The Opelousas courier., 1889-08-31

escape by the highway was thus cnt; afr
q native woman refused TO see anv
OF the men of the party or to speak with
any 81 the other ladies' besides nv cons
lns Wlfe, and was gone before we knew
OF her warning. No one doubted her
information and for some time we were
unable to decide on a plan of action. Il
was finally decided to drive about two
miles, and there make a cross-road known
70 exist, and thus flank the force gathered
for our destruction. Il was dark when
we left tue bungalow. and we reached
the cross road wlthdht adventure. After
passing up this road for a mile CT two
we began to look for an opportunity to
head to the east again, but we drove
three miles before we found it. Then it
was a blind road leading through a
heavy jungle and over very rough ground.
Had it not been a bright moonlight night
we could not have travelled ten rods upon
this route. With everything in our favor
we made but slow progress, and, after
following the road for about two miles,
we found that it ended at an old quarry,
and beyond this was a jungle that one
could scarcely penetrate on foot. Every
body at once realized that we were in a
fix. 1t was o midnight and to return
to the highway was to place ourselves at
the mercy Of the first band of marauders
astir. We could not go ahead, and how
were WE to remain in that desolate spot?
AS the Indian wars of America have
furnished unnumbered instances of the
heroism of American women, so oil that
outbreak in India prove to the world the
courage of hundreds of English females
of all ages, from grandmothers to maid
ems. AS we stood beside the carriagesin
that lonely spot consulting as to what
should be done, not q woman spoke a
word to show cowardice or despair. 1t
was by the advice of Mrs. Roberts that
the horses were detached from the
| vehicles, and we sat down to patiently
walU until aaybreak should more clearly
| reveal our situation. Twice during that
wait a tiger came prowling about us, and
| just before daylight a great hyena would
have dashed at one offrnf 0rses.had not
a pistol shot frightened1ff m off.
Daylight bettered u situation some
what. While it at once put an end to
the hope that we could proceed further
with the carriages, it revealed to us a halt
completed temple, thus far erected out OF
huge blocks of stone, and showed us that
! fresh water and plenty of wild fruits were
| at hand. The temple walls had been run
up about ten feet, enclosing a square OF
q quarter of an acre. There was only one
opening thus far, which was for the main
entrance. At the further end was a di.
| viding wall, making al enclosure about
fifty feet across by twenty the other way.
This enclosure also had an opening, and
ss soon as we had MAIDS 8 hasty inspection
of the place, we got the horses and car.
riages into the main enclosure, and sci
apart the smaller one for the people. The
walls of this part were fifteen feet high,
rising plumb from the earth, and could
not be scaled without ladders, while
there were seven of us with rifles to guard
the archway, which was not much larger
than a common doorA
While we were not sure that the
driver could be trusted, he wa sent back
TO the main road to cover our trail il
possible, and to lie in hiding and pick
up such information as he might. He
had no sooner departed than we watereo
the horses, hid them away in the jungle
to forage, got water for the people and
then made a scant breakfast on soma
sandwiches which one of the ladies had
been thoughtful enough to bring along
There were plenty of wild gourds around
the old ruin, andSfn an hour we had ter
gallons III wateh< slowed away fol
emergency. It wa2+he season for many
wild fruits and roote< and before moor
our commissary departSIeept would have
stood a siege Of four or fvG,aags. There
were three children in the part5sthe old
est only eight and the youngest four, bu1
not one of them uttered a complaint
Even the youngest seemed to realize 994
situation and to have determined not U
add to the anxiety of it in the slightest
Long enough before noon we heard tn
firing of guns from the spot where tn
Lucknow highway had been barricaded
and, as was afterward known to me alone
over 100 fugitives were slaughtered a
that point that day.
The driver reappeared about Q o'clock
He had reached the road and efaced thu
wheel and hoof marks just in time. 4
pa1ty on horseback, led by my body ser
la mt. was out looking for us, and the.
not discover that we had Eft tn
r road. From their tails our man 0farnet
that the native soldiery were to revotSth
morning, and that the town OF seetapor
was to be given up to plumber. Tn
whole country was up in arms agalns
British rule, and the anticipated rebellion
was at last a fact. We were in a thlnl,
Rsettled district, as he learned, and nigh
Aaain undiscovered for several days
we kept quiet. The mans loyalty couls
no longer be questioned, andgae was take1
into our confidence and his as5ice asked
for. He advised us to remain where 9
were until obliged to move on, and VI
agreed that this was the wisest policy
We felt that our greatest danger lay to
ward the highway from which we ha'
turned off, and that evening, after a ola,
Of undisturbed peace, I accompanied tn
driver back to the point from which b
had made his observations in the morn
ing. Natives were passing in great mum
bers, some going toward seetapore ant
some the other way. We soon heart
enough to prove that the expected revol
had taken place. and we heard men boast
mo Of the bloody deeds they had per
formed. The cantonment had bee
burned, most Of the town LAID IN asnes
and every European who had rename