He believed that to be a probably exaggerated
statement of affairs, but he did not blink the fact that he might
expect to be overwhelmed almost without notice, and at any minute.
That was a fact which he accepted, for the sake of argument and as
a working-basis on which to build a plan of some kind--His orders
were to hold that post, and he would hold it until relieved by General
Baines or death. But there are several ways of holding a hot coal
besides the rather obvious one of sitting on it.
It would have been a fine chance to be theatrical, had play-acting
been in his line. Many and many a full-blown general has risen to
authority and fame by means of absolutely useless gallery-play. He
believed that he would presently be relieved by General Baines, who
he felt sure would march at once on Jailpore; and had he chosen to
he could have addressed the men, have set them to throwing up defenses
and have made a nice theatrical redoubt that he could have held quite
easily with the help of nine men for a day or two. And since the
really worthwhile things go often unrewarded, but the gallery-plays
never, nobody would have blamed him had he chosen some such course
as that.
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