St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-23

gle. The whole of the officers. including
the old colonel, came As TO leyee but
still felt there was one thing more to be
found out. How did the No. , bullet
get in the saddle
At length | inquired whether any of
the officers missed any of their arms.
Curiously y enough, the only missing arm
was gun belonging to the wounded cap
tain. asked, did he remember the size
lie did. 1t was just a shade smaller than
the bore of the regimental carbines. You
could get a government bullet down by a
good deal of hammering.
now prOpounded my theory, that the
bullet No. ,, had been fired from the
captains missing rifle, for the point of
the bullet was marked with rings. and
considerably tiattcned. Now there was
nothing in the flesh, and nothing in the
saddle TO produce these marks. and they
must therefore have been made before
firing
| then proposed that a full search
should he made with dogs. for ut least
two miles; round, from where the shot
was fired, TO see If any traces could be
found ot either the man OF the gun.
We made the most careful search
presently | came TO 4 stone on the road
itself. marked in Il most peculiar manner.
WHATS the cause of these marks ?''
SAID 10 the tarrier OF tie troop. who
had volunteered TO help, and who said he
never felt more grateful 10 any one in all
his life. than he did TO me for squeezing
his wrist so hard that day.
What's the cause7 Its been used as
q hammer Tor sometiing-a nail in Il
shoe
"Nail-heads are square"
TRUE for you-theSe are round
''Do Won think a ramrod would make
these marks -
1T Just would. Somebody's been
driving down a hard bullet with it.
$50 | think. Now take this stone
and throw it straight over that gap into
the middle of the cop>e, and I'll mark
where ii seems 10 fall
lie threw il, and marking the spot.
We found our way into the Jungle; and
there, within few yards of the stone.
under the long leaves. We found what we
,ought-the remains of a native. stripped
entirely OF flesh and skin except ON the
hands and feet, and with 4 great Gaping
wound in the skull and in the inside.
which the ant> had perfectly cleaned out.
MAS large piece of the Lreech of the
burst gun thai lie had by his side.
Tie whole evidence was there: two
empty cartridge cases. another No. =
bullet; eight untouched cartridges. Il
WAS clear enough that The man. whoever
he MAS. had taken the captains gun. and
putting in two cliar-cs of powder. ram
mel down the too large bullet with the
blows OF the stone ON ih, now bruised
end oi the ramrol; AMI thc loud report
;lIat all Tie witnesses spoke TO was as
loud a the simultaneous IMPORT of the
discharge of three charges of powder
could make ii. While the want OF force
in the bullet was accounted for bv the
bursting OF the gnn.
We took home the skull and the burst
rifle. and the cartridge cases. together
with some remnants of clothing and we
there found out the intended murderer TO
have been one OF the cvces. or grooms OF
the captain. that he had hor>e-whippo,l a
month before for ill-using horse OF
which hc hal charge
OF course there WAS new trial order
ed ami. a the evidence was unques-
tionablc, Gerald WAS discharged.
Did he leave the regiment p
Not Z hit-why should he The
men wor>hippei him. and the officer who
was wounded was invali,iel; and he and
hi comrades managed matters among
Them 50 well that at the first parade OF
the regiment, in Calcutta, some six
months afterwards, the old colonel pre-
>cnted 10 the men a new officer, Captain
Ashton, adding, ii he makes half as
good an officer is he did soldier there
will not be Il better i'll her majesty's ser
vice"
"-And vour sister Margaret J"
"Oh. I've Just sent little case. lined
with velvet, and something inside engrav-
ell William Gerald Ashton, from hiS
aiicctionate uncle '"-ORce 4 UI.ek.