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"Second line, FIRE!" the officer shouted. A hail of bullets was unleashed by the red clad men standing in line beside him. "First line, FIRE!" the officer shouted, the men who had just fired quickly reloading their weapons as the men kneeling in front of them unleashed more bullets. The officer continued to issue his commands as before him the enemy charged across the short open space that was in front of the town's walls.
On top of the town's highest building a group of officers stood, telescopes in ahnd, peering out at the scene in front of them. A messenger hurried up behind them, came to a sudden stop and saluted, "My Lord" he said addressing the senior officer in the group, "Lieutenent Peterson reports that the enemy are still coming and that without reinforcements he cannot hold the gate."
The officer, a tall man with a thick moustache and a face that betrayed years of harsh conditions paused for a moment before answering, "Inform the Lieutenent that he is to stand his ground, fresh troops are on their way."
"Yes sir" the messenger saluted again and sped off to deliver the news.
"My Lord," one of the officers standing beside the senior officer said, "diverting troops from the south wall leaves us dangerously exposed."
"I am aware of that captain, but what would you have me do? A handful of soldiers may be able to hold the south wall, but a handful of soldiers will not hold the gate!"
In front of the gate the soldiers continued to fire. Volley after volley was unleashed into the advancing enemy, but still they kept coming. "There are too many of them!" one soldier cried out.
"Steady!" the officer commanded, his voice firm and filled with reassurance borne of years of experience.
The enemy soldiers were charging towards the gate, bullets ripping into their flesh, puncturing hole sin them and illiciting terrible screams, but they were undaunted. The soldiers at the gate defiantly stood their ground, gazing out at the ever approaching enemy. Suddenly a loud boom echoed out across the landscape as a cannon sprung into life. The cannonm ball screamed through the air and crashed into the enemy troops. Screams rang out as the cannon ball cleavedits way through a group of soldiers, their bones splintering and their blood spurting out in torrents. More cannons opened up, ripping through the enemy as if they were made of paper. The advancing enemy scattered in panic as the cannon balls tore off their arms and legs, smashed their skulls open and crushed their bodies. But it wasn't enough, they reformed into their units and continued onwards.
"Fix bayonets!" the officer at the gate comamnded, "Single file!" The troops obeyed the officer, forming a single line of red uniforms, their bayonets thrusting outwards ready to meet the enemy. The enemy fired shots of their own sending some of the twon's defenders to the ground, clutching at wounds and screaming in agony. Still the thin line of red held its ground, ready for the onslought. The enemy soldiers hurled themselves at the defenders, screaming and shoutiing obscene war cries, calling upon their gods to smite their enemies and give them victory. The fighting was bloody, the defenders stabbed at the attackers with their bayonets, puncturing them like sacks of flour. The atatckers drew daggers and small war axes, bashing and slicing at the defenders.
The officer at the gate continued to bark out orders, commanding his men to remain firm. As he turned round he came face to face with one of the enemy, a burly man composed of pure muscle and brandishing a vicious looking dagger. The officer quickly drw his sword and prepared to defned himself. The attacker proved to be a skilled opponent, his dagger zipped through the air almost too quick to see, slashing at the officer and ripping into his arm. The adrenaline in his body masked the paina dn the officer retaliated with his sword, but the attacker was agile, weaving in and out to avoid the blows. Again the dagger found its mark and sliced off the officers thumb. The officer fell to his knees screaming in paina nd clutching his bloodied hand. The attacker raised his dagger for his final strike, but the adrenaline in the officer's body was still strong; he managed to raise his sword just enough so that when the atatcker brough his dagger crashing down his arm was skewered on the sword. The officer stumbled to his feet, drew his pistol and fired at the atatcker's stomach. The attacker dropped to the ground dead, the sword still protruding from his arm.
"Do we have any more men?"
"No my Lord, we can't send any more men to the gate without leaving the rest of the city defenceless" the captain informed him.
"Then order them to fall back" the commanding officer replied.
"Fall back! Fall back!" the shouts rang out at the gate. The defenders desperately tried to make their way back towards the safety of the gate, but the enemy were overwhelming them. Everywhere they looked the defenders saw enemy troops. Shots were ringing out, blades clashed against blades and overhead cannons thundered on. Some of the troops slipped on the blood soaked ground as they tried to retreat, quickly falling prey to enemy blades as they lay helpless.
"My Lord" the captain said, a note of urgency in his voice, "there are too many of them, we are being overwhelmed at the gate."
The commanding officer looked on at the gate for a moment before turning to face the captain "Ready your sword and follow me." The assembled officers drew their swords and marched behind their commander as he made his way out of the building.
At the gate the scene was awful, parts of bodies littered the ground, blood ran like a river and screams echoed out over the din of battle. A small group of defenders had managed to reach the gate, but the enemy were upon them, bashing and hacking, shooting and stabbing at them. As the officers arrived on the scene they wer emet with a wave of enemy troops charging towards them. "Stand your ground and push them back!" the commanding officer shouted. For the captain it was too late, a bullet smashed into his skull as he stepped forwards to meet the charge, he fell to the ground, instatly dead.
"The cannons are out of ammunition sir" a soldier cried out."
"Then it is over, " the commanding officer shouted back at the soldier, "the time has come to save the colours."
"Yes sir" the soldier replied, fighting to be ehard over the noise of battle.
"Take the colours and get them to safety, inform Lord Curzon of the attack" the commanding officer cried out.
As the soldier sat atop his horse on the hill overlooking the town all he could see was smoke and fire, occassionaly he could hear men crying out, but he knew that the town was lost. He gazed up at the banner he bore, the regimental crest emblazoned beneath the Union Flag and he knew that he must complete his mission, the colours could not be lost and he must give warning that the Aztec approach.
On top of the town's highest building a group of officers stood, telescopes in ahnd, peering out at the scene in front of them. A messenger hurried up behind them, came to a sudden stop and saluted, "My Lord" he said addressing the senior officer in the group, "Lieutenent Peterson reports that the enemy are still coming and that without reinforcements he cannot hold the gate."
The officer, a tall man with a thick moustache and a face that betrayed years of harsh conditions paused for a moment before answering, "Inform the Lieutenent that he is to stand his ground, fresh troops are on their way."
"Yes sir" the messenger saluted again and sped off to deliver the news.
"My Lord," one of the officers standing beside the senior officer said, "diverting troops from the south wall leaves us dangerously exposed."
"I am aware of that captain, but what would you have me do? A handful of soldiers may be able to hold the south wall, but a handful of soldiers will not hold the gate!"
In front of the gate the soldiers continued to fire. Volley after volley was unleashed into the advancing enemy, but still they kept coming. "There are too many of them!" one soldier cried out.
"Steady!" the officer commanded, his voice firm and filled with reassurance borne of years of experience.
The enemy soldiers were charging towards the gate, bullets ripping into their flesh, puncturing hole sin them and illiciting terrible screams, but they were undaunted. The soldiers at the gate defiantly stood their ground, gazing out at the ever approaching enemy. Suddenly a loud boom echoed out across the landscape as a cannon sprung into life. The cannonm ball screamed through the air and crashed into the enemy troops. Screams rang out as the cannon ball cleavedits way through a group of soldiers, their bones splintering and their blood spurting out in torrents. More cannons opened up, ripping through the enemy as if they were made of paper. The advancing enemy scattered in panic as the cannon balls tore off their arms and legs, smashed their skulls open and crushed their bodies. But it wasn't enough, they reformed into their units and continued onwards.
"Fix bayonets!" the officer at the gate comamnded, "Single file!" The troops obeyed the officer, forming a single line of red uniforms, their bayonets thrusting outwards ready to meet the enemy. The enemy fired shots of their own sending some of the twon's defenders to the ground, clutching at wounds and screaming in agony. Still the thin line of red held its ground, ready for the onslought. The enemy soldiers hurled themselves at the defenders, screaming and shoutiing obscene war cries, calling upon their gods to smite their enemies and give them victory. The fighting was bloody, the defenders stabbed at the attackers with their bayonets, puncturing them like sacks of flour. The atatckers drew daggers and small war axes, bashing and slicing at the defenders.
The officer at the gate continued to bark out orders, commanding his men to remain firm. As he turned round he came face to face with one of the enemy, a burly man composed of pure muscle and brandishing a vicious looking dagger. The officer quickly drw his sword and prepared to defned himself. The attacker proved to be a skilled opponent, his dagger zipped through the air almost too quick to see, slashing at the officer and ripping into his arm. The adrenaline in his body masked the paina dn the officer retaliated with his sword, but the attacker was agile, weaving in and out to avoid the blows. Again the dagger found its mark and sliced off the officers thumb. The officer fell to his knees screaming in paina nd clutching his bloodied hand. The attacker raised his dagger for his final strike, but the adrenaline in the officer's body was still strong; he managed to raise his sword just enough so that when the atatcker brough his dagger crashing down his arm was skewered on the sword. The officer stumbled to his feet, drew his pistol and fired at the atatcker's stomach. The attacker dropped to the ground dead, the sword still protruding from his arm.
"Do we have any more men?"
"No my Lord, we can't send any more men to the gate without leaving the rest of the city defenceless" the captain informed him.
"Then order them to fall back" the commanding officer replied.
"Fall back! Fall back!" the shouts rang out at the gate. The defenders desperately tried to make their way back towards the safety of the gate, but the enemy were overwhelming them. Everywhere they looked the defenders saw enemy troops. Shots were ringing out, blades clashed against blades and overhead cannons thundered on. Some of the troops slipped on the blood soaked ground as they tried to retreat, quickly falling prey to enemy blades as they lay helpless.
"My Lord" the captain said, a note of urgency in his voice, "there are too many of them, we are being overwhelmed at the gate."
The commanding officer looked on at the gate for a moment before turning to face the captain "Ready your sword and follow me." The assembled officers drew their swords and marched behind their commander as he made his way out of the building.
At the gate the scene was awful, parts of bodies littered the ground, blood ran like a river and screams echoed out over the din of battle. A small group of defenders had managed to reach the gate, but the enemy were upon them, bashing and hacking, shooting and stabbing at them. As the officers arrived on the scene they wer emet with a wave of enemy troops charging towards them. "Stand your ground and push them back!" the commanding officer shouted. For the captain it was too late, a bullet smashed into his skull as he stepped forwards to meet the charge, he fell to the ground, instatly dead.
"The cannons are out of ammunition sir" a soldier cried out."
"Then it is over, " the commanding officer shouted back at the soldier, "the time has come to save the colours."
"Yes sir" the soldier replied, fighting to be ehard over the noise of battle.
"Take the colours and get them to safety, inform Lord Curzon of the attack" the commanding officer cried out.
As the soldier sat atop his horse on the hill overlooking the town all he could see was smoke and fire, occassionaly he could hear men crying out, but he knew that the town was lost. He gazed up at the banner he bore, the regimental crest emblazoned beneath the Union Flag and he knew that he must complete his mission, the colours could not be lost and he must give warning that the Aztec approach.
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