New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-25

hand it was the hottest season OF tne year. III
w az no food no shelter, shade outside the wills
except that of single sirkly babul tree fTlai,y,
there troops within thirty miles; ne st sGmg
hasty note by his orderly back to DEM 1n "'A mn
der the babul tree, exactly opposiiuo ' ar
principal gate a single man beleaguerng ~, oi
threatening fortified post inc hrrce sum ~ ioward
the horizon, bat still no guns appeared anu hf If
resolute Collector sat At last the chie h 81
village bi 70 reduce his subjects
TO submission. John Lawrence, knowing rnot
India. as elsewhere jealousy II rul11s ~ Ctr
| for what il was worth rhe result of a mere snow
Of force backed up by John Lawrences eo6;aftoin
luton was the submission of the recu' ~
the iptliction of fine over ana above tne
and the return of the Collector III trluhP W i,ar
after winning boodless victory, ana w'nout ot ,hn
the news which has 50 often struck H9Iir tot The
| native breast, having reacneu Unc Nli'"s' ~
guns were coming" u,
| The daredevil fashion in which nc person"iN
| followed up criminals the strange power WHICH "'
had of compelling confession with his stern gi"ncc'
manfred awe and wonderment in his dusky people.
II 10 related that there was notorious robher III
his district whom Lawrence was anxious to seize.
| Tho man had been caught once. but his wife had
brihed the guard and he had escaped. lie had COM
mitted several murders. aud, one day, Jonh ~"
renee receiving information tha he was to sleep a
night in cottage not far distant, at once "rsanIne"
party of horse and foot, ana, WITHOUT coulllu WI.
eating his intention TO any one, started about zen
at night for the village. 1t was fine moon ight
night and a few miles ride brought them 10 IlNrI
which must needs b. crossed. Lawrence had hopeu
TO find boats on the spot. but they had been 1'tNoH
away to neghboring fair, and only one small 3oaI
was left, which, though 1T was iarge ~ tal,o
! carry the foot police across would nave 10 taho
| many trips if it was to carry over the horseiheh
also. ~ IL. ;.,,e,,d Johp
| Lawrence. His followers Gemurred; SAID mere
were qucksands, SAID the stream was 700 raplu, anu
they would all be swept away Weli,you GoT Hb
NAV do what Won like. but am gong, SAN Jonil;
and in he plunged and swan his horse OUT lnto llu
stream The russeldar, seeing this, took conIaeei
said il shame to leave me oalD ~ ~ 49, he
drownedlv he TOO plunged in on horseback ana was
followed by the others. But his fears were NOT H.,
together ill-grounded the horsenen had nearly
reached the other side in safety when they came on
one of the uuicksands. This Immediately Sc ttterc9
the whole body of them 9ro some Se ogs" aud al"
was confusion Lawrences horse was powerful
animal and plunged SO violently that ;v ms
| and with great difficulty reached the bank lherc
| he found the hOrsemen all assembled ana saiu 10
them, "You see we are all safe iier all .What"
| the reply 1.-THE russeldar IS drowned; WnaI.
so1d awrence "the bravest Of the whole lou OF You
LET na 90 in again and see if we can save hlm put
none of them would stir; they looked on Win tnat
| niac,d Indifference with which Onentals often re,
gard the fate of other peop", and-lt must oo a1po
IN fairness-oten also heir own, ana N plt9 Oh tIc
obiurgations of the magistrate, they showed no III
tentIon of risklng their own nVes 10 save 'n'' VI
their cOmrade IL
Once more John Lawrence plunged IN on foot, ana
soon perceived the russeldar struggling at snort
distance from the bank. Tie had got under ms
horse, and though he managed 10 Keep ms h,al
above water, he was evidently fast losing his
strength and senses John swan TO him and sup
ported him by main strength TIL his syce Drought
n rope and then they succeeded IN drag
cling the drowning man to land. lie mus
saved he mans life. but got bad Kick from 'he
plunging horse. T.. A., -;i,o
In much pain he pursued his way to The he village;
and found tnat though " the nest wa VI warm
and the wife and children were Wllnln, '. CT "
his search " as not at home. The fact was, eht
was sultry and the man had O"nH IN T." Ia. up OF
the house to sleep.
A few minutes after he was seen IooKng over the
parapet and as quick as thought John L!wrence
was the root AID fu TIT alter NM nc tnu aT
derer man of great strength and stature as wei
IA speed ran along the roofs of the house, when
were all Hat and joined each other, findlng ihat
his pursuer was close behind him. ana kn0 wing the
oIornd we'll the man jumped down. Lawrence
TO lowed him, but jumped too tar ana, allglhg on
declivity, managed 10 dlsiQcale MS "IAie, riu'
capped for the time, but was caught notlO 1ltr-
ward But in any case John Lawrence lost no caste
IN the ewes of his followers. They only wondered
the more at the uncanny, the unacconniaDie ecccn-
| tucites OF the man who could have the courage 10
hang raja and yet risk his life to save russtldar'
There was perhaps little love in the regard of the
natives but there infinite deal OF tfustven-
| Grafton and submission. Like Cromwell in his
downright ways, his immense power of persistent
work. his unfaIing force and energy, no was like
l
handing presence and III his proneness to righteous
| anger "What do YOU think of John Lawrencer
| asked an old friend of native officer. Docs he
work well and keep you at iti" Doesn't he " re-
| piled the awe-stricken native; " when he IS IN
anger his voice is like tigers roar. and the pens
| trembe in the hands of the writers all round the
| roon."
Lawrence owed nothing TO the favor of his SUI
perors What he won he won through hard work.
| performed without failure or mistake aud 1t WAS
natural that when the first Sikh war was success
| fully ended-chiefy through his exertions IN
promptly furnishing supplies-he should be called
70 aid IN ruling the new territory thus brought un-
der British dominion. As Commissioner of the
| Trans-Sutlei States he proved anew his wonderful
| force and executive power and his conviction that
the first duty of an Indian ruler was not the extern
| sion of the Empire nor the pamperlng OF the rich
| few but the care of the Doyerty-strlcken masses
and he development Of the country IN the direction
of the highest civilization Presently the second
| Sikh war came about and was the means Of annex
| ing to the British Crown the region now famous ~
| the Pnniab 1t was here that, first as member OF
| the Governing Board and aiterward as Chief Com
| missioner John Lawrence did the gallant work
| which led to the suppression of the Mutlny and
saved the British rule in India. His administration
carried through countless practical reforms in finance
and custom and government and brought the dis
trict to the point Of organization which caused 1t
TO be of inestimabe service IN time Of danger One
incident Of the annexation, by the way, exempli-
fed an especially unwoTdy trait of the highmlnded
magistrate Among the State jewels which the
Young Maharaja surrendered to the English Queen
| was the wonderful Koh-i-noor, and the diamond
| was at one OF the early meetings Of the Board
handed to John Lawrence for safe keeping.
| Perhaps the other members OF the Board thought
| him the most practical and business lIkc-3s no
doubt in most matters he wasof the three; or they
deemed that his splendid physique. and the gn1red
| and knotted stick which, fit emblem of himself: he
| Siv,avs carried with him-and which the Sikhs,
thinking il 10 be a KIND of divinng rod or familiar
| m,r;f chrisfened NV IT'S owners name, Jams