Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction; Science fiction; War stories
The march proceeded by way of Kalka, the last station on the railway to
Simla, without any incidents, as far as Lahore. Here Prince Tchajawadse
was informed that the Russian army had started on the previous day
for Delhi, and that he was to follow as rapidly as possible with his
detachment.
During the entry into the streets of Lahore, the sight of which awoke in
him so many painful recollections, Heideck was suddenly roused from his
reverie. Behind the pillars supporting the balcony of a house he thought
he caught sight of the form of a woman, who followed with staring eyes
the march of the glittering, rattling troop of horsemen with their
clattering swords. Although her face was almost entirely hidden by
a veil, he felt instinctively that she was no other than his own and
Edith’s preserver--the page Georgi. He turned his horse and rode up to
the house. But the vision disappeared as he drew near, as if the earth
had swallowed it up. He accordingly was driven to assume that it was
merely a delusion of his senses.
He took leave of Prince Tchajawadse with a heartiness corresponding to
their previous relations. The Prince embraced him several times, and his
eyes were moist as he again wished his comrade a prosperous journey
and the laurels of a victorious warrior. Nor was Heideck ashamed of his
emotion, when he clasped the Prince’s hand for the last time.
“If you see your page again, please give him my own and Mrs. Irwin’s
farewell greeting.”
The Prince’s face clouded over.
“I would do it with all my heart, my friend, but I shall never see my
page again. Let us speak of him no more. There are wounds of which a man
cannot feel proud.”
With this they parted.
Heideck, who had resumed his civilian attire, slept at the hotel, and
then took the place Mr. Kennedy offered him in his carriage. He had
found out that the railway between Lahore and Mooltan from Montgomery
Station was still available for travelling.
The English, with their peculiar tenacity, still continued the regular
service in the parts of India that were not affected by the war. The
enormous extent of the country confined the struggle between the two
armies in some degree to a strictly limited area. In the west, the east,
and the interior of India there were few traces of the conflict. Only
the troop trains between Bombay and Calcutta revealed a state of war.
Since the retirement of the English army from Lahore, no more troops
were to be seen on the western railway, and this section was again
perfectly free for ordinary traffic.
Even the Indian population of this district showed no particular signs
of excitement. Only the actual presence of the Russian troops had
disturbed the patient and peaceful people. The travellers even passed
through Chanidigot without any interruption of their occupations or
meeting with any unexpected delay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account