Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-05-16

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tions about TIE country our hands
were full. Then, just about the time
things began to settle down, a new
difficulty arose, for what little Guilt
waited land there was had been rob-
be6 and plundered by the dacoits,
and so the poor Burmese found them
selves in danger of starving, and the
worst of it was it looked as though
we might have to starve with them.
The Madras Pioneers, whom l COM
am nded, were q brave and sturdy
lot of fellows, but / saw only too
plainly that their scant rations were
having q serious effect. For awhile
native traders had been coming down
the Irawaddy in boats on their way
to Mundalay, carrying gold leaf and
indigo, sweet oil and picked tea, and,
what was of far more value to us,
cocoanuts and bananas, eggs and
rice; but the dacoits along the wood
ed banks of the river waylaid and
robbed them SO often that they were
beginning to find it more profitable
to stay at home, and traders boat
was now n rare and curious thing
"Well, Capt. Charlton" said q
cheerful voice as | sat smoking q
cheroot before my tent one evening,
bordering over the food problem,
are you? Don't worry. l have found
n sure solution for that"
The speaker was Lieut.. Redvers,
and he looked very happy and con-
tented as he pulled out a camp stool
and sat down at my side"
81 have a splendid idea," he went
on. Half a dozen of those cowardly
traders were in camp this morning
during your absence begging us to
give them someprotection. Itseems
the dacoits have robbed two boats
in the past week. There is a whole
nest of the wretches about ten miles
above here. These traders circled
round to avoid them, and they re-
port boat of stuff lying at IL village
twenty miles up the river which they
are afraid to bring down. Now my
idea is this: Suppose we take pick
ed dozen of men and go back with
these fellows. Then we hide ourselves
in tie boat, start down the river and
when the dacoits come out to board
us we pop up and give them leaden
reception. l assure you they will
trouble no more traders boats, and
in future we will feast as royalty as
the Raiah of Munnipore himself.
Now, what do you think of that, cap
tain?"
l expressed my opinion with n
hearty clap on Redvers' back.
The next morning picked out half
dozed good men and, taking Red
vers along. of course, we put our
selves under the guidance of the Bur-
mese traders and started for the vii
lage twenty miles distant.
That is, it was twenty miles by the
water, but it was at least thirty by
the way our guides led us, for we
circled away back from the river,
crossing over couple of mountain
ranges and wading through bamboo
swamps and thorny jungles.
1t was n perilous trip for such a
handful of men and we were all glad
when we arrived at the village about
nightfall.
1t was mere trfle of a place, but
it was encircled with a strong stock
ouO Va WON io-o, anu. out udtlftS Ddu
made such n heroic defense on the
several occasions when il had been
attacked by dacoits that the robbers
had ceased to modest it. We found
the boat moored along the bank. 1t
was a typical Burmese barge, the
very counterpart ola toy Noah s ark,
with shelvingroofands sides construct
ed of movable shutters that opened
downward on hinges toward the
water 1t was propelled by big
stern paddle and the steersman oc-
cupied little covered platform that
was built up over the roofat the rear
Of the boat We delayed our depart.
ure until after midnight so as to
reach the decoy position about
dawn.
The grateful natives piled us with
food and drink. and just before we
started an aged phoonge offered up
prayers for our success in an old
pagoda that stood on the bank. We
slowed ourselves away in the interior
of the boat, among the the bananas
and eocoanuts, and cutting loose
from the bank We glided out on the
sluggish steam.
1t was very dark and very quiet.
Redvers and | sat out on the deck
with the boatmen, for it was neces-
sary to keep IA sharp lookout. The
profile of the shore could be seen but
dimly, and the steersman found it