Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-06


| the stairway. Five minutes afterward q
sopoy went by the outpost carrying an
undoubted British musket, but that vas
nothing unusual for % Pandy to have at
that time. Ono thing was clear AS he
went along the Cawnrur road tho firing
from the luophGlCs ceased for minute
Private Maffcrty was by no means dis
pleased with his own skill in converting
himself into an unsupported scpoy. whilu
the risk he ran each minute of detection
under his disguise only adds! fresh zest to
tho dangerous nature of the task he had
undertaken.
Through tho streets and alleys of Luck
now the disguised trooper went, into ba-
zaars, opium dcns, into houses that were
being looted, and all with one purpose in
view--to discover what had become of
MarFot CORVALLIS. He chatted gayly with
fat Chettics and fair complcxioned Moo
deliars he mixed with shopkecpcrs, whose
bodies, naked above the waist, sorcly
tempted him to try his bayonet upon them,
while we'll clad Mohammedans in gay tur-
bans and silk attire stopped to praise him
for his theft Of Il Ferringhoe muskct and
to wish him luck in Alluh's name when
he turned the weapon against the English.
had grown late before he got any news Of
the one he was seeking.
Two women were gossiping under the
shade of some tulip trees, and, squatting
down in native fashion near them, Matter
ty heard some details Of the "mcm sahib, -
and of the place to which she was bound
Judging from the scraps of conversation
he heard and piecing them together, it was
LII 1 Il.
got from Maffcrty to good purpose. Mars
got CORVALLIS had accompanied him will
ingly to the house of a wealthy Hindoo,
where she at present was. AT night she
was to be taken, as she understood, out of
Lucknow to be received by friends prepared
to hide her till all danger of the mutiny
was past. Giraud, honest man, was in
league with the mutineeerS, who were
helping on his plans in return for his serv-
ices as Il spy.
To find the house where the unsuspect-
ing prisoner was MafTcrty knew would be
useless so he contentcd himself with max.
ing his way to the city gate and watching
what should happen.
Night cane upon to beslEged city, and
the dull roar of the cannon ceased. The
men in the OutpOsts took it in turn to
stretch themselves in sleep upon the bare
planks of the floor, while the others kept
watch as best they could, in case any night
attack might be meditated. The excited
throng7 of Hindoos and Mohammedans
filling the streets were disappearing. Only
here and there, where some fanatic hand
had fired European residence, could signs
of the siege be seen.
1t was hot, close night, and Mafferty
was half doing at his post, when he saw
a jutka, kind of box upon wheels, pass
out of the city. There were three occu-
pants within 1.-TWO Hindoos with appar-
emily Hindoo woman, who was closely
veilcd hetW :on them. The conveyance was
drawn by two horses, while several natives
walked beside, on either side of it. When
he thought it safe to do so, Mafferty rose
and sauntcrcd slowly on. His disguise
was so complete that he vcntur9d to draw
near to the party and eventually went on
side by side with one of the Hindoo guards,
from whom nc learned their real destina-
ton, which accorded with what the Hin.
doc women had said
Once this was obtained, the trooper com
planned of fatigue and began to lag be-
hind. As soon as he was out Of sight he
took n dctour and ran forward with all
speed Finding a suitable spot, Maffcrty
sccopcd up the sand until he had made
hole sufficiently large for his body to lilo
in. He then lay down in it and drew the
sand over himself so that it was impossi-
bio for him to he detected by night as he
lay hidden there.
Private Maffcrty had so we'll calculated
the route Of the jutka-for he had been
over the route many times during his scTv
ice in India-that it passed him soon after
and within few yards of where he lay
concealed.
When the jutka was 90 yards ahead, the
trooper raised his muskct and fired in the
air, at the same time uttCring u loud cry
in HindOo for help. The Hindoo guards
ran to the spot where, rs they thought, the
Cry for succor had come, but could see
nothing. No sooner had they given up the
search and gone on than the musket was
again fired and louder Cry still raised
for help. The Hindoos ran hclter skcltcr
to the spot, as near as they could judge
and after failing once moro to find the one
who called for their aid We're at last stand
ing together, discussing their bearings
when, to their complete astonishmcnt, out
of the earth itself rose Hindoo who fired
his muskct full mt them, and before they
could recover from their surprise the man
dashed on ahead leaped into the jutka,
flung the two Hipdoos who were there out
of it, and, Selling the reins, dashed the
horses till they dashed desperately onward,
the outwitted Hindoos following after
"That Mossoo Giraud desavcd you" Maj
ferty found time to whisper into Margot's
ear, "but for the ability of Lieutenant
Walton, the shmartcst man as liver eyes
was clappcd on you'd be Giraud's pris'ner
as you was till set you free mint since,
by carrying out instructions that baby
couldn't have failed in. AS to me attire,
be aisy now; I've me own proper shutc at
the outpost, and it's there we're goin il
the Pandies dom prevent"
Hitherto it had after all, only been con-
lecture on Matferty's part that the woman
he had gone to rescue was really Margot,
but from the circumstances he had judged |
it was she, and when she spoke the trooper
found he had judged rightly.
The Hindoos following behind raised a |
shout that was heard some way off, and |
Matferty, to his CONSERVATION, saw num- |
Der of forms rising in the gloom before |
him to bar the way. Instantly he turned |
the horses about and headed them right at |
the Hindoos whom he had tricked. AS the |
animals dashed on the trooper rose and |