Filled with rage and discomfiture at the
failure of their first attempt, and seeing the place was guarded only by
a small party of Sepoys, for whom they had a supreme contempt--for the
independent yeomanry warriors of Afghanistan and the Punjaub held in
light estimation the hired native soldiery of Southern India. There were
numerous instances on record during the Afghan and Seik wars where the
men of the North were seen, sword in hand, to attack the Company's
Sepoys, beat down or turn aside their bayonets, and with the other hand
drag them from the ranks by their cross belts and slay them. Even when
run through the body they have been known to seize a firm grip of the
musket until they had dealt a fatal blow to their antagonist and both
fall together mortally wounded, so hostile and revengeful were they one
to another when engaged in conflict, creed against creed, for the Sepoys
of the South were, as a rule, Hindoos, while the Seiks and Afghans were
Mahomedans--they conceived the brutal design of destroying the Hospital
and ruthlessly putting to death all they could lay their hands on, in
revenge for the morning's defeat, then escape to the plains beyond the
town. After a few moments' consultation they commenced the onslaught;
the Sepoy guard made but a feeble resistance to these powerful horsemen,
they threw down their arms and fled in haste leaving the poor invalids
to their mercy.
Draycott the moment he guessed their design sprang on to his horse,
which fortunately stood ready saddled at the door of the Surgery, and
rode straight at the leader of the party, a huge, burly Seik, and
engaged him; but he with his light sabre, and less powerful arm, was no
match for the Mahomedan soldier, who with one blow smashed the
regulation toasting fork, and with his left hand seized the Surgeon by
the shoulder, and was forcing him backwards preparatory to giving him
the final thrust through the throat; the other scoundrels being engaged
in beating down the bayonets of the guard.
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