The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-07-31
SELECTED STORY.
A Rescue,


ing for you to do than picking off sepoys
from that loopholc."
Private Maferty, who had been engaged
for several hours Of the afternoon in firing
at the sepoys who were trying to get
within the stockado of the outpost, went
TO where the captain sat at rough table
twisting up a note which he had hastily
written.
Take this" continued CORVALLIS,
land if you have the luck to get to my
house alive give it to my daughter /
don't think we can hold out against the
Pandies for more than Il few hours at
most and she may as well be here to put
q pistol to her own head when these mu-
tinous rascals take Lucknow as to be
where she is, unconscious of the turn af
fairs have taken"
ON bring her here captain, answered
Mafferty, as he took the note and saluted,
"as shure as I'll give taste av me baynit
TO the first snaky sapOy as thries to get the
better av me mothers son"
Mafferty put the note into his pocket and
then made his way down the staircase and
into the street.
The little garrison which Captain Corn
wallis commanded consisted of u mere
handful of British troops together with
few volunteers the entire number, inclu-
sive of Mafferty, being only 90 men. The
outpost itself was the most advanced of the
five which guarded the residency position,
and was merely house, situated on the
Cawnpur road, defended by couple of
bitches, mound and a stockade. All that
day, and for many days before the outpost
had resisted every effort of the rebellious
Pandies to capture it, and that in spite
of the fact that two walls of the house
were almost riddled by shells from an
eight inch howitzer.
Captain CORVALLIS, having dispatched
Mafferty on his perilous message took up
the private's position, and, with words
and example, cheered on the hard beset
garrison.
Private Mafferty reached the house to
which he was bound and which was only
some 300 yards distant from the outpost
without mislmp. When the door at which
he knocked was opened, he encountered
there one NJ. Giraud, who did not appear
to be best pleased at sight of Mafferty.
'Is the outpost so well guarded that it
can do without your help. Maffertyr' Gil
raud asked.
1T isn't that, sor," replied Mafferty
who knew Giraud had undertaken to keep
guard over Corvallis residence, having
been posted there by the captain to an of
flee very much to his liking. "It's not
that, sor, at all, but the captain thinks it's
our last day of moulding out, and it's rea-
sonable like that he wants Miss Margot to
be near, so as he can see the last av her
onst the last rush is made I've a note for
her" g
} Gc:iiIraud's face visibly frightened.
"Give it to me- then," said he, "while
you keep guard here I'll carry it up to
her and then we can both return with her
to the help of our comrades"
Mafferty, who was no ladies' man and
who was glad to hand the paper over,
passed it to Giraud, who took it and disap-
peared within the house.
Private Mafferty stood before the closed
door for some time; then as no one came
he ventured to rap with the butt of his
musket. No answer was returned. Maj
ferty knocked harder. Still no notice was
taken. Alarmed at this and conscious
that his long absence from the outpost
would cause Captain CORVALLIS uneasi-
ness, the private thrust the butt of his
musket with all his strength against tho
door. The lock gave way, and, bounding
up the stairs, Mafferty called out but no
reply came to him. He went from ono
room to another in CONSERVATION to find
ON the second floor that great gap had
been made in the wall between the house
and the next. Wandering all through this
second house, Mafferty found that it was
also deserted and at last reluctantly made
his way down stairs and out of the house.
Where was Giraud, he wondered, and,
above all, what explanation was he to
offer CORVALLIS for the disappearance OF
the captains daughter?
AS he went along the narrow street Maj.
ferty saw body of Hindoos intent to loot,
and to avoid them he re-entered the house
from which he had emerged, went up
stairs, passed through the gap once more
and made his way down the stairs, intend
ing in this way to get into the next mar
row street to the one which the two houses
separated. Before he got down the stairs
Mafferty saw coming up them another
party of looters. Without moment $
hesitation the private uttered prodigious
shout, summoning "A body of imaginary
companions to his help, while the looters
deceived at this, turned tail and fled from
the house, Matferty dashing close after
them and yelling defiance. His zeal out.
stripped the private's precaution, for he
had chased the party of Pandies half way
down the narrow, long street, when one OF
the latter CHANGED to turn round. He saw
the state of affairs, and Mafferty's ruse be.
ing discovered the hooters turned round
and made an ugly rush at the British
trooper Mafferty became sufficiently
discreet to turn round, too, and to show
his pursuers very clean pair of heels. He
reached the outpost in safety, where a
storm of bullets from the loopholes covered
his retreat as he crossed the bitches and
mound. The door was hastily unbarred
and on his admittance firmly barred again
The reused fanatics made two or three
desperate attempts to carry the stockade,
but several Of them bit the dust, whereup-
on the rest withdrew.
As soon as Mafferty got up stairs among
the defenders Of the outpost the first man
his eyes fell upon was none other than the
volunteer Giraud.
Apparently the Frenchman was assist
ing in the Defense while upon the floor
Captain CORVALLIS lay dead, splintcrs Of
a recently burst shell showing what had
happened.
Perhaps you'll be tellin me, sor, where
Miss Margot is?'' said Mafferty as he
glanced round the room and failed to dis