Here we may hold out till Lawrence restores order at Lucknow,
and then he may be able to send a party to bring us in. Or the
mutineers may draw off and march to Delhi. I certainly think the
chances are best here; besides, every rifle we have is of importance,
and though if any of you had made up your minds to try and escape
I should have made no objection, I am glad that we shall all stand
together here."
The arrangements were then briefly made for the removal to the
courthouse. All were to go back and apparently to retire to bed
as usual. At twelve o'clock the men, armed, were to call up their
servants, load them up with such things as were most required,
and proceed with them, the women, and children, at once to the
courthouse. Half the men were to remain there on guard, while the
others would continue with the servants to make journeys backwards
and forwards to the bungalows, bringing in as much as could be
carried, the guard to be changed every hour. In the morning the
servants were all to have the choice given them of remaining with
their masters or leaving.
Captain Forster was the only dissentient. He was in favor of the
whole party mounting, placing the women and children in carriages,
and making off in a body, fighting their way if necessary down to
Allahabad. He admitted that, in addition to the hundred troopers
of his own squadron, they might be cut off by the mutinous cavalry
from Cawnpore, fall in with bodies of rebels or be attacked by
villagers, but he maintained that there was at least some chance of
cutting their way through, while, once shut up in the courthouse,
escape would be well nigh impossible.
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