The Washington herald., 1915-11-21

The garrison of Goruckpoor in the
province of Ondh. India. in the year
1862 consisted of 1000 men, and about
half of these were split up into small
attachments and stationed here and
here in the north to keep order
among the hill men and punish raid
ing dacoits. Dacoits are hands of
robbers under command of a chief
who holds a religious influence over
them, and they are yet the pests OF
India along the foothills of the Him
alayas. They are daring men and hard
fighters, the very few British soldiers
who fall into their hands are spared
We of the Fourth, comprising eight
men, were stationed during the year
1852 almost as far north as the Dor
ders of Napal. We had plenty of
diminishing with the dacoits for a
time, but finally dealt them such
heavy blows that they drew of and
left us in peace. We were in the
midst of what seemed TO be peace
when the government dispatched a
large train of treasure and military
supplies from Goruckpoor for Ghoor-
ka. Colonel Kemble, who had been
ordered to take command of the gar
back from a years leave of absence
in England, was with the train, and
the whole was escorted by $50 cavalry
men. The route for the train brought
it past our station. where it rested
for day and then moved on. In a
defile fifteen miles to the north of
us it was ambushed by over a thou
sand dacoits and suffered a severe
misfortune. There was not only a
heavy loss in killed and wounded, but
the treasure and portion of the sup
plies were captured and run OF.
The remnant of the train returned
TO US and went into camp until re-
Inducements could come up. and the
bullet headed, tyrannical Colonel KEN
BILE. whose obstinacv and recklessness
had brought about the disaster, pro-
ceeded to make it redhot for every
body. Any set of men except Brit
taken his life. Raging over his de-
feat and feeling his helplessness, he
ordered out attachments and com
they could overhaul 1t was we'll
populated country, with hundreds of
loyal natives to be picked up, but
each and every one as guilty of hav-
ing had a hand in the attack on the
train. More than a score were shot
or hung off-hand, while many were
whipped at the post or ordered out
of the district It was a reign OF
terror for three weeks, and the end
was a fitting one. =
Ny own detachment one day brought
in a mere boy whom we had found
covering in a thicket. / do not be-
lieve he had the slightest knowledge
of the ambush or took any part in Il,
He was a timid lad, whose father had
been one of the first ones hung and
he was so frightened that but little
could be got out of him. The colonel
bulldoZed ana browheat him and
finally ordered his execution on the
ground that he was a spy. 1t was
only when he knew that he must die
that the young fellow braced up and
showed his courage, and as he was
being led away to execution he said
to the colonel:
'Sahib Colonel, / am innocent, and
you will be punished for my death i
You may shoot me and bury my body, |
but my spirit will follow you to the |
grave"
Half an hour later he was dead, |
but he was the last one to be ex-
ecuted. That evening as the colonel |
entered the officers. mess tent for |
supper all of us noticed that he had |
a queer, troubled look on his face
hind him; After bit he tried to be
ure. He said something about not /
feeling well. but nobody dared cues
ton him. AT midnight that night we