The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-01-20
JUST In Time.

Il.
ter Currie, English Commissioner at the
up-country station, at Huttee- Baeh.
Northern India, had gone upon the
randa with his wife and his two cues {.
the Colonel and Major of the -th lig, t
infantry, to enjoy the cool of the eveA-
ing.
On three sides the house was sur
rounded by its compound, large in
closed space serving the purpose of a.
| courtyard, but the fourth was only sep
arated by small patch of garden from
the road, along which number of native
women were passing with their little
pitchers on their heads.
The sight of them naturally turned the
conversation upon q favorite subject
| with all Anglo-Indians, viz, the char
acter of the natives and the best mode of
dealing with them.
"There only ono way" said the
Colonel, emphatically. "Tell 'em what
they are to do, make 'em do it, and
thrash 'em well if they don't. That's
my way"
"Wen, 1 venture to differ from Won
there, Colonel" said Mr.. Currie, uuietly.
CT had to do some thrashing once or
twice, l own, but most of mynative SER
wants get along very well without it.
and they seem to serve me excellently. /
assure you"
"I wish you had been in my place,
then," retorted the Colonel: "you'd
have changed your opinion, I warrant.
Why, the year before last, when I had
charge of two battalions of the rascals
down at Suttepoor, because there wasn't
another Queens officer within reach
just like my oonfounded luck There
was no getting anything done unless I
did it myself. By Jove, sir 1 had to
be everything at once-my own Quarter
master, my own Sergeant Major, my
own caterer. and"
"And your own trumpeter, Col. An
nesley asked Mrs. Currie, with an
arch smile.
The Colonels broad face Redeemed
omlnously, and an explosion seemed
imminent, when o sudden clamor of
angry voices from the road below drew
them all to the front veranda.
Tho cause of the disturbance was visi-
BILE at glance. Two half-drunken En-
glish soldiers, staggering along the
road, had come into. violent contact
with native who was running past
and one of them, emaged at the collis-
ion, had felled the poor lad to the
ground, and was unclasping his own
belt with the evident intention of beat
ing him numerically.
shouted the Colonel rubbing hishands
that's just what they all want"
The other officer, Maj. Armstrong
popularly called Maj Strongarm-was
huge, brawny, silent man, whose forte
lay in acting rather than talking.
During the whole discussion he had sat
like great bronze statue, never utter
ing word but, at sight of this man
ill-using this child, he woke up rather
startlingly.
To leap to the ground twelve feet be-
low, to dart across tho garden, to vault
over the high stockade beyond, was the
work of moment for the athletic Major,
and in another instant he had raised the
boy tenderly from the ground, while say
ing to the foremost soldier, in the low,
compressed tone OF q man who means
what he says:
"Be off with vou"
"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. JisS
you"
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 it's way through
O whole squadron of Shiv cavalry fell
like sledge-hammer upon his oppo-
nenG's face, dsshin0 him to the ground
as If he had been blown from the mouth
Of gun.
"WeI done, Maj. Armstrong, shouted
Mr.. Currie from above. "You deserve
your name, and no mistake"
At that formidable name the soldier
took to his heels atonce, and Armstrong,
without even looking OF his PROSTATE an
tagonist, proceeded to look at the hurts
of the boy"
The latter was sorely bruised in many