Middletown transcript., 1891-06-04

posal.
"The cannon is not the onl,
danger" said the Colonel. -"They
have rifles there as WE'LL"
! True" said Vane, but rife al
that range would most likely miss
shower Of grape is different"
| The Colonel hesitated. No COM
mander likes to send brave men OF
desperate ventures. But he cohlC
see no other scheme which would no
involve much greater risk of life, witt
still less prospect of success. Anc
they must reach the we'll in some way
I-the necessity was vital. If once
their supply Of water were cut of
their chance was gone. They could
not last twelve hours.
Yane had kept his eyes fixed upon
the Colonel's face.
"Let me try" he said eagerly
+" Give me few men-a score will
voluuteer-and we will laugh at these
black scoundrels yet"
The Colonel hesitated-but only
for moment. There was no man in
the garrison whom he valued and
trusted more than St. George Vane
He knew well the danger of the pro-
posed adventure; and he knew we'll,
also, that Vane, if he were allowed to
undertake it. would never rest until
his task succeeded, or he himself were
killed in the attempt. But in war
fare private feelings must give way te
the general good. After a moment
the Colonel laid his hand on the
young mans shoulder and said briefly:
"Try /"
An hour or two later Vane entered
his own room: It was a large apart
ment, situated at the back of the
walled inclosure, which, on account Of
its size, had come to be used by the
officers as a common room. Its
windows opened on wide veranda,
which extended the whole length OF
the building, having the windows also
opening upon it. The largest of these
rooms had been set apart for the use
of the ladies of the garrison, and, as
the veranda was cool, shady and re-
tired, they were often accustomed to
sit there, in preference to breathing
the close heat of the room within.
At the moment when Vane entered
two figures were sitting on the
veranda, not far from his own window
two girls. One of these was a tall,
slight girl, pale and light-haired-not
handsome nor even remarkable, ex-
cept for her eyes, which were large,
gray, serious, and, when at rest, deep
rather than bright. Her companion,
on the other hand, was a girl Of
singular beauty a girl with dark
hair, dark eyes, rather full, red lips
and skin of soft and fower.like bloom.
The name of the pale girl was Mary
Sulland that of the beautiful one
was Lenora Dundas. The latter was
the Coloneps daughter; Mary Sui
land was his ward. Before the mutiny
they had lived together with an old
English servant, Mrs. Jessop, in the
Colonel's bungalow, outside the
fortified inclosure.
The characters of these two girls
we will leave to reveal themselves as
we proceed, only recording the rela-
tions in which they stood to St.
George Vane, who had known them
both since they were children.
Like all men of her acquaintance,
Vane admired Lenora greatly and
sometimes half.believed, himself in love
with her, and whether he was really
so or not, he had been accustomed for
years to call himself her worshiper.
On the other hand, though he liked
Mary Sulland very warmly, and
would have done anything in his
power to give her pleasure, he never
told himself that he was in love vita
her, nor even thought about it.
Both the girls on their side regard
ed Vane with feelings far different
from those of ordinary interest. But
it is characteristic of each, that while
Lenora never forgot that Vane was a
rich man, Mary Sulland never gave
the fact thought, nor would have
considered the subject of much inter-
est if she had. ="
The two girls were now alone on
the veranda, anxious, restless and un.
easy. 1t is true that at that moment
nothing alarming was either to be
seen or heard. No noise of war was
in the air, scarcely a sound disturbed
the evening silence. In the earlier
days of the siege there had been
continued assaults upon the walls, but
the3e had now been given up as hope
less, and except for the dismal hum
ming of the human swarms among
the huts and ,bazars of the Sepoys
arounc the walls, the place was still.
But over all there hung cloud of
fear," sense of impending danger, as
of the sword hanging by single
thread the cruel uncertainty as to
what was going to happen, which
makes the peculiar horror Of a pas
sive siege. In such a situation the
ear is always listening, the nerves are
ready to start at every sound, and
the mind is kept stretched constantly
upon the rack.
Vane, on entering the room, had no
knowledge that the two girls were at
that moment on the veranda, SO near
to his own window. He hal just been
round the station, and had got togeth-
er with some difficulty halfa dozen
men who could be spared from active
duty at the watch posts on the walls,
and these, as he had given orders,
were now collected about the door Of
the room awaiting his arrival. Four
were English, two were Sikhs- every
man of them, as Vane knew we'll, to
be trusted to the death.
These men he now placed on one
side of the table, while he himself
stood on the other. Then, in a few
words, he explained to them the
nature of the service for which they
,voro rocuirod add;no tbot ha onlv