The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-08

| StanulnS DelOre MIN, Wnlle member OF
his court was studying out the problem
of checkmating the Rajah's king. In
fact, the Princes men were cornered,
and the game seemed to be lost. I had
always taken lively interest in chess,
and when 1 saw the predicamcnt in
which the Rajah had gotten his men,
began to study the positions of the pieces
while the rest of the prisoners were be-
ing examined.
"Well, in my eagerness I forgot my
position, and when I discovered an ave-
nue. of escape for the nearly checkmated
king, stepped forward and made a
move with the Rajah's bishop. The
court player looked at me in astonish-
ment for q moment, and then moved
one of his pawns. I followed it up with
another move, and in less than fifteen
minutes 1 had his king checknated. I
clapped my hands in triumph then, and
on looking up saw the Rajah watching
me closely. He had been an interested
spectator of the game.
"That game of chess saved my life
for short time. was sent to prison,
but not condemned to death. The next
day, and in fact every day for several
weeks, was brought out of the prison
and commanded to play chess with the
Prince. He was far from being poor
player; but after I had met him several
times I felt confident that could beat
him. From policy's sake, however, let
him win most of the games, which
seemed to please him immensely. This
sort of thing went on for long time,
until I began to get restless and anxious
to learn what my fate was to be. I be-
gan to look around to discover some
means of escape; but the prison was
guarded so carefully that my chances
were very poor.
"One day was calledinto the Rajah's
presence earlier in the day than common,
and I instinctively felt that was going
there to learn my fate. I was led into
another part of the royal quarters, place
that I had never entered before. / was
conducted between two lines of soldiers,
until spacious balcony, where the Rajah
vas sitting was reached. The balcony
overlooked q great yard, which was
thronged with people and native soldiers.
In the centre of the courtyard was a
large vacant space, divided up into large
squares of alternating black and white
marble. It was, in fact huge chess
board, laid out in the most costly way.
GAS great lover of the game, I in
stinctly uttered an exclamation of sur
prise and pleasure. My position was such
that could see every one of the sixty
four squares. While was still looking,
the crowd at one side fell back, and four
elephants, two draped with black and
two with white, entered, and took their
places at the four corners of the strange
chess-board. Small castle-shaped struc-
lures were on their backs, which made
them look like the castles of the chess
board. Then came in the knights, two
horsemen on white steeds, and two on
black. These also took their proper po-
sitions on the chess-board. Fools, or
CLOVIS, then took the places of the bishops,
which is the custom in the Oriental
countries. Two were Hindoos, and the
other two were captured EngliShmen.
Then eight Hindoo soldiers took the
places of the pawns on one side, and
eight English soldiers were placed in
row on the opposite side. The two kings
next entered, one white man, and the
other Hindoo, and both richly dressed
in magnificent robes. The two queens
followed, carried in on sedan chairs. One
was q Hindoo maiden, and the other
we'll, one glance was suficient-was
Evelyn, Jacks wife!
"Thc whole matter was getting pretty
interesting by this time, aud I felt my
self worked up to feverish heat. The
chess-men were all living ones, and they
were in position, ready for the players.
The Rajah then told me that 1 had but
one chance for my life. If won in
this game ofchess I could have my libcr-
ty, and also that Of the white Queen, if
Isaved her.
"My heart jumped into my throat, so
to speak, and I began to study out the
game, determined to make it the game
of my life. I felt more confident than
ever that I could defeat the Rajah, and
so I summoned all my courage to steady
my nerves.
"The play soon began. The Rajah
had the frs. move; and one of his pawns,
or English soldiers, he having chosen
the whites, came out two squares.
followed with one of my uindoo soldiers.
After three or four moves there was an
exchange of pawns. The two soldiers
were carried out, and in sight of every
one they were executed. This blood
thirsty act unsettled my nerves so that l
could hardly collect my thoughts; but
when 1 was informed that the Hindoo
soldiers were traitors condemned to
death, and that the English soldiers had
likewise been sentenced to execution, I
partly recovered my composure.
"The game then proceeded. The
white queen of the Rajah soon began to
make great havoc with my black men,
and it seemed necessary to take her if l
intended to WIN. Then the terrible
thought that if I took her she would be
executed the same as the rest of the liv-
ing chess-mea made the cold sweat stand
out on my forehead. I could not SEN
tence Jacks wife to the eXecutioner's
sword, not even if I lost the game and
my life with it. The Rajah seemed to
.dan.tnnl thi- n,l ha ..,ornd bic a,,oa,