The record-union., 1892-05-28
THE SIEGE OF SUNDA OUNCE.

been besieged by the insurgent Sepoys.
The station was divided into two por-
tions-the lower, consisting of the Indian
/ village, and the upper, part Of which, in
Guiding the magazine and the British Res
idency, was strongly fortified. Within
this portion the English residents had re-
tired on the first signal of approaching
danger. The rebels fortunately possessed
only one small piece of cannon, which
had proved quite Intellectual against the
walls of the inclosure. Provisions were
not scarce, and up to the present moment
/ the garrison had entertained strong
hopes of being able to hold out until re-
lief arrived.
Suddenly new and unexpected danger
! had arisen.
| The town was situated at the foot of a
range OF hills, and from one particular
point upon the slopes outside the walls
the well in the middle of the square was
visible. This the Sepoys had at length
! discovered. Their single piece Of cannon
was at once posted al this point and
| brought to bear exactly on the well with
| in the town.
The group of spectators looked in 81
lence at the well. The same thought oc-
| cupled the minds of all. There were
! women IN the garrison and children, and
wounded men moaning for water. Water
must be had. But how?
over fringe Of mango trees and the
| roofs of some low bungalows to the right
OF the square knot OF dusky figures could
be deserted at certain point on the hill
Slde. Ihe dark point marked the spot
where the cannon was posted. Even as
the spectators looked toward il the can
non Doomed-there came puff of smoke
and flash of ire, and at The same mo-
| ment the ground about the mouth OF the
well was torn up by fierce hail of shot.
| 1he gunnerS were trying their range.
The spectators looked significantly at
one another. -Four OF the group were
English saiIOrS-the rect were natives.
Of the latter two were water carriers,
! each of whom carried about his waist u
large, hollow belt of skin, capable OF con-
tanning several gallons of water. There
they stood trembling, their dusky faces
| turning to a sickly yellow as they stared
at the space of shattered ground which
the storm of shot had torn up all round
the mouth OF the well. The other natives
were all Sillhs; and these, with the i'm
passive courage Of their race, looked on
calmly and betrayed no emotion.
| OF the EngliShmen two were private
soldiers, the other two were officers
Colonel Dundas the officer in charge of
the garrison, and young Lieutenant. st.
George Nane. The Colonel was a tall,
gray man, grave, stern and martial. The
Lieutenant was young man Of not more
than five or six and twenty, with blue
eyes, fair mustache and careless, hand
! some features.
This is an awkward business, Vane,"
the Colonel said. 1--WE might drive these
towards to the well, but they will GER
tainly be blown to pieces, and we shall
get no water"
True" said Vane, reflectingly; ''yet-
stay! one OF us might go out alone and
try to bring in water. Ii they hit him. as
they most likely will, three or four others
can be ready TO rush out and may bring
him in, and the water as well, before they
have time to load again.
The cannon is not the only danger"
said the Colonel. "They have rifles as
: we'll"
True" said Vane, "but rifle at that
range would most likely miss-a shower
} of grape is different"
} The Colonel hesitated. No commander
} likes to send brave men on desperate
ventures. But he could see no other
scheme which would not involve much
greater risk of life. And they must reach
the well in some way.
"Let me try" said Vane, eagerly.
Give me few men-a score will volun-
teer-and we will laugh at these black
SCOundrelS yet"
The Colonel hesitated-but only for
moment, There was no man in the gar
riSOn whom he valued and trusted more
than st. George Nane. In warfare pri-
vate feelings must give way TO the gen
eral good. Alter a moment the Colonel
laid his hand on the young mans shoul-
der and said briefly:
"Tryp'
An hour or two later Vane entered his
room. Two figures were sitting on the We
randa, not far from his own window, two
girls. One of these was tall, slight girl
} pale and northumberland handsome, nor
even remarkable, except for her eyes,
which were large, gray, serious, and,
when at rest, deep rather than bright.
Her companion, on the other hand, was
girl OF singular beauty; girl with dark
hair, dark eyes, rather full, red lips and
skin of soft and fiower-like bloom. The
pale girl was Mary Sulland-the beauti-
ful one was Lenora Dundas. The latter
was the Colonel's daughter, Mary Sulland
was his ward.
Like all men of her acquaintance, Vane
admired Lenora greatly, and sometimes
} half believed himselfin love with her, and
whether he were 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
; with her, nor even thought about it.
Both the girls on their side regarded
Vane with feelings far different from
those OF ordinary interest. But it is char
acteriStic Of each, that while Lenora never
forgot that Nane was a rich man, Mary
} SulIand never gave the fact a thought.
The two girls alone on the veranda,
anxious, restless and uneasy. Over ali
there hung cloud OF fear, a sense of inn
} pending danger, as of the sword hanging
by single thread; the cruel uncertainty
as to what is going to happen, which
makes the peculiar horror of passive
siege.
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 had just been around
1.-The station, and had got together with
some difficulty half a 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
Satisfactory man of them to be trusted
to the death.
These men he placed on one side of the
} table, While he himself stood on the other
: Then, III q few WORDS, he explained to
! them the nature Of the service for which
r they were required, adding that he only
l wished for volunteers, and that any man
who disliked the duty might retire at
once. Not man stirred.
The man that goes out first will run
by far the greatest risk. Who will un-
! dertake that duty?''
r Six right hands Immediately saluted.
j Vane smiled.
I'VE must draw lots, see,'' he said.
Here are seven of us,r he continued.
Il am going to deal cards all around
Whichever of US receive certain card
we will say the knave of spades-wil be
the man selected"
a hush fell on the six spectators-tha q