Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-09-18

| auolutf part OF tut country anu JACh
home was left in a helpless condition
The result was that one day NE were
surrounded. and after a brave defense
We were captured by party Of natives.
and carried away a hundred miles or 50
into the interior. After our capture
did not get another glimpse Of Jacks
wife for long time. and felt consid-
erably worried about her fate | was
carried before Rajah. OF native Prince,
who had rebelled against the British
rule. The Rajzh was a great chess
player. and he had been indulgiag in
his favOrite game before ! was brought
into his presence. The chess-board was
st anding before him. while a member Of
his court was studying out a problem Of
checkmating the Rajah's king. In fact
the Princes men were cOrnered, and
the game seemed 70 be lost / had al
ways taken 4 lively interest in chess.
and when I saw the predicament in
which the Rajah had gotten his men. l
began to study the positions Of the
pieces while the rest Of the prisoners
were being examined
"Well. in my ezgerneSs / forgot my
position, and when / discovered an
avenue Of escape for the nearly check
mated king. / stepped forward and
made a move with the Rajah's bishop.
The court player looked at me in aston
ishment for a moment and then moved
one of his pawns. / followed il up with
another move, and in less than fifteen
minutes had his king checkmated 1
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
4 short time was sent TO prison. but
notcondemned to death The next daE,
and in fact every day for several weeks,
I WAS brought ont Of the prison and
commanded to play chess with the
Prince He was far from being a poor
player; but after l had met him several
times felt confident that could beat
him. From policy's sake. however. /
les him win most Of the games, which
seemed to please him immensely. This
sort Of thing went on for a long time,
until / began to get restless and
anxious TO learn what my fate was 20
be began TO look around to discover
some means of escape; but the prison
was guarded SO carefully that ny
chances were very poor
zone day I was called into the Rajzh's
presence earlier in the day than con>
mon. and instinctirely felt that was
going there 70 learn nay fate was led
into another pert of the royal quarters.
a place that had never entered before.
was conducted between two lines of
soldiers. until q spacious balcony, where
the Rajah was sitting. was reached The
balcony overlooked = great courtyard.
which was tbronged with people and
native soldiers In the center of the
courtyard was = large vacant space.
divided up into large squares Of alter
mating black and white marble Il
was, in fact, huge chess-bOard, laid
out in the most costly way
As a great lover Of the game. in
stinctively uttered an exclamation OF
surprise and pleasure. Ny position wEs
such that I could see every one Of the
sixty-four squares While / was still
looking. the crowd Al one side fell back.
and four elephants. two drzped with
black and two with white. entered. and
took Their places at the four corners of
the strange chess-board- Small castle
shaped structures 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.
Il l.
their proPsr positions on the chess
board Fools. or clowns. then took the
places OF the bishops. which is the cns-
tom in the Oriental countries Two
were HindOOs. and the other two were
captured Englishmen- Then eight Hin
doc soldiers took the places OF the
paEns on one side, and eight English
soldiers were placed in = row on the
opposite side. The two kings next
entered. one a white man. the other
HindoO. and both richly dressed in
magnificent robes The two queens fol-
lowed. carried in on sedan chairs One
was a HindOO maiden, and the other
well, one glance was sufficient-was
Evelyn. Jacks wifei
The whole matter was getting pretty
interesting by this time. and fei. nv
self worked up 70 4 feverish heat Tie
chess-men were all living ones. and
they were in position. ready for the
players The Rsjzh then told me that
I had but one chance for my life II |
I won this game Of chess I could have |
my liberty. and also that Of the white /
queen, IL | saved her.
MY heart jumped into my throat, so
10 speak. and began to study out the /
game. determined to make it the game /
Of my life. felt more confident than
ever that could defeat the Rajah. and
30 ] summoned all my courage 10 steady 4
my nerves
The play soon began The Rajah /
had the first move; and one Of his 1
pawns, 9r English soldiers, he having /
chosen the whites. came out two /
squares ! followed with one of nv
HindOO 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 ex-
scute6- This blOOdthirsty act unsettled
ny nerves SO that l could hardly col
lect my thoughts; but when I was-in-
formed that the HindOo soldiers were
traitors condemned to death. and that
he English soldiers had likewise been
TO execution, | partly recOv-
sred my cOmpOsure-
The game then proceeded The
white queen Of the Rajah soon began 10
make great havoc with my black men.
md II seemed necessary to take her II
Intended 10 win. Then the terrible
hought that IL took her she would be
the same as the rest Of the
living chess-men, made the cold sweat
tand out on my forehead could not
entence Jacks wife 10 the execution
RS sword. not even IL lost the game
nd my life with IL The Rajah seemed
D understand this, and he moved his
Iueen around recklessly among my
nen, taking pawn after pawa- The