Jones of the 64th: A Tale of the Battles of Assaye and LaswareeBrereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
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Jones of the 64th: A Tale of the Battles of Assaye and Laswaree
Brereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
Maratha War, 1803 -- Juvenile fiction
"There will be pig here, sahibs," he said, as they entered the forest.
"And we shall find it cooler. If my masters will take my advice they
will take their station at the end of the first open glade, and let me
beat the forest on either side. Then if there is any beast within it may
run to the clearing."
A little later they struck upon a long narrow clearing, where the ground
was somewhat rocky, and where a tiny stream trickled through the stones.
"Plenty of beasts come here," Mulha pronounced, as he stepped along the
glade. "You can see their marks between the stones. If the sahibs take
post here they should have sport. I will go to the right first, and
afterwards to the left. Thus you will know my position, and will not
fire in my direction when the beasts bolt."
It took but a few moments to arrange their positions; then Mulha
disappeared. Owen threw himself down behind a huge boulder, over which a
cool shade was thrown by a tree near at hand. Jack posted himself behind
another boulder, on a level with the one where his friend was stationed.
Both looked up the full length of the grove, with their guns turned to
that side to which the game, should there prove to be any, would be
driven, and away from the forest where Mulha was beating.
Crash! They heard his stick as he beat the underwood in the distance,
and waited expectantly, their hearts pulsating a trifle faster, for
neither had had an opportunity of shooting before. There was another
crash in the distance, a streak of brown bounded into the grove from the
trees, alighted on all four feet, and leaped high again with such
swiftness and with such momentum that it was across the glade before
either could have thought it possible. Owen's gun went to his shoulder
with the rapidity of lightning. His training with the pistol helped him
to sight the disappearing mark, and long before Jack had gathered his
wits, or had awakened to the fact that an antelope of large proportions
was on the point of disappearing, the weapon cracked, and the animal
fell huddled up at the very edge of the clearing. Owen turned to his
friend with a gleam of excitement and triumph in his eye, while he
hastily rammed down another charge, ran a wad upon it, and dropped in
his bullet.
"One," he said quietly. "Look out for others."
"My word!" gasped Jack, "that was a lightning shot."
"Look out!" shouted Owen.
This time he held his fire as a wild pig scampered into the clearing,
and coming to a sudden halt lifted its head and stared in their
direction while it listened to the sound of the beater behind. It was
Jack's turn, and he levelled his weapon with unsteady hands, for
excitement told upon him.
"Steady," said Owen in low tones. "He's standing for you. Take him full,
half-way along the body."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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