HOW THADY BRYAN KEPT HIS EYES OPEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 6

HOW THADY BRYAN KEPT HIS EYES OPEN.

(By John Dougall Reid.) Thady Bryan, of the “Blind Half Hundred,” swept the sweat out of his eyes with the back of his hand, and looked wearily up the seemingly endless white road that trailed and twisted its way over the rising ground towards the first foothills keeping the feet of the mountain chain. Like every man of the escort, infantry, and artillery, he was pretty well sd-ck of that road—its monotony, its dust, and the exasperating way it had of lengthening out for ever. Four, the time for the afternoon halt, was yet a full hour away, and as ho locked back at the long transport train, dragging and lumbering through the hanging pall of dust raised by the quick tramoling of mules, the slower slouch of oxen, and ponderous roll of waggon wheels, he found cause for thankfulness that he had been sent ahead as scout, and so escaped being one of the unfortunates, who, in two straggling strings, clodded along beside the waggons and so got full value of all the dust that was going. Where he was he could at least open his iriouth without having it filled with girt. A mounted officer, looking, horse, face, everything, the colour of his khaki uniform, came spurring out of the cloud, leaving a trail behind him that rose and hxing like smoke. Reining up close to Bryan, he returned the latter’s salute.

“Nothing suspicious in front?” he asked in a sort of croak, as if the dust had somehow got into his throat. “Nothing, sir.” “TJm. Well, I wish to impress upon you the necessity for keeping a sharp look-out for the next two or three miles. Just round the shoulder of that hill ahead of us there’s a rather nasty bit, and although I don’t expect danger, it is best to be ready for it.” “I understan’, sir.”

“Um. Hope you do—better for yourself. Keep your eyes open, and to help you in that I’ll send you on a companion scout. You may manage it between you. And with the words he wheeled his horse, and tore back through the cloud he had raised coming up, making it worse than ever. Bryan looked after him, grinning. “Sbwl,” he muttered, “an’ it’s a downright trate an’ all to hear a man tillin’ another man to do what he can’t do hisself. 'Kape your eyes open,’ says lie —mi’ him sitting in his saddle blinkin’ like an owl tryin’ to' look at the sun. Lord, what a soap an’ water it’ll take to wash the muck off’n that crowd down

there. Mighty glad I’m not Holy ” He did not even finish the examination, so intense was the interest, excited by what had provoked it. For the space of a full minute he stood staring fixedly in the direction of the hill to which the officer had referred, a broad, rounded elevation, beyond which the road vanished, re-appearing again on the farther slopes at a distance of perhaps three miles. He was still staring with a look at onoe alert and suspicious, when he heard his name called, and, turning, saw Alf Hockley, a man of his own company, ploughing towards him through the ankle deep dust. “Blimy, hut this is a bit of all right, an’ no error,” said the new-comer in a tone of intense satisfaction, as he came up. “When the captain told me as I was to come on here an’ join you, I could ha’ sung, ‘He’s a jolly good fellow,’ even though he is a loony as believes in doin’ everything in a hurry. A bloke cn.n get breath here, an’ that’s more than . But, I say, comrade what’s up ? You’re lookin’ mighty glum.”

Bryan glanced back at the approaching train, now barely two hundred yards off, and answered—- “ Well, it’s mebbe nothing—an’ thin again it may be a lot. Let’s move on, an’ I’ll be arthfer tollin’ you as we go.”

The proposal was acted upon, and presently the Irishman resumed. “The captain told me that beyant that bill ahead av us there’s a bad bit av road.”

"Yes, he told me too—said we’d got to keen our eyes onen.” “That same. Well. I happened to be lookin’ at that hill a minute agone, an’ all at wance there came right up over the top av it a burst, av smoke.” “Smoke!” ejaculated Rookley incredulously. “Dust, you mean.” “Dust be jiggered!” retorted Bryan, sharply. “Dust would be grey .or white, not blue, an’ it wouldn’t rise straight up in a round ball. No, it was smoke, an’ it came from some sort av exnlosion, though I didn’t hear any noise. Too far off, it’s like.”

‘‘Then you think ” began Rockley, and stopped. “I think there’s some divilry goin’ on beyant that hill an’ us two have got to look out for it.”

Almost as if by way of approving his guess, there came a low, booming sound, like the far-off firing of a heavy gun or a peal of distant thunder. A pause of silence followed, lasting perhaps for five or six seconds, and then there x'olled in from the unseen region behind the hill, a jarring, rattling noise, broken in upon by quick, sharp shocks. It rose almost inaudibly, swelled to a dull roaring, then sank and died as it had begun. The two scouts looked at each other, each reading the conviction in the other’s eyes. Then, as a mingled olan-

gour of bugle and trumpet brought the train to a halt, Bryan laid his hand ou Hockley's arm, speaking sharply and fast.

“Now, look here, comrade, don’t you be afther sayin’ a word about that smoke I saw. I’ve an idea about it, but it won’t do to say anything till we’re sure. If Captain Carfard hadn’t such a divil’s own hot head on him, it ’ud be all right, but —well, if we told him now, like as not he’d spoil everything.” “All right,” said Hockley. “I’ll keep my trap shut till you say open.” While he was speaking a group of five horsemen, one of whom was the captain, came up the road at a hand-gal-lop, the while the gun division in the rear divided and swept out on the stony levels skirting the road, advancing to the head of the train, where it halted and unlimbered.

On reaching the scouts, the group of officers drew up, and Captain G-arford, whose eager look, ranid movements, and hurried speech rendered -it difficult be believe him the sterling soldier he really was, asked sharply : “You hear that noise, yotr two men?” “Yes, sir.” “Where did it appear to come from ?” “Behind yonder hill, sir.” “Um. Well, gentlemen, we’ll advance as far a« the hill, and try to make out what has happened. It must have been a landslide, for the natives hereabout are too cowed to attempt any hostile action so far in rear of the advanced force, and with our troops holding all the district. I only hope, though, that it hasn’t blocked the road.”

As he ended his jerkily spoken sentences he set off at full speed, the others following, and the whole raising such a “stour” as all but hid them from sight. The gunners, silent and watchful, stood in theii* places beside the two thirteen-pounders, and behind them the infantry had massed in two solid bodies, also silent and equally watchful.

There was a slight, a very slight, wind blowing, and as it was coming straight down the road, it brought with it a cloud as hiph as a church, and nearly as solid, the legacy of the impetuous captain. To avoid it. Bryan struck off the road and sat down among the stones 1 . He was laughing in an oddly derisive way.

“What’s the joke?” asked Rockley, following.

“I was just tihinkin’ how easy it is for dust to get into some min’s heads and fag their brains useless,” was the reply. “You mean the can tain?”

I "That same. You heard what, he 1 said 'that the natives hereabouts are not likely to do anything agin us so i far in rear of the advanced column. Saints alive! did it never enter his head that that’s just the reason they might i ho afther attempting to do

something agin us —because -they’re so far in the rear that they’re not likely to he suspected. Ooh, och, the heads av some min, now !” ‘■'But, see here, I don’t quite make you out.” ‘'in’, yet it’s easy enough. Isn’t it a fae’ that the advanced column is run-, nin’ a bit short av ammynition an’ stores ? Ain’ isn’t it another fan’ that the ammynition an’ stores are in that train av ours? Well then if the natives roun’ here can help their frincLs furder up by capturin’, destroyin’, eleven kapin’ back the train, d’ye think tiny won’t try ? At any rate, that smoke told me something, an’ av there’s been a landslide, I’m afther intendin’ to see how it came about just at this time an’ just at this place—see?” Hockley’s comment was a low, but very expressive, whistle. “I believe you’re right,” he said; “an’ I think I see why you didn’t want the captain to know.” “The captain,” said Bryan, sententiously, “is a good man, some ways, but av he’d take time to think he’d bo even better. Looks to me as he was born in a hurry—more by token he’ll die in wan too, av he kapes on as he’s doin’. But yonder they’re cornin’ hack; let’s get on the road again.” As the horsemen rode up the officer in charge of the guns shouted a question.

“Yes, there has been a landslide,” the captain called in answer. “It’s too far ahead for us to make out the whole extent of the damage; still I don’t think the road is blocked. But we’ll find out all about that when we reach the olace.” With this the brief halt came to an end, and presently the train was on the move again, the guns falling in as before, in the rear. It was with considerable excitement that the two scouts rounded at length the shoulder of the screening hill, and obtained a clear view of the deep and narrow valley into which the road from that noint descended. And with the first look both saw enough to give grave weight to Bryan’s suspicions. The place where the landslide, or rock avalanche had fallen, was just where the valley narrowed to a d steep, rock-strewn slopes on both sides. A haze of dust, looking like a thin smoke, hung over the place, rendering it difficult to see the extent to which the fallen rocks and debris had encroached upon the road, but it was unlikely, the two men thought, that the free track could have escaped obstruction. In that case delay was certain, for thought active men might surmount the obstacle, passage for wheels or hoofs would he utterly impossible. “Looks a bit ugly, don’t it?” said Buckley. “Is it the road ye mane?” returned Bryan, grimly. “Yes, it does—but I see something that’s uglier yet.” “What?”

“Look to the right av the valley, a hit nearer us than the place where the rocks came down. D’ye see anything ?” “I see a sort ov gorge that winds up to the top of the hill.”

“No mo-re?” “Yes. There’s a cluster ov huts at the mouth ov it-; a village, I expect.”

“Right. Ail’ now I’ll lie aftlier tollin’ you something. That -village, or rather the gentry in it, could, tell us how that landslide fell at this particular time if they liked. Another thing, that isn’t a ryot’s village—there isn’t a hit ov ground as ’ud grow a hlade av grass for miles. It’s a lootwallah’s village, or has been, an’ in the gorge at the back av’ it there are some things that ’ud rather surprise Captain Garford, I’ll go bail. Ye see, I’ve been up in this country afore, an’ I know what thim places are.” ‘Then what d’ye mean to' do?” ‘ If the road’s blocked, as I expect, I’m goin’ up, afther dark, to the top av the hill. Then when the moon rises, I’ll be able to find out if the landslide came about naturally or was helped by powder. When I’ve got that, I’ll have something to tell Captain Garford.” “When you’ve got itl Am I to be left out, then?” “I don’t want to leave ye out, but I didn’t care to aac ye to come, justbee a use this job will run nearer king-

don#- come than most min ’ud care about.”

“I don’t car if it runs right in, I’m coming. But what makes it so dangerous?”

“Just this, that, as you can see for yourself, the only way to the top av the hill is up that gorge, an’ to reach the gorge we’ll have to get through the village, like as not crammed wid cut-throats. If we’re found out, detected—•—”

He drew his hand across his throat by way of finishing the sentence, and with that grim pantomime the conversation ended.

On reaching the pass, which they did about an hour afterwards, Captain Oarford and his officers found that though matters might have been worse, they were yet serious enough. The road was so badly blocked that it would take at least a week to clear it, for the waggons, so far as he could see, and meanwhile as he knew, the advanced column drivino- a wedge into the country of a savage Chamkannis. was urgently in need of ammunition, not to speak of other stores. His language was of the strongest possible, and his activity made near approach to the whirlwind type as he set about devising means for coping with the difficulty. A rough camp was formed, partly on the road and partly on a gentle slope beside it, and the wearied and dusty force addressed themselves to making the best of the situation.

While the men were arranging things in the encampment, the captain and his subordinates made an exhaustive survey of the blocked road, preparatory to attacking the obstacle, and while they were thus engaged the headsman of the village came in with offers of help. He and those with him expressed the' deepest concern, and . were particularly insistent upon the wholly accidental nature of the occurrence. Indeed they were just too insistent, so much so that one or two of the junior officers, more clearsighted than their leader, grew suspicious. The captain, however, took all he heard for gosnel. and dismissed the wily natives with high approval, it having been arranged that a strong working party was to come from the village in the moi*ning. “Now,” said Bryan, as with Hockley lie stood watching the wTlcTTooking figures retiring up the road, “now comes our turn. It’ll be dark in half an hour, an’ then we’ll start. I’ve got you an’ myself put on the camp guard as Ilyin’ sentries, so we can go where we like at bout bein’ missed. An’ it’s mighty glad I am now I took this notion in my head, I am that same.” “How ? Have you found out anything new ?” “Only this, that while the captain was talkin’ to tliim natives I hid 1 in wan av the waggons an’ watched. I saw that the black divil’s were takin’ notice av everything, an’ what’s more, exchangin’ signals right under the noses av thim smart officers av ours. They mane mischief, do thim hillsmen, an’ it’s for us two to spoil their little game. You are all ready, I suppose?” ‘Yes; only waitin’ for the bugle.” The bugle did not keep them waitin’ long, and the guard having been set and the ’fixed sentries posted, the intrepid pair passed beyond the sentry chain, and without a moment’s delay started on their perilous expedition. If they could prove the landslide to have been

the result of human intention they could secure the prompt punishment of the villager®, in spite of the captain’s pig-headed optimism, and so frustrate what both felt to he some intended treachery. But not even Bryan himself had, at setting out, so much a.s the remotest idea of the full depth and extent of that treachery or the deadly imminence of the n-eril hanging over the whole British force. That knowledge came later—and only just in time.

Making a wide detour to keep clear of possible observation from the village, the two soldiers crossed the road and came down on the gorge on the side farthest from the camp. Then, moving with a caution that made them appear like soundless shadows creeping in the gloom, they stole into the gorge, keeping as much as possible to' the side of the ravine, and consequently at the back© of the huts. To leave their hands free, both had sinner their rifles, deeming the broad-bladed, razer-edged bayonet the best weapon for quick and noiseless work in the event of discovery —that and a tight grip on the throat. To their surprise they found the village apparently deserted. Lamps were burning dimly in some of the huts, and once or twice they heard the sound of voices, hut, so far as they could make out, all the male population of the place had gone. Gone—hut where? That was the question Bryan set himself to answer as, having got clear of the huts, he groped his way up through the midnight darkness of the gorge, closely followed by Rockies'-.

In this way they had got half-way to the top, when they saw ahead of them a dull, red glow, like the reflection of hidden fire.

Although when first seen the red glow was barely eighty feet above them, it took the scouts nearly an hour to reach it, so slowly were they compelled to mow. But when they did reach it, and were able to peer over the rock behind which they crouched, the sight they saw almost took away what breath they had left. Just beyond their hiding-place the narrow gorge suddenly widened out- into a vast- -circular hollow or pit, the sides of which rose sheer to the hill crest far above. The floor, though uneven, was comparatively flat, and on this, dimly seen by the light- of one or two wood fires, and a number of native lamps scattered about, was a great assemblage of hill warriors—Ohamkannis all, by their turbans. There were hundreds of them, and all were heavily armed. They appeared to he idling the time away pending the arrival of some appointed hour, for while some lay or stood about in groups, conversing, by far the greater number had gone to sleep on ’h© ground, and among them, earnestly talking to half-a-dozen men who seemed to be chiefs, was the headsman of the village. Choking down an oath in his throat, Bryan drew down Hockley’s head, and breathed, rather than whispered, in his ear.

“No need to go any furder —an’ the sooner we get back to camp the better. We’ve only two hundred min—an’ the sooner we get back to camp the- better. We’ve only two hundred min—an’ there’s five or six hundred -‘here. If they rush us atliout warnin', wee’ll be wiped out. Come an’ for the love av the good God, make no noise.”

“Lead,” said Hockley, in a tense whisper, and drawing back from the rock, they were instantly swallowed up in the blackness of the gorge. Captain Garford might be eccentric, but lie was in no sense a fool, and no sooner had he mastered the story told by the scouts than he took prompt action, although in view of the possibility of the enemy’s scouts lurking about, that action was quite divested of its ! wonted hurry and fuss. The guns were j loaded with case and trained on him ! village, the rampart afforded by the i ring of waggons was strong!boned io : the utmost and the men told off la their places. Then the sentries were withdrawn from without, and in a silence that weighed on the whole camp like a nightmare they awaited the is-me. j The moon was rising, lessoning the

darkness a little, when the straining ears of the defenders caught a low, humming rustling sound, and from the direction of the gorge there began to loom up a black, indistinct mass. It crept imperceptibly nearer, until it was barely two hundred yards away. Then, like the sudden barking of a dog, a command rang out in the camp. Instantly the line of waggons sprang into a blaze of blue light as the flares placed upon them were lit by swift hands. Darkness vanished before the broad, fierce gleam, and then the serried mass of the Ohamkannis was seen stealing stealthily down the road. In the surprise of the moment they halted, hut almost instantly rallying, burst into a headlong charge, the yell they gave filling the Avliole valley. And just at that moment another command was given, and the two 13-pounders went off tog-ether. The effect was awful. Case shot-, a.t that range, lets nothing escape, and watching, the defenders saw' the whole front of the charge suddenly turn crimson and fall as grass falls before the scythe. Then the roaring magazine fire of the rifles streamed out, carrying still more of death and disaster into the reeling mass of the enemy. Yet with splendid courage they strove even then to advance, and twice surged forward against the fire tearing through them. But it was useless, and seeing this and that half their number had fallen, they finally broke and fled, just as the flares burned out and darkness shut down on the echoing valley. Ten days later the train reached the advanced column —and not before it was wanted.