The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-12-16
The MUFTI
An Episode of the Indian mutiny.

AWA WIUElH
An Episode of the Indian Mutiny.
During the cold weather In 1855 we
had been unusually gay at our pleasant
little station of Ramjamjolliraobad in
the heart Of Dude. In November no
less than three brides had arrived from
home and been feted in turn while
early in December the Thirteenth Light
Cavalry and The One Hundred and
Tenth Native Infantry had been relieved
by Hampden's Horse and the Ninety.
Shlr9 Light Infantry, both "crack" regi-
ments, with good bands and capital mess
es; and just before Christmas the Com
mander-in.Ohief had passed through on
a,tcur Of inspection, and remained for
four days. Balls, big dinners and pic
mics had been the order of the day, and
we had even succeeded in getting up
some very fine races. It was about this
time that my wife's cousin, Capt. Geoff-
rey st, Till, of the Twenty-fifth Ian.
GERS, came to spend his three months
leave with us, and before he had been a
fortnight in the station managed to get
himself and us into hot water. st. Hill
was o strikingly handsome man with
very regular features and "poetic" eyes,
ae Yves moreover encircled with halo of
glory from having been one of the "Six
Hundred" The ladies, as might natu-
rally have been expected, made much Of
him, and he dashed off at once into ve-
hement Irritation with three of the five
spinsters at our little station, one of the
remaining two being too plain and the
other too wise. Had he confined him
self to this amusement it would not have
mattered SO much but, unfortunately,
he would be an Admirable Crichton.n
and persisted in laying down the
law to every one on every pos
sible subject, without the slightest
respect for age, rank or reputation.
Free-thinklng was one of his hobbies.
90 SsFeS Fol- !" being his nickname in the
regiment, and he was particularly fond
OF airing his mtidelity, especially before
the ultra-evangelicals, for whom he had
the most profound contempt. At the
first big dinner to which we were in.
vited he placidly set the Commissioner
70 rights on the subject of " Salookdarre
rights and permanent settlement, and
gave the Brigadier lecture on active
drill and discipline.
One of the charges against him was
chat he read italian with Miss Bell
this cause of offense had been removed,
the reading having entirely ceased, and
the young lady appearing rather to
avoid him than otherwise; but it was
observed that she never allowed his
character or opinions to be attacked be-
hind his back without defending him
most calamity. As she was the pref
test and oleverest "spin' in the
station, and general favorite to boot,
few cared to contradict her but whether
her alliance did st. Hill much good is
open to doubt; one man indeed it
brought to his aid-young Stubbs, the
boots of the Ninety third regiment.
no-account lad who had been desper.
ately IN love with Miss Bell from the
first day he saw her, and who now
chlvollously ranged himself on the side
OF his rival, by whom he was constantly
snubbed for his pains,
Under these circumstances it was evil
IDENTIFY high time for st. Hill to beat a
retreat, but, as ill-luck would have it.
this was out of the question, bad fall
having put him ON the sick list, and
rendered it quite impossible for him to
reloln at the expiration of his leave.
while much more serious matter than
his dolngs and misdoings soon occupied
all our thoughts.
AS the hot weather drew near an I'M
easy feeling showed ITSELF in the native
army, and before long the mutiny at
Barrackpore opened our eyes to the
danger The guilty regiment met with
instant punishment; the disaffected ap-
Qeared to be cowed, and we fondly hoped
that the crisis was over. This interval
OF quiet was, however, only the calm be.
fore the terrific storm, which was SO
soon to burst in all its fury on our de-
voted heads. Ali through the month of
April this deceitful calm lasted: most of
us forgot our fears, and prepared to
make ourselves comfortable for the hot
weather, Suddenly the bazars were full
OF a great mutiny and massacre of Nee
rpS, but, having received no authentic
news OF any disturbance there, we treat
ed the report as mere "gup," and the
two or three old officers who looked
grave and shook their heads over it
were laughed at as alarmists, Only
day or two later our laughter came to a
sudden end, A large party of us were
having "chota haari, and smoking In
the "coftee shop" after parade, when
telegram was brought to our Colonel,
with o hurried note requesting his i'm
me0Gate attendance at. the Generals
pIngalow. The ill-omened slip of paper
passed quickly around: Cavalry mutt
MED at Meerut on Monday. Several
officers killed" The Colonel, with his
Adlutaut, rode off at once, while the rest
of us. crowding round the table, read
and re-read the telegram, trying to find
IN it some grain of comfort. at is
only the Third Cavalry" said one; "they
we're always known to be shaky. All
the other S3poy regiments appear to
have remained stanch."
We were still discussing the news and
trying to persuade ourselves and each
other that 1t was not really half SO bad
as 1t seemed at first sight, when the
Commissioner, galloping up, asked for
the Colonel, and, hearing that ne had
gone to the General, threw me another
telegram and rode off without drawing
rein. This second message ran as fol
NOWS O"tuAAJ 1AOII 4nSSEub TSacOGQ
Delhi Tuesday-the whole force there
joined them; general massacre of En-
gllsh magazine blown up.
For the next few days we were all in
state of the deepest despondency, but
after that came reaction. We heard
that large European force, under the
Oommander-in Chief, was marching on
Delhi, and that several regiments had
been telegraphed for from the Persian
gulf and Madras. At several places
mutlnies had taken place, but in many
others the spirit of the native troops ap-
peared to be excellent, notably at ALA
habad, where the Sixth regiment Native
Infantry had volunteered to march
against "those wicked men who had
been false to the great company whose
salt they had eaten :" and other regi.
ments had followed their example.
NJ antime our own men were loud in
their professions of loyalty, and MANY
Of US believed they were really faithful.