The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-06-28

vanished. a
"What is it, Hal?" wispercd Milly. i
DO you think it was Bell coming to q
ook for me? Do come back just to the (
,rass." {
went back with her, and watched her !
nto the house. Then | turned and went
IN my way.
During the stirring months which
on our arrival in India, | had
little time for thought still less for
Letters were rarity; we
men looked with onvious eyes at the
Almost unconsciously
| had allowed my hopes regarding Bclps
first letter to get the better Of my dis
cretion, and found myself looking for
ward to the contents aS Il test of her real |
feelings towards me. She would surely |
say something to bctray herself, either
for love or against it. When the letter
did come | was half frightened to open
it, and turned it over and over before |
broke the seal. Bell never crossed her
letters, and wrote large hand, so these
were four sheets of thick note-paper be-
side carte of herself. Nothing could
be kinder and more cousinly than the
letter, and yet my heart sank, for not
one single sentence could l in any way
twist into anything more tender; and
crumpling it up, carte and all, thrust
it into the breast of my jacket. / was
still reading my dear old fathers chap
ter of home news, the condition of the
horses, the state of the crops, and the
hopes for the shooting season, when the
bugle sounded, and we were again under
arms. This time l got the worst of it..
TheSepoys had invented a sort of dia-
bolical machineb by fastening shell with
a long fuse into bag of gunpowdcr; it
of course blew up first, and they calcu
lated that the soldiers, seeing shellrol-
ling about, would go up to have look (;
nor were they far wrong in many cases.
l knew nothing Of the trick, and after
the first explosion, took Il short cut past
the shell, and came in for the brunt of
it, one piece smashing my arm, another
peeling my shin. | have an indistinct
notion of terrible thud, hardly pain
and yet something horrible, and then
knew nothing of it all until the effect,
: ofthe chloroform, administered to facili
tate the setting and dressing, going off
, l was congratulated by the doctor.
ga narrow escape; an inch to the
right, and Winchester had his promo
l ton, this paper saved your life," ant
| he held up Bells crumpled letter, mat
D ted together and stained with bloood
I Tucky for you the paper was thick,
= went on the doctor; "I've known som'
queer shaves for life, but Inever saw
| one to beat this. BY Jove, there
e goes the bugle again; it's little rest go
| out here, and plenty of practice, though
t it's not much I'd care if they gave Il
4 fair play, but they don't. Sir Coli
p has his petticoats to the front again
1 I'll step in and tell the news when | &C
@ away, Harry. Sleep is the thing 10
Y YOU"
e Next day we Wereat Lucknow, and tn
doctor, in Il perfect fury of delight, wa
:, telling me of the wilful mistake mad
by the gallant sky blues" when Il
e orderly brought me my share of anothe
@ mail.
"You must get your heart up, Harry,
Is said the DOCTOR one day, "Sir Coli
|, thinks the air here not over good for I'll
II sick. III have you made as comforti
e bleas possible; we are to march to-nigh
And there's the devil to pay among I'll
" women: they're wanting to carry o.
V every old kettle they've used the twelv
o months. Faith, I'd rather be a doctc
l. than n commissariat officer to-nigli
p though it is Jacks choice, between Il
Is devil and the deep sea. You'll have
sleep at Dill Koosha without the lullat
IS of big guns, that's one comfort"
l. The doctor was a good as his word.
:, had Il planquin, on which l lay as cor
fortably as on my bed, and worse pa
y than mine wonld have been forgotten
" the excitement of moving.
G. 1t was Il glorious moonlight night,
y bright that we could see where the bl
Il lets had peeled the plaster Off the wal
y or where round shot had rent the sion
t. and mud asmder, leaving great yaw
p ing gaps. ! heard not few lamentll
d over the ruin of what had been city
ne eastern splendQr. for my part, W
IT heartily thankful to get out Of it, a
I 4
AZ feel, as presently did, the pure count
'' air thrilling through and round II
y There was firing from the enemy goi
" ON in the distance; but 50 admiral
~ were the precautions taken by Sir Col
he that no suspicion of our great mo'
, ment reached the mutineers. Slleh
nI and stcalthily the great body pass
''u along through the dcsolated ground
ne what had once been the RANGES pala
ny thence 20 the road by the river, WIN
n. fine great excitement began, and Wh
hu the enemy were actually within sig
so that the open space along which
Slh had To pass was cloaked by screens
mating, behind which we passed w
'sh hated breath and an unuttered pra
of thankfulness to the wiseold man
h had contrived so ably for our safety
70 Morning brought renewed life to
ere wounded and wearied throng, ant
last shall never forget the wild delight W
which the rising sun was greeted
,ste men lifted up their voices and pra
Bell and wept, kissing their children
=" friends men with moistened eyes Il
Ial. TO laugh ut the fun, but gave in to
c,. ,.,,,.,,t ot Last, tlp pamD was |