Part 4 (1/2)
Colonel Kirby ounded a little, and sat while a risaldar bound his arh found a short trench half full of water, and ordered us into it Although we had not realized it until then, it was raining torrents, and the Germans we drove out of that trench (there were but a few of them) etter than water rats; but we had to scramble down into it, and the cold bath finished what the sense of isolation had begun We were sober in on the trench at once with picks and shovels that the Germans had left behind We altered the trench so that it faced both ways, and waited shi+vering for the dawn
Let it not be supposed, however, sahib, that aited unmolested The Germans are not that kind of warrior I hold no brief for theht with persistence, bravery, and what they consider to be cunning We were under rifle-fire at once froan pounding the ground so close to us that fragments of shell and shrapnel flew over our heads incessantly, and great clods of earth ca us to keep busy with the shovels Nor did the Gerh with poor success More than the half of us lived; and to prove that there had been thought as well as bravery that night we had plenty of ammunition with us We were troubled to stow the ammunition out of the wet, yet where it would be safe from the German fire
We made no reply to the shell-fire, for that would have been foolishness; so, doubtless thinking they had the range not quite right, or perhaps supposing that we had been annihilated, the ene us and devoted their attention to our friends beyond But at the saan to feel its way toward us and we grew very busy with our rifles, the wounded crawling through the wet to pass the cartridges Once there was a bayonet charge, which we repelled
Those who had not throay their knapsacks to lighten theency rations, but about half of us had nothing to eat whatever It was perfectly evident to all of us from the very first that unless we should receive prompt aid at dawn our case was as hopeless as death itself So much theput new heart into our officers
When dawn ca Dawn ah a rain-storm, is not a joyous spectacle in any case Consider, sahib, what a sunny land we cament on us if our spirits sank It was the weather, not the danger that depressed us I, as near the center of the trench, could see to right and left over the ends, and Ithat ho had been a regiment, were now about three hundred men, forty of ounded
I saw that ere many a hundred yards away from the nearest British trench The Ger themselves in aneeen us and our friends Before us was a trench full of infantry, and there were others to right and left We were completely surrounded; and it was not an hour after dahen the enean to shout to us to show our hands and surrender Colonel Kirby forbade us to answer them, and we lay still as dead men until they threw bombs-which we answered with bullets
After that ere left alone for an hour or two, and Colonel Kirby, whose wound was not serious, began passing along the trench, knee-deep in the ive each erenade struck hih and exploded He fell forward on me, and I took him across my knee lest he fall into the water and be smothered That is how it happened that only I overheard what he said to Ranjoor Singh before he died Several others tried to hear, for we loved Colonel Kirby as sons love their father; but, since he lay with his head on h's, to whoh and I heard and the rest did not Later I told the others, but they chose to disbelievethe trench, stu just as he reached us, so that for the ht he too had been shot Besides Colonel Kirby, as dying in my arms, he, and Captain Fellowes, and one other risaldar were our only rereat pain, so that his words were not in his usual voice but forced through clenched teeth, and Ranjoor Singh had to stoop to listen
”Shepherd 'eh!” My ear was close and I heard each word ”A bad business They did not know enough to listen to you at Headquarters Don't waste ti! You're in command now Take over Shepherd 'em! Good-by, old friend!”
”Good-by, Colonel sahib,” said Ranjoor Singh, and Kirby sahib died in thatshed the half of his blood over e above the water and it was not very long before a chance shell dropped near and buried him under a ton of earth Yes, sahib, a British shell
Presently Ranjoor Singh waded along the trench to have ith Captain Felloas wounded rather badly Ithem stand where they could see best with least risk of exposure and ordering spade work here and there It is a strange thing, sahib, but I have never seen it otherwise, that spade hich is surely thetroopers will attend to unless compelled They will comb their beards, and decorate the trench with colored stones and draw na waits Sikh and Gurkha and British and French are all alike in that respect
When Ranjoor Singh came back fro under our other risaldar, and after he was killed by a grenade I was in co of our trench
The three days that followed havethe way of evil If men could remember pain and misery they would refuse to live because of the risk of s ever anew out of wretchedness like sprouts on the burned land, and the ashes are forgotten I do not re to eat There began to be a s to drink, for thirst took hold of us, yet the water in the trench was all pollution The smell made us wish to vomit, yet what could the empty do but desire? Corpses lay all around us No, sahib, not the dead of the night before's fighting Have I not said that the weather was cold? The boraves that were I know not how old When we essayed to re-bury some bodies the Gerht, and the next, several atteh's command we beat them off He akeful as the stars and as unexcited Obedience to hiot for the time their suspicion and distrust When dawn came there were more dead bodies round about, and some wounded who called piteously for help The Gerh bade us drive the to us, and Ranjoor Singh answered thelish, so that most of us could have understood, all would surely have been well; I a because of his fine leadershi+p, would have destroyed the memory of suspicion But I suppose it had become habit with him to talk to the enemy in German by that time, and as the words we could not understand passed back and forth even I began to hate hirenades the Gerreat, flat, ar aloud as each loaf careat anxiety lest they fall into the water and be polluted It took a long tiood dry loaf for each ave the Germans leave to come and carry in their wounded, and bade us hold our fire Gooja Singh was for playing a trick but the troopers near hih threatened hiot that
The Gerhed at us, but Ranjoor Singh forbade us to answer, and Captain Fellowes backed him up
”There will be another attack from our side presently,” said Captain Fellowes, ”and our friends will answer for us”
I shuddered at that I remembered the bombardment that preceded our first advance Better die at the hands of the ene Presently, however, a new thought ca the trench
”You should have ain,” said I ”You should have compelled them to care for our wounded before they were allowed to take their own!”
”I demanded, but they refused,” he answered, and then I wished I had bitten out h I believed his answer, the rest of the ainst hih was too subtle to be convicted of the responsibility
Captain Fellowes greare of theand h He eak from his wound and was attended constantly by twoand did ably he could not shout loud enough to be heard very far, and he had to send h from mouth to mouth His evident approval had soh not ht there was none left, save I, to lend our leader countenance And I was only his half-friend, without enough ht of seniority I illing enough to die at his back, but not to share contempt with him
The day passed and there came another day, when the bread was done, and there were no more Gerains It had ceased raining, so we could catch no rain to drink We were groeak froh that he lead us back toward the British lines
”We should perish on the way,” said he