Through the Sikh War: A Tale of the Conquest of the Punjaub

by G. A. Henty

"We shall be three or four miles on our way before they have all landed and mounted." Akram Chunder said. "We shall see no more of them."

The road was a good one, and for some time they rode fast; then they reined in their horses and proceeded at a slower pace.

"We have ninety miles in all to do," Percy said, "and we must not risk foundering the horses. They have had no exercise since they left Lahore and we must husband their strength. The troopers are not likely to pursue more than thirty miles from the ferry at the outside, perhaps not half that. When they learn that we are keeping our distance ahead of them they will see that they have little chance of overtaking us and will not care about killing their horses in a hopeless pursuit."

Whenever they passed through a village they went through at a regular pace as if in no way pressed for time. The natives were doubtless aware of the attack on the two English officers, but could hardly know that the Sikh troops had proved faithless, and would imagine that the white officer and his two men were riding ahead of that force on its way to join Lieutenant Edwardes. Before leading the horses out from the stable the men had filled their bags with grain, and after riding twenty miles from the ferry they stopped for two hours under some trees on elevated ground, where they could command a view down the long straight road two or three miles. As there were no signs of their pursuers at the end of that time they felt sure that these had given the chase up as hopeless, and therefore continued their journey at the pace the horses could best keep up. Soon after they started night fell, and the riding was much more pleasant than it had been during the heat.

They halted again for three hours at midnight, finished their bread and wine, and gave the horses another good feed. At eight o'clock in the morning they approached Leia, but hearing from some peasants that no force had arrived there up to the previous evening, they made a circuit of the town and crossed the river at the ferry, two or three miles distant from it. As they rode into the next village they saw that the street was crowded with Sikh soldiers, who were engaged in cooking their food.

"Are you from Mooltan?" a young officer asked, running out as they drew rein at the house where they had been told Lieutenant Edwardes had taken up his quarters.

"We are," Percy said, as he threw himself off his horse. "We left the Eedgah at one o'clock yesterday."

"How are Agnew and Anderson? Doing well, I hope?"

"They were both doing well when I left them, as far as their wounds went; but they are in a desperate position."

"Why, the place is a strong one; I know it well," Lieutenant Edwardes said. "Twelve hundred men with a battery of artillery ought to be able to hold it at least some days against all the troops in Mooltan."