Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/275

Rh were eighty-seven gentlemen, with one hundred and thirteen ladies and children to protect. By general consent Major Ramsay, the Commissioner, was elected Commandant. We voted ourselves a sort of militia in her Majesty's service, and pledged the Major our full duty and obedience to defend the place to the last extremity. Somehow or other all of us were supplied with arms; those who had more than enough divided with those who had none. Here was a case where “he who had no sword” would willingly “sell his garment and buy one,” for “the days of vengeance” were upon us, and we had a duty to fulfill on behalf of ladies and little ones that admitted of no hesitation, in view of the relentless enemy who now hemmed us in on every side.

Having elected our Commandant and distributed our arms, the worthy Major asked us to stand up in line, that he might address us a few words. Each shouldered his weapon, and the line was formed. The Commandant looked at his little force. He could not help smiling, serious as he and we felt, for a more “awkward squad” than we appeared no commandant ever inspected. Among the eighty-seven, as they then stood, each “a high private,” were three generals, grayheaded and bent with years; a number of colonels, majors, and captains; some doctors, judges, and magistrates; a few Indigo planters, merchants, and shopkeepers; two English chaplains, and myself, the only American in the party—from the man of fourscore down to the boy of seventeen: yet half of the number had probably never fired a shot in anger, if at all, and had to learn every thing in their new profession.

Our commander's speech was a very brief one. Its burden was the duty that we owed to the ladies and children, with the assurance that, far-off and isolated as we were, England would find us out and rescue us if we could only hold on till her forces arrived; that, whatever came, the last man must fall at his post ere one of those wretches should cross our defenses. Our hearts were sad enough, but we cheered the speech. We were, to a man, willing to fight, and, if necessary, to die to defend the ladies.

I walked home with my musket on my shoulder and my pockets