The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-07-23
AWFUL ALTERNATIVE.
A STORY OF FIGHTING AND MU-
TINY IN INDIA.


Aho sAhAO "oo - by LyiSAoAJ ~ "hNN'"s
one. We knew that all India YVES In
ferment We felt that further out
breaks might occur at any moment
No officer OF a native regiment could
feel sure that his men would not be
the next to mutiny. The creased
cartridge fad was nero 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 down country roads
were all unsafe. A British lady who
fell into the nstives' hands would SUI,
fer unspeakable indignities. We
knew the Asiatic we'll enough to be
sure of that even before time showed
how terribly true was the conjecture.
The explosion came at last-came
during the fierce midday heat-came
when We were lulled into q momentary
security, and the first shock stunned
US. With three others OF our officers
I had 'tiffened" at the colonera his
wife and daughter being the only
ladies present The daughter was IL.
and lovely; the mother was little moro
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 adjutant 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 major was bayonetted In
the aute-room, and I've got of by the
skin, of my teeth"
The colonel's face turned gray at
these tidings
Heaven help these poor womenp"
he groaned. in a 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
and they'll be down
here when that's over.
We worked with will stripping
the pretty rooms of any thing that
would serve to 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 fied-fed as rats do from a sinking
ship. 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 a short
hour before were now mutilated
corpses, and in a short space our time
would come too The regiment was
over LOCO 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.
I 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 womenp
They would not fall alive into the
rebels hands. ,l-
If l 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 ut about4 o'clock.
Fully one-third OF the regiment ad-
vanced against us and with them a
rabble OF almost as many more.
OF the fighting. but few details re.
main to me. was a youngster then.
just fresh from Elton. and it was my
first engagement. fred and fred
till the kicking Enfield barrel burned
my hand; fred with deadly aim, too
for Norfolk pastures and stubble fields
had trained my eyes; and twice when
the mutineers tried to rush the bum
galow. forgot my sword and welded
my dubbed rife with fiend's des-
peration.
But at the third attack. delivered
with fanatical courage and fiercer ess
sheer weight of numbers bore me
back. One Of my room mates fell
with bullet through the forehead
The third man. the adsutant was out
down in the act OF turning off to full
fill the colonel's command. He
shouted. See to the women!" in the
midst OF his death shrek. and mo.
mentarily collecting my senses. /
hastened to-do his last service.
Slamming the door to with jar
that tore out the handle. / gained a
moments respite The passage was
clear and l rushed down it drawing
my revolver as l went There was
window to pass and instinctively l
looked toward it to guard against
attack.
What a sight was there! No blood
thirsty horde OF maddened sepoys,
but two companies OF white reg
iment coming up at a hard double.
They were scarcely furlong of. The
mutineers had seen them. Their fire
was lessening already. We were
saved!
I tried to shout the tidings aloud,
nerve my comrades for a few seconds
further fight but my parched throat
and smoke blackened lips refused to