The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-08-13
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Presence Of Mind In the Face Of
Terrible Danger.

Terrible Danger.
One Of the strangest incidents of
the sepoy rebellion is told by Will
liam Forbes Mitchell in his Rem
iniscences of the Great Mutiny."
Mr.. Mitchell, who was sergeant of a
highland regiment, had the misfor-
tune durinr a battle to lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
|ried folded III what was known as
a "Crimean roll" and strapped to
the shoulders in such manner that
it 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 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 1(
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 fell
the cold, wet grass anything but
comfortable, for kilt is not the
most suitable article of dress on {
cold November night in upper In
dia.
My company was encamped il
and about the tomb of the first kine
of Oudh. \ large inclosure sur
rounded the building of the tomb
itself, and on the inside of thil
were small rooms built for the &C
commodation of pilgrims. When
entered the inclosure / noticed
these apartments and asked permis
sion to sleep in one Of them, bu
was refused. / had to make tn,
best Of my position, but was too un
comfortable to sleep.
It struck me that some Of the 30
poys might have dropped thei
blankets in their hurried departure
With this hope I went into one o
the rooms where lamp was burn
ing, took it off the shelf and walked
to the door of the great domet
mosque or tomb.
I peered into the dark, but coult
see nothing, so / advanced slowly
holding the lamp over my head
looking cautiously around until
was in the center of the great vault
where my progress was obstructet
by big black heap about four o.
five feet high, which felt to my fee
like loose sand.
lowered my lamp and discover
ed was standing ankle deep il
loose gunpowder. About forty hun
dredweight OF it lay under my nose
and a hasty glance around shove,
me twenty OF thirty barrels of tn,
same substance, OYER q hundred
eight-inch shells, all loaded ant
with fuses fixed, and profusion o
spare fuses and slow matches lyin,
about.
took in my danger at a glance
There l was, up to my knees nearl,
In gunpowder, with a naked ligh
in my hand. My hair literally stoos
on end, and my knees knocked to
gether. Cold perspiration brok
out all over me. | 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 overhanginJ
wick already threatened to send tn,
smoldering red top to my feet, will
consequences too dreadful to con
template.
Quick as thought l put my lef
hand under the down droppin,
fame and, clasping it firmly, slowl,
ltuIleu 10 the uOOr.
Fear so overcame all other sen
sation that felt no pain Of tn
burn until / was outside. Then i
was sharp enough. l poured the OF
from the lamp into my burnet
hand. Then l knelt down ant
thanked God.
Next l staggered to Captain Daw
son ard told him. He did not be
heye me and told ne l had wake
up from dream. / showed him tn,
powder still sticking on my we
feet. He Instantly reused the sleep
ing men and quenched every sparl
OF fire on the premises.