Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-07-22
AWFUL ALTERNATIVE.
STORY OF FIGHTING ANDMU-
TINY IN INDIA.
The ColoneI's Wife and Daughter Saved
From Death by Hairs Breadth
The Joy of Seeing IL Rcgi-
ment of White Men.

The time was terribly anxious
one. We knew that all India was In
Torment We felt that further out
breaks might occur at any moment
No officer OF native regiment could
feel sure that his men wOlld not DO
the next 10 mut!ny. The grea ed
cartridge fad was mere EXCUSE
transparent unworthy.
Thank heaven | was bachelor
then. The mental torture OF the
married men was something frightful.
But they could not send their women
kind away. The wn-country roads
were all unsafe. A British lady who
fell into the natives hands would SUI
fer unspeakable indignities We
knew the Asiatic we'll enough to be
sure Of that even before time showed
how terribly truo was the conjecture.
The explosion came at last-came
during tho fierce midday heat-came
when we were lulled into u mOmentary
security. and the first shock stunned
us. With three others OF our officers
1
wife and daughter being the only
ladies present The daughter was IL,
and lovely; the mother was little more
than double that age and still more
beautiful and the father and husband
was to them all man could be. We
men were smoking cheroots under the
| veranda when the ad ltant came
tearing with the news
They've broken out" he said.
and are raging about like so many
fends. Ford and NEVILLE were shot
at mess. the ma or was bayonetted in
the ante room, and I've got off by the
skin of my tcoth. "
The colonel's face turned gray at
| these tidings.
'Heaven help these poor womenP'
he groaned in half undertone; and
| then turning TO the rest OF us added.
Turn TO- lads and fortify the bunga-
low as well as you can with the furni-
ture. 1t won't take long to loot the
cantonments and they'll be down
here when that's over.
We worked with will. stripping
the pretty rooms of any thing that
would serve 10 barricade door or a
window; and then the Colonel dealt
out the rifles which he had providen-
TALLY stored and we took up our
positions grimly expectant
The native servants had one and
all lled-ned as rats do from sinking
sh p. Five other OF our officers had
come in. two of them wounded; and
in all We numbered just fifteen men.
Bloody work was going on in the
cantonment. Genial fellows we had
laughed and talked with but short
hour before were now mutllated
corpses and in short space our time
would come too The regiment was
over LOO strong composed of men
taught to fight by British officers and
armed with British weapons A
mere quarter OF them could annihi-
late us They would do it. There
could be no doubt about the matter.
l don't suppose that there was one
among US who had the slightest
thought OF subsequent escape
Quarter there would be none offered
or accepted. Each man hoped to die
grimly fighting. Each intended to
cross the Styx in as goodly company
as possible
And the women9
They would not fall alive into thu
rebels hands.
III ! go down early" the colonel
said huskily to the adjutant keep a
couple OF shots in your revolver for
for them. They-they expect it.
poor things and they wish for it"
The attack began at about o'clock.
Fully onethird OF the regiment ad-
vanccd against us and with them q
rabble of almost as many more.
OF the fighting but few details re.
main to me. was n youugster then
just fresh from Elton. and it was my
first engagement. l fired and fired,
till the kicking Enfield barrel burned
, my hand; fired with deadly aim, too
for Norfolk pastures and stubble fields
had trained my eyes; and twice when
the mutineers tried to rush the bun.
, galow. forgot my sword and welded
/ my dubbed rife with fiend's des
| peration.
= But at the third attack. delivered
, with fanatical courage and fierceness
t sheer weight of numbers bore mt
> back. One of my room mates fell
3 with bullet through the forehead
, The third man. the d.utant was Gu
, down in tho act OF turning of to full
fill the coloners command. H,
shouted. Sec to the women" in tn,
midst OF his death shrek, and mo
mentarily collecting my senses.
: FASTENED to do his last service
Slamming tho door to with n ja
that tore out tho handle. | gained
moments respite. The passage wa
clear and / rushed down it, drawing
!. my revolver us went There was
window TO pass and instlnctively
Q looked toward it TO guard agains
s attack
What sight was there! No blood
q thirsty horde of maddened sepoys
= but two companies OF white reg
iment coming up at hard double
m l. mi