The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-07-19
4 NARROW. ESCAPE.
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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
highland regiment. had the misfor-
T, tune during battle to lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
ried folded in what was known as
. "Crimean roll" and strapped to
the shoulders in such a 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 whers
the two ends were fastened togeth-
er by the stroke of keen edged
} tulwar, which was intended to cut
ne.
As the day was warm; wss rath
er glad to get rid of it, but by 10
4 O'Clock at night there was q differ
ence in temperature, and when ]
was relieved from patrol duty and
wanted to lie down to sleep / felt
3 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
dia.
My company was encamped In
. and about the tomb of the first king
of Oudh. A large Enclosure sur
rounded the building of the tomb
itself, and on the inside of this
were small rooms built for the &C
Icommodation of pilgrims. When ]
Ientered the inclosure / noticed
these apartments and asked permits
+ sion to sleep in one of them, but
was refused. l had to make the
: best OF my position, but was too IN
comfortable to sleep.
, 1t struck me that SEINE Of the sc
poys might have dropped theil
blankets in their hurried departure
With this hope l went into one o
the rooms where a lamp was burn
ing, took it off the shelf and wake
to the door of the great dome
mosque or tomb.
l peered into the dark, but coul
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 cbstructed
by big black heap about four or
| Eve feet high. which felt to my feet
ike loose sand.
I lowered my lamp and discover
Cd / was standing ankle deep In
loose ganpowder. About forty hun
dredweight of it lay under my nose,
and q hasty glance around showed
me twenty or thirty barrels of the
same substance, over q hundred
eight-inch shells, all loaded and
with fuses fixed, and profusion Of
spare fuses and slow matches lying
about.
] took in my danger at a glance.
There l was, up to my knees nearly
In gunpowder, with a naked light
in my hand. My hair literally stood
on end, and my knees knocked to-
Igether. Cold perspiration broke
out all over me. had neither
cloth nor handkerchief in my peck
ct with which to extinguish my
light, and the next moment might
: be my last, for the overhanging
wick already threatened to send the
, lsmoldering red top to my feet, with
,, consequences too dreadful to con-
template.
Quick as thought ! put my. left
hand under the down dropping
fame and, clasping it firmly, slowly
turned to the door.
Fear so overcame all other SEN
, sation that | felt no pain Of the
burn until I was outside. Then il
, was sharp enough. I poured the oil
from the lamp into my burned
hand. Then | nelt down and
thanked God.
! Next l staggered to Captain Daw.
3 con and told him. He did not be-
; lieve me and told me I had walked
up from q dreamSI showed him the
, powder still sticking on my wet
, feet. He instantly reused the sleep
ing men ard quenched every spark
lof fire on fhe premises.