India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Fiction
Wilson refused to go home after the loss of his arm, and as soon as he
recovered was appointed to one of the Sikh regiments, and took part in
the final conquest of Lucknow two months after the fight at Cawnpore.
A fortnight after the conclusion of that terrible struggle Sir Colin
Campbell announced to Bathurst that amongst the dispatches that he
had received from home that morning was a Gazette, in which his name
appeared among those to whom the Victoria Cross had been granted.
“I congratulate you heartily, Mr. Bathurst,” the old officer said: “I
have had the pleasure of speaking in the highest terms of the bravery
you displayed in carrying my message through heavy fire a score of times
during the late operations.”
Great as the honor of the Victoria Cross always is, to Bathurst it was
much more than to other men. It was his rehabilitation. He need never
fear now that his courage would be questioned, and the report that he
had before left the army because he lacked courage would be forever
silenced now that he could write V. C. after his name. The pleasure
of Dr. Wade and Wilson was scarcely less than his own. The latter’s
regiment had suffered very heavily in the struggle at Lucknow, and he
came out of it a captain, having escaped without a wound.
A week later Bathurst resigned his appointment. There was still much to
be done, and months of marching and fighting before the rebellion was
quite stamped out; but there had now arrived a force ample to overcome
all opposition, and there was no longer a necessity for the service of
civilians. As he had already left the service of the Company, he was his
own master, and therefore started at once for Calcutta..
“I shall not be long before I follow you,” the Doctor said, as they
spent their last evening together. “I shall wait and see this out, and
then retire. I should have liked to have gone home with you, but it is
out of the question. Our hands are full, and likely to be so for some
time, so I must stop.”
Bathurst stopped for a day at Patna to see Rujub and his daughter. He
was received as an expected guest, and after spending a few hours with
them he continued his journey. At Calcutta he found a letter awaiting
him from Isobel, saying that she had arrived safely in England, and
should stay with her mother until his arrival, and there he found her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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