Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-12
SAVED B1r STRATIGE.H.
a story of the sepoy Rebellion of Iss.

n AtOFt OF Nhe rPpOy or 1901.
Dinner was over at Inst and Mr.. Walter
Currc English commissioner at the up
country station of Hutta- Bagh, in Northern
India, had gone out upon the yeranda with
his wife and his two guests Col. Ayres and
Maj Armstrong of the TIL infantry. While
the party were quietly conyerSing a sudden
clamor Of angry voices from the road below
drew them all to the front OF the veTanda.
The cause OF the disturbance was visible at
once. Two half druuken English soldiers,
staggering along the road had come into
violent contact with Il native boy who was
running past and one Of them, onraged at
the collision, had felled the poor lad to the
ground, and was unclasping his own belt with
the evident intention of beating him unmer-
cifully.
Served the young whelp right" shouted
the colonel rubbing his hands that's just
what they all want
Tn, other officer, Major Armstrong pop
ularly called Major Strongarm-was huge,
bruwuy, silent man, whose forte lay in acting
rathor than in talking. To leap to the ground
twelve feet below, to dart across the garden,
to vault OVER the high stOckade beyond, was
the work of a moment for the athletic major ;
aud in another instant he had raised the fall
On boy tenderly from the grounH while say
ing to the foremost soldier, in the low, com
pressed tone of a man who means what he
says;
"Be off with you !"
And who the deuce are you, shown yer
nose in where You amt wanted :" roared the
infuriated rufiian, to whose eyes the major $
plain evening dress bore no token of his be-
ing an officer; list you
The sentence was never finished At the
sound Of that last insolent defiance Arm
strong's sorely tried patience gave way alto
gether, and the strong right hand which had
hewCd its way through n whole squadron of
Sikh cavalry, fell like Il sledge hammer upon
his opponents face, dashing him to the
ground as if he had been blown from the
mouth Of gun.
"Well done, major :" shouted Mr. Carrie
from above. "You deserve your name, and
no mistake" At the name of "major" the
other soldier took TO his heels and Arm
strong, without even looking at his PROSTATE
antagonist, proceeded to examine the injuries
Of the boy. The latter was sorely bruised in
many places and the blood was trickling free
y over his swarthy face but the little hero
still did his best to stand erect, and to keep
down every sign of the pain which he was
enduring.
"YouIe brave lad, and you'll make sol
dier some day" said the major to him in
Hindoostanee, Come with me, and I'll see
ludl uO Onc ulOltAlh YOU hbhlu
Six months have come and gone, and Mr..
Currie's hospitable house presents a very diff
ferent spectacle The pretty garden is tram
pied into dust and mire, and the bodies OF
men and horses are lying thick among the
fragments of the half-destroyed stockade.
The windows of the house are blocked up,
and through the loOpholed walls peer the
muzzles of ready rifles, showing how steady
Al. L. ,s,,.i
the countless enemies whose dark, fierce
| faces and glittering weapons are visible amid
the half-ruined building and matted thicket.
all around. The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 is
blazing sky high over northern India, and
| Col Ayres is blockaded in Hutta- Bagh, will
a certainty of hideous death for himself and
every man of the few who are still true tC
him. unless help come speedily,
Day was just breaking when two men held
whispered eounsels in one of the upper
rooms
''No fear of the water running short, sale
! Maj, Armstrong; but even upon half ra
tons the food will be out in four days more.
"And then Wen Just 60 right at them, anC
cut our way through or die for it !" growled
the old colonel, with n grim smile on his iron
face, for with all his harshness and injustice
! Col Ayres was grit to the backbone. 1--WE
| mustn't say anythingt to them about it, though,
added he with side glance at Mr., Currie
who, standing in the further corner, was
anxiously Watching the thin, worn face of hi
sleeping wife.
At that moment loud cheer from below
startled them both, and the next momen
Ismail (the majors boy, as every one nov
called HIM burst into the room, with GLOW
of unwonted excitement on his dark face.
"Sahib cried he, there is hope for u
yet A detachment of English are coming
up the other bank of the river; if we car
send word to them as they pass we are say
ed"
"How do you know ?" asked the major
eagerly.