The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-10
. TRUST WELL KEPT


been gathering volume and force in score
for many months had burst it's barriers q
last, and was sweeping along as though
past all control. The gallant old Colone
Pratt had paraded his regiment in front o
his bungalow, and, with his gray hair rip
pied by the warm breeze, had expressed
to them his ill-iounded confidence that
though all the other sepoys rose In rebel
lion, they would never rise. His men
whom no always spoke OF as "his chill
dren," greeted his speech with ringing
cheers. Two hours later they had muir
dered the veteran, and, under their owl
chosen leaders were marching to Delhi
their band playing with the curious in
consistency for which the mutineera fron
first to last were famous, the EngliBl
national anthem, "God Save the Queen
AllahabRd had fallen. Every officer a
the mess table, with one exception, haC
been butChered by the servant who stoot
behind him, and struck with his knife
when the signal was given. The one who
escaped the general doom, and who wa
called, when the story was told, the "Mar
tyr Of Allahabsd," sprang through q win
dow OF the mess room, and reaching the
banks OF the Ganges plunged In and swan
for many miles; hiding In the jungle dur
ing the day, and drifting with the current
at night; suffering incredible hardships
To die OF native fever induced by the ex
poaure when friends and apparent safety
were reached atlast.
Other officers belonging to that Ill fated
mess escaped. Not many, and those only
because they were not at the table wheI
the murderous signal was given. One o
them having been detained by regimeAtal
business was hurrying to join his com
radeB when o woman stopped him by
coming with startling s%uddenness from
the shadow Of a Clump Of bamboos beside
the road.
"sahib, don't 90 on" she said, speak
ing In her own language. "They are all
dead by this time. Boden Singh was be-
hind your chair, his knife ready, and hsd
you been in 1t you would have been with
Allah now. Boden Singh was mad with
rage, and waiting. He had waited 80 Ions
that he said he could wait no longer. HI
wanted to murder you last night when
you were asleep on the chRrpoy, but
told him II he did 80 1t would not be easy
to get the officers all together at the mesl
tonight. So he agreed to wait o little
longer to stab you in the back, as the
others were stabbed, while he stood be,
hind you at dinner. He has killed some
body else by this time to make up fol
having missed you. Yes, 1t is terrible
but why did you put the grease on thu
cartridges? Alb, here they comeIn
The butchery was over, and q troop o
soldiers accompanied by the servants who
had slain their masters, were marching
down the road, headed by a band playing
"Rule Britannia" The woman who hat
spoken was Pooniah, the wife Of the vii
lain Boden Singh. Boden Singh was thu
"bearer," or body servant, OF the office
who had been warned. l was the officer
"Quick, sahibl' she exclaimed, hastily
% ! stood irresolute In the middle OF TIL
road. "They will see us in a minute
Hide In the Clump Of bamboosl" And Ii
q moment we were crouching side by side
while the mutineers came on, marching
with that steady military step that thel
had learned so well from their Englisl
masters. They had learned some othe
things, too, from the same teachers, ant
In the next few months they showed d
too plainly that the seed Of instruction hat
not been cast upon barren soil.
"Why did you put grease on the cart
fidResp At that moment, with life AM
death hanging even in the balance
those words and their evilinferences werl
ringing In my brain. Assuredly the porl
grease on the cartridges had In some de
gree hastened the mutiny. The cart
ridges Of that day had to be bitten beforl
they were used, and both Hindoo AM
Mussulman abhor the flesh OF the pip
though the higher classes eat imported
hams and bacon, and protest that they ar
not the same meat at all. The Sepoy
bad gone on biting the cartridges content
eddy, and with no idea that they wer
putting the u%nelean thing into thei
mouths, until the rebellious rajahs, watch
ing for such an opportunity, Willy point
ed out the grievance. Several Of the req
mentB protested, and asked that th
grease on the cartridges be changed, 30 a
no longer TO clash with their religion
principles; and had the advice, Btrongl
urged, Of the astute Sir John Lawrence
then Colonel OF Agra, afterward Governo
General Of India, been taken these II
quests would have been granted ct once
but 1ndia's rulers, In the pride Of Ger
tury's almost undisturbed possession
feared nothing, suspected no danger, an
dfifted blindly on to the Bharpest crisis
England'sl later history.
A clump Of bambooB, Ia O goodispot "a
a fugitive to hide In. It Ia an exceller
place also for o party Of soldiers 10 CT
camp by. The mutineers thought 20, an
throwing themselves on the parched gras
beside the road twenty yards from whef
We were hidden, they began 10 Btnok
and discuss In low, cautious tones, 10
they were still diBtrustful Of themselyt
and, each other, the prospects, Of the de-
perats venture 10 which they were no.
f%fretfieyably committed.
Il was quite light enough now 10 be
that Boden Singh was not with the 90
diers, Where had he gone TOT / Aske
my partner, In q whisper. "H0hag gon
TO your bungalow" she replied, Bignit
cantly. "He expects 10 find you there
Situated a. ! then was, iorewaFned ant
therefore, toteAtmed, l was Blncetel
sorry that Boden Singh would not find IN
in my bungalow.
The Clump Of tall, then bamboos wei
singing their endless song 10 the nigh
breeze, felt by their sensitive, lofty top
though not %petceptible below and, OF
voices lost 10 the tnutineetB In the Rfoar
ing and Cfeaking Of the branches,
lieafned from PooniRh her reason for Ia
Ing me. A few weeks previously, whe
lthe shadow Of the advancing mutny ha
fallen on The country, / caught Bode
singh, who could read and speak EnRlis
:, remarkably we'll about 10 open d lettl
Iaiyen 10 me BY q messenger from Sill job
Lawrence 10 deliver TO the. Oommihaionl
Of Jubbulpofe. In view Of the expecte
outbreak such an intention, II eSpoeeI
|, would intAllibly have been quickly 10
flowed BY Bodeh gingh's execution but
had read nothing Of the dispatch, an
Welding 10 PoonlAh's entreatieg, l was
ient, aud Bis life was spared
IIENE. NA.a Il .Naaa AZ kaa1 0Ahth " Hal