The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-08-12
A NARROW ESCAPE.
orssenes OF Mind In the Face OF .
Terrible Danger.

Terrible Danger.
One of the strangest incidents Oi
the sepoy rebellion is told by vii.
liam Forbes Mitchell in his 'Rem
inisccnces Of the Great Mutiny."
Mr.. Mitchell, who was sergeant of n
highland re .imcnt, had the misfor-
tune durin, battle to lose the
greutcoat which every soldier car
ried follcl in what was known As
a "Crimea roll" and strapped to
the shoulders in such a manner that
il crossed the breast:
Many u man owed his life to the
fact that bullets became spent in
passing through these rolls. 1t hap
pened that in the heat Of the fight
my roll was cut right through where
the two ends were fastened togeth-
er by the stroke of a keen edged
tulwar, which was intended to cut
me.
AS the day was warm, was rath-
er glad to get rid Of it, but by 10
o'clock at night there was a differ
ence in temperature, and when /
was relieved from patrol duty and
wanted to lie down to sleep l felt
the cold, wet grass anything but
comfortable. for a kilt is not the
most suitable article of dress on a
cold November night in upper In
dia.
Ny company was encamped in
and about the tomb Of the first king
of Oudh. A large inclosure sur
rounded the building of the tomb.
itself. and on the inside of this
we're small rooms built for the ac-
commodation of pilgrims. When /
entered the inclosure | noticed
these apartments and asked permis-
sion to sleep in one of them, but
was refused. | had to make the
best OF my position, but was too un-
comfortable to sleep.
1t struck me that some Of the Sc
poys might have dropped their
blankets in their hurried departure.
With this hope / went into one Of
the rooms where a lamp was burn
ing, took il of the shelf and walked
to the door of the great domed
mosque or tomb.
/ peered into the dark, but could |
see nothing, so / advanced slowly, |
holding the lamp over my head,
looking cautiously around until I |
was in the center of the great vault,
where my progress was obstructed
by a big black heap about four or
five feet high, which felt to my feet
like loose sand.
/ lowered my lamp and discover
ed / was standing ankle deep in
loose gunpowder. About forty hun
dredweight of it lay under my nose,
and a hasty glance around showed
me twenty or thirty barrels of the
same substance, over a hundred
shells, all loaded and
with fuses fixed, and q profusion Of
spare fuses and slow matches lying
about.
l took in my danger at a glance.
There ! was, up to my knees nearly
IN gunpowder, with q naked light
IN my hand. Ny hair literally stood
On end, and my knees Knocked to-
3ether. Cold perspiration broke
but all over me. | had neither
,loth nor handkerchief in my pock-
ct with which to extinguish my
light, and the next moment might
be my last, for the overhangine
wick already threatened to send the
'moldering red top to my feet, with
too dreadful to con-
Quick as thought l put my left
land under the down dropping
iAme and, clasping it firmly, slowly
urned to the door.
Fear so overcame ell other sem
alton that / felt no pain Of the
'urn until / was outside. Then il
vas sharp enough. poured the oil
rom the lamp into my burned
land. Then I knelt down and
banked God.
Next I staggered to Captain Daw-
on and told him. He did not be-
isve me and told me had walked
p from a dream. I showed him the
'owder still sticking on nv wet
eet. He instantly reused the sleep
ng men and euenohed every spark