, 1880-12-10
JCT IN TINE.

rn.conntry station at Huttee-BaSh' III
Northern India, had gone up on the 'e'
randall with his wife and his two guests,
the Colonel and Major of the tn Llsn'
Infantry, to enjoy the cool OF the even
ing.
On three sides the house was sur
roupded by its compound, large en-.
closn1 snace serving for the purpose OF
a courtyard, but the fourth was only
separated by small patch ot gGr9eh
from The public road, along whlch Il
number of native women were passing
with their little pitchers upon thelr
heads. 9, -,
The sight of them naturally turned
,,,a conversation upon a favorite subject
with all Anglo-Indians, viz, the charac-
ter of the natives and the best method OF
dealing with them. go,
'There's only one way, said the COLO
mel emphatically. Tell EN- what they
nrc to do. make 'em do it, and thrash EN-
we'll if they don't. That's my way
"Well, venture to differ from you
there, Colonel, !" said Mr.. Cnrrie' quiet
Iy. II had to do some thrashing once
or twice, | own, but most OF my native
servants seem to get along very wei
without it, and they serve me excellent
ly, Iassure You"
.'I wish You had been in my place,
then. retorted the Colonel; you'd have
changed your opinion, / warrant you;
WHY. the year before last, when L had
charge of two battalions of the rascals
down at Sutteepoor, because there was
not another Queens officer within reach
Just like my confounded luck!--there
was no getting anything done unless l
did it myself. BY Jove, sir, | had to do
everything at once-my own quarter
master, my own sergeant major, my own
caterer, and"
Sand your own trumpeter, Col. An
pesley 2" asked Mrs. Currie, with On arch
smile,
The Colonel's broad face redeemed
eminously, and an explosion seemed i'm
inent, when q sudden clamor of an angry
voice from the road below drew them
all to the front of the verandah.
The cause of the disturbance was yisi-
BILE at a glance. Two half-drunken Eng
lish soldiers, staggering along the road,
had come into violent contact with ma
tive who was running past; and one OF
them, enraged at the collision. had felled
the poor lad to the ground, and was un-
clasping his own belt with the evident
intention of beating him numerically
"Serve the young whelp right" shout
cd the Colonel, rubbin his hands;
that's Just what they all want
The other officer, Major Armstrong
popularly known ss Major Strongarm--
was huge, brawny, silent man, whose
forte lay in acting rather than in talk
ing.
Daring the whole discussion be had
sat like great bronze statue, never ut
sering word; but at the sight OF this
man i'll using this child, be woke up
rather startlingly.
TO leap to the ground twelve feet be-
low, TO dart across the garden, to vault
across the high stockade beyond, was
hut the work OF q moment for the ath-
letic major; and in another instant he
had lifted the fallen boy teLderly from
the ground, while saying to the foremost
soldier, in the low, compressed tone Of
man who generally means just what he
says
BE off with you y
''And who the deuce are you, shown
yer nose in where you amt wanted ?"
roared the infuriated rufian, to whose
eyes the Majors plain evening dress bore
no token of his being an officer; "jist
you. 4N
The sentence was never finished.
At the sound of that insolent defiance,
Armstrong; sorely tried patience gave
way altogether, and the powerful right
hand which had hewed its way through
a whole squadron Of Shik cavalry, fell
like sledge hammer upon his oppo-
nent's face, dashing him to the ground
as if he had been blown from the mouth
of gun.
"Well done, Major Armstrong p
shouted Mr.. Currie from above ''You
deserve your name, and no mistoke."
AT that formidable name the soldier
took to his heels at once; and Arm
strong, without even looking at his pros.
trate antagonist. proceeded to examine
the hurts of the boy.
The latter was sorely bruised in many
places, and the blood was trickling free.
ly 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.
You're brave lad, and you'll make
a soldier, some day" said the major to
him in Hindostanee. "Come with me,
and will see that no one molests you
again"
The lad seized the huge brown hand
which had defended him so brayely, and
kissed it with the deepest reverence.
and the two then walked away together.
Six months have come and gone, and
Mr.. Currie's hospitable house presents a
very different spectacle. The pretty
garden is tramped into dust and u,ire,
and the bodies Of men and horses are
lying thick among the fragments of the
half-destroyed stockade.
All the windows Of the house are
Blocked up, and through the loop.holed