Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-05-18
COL. H0LBR0OK.
4 RENTINI$CENCE.
BY I. II. BOULT.


II is more than twenty years since
what | am about to narrate took place,
aud ct it all seems to me as fresh as
though it had happened but yesterday.
| see the beautiful harbor of Bombay
up before me with its far famed caves
of Elephsnta and its Apollo Bunder
where so many of us have watched
10th the incoming and outgoing p.
X q. Steamers, while TO the right ex-
tends Colaba, separating the harbor
from Back Bay, which latter had re-
Gently earned a reuown simitur to that
of tie Bundelcund Banking Company.
YUnder stands Malabar Hill, the quar-
ter where most of the Anglo indians
have their bungalows, aud from
whence it viii not take us long to drive
10 the Byculla Club, where L first met
Colonel Holbrook.
had two friends in those days; one
was George Leyden, lawyer, with
whom | had shared bungalow before
lie fell victim to the charms of Mrs.
Leyden, and the oth-r, John (mOre
generally called jack Stirling, sur
geon IN the army, to whose skill and
patience | owe life which | fear was
hardly worth the trouble bestowed in
saving it. We are most of us 'fslllng
among thieves" in our journey through
the world, and should he grateful for
a stray Samaritan who helps us on our
way.
Mrs. Leyden, being IN England with
her children, Leyden, Stirling and my
self had been dining at the Byculla to-
gether and were enjoying our cheroots
l.. no
course and Byculla Flats.
"No," remarked Stirling, "Holbrook
does not often smile, and yet there are
plenty who remember the time when
he went by the name of ROllicking
Holbrook for his ceaseless good-humor
and fun No, one, however, who knows
and his story wonders Mt the change. y
"And the story was--?" L asked.
"Similar to many others that hap
pened during the mutiny," replied
Stirling gravely. "HolbroOk was sta
toned in the Punjaub, being then O
Captain in the 1l6 Bengal Cavalry, and
having his wife and two children with
him. The regiment was supposed to
be loyal, but alas, one day as Holbrook
was returning home alter trying a
new horse-a magnificent Waler-his
wief's ayah stopped him when he was
about to enter the camp ground and
told HIM to fly for his life for the regl-
ment had mutinied and the Se3oys
we're sacking the officers quarters and
butchering all WHO resisted. For a
moment Holbrook was staggered, and
the laughing light in his eyes we all
liked to see, vanished never to return,
the next instant he demanded IN honrse
whisper, which seemed to dread the
answer, where the "AleBsahib" was,
and on the ayah replying that she was
a prisoner in the bungalow, Uolbrook
dismounted and telling the ayah to ect
as "syce" for few minutes and hold
his horse, he made for his bungalow
as swiftly and silently as possible.
The scene which fol lowed | do not like
to think of, and Holbrook himself has
never spoken of 1t. | had 1t from an
eve witness some months afterwards,
and it is sufficient to say that the
mutineers did not anticipate rescue
and had taken more precautions to
guard their prisoners from escaping
than against outside succor. The
consednence was that Holbrook effect
ed an entrance into his bungalow, and
was advancing sword in hand to the
room where his wife and children were,
before his presence was noticed. On
the threshold OF the door lay one OF
servants-the hamal, think-slone
dead. in defense of his masters home,
and then the mutineer sentinel on be-
holding Rolbrook gave his last shout as
his Captain .cut him down and bnrst
nto the room over the body. Inc
fight which ensued must have been
terrible, for Holbrook was one OF the
best swordsmen IN India, ana was
struggling for what is dearer than me
One of the Sepoys, thinking TO stay Hol-
brook al ms cried out, pointing rlne
at Mrs. Holbrook, that he would hre
unless Sahlb stopped. l may tell you
hat the Holbrook motto is "Death
before dishonor," and l can quite be
lleve that it was absolute relief to her
husband knowing it wcs Impossible to
save herr when the fatal bullet Killed
Mrs. Holbrook The blackguard next
sheathed his sword to the hilt in the
youngest child, a boy of four years,
but this was his last crime, ior a n mo-
ment later his head, with the savage
grin still on his face, rolled on the
floor, having been literally severed
from the body by slashing sweep OF
HOlbrooks' sword. This seemed to APP
pa 'Hc Hutlleers lcE IL SeOoHN -.
and HO brook, catching up his lthe
rirl,-all that was left him now
bounded out of the bunga ow ldst n
lime, as large number of fresh mutt
neers we're arriving to reinforce their
comrades. He appeared to bear a
charmed life, for in spite of the bu e's
hred 1T Inn he reached the spo whore
he had lett his horse unhurt, and OF
course It wa not long before he was IN
the saddle With Isabel in fro OF h'm
speeding away as fast as his Dig Au-
stralian could gallop. The batfied
muuncers pursued him some distance
but the Waller, even with the extia
weight he was carrying, was more than
match for the ordinary cavalry charg-
ers and the chase was soon abandoned.
Nevertheless Holbrook did not draw