The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-09-18

.
home was left in helpless condition.
Tho result was that one day we were
surrounded, and after brave defense
we were captured by party Of natives,
and carried away hundred miles or so
into the interior. After our capture l
did not get another glimpse of Jacks
| wife for long time, and l felt consid-
erably worried about her fate. I was
carried before Rajah, or native Prince,
who had rebelled against the British
rule. The Rajah was great chess
fplayer, and he had been indulging in
his favorite game before was brought
into his presence. The chess-board was
st anding before him, while mem Der 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 to be lost. had al
ways taken lively interest in chess,
and when l saw the predicament in
which the Rajah had gotten his men,
began to study the positions of the
pieces while the rest Of the prisoners
were being examined.
"Well, in my eagerness I forgot my
position, and when 1 discovered an
avenue of escape for the nearly check
mated king, l stepped forward and
made move with the Rajah's bishop.
The court player looked at me in aston
ishment for moment and then moved
one of his pawns. l followed it up with
another move, and in less than fifteen
minutes 1 had his king checkmated. l
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. l was sent to prison, but
not condemned to death. The next day,
and in fact every day for several weeks,
l was brought out of the prison and
commanded to play chess with the
Prince. He was far from being poor
player; but after had met him several
times l felt confident that I could beat
him. From policy's sake, however, l
let him win most of the games, which
seemed to please him immensely. This
sort Of thing went on for long time,
until l began to get restless and
anxious to learn what my fate was to
be. l began to look around to discover
some means of escape; but the prison
was guarded so carefully that my
| chances were very poor.
lone day l was called into the Rajah's
| presence earlier in the day than COM
mon, and l instinctively felt that was
going there to learn my fate. was led
into another part of the royal quarters,
place that had never entered before.
l was conducted between two lines of
soldiers, until a spacious balcony, where
the Rajah was sitting, was reached. The
balcony overlooked great courtyard,
which was thronged 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. 1t
was, in fact, huge chess-board, laid
out in. the most costly way.
CAS- a great lover of the game, in
stinctively uttered an exclamation of
surprise and pleasure. My position was
such that l could see every one of the
sixty-four squares. While I 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 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,
and two on black. These also took
their proper positions on the chess
board. Fools. or clowns, then took the
places of the bishops, which is the Gus
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
pawns on one side, and eight English
soldiers were placed in row on the
opposite side. The two kings next
entered, one white man, the other a
Hindoo, and both richly dressed in
magnificent robes. The two queens fol-
lowed, carried in on sedan chairs. One
was Hindoo maiden, and the other
we'll, one glance was sufficient-was
Evelyn, Jacks wife!
1.-The whole matter was getting pretty
interesting by this time, and 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
l had but one chance for my life. If
I won this game of chess l could have
my liberty, and also that of the white
queen, if l saved her.
my heart jumped into my throat, so
fn nd I 70 md
game, determined to make it the game
of my life. l felt more confident than
ever that I could defeat the Rajah, and
so summoned all my courage to steady
my nerves.
The play soon began. The Rajah
had the first move; and one of his
pawns, or English soldiers, he having
chosen the whites, came out two
squares l 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-
ecuteG. This blood thirsty act unsettled
my nerves so that l could hardly col
lect my thoughts; but when l was in
formed that the Hindoo soldiers were
traitors condemned to death, and that
the English soldiers had likewise been
sentenced to execution, partly recov-
cred 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