The Sword of Damocles

Chapter I

"guest night." " It is not the quantity of the meat but the cheerfulness of the guests, which makes the feast." — lord Clarendon. One of the waiters in the officers' mess of the 126th being laid up in hospital, Joe Corcoran was appointed to the vacant post as a temporary measure; for Heffernan, who was on the mess committee, remembering how admi rably the giant acquitted himself at Sandeepore, had recommended him to the commanding officer as being well qualified to fill the vacancy, if he could only manage to keep steady. Of this there seemed every chance, for Joe had turned over a new leaf, and stuck to it for some time past. But he always kept straight enough so long as he abjured the fatal lance stripe • besides, was he not now under the eye of " that blessed little 'un " and her mother ?

And such being the case, Joe was proof against all the chowkidar's insinuating imitations of the canteen call, or any other doubtful influence. There was an additional incentive, moreover, for remain ing onhis best behaviour, in the hope he entertained of returning to England with the " Captin " and the rest VOL. III. B of the party, when they went in the cold weather. This pro spect Joe had anxiously discussed with Gwennie and her mother, who seemed to look upon it as probable that the matter would be arranged by Heffernan when the time came, for he had made some mention of it to them, though only indefinitely. The Cameronians were fortunate in their mess-house at Fyzabad, which was a very handsome and commodious building, situated on a raised plateau some thirty feet above the banks of the river Gogra.

The compound in which it stood was hedged round on three sides, the fourth, or west boundary, being the river itself, whose waters afforded con siderable sport and amusement to the officers, especially in the monsoons, when numbers of alligators were shot with rifles from the mess grounds above. Like most structures in India, the house was flat-roofed, with a verandah running round its basement, covered in with sloping thatch, the eaves of which were supported by " chunam " columns. The entrance to the building from the east side, or that facing the cantonments, led through an anteroom into a lofty, spacious mess-room, on the left of which was the billiard-room, looking south — on the right, the stores, mess sergeant's and servants' quarters ; and opposite stood a row of pillars, reaching from floor to ceiling, beyond which was another sitting-room, formed by the verandah bulging out on this face in the segment of a circle, the pillars constituting the chord, and the outer wall the arc, into which was let a corresponding row of glass doors, a view of the river being thus obtainable from the several points.

One morning, soon after his appointment, as Joe was moving some stores in the mess compound, he caught sight of Sergeant Baines passing by, and recognizing his Bareilly comrade, went to the gate and hailed him, when they entered into conversation. They had met two or " Guest Nicht." o 3 three times before in Fyzabad, though only to exchange a few brief remarks ; but on this occasion they had a good growl together about the hot weather and the " vile country " generally, when Baines made the giant's mouth water considerably by the following observation : — "' Kuch purwarnee,1 good time coming,' as the Bengalee Baboo sings, Master Corcoran — and I'm going home, I am, please the Lord, this next cold season as ever is. Young Mr. Grayle, ye know, who I pulled out of that Nainee Tal lake, he's goin' to buy me, and take me along with him as his servant."

" Lor, how very nice ! " said Joe. " Now if the Captin would only do the same by me, and take me home as his servant, or get me to the depot, I should be in clover." Joe had chiefly an eye to the depot, for he also had " taken on " again lately, but, unlike Baines, had no wish to cut the service altogether, though he was very anxious to return to England and see his old mother once more • especially as " them two was a-goin'," meaning Georgie and her little girl. He was such a thorough old barrack stager that the idea of taking his discharge never once entered his head. Indeed, he would probably have pined like a scarlet geranium without water had he been deprived of the refreshing drill and discipline which kept him well starched and pipe-clayed, both in intellect and uniform. Without the sergeant-major's sharp bullying tones, or the drill-sergeant's frightful blasphemy and chronic abuse, he would have felt something like a ship at sea without a man at the wheel.

Such is the peculiar influence of long usage, particularly in the barrack square, where an old sol dier becomes so thoroughly seasoned that his ideas are even more cramped and spasmodic than his physical movements. As in a four or five months' voyage round the Cape to 1 Never mind. b i India, when passengers begin almost to imagine that there can be no other sphere outside the bulwarks of the vessel, so is it in the army when many officers, as well as men, learn to look upon " the regiment " as a distinct world of their own, beyond which they have no ambition, and scarcely a thought. Everything then is judged by regimental contrast and comparison. Jones is the best rider in the regiment, Smith is the best shot, Brown is the strongest man, and so on ; in fact, I've heard an excited ensign in a discussion go so far as to assert with perfect gravity that Harrow was the best public school in the regiment !

In time of sorrow and trouble, moreover, as in time of joy and excitement, the regimental standard is ever uppermost on the soldier's lips; which calls to mind a mourn fully comic incident relative to an old Irish private — a sub altern's servant — whose wife, like other barrack women when quartered in England, took in officers' washing. This poor creature died suddenly— a victim to disgraceful sanatory arrangements in the married quarters — and as her body was being removed, the bereaved soldier, saluting his officer gravely, merely observed in a quavering voice, — "Faith! sorr — (sob) — there goes the foinest whasher woman in the ridgemint, sorr !" — (sob) — and, turning to the right-about, marched after her remains with a firm step but an aching heart. Joe's conversation with the artilleryman was soon inter rupted by the voice of the mess-sergeant, calling out in a querulous key to know " What he was at a-talkin' away there, as if he was a orf-ficer in the mess, and had got nothing to do ?

" The fact was they were very busy that morning opening and shifting stores, &c, and there was a big guest-night on the tapis the same evening, so Joe hurried back to his business with a flea in his ear. " Guest Night." 5 It happened on this particular night that most of the officers of the regiment, who were not on leave in the Hills, had, as if by mutual agreement, invited one or more guests to dine ; so it promised to be rather a convivial gathering, and a pleasant break in the dreary monotony prevalent during that piping hot weather. Moberley, Jack Overton, and two or three other civilians, besides several officers from the Artillery, 38th N.I., and 7th Bengal Cavalry, were entertained on the occasion ; and it was a cheery sight to see the long table well filled, after the scanty attendance at mess for so many weary evenings.

Guest-night only came once a week, and there was rarely such a muster as at present even in the cold weather. The dinner-table at an officers' mess in India during the summer months presents a decidedly unique appearance — very light and airy in its aspect, from the white costumes of those dining, and the attendants themselves, and the great white punkahs swinging overhead ; so much dazzling whiteness being relieved only by the glittering glass and silver plate, which offers a chaste contrast to the surroundings. Floral decorations are out of the question in the plains at that season, and seldom attempted — albeit an enterprising regiment may now and then make an effort with a few green plants, by way of symphonizing nature with art. The mess-table of the Cameronians was ornamented by several handsome silver epergnes with dragon stems (the emblem of the China campaign) ; and, in addition to other pieces of plate, a couple of rams'-head snuff-boxes (silver mounted) at either end — one being that of a Scotch, and the other a Cabul ram — obtained before the Chinese war ; while their services and plate bore the five-pointed Angus star as the regimental crest, the Earl of Angus having been their first colonel in the year 1689.

As some of the guests rode or drove up to the mess house, the full complement of pipers was playing outside " Happy we've been a' thegether ;" and shortly afterwards, when all were assembled in the anteroom, " The Roast Beef of Old England" rang out on the key-bugles, which was a signal for a general move into the mess-room. Since every guest and officer brought his own native servant, and to these may be added the mess staff — which consisted of the sergeant as butler, two soldier footmen, and four or five khitmutgars — there were more waiting than waited upon; 'but notwithstanding the number of attendants, little or no confusion was observable. The stalwart form of Joe Corcoran being an innovation, a glance of curiosity was now and again directed towards him, as of wonder how that great stolid mass could find room to move so quietly and deftly amid the crowd, for Joe performed his duties in a very creditable aud dignified manner ; though he was rather interfered with by the punkah fringes, which occasionally brushed his back hair up the wrong way, as if protesting against his obtrusive height.

There were a good many white faces round the table that evening, for the heat lately had been unusually in tense at Fyzabad; but as dinner progressed and the champagne circulated, eyes became brighter, and a little more colour crept up into the pale cheeks. The repast over, and the wine having been placed on the table, the president called from his seat at the head, " Mr. Vice ; the Queen ! " " The Queen," was the response ; " God bless her ! " being murmured by many a loyal subject as he sipped his wine, whilst the Cameronian band outside played the national anthem. Afterwards the wild strains of the bag pipes commenced without, and suddenly burst into the mess- " Guest Ni<rht." 7 room, when the pipe-major, followed by two pipers in full Highland costume, performed a march three times round the table.

To those guests who were unaccustomed to the pipes, this part of the programme may have appeared rather harsh and deafening ; though even to the most fastidious ears there was something specially inspiriting and jovial in the intoxicating music, which dispelled for a time the comatose feeling engendered by the heat. The officers of a Scotch regiment have a natural fond ness for the dear old pipers; and as Moberley glanced around at the benign expression on the face of each host, he could not help thinking of Sandy's notion of heaven — who dreamt he was "in a sma' sma' room with far-r-and-twenty pipers in tilt, a' playin' different tunes at ance " — and wondered if all Scotchmen were as enthusiastic as Sandy. After completing the third round, the pipe-major and his followers formed up behind the senior officer, changing the air suddenly to a strathspey, and from that to a High land reel.

They then ceased playing, and each received a glass of whisky ; whereupon the pipe-major drank the health of the officers both in Gaelic and English. This done, another march was performed three times round the table, when the pipers made their exeunt, and continued to play until well clear of the mess. The buzz of conversation now became general for a few minutes, but was partially suppressed when the band com menced an operatic selection ; at the conclusion of which the pipe-major re-entered — alone this time — and played a " phiobaireachd ; " this being followed, atrequest, by the beautiful old Highland melody, " The Mackintosh's Lament." The wine had now gone round twice, and as it was no formal inspection dinner, when etiquette forbids any officer to leave the table before the General, cheroots were got under weigh, and an adjournment made by several to the verandah and billiard-room, while others formed a group outside in the compound.

Tommy Rawson had been particularly lively during dessert, and various wild equestrian feats had been proposed by him. First of all he wanted to get up a moonlight polo match then and there, versus the station (the Cameronians had a capital team, though two or three of them were then absent), but to this there was no response; so his next idea was a steeplechase round cantonments, to start from the mess compound and take the river Gogra as the first obstacle — "A nice little water-jump, you know!" as he observed, jocularly. In point of fact it had long been Tommy's ambition to swim the Gogra on horseback, and had any one dared him he would have made the attempt ; but, on the contrary, earnest dissuasion being used, he reluctantly refrained ; and it was just as well, considering the swift current, which would probably have brought him to utter grief.

A wild Highland war-song, now played by the pipers, roused the hubbub then prevailing in the verandah, to a still higher pitch, for — " In the noon of night that pibroch thrills Savage and shrill ;" and every one seemed infused with the spirit of its strains. " By Jehoshaphat ! something out of the common must be done this evening," vowed Tommy in his heart, carried away by the whirligig of his own feelings and the stirring pipes. The mess was full of jolly good fellows, and such a festive meeting ought to be signalized by some memo rable frolic, he thought ; so a little later on, when the pipers struck up " The Cameronian Rant " — an ancient reel played at the end of a programme, before " God save the Queen " — his excited voice was heard in the billiard-room, — " Guest Night." 9 '' My dear fellow, the river be hanged.!

Leave that out if you're afraid of it. We'll have a match on the proper steeple-chase course all cut and dried, and I'll back my old screw, " Fly-by-night," against any horse — aye, any two horses you can bring, one down t'other come on." " Very well," laughed Overton, for he it was whom Tommy thus challenged by way of making a start ; " but why not let it be open to all ? " " Nothing could be better ; the more the merrier. There are lots of kindred spirits who'll enter, I know," said Tommy, cajolingly, " aud there's moon enough for any one. You'll run the caster, Tiny ? " " Can't, I'm on duty." " Never mind, get some one else to ride him. Grayle's your man, ain't you, Hector ? — or will you enter the Arab ? " " I'd rather, I think," replied Hector ; " my neck would have a better chance than ou Tiny's old camel."

" All right, that makes three then," cried Tommy. " Who else ? Don't all speak at once." "I'll have a shy," exclaimed Atherley of the cavalry, in a desperate tone, thinking he might as well break his neck as any other fellow. " Good man ! " said Tommy, patting him on the back. " One more, and up goes the donkey ; then we'll have a lottery. Come, Rajah, put in the Waler." Heffernan shook his head ; he had plenty of pluck, but didn't relish these harum-scarum larks by night, especially with a valuable horse like Melbourne, and he wouldn't have trusted himself on either of his stud-breds. " M'Culloch! you enter old Haggis!" persevered Rawson ; but M'Culloch didn't seem* to see it either. " Take my oath I never saw such fellers," exclaimed Tommy. " What ! no one else enter for the Grand Rational by moonlight ?

Think how it'll look in the papers, gentlemen— I'll send it tnyself to the Pioneer and Delhi Gazette — " "Never mind, Tommy," observed Hector; "four'lldo; we can make a race of that and a lottery too." " Of course we can," chimed in one of the guests, fonder of betting than riding ; " let's have the materials, no time to lose." " Koi hai!" shouted some one else; " khullum cei Jcargos lao,julde." (Bring pen, ink, and paper; quick !) "Take my oath, Heffernan," ran on Tommy, "I never thought you'd stand back. Why, hang it, man, old Melbourne's as black as night himself — once he got a start we should never see him again, and you might steal in like a thief." Heffernan couldn't stand much chaff at any time, and Tommy Rawson went at him now so persistently, that he finally gave in, and agreed to enter Melbourne in self defence.

Rawson very often tried to "take a rise ont of the Rajah," and on one occasion Heffernan thought to re taliate by getting him to mount a young Waler belonging to one of the officers in the artillery, a most notorious " buck-jumper," whom no rough-rider in the place could stick to. "I'll bet you an even five gold mohurs he puts you out of the saddle, Tommy," said Heffernan, with a confident air. " Done ! " cried Rawson, jumping at the challenge; " take my oath he won't — double, if you like." " All right, double," returned the other, fancying bis money safe enough ; and the horse was accordingly procured, which Tommy mounted forthwith. An amusing struggle then ensued, the Waler arching his back like a cat, and buck-jumping with all his might and " Guest Night." 11 main — and tail too (as his rider observed afterwards) — to get rid of him ; but in vain, for Rawson stuck tight as a leech.

Presently, however, to the astonishment of every one, and just as they thought he had mastered the Tartar, Tommy was seen flying over the brute's head like a tennis ball ; whereupon Heffernan mentally pocketed the ten gold mohurs, and went to pick him up. But when they approached the fallen hero, who was grinning from ear to ear in triumph, they found him with the saddle still between his knees, sure enough, but with the girths snapped asunder as if they had been strips of calico ! So Heffernan lost his bet. To return to the scene in the billiard-room, the lottery now attracted general attention, and was filled in no time. But as many of my readers are doubtless unacquainted with this particular form of betting adopted in India, a brief explanation of a race lottery may not be out of place.

We will say — putting it at a low figure — that there are 50 tickets issued at 5 rupees (10 shillings) each, and five horses running. These tickets are numbered from 1 to 50, and put into one hat, and the prizes, i. e., the tickets bearing the names of the horses running, into another. They are then drawn, as in any other lottery, and the owners of those numbers to which the prizes fall, can either sell their chances at the subsequent auction, or buy them in, as they choose. Such auction will be best illustrated, however, by relating partly what followed on the present occasion. Tommy Rawson (as auctioneer) : " Two hundred and fifty rupees in the lottery, gentlemen " (i. e. the 50 tickets, x 5 rupees), "and Melbourne for sale. Ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, seventy, ninety, one hundred — one hundred rupees bid for Melbourne — one hundred and ten, twenty, thirty — going at one hundred and thirty — last time at a hundred and thirty — going, going, gone !

" Hector (as secretary) : " Number twenty-three — bought in by the drawer, Captain Davies." (Enters it.) Now if Melbourne wins, Captain Davies, having drawn the horse himself, pockets the whole lottery; whereas, if he loses, he has to pay 130 rupees to whoever may turn out to be the winner. But had he not drawn Melbourne, and still bought him in and lost, he would have to pay double, viz. 130 rupees to the man who drew the horse, and 130 more to the actual winner of the lottery. Of course the real owner of an animal has no more claim on him than any one else, unless he either draws or buys him in himself. Tommy Rawson : " Three hundred and eighty rupees in the lottery, gentlemen " (i. e., 250 + 130 — Melbourne's price), "and Agra for sale. Ten, twenty, fifty, eighty — eighty rupees bid for Agra.

Any advance on eighty ? " " Ninety ! " Hector : " One hundred ! " Tommy : " One hundred rupees — going at one hundred — going — gone ! " So his owner bought him in ; but as Moberley drew him, if the Arab doesn't win, Hector will have to pay 200 rupees; viz., 100 to the lottery and 100 to Moberley; but in any case he will have to pay 100 to the latter for drawing him. Aud so on for the other three prizes; the lottery increasing each time by the amount the last sold for.

Chapter II

A MIDNIGHT STEEPLE-CHASE. " It is the first time that I ever heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies."' — Shakspeare. When these proceedings terminated it was nearly eleven o'clock, and one by one the competing horses, which had been sent for, appeared in the mess compound with their white "jules," or cloths, thrown over the saddles, looking rather phantom-like in the uncertain moonlight. Very uncertain it was, too, for the moon was scarcely beyond the second quarter, and was partially obscured now and then by flitting clouds, which seemed in league that evening to make matters more dangerous, for, generally speaking, the nights in the hot weather are perfectly clear. Neverthe less, there was some consolation in accepting those clouds as an indication of the approaching rains ; and if they increased the hazard of the undertaking, they made it more to Tommy's liking, who, in reply to a doubt expressed as to whether the}' would be able to see the jumps, proposed that the other officers as spectators should be utilized to mark out the course, and stand in their white shell jackets, &c, like posts, one on each side of every obstacle.

This was a simpler method than fixing lanterns, and would occupy less time, so was agreed upon accordingly; the jockeys, too, arranging to ride just as they were, in mess dress. Moberley knew that his wife and Mrs. Vickers would not yet have retired, and would be only too glad to s°e the fun, so had ordered round his buggy, and driven off post haste to fetch them. His bungalow was close to the spot where the race was to come off, the old course having been swept away by the river a short time before, and a new one made nearer to the civil lines. As the steeple-chase riders were leaving the compound on their horses, followed by most of the other officers and guests on foot, some of the seniors present ventured a mild remonstrance against such foolhardiness, but to no purpose. Tommy merely laughed cheerily, and pointing to that luminary which appeared to influence him in all his actions, cried apropos, — " No fear, Colonel — take my oath it's as light as day — the old moon smiles approval on her chosen ones."

And, as if to confirm his words, she did remain unveiled for a few minutes after he spoke. The whole party seemed to have caught the infection of Tommy's madness, and laughed and sang wildly on their way to the course like so many escaped lunatics, whilst after them stalked a lofty figure resembling a white monu ment on the move, or the ghost of a giant, who now and then joined in the chorus in a subdued tone. This was Joe Corcoran bringing up the rear with a load of pegs and other refreshments, which office he had begged from the mess-sergeant, in order to see the race. Some time was occupied in marking out the jumps with the animated white posts; and while this was goino- 0n, Joe, to his utter astonishment, observed Miss Gwennie stealing towards the scene from Moberley's bungalow, fresh from her bed, with her things huddled on hiogledy-piggledy, and enveloped in her mother's waterproof cloak.

A Midnight Steeple-chase. 15 " Why, little missie — ! " began Joe, in profound amaze ment. " Hsh, Joe dear, don't say anything ; I don't want mamma to see me." Mamma happened to be walking with the Moberleys higher up the course. " But you'll catch your death, little 'un — " " No I shan't — I'm well wrapped up, look, and I feel much better to-night." The child had been suffering from a slight touch of fever all day, and part of the day before, which Joe was aware of, and this made him all the more surprised and anxious. " I couldn't sleep, Joe, and I heard Mr. Moberley come home and tell them what was going on ; so — so I just crept out to see it." "And you'll just creep in again, my little dear," replied Joe, in a kind but peremptory tone. " What ever could Ninneah be up to, I wonder, to let you out ?

" "Oh, she doesn't know— she was in mamma's room. Please don't tell, Joe dear." " All right, little 'un ; I ain't a goin' to tell no tales, but off you bundles to bed again, sure as my name's Joseph Corcoran. I never did hear o' such a game — never in all my life — you are a naughty girl ! " Whereupon Joe left the refreshments to the care of one of the syces, and spite of Gwennie's struggles and entreaties, caught her up in his arms, ambled off to the bungalow, and put her back in her cot. Gwennie cried and begged hard to stay now that she had come; but it was of no use, the giant was inexorable, merely arguing, — " If I didn't love ye, ye know, my sweet darlint, it might be different ; but out here at this time o' night, a cushla ! with that there saver still on yer too, bedad — Lord ha' mussy on us !

Now, go to sleep, do, like a dear little angel. There, there," he added, soothingly, and kissing the sobbing child; "don't be angry with poor old Joe; he only done it for the best. Ninneah won't split, will ye, Ninneah?— that's all right; good night, little 'un, and God bless ye ! " Saying which, Joe hurried back to the race-course. When he regained the scene the horses had just started, and what followed may be best described as a scramble rather than a race, for the moon persistently hid her half face from start to finish, as if shocked at such tempting of Providence. There was so little light, indeed, that the steeplechasers could scarce see where to take off at the jumps, and it was a miracle that every one wasn't either killed or seriously maimed. Directly the word was given by Moberley, who acted as starter, Tommy hustled Fly-by-night to the front as hard as the old horse could lay legs to the ground, determined to take the lead, and keep it, if possible.

So alarming was the pace at which he started, that it is no disgrace to the others to say they were literally afraid to attempt the same breakneck tactics, or to keep anywhere near him. At each jump the officers stationed to mark it shouted, " Look out ! it's the wall, it's the big ditch, or it's the double ! " as the case might be ; for it was impossible that the riders could discern an obstacle till quite close to it, and the indistinct white figures of the guides were most deceptive in that treacherous light, and looked sometimes further off or nearer than they were, according as the moon glimmered and darkened, so that the horsemen were guided rather by sound than by sight. Tommy knew the course by heart, and often went over it by himself in the mornings to get up an appetite for chota hazree; but the others were not so well acquainted A Midnight Steeple-chase. 17 with the" geography of the leaps as to be able to tell in the dark what they were coming to.

Hector rode Agra very coolly, keeping him well in hand several lengths behind the impetuous Tommy, and Heffer nan tried to do the same on Melbourne ; but the Waler was a bit of a puller, and after the second jump, not relishing such " black and midnight " work as this, became uncon controllable from fright or excitement, and got clean away with his rider. Heffernan then felt that there was nothing for it but to keep the horse's head straight, say his prayers, and trust to luck, wondering how he could have been such an egregious fool as to risk his neck with a lot of lunatics. Jack Overton was mounted on a temperate old pigsticker, and contrary to his usual hard riding propensity, emulated the example of the tortoise by plodding on quietly in rear of all, and his only chance of winning, it seemed, de pended on every one else falling.