The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-28
guard.


Cured as planned. We did not, how
ever, deem it prudent to leave oul
work to investigate, and 1T was well We
did not. The outbreak occurred early
in the forenoon, just as planned, anc
the Colonel was the first victim. do
was shot down by some OF the native
officers of the cavalry, and he had nc
sooner fallen than they turned upoi
their English Captain. StrOgan was thu
third man killed. lie was shot in from
of his own bungalow, as was also ahoth-
er civil officer who was with him. Inc
anxiety of the mutineers to secure plum
der permitted the women and childre,
to find place of safety, and all event
ually escaped to Bella, and from thence
to Cawnpoor 1t was toward evening o.
Tuesday before a squad set out in search
of us. Our servants were anxious t.
ZEE us murdered for the sake of the
loot to be divided. About dark
While we were wondering if one of US
had not better go out after information,
we heard a voice calling us, and recog-
nized it as that of my syce or groom
We climbed out of our fort and
vent to the edge of the thicket and
answered him, and he soon appeared.
Matters had changed. The slave had
exchanged places with the master. The
fellow was as cool and impudent as yo'4
please. When we asked what had be-
come of the horses he promptly &C
dnowledged to having stolen mine, and
further informed me that | had ought tC
be very thankful that he did not take
my life as we'll. He informed us of all
that had occurred at the barracks ant
stated that party had come out to max,
terms with us. Being that we were
Americans, and had had nothing to dc
with their oppression, they did no
thirst for our blood. If we would sur
render every thing we had we could g.
where we pleased. If not they would
kill us and take what they wanted.
We soon sent the fellow away with an
answer. If we escaped from this gang
It would be to fall into the hands of an
other. We should be defenseless and
penniless, and what could we do? We
told him we had decided to fight it out,
and as soon as he disappeared we re-
turned to the fort. The two other men,
bers of the party we're Henry Wilds,
/ Massachusetts man, and George Fish
IT, of Ohio. We had then been in India
together for a year, and had stood
back to back in many tight places.
Wilds was typical Yankee, good-nat-
ured but courageous and his long arms
had the strength of horses leg. The
5hicket was so dense that our fort could
not be seen unless one penetrated it a
lew yards. The natives simply sup
posed that we were lying close in the
ENTER of the Jungle, and half an hour
lfter the groom left us about thirty mus
lxets began blazing away at our position
some of the balls whistled over US
others entered the earth, and now and
hen one struck the heavy blocks of
stone with dull ring. We took turns
is sentinel, while the other two slept
md soon after midnight all was quiet.
1t was ten o'clock next morning be-
ore we were troubled again. Then the
members of the old gang seemed to have
cen added to, and fifty or more mus
hree o'clock in the afternoon. BY this
inc we ought to have been all shot t0
,ieces, as the bullets had cut through
very foot of the Jungle. The natives
believed it was time to advance and
ee. We could locate them by their
oud talk and constant dissensions, and
when we found that all had gath
red on the eastern edge of the thicket
md were about to advance, we elm bed
'ut crept forward, and lay down behind
big block of stone to receive them
they entered the thicket as a mol.
would have done, and the first three
nen sighted were dropped in their
racks. This caused a panic, and they
withdrew, and aside from few stray
'hots fired to let us know that we were
till besieged, we were not annoyed I'M
il next morning. Then we heard .
creat hurrah, and after a little were
civen the information that they had
,rOught down the two pieces of artillery
rom the station to shell us out. They
"ere very slow in getting to work, and
When they began firing it was plain
nough that they knew nothing about
artillery. OF the first four shells fired
Ill went too high and burst far beyond
IS. The fifth one burt short and threw
he dirt over our walls. Then we de
:ided to cool their ardor bit. We
.limbed over the walls. got out of the
inc of fire, and crept to the edge of the
ihicket There we saw mob of over q
hundred natives with the two gum
planted within pistol shot. One of then
had become disabled by ramming the
ball down before the cartridge, and ths
other was about to be fired. We select
ed three of the gunners, fired together
and they fell dead on the grass Befor,
the gang could get out of range W.,
killed two more and wounded third
Then Wilds ran forward under cover O.
our rifles and spiked both pieces b,
driving some nails, which he happene,
to have in his pocket, into the vents
Seeing a move to flank us, we returned
to our shelter. and all the rest of tina,
day and all night were left in peace
On the third day there were but twent,
natives in the besieging force, and they
fired into the thicket only at long inter
walls. On the fourth day this force wa,
reduced to ten. Al noon Wilds made +:
scout and found them eating dinner
and we crept up and killed one ant
wounded two, and completely raised tn,
siege. We could have gone away now
had we had any place to go to, but We
had decided to remain.
On the. fifth day. about nine o'clock il
The morning, rabble of about six hun
ired natives, most of them soldiers, who
we're on their way to Cawnpoor, were
turned aside to attack us. Each one had
gun and plenty of ammunition, and
for three hours they kept up a credit
sole fire. They could see nothing to
shoot at hut Hrod int, 10, IL. IL