The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-03-01
A MARROW ESCAPE.
Presence of Mind In the Face of
Terrible Danger.


One of the strangest incidents Of
lhe sepoy rebellion is told by vii.
liam Forbes Mitchell IN his "Rem-
Itniscences of the Great Mutiny."
llr. Mitchell, who was sergeant of q
highland regiment, had the misfor-
|bune during a battle to lose the
Igreatcoat which every soldier car
ped folded in what was known as
y "Crimean roll" and strapped to
The shoulders in such manner that
|it crossed the breast:
Many man owed hiB life to the
fact that bullets became spent in
passing through these rolls. 1t hap
pened tha in the heat of the fight
my roll was cut right through where
the two ends were fastened togeth-
sr by the stroke of a keen edged
tulwar, which was intended to cut
ne.
As the day was warm, I was rath-
er glad to get rid of it, but by 10
o'clock ct night there was a differ
ence in temperature, and when |
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 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 ]
entered the inclosure | noticed
these apartments and asked permis-
sion to sleep in one of them, but
was refused bad to make the
best Of my position, but was too un.
comfortable to sleep.
1t strue, ne ihat some of the Sc
poys might have dropped their
blankets in Their hurried departure.
With this ! ne | went into one OF
the rooss.s ~hcrc lan,p was burn
ing, took il n,T he shelf and walked
TO the doe # the great domed
mosque or 'oub.
/ pee:ed ,Dto t,.e dark, but could
gee noiai. so | advanced SLOWLY,
holding ii, lamp over my head,
looking G. ously around until |
was in the enter of The great vault,
where my progress was oostructed
by q big black heap about four or
Eve feet high, which felt to my feet
like loose sand.
/ lowered my lamp and discover
ID / was standing ankle deep in
loose gunpowder. About forty hun
lredweight OF it lay under my nose,
and a hasty glance around showed
me twenty or thirty barrels of the
same substance, over a hundred
eight-inch shells, an loaded and
with fuses fixed, and profusion OF
spare fuses and slow matches lyina
ebout.
] took in my danger al 2 glance
fhere ! was, mp to my knees nearly
IN gunpow .er, with a naked light
IN my hand Ny hair literally stoo3
on end, ani my knees Knocked to
gether. Cold perspiration broke
out all over me. ] had neithe,
aloth nor handkerchief in my pock.
# with which to eytinguish m
4Sht, and the next moment might
~ my last, for the ovechangine
usck already threatened to send IL,
moadering red top to my feet, with
consequences too dreadful to con
template.
Quick as thought put ny left
hand under the down droppine
fame and, clasping it firmly, slowly
turned to the door.
Fear so overcame all other sen
sation that / felt no pain Of TIE
burn until | was outside. Then i
was sharp'enough. l poured the OF:
from the lamn into ny burned
hand. Then ! knelt> down and
God.
Next I S aggered to Captain Daw
ION and tod him. H. did not be
ieve me- and told me had wake.
lp fror7 a dream. I showed him the
powder still sticking on nv We
'eet He instantly reused the sleep
ng men and euenched every spark
If fire on the premises.