The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-10-19

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and I nearly impaled Gunpat on my
spear.
The Sahib must fight" he exclaimed
"Baboo Das has fled, and the rioters are
/, down stairs and everywhere. They have
! killed some OF the servants, and now they
Will search for my master, whom they
hate. They believe he is IN the house
, They will kill you, too, Sahib, if they
find you"
What shall we do?" I demanded. lis
there no way to escape"
"None, Sahlb. We must push furni.
ture against the door and fight. The
police and soldiers will be here presently.
But surely the, the mob won't hurt a
little chap like you" l replied, filed with
admiration at the lads bravery. Go
while you can, Gunpat.
No" he answered calmly, "ny duty is
with Sahlb. [ will stay here"
There was no time to argue, for already
the blood-thirsty miscreants were patter-
ing up the stair case with shouts and
yells. The door had only a frall bolt on
the inside, but luckily the furniture of
| tbs room WAS massive. Gunpat seemed
to know just what was wanted. He
helped to the best of his strength, and
hardly was the barricade in place when
the mob surged through the hall,
The hereto is trapped" they cried, at
sight of the closed door. Come out, Sta
Ram, and meet your fate"
Then they began to pound, and soon
the panels were quiYering and creaking.
[ knew the barricade must yield eventu-
ally. / tore another spear from the wall
and gave it to Gunpat. We held our
weapons ready for use. The lads bear
ing was that of a hero; nay, he was hero
for he had voluntarily chosen to share
my peril. There seemed to be scant hope
| Once the barricade was down we would
| be quickly overpowered and slain. Mus
ketry fire was rattling through the city.
| but at "a distance that forbade early rescue,
| Once [ ran to the window only to find
the cour. yard still swarming with rioters
and flashing with torches.
Crash crash! crash! The door trem-
bied under the rain OF the heavy blows. A
table shat WAS on the summit of the bar
rioade toppled to the floor and burst
asunder. Che mob heard the fall, and
yelled oxrltantlv.
! Gunpat twirled his spear between his
supple fingers. The end will be soon,
Sahib," he said, quite calmly. The next
instant he gave an eager cry and pointed
overhead, There [ saw for the first time.
a snall circular trap-door.
"Where does 1t lead?' L demanded.
40 the roof" replied Gunpat. My
master sits there on hot evenings But
there is no ladder. We must take from
the barricade, Sahib."
No sooner said than done. lily as they
could be spared, We removed table. a
case OF drawers and two chairs. We piled
! them one upon another. | plainly saw
the door culver from top to bottom as |
| mounted the shaky structure. / was
| directly under the trap now, and blow
of my fist drove it upward. ] grasped
she edge of the opening and drew myself
to the roof. Gunpat passed up the two
spears and the shield. Then [ caught
the lads hands and drew him TO my SIDE.
| That instant the mob broke into the
room below, where they expected to find
| Sta Ram. They howled with rage at the
empty room. Then We saw their dark
| faces Glaring at the pile in the middle of
| the room, and up at the opening in the
ceiling above. We slammed down the
trap-door, but the1e was no way to fasten
! 1t on the outside.
| We knew the mob would follow us IN
a moment, SO we ran across the fat roof,
mounted the parapet and sprang to the
| top of the adjoining house. Thus we
| hurried on from roof to roof TIL we were
| some distance from the house OF Sta
| Ram. To right and left the streets were
everywhere chooked with rioters. We
heard the clash of weapons and the crackle
of musketry. Iu the distance, under the
| steel blue sky, we once or twice caught a
glimpse of the placid Ganges.
Faster Sahlb, they are coming" pant
eu the Gunpat.
Then husky yells rang out behind u.s.
! [ turned and saw half score of turbaned
| figures at our heels. The space of but
single roof intervened. A spear whizzed
between us. A pis tol ball shreiked over.
! head.
| Faster and faster we sped till sudden
ly a gap six feet wide yawned before us.
jump Sahib,' yelled Gunrat. Without
hesitation we sprang together and land
ed safely on the next roof
| One OF our pursures was close behind
us-a burly Mahomedan with a sword.
| Guupat snatched the brazen shield from
my hand; turned and threw it with all
his might, 1t struck the fellow as he was
IN the act of jumping. Without cry he
| plunged down between the two houses.
| His companions paused only an instant.
Then they leaped the gap and came on
with frightful wells. Tins advantage,
brief as it was proved our salvation. We
ran on as before, climbing headlong over
| the parapets from roof to roof, neither
gaining nor losing. The end house of the
block abutted on the Ganges, and all at
once, over the last parapet, we saw the
deep blue water below US.
! "You can swim, SahIb?" asked Gunpat.
! Yes; come on" replied.
I .T1 Il ~ r
air and shot far under the water. When
we came to the surface we d1ved again
instantly. The next time we rose we
were we'll out in the current. Side by
side we swan on, while shower of spears
fell harmlessly In our wake.
Anchored III mid-ocean we spied the
arkshaped roof OF a traders boat, short
swim brought Us to it. The friendly ma
uves gave us shelter, and there we re-
mained until morning, listening to the
sour ds OF strife and bloodshed in the op-
posite city.
When day broke the riot ives quelIed.
but the mob had wrecked the telegraph
office and railway station, plundered the
treasury, and destroyed the boiler and
engine of the new waterworks.
Sta Ram returned that afternoon, and
i | found him a most polished and agree
able gentleman He was apparently I'M
concerned over the looting of his house.
His first act was to discharge Baboo Das.
His next, on hearing my story, was to
promote little Gunpat TO an honored po-
sltion among the household servants
Nor did | forget to honor the lad in my
own way.
: William Murray Graydon.
Copyright.