The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-04-21
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Presence of Mind In the Face Of .
Terrible Danger.

! ~FoSenCc OF mino Nv t0c FaSe " ~
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 during a battle to lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
ried folded in what was known as
Ia "Crimean roll" and strapped to
the shoulders in such a manner that
it crossed the breast:
i Many a man owed his life to the
i fact that bullets became spent In
passing through these rolls. 1t hap
pened that in the heat of tho 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 I
was relieved from patrol duty and
wanted to lie down to sleep / felt
the cold, wet grass anything but
comfortable, for a kilt is not the
most suitable article Of dress on .
cold November night in upper In
1 dia.
Ny company was encamped in
and about the tomb of the hrst king
of Oudh. A large inclosure sur
/, rounded the building of the tomb
+. itself, and on the inside Of this
! were small rooms built for the ac-
J commodation of pilgrims. When I
entered the inclosure I noticed
these apartments and asked permis-
sion to sleep in one of them, but
was refused. 1 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 harried departure.
With this hope | went into one OF
the rooms where lamp was burn
ing, took it OF the shelf and walked
to the door Of ;'.e great domed
mosque or tomb.
/ peered into the 9erk, but could
see nothing, so l advanced slowly,
holding the lamp over my head,
looking cautiously around until I
was in the center Of the great vault
+ where my progress vas obstructed.
4 by big black heap bout four or
FIVE feet high, which fe.t to my feet
like loose sand.
! 1 lowered my lamp and discover
ed l was standing ankle deep In
.. loose gunpowder. About forty hun
dredweight of it lay under my nose,
S and hasty glance around showed
$ me twenty or thirty barrels of the
5 same substance, OYER a hundred
eight-inch shells, II loaded and
3 with fuses fixed, anu a profusion Of
I spare fuses and sloT matches lying
about.
/ took in my dagger at a glance.
,, There l was, up to my knees nearly
IN gunpowder, with a naked light
' in my hand. My hair literally stood
e on end, and my knees knocked to-
: gether. Cold perspiration broke
out all over me. | had neither
3 cloth nor handkerchief in my poek-
/ ct with which to extinguiah my
e light, and the next moment might
be my last, for the overhangine
q wick already threatened 10 send the
: smoldering red top to my feet, with
. . consequences too dreadful to con-
template.
t Quick as thought / put my left
: hand under the down dropping
q fame and, clasping it firmly, slowly
4 turned to the door.
Fear so overcame all other SEN
: sation that l felt 10 pain Of the
: burn until l was outside. Then it
was sharp eRongh. poared the oil
from the amp into my burned
; hand. Then | knelt down and
thanked God.
i Next l staggered to Captain Daw-
c con and told him He did not be-
e heve me and told me I had vsked
: up from Q dream. I showed him ths
: powder still sticking en- my vet
Feet He instantly reused the sleep
ing men snd quenchsd every spark
2Do on the premises.