The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-09
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CHAPTER XVI.
DIN ISop YJI,Iy

A BID FOR LIFE
Wo have seen how September l4th
| dawned, SO far as Lieutenant Fane was
concerned. within the doomed city of the
Mogul emperors. Let'us go back little,
and outside the walls to trace for a
| brief time the movements of one who IS
not stranger to these pages, though 1t
is months since he played part In them.
| There were many sleepless eyes. many
anxious hearts, In the british lines on
the night of the 18th, and the order to
turn out at 3 o'clock in the morning
was welcome relief from the strain.
| Down from the environments on the
| ridge, in silence and darkness. the four
| columns of attack marched toward the
northern ramparts of Delhi in accord
ance with the plan approved by General
| Nicholson.
| He himself led q thousand mem chosen
| for the arduous task of stormlng the
partly ruined Cashmere gate. a thou
sand more were ready to support him,
and another thousand posted themselves
| by the river opposite the water bastion
| A reserve of 1900 was placed in the
| rear, and to the westward 1000 untried
troops waited for orders by the Cabul
gate. which was to be opened to them II
| the assault succeeded. Six thousand five
hundred. all told, comprised the army of
retribution. and opposed to them were
10000 well armed and desperate mutt
neers.
Tho first and main column was made
| up of the 18th Highlandcrs, the Goth
Rifles, the 20 Punjabees and the Bengal
| f'uslleers; and in the decimated ranks
of the latter regiments. with which he
had cast in his lot weeks before, was
Ralph Estcourt.
In the lean. slin-scorched, untidy man,
with matted beard and hair, and with a
wild glitter in his eyes, 1t was difficult
to recognize the once genial. high splr-
itcd planter OF Rampoora
ut won't be long now" he murmurcd,
half aloud as the column halted In the
dim. gray light, within sight OF the
frowning walls.
II hope not old man." said friend
and comrade on his left. who had over
! heard the remark. Revenge and re-
member Cawnpore: that's the watch
word. And there's some Of us have per-
sonal scores to wipe out" ho added.
with note Of Interrogation.
Tam one Of them" Estcourt replied,
while fiery red spot burned In each
sunken cheek cts all I've got to live
that's kept efalive these cursed drag
ging weeks Of waiting Let me get into
the thick of the devils, let me strike
them down right and left with my own
hand. and see them writing and shriek-
Ing in their death agones! And then
well, i ask no more WeIcone ny
first bullet or sword-point that finds its
"Don't talk like that You'll pull
through all right"
II hope not. Fairburn. You don't under
stand"
1t was true-only Estcourt himself un-
derstood. He spoke calmly, duly. but
his words had the tense ring OF an unal-
terable purpose. How hungrliy ne had
looked forward to this hour. ana now
it had come at last!
In common with Every soldier, me
shared the hot thirst to wreak VEN
geance on the murderers of women and
children, but In this case there was an
extra incentive as well. Since his es-
cape in June from Chandrn slnEhs
troopers. and the perious journey thar
had ended with his snfe arrival at the
British environments on the Ridge, ne
had heard nothing Of his sister or, OF
Lieutenant Fame, except the neager fhct
that they had been brought into penn.
That either survived he did not beileVe
for q moment He had never doubted
that both AIadge and JACK were aeau,
foully slain, and to shed blood for blood
seemed the only thing worth living for.
"Noe to tho wicked cty-the sword is
ripe for thee!" he said to himself. quot
irg from the words OF the chaplain that
morning.
"By Jove. we're off" exclaimed young
Fairburn. Listen, Estcourt!
Yes. the bugle was sounding the al al
vance. and on the echo of Its clear
notes fell the wild skirl of the Stirling
shire IIighlanders' bagpipes. Then inc
storm OF artillery and rifle fire burst,
and one Of the first killed was tatr-
burn, who spattered Estcourt with plood
as he dropped. In the teeth Of the deadly
hail, through tho breaking radiance OF
tho morning the column pressed on,
But not too quickly; before they could
yet to close quarters with the enemy
and show their Valor and mettle, way
had to be paved for them.
How that was done the world knows,
can never forget. The heroic incident
| was to stamp the names OF the part'cl'
pators indelibly into the pages or MS
tory. An explosion party. consisting o.
engineers and, sappers, and covered by
| a squad of tho Goth. had pushed well IN
|advance OF the main line. Home. Sal
|keld and their followers dashed through
| the shower of bullets, crossed the ditch,
and dropped their 25-pound bags or pow
der at the very foot Of the great double
gate. Salkeld fell wounded, and Burgess
and Carmichael were shot down, one
| after the other. In tho attempt to light
| the fuse. But as he was breathing his
| last with his expiring effort, Cnrml'
| clael applied the port fire. treinch-
dolls roar shook tho earth-it was inc OK,
| plosion Jack heard from the roof or
| Gnvfnd Punt,s. house-and as the smoke
l'lfted a little the gate was seen to be a
mass of shattered fragments
Then Hawthorne. tho bugler, who nag
| accompaned tho stormlng party. sound
| ed the signal for the general advance.
| and with lusty cheers the column swept
forward, Nothing could check that des'
perate rush. Raked by round shot, grape
and musketry. the troops carried the
| narrow lane that led to the Cashmere
gate, burst through the breach, and
poured into the Chandney Choke, en-
posed to terrific fire from roofs. VIM
dows and balconies.
Campbell, followed closely. and mean
while the third column We're lighting to
win the breach by the water bastion'
They carried 1t with great loss OF lie.
and joined by part Of Nicholson's force
they cleared the ramparts toward the
Cashmere and NORGE gates.