Year: 1878

Some of the Others coming up, we pushed
our way into the depths, guided by the fran.
tic bark of Blinkers, and after being much
scratched and torn, found ourselves in
trampled circle of jungle grass, with the
half-devoured remains of a large tiger.


The doctor was sent for, and the wound
discovered the beast had evidently been
lamed, the bullet breaking the fore leg. II
was also evident that, wounded as it was. it
had fingered on till it was mere skin and
bone and had died within the last few days.
Assisted by some of the natives, the good.
natured doctor commenced the borrible tasL
of searching for the bullet, and after half an
hours labor, the most disgusting he had ey
er undergone, it was found hattened against
the large bone of the hind leg, and handed
to me.


Never shall | forget the pleasure 7 felt
when saw on the rescued bullet the No. s,
with dot as fresh and clear as if it had
Just come from the pressing machine.


Great was the rejoicing that night in the
camp OF the Forteth. Blue fires were burnt.
the band came and serenaded Meggie. The
whole fthe officers, including the old colo.
mel, came as to a levee; but still found
there was one thing more to be found ont
How did the No. 2 bullet get into the sad
die?


At length I inquired whether any of the
officers missed their arms. Curiously enough.
the only missing arm was gun belonging
to the wounded captain. I asked did he re.
member the size? He did. 1t was lust a
shade smaller than the bore of the regimen
tai carbines You could get governments
bullet down by good deal of hammering.


| now propounded that the bullet had
been fired from the captains missing rifle,
for the point Of the bullet was marked with
rings, and considerably fattened. Now,
there was nothing in the flesh, anI
nothing in the saddle to produce these
marks, and therefore, they must have been
made beiorc firing


L then proposed that fail search should
be made with dogs, for at least two miles
round from where the shot was fired, TO = 4
if any traces could be found of either the
man or the gun.


We made the most careful search pres
emily came to Il stone on the road itself,
marked in the most peculiar manner.


What's the cause of these marks ?" said
10 the tarrer of the troop, who had volun-
teered to help, and who said he never fell
more grateful to any one in all his life than
he did to me for squeezing his wrist so hard
that day.


Whats the cause? It's been used as a
hammer for something-a nail in shoe.'


Nail heads are square.


True for you-these are round


DO you think ramrod would make these
marks p


'It just would. Somebody's been driving
down hard bullet with it,


so | think. Now take the stone and
throw it straight over that gap into the mid
die of the copse, and I'll mark where it
seems to fall


He threw it, and, marking the spot, we
found our way into the jungle and there,
within q few yards of the stone, under the
long leaves, we found what we sought, the
remains of a native, stripped entirely Of
flesh and skin, except on the hands and feet,
and with great gaping wound in the skull |;
and in the inside, which the ants had per-
fectly cleaned out, was large piece of tn q
hreech of the burst gun that he had by his
side.


The whole evidence was there two empty
cartridge cases ; another No. bullet eight
untouched cartridges. 1t was clear enough
that the man, whoever he was, had taken
two charges Of powder and rammed down
the two large bullets with the blows of the
stone on the now brushed end of the ram
rod and the loud report that all the witness
es spoke to was as loud as the simultaneous
report Of the discharge of the three charges
Of powder could make it. While the want
of force in the bullet was accounted for by
the bursting of the gun.
We took home the skull and the burst ri-
le and the cartridge cases, together with
found out the intended murderer to be one
of the syces, or grOoms of the captain, that
he had horsewhipped month before for ill
using a horse of which he had charge.


Did he leave the regment?'


Not a bit why should he? The men
worshipped him, and the officer who was
wounded was invalided and he and hi.
comrades managed matters among them SC
well, that at the first parade Of the regiment
in Calcutta, some six months afterward, the
old colonel presented to the men new off
GER Captain Ashton, adding, IF he makes
half as good an officer as he did soldier
there will not be a better in her Majesty
service


And your sister Margaret p
Oh I've just sent little case lined will
velvet, and something inside engraved, 'Wil
liam Gerald Ashton, from his affection un
cle'


Now, lads, there's the 'out lights, so wei
turn in quietly and make bulls-eyes at ev
cry shot tomorrow