Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-11-01

-~S- -.
Mutual friendship thus grew apace,
as.a we al three began to look ahead aad
regret The time OF our parting Ny daty !
called me back 10 America ia a few |
months, and ! was almost as loath 20 Leave /
as they were to have me 60 Jack vainlv
implored me 10 enter into business in Cal |
cutta, and take up my permanent abole
there; bat told him that had other
tics anu interests . draw me.awav; vet
should have almos. decided to STAY with
them longer, # an incident had not &C.
curred which made me rather tired Of
India.
''Oae Gay rumors came in that there
was trouble with the Hindoos. They
were risings in various parts of,the coun-
try, and the British residents began to
tremble for their lives. Jack, as Captain
III the army, had to leave his home to
help quell the rebellions. I, Of course,
vas left to protect his homo ana wife.
There was little or no disturbance around
Calcutta at the time, but the insurgents
soon rose up around rs on every side,
until we were completely hemmed in.
The soldiers were off in, another part ct
lie country, and Jacks home was left IN
a helpless condition.
The result was that one day we were
surrounded, and after brave defense
We were captured by party Of natives,
and carried away 4 hundred miles or so
into the interior. After our caO3ure !
did not get another gEmpse of Jacks
wife for long time, and I felt consider
ably worried about her fate. was car.
| ried before a Rajah, or native Prince,
who had rebelled against the British
rule. The RalaA was great chess.
player, and he had been'indulging in his
| favorite games before was brought into
his presence. The chess board was
standing before~him, while, member OF
his court was studying out the problem
of checkmating the IRA jah's king. In
fact, the Princes men were cornered.
and the game seemedsto be lost. I had
always takcn,a ivelyH interest in chess,
and when l saw : the predicament in
which the Rajaii had gotten his men,
began to neutrality-suspicious. of.the pieces
while the rest ofsthesprisoners were be-
ing examined.
.Well, in my ,oagerness / forgot my
position, and when discovered an ave
nue. Of eseppe for the nearly checkmated
king, l stepped forward and made q
move with the Rajah's bishop. The
court player looked, at me in astonish
ment for a moment, and then moved
one of his pawns. I followed it up with
another move, and in less than fifteen
minutes | had his king checkmated. l
clapped my handssin triumph then, and
on looking up saw the Rajah watching
me closely. lie had'been an interested
spectator Of thc.game.
"That game of chess saved my life
for short time. | was sent to prison,
but not condemned to death. The next
day, and in fact every day, for several
weeks, was brought out Of the prison
and commanded to play chess with the
Prince. He was far from being q poor
player; but after I had met him several
times | felt confident that l could beat
him. From policy's sake, however, let
him win most of the games, which
seemed to please him immensely. This
sort of thing went on for long time,
until | began to get restless and anxious
to learn what my fate was to be. | be
gan to look around to discover some
means OF escape; but the prison wa
guarded SO carefully that my chance:
were very poor.
Zone day was called into the Rajah'
presence earlier in the day than common
aud instinctIyely felt that was goins
there to learn my fate. was Ned int
! another part of the royal quarters, aplac,
that I had never entered before. | wa
: conducted between two lines OF soldiers
I until spacious balcony, where the Rajal
, was sitting was reached. The balloon
t ovcrlooked great court yard, which Va
j, throngea with people AID native soldiers
: In the centre Of the court yard was
5 large vacant space, divided up into larg
e squares OF alternating black and whit
marble 1t was, in fact huge chess
( board, laid out in the most costly way
i ''As great lover Of the game, | r
. stinctlv uttered an exclamation of SUI