The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-09-26
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Presence Of Mind In the Face Of q
Terrible Danger.

A
Terrible Danger.
One of the strangest incidents of
the sepoy rebellion is told by Will
liam Forbes Mitchell in his Rem
liniscences of the Great Mutiny."
Mr.. Mitchell, who was sergeant of
highland regiment, had the mis- tor
tune during a battle to lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
ried folded in what was known as
a "Crimean rolf and strapped to
the shoulders in such manner that
lit crossed the breast:
MANY a 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 keen edged
Itulwar, which was intended to cut
me.
! As the day was warm, l was rath-
er glad to get rid of it, but by 10
Io'clock at night there was a differ
lence in temperature, and when l
was relieved from patrol duty and
wanted to lie down to sleep | felt
the cold, wet grass anything but
comfortable, for kilt is not the
most suitable article of dress on a
cold November night in upper In
ldia.
Ny company was encamped in
and about the tomb of TIC first king
of Oudh. \ large >inclosure sur
rounded the building of the tomb
itself, and on the inside of this
were small rooms built for the ac-
commodation of pilgrims When ]
entered the inclosare | noticed
these apartments and asked permis-
sion to sleep in. one of them, but
was refused. l 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 l went into one o1
the rooms where lamp was burn
ling, took it off the shelf and walked
to the door of the great domed
mosque or tomb.
/ peered into the dark, but coulc
I see nothing, so l advanced slowly
holding the lamp over my head
looking cautiously around until ]
was in the center Of the great vault
where my progress was obstructec
, by big black heap about four o.
!: five feet high, which felt to my fee
like loose sand.
I lowered my lamp and discover
: ed l was standing ankle deep il
loose gunpowder. About forty hun
dredweight of it lay under my nose
and hasty glance around showed
me twenty or thirty barrels of th'
y same substance, over q hundred
eight-inch Shells, all loaded ant
with fuses fixed, and q profusion o
spare fuses and slow matches lyini
about.
I took in my danger at glance
There | was, up to my knees nearl,
IN gunp|der, with a naked hgh
in my hand. My hair literally stoos
. on end, and my knees knocked to
: gether. Cold perspiration brok
out all over me. 1 had neithe
cloth nor handkerchief in my pock
ct with which to extinguish m
light, and the next moment nigh
be my last, for the overhangin
wick already threatened to send tn
smoldering red top to my feet, wit
consequences too dreadful to con
template.
Quick as thought l put my LET
hand under the down droppin
fame and, clasping it firmly, slowl
turned to the door.
Fear so overcame Oil otner sen
sation that l felt no pain of tn
burn until | was outside. Then
was sharp enough. l poured the O
r from the lamp into my burne
1 hand. Then | knelt down an
!. thanked God.
q Next | Staggered to Captain Dav
t son and told him. He did not bt
d Geve me and told me | had wake
8 up from dream. l showed him til
y powder still sticking on my we
+ feet. He instantly reused the sleeI
q ing men and quenched every spar
a 90 Gre ON ihn rrnnnicnn