In Times of Peril

A. Henty G.

Description

Historical fiction master G. A. Henty was a proud supporter of the United Kingdom's imperial might and far-flung colonial holdings, but at the same time, he had a keen awareness of the social complexities brought about by imperialism. Those nuances are highlighted in the action-adventure novel In Times of Peril, which follows a pair of brothers through multiple battles during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776674510
• Langue: English

Extrait

IN TIMES OF PERIL
A TALE OF INDIA
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G. A. HENTY
 
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In Times of Peril A Tale of India First published in 1881 Epub ISBN 978-1-77667-451-0 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77667-452-7 © 2015 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I - Life in Cantonments Chapter II - The Outbreak Chapter III - The Flight Chapter IV - Broken Down Chapter V - Back Under the Flag Chapter VI - A Dashing Expedition Chapter VII - Delhi Chapter VIII - A Desperate Defense Chapter IX - Save by a Tiger Chapter X - Treachery Chapter XI - Retribution Begins Chapter XII - Dangerous Service Chapter XIII - Lucknow Chapter XIV - The Besieged Residency Chapter XV - Spiking the Guns Chapter XVI - A Sortie and its Consequences Chapter XVII - Out of Lucknow Chapter XVIII - The Storming of Delhi Chapter XIX - A Riot at Cawnpore Chapter XX - The Relief of Lucknow Chapter XXI - A Sad Parting Chapter XXII - The Last Capture of Lucknow Chapter XXIII - A Desperate Defense Chapter XXIV - Best After Labor
Chapter I - Life in Cantonments
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Very bright and pretty, in the early springtime of the year 1857, werethe British cantonments of Sandynugghur. As in all other Britishgarrisons in India, they stood quite apart from the town, forming asuburb of their own. They consisted of the barracks, and of a maidan,or, as in England it would be called, "a common," on which the troopsdrilled and exercised, and round which stood the bungalows of themilitary and civil officers of the station, of the chaplain, and of theone or two merchants who completed the white population of the place.
Very pretty were these bungalows, built entirely upon the ground floor,in rustic fashion, wood entering largely into their composition. Somewere thatched; others covered with slabs of wood or stone. All had wideverandas running around them, with tatties, or blinds, made of reeds orstrips of wood, to let down, and give shade and coolness to the roomstherein. In some of them the visitor walked from the compound, orgarden, directly into the dining-room; large, airy, with neithercurtains, nor carpeting, nor matting, but with polished boards asflooring. The furniture here was generally plain and almost scanty,for, except at meal-times, the rooms were but little used.
Outside, in the veranda, is the real sitting-room of the bungalow. Hereare placed a number of easy-chairs of all shapes, constructed of caneor bamboo—light, cool, and comfortable; these are moved, as the sunadvances, to the shady side of the veranda, and in them the ladies readand work, the gentlemen smoke. In all bungalows built for the use ofEnglish families, there is, as was the case at Sandynugghur, adrawing-room as well as a dining-room, and this, being the ladies'especial domain, is generally furnished in European style, with apiano, light chintz chair-covers, and muslin curtains.
The bedroom opens out of the sitting-room; and almost every bedroom hasits bathroom—that all-important adjunct in the East—attached to it.The windows all open down to the ground, and the servants generallycome in and out through the veranda. Each window has its Venetianblind, which answers all purposes of a door, and yet permits the air topass freely.
The veranda, in addition to serving as the general sitting-room to thefamily, acts as a servants' hall. Here at the side not used by theemployers, the servants, when not otherwise engaged, sit on their mats,mend their clothes, talk and sleep; and it is wonderful how much sleepa Hindoo can get through in the twenty-four hours. The veranda is hisbedroom as well as sitting-room; here, spreading a mat upon the ground,and rolling themselves up in a thin rug or blanket from the very top oftheir head to their feet, the servants sleep, looking like a number ofmummies ranged against the wall. Out by the stables they have theirquarters, where they cook and eat, and could, if they chose, sleep; butthey prefer the coolness and freshness of the veranda, where, too, theyare ready at hand whenever called. The gardens were all pretty, andwell kept, with broad, shady trees, and great shrubs covered by brightmasses of flower; for Sandynugghur had been a station for many years,and with plenty of water and a hot sun, vegetation is very rapid.
In two of the large reclining chairs two lads, of fifteen and sixteenrespectively, were lolling idly; they had been reading, for books layopen in their laps, and they were now engaged in eating bananas, and intalking to two young ladies, some three years their senior, who weresitting working beside them.
"You boys will really make yourselves ill if you eat so many bananas."
"It is not that I care for them," said the eldest lad; "they aretasteless things, and a good apple is worth a hundred of them; but onemust do something, and I am too lazy to go on with this Hindoo grammar;besides, a fellow can't work when you girls come out here and talk tohim."
"That's very good, Ned; it is you that do all the talking; besides, youknow that you ought to shut yourselves up in the study, and not sithere where you are sure to be interrupted."
"I have done three hours' steady work this morning with that wretchedMoonshi, Kate; and three hours in this climate is as much as my brainwill stand."
Kate Warrener and her brothers, Ned and Dick, were the children of themajor of the One Hundred and Fifty-first Bengal Native Infantry, theregiment stationed at Sandynugghur. Rose Hertford, the other younglady, was their cousin. The three former were born in India, but hadeach gone to England at the age of nine for their education, and tosave them from the effects of the climate which English children areseldom able to endure after that age. Their mother had sailed forEngland with Dick, the youngest, but had died soon after she reachedhome. Dick had a passion for the sea, and his father's relations havinggood interest, had obtained for him a berth as a midshipman in theroyal navy, in which rank he had been serving for upward of a year. Hisship being now in Indian waters, a month's leave had been granted himthat he might go up the country to see his father. The other lad hadarrived from England three months before, with his sister and cousin.Major Warrener had sent for his daughter, whose education was finished,to take the head of his house, and, as a companion, had invited RoseHertford, who was the orphan child of his sister, to accompany her.Ned, who had been at Westminster till he left England, was intended forthe Indian army. His father thought that it would be well for him tocome out to India with his sister, as he himself would work with him,and complete his education, to enable him to pass the necessaryexamination—then not a very severe one—while he could be at the sametime learning the native languages, which would be of immense benefitto him after he had entered the army. Coming out as they had done inthe cold season, none of the four exhibited any of that pallor andlassitude which, at any rate during the summer heats, are the rulethroughout the Anglo-Indian community.
As Ned finished his sentence the sound of the tread of two horses washeard along the road.
"Captains Dunlop and Manners," Dick exclaimed; "a shilling to a penny!Will either of you bet, girls?"
Neither his sister nor cousin replied to this offer; and the boys gavea sly nod of intelligence to each other, as two horsemen rode up to theveranda and dismounted; throwing their reins to the syces , who,whatever the pace at which their masters ride, run just behind, inreadiness to take the horses, should they dismount.
"Good-morning, Miss Warrener; good-morning, Miss Hertford: we havebrought you some interesting news."
"Indeed!" said the girls, as they shook hands with the newcomers, whowere two as good specimens of tall, well-made, sunburnt Anglo-Saxons asone would wish to see. "What is it?"
"We have just got the news that a family of wild boars have come down,and are doing a lot of damage near Meanwerrie, four miles off. Isuppose they have been disturbed somewhere further away, as we have notheard of any pig here for months; so to-morrow morning there is goingto be grand pig-sticking; of course you will come out and see the fun?"
"We shall be delighted," said Kate; but Rose put in: "Yes; but oh! howunfortunate! it's Mrs. Briarley's garden party."
"That has been put off till next day. It is not often we get a chanceat pig, and we have always got gardens. The two need not haveinterfered with each other, as we shall start at daylight forMeanwerrie; but we may be out some hours, and so it was thought betterto put off the party to a day when there will be nothing else to do."
"Hurrah!" shouted Dick; "I am in luck! I wanted, above all things, tosee a wild boar hunt; do you think my father will let me have a spear?"
"Hardly, Dick, considering that last time you went out you tumbled offthree times at some jumps two feet wide, and that, were you to fall infront of a pig, he would rip you up before you had time to think aboutit; besides which, you would almost certainly stick somebody with yourspear."
Dick laughed.
"That was the first time I had ever been on a horse," he said; "willyou ride, Ned?"
"No," said Ned; "I can ride fairly enough along a straight road, but itwants a first-rate rider to go across country at a gallop, looking atthe boar instead of where you are going, and carrying a spear in onehand."
"Do you think papa will ride?" Kate asked.
"I don'