The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-01-19

VIC uiiSh WIS uetecteu. HOW ulu lSlnall
mean to accomplish his purpose
Would he plunge Loldly into the river,
without any disguise, or had he some
further stratagem in preparation? No
one could say.
Suddenly, as lsmail stopped to plunge
his light wooden dipper into the water,
it slipped from his hands and went float
ing away down the stream. A cry of dis.
may, loud laugh from the Sepoys,
and then the boy was seen running
frantically along the bank and trying in
vain to catch the vessel as it fioated past.
"What on earth's he up TOP" grunt-
ed the Colonel, completely mystifed.
81 see !" cried Maj. Armstrong, tri.
umphantly; "there's boat yonder
among the reeds, and he's making for it.
Well done, my brave boy !"
But at that moment yell of rage
from the Sepoys told that the trick was
discovered
Luckily those on the bank had left
their pieces behind, or poor Ismail
would soon have been disposed Of but
the alarm instantly brought up crowd
OF their armed comrades. whose bullets
fell like hail around the boat and its
gallant little pilot.
Let us fire volley and make n
J show of sallying out" said the Colonel;
"it'll take their attention from HIM.
But in this he was mistaken.
The first rattle of musketry from be.
hind the house did indeed recall most of
Ismail's assailants, but at least dozen
were left, who kept up an incessant fir
ing, striking the boat again and again.
All at once the Colonel dashed his
glass to the floor with frghtful oath.
Between the two gusts of smoke he
had seen the boat turn suddenly over.
and go whirling down the river, keel
upward
"There's IN end Of the poor lad, " NUT
tered the veteran brokenly. "God bless
him for brave little fellow. And now,
old friend, we must just die hard, for
there's no hope left.
The first few hours of the night passed
quietly, and the exhausted defenders,
utterly worn out, slept rs if drugged
with opium. But little after midnight
WIG 'lliiNh tuin vi tll' WV Ntl'lull OllSNAo
the only watchers in the whole gar
rison except the sentries themselves
caught faint stirring in the surround
ing thickets, which seemed to argue some
movement on the part of the enemy.
Listening intently for few moments,
they felt certain that they We're right,
and lost no time in nrousing their men.
The scanty stores of food were opened
once more, and, crouched together in the
darkness, the doomed men took what
they fully believed to be their last meal
on earth.
"They're coming" said Maj. Arm
strong, straining his eyes into the
gloom through loop-hole. " hear
them creeping forward, though can't
see them"
"What the deuce was thnt2" eX-
claimed the Colonel, suddenly " 1t
looked like fiery arrow flying past.
"It's worse than that" said the Ma
jor, in n low voice. "The rascals are
shooting lighted chips of bamboo ont ON
to the roof to set it on fire. Send the
women up with buckets to tlocd the
thatch there's not moment to lose"
"Pll 90 and see to it myself !" cried
Mrs. Currie, fastening out of the room.
But the power of this new weapon had
already become fatally manifest. The
house was an old one, and dry as
finder from the prolonged heat,
and MS fast as the flames were quenched
in one place they broke out in another
When the day dawned the fire had al
ready got firm hold of one corner Of
the building, and crushing discharge
was poured upon all who attempted to
extin8uish it, while the triumphant yell
of the human tigers below told them
that they felt sure of their prey.
cts all over with us, old fellow, said
the Colonel, grasping the old comrades
hand ; "but, at least, we shall have doAe
our duty"
"Give me one Of your pistols" whis-
pered Mrs. Currie to her husband, in a
voice that was not her own. must
not fall into their hands alive"
At this moment Maj. Armstrong was
seen to start and bend forward, as if lis
tening intently; for he thought-ai.
though he could scarcely believe Lis
ears-that he had suddenly caught a
faint sound of distant firing.
In another instant he heard it again,
and this time there could be no doubt
for several of the others had caught il
likewise. and CLEAN of hope once
more lighted up their haggard faces anC
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