Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-08-14
SAVED BY STRATEGY
BY ROBERT LINGLEY.

Or of angry voices from the road below
drew them all to the front of the
veranda.
The cause of the disturbance was visi
BILE at once. Two half-drunken English
soldiers staggering along the road had
come into violent contact with native
boy who was running past; one of them,
enraged at the collision had fclled the
poor lad to the ground and was unclasp-
ing his own belt with the evident inten-
ton of beating him numerically.
"Seryed the young whelp right" "
shouted the Colonel, rubbing his hands
i'that's just what they all want"
The other Major Armstrong-po
ly called Major Strongarm-was huge,
brawny silent man. whose forte lay in
acting rather than 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 4
moment for the athletic major; and in
another instant he had raised the fallen
boy tenderly from the ground, while
saying to the foremost soldier in the low,
compressed tone of a man who means
what he says
'.Be off with your
"And who are you, shown yer nose in
where yer amt wanted" roared the IN
furiated ruifan, to whose eyes the majors
plain evening dress bore no token Of his
being an officer. ''Just you---"
The sentence was never finished. AT the
sound of the last insolent defiance Arm
strong's patience gave way altogether,
and the strong right hand, which had
hewn It's 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.
"Well done, majorw shouted Mr..
Currie, from above. "You deserve your
name, no mistake"
AT the name of ''maiorn the other
soldier took to his heels, and Armstrong,
without even looking at his PROSTATE
antagonist, proceeded to examine the in
juries Of the boy. The latter was sorely
bruised in many places, and the blood was
trickling freely over his swarthy face,
but the little hero still did his best tc
stand erect and to kee down every signd
of the pain he was enduring.
"You're a brave lad, and you'll maxi
soldier some day." said the major t.
him, in Hindustanee. "Come with me
I'll see that no one molests you again"
Six months have come and gone, and
Mr. Currie's hospitable house presents
garden is trampled into dust and mire
and the bodies of men and horses are ly
ing thick among the fragments of tn
half destroyed stockade.
The windows of the house are blocked
up, and through the loopholed walls pee
the muzzles of ready rifles, showing hov
steady the besieged garrison stands a
bay against countless enemies, who's
dark, fierce faces and glittering weapons
are visible through the half-ruined build
ing and matted thicllets all around
The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 is blazing
sky high over Northern India and Col
onel Ayres is blockaded in Hutta-bagh
with a certainty of a hideous death 10
himself and every man of the few VIII,
are still true to him, unless help come
speedily.
Day was just breaking when two me
held whispered councils in one of tn
upper rooms.
u,
said Major Armstrong; "but even OF
half rations our food will be out in fou
days more"
'And then we'll Just go right at them
and cut our way through or die for it,
growled the colonel, with 10 grim smil
on his iron face, for with all his harsh
ness and injustice Colonel Ayres wa
''grit" to the back bone. "We mustn'
say anything to them about it, though,
added he, with a side glance at Mr.. Cur
rie, who, standing at the farther corner
was anxiously watching the thin, worn
face of his sleeping wife.
At that moment a loud cheer from be-
low startled them both, and the next
moment lsmail (the majors boy, as every
one now called HIM burst into the room,
with glow of unwontcd excitement on
his dark face.
"Sahib!" cried he, 'there is hope for
us yet! 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 saved"
GLOW do you know" asked the
major, eagerly.
81 heard the Sepoys say so, while ]
was lying hid among the bushes yonder, >
answered the lad
"But if the troops are beyond thu
river, how can We communicate will
them?n asked Mrs. Currie, who, awak
ened by the shouting had arisen ant
joined the group. "They may not pss
near enough to hear the firing, and W
have no means of sending them word"
"Fear nothing for that. mem sahib
(madam), said the Hindoo boy, quietly
81 will carry them word myself"
" But how can you possibly do it2
cried Mr.. Currie, thunderstruck by tn
confident tone in which this mere chill,
spoke of task from which the hardes
veteras might well have shrunk.
"Listcn, Sahib," answered Ismail
81 will slip out of the house and make
dash into the cnemy's lines, as if | wa
desertiug from you to them; and yo
can tell your people to fire shot or tw
after me with a blank cartridge as | &C
Then the Sepoys viii receive me kindly
and I'll tell them that YOU are all dyini
of thirst and that they need only wait
day more to be sure Of you, so that the
won't come to make another attack
Then, when they have no suspicion, an
think Pm one of themselves, Pll stei
away and slip across the river"
But are you quite sure the Scpoy
will believe yout' asked Major Arm
strong, doubtfully.
''They'll believe this, anyhow rc
piled the boy, deliberately making