The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-03

water, for guinea!D said the TnaJor:'Tr
was very good idea OF his. II it only de-
lays their attack two days longer there may
be time for help 10 arrive yet
Slowly and YEARLY the long hours OF that
fearful day wore on. The Eeat was so ter
rife that even the native soldiers OF the gar
rison could barely hold their oWE against it,
and the handful OF Englishmen were almost
helpless Had the Sepoys attacked them
then, all would have been over at one blow,
but hour passed after hour, and there was
no sign Of an assault. At length, as after
noon gave place to evening, a movement be-
gan to show itself in the enemy'S hines. Their
curls of smoke, rising above the trees, showed
that the evening meal was IN preparation,
and several figures with pitchers in their
hands were seen going toward the river,
among whom the colonel,s keen eye soon de-
tected Ismail.
''By GEORGE" cried the old soldier, slap
ping his knee exultirgly, that lads worth
his weight in gcldl There's his way down to
the rivsr right open to him, without the least
chance of suspicionl Why, he's born gen
eral-nothing Less"
Every eye within the wall was now turned
anxiously upon the distant group, fearing to
see at any moment some movement which
would show that the trick was detected. How
did Ismail mean TO accomplish his purposel
Would he plunge boldly into the river with
out any disguise, or had he some further
stratagem in preparations? No one could say
Suddenly, as Is1nail stopped to plunge his
light wooden dipper into the water it slipped
from his hands aud went floating away down
the stream, A cry Of dismay. a loud laugh
from the Sepoys and then the boy was seen
running frantically along the bank and try
ing in vain to clutch the vessel as it foated
past
''What on earth's he up tor grunted the
colonel, completely mystifed.
81 see:" cried Maj. Armstrong, triumph
antly; there's a boat yonder among the
reeds and he's making right for it. Well
done, my brave boy"
But at that moment yell of rage from the
Sepoys told that the trick was discovered.
Luckily those on the bank had left their
pieces behind, or poor Ismal would soon
have been disposed OF; but the alarm in
stantly brought up crowd of their armed
comrades, whose bullets fell like hail around
the boat and its gallant little pilot.
Let Us fire volley and make show Of
saIying out" said the colonel; 'itn take
take their attention from him"
But In this he was mistaken. The first rat
tie of musletry did indeed recall most of
Ismail's assailants, but at least dozen were
left who kept up an unceasing fire, striking
the boat again and again. All at once the
colonel dashed his glass to the floor, with
frightful oath. Between two guests of smoke
he had seen the boat turn suddenly over, and
20 whirling away down the dark river, keel
upward.
"Theres an end Of the poor lad, muttered
the veteran, brokenly. "God bless him for a
brave little fellow. And now, old friends,
we must die hard for there's no hope left"
The first few hours of the night passed
quietly, and the exhausted defenders, utterly
worn out, slept as if drugged with opium.
But little after midnight the quick ears of
the two veteran oficers-the only watchers
in the whole garrison, except the serhries
hemselves-caught faint stirring in the
surrounding Tickets, which seemed to argue
some movement on the part of the enemy
Listening intentiy for a few moments, they
felt certain that they were right, and lost no
time in awakening their men. The scanty
stores u food were opened once more, and,
crouching together in the darkness, the
doomed men took what they fully believed to |
be their lest meal on earth.
They're coming said Maj. Armstrong, |
straining MS eyes into the gloom through
loophole II hear them creeping forward, |
though can't yet see them"
''What the deuce was that?" exclaimed the |
colonel, suddenly. SIT looked like fiery ar
row flying past"
Its worse than that, said the major, in a
low voice. The rascals are shooting lighted |
e ol,o~ 4r,f toc
Send the women up with buckets TO flood the |
thatch--there's not moment to loseI"
"Ill 90 and sec to it myself" cried Mrs. !
Carrie, fastening out Of the room.
But the power Of this now weapon had el- |
ready been fatally manifest. The house was |
an old one, dry as finder from the prolonged /
heat, and as fast as the flames were quenched |
in one place they broke out in another. |
When day dawned the fire had already got .
firm hold of one corner of the building, and /
q crushing discharge was poured upon all !
who attempted to extinguish il, while the |
triumphant yells Of the human tigers below
told that they felt sure of their prey.
ats all over with Us, old fellow" said the /
colonel, grasping his old companions hand;
''but at least We shall have done cur duty"
give ne one of your pistols, whispered
was not her own. az must not fall into their
hands alive"
At that moment Mai. Armstrong was seen
TO start and bend forward as if listening in
tently, for he thought-although he could
scarcely believe his ears-tbat he had sudden
y caught faint sound Of distant firing. In
another instant he heard it again, and this
time there could be 10 more dor5s, for
several of the others had caught it likewise,
and CLEAN OF hope once more lighted up
their haggard faces aECSbloodshot eyes.
Louder and nearer came the welcome
sound, while the sudden terror and confusion
visible among the enemy showed that they,
too, were at no loss to gain its meaning
Then high above the din rose the well known
''HurTahl" and through the smoke clouds
broke charging line of glitteTiDg bayonets
and rudy English faces, sweeping away the
cowardly muTderers as the sun ch2ses the
mist.
THAT boy is worth his weight in gold"
said Col AyreS, as, z few hours later, he lis
tened 10 Isnail's account of how he had dived
under the boat and kept it between him and
the SepOys, that they might think him
drowned True Flag.
A Way 20 Remove Moles.
Moles on the face are now being successful