The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-07-09


| My discovery of the pouches and belts was,
believe, observed by the natives, though nothing
was said about it. That they would attempt
any violence by daylight, thought improbable,
| and took advantage OF a cool attempt made by
one Of the men who had been seated forard 20
! to come aft 10 converse with she helmSman, TO
assume decided position, which did by order
! ing the fellow peremporiIy back TO his old
| place. AT the same lime ! seated myself in the
middle, the hilt of my sword conveniently to
the front, and producing my revolver from lis
| holsters, looked 10 the charges and nipples
| My amiable companions correctly concluding
that did not understand Bengalec, then com
menced conversation IN that euphonious Ian
guagc, but | enioned absolute silence, and en-
| forced the Injunction with savage scowl, and
a persuasive click OF the pistol lock. The
sIlenced native smiled upon me--smiIed that
innocent, helpless, deprecatng smile, which
only your thorough niger can accomplish
While they smiled, | was meditating whether
or not TO shoot them there and then, without
waiting their attack. But as | doubted i'll
could manage The boat in the strong current
alone, determined 10 let them live and take
me to my destination, where ! could have them
comfortably hanged by the sentence of drum
head court-maI:ial. And thus Ne all sat in
grim silence, The wild boar was at bay, but
the shkarees paused and marveled at his tusks.
Night came on apace-a black temPeSluous
night. The wind howled dismaly over the
turbid Ganges, and the great waters rushed and
roared along, bearing little bark towards the
perlous rapids and eddies Of the Colgong rocks,
| fancy that il must have been about ten o'cIok
when we approached these enormous masses of
boulders which obstruct the course Of the river
and form an insular extension of the Rajniahal
hills. The interval had been spent in profound
silence and VII lance. The two men for'ard |
could not see, as they crouched down in the
shadow OF the bows, but caught glimpse of the
helmsman occasionally, when the waves lifted
the stern above the horizon, and his figure was
family relieved for moment against the sky.
r ~ - eioads IS; tnfse i lhl lights only served
to render more palpable and oppressive the sue
ceeding darkness. Instead of keeping in the
stream, close to the northern bank OF the river,
as more experienced Joalmen would have done,
my Sepoys suffered the boat 10 become involved
in the whrling eddies that swept fercely round
the rocky islets the light craft no longer an
! swered its helm, but rushed furlously along
borne away by the roaring waters, like dry
/ leaf in autumn upon torrent 1t was mo-
ment Of extreme peril, and the two worthless IN
the bows rose up and took long bamboo poles,
such as all native boats are furnished WITH in
the vain hope of Tending off from any rock a
gainst which we might be impeIlcd. Such an
event involved certain destruction. The
river, swollen much by the rains, and more by
the melted SHOWS from the Hmalaya, bad risen
ihv-fve feet above It's lowest level and dashed
along with inconceivable violence and yeloci-
ty.
The periodic fever, 10 which I had recently
been subject, threatened me with preseAt al
tack, and, despite my utmost efforts to fix my
attention and remain alert, fatal languor and
Indifference TO the danger ofmy position gained
upon me. Suddenly I became aware that a
corpse had dliied against the side of the boat
There was something remarkable in the circum-
stance in the course Of the afternoon | had
seen many carcasses of both men and beasts
floating along, with crows and yuItures seated
on them. The close proximity OF the present
one, however, was extremely offensive, and
stopped down and took bamboo, with the inten-
ton of showing it off. In the act Of doing so
something glitteiing on the breast Of the corpse
attracted my attention, and, dropping the pole
| reached over and seized it. Such was the
strength Of the band that secured the ornament
around the dead mans neck, that, in wrench
ing il off, forced the gunwale so low that thC
water bubbled over ii aud rushed into the boat
Fortunately, at the moment the link OF the chair
parted, and the body, which was half raised
from the water, fell heavily back, inundatIne
my face and person with Putrid shower
An instant the moon peered through 'the blan
ket OF the dark" and, holding up the trinket,
discovered that held the enameled locket whl
the brlllantS that Percy was wont TO wear
God was it possible that The hdeous oblec
that still aoated near me was al that renamed
OF Harry Percy. ] saw it distinctly-so close
was il that could have touched it with my
hand. but there was nothing l could recognize
The body had evidently been some days IN th'
river. The trunk and limbs were horribly
ou,oII.n. mart ofthe bones OF the face were lalt
ht