The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-09-21
An East Indian Adventure.


/ retired to my tent one evening
greatly fatigued; and during the night
had an adventure, which might have ter
minated with more loss to myself had
slept sounder.
My bed. low charpoy, or ''four feet"
was in one corner of the tent, close to
q door, and awoke several times from
feverish dose, fancying I heard some
thing stealthily, in my tent. But I
could discover nothing, though 'cheer-
ing" or little Indian lamp, was burning
on the table. I, therefore, again wooed
the balmy power and slept.
At length, just as the Iron tongue of
midnight" had told twelve-for I had
looked at my watch but five minutes be.
fore, and replaced it under my pillow
/ was awakened by a rustling sound I'M
der my head. and half opening my eyes,
without changing the position of my
body, / saw hideous black face within
foot Ct my own, and the owner of this
index of a cutthroat, or, at least, cutpurse
disposition, kneeling on the carpet with
one hand under my pillow, and the
other grasping, not dagger, but the
door-post.
Still, without moving my body and
with half-closed eyes, gently stole my
my right hand to q boar-spear, which at
night was always placed between my bed
and the wall; and as soon as I clutched
it made a rapid and violent move
ment, in order to wrench it from its
place and try the virtue of its point upon
the intruder's body, but I wrenched In
vain. Fortunately for the robber, my
bearer, in placing the weapon in it's
usual recess, had forced the point into
the top of the tent an the butt into the
ground so firmly that I failed to extract
it at the first effort, and my visitor,
alarmed by the movement, started upon
his feet and rushed through the open
door.
I had time to see that he was perfectly
naked. with the exception of q black
blanket twisted round his loins, and that
he had already slowed away in his
clothes my candlestlcks and my dress
ing-csse, which latter contained letters,
money and other valuables.
had leisure also, in that brief space,
to judge from the size of the arm ex-
tended to my bed, that its owner was
better formed for activity than strength;
and by his grizzled beard, that he was
rather old than young.
therefore sprang from my bed and
darted through the purdor of the inner
door, seized him by the cumberland
Just - be was passing the outer entrance.
(The tents in India have double flies;
the outer khauaut, or wall, forming q
verandah. of some four feet wide, round
the interior pavilion.) The fellows
blanket however, gave way, for he had
held it loosely about him, and before /
could recover my hold upon him, he had
made good his escape through the outer
puri1er, but dropping in his hasty exit.
The much esteemed dressing case.
was SO close upon his heels that the
bheel trobber) could not recover the
PRIZE; and jumping over the tent ropes,
which doubtless, the rogue calculated
would trip me up, he ran toward the
road.
I vas in such fury, that, forgetting
my bare feet, gave chase, vocifersting
lustily:
''Thlefl thief Choor! choorr'
But was soon brought mp by some
sharp stones, Just in time to see the ras-
cal, By the light of the moon, through
the thick foliage overhead, jump upon
one Of my horses. standing near the road,
and dash down the psth Ct full speed his
black cumberland lying in the wind be-
hind him.
What would mot have given for my
double- barrele1 gun 1t that moment As
- and my besutifuI Arab went clatter-
ing along The rocky forest road, I thought
q tbs black huntsman Of the Harts. or
~ slf-king.
Returning 70 my tent, I soIaosd my
~ ~ abusing my servants, Who were
juGo rubbing their eyes and rousing
1As0eslves. and By three1sning ths tsf.
49, eePoy ssstinsl viii - innsdiaAs
oDuEo-martiaa.