The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-17

"Impossible" I pulled out my watch and
examined the face of it in the lamp light.
| at is not yet an hour since we saw him on
the cliffs"
Hampden slowly shook his head.
1--WE were mistaken: it could not have
been he
All my senses were dulled by the horror
of our discovery. 1 could not attempt to
argue the matter.
| Hampden has since told me that he was
so alarmed by the expression of my face
that he feared the shock OF learning We'll
by's fate would completely unman me, so
that l should be of no further use that
night. He took me by both shoulders and
almost compelled me to get on to my feet.
Come, come, Brownley, we must not in
dulse in grief at present We can do no
good here: we are too late, tell you. But
those boys. Good God! Have you forgot
ten the peril they are IMP
Eyes, the boys" 1 said. mechanically.
| and with the words one thread of interest
| was retaken by my benumbed brain. 1--WE
can come back here when they are safe"
He hurried away.
Once outside the chilled blood in my
veins was changed to molten fire. A pas
sion unlike anything 1 have ever exper-
fenced seized me. 1t was the fearful, un-
holy desire of vengeance, which presented
itself to me for the time being under the
| appearance of duty.
| We had scarcely cleared the village when
| the sound of shots rang out on the still air.
under the placid face of the moon, whose
beams now made the whole country appear
| almost as light as day.
Good heavens. They are attacking the
station" exclaimed Hampden. Come on,
Brownley. there's no time to be lost"
| Shot after shot ratified out in quick sue
cession, rever5erating amongst the hills
| and rocks. Added TO this were shrill. dis
cordant yells, as though a whole army of
fiends had been let loose. We tore up the
| hillside our firearms in readiness for imme-
date use.
The sight which burst upon our eyes as
we came in view of the station far ex-
| ceeded the sounds. The place seemed to he
| alive with dusky figures, leaping. shrieking
| in the moonlight.
| The leader of the Belooches on this raid
was one Dost Mahomed, the notorious rob-
Der chief, on whose head price had been
set for some time / judged the number of
his followers to be about fifty.
We crept as close to the station as we
could under cover, and watched our oppor-
tunity. The boys were making a gallant
| defense Their firing was sharp and true,
and did credit to the practice held in idle
hours. 1 thought of poor Willie and WON
6ered If the hero spirit had come into the
lad, and whether he was standing firmly
at his post as honor and duty required.
| We seized the first lull, when the Be-
looches were squatting about their chief
ON the hillside in the white Moonlight in
consultation; and, after giving the signal
to Fred made bolt for the door. We were
seen by a couple of huge savages, who
raised a yell and rushed upon us. There
was a stampede in our direction from the
hillside, and behind us 1 heard the bars
and bolts being withdrawn. There seemed
to be nothing for it. however. but to sell
our lives as dearly as we could.
| In that awful moment 1 saw the dead,
white form of poor Jack Welby lying on
the floor of his house. and a desperate
| strength was given me. Keep close to me.
and as cool as you can," cried to Hamp-
| den.
'All right, go ahead!'
The next moment 1 had parted with my
sword the blow of one of the giants, and.
raising my revolver, shot him to the
ground. Hampton felled the other, and. as
we leapt over their bodies shouted, 1--WE
shall do it nowp'
| But the others We're upon us. I saw the
wild figure CT Dost Mahomed and the saw
| age faces of his followers. Hampton
dubbed his musket and fought like lion:
l had only one more chamber left in my
revolver; L fired this, and missed. Not so
my immediate adversary; a sharp twinge
IL my left shoulder told me that his shot
| had taken effect
At that moment we were covered by the
blaze of two muskets from our rear. The
door of the station was ajar, and our brave
lads filled the aperature. Seeing that was
wounded, Hampden covered me we'll as
ne could, and together we fought our way
| backward toward the doorway. Whether
we should ever have reached its friendly
shelter 1 cannot say, but at that moment
Fred rushed out, seized my sword out Of
my hand and pushed me within. Then
| cutting with deadly effect right and left
he retreated backward So he got within
the house, into which Hampden too ha,
successfully fought his way. The door was
sharply shut by Harry and Willie, and We
all threw our strength upon it, boiling
locking and barring it.
"Whew!' cried Fred, cooly, as he wiped
the perspiration from his brow, that was
worse than a scragg at football. Vel
away, my friends, we've got the better OF
you for the time being"
| My wound was, fortunately, only fesf
one Hampden bound 1t up as well as he
could so as to admit of my commanding
one of the musket holes, and we kept up q
brisk fire whenever the besiegers came
within range:
1t was weary and sickening work: still
| we had cause to be thankful that so fal
we were able to hold the fort in safety
Again and again they returned to the at
tack. Finally they reiterated for longer
!. time than they had done yet, and We were
| beginning to congratulate ourselves thai
they had had enough of it when back they
| came armed with. big stones and inverted
muskets.
: Charged in this fashion, our Trustworthy
: door began to show signs of yielding, anl
despair filled hearts. 1t seemed a:
though nothing short Of miracle coult
save US now. Pushed to extremity, an ides
came into my mind. Willie was close By
me diligently occupied in loading my mus
kets for me. The savages were yelling II
anticipatory triumph at close quarters
Hampden and Fred were making superhu