The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-02-16
Selected Story.
HOW THE CAPTAIN
LOST HIS ARM.
A Story Of Thrilling Adven-
ture in India.

1t was at one Of our evening camp fires
in India that he told his story. Far in the
distant jungle sounded the cry Of the ter
rible wild beasts that reigned there-it
sounded ever the plains and came to our
ears with the most dismal of monotones.
We could easily imagine how gracefully
the tiger crouched there. how like fame
his cye-balls cleaned.
Above us was the deep, deep purple of
an Indian sky, it's stars burning with lus-
tre that our cooler England never knows.
The lurid blaze Of our fire threw eerie
glimmers out into the darkness.
There we're four of us. We were half ly-
ing along the ground, each Of US indus
triously putting at our chceroot. There
had been a silence Of a quarter of an hour
when Charters, looking at the captain as
he calmly smoked, said:
"Now, Roland, isn't it favorable time
to redeem your promise Of q year ago r.
Captain Roland looked up questioningly.
believe there was no greater fayorite in
the regiment than Roland, and there was
no danger of spelling him, either. He was
about tbirty-fve years old-he had been IL
India ten years, and thus far escaped fey
ers and wounds, though no man exposed
his life more bravely-but he never die
it foolhardily.
His left arm was gone, but none of us
knew how it was lost; it had not been III
battle.
In reply to his look, Charteris said:
"You know you promised to tell us how
you happened to lose your arm"
Roland shuddered perceptibly as ht
withdrew his cigar from his mouth, anc
said:
ayes, did promise, and hope it'll dc
me good to tell that story once. I've KEEP
silent about it, but | haven't forgotten it
You see, man remembers thorough
fight good while.
''It was when / was in the-Regimen
before was transferred to this. That wa
almost eleven years ago, and | was
good deal younger, and rushed into al
sorts ofscrapes though | do hope that un
der the same circumstances as happened
that day should do the same thing owe
again.
''I was lieutenant in those days, ans
that morning / was sent out in command
of halfa dozen men in pursuit of q desert
er, who was reported to be hiding in tn
vicinity of that place we call Marvel's GU
ly. You know the place. Phere are nc
many of us soldiers but do know it. Th
sun glared down with unvarying, cloudles
heat gentle wind blew over the cart
like the breath from an oven ten time
heated; it struck against me as | rode, an
shuddered as / felt it, for it seemed th
breath of some FIRE monster that would d.
your this luckless land. am more use
to that breeze now, but itused to make m
the most homesick ofany thing.
"We rode as fast as We dared in th
heat, and by noon had reached the wretcl
ed village where we were ordered to scare
for the deserter. l did not much like th
job, and rather hoped we should not fin
him; butwe did, and while we we're safel
securing the miserable wretch, party I
natives came up in great excitement, an
begged US to go down to tho gully vii
them. saying that that morning b youn
girl, the pet Of the village, had gone dow
on some kind Of an errand, and that the
were afraid she had fallen victim to