The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-01-24
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Presence OF Mind In the Face Of a
Terrible Danger.

Terrible Danger.
One of the strangest incidents II
the sepoy rebellion is told By VIII
ham Forbes Mitchell in his Rem
niscences of the Great Mutiny."
Mr.. Mitchell, who was sergeant of a
hlghlanG regiment, had the misfor-
tune during a battle to lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
ried folded in what was known az
a 'Crimean roll" and strapped to
the shoulders IN such a manner that
it crossed the breast:
Many 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
tulwar, which was intended to cut
me.
As the day was warm, 1 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 I
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. \ 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 7
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
in their hurried departure.
With this hope | went into one of
the rooms where a laRp was burn
lng, took it off the shelf and walked
to' the door OF the grca+ Gomed T,
mosque or tomb.
Ipeered into the dark, bat could
see nothing, so / advanced slowly,
holding the lamp over my head,
looking cautiously around until |
was in the center of the great vault,
where nv progress was oostructed
by a big black heap about four or
i've feet high, which felt to my feet
ike loose sand.
lowered my lamp and discover
ed | was standing ankle deep in
Dose gunpowder. About forty hun
lredweight of it lay under my nose,
md hasty glance around showed
ne twenty or thirty barrels of the
ame substance, over a hundred
,ight-inch shells, all loaded and
With fuses fixed, and a profusion of
pare fuses and slow matches lying
bout.
took in my danger at a glance.
There | was, up to my knees nearly
n gunpowder, with a naked light
n my hand. Ny hair literally stood
N end, and my knees knocked to-
,ether. Cold perspiration broke
'ut all over me. | had neither
10th nor handkerchief in my pock-
It with which to extinguish my
light, and the next moment might
,e my las, for the oYerhanging
Vick already threatened to send the
red top to my feet, with
onsequences too dreadful to con-
emplate.
Quick as thought I put my left
and under the down dropping
lame and, clasp.ng it firmly, slowly
urned to the Coor.
Fear so oyercamc al other sem
alton thai l felt no pain of the
urn until | was outside. Then Il
'as sharp enough. | poured the OIL
rom the lamp into my burned
and. Then | knelt down and
banked Cod.
Next staggered to Captain Daw-
On and told him. He did not be-
eve me and told me had walked
p from dream. | showed him the
owder still sticking on my wet
set. He instantly reused the sleep
lg men and quenehed every spark
fire on the premises.