The Queens Cup | Page 4

I must
go."

Captain Mallett had six months previously succeeded, at the death of
his father, to an estate five miles from that of Sir John Greendale. His
elder brother had been killed in the hunting field a few months before,
and Frank Mallett, who was fond of his profession, and had never
looked for anything beyond it save a younger son's portion, had thus
come in for a very fine estate.
Two months after his father's death he most reluctantly sent in his
papers, considering it his duty to settle down on the estate; but ten days
later came the news of the outbreak of the Sepoys of Barrackpoor, and
he at once telegraphed to the War Office, asking to be allowed to
cancel his application for leave to sell out.
So far the cloud was a very small one, but rumours of trouble had been
current for some little time, and the affair at least gave him an excuse
for delaying his retirement.
Very rapidly the little cloud spread until it overshadowed India from
Calcutta to the Afghan frontier. His regiment stood some distance
down on the rota for Indian service, but as the news grew worse
regiment after regiment was hurried off, and it now stood very near the
head of the list. All leave had not yet been stopped, but officers away
were ordered to leave addresses, so that they could be summoned to
join at an hour's notice.
When he had left home that morning for a day's shooting with Sir John,
he had ordered a horse to be kept saddled, so that if a telegram came it
could be brought to him without a moment's delay. He was burning to
be off. There had at first been keen disappointment in the regiment that
they were not likely to take part in the fierce struggle; but the feeling
had changed into one of eager expectation, when, as the contest
widened and it was evident that it would be necessary to make the
greatest efforts to save India, the prospect of their employment in the
work grew.
For the last fortnight expectation had been at its height. Orders had
been received for the regiment to hold itself in readiness for
embarkation, men had been called back from furlough, the heavy

baggage had been packed; and all was ready for a start at twenty-four
hours' notice. Many of the officers obtained a few days' leave to say
goodbye to their friends or settle business matters, and Frank Mallett
was among them.
"So I suppose you may go at any moment, Mallett?" said the host at the
dinner table that evening.
"Yes, Sir John, my shooting today has been execrable; for I have
known that at any moment my fellow might ride up with the order for
me to return at once, and we are all in such a fever of impatience, that I
am surprised I brought down a bird at all."
"You can hardly hope to be in time either for the siege of Delhi or for
the relief of Lucknow, Mallett."
"One would think not, but there is no saying. You see, our news is a
month old; Havelock had been obliged to fall back on Cawnpore, and a
perfect army of rebels were in Delhi. Of course, the reinforcements will
soon be arriving, and I don't think it likely that we shall get up there in
time to share in those affairs; but even if we are late both for Lucknow
and Delhi, there will be plenty for us to do. What with the Sepoy army
and with the native chiefs that have joined them, and the fighting men
of Oude and one thing and another, there cannot be less than 200,000
men in arms against us; and even if we do take Delhi and relieve
Lucknow, that is only the beginning of the work. The scoundrels are
fighting with halters round their necks, and I have no fear of our
missing our share of the work of winning back India and punishing
these bloodthirsty scoundrels."
"It is a terrible time," Sir John said; "and old as I am, I should like to be
out there to lend a hand in avenging this awful business at Cawnpore,
and the cold-blooded massacres at other places."
"I think that there will be no lack of volunteers, Sir John. If
Government were to call for them I believe that 100,000 men could be
raised in a week."

"Ay, in twenty-four hours; there is scarce a man in England but would
give five years of his life to take a share in the punishment of the
faithless monsters. There was no lack of national feeling in the Crimean
War; but it was as nothing to that which has been excited by