Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-20


 svery word of it. Thank youl You can put the glass beside mo here, and I'll put my lips to 1t if am dry"
 II am a Worcestershire man myself born near PCrShurC FNlare say you will 6nd heap of Snalls living there now If you were to look l have often thought of taking look round thcrc, but the truth is that was never much of a credit to the family, and doubt if they would Do so Sery glad to soc Elc They were all steady, ,hapCl going folk, small farmers, well known and respected over the country sido, while was always bit of a rover. At last, however, when I was about lS I gavo them no moro trouble, for got into a mess over Il girl and could only get out of 1t again by taking the queens shilling and joining tho Third Bluffs, which was just starting for India,
 II wasn't destined to do much soldier. ing, however l had just got past the goose step and learned how to handle my musket, when I was fool enough to go swimming in the GanSGS. Luckily for mo my company sergeant, John Holder, was in tho water at the same time, and he was one of the finest swimmers in tho service \ crocodile took mo, just as I was half way across, and nipped of my right leg us clean as n surgeon could have donci 1t, just above the knee. What with the shock and the loss of blood, l tainted and should have been drowned if Holder had not caught hold of mo and paddlcd for the bank. was five mcnths in hospital over it, and when at last I was able to limp out of 1t with this timber foe strapped to my stump l found myself invalidCd out of the army and unllttCd for any active occupation
 II was, as you can imagine, pretty down on my luck at this time, for was use less cripple, though not yet in my twrn ticth year. However, my misfortune sCOu proved to bc blessing in disguise \ man named Ahrlwhitc, who had come out there as an indigo planter, wanted an ovcrSCcr 10 look after his CoOlieS and keep them up to their work. He happened to be n friend uf our culonel'S, who had taken an interest in me since the accident To make long story short the colonel rCC, commended Inc strongly for the post, ana as the work Was mostly to be dono on horseback my leg WIS no great obstacle, for l had enough knee left To keep n good grip on the saddle What l had tu do was to ride over tine plantation To keep an eve on the men ns they wOrkrd and to report the idl,rS The pay was fair, had com fOrtablC quarters, and altogether l was content tu spend the remainder uf my lie in indigo planting Mir. Abclwhito was n kind man, and hc would often drop into my little shanty and smoke a pipc with me, for white folk out thcrC feel their hearts warm to each other aS they never do here at home
 Well, l was never in luck 8 way Sud denly, without a note of warning. tho great muiiny broke upon lis One month India lny Ns still and peaceful, 10 all ap- pearanCC, aS SurrCy or Kent. The nOXt thcrc were 3OO. coo black devils let l0oSC and tho country was perfect hell Of course you know all about 1t, GentlCmcn- deal morn than l do, very like, since reading Is not in my line. l only know what l saw with my own eyes. Our plan, tatiOn was nj n place called Muttra, near the border If the northwest provinces Night after night the whole sky was alight with the burning bungalows, and day after day we had small companies of Euro pcans passing through our estate, with their wives and children, on their way Q Agra, where were the nearest troops
 Mir, Ahrlwhitc was an obstinate man He had it in his head that the affair had been exaggerated, and that il would blow over as suddenly Hs il had sp.unR up Thcrr hC sat OH Iii; NCrrnda, drinking whisky V>@S and >mokjui, Chvruuts while | the CUUuIrL was in a llaIr about him of course W" stuck by him, and Dawson, who, with his wife, used Ia du the book work and the managing We'll, one fine l day the crash came l had been away on a distant plantation o:ll WaS riding slowly ! homo in the evening, when my eye fcii upon something all huddlCd tuRvth,r at the bottom Of a steep nullah l rode down to see what it was, and tho cold strucR | through my heart when found il Was Dawson N,i:>. all ,ut :.t ul.hons and half eaten ny JaCEals ".} l@;:NC do@~ \ | little farther ID ;hv I,..d Dlv v>un Llmscl. | was lying ou l.i~ !ASc Q::I:> llt al. with an empty lcvu!v,r l.. lis !I.EA and four SC l Poys lyi.s; ,c.t>- l->A N:!.r II Ir>Et Ul 1 him rlIu,n up L}y ..,.sc Wv"Gu.!ng l which Way slouil turn. INt al t'l!t Ulo' l mCnt l saw thick >uauI" curling Cp from AbClw hitc's bungalow and tho flames he | ginning [" hurst through thCIoot knew then that could do my employer no good, 1 but would only throw my nwn Etr away | If l mCtldlcti in the matter From whcr> l stood I could see hundrvd- of the hlacG l ficnds, with their rcd coats still on thcil backs, dancing and huwlin; round tho burning house. Somc of thCm pointed al mo, and couple of bullets sang past r,l head, so I rrokC away acr,.sS tho paddy fields and found myself late nt night saEt within the walls uf Agra
 As it proved, however, thcrr WAS n, great safety there either Tho who'll country was up llkC a swarm Cf bees Wherever the English could collect in lit tie bands they held just the ground tha their guns commanded Evcrywhcrc els
 they wCr, helpless fuEitivcs IL was fight of tho millions against the hundrCdS
 and tho cruClcSt part cf tt was that thCS
 men that wc fought against, foot, hCrs
 and gunncrs, were Cur own picked troops
 whom we had taught and trained. han
 ding our own weapons and blowing uu
 own buClc calls. At Agra thcro were tn | Third Bengal FusiliCrS, sulno Sikhs, tw
 troops of horse and battery of artillery
 X volunteer corps of clerks and merchant
 had been formed, and this l joined. wood
 en leg and ali We went out to meet tn ! rebels at ShahgUngc carly in July, an
 we beat them back for n time, but ou
 powder gave out, and VIC had to fall bac
 upon tho city. Nothing but the wors
 news camo to Us from every side, which
 not to bo wondered at, for if you look a ! the map you will sec that we were right 1
 tho heart of it Lucknow is rather bette
 than 100 miles to tho cast and Cawnpu
 about as far to tho south. From over
 point on the compass thero was nothin but torture and murder and outrage. Tho clty or Agra lS great pIac' swarming with fanatics and fierce dcv ] worshipers of all sorts. Our handful ( men were lost among tho narrow. wint ing streets. Our leader moved across th river therefore and took up his position i ! the old fort of Agra I don't know if an , ! of you gentlemen havo Cvor read or hear anything of that old fort It Is vCr l queer place-the QueCrcst that ever l W; in, and 1 havc been in SomC rum corner
 too. First of all, it is enormous in sizc,
 should think that tho inclosure must l acres and acres There Is a modern par } which took all our garrison, women, chi } dren, stores and everything else, wit 1 plenty Of room over But the modern pa | | is nothing like the size of tho old quarte s | whcro nobody goes and which is give over to tho scorpions and the centipods l is all full of great deserted halls and wint