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Unhappily, death is so busy that there will be no difficulty in providing you in that respect. You must want food, too, and that, such as it is, is in plenty also." The other officers were now called in, and the commandant told them the news that he had received from the Warreners.
At Benares they went on board a steamer, and were taken down to Calcutta. By the time they reached the capital, Ned was sufficiently recovered to walk about with his arm in Dick's. The use of his left arm was gone, and it was a question whether he could ever recover it. At Calcutta the Warreners had the delight of meeting their sister and cousin, who had arrived there the week previous.
Bitter were the exclamations of disappointment and disgust which the Warreners heard from many of the officers that they were unprovided with money for the soldiers would not sell except for cash; but for a few rupees they were ready to part with anything.
Strings of pearls, worth a thousand pounds, were bought for a couple of rupees four shillings; diamond aigrettes, worth twice as much, went for a sovereign; and the Warreners soon laid out the seventy pounds which they had between them when they entered the palace; and their pockets and the breasts of their coats were stuffed with their purchases, and each had a bundle in his handkerchief.
It would be a close fit for the three ladies, but they thought that they could manage; and it was a comfort to know that, even if no tents could be erected at night, they could lie down in shelter. The young Warreners soon arrived, and while their father was discussing the arrangements with Mrs.
The young Warreners had been mourned as dead, for no one doubted that they had been carried to Cawnpore, and had shared the fate of the garrison of that place; and the joy of their father therefore was intense, while the whole corps, with whom the boys were general favorites, were delighted.
"What was that terrible explosion?" "What has happened?" was asked by a score of female voices as they entered. "Good news," Mr. Gubbins said; "you can sleep in peace. The guns of the battery which has annoyed us are all spiked, and their magazine blown up, and all this without the loss of a man, thanks to the Warreners, who went out alone and disabled all the guns, by wetting the primings.
Here the Warreners, after a few words with those who were in future to be their comrades, threw themselves down on the ground, and, in spite of the din which raged around them, were soon fast asleep. It was nearly dark when they awoke, and they at once reported themselves to Mr. Johnson a police magistrate, who was the senior officer of the party in the room as ready to begin duty.
They were immediately placed in a carriage which had been brought for the purpose, a guard was placed over them, and ordered to proceed slowly toward the city. Then Hodgson, accompanied by the Warreners, entered the inclosure which surrounded the tomb. Here from five to six thousand of the refuse of the city, many of them armed, were assembled.
It was now ten o'clock, and the Warreners went and lay down quietly for a couple of hours. Then they heard the guard changed, and after waiting a quarter of an hour they went out to the battery, having first filled their sponges with water. There they joined Mr. Johnson. "Can't sleep, boys?" he asked; "those flies are enough to drive one mad. You will get accustomed to them after a bit."
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