Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-25
SAVED BY A STRATAGEM.

Dinner was over at last, and Mr.. Walter
Currie, English commissioner at the up coun-
try station of Hutta-Bagh, in northern In
dia, had gone out upon the veranda with his
wife and his two guests-Col Ayres and
Maj. Armstrong, of the til 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 beating him unmer-
cifully.
"Served the young whelp right" shouted
the colonel, rubbing his hands; ''that's just
what they all want"
The other, Maj. Armstrong popularity
called Maj. Strongarm-was huge, brawny,
than in talking. To leap to the ground
twelve feet below, to dart across the garden,
to vault over the high stockade beyond, was
the work of a moment for the athletic major j;
and in an another instant he had raised the
fallen boy tenderly from the ground, while
saying to the foremost soldier, in the low,
compressed tone of man who means what
he says:
''Be off with you'll"
''And who the deuce are you, shown yer
nose in where yer 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 Arm
strong's sorely tried patience gave way alto
gether, and the strong right hand which had
hewed its way through whole squadron of
Sikh cavalry fell like sledge hammer upon
his opponents face, dashing him to the
ground as if he had been blown from the
mouth of gun.
"WeI done, major!' shouted Mr.. Currie,
from above. "You deserve your name and
no mistake"
At the name of smajor" the other soldier
took to his heels, and Armstrong, without
even looking at his PROSTATE antagonist, pro-
ceeded to examine the injuries of the boy.
The latter was sorely bruised in many places,
and the blood was trucking 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 a brave lad and you'll make sol
der some day." said the major to him, in
Hindoostanee. "Come with me, and I'll see
that no one molests you again."
Six months have come and gone, and Mr..
Currie's hospitable house presents very diff
ferent 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
muzzles of ready rifles, showing how steady
the beseged garrison stands at bay against
the countless enemies whose dark, fierce faces
and glittering weapons are visible through
the half ruined building and matted thickets
all around. The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 is
blazing sky high over northern India, and
Col. 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 come 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
Maj Armstrong; but even upon half rations
the food will be out in four days more"
'And then we'll just go right at them, and
cut our way through or die for it," growled
the colonel, with a grim smile on his iron
face, for, with all his harshness and injustice,
Col Ayres was ''grit" to the backbone. "We
mustn't say anything to them about it,
though" added he, with side glance at Mr..
Currie, who, standing on the further corner,
was anxiousyI watching the thin, worn face
of his sleeping wife.
At that moment a loud cheer from below
startled them both, and the next moment
Ismail (he ''major's boy" as every one now
called him) burst into the room, with a glow
of unwonted excitement on his dark face.
sSahibW cried he, 'there is hope for us yeti
A detachment Of English are coming up the
other bank of the river; if we can send word
to them as they pass, we are sayedl''
elbow do you knows" asked the major.
eagerly.
II heard the Sepoys say SO, while I was
lying hid among the bushes yonder," an
swered the lad.
"Among the bushes yonderl' roared the
colonel, facing around. "Have you really
been in the midst of those cutthroat villains,
listening to what they said! Whatever did
you do that for?"
81 did it for Sahih Armstrong; sake" re-
piled the boy, proudly, 'because he was good
to me-"
'BuU IL Uu0 tiOopo e1I0 10y OaA oA0 A1Sci
how can we communicate with them2" asked
Mrs Currie, who, awakened 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 them word"
'sFear nothing tor that, mem-sahib" Una
DAM, said the Hindoo boy, quietly; II will
carry Them word myself"
"But how can you possibly do it2" cried
NV fho Sarf
tone in which this mere child spoke of a task
from which the hardest veteran might well
have shrunk.
ssListen sahib," answered Ismail. 81 will
slip out Of the house and make dash into
the enemy's lines, as if were DESERVING from
YOU to them; and you can tell your people
to fire shot or two after me with blank
cartridge as go. Then the Sepoys will re-
ceiye me kindly, and I'll tell them that you
are all diving of thirst and that they need
only wait day more to be sure of you, SO
that they won't come to make another at
tack. Then, when they have no suspicion,
and think T'rp quite one Of themselves, I'll
steal away and slip across the river"
ssBut are you quite sure the Sepoys will
believe you?7 asked Maj. Armstrong, doubt
fully.
1QeYI EcllCV0 cd1Ss eAAy iO"J ASPAASN cAAo
boy, deliberately making deep cash in his
bare shoulder, and staining his white frock
with tho blood, as he glided from the room,
followed by the major
The plan was soon explained to the men be-
low, and a moment later Ismai's dark figure
was seen darting like an arrow across the
open space in front of the building, followed
by a quick discharge of blank cartridges
from the marksmen at the loopholes. The
sound of firing drew the attention of the
Sepoys, several of whom ran forward to
meet him. In another instant he was in the
midst of them.
II can scarcely see for those bushes" said
Col. Ayres; ''but he seems to be showing
them the wound on his shoulder and telling
them it was our doing"
At that moment an exultant yell from the
enemy came peeling through the still air.
''That's the story of our being short OF
water, for a guineai' said the major; lit
was very good idea Of his. If it only de-
lays their attack two days longer there may
be time for help to arrive yet"
Slowly and YEARLY the long hours of that
fearful day wore on. The heat was so ter
rife that even the native soldiers of the gar
,,;eo,, could horolv hold thoir own AGAINST it,