burlesques-第35节

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duel；　as　the　public　most　likely　knows。　　Poor　Greg！　a　very　trivial

dispute　was　the　cause　of　our　quarrel；　which　never　would　have

originated　but　for　the　similarity　of　our　names。　　The　circumstance

was　this：　I　had　been　lucky　enough　to　render　the　Nawaub　of　Lucknow

some　trifling　service　（in　the　notorious　affair　of　Choprasjee

Muckjee）；　and　his　Highness　sent　down　a　gold　toothpick…case　directed

to　Captain　G。　Gahagan；　which　I　of　course　thought　was　for　me：　my

brother　madly　claimed　it；　we　fought；　and　the　consequence　was；　that

in　about　three　minutes　he　received　a　slash　in　the　right　side　（cut

6）；　which　effectually　did　his　business：he　was　a　good　swordsman

enoughI　was　THE　BEST　in　the　universe。　　The　most　ridiculous　part

of　the　affair　is；　that　the　toothpick…case　was　his；　after　allhe

had　left　it　on　the　Nawaub's　table　at　tiffin。　　I　can't　conceive　what

madness　prompted　him　to　fight　about　such　a　paltry　bauble；　he　had

much　better　have　yielded　it　at　once；　when　he　saw　I　was　determined

to　have　it。　　From　this　slight　specimen　of　my　adventures；　the　reader

will　perceive　that　my　life　has　been　one　of　no　ordinary　interest；

and；　in　fact；　I　may　say　that　I　have　led　a　more　remarkable　life　than

any　man　in　the　serviceI　have　been　at　more　pitched　battles；　led

more　forlorn　hopes；　had　more　success　among　the　fair　sex；　drunk

harder；　read　more；　and　been　a　handsomer　man　than　any　officer　now

serving　her　Majesty。



When　I　at　first　went　to　India　in　1802；　I　was　a　raw　cornet　of

seventeen；　with　blazing　red　hair；　six　feet　four　in　height；　athletic

at　all　kinds　of　exercises；　owing　money　to　my　tailor　and　everybody

else　who　would　trust　me；　possessing　an　Irish　brogue；　and　my　full

pay　of　120L。　a　year。　　I　need　not　say　that　with　all　these　advantages

I　did　that　which　a　number　of　clever　fellows　have　done　before　meI

fell　in　love；　and　proposed　to　marry　immediately。



But　how　to　overcome　the　difficulty？It　is　true　that　I　loved　Julia

Jowlerloved　her　to　madness；　but　her　father　intended　her　for　a

Member　of　Council　at　least；　and　not　for　a　beggarly　Irish　ensign。

It　was；　however；　my　fate　to　make　the　passage　to　India　（on　board　of

the　〃Samuel　Snob〃　East　Indiaman；　Captain　Duffy；）　with　this　lovely

creature；　and　my　misfortune　instantaneously　to　fall　in　love　with

her。　　We　were　not　out　of　the　Channel　before　I　adored　her；

worshipped　the　deck　which　she　trod　upon；　kissed　a　thousand　times

the　cuddy…chair　on　which　she　used　to　sit。　　The　same　madness　fell　on

every　man　in　the　ship。　　The　two　mates　fought　about　her　at　the　Cape；

the　surgeon；　a　sober；　pious　Scotchman；　from　disappointed　affection；

took　so　dreadfully　to　drinking　as　to　threaten　spontaneous

combustion；　and　old　Colonel　Lilywhite；　carrying　his　wife　and　seven

daughters　to　Bengal；　swore　that　he　would　have　a　divorce　from　Mrs。

L。；　and　made　an　attempt　at　suicide；　the　captain　himself　told　me；

with　tears　in　his　eyes；　that　he　hated　his　hitherto…adored　Mrs。

Duffy；　although　he　had　had　nineteen　children　by　her。



We　used　to　call　her　the　witchthere　was　magic　in　her　beauty　and　in

her　voice。　　I　was　spell…bound　when　I　looked　at　her；　and　stark

staring　mad　when　she　looked　at　me！　　O　lustrous　black　eyes！O

glossy　night…black　ringlets！O　lips！O　dainty　frocks　of　white

muslin！O　tiny　kid　slippers！though　old　and　gouty；　Gahagan　sees

you　still！　　I　recollect；　off　Ascension；　she　looked　at　me　in　her

particular　way　one　day　at　dinner；　just　as　I　happened　to　be　blowing

on　a　piece　of　scalding　hot　green　fat。　　I　was　stupefied　at　onceI

thrust　the　entire　morsel　（about　half　a　pound）　into　my　mouth。　　I

made　no　attempt　to　swallow；　or　to　masticate　it；　but　left　it　there

for　many　minutes；　burning；　burning！　　I　had　no　skin　to　my　palate　for

seven　weeks　after；　and　lived　on　rice…water　during　the　rest　of　the

voyage。　　The　anecdote　is　trivial；　but　it　shows　the　power　of　Julia

Jowler　over　me。



The　writers　of　marine　novels　have　so　exhausted　the　subject　of

storms；　shipwrecks；　mutinies；　engagements；　sea…sickness；　and　so

forth；　that　（although　I　have　experienced　each　of　these　in　many

varieties）　I　think　it　quite　unnecessary　to　recount　such　trifling

adventures；　suffice　it　to　say；　that　during　our　five　months'　trajet；

my　mad　passion　for　Julia　daily　increased；　so　did　the　captain's　and

the　surgeon's；　so　did　Colonel　Lilywhite's；　so　did　the　doctor's；　the

mate'sthat　of　most　part　of　the　passengers；　and　a　considerable

number　of　the　crew。　　For　myself；　I　sworeensign　as　I　wasI　would

win　her　for　my　wife；　I　vowed　that　I　would　make　her　glorious　with　my

swordthat　as　soon　as　I　had　made　a　favorable　impression　on　my

commanding　officer　（which　I　did　not　doubt　to　create）；　I　would　lay

open　to　him　the　state　of　my　affections；　and　demand　his　daughter's

hand。　　With　such　sentimental　outpourings　did　our　voyage　continue

and　conclude。



We　landed　at　the　Sunderbunds　on　a　grilling　hot　day　in　December；

1802；　and　then　for　the　moment　Julia　and　I　separated。　　She　was

carried　off　to　her　papa's　arms　in　a　palanquin；　surrounded　by　at

least　forty　hookahbadars；　whilst　the　poor　cornet；　attended　but　by

two　dandies　and　a　solitary　beasty　（by　which　unnatural　name　these

blackamoors　are　called）；　made　his　way　humbly　to　join　the　regiment

at　head…quarters。



The　th　Regiment　of　Bengal　Cavalry；　then　under　the　command　of

Lieut。…Colonel　Julius　Jowler；　C。B。；　was　known　throughout　Asia　and

Europe　by　the　proud　title　of　the　Bundelcund　Invinciblesso　great

was　its　character　for　bravery；　so　remarkable　were　its　services　in

that　delightful　district　of　India。　　Major　Sir　George　Gutch　was　next

in　command；　and　Tom　Thrupp；　as　kind　a　fellow　as　ever　ran　a　Mahratta

through　the　body；　was　second　Major。　　We　were　on　the　eve　of　that

remarkable　war　which　was　speedily　to　spread　throughout　the　whole　of

India；　to　call　forth　the　valor　of　a　Wellesley；　and　the　indomitable

gallantry　of　a　Gahagan；　which　was　illustrated　by　our　victories　at

Ahmednuggar　（where　I　was　the　first　over　the　barricade　at　the

storming　of　the　Pettah）；　at　Argaum；　where　I　slew　with　my　own　sword

twenty…three　matchlock…men；　and　cut　a　dromedary　in　two；　and　by　that

terrible　day　of　Assaye；　where　Wellesley　would　have　been　beaten　but

for　meme　alone：　I　headed　nineteen　charges　of　cavalry；　took　（aided

by　only　four　men　of　my　own　troop）　seventeen　field…pieces；　killing

the　scoundrelly　French　artillerymen；　on　that　day　I　had　eleven

elephants　shot　under　me；　and　carried　away　Scindiah's　nose…ring　with

a　pistol…ball。　　Wellesley　is　a　Duke　and　a　Marshal；　I　but　a　simple

Major　of　Irregulars。　　Such　is　fortune　and　war！　　But　my　feelings

carry　me　away　from　my　narrative；　which　had　better　proceed　with　more

order。



On　arriving；　I　say；　at　our　barracks　at　Dum　Dum；　I　for　the　first

time　put　on　the　beautiful　uniform　of　the　Invincibles：　a　light　blue

swallow…tailed　jacket　with　silver　lace　and　wings；　ornamented

with　about　3；000　sugar…loaf　buttons；　rhubarb…colored　leather

inexpressibles　（tights）；　and　red　morocco　boots　with　silver　spurs

and　tassels；　set　off　to　admiration　the　handsome　persons　of　the

officers　of　our　corps。　　We　wore　powder　in　those　days；　and　a

regulation　pigtail　of　seventeen　inches；　a　brass　helmet　surrounded

by　leopard…skin　with　a　bearskin　top　and　a　horsetail　feather；　gave

the　head　a　fierce　and　chivalrous　appearance；　which　is　far　more

easily　imagined　than　described。



Attired　in　this　magnificent　costume；　I　first　presented　myself

before　Colonel　Jowler。　　He　was　habited　in　a　manner　precisely

similar；　but　not　being　more　than　five　feet　in　height；　and　weighing

at　least　fifteen　stone；　the　dress　he　wore　did　not　become　him　quite

so　much　as　slimmer　and　taller　men。　　Flanked　by　his　tall　Majors；

Thrupp　and　Gutch；　he　looked　like　a　stumpy　skittle…ball　between　two

attenuated　skittles。　　The　plump　little　Colonel　received　me　with

vast　cordiality；　and　I　speedily　became　a　prime　favorite　with

himself　and　the　other　officers　of　the　corps。　　Jowler　was　the　most

hospitable　of　men；　and　gratifying　my　appetite　and　my　love　together；

I　continually　partook　of　his　dinners；　and　feasted　on　the　sweet

presence　of　Julia。



I　can　see　now；　what　I　would　not　and　could　not　perceive　in　those

early　days；　that　this　Miss　Jowleron　whom　I　had　lavished　my　first

and　warmest　love；　whom　I　had　endowed　with　all　perfection　and

puritywas　no　better　than　a　little　impudent　flirt；　who　played　with

my　feelings；　because　during　the　monotony　of　a　sea…voyage　she　had　no

other　toy　to　play　with；　and　who　deserted　others　for　me；　and　me　for

others；　just　as　her　whim　or　her　interest　might　guide　her。　　She　had

not　been　three　weeks　at　head…quarters　when　half　the　regiment　was　in

love　with　her。　　Each　and　all　of　the　candidates　had　some　favor　to

boast　of；　or　some　encouraging　hopes　on　which　to　build。　　It　was　the

scene　of　the　〃Samuel　Snob〃　over　again；　only　heightened　in　interest

by　a　number　of　duels。　　The　following　list　will　give　the　reader　a

notion　of　some　of　them：





1。　　Cornet　Gahagan　。　。　Ensign　Hicks；　of　the　Sappers　and　Miners。

Hicks　received　a　ball　in　his　jaw；　and　was　half　choked　by　a　quantity

of　carroty　whiske