The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-11
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III NOltntln lDultt, lltu ROuc Oui upOu
the veranda with his wife and his two
guests-Colonel Ayres and Major Arm
strong of the sixth infantry. While the
party were quietly conversing sudden
clamor of angry voices from the road
below drew them all to the front of the
veranda.
The cause of the disturbance was
visible at once. Two half-drunken
English soldiers, staggering along the
road, had come into violent contact
with native boy who was running
past, and one of them, enraged at the
collision, had felled the poor lad to the
ground, and was unclasping his own
belt, with the evident intention of beat
ing him numerically.
Serve the young whelp right"
shouted the colonel, rubbing his hands;
that's just what they all want"
The other officer, Major Armstrong
popularity called Major Strongarm-was
a huge, brawny, silent man, whose forte
lay in acting rather than talking. To
leap to the ground, twelve feet below, to
dart across the garden, to vault over the
high blockade beyond, was the work of
moment to the athletic major; and in
another instant he had raised the fallen
boy tenderly from the ground, while say
ing to the foremost soldier, in the low,
compressed tone of a man who means
what he says:
=" Be off with you!"
And who the deuce are you, shown
yer nose in where you amt wanted?"
roared the Infatuated ruffian, to whose
eyes the majors plain evening dress
bore no token of his being an officer.
"Jist you"
The sentence was never finished. AT
the sound of that last insolent defiance
Armstrong; sorely tried patience gave
way altogether, and the strong right
hand, which had hewed its way through
whole squadron of Sikh cavalry, fell
like sledge hammer upon his oppo-
nents face, dashing him to the ground
as if he had been blown from the mouth
of gun.
well done, major!" shouted Mr..
Currie from above. You deserve
your name, and no mistake" AT the
name of major" the other soldier
took to his heels; and Armstrong, with
out even looking at his PROSTATE an
tagonist, proceeded to examine the in
juries of the boy. The latter was sorely
bruised in many places, and the blood
was trickling freely over his swarthy
face; but the little hero still did his
best to stand erect, and to keep down
every sign of the pain which he was
enduring.
"You're brave lad, and you'll make
a soldier some day." said the major to
him, in Hindoostanee. "Come with
| ma and J311 con fbot M ono p,n1actc Won
again"
Six months have come and gone, and
Mr.. Currie's hospitable house presents
very different spectacle. The pretty
garden is trampled into dust and mire,
and the bodies of men and horses are
lying thick among the fragments of the
half destroyed stockade. The windows
of the house are blocked up, and
through the loopholed walls peer the
muzzes of ready rifles, showing how
steady the besieged garrison stands at
bay against the countless enemies
whose dark, fierce faces and glittering
weapons are visible amid the half-ruined
buildings and matted thickets all around.
The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 is blazing
sky high over Northern India. and Col
onel Ayres is blockaded in Hutta- Bagh,
with a certainty of hideous death for
himself and every man of the few who
are still true to him, unless help comes
speedily.
Day was just breaking when two men
held whispered counsels in one of the
upper rooms.
"No fear of the water running
Short" said Major Armstrong; but
even upon half rations the food will be
out in four days more"
And then Wen just go right at
them, and cut our way through or die
for it,! " growled the old colonel, with a
grim smile on his iron face, for, with
all his harshness and injustice Colonel
Ayres was "grit" to the backbone.
1--WE mustn't say anything to them
about it, though, )" added he, with side
glance at Mr.. Currie, who. standing in
the further corner, was anxiously
watching the thin, worn face of his
sleeping wife.
At that moment loud cheer from
below startled them both, and the next
moment Ismail 0he majors boy,''
as every one now called him) burst into
the room, with a glow of uRwonted eX-
element on his dark face.
"Sahib! " cried he, " there is hope
for us yet! A detachment of English
are coming up on the other bank
of the river; if we can send word to
them as they pass, we are savedl"
How do you known" asked the
major, eagerly.
9 i heard the Sepoys say so while /
was lying hid among the bushes yon-
der" answered the lad.
Among the bushes yonder?' roared
the colonel, facing around. "Have you
really been in the midst of those cut
throat villains listening to what they
said? What ever did you do that for?''
- did ii for Sahib Armstrong;
sake, replied the boy, proudly, " be-
cause he was good to me-"
But if the troops are beyond the
river how can we communicate with
them?" asked Mrs. Cunie, who, awak-
ened by the shouting, had risen and
joined the group. They may not
pass near enough to hear the firing, and
we have no means of sending word"
Fear nothing from that, mem
sahib," madam) said the Hipdoo boy,
quietly;" will carry them word my
self"
g But how can you possibly do it?'
cried Mr.. Currie, thunderstruck by the
confident tone in which this mere child
L 4 r.. 4 L Al