Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction; Science fiction; War stories
The mausoleum of Anar Kali, a great octagonal building in the gardens to
the south of the town, was the place whither the Russian prisoners
were taken. Heideck and Edith Irwin were not the first that had found
quarters there; for, besides about a hundred officers, there were
already there numberless English ladies and children whose saviours had
appeared in time to rescue them from the horrible fate of Mrs. Baird and
her children. At the open door of the apartments reserved for the women
Heideck and Edith Irwin had to part. They were not allowed a long time
to take leave. But even if they had been altogether alone they would at
this moment have been scarcely able to find much to say; for after all
the exertions and excitements of the terrible day just ended such
heavy fatigue and exhaustion had overcome them that they could only
mechanically make use of their limbs; and so, instead of the passions,
hopes, and fears, with which they had been moved but a short time
previously, there was now only a dull void in their brains as in their
hearts.
“Au revoir, to-morrow.” That was all that passed between them. Then, as
soon as they had conducted him into the room assigned to him, Heideck
threw himself down, as he was, upon the tiles of the floor, and fell
instantaneously into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The glorious Indian sun, which shone through the round opening in the
ceiling down upon his face, woke him the next morning.
His limbs were stiff from his uncomfortable couch, but the short sleep
had invigorated him, and his nerves had completely regained their old
freshness and vigour.
His room-mates must have been taken away early to some other place, for
he found himself quite alone in the lofty room which was only lighted by
the window in the ceiling. The rays of the sun fell opposite to him
upon a tomb of the purest, whitest, marble quite covered with illegible
hieroglyphics. Whilst he was still engaged in looking at the apparently
ancient memorial tablet, he heard suddenly behind him the light rustling
of a woman’s dress, and when he turned round he gazed with pleasurable
surprise into Edith Irwin’s pale, fair face.
“How delighted I am to find you still here,” she said with a happy
expression. “I was afraid that you had been taken away with the other
prisoners.”
“As it seems, it was out of consideration for my well-deserved slumber,”
he replied, with a slight trace of humour. But then, remembering the
terrible seriousness of the situation, he continued in altered and
hearty tones--
“How have you passed the night, Mrs. Irwin? It appears to me as if
all that I have gone through since my return to Lahore has only been a
dream.”
With a painful quiver of the lips she shook her head.
“Unfortunately, there is no room for doubt that it has been hideous
reality. Poor, poor Mrs. Baird! One must almost consider it a happy
dispensation of Providence that her husband did not live to see the
terrible fate of his family.”
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