The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1919-01-31
A NARROW ESCAPE
prsssnes 81 Mind In the Face 81 .
rsrribls Danger.


One OF the strangest incidents VI
the sepoy rebellion is told by VIII
ham Forbes Mitchell in his Rem
iniscences OF the Great Autiny.'
Mr.. Mitchell, who was sergeant Of a
highland regiment, had the misfor-
tune during battle 10 lose the
greatcoat which every soldier car
red folded in what Was known As
. "Crimean roll" and strapped to
the shoulders in such . manner that
it crossed the breast:
Many u man owed his life TO the
fact that bullets became spent in
passing through these rolls. 1t hap
pened tina: in the heat Of the fight
nv roll was cut night through WHERE
the two ends were fastened togeth-
sr bv the stroke Of keen edged
tulwar, which was intended 20 cut
ne.
As the day WAS warm. / was rath-
er glal - get rid Of il, but by 10
o'cloc. { night there was differ
cce IN temperature, and when l
vas rel ysi from patrol duty and
wanted lie down TO sleep l felt
TIE col wet grass anything but
comfort @. for a kilt is not the
mos. suitable article Of dress on q
cold November night in upper In
do.
Wv company was encamped in
o. -'t me tomb Of ne INST king
OF Oath. \ large inclosure sur
rounded the building Of the tomb
itself. and on the inside Of this
were snail rooms built for the sc-
corr odation Of pilgrims. When ]
enter "a the inclosure l noticed
these apartments and asked permits
sion 70 sleep in. one of them, but
vas retufeG. | had 10 make the
best of nj position, but was too un.
comfortable 10 sleep.
Il struck me that some OF the Sc
poys might have dropped their
blankets in their hurried departure.
With this hope I went into one %
the rooms where a lamp IVES burn
ing, took it OIL the shelf and walked
10 the door Of the great domed
mosque or tomb.
] peerel into TIE dark, but could
Zee nothing. so ! advanced slowly.
holding the lamp over my head,
looking ea'rio' sly around until /
was IA tie center OF the great vault,
where my proCTcss was oDstructed
by BIC hack heap about four OF
Eve feet hs,h. which felt to my feet
ike loose sand
| lowered nv lamp and discover
ID was standing ankle deep in
loose gunpo~dg. About forty hun
dredveight OF n ny under my nose,
and q hassy glance around showed
me twenty OF thirty barrels Of the
same substance, over q hundred
sight-ineh SHELF, all loadsd md
with fusesifxed, and Asprofusion Of
spare fuses and allow matches lying
about.
! teok'in my danger, g . glance.
There j vas. Up 10 myikness nearly
" gunpowler, With q naked light
IN my hand. Ny hair literally stood
On end, and my knees Knocked to-
sether. Cold pespintion broke
out all over me. had neither
,hcth nor handkerchief in my peck
Ut With which 20 eItinglish nv
light, and the next moment might
b ny last, fbr The overhangina
vick already Threatened n send the
unoidering red top to nv feet. with
consequences too dreadful to con
template.
Quick as though l nut nv left
band under the drn droppin.
fame and, clasping iti.rrnly. slowly
turned 70 the door.
Fear so overcNne MI other -en-
saton that / feh no pain Of tbs
burn until 7 was .r,sde. Then ir
vas sharp enough | po.red the oii
from the lamp into M harmed
hand. Then ] knelt down and
thanked God.
Next .saggerei,to Captain Daw-
ION and told him lie did not be-
heve re ord told me i had walked
up from dream. j showed him the
pOwtsr stl sticking on nv vet
feet. He instantly reused the sleep
Tag men lni qucnched every spark
~ ire OF iho,orcnlises.