The Queen's Tiger by Peter Watt

Author:Peter Watt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Published: 2019-09-12T01:57:46+00:00

Eighteen

‘What do we do, sir?’ Harry asked.

‘This reminds me of an incident when we were in the Crimea,’ Conan said with a grim smile, unholstering his pistols.

‘Ask the fisherman if he knows who the men are, Mr Sinclair,’ Ian said.

Harry turned to the terrified fisherman and spoke with him.

‘He says the men are bandits well known on this part of the coast. They take what they want – and that includes the women.’

‘So they are not sepoy rebels,’ Ian said. ‘We have only one choice and that is to kill them all and let none get away. We have surprise and firepower on our side.’

‘Do you mean we fight them?’ Harry asked, open-mouthed.

‘I strongly suggest you unholster your pistols, Mr Sinclair, and prepare to use them,’ Ian said, pulling back the hammer of his Colts. ‘We burst out on my order and start shooting as fast as we can until they are all dead. Any questions?’

The husband and wife clung together, huddled in the corner of the hut with absolute fear written on their faces. Ian took another peek at the approaching party of bandits, noting that they were armed with ancient muskets and long knives. They appeared relaxed and were even joking together as they came within ten paces of the hut. One of the men called out, and Ian guessed that he was the leader of the party.

‘He is calling to the fisherman to come out with his wife,’ Harry whispered, his trembling hands gripping his pistols.

‘Get ready,’ Ian said softly. ‘Now!’

Ian was the first to burst out from behind the flimsy door, firing as he did so. Conan quickly followed, and behind him, Harry. Ian’s first round brought down the bandit who had called out, and the man fell backwards as the .36 calibre lead ball took him in the chest. Such was the surprise of the attack that the rest of the party were momentarily frozen in their confusion, and Conan’s rounds caused others to topple as each ball found a target. Only one man was able to raise his musket and fire wildly. A round from Harry took him out, and within seconds the sandy stretch in front of the hut was covered in bodies. Satisfied that the ten men were dead, Ian quickly reloaded, as did Conan.

‘Time for us to get moving,’ Ian said as the fisherman tumbled from the hut to stare wide-eyed at the mass of bodies in front of his hut. He spoke rapidly to Harry.

‘What is he saying?’ Ian asked.

‘He is thanking us for saving him and his wife, and he says he will tell anyone who asks how they were killed that it was another bandit gang known in this district.’

The fisherman grasped Ian’s knees, tears in his eyes, babbling his thanks, and Ian felt that the man could be trusted to keep their secret.

The trio checked their clothing and faces to make sure their disguise still held, then used the falling darkness to follow their course to a village a couple of miles away.

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