Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-05-13
@isfellansous.
Saved By Stratagem.

Dinner was over at last, and Mr.. Walter
Curric, English commissioner a; the up
country station Hu,ta- Bagh, IN Northern In
dla, had gone out upon the ,eranda with hi.
wife and has two gucsts-Col. A,res and
Ma. Armstrong Of the -,h infantry. While
the party were quietly conv-rsIng sudden
clsmol OF angry voices from the road below
drew them all 20 the front of the ,erandA
The cause Of the disturbance VAS visible
al once. Two half-drunken English soldiers.
s~aggering along the road. had come IN
violent contact with a native boy who vas
running pa.; and one Of them. cnraged al
the collision. had fellcd the poor lad TO the
ground. and Mas unclasping his own bel,
with the evident purpose of beating him
numerically.
Serve the Young ~help right" shouted
the colonel. rubbing his hands; that's JUS,
~ha; the, all want"
The other officer MAJOR Armstrong-pop-
ulaTly called Major Strongarm-was 4 huge.
brawny. silent man. whose fort. lay in act
ing rather than in talking. To leap 20 the
ground twelve feet below. 90 dart across tho
garden. 10 vault over the high stock ade be-
yond. ~as the work Of moment for the
athletic major; and in another ins,an; he
had raised the fallen boy tendcrly from the
ground htle SAVING TO the foremos, soldier.
in the low. compressed tone OF man who
mean. " hat he says:
"lie of with you :"
And ho the deuce are you. shown yer
nose IN where YOU amt wanted ?" roarcd
the infurla,ed rutiian. 10 whose eye. tho
MAJORS plain evening dress bore no token Of
his being an officer; ''JISi YOU
The sentence was never finished. At the
sound o: ,ha, last insolent defiance. Arm
sirong's ssrely tired patience gave say alto
ge;her. and the strong right hand which had
hewcd ts way through whole squadron OF
Sikh cavalry. fell like sledge hammer upon
his opponents face, dashIng him TO the
ground as If he had been blown from the
mouth Of gun.
We'll done. major 80 shouted Mr Currie
from above. You deserve YOUR name, and
no mistake" A, the name Of major" the
other soldier took TO his heel. and Arm
strong. ~ithou, even look a; his PROSTATE
antagonist, proceeded TO examine the lnJu-
ries Of the boy. The latter ~as sorely
bruised in many places, and the blood " As
,rickling freei, over his s~arthy face; but
the lii;le hero still did ms bes; to stand
erect, and To keep down every .gn Of the
pain which he VAS enduring
You're a brave lad. and You'll make 4
soldier some day." said the major 10 him in
HindoostAnee. Come with me. and I'll
see that no one mole,ts YOU AGAIN"
Six months have come and gone, and Mr..
Currie's hospitahle house present. = very
different spectacle. The pretty garden j.
trampled into dust and mire. and th. bodice
Of men and horses are living thick among
the fragments Of the half destroyed stock
ade. The windows Of the house are blocked
up. and through the loopholed walls peer
the INJURIES Of ready rifles, showing how
steady the besieged garrison stands at bay
among the countless enemies whose dark,
fierce faces and glittering weapons are visible
among the half-ruined building and matted
thickets all around The Sepoy mutiny OF
1857 is blazing sky high over northern In
| dia, and Col. Ayres is blockade in Hutta-
Bagh. with a certainty of \ hideous death
! for himself and every man Of the few who
are still true TO him, unless help come
speedily.
Day was just breaking when two men held
| whispered counsels in one of the uppe,
| rooms.
w iN0i VI ~ostE shoitr so4l
Maj. Armstrong; but even upon half ra
tions, the food will be on, in four day'
more"
And then we'll just 90 righ, at them
| and cut our way through or die for IT :
/: growled the old colonel with a grim smile
I on his face. for with all his harshness and
J injustice, Col. Ayres was "grit" to the back
bone. 1--WE mustn't say anything to them
about it. though" added he with q side
| glance at Mr.. Currie, who. standing in the
further corner, was anxiously watching the
thin. worn face Of his sleeping wife.
At that moment loud cheer from below
startled them both, and the mex, moment
lsmail tihe majors boy" as every one nov
| called HIM burst into the room, with glow
of nwon,ed excitement, on his dark face.
| .Sahib," cried he, there is hope for u,
vet, A detachment of English are coming
| up the other bank Of the river If We car
send word to them as they pass, we art
saved"
"How do you know" asked the major
eagerly.
Il heard the Sepoys say so while va,
living hid among the bushes yonder, answer
| ed the lad
Among the bushes wonder ~ roared the
colonel, facing around. Have you reall,
been in the midst Of those cut-throat villains
listening to what they said? Whatever did
you do that for9"
Il did it for Sahib Armstrong; ssks re-
piled the boy. proudly, "hecanss he va,
! good TO me-"
but i. the troops are beyond the river
how can we commanicate with them? ?" asked
Mrs. Currie, who, awakened by the shout
ing, had risen and joined the group. 1.-The,
may not pass near enough to hear the firing
and We have no means of sending then
word"
"Fear nothing for that. mem-sahib" (mad
m) said the Hindoo boy, quietly; II vii
carry them word myself"
"But how can you possibly do it?" criet
Mr.. Currie. thunderstruck by the con6den
tone in. which this mere child spoke of I
task from which the hardest veteran nigh
we'll have shrunk.
'.Listen. sahib," answered Ismail. n vii
alp out of the house, and make dash int.
the enemy's lines, - Il we're deserving yos
| a thnmf nnd voo an tnll VomR n00oAo r