haines what was certain to occur; and had implored him to send all his valuables, at once, on board s.h.i.+p; and to retire instantly into the fort. Upon the arrival of the troops at the gate, they found it almost blocked with the throng of frightened Europeans, and natives, flying from their houses beyond it to its protection. Scarcely were all the fugitives within, and the gates closed, when the guns of Suraja Dowlah opened upon the fort; and his infantry, taking possession of the houses around it, began a galling musketry fire upon the ramparts.

Captain Minchin remained closeted with the governor; and Charlie, finding the troops bewildered and dismayed, without leading or orders, a.s.sumed the command, placed them upon the walls, and kept up a vigorous musketry fire in reply to that of the enemy.

Within, all was confusion and dismay. In every spot sheltered from the enemy's fire, Europeans and natives were huddled together. There was neither head nor direction. With nightfall the fire ceased, but still Mr. Drake and Captain Minchin were undecided what steps to take. At two o'clock in the morning, they summoned a council of war, at which Charlie was present, and it was decided that the women and children should at once be sent on board.

There should have been no difficulty in carrying this into effect. A large number of merchantmen were lying in the stream, opposite the fort, capable of conveying away in safety the whole of the occupants. Two of the members of the council had, early in the evening, been despatched on board s.h.i.+p to make arrangements for the boats being sent on sh.o.r.e; but these cowardly wretches, instead of doing so, ordered the s.h.i.+ps to raise their anchors, and drop two miles farther down the stream. The boats, however, were sent up the river to the fort.

The same helpless imbecility, which had characterized every movement, again showed itself. There was no attempt, whatever, at establis.h.i.+ng anything like order or method. The watergate was open, and a wild rush of men, women, and children took place down to the boats.

Charlie was on duty, on the walls. He had already said goodbye to Mrs. Haines and her daughter, and though he heard shouts and screams coming from the watergate, he had no idea what had taken place; until Mr. Haines joined him.

”Have you seen them safely off?” Charlie asked.

”My wife has gone,” Mr. Haines said. ”My daughter is still here. There has been a horrible scene of confusion. Although the boats were amply sufficient to carry all, no steps whatever had been taken to secure order. The consequence was, there was a wild rush. Women and children were knocked down and trampled upon. They leaped into the boats in such wild haste that several of these were capsized, and numbers of people drowned. I kept close to my wife and child, till we reached the side of the stream. I managed to get my wife into a boat, and then a rush of people separated me from my daughter; and before I could find her again, the remaining boats had all pushed off. Many of the men have gone with them, and among them, I am ashamed to say, several of the officers.

”However, I trust the boats will come up again tomorrow, and take away the rest. Two have remained, a guard having been placed over them, and I hope to get Ada off to her mother, in the morning.”

Towards morning, Mr. Haines again joined Charlie.

”What do you think?” he said. ”Those cowardly villains, Drake and Minchin, have taken the two boats, and gone off on board s.h.i.+p!”

”Impossible!” Charlie exclaimed.

”It is too true,” Mr. Haines said. ”The names of these cowards should be held as infamous, as long as the English nation exists.

”Come, now, we are just a.s.sembling to choose a commander. Mr. Peeks is the senior agent; but I think we shall elect Mr. Holwell, who is an energetic and vigorous man.”

It was as Mr. Haines had expected. Mr. Holwell was elected, and at once took the lead. He immediately a.s.signed to Charlie the command of the troops. Little was done at the council, beyond speaker after speaker rising to express his execration of the conduct of the governor and Captain Minchin.

With daybreak, the enemy's fire recommenced. All day long Charlie hurried from post to post, encouraging his men, and aiding in working the guns. Two or three times, when the enemy showed in ma.s.ses, as if intending to a.s.sault, the fire of the artillery drove them back; and up to nightfall they had gained but little success. The civilians as well as the soldiers had done their duty n.o.bly, but the loss had been heavy, from the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters in the surrounding buildings; and it was evident that, however gallant the defence, the fort could not much longer resist.

All day long, signals had been kept flying for the fleet, two miles below, to come up to the fort; but although these could be plainly seen, not a s.h.i.+p weighed anchor.

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