News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-02-05
The Living ChGSS-mGn.
BY GEO. E. WALSH

"This game reminds me of a great
chess-game that l once played" said
the Captain, as he checkmated his
opponents king, and drew back in
his chair to begin a story. "It was
the great game of my Iife," he con-
tinued, land l shall never forget it.
I In fact, we were playing with living
chess-men. You don't believe it, eh ?
Well, just listen to my story, and
you'll think such playing as this mere
| fooling"
We had been playing fornearly two
hours, and the captains skill had
won. His love for the game of chess
was only second to his love for his
profession, and his life as a soldier
had given him plenty of opportuni-
ties to crafty his passionin this par
| ticular
"You remember | spent a couple OF
years in India, when a young fellow,
and during that time | met with
many adventures that none Of you
have ever heard. Although | have
seen considerable service since then,
and some hard work and fighting, /
think, on the whole, that these two
years were the most exciting of my
life We were on the constant go
then, and if we weren't hunting men
we were hunting wild beasts in the
jungIes.
My friend Captain Rnwdon was
nm English officer stationed at Cal
cutta at the time he invited me tC
visit him. He had just taken a wife
in that far off country, and they were
living happily in a neat little place a
short distance out of the city. He
wanted me to come out and see him.
and, above all, to select a wife from
among the English ladies that were
living there at the time. Jack always
took fatherly interest in me in this
way, but unfortunately his plans
never worked out well.
"Well, to make a long story short
| went out to Calcutta one year, ano
found everything just as my FRIEND
represented it. 1t was a delightful
place for hunting, and we did some
nretty rough riding over the country
| and through the jungles i'll pursuit o
game. l managed to secure my tirst
man-eater shortly after l arrived
and several other tough customers
lack roamed over the country witt
me whenever he could get away iron
his duty, and together we succeeded
in having a pretty lively time. Jack
wife was a pretty, piquant-looklns
lady. the daughter of an English OH
GER who had died in the East Indian
service. She took a great friendly in
tarest in me. and | returned her feel
mos with interest. When we wer
not hunting we would spend hour
listening to Evelyn's playing or sing
ing, which was truly delightful recrf
alton.
"Our mutual friendship thus grey
apace. and we all three began to loo
ahead and regret the time of ou
parting. My duty called me back t
America in a few months, and wa
almost as lOath to leave as they Wer
to have me 90. Jack vainly implOre
: me to enter into business inCalcutti
and take up my permanent abod
there; but | told him that | had Othe
ties and interests to draw me away
! vet | should have almost decided
/ stav with them longer, if an incideI
: had not occurred which made II
rather tired of India.
Zone day rumors came in thu
there was trouble with the HindOo
= = There were risings in various par
n of the country, and the British res
dents began to tremble for their live
Jack, as captain in the army, had
leave his home to help quell the I
+ bellion. |, of course, was left to pr
+ tect his home and wife. There W;
/, little or no disturbance around ca
/, cutta at the time, but the insurgen
p soon rose up around us on every sic
y until we were completely hemmed /
is The soldiers were off in another pa
20 of the country, and Jacks home W
,e left in a helpless condition.
Is "The result was that one day
Y. were surrounded, and after a bra
m defense we were captured by par
10 of natives, and carried away a hU
% dred miles or so into the interior.
,v ter our capture | did not get anotl
10 glimpse of Jack S wife for a long tin
or and felt considerablyworr abe
or her fate. | was carried before a rajf
Is or native prince, who had rebel
he against the British rule. The raj
he was great chess player, and he h
been indulging in his favorite ga
before | was brought into his pr
ence. The chess board was standi
before him, while a member of
nv court was studying out the probl
al of checkmating the rajah's king.
m. fact, the princes men were corner
av and the game seemed to be lost,
had always taken a lively interest
n~ chess, and when | saw the predl
a99 ment in which the rajah had got
ne ne his men, | began to study the p
III tiOn of the pieces while the rest OF
10 prisoners were being examined.
tbo " We'll, in my eagerness | forgot
nj position, and when | discovered
" avenue of escape for the nearly CHI
mated king, | stepped forward
made a move with the raiah S bisf
has The court player looked at me in
on tonishment for u moment, and
is moved one of his pawns. | folio
it up with another move, and in