National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-02-10
THE CHALLENGE,


The iollowlng story was told to me by
aa uli,cr belonging to one of II. b. M's
o.imcnts stationed in the East, as we
paced the deck Of the IIydaspes, one fine
a.-Lt. while on the passage from Calcutta
10 London | present it to my readers in
t.a words Of the narrator, a tall, well built
mW, whose oliye-like complexion indicated
our residence in tropical climates.
When first received my commission as
.a,Ian in the British army, | was gazetted
70 the til Regiment, then in India and
' the P, and o. Company did not exist in
those days, | took passage via. the Cape OF
Good Hope.
Ia due course Of time | arrived at Mad
rl, and joined my regiment, in which |
remained only three years, however; for at
Dae expiration of that period, | purchased
uy Heutenantcy, and exchanged into the
I'D, which was stationed up country.
Until man gets thoroughly used to it,
there is nothing SO monotonous as an Off
cgr'- life in an isolated locality in India.
Iuerci, routine in everything in duty, in
|oungiug, eating smoking, sleeping, reading
and billiard, or card playing, and this is
'h,Y 'WI'd w oS luChy challcc, ne happens
y" pc 'h a. a'''flc' where PiS-St'ck'n@' ele-
plant or tiger hunting is obtainable. At
time, too especially if ladies are with
tac regiment amateur hops are in favor,
ami occasionally "a hop" is implovised;
huI tIe climate is so enervatng that nei-
tdcr officers nor men ofany regiment, that
had heaua considerable length of time in
'.' .''n'ry' ieIt very o''eh u''po'ed 10 cA-
'"'"'Ne',cN 10 Pro'loe amusement ior
''I' 'aIe>.
-e ra had been SIX years IN India,
' consequence an tIe members Oh
'''' .o'i' were alI''c'eu WIN iaSSi'uue a.; 'lla'
'c,oi'' cl'Ioli'o. i"eie was
-.'" ''lila oI leiilalc s2cletN-Vha' sIile
"'N 'i lIea'ureaple cNls'ence-aiid 'iie
hunting "ad been pronounced by those ola
'.'.'. VINO considered themselves genuine
'''. '' 'c ihIrfhaily oad therefore,
II was announced that new coliec-
..' ,'eh appointed TO succeed the Nv
.- 'I' tuiinudseon who, ior seventeen
.."' nAd held Once IN that district, ana
'"''a ''he was added, asserting that ne
Ns iHoiortmate possessor Of an extremely
'.''N. Wlie, every one was on the q'u
''t IT'D receive nm. Mu'h TO our dlsap-
',' however ne arflNCu atone, nav
.' us spouse TO ENJOY the society OF
"I'ha' IN calcutta Tor lew weeks, al
'. WI. gll 'he was to follow nm with thelr
'e|
N- norman Fraser was man about
."' -Ii'e years OF age, tall, muscular, ana
prominently handsome moreover he
''' "-lIy educated, ana possessed such
'"''N "i pleasing that won his way to all
hearts, ana soon became universal
'.}'I'e'
'I' unused new HE INTO our llttie CO.
'ie and many were the lamentations
'..'''er ms genial countenauce ana not
''l3 across our mess table Cur coloneFs
.a.o- featured dap9htersIreeu'ar gar
sDr.,,' who had tlirted Succe'Sively
.' every sub whom they had met du-
'.- last ten years-Wcre enhanced ny
., ana openly lamcntcd that ne was al
t" a benedict; Tor, though he was
"'I arWlllan, they would have been glad
."'A-l TO have had the ghost OF chance
'N>Nare Inn In the sllken mes hes oi mat
.Ul''l'
'' was a custom in those days for officers
remain over the mess-table long after
''' cloth had been removed, and, unle
'..o possessed a very strong head, he 7as
W.''{ certain to retire to rest in lamen.-
a''y heiogged condition. One night, when
We all Lad been indulging pretty freely,
.'' 'nycrsaticn turned to billiards-an
interesting topic. for most Of Us were good