Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-05
rHE INDIAN MurINY.
An English Soldier who wadod In Gun-
powder with n Naked Light

An English Soldier who Wnded In Gun
powder with Naked Light.
Mr.. Forbes-Mitchell, author OF
"reminiscences OF the Great Mutiny,"
found himself, says the Youths Com
panion, without an overcoat after
one OF the battles at Lucknow. and.
being unable to sleep for the cold.
got up In the night, went into a
room of tho Shah Nujeof-whore his
regiment was encamped--took a
lighted lamp from its shelf and.
shading it with his hand, walked to
the door OF the great domed tomb,
or mosque, hoping to find coat
whlcn some Sepoy in his hurried de-
parture had left behind him. He
peered inside. and then, holding the
lamp high over his head. walked in
until he was nesr the center of the
vault Here he felt his progress OBJ
svructed by black heap four or five
feet high. which felt to mis- feet as IL
he were walking in loose sand. He
lowered tho lamp and saw instant
ly that he was up to his ankles in
loose gunpowderl About forty hum
dredweight of it lay in heap before
his nose, while a glance to the left
showed twenty or thirty barrels also
full OF powder, and another glance to
the left revealed more than q hum
drek eight-inoh shells. and all loaded
with the fuses fixed, and spare fuses.
slow matches and port fires lying in
profusion beside the shells.
al took in the danger at glance"
he writes. Here was up to my
knees in powder, in the very bowels
of magazine, with naked light
My hair literally stood on end |
felt the skin on my head lifting my
bonnet of my scalp My knees
Knocked together and despite the
chilly night air cold Precipitation
burst out all over me and ran down
my face and legs | had neither
cloth nor handkerchief in my pocket
and there was not moment to be
lost Already the overhanging wick
of the Indian lamp was threatening
to shed its smodoring red tip to the
magazine at my feet, Quick as
thought / put my left hand under
the housekeeping flame and clasped
1t with grasp OF determination.
Holding it firmly ! turned slowly to
the door and walked out with my
knees knocking against each other.
1 felt not the slightest pain from
grasping the burning wick until |
was in the open air, but when
opened my hand felt the smart
acutely enough poured the oil
out OF the lamp into the burned hand
and, kneeling down, thanked God for
having saved myself and all the mon
lying around me from destruction.
Then ! got up, and, staggering rather
than walking to the place where Cap
tam Dawson was sleeping, and
shaking him awake, told him OF my
discovery and the fright had got
'"Bah, Corporal Mltchellr was all
his answer. You have woke IN out
of your sleep and have got fright
ened at shadow, for my heart was
still humping against my ribs and
my voice was trembling"
The upshot of tho matter was that
on seeing the oorporaps burnt hand
and tho powder nearly half an inch
thick sticking to his feet and camp
CATERS, the captain was almost as
badly scared as Mitchell himself.
The sleeping men were arousad tho
fire was put out as expoditl@ly as
possible, and sentry was posted at
the door of the mosque to prevent
anyone from entering.