# The Dilemma/Chapter XIX

CHAPTER XIX.
At last the long hot day began to wear to an end; and towards evening Yorke saw Colonel Falkland's carriage drive up under the residency portico, whence presently a messenger came to summon him.
He found the colonel standing on the gravel walk outside the house, apparently to avoid eavesdroppers, talking with Sparrow and Maxwell the doctor. He looked grave and anxious. "I am telling our friends here," he said, when Yorke came up to them, "the result of the council of war held in cantonments this afternoon. It was about as unsatisfactory as such councils always are. It is a thousand pities that Tartar was superseded. General Slough is an old woman. There were two straightforward courses to pursue. Either disarm the sepoys at once, boldly shooting them down if they resisted; or else take them with the field force, and show confidence in them. This would be the only chance of keeping them stanch. Old Slough has decided on a middle course, which will certainly fail, as all middle courses do. One regiment of native infantry is to be sent to Johtuck, nominally to guard the treasure there, in reality to get it out of the way; another is to go to Meharunpoor, for the same reason; the third is to stay here. Of course the sepoys see through this; in fact it is an invitation to them to mutiny and take themselves off. They march for their destination tonight; the Europeans march at two o'clock to-morrow morning, leaving the 80th N.I. behind; and we have about twenty-four hours to prepare before the rising which will now certainly take place.
"Well, now, to business. We at any rate must stick to our posts, and stand by the nawab, who is really behaving very well, under great temptation to do otherwise, to the last. I have arranged with the people in cantonments that this house shall be the rendezvous. Every house there is thatched; and there is not a defensible hole or corner in the place. Brigadier Polwheedle is there still, not being fit to travel, and his wife, Buxey the paymaster, and one or two others; and there will be the officers of the 80th, if they can get away. The nawab has proposed that we should occupy his palace, which is a very strong place; but that is on the other side of the city, and the people from cantonments might never be able to reach it. This house is substantial, and stands well in the open; and if we have only time to get ready, we may be able to hold out here till relief comes. I should have wished to begin preparations ten days ago; but as long as there was a chance of saving things by keeping up appearances, I was bound to hold my hand. All that has been done so far is to store some food. A part has been brought in already, and the nawab has a further supply at my disposal.
"You might arrange, Maxwell, to bring in some medicines to-night. Take my cart and fill it up with the needful things from the dispensary.
"I want you. Sparrow, to go to the palace at once with a message to the nawab. No," he continued, noticing the expression on his assistant's face, "I think there is much less danger of coming to grief if you ride through the city at night than if you go by day. Just step ​aside for a moment, and I will explain what has to be said.
"Now then," said the colonel, returning to where Yorke stood, after despatching his unwilling messenger, "let us arrange what has to be done to-morrow, for there is not a moment to be lost. It is unfortunate that we have no engineers here, to show us how the house might be retrenched; this is one of the occasions that come up in life to reproach us for past idleness and opportunities lost; and you, Yorke, I believe, did not go through Addiscombe; but I know you are a great military student. What are your ideas as to the best way of fortifying the residency?"
"There couldn't be a better house in India for the purpose, sir. Have you any spare treasure-bags over at the treasury? "
"Hundreds."
"Then let us have them filled with earth in the morning, and block up the verandas with sandbag walls; also the portico in the same way. The bushes in the garden near the house should be cut down, so as to destroy cover. The stables are a long way off, but unless they are occupied, and loopholed on the other side, the enemy might collect to any amount behind them and in them. Occupying them, the residency itself would not be exposed to fire on that side."
"True; and we should save the horses as long as we can — we may want them. Poor Kathleen, I should be sorry if she were to change hands without value received, and become the property of a general of rebels. But I think the stables are too far off to include in our scheme of defence."
"Well, then, sir, don't you think we ought to include Sparrow's house, at any rate? It is within easy musket-shot of your own, and would be very troublesome if occupied by an enemy; whereas, if we are in possession of it, there is open ground beyond, and we should in fact cover another front of our main fortress with a strong outpost."
"True; but think how this would weaken the garrison. And we don't even know yet whether we shall have a garrison. At best we shall not be more than a mere handful. No; I think we shall have quite enough to do with the main building. Let us concentrate our resources on that."
There was some further discussion about the arrangements for the morrow, and then Yorke wished the colonel goodnight, refusing his offer of dinner (it was now nine o'clock, and quite dark), although he would fain have taken another look at Olivia's anxious face; but, just as he was leaving, he turned back and said —
"Excuse the liberty, sir, but is it too late even now to send Mrs. Falkland to some place of safety?"
"Some place of safety! Where is such a spot to be found? I know of only one — the centre of the European force which is to march from cantonments to-night. But my wife could not ask for a privilege denied to the other ladies. Besides, the troops will have enough to do by themselves, without being encumbered with women and children."
"I feel sorry," added the young man with some hesitation, "that you did not send her to the hills with the escort that went a few days ago."
"Yes," replied Falkland, slowly, and looking down on the ground; "I suppose a man seldom has his duty put before him in such form as to require him to sacrifice what is dearer to him than his own life. It seems both careless and selfish to have kept her here, does it not? But it looked at one time as if everything would depend on our showing a bold front in every direction; and if the commissioner had manifested want of confidence by sending his wife away, he might have turned the balance. At least so it seemed to me at the time. Poor child!" he added, as if speaking to himself, "she is hardly conscious of her heroism, or what it has cost her husband to allow her to practise it. Had I known that the people in cantonments would be such fatuous blockheads, I might have acted differently. But it is useless to indulge in regrets. There is nothing to be done but to keep up a bold front to await the crash as best we may.
"Then do you think, sir, that it is quite certain the rest of the army will follow suit and go?"
"I do; all the supposed safeguards have failed us so far. Hindoos and Mohammedans have not shown the jealousy of each other that was expected; and the native officers, who had the strongest inducements to be faithful, seem to be taking the lead everywhere. And although several regiments are holding back for a time, not one has shown a distinct sign of standing by us, or displaying an active part against the mutineers. I expect we ​shall have the whole army on us sooner or later, although it may be by degrees."
"Then what chance have we against such numbers with our handful of Europeans?"
"Not much, apparently. But a good deal may be hoped for from luck, and the blunders the villains may be trusted to make. Already they have made a great mistake in not rising at the same time everywhere. Of course, my dear boy," continued the colonel, laying his hand on Yorke's shoulder, "you will not repeat what I say. I speak plainly to you because I see you are the sort of man to be trusted."
On returning to his little camp by the court-house, Yorke found a note from Spragge awaiting him, brought by a servant who had come out from cantonments with the rest of his things. "We are just starting for Johtuck," said the writer. "The old women who command here have not got the pluck to take us with them, or to disarm us, but send us away because they funk keeping us with the force. Of course the men see through the dodge, and there is a change come over them already. They look as sulky as fiends. If our dear old colonel had been with us still, we might have had a chance; but poor Dumble has gone quite foolish, and is about as fit to have charge of the regiment as a hospital-nurse would be; and we shall have a flare-up before long, and no mistake. I write in an awful hurry. Good-bye, old fellow, and better luck to you than we are likely to have."
Just as Yorke had finished reading the note, the senior native officer of the detachment came up to make his report for the night; the old man's manner was quiet and respectful, as usual, and conveyed no impression that anything was wrong. Dismissing him, Yorke threw off his shell-jacket, and, lying down on the little cot which had been placed in front of the tent, watched the scene before him. A few yards in advance of his own tent was the little line of sepoys' tents, but the men were mostly sleeping outside, to get what air was to be had; a few were sitting in groups, passing the pipe round and talking. In advance was the guard-tent, with two sentries pacing up and down before it. Watching the peaceful scene, and wondering whether it was really to be the precursor of a life's crisis, the young man fell asleep.