The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-16
would have done Il God had not deliver

would have done IL God had not deliver
ed them into our hands?'
"T9nw many pt them are there?"
al should ray from thirty to forty.
and We must leave o guard with the
prisoners. We shall hayeour hands full, J"
I said cautiously
81 know this ford % We'll. said Ho-
sein. Only one man can land at time.
II the sahib viii peVulit, Will stand by
tho bank and assist them out singly.
il VIII be dark Tonight. and there will
be rain. Some Of yuur men must leave
their coats and dress Hike Thugs, and
as l hand over the first OF the robbers
two OF them shall seize him, I'LL his
mouth with the wood and tie him up so
that he makes neither sound nor mo-
tlun. In like mnnenr with the others.
The Jungle and the rain VIII help us
at was 4 simple, daring scheme. 1t
seemed one minute to be absolutely Inn
practicable, and the next 10 have no real
defect, It's very audactty was It's
strength, OF my two sepny sergeants,
to whom i explained the Idea, one was
certainly dubious; but he was always
somewhat Jealous OF Hoseln; the other
was an optlmist OF the first class, and
would Just as cheerfully have tackled
the lob in broad daylight with half the
force. In the end consented. 1t would
be great feather in our caps II we sue
when the time came we moved
nolselessly down to the ford. leaving SIX
OF our party with the prisoners in the
grove. The night had settled inwet and
starless. The jungle thtckened towards
the river. had no dificultS in closely
following Hoseln, who guided us. He
ducked the low branches and squirmed
through the thick undergrowth, like q
cat. A score OF ehRtteriHg creatures
scurrled away ct our disturbing foot
steps. "A swift hare ran right across our
guides path. at which he stood stock
still and trembled.
:" The worst Of omens.' he whlsperedj
II means failure and DEATH
"'To Thugs?' I Queried.
Eyes
"'Then push on I replied; 1t means
failure and death to your friends across
the river
''He was heartened at once, and went
on. My first indlstlnct view OF the ford
renewed my previous dlstrust OF Hos
lens good faith. It seemed the last
place one would select for passage.
The banks were ten or twelve feet high,
and rose sheer out Of the water. BY
looking closely, however, made out a
large. fat rock standing about five feet
out OF the stream and close to the bank.
forming natural, u somewhat difficult
step. The bank was only attalnable by
FIRST climbing the rock. All my dlstrust
vanished; HosIen's plan fitted the place
like the bark on tree.
Our dispositions we're quickly made.
The slgnnl Are was III, and, after the
proper interval. extingulshed, and we
lay down in silence to walt for the next
move. The smell OF the Indian night
was an oppression; the rain was bring
ing out q hundred heavy fraGrances
from the plants, and n steamy cold
moisture seemed to cover us as We lay.
As the minutes passed and the noise OF
our approach ceased, the voices in the
jungle were again manifest.
at last we saw the answering IRE
Hoseln let himself down TO the step
plng-stone and stood erect. At the
game moment the shrek of jReka'
close at hand made mo jump TO my feet
From across the river the-cry was re-
peated, and then knew !; was the Sec
ond signal.
"As I stood saw how hazardous
Hoscln's position was. lie had only a
marrow and wet foothold. and Mt the
FIRST Rllmmer of suspicion might be