AN INCIDENT OF THE MUTINY.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 651, 22 March 1870, Page 4

AN INCIDENT OF THE MUTINY.

[OHA-ÜBSRS'S JOURN^I.] And then I almost dropped my piece, my month grew dry, and 1 seemed ohoked, for, with a loud howj, the crowd opened out, and I saw a sight that made my blood run cold-^thoso two ninep Hinders standing with a man by each breech, smoking linstock in hand ; while hound, with their heads against the m izzles, and their white fac< v ow .rds v?, were Captain Dyer and Harry Lant ! One spark—^one tcmch of linstock on the breech —and those two brave fellows' heads would be blown to atoms ; and, as I expected that every moment such would be the case, my knees knocked together. ; but the next moment I was down-o n those shaking knees, my piece made ready, and a good aim taken, so that I could have dropped one of tho gunners before he was able to lire, I hesitated for a moment before 1 made up my mind which to try and save, and the thought of Lizsy Green came in my mind, and I said to myself — "I love her too well to give her pain," when, giving up Captain Dyer, I aimed at the gunner by poor Harry Lant, " Don't fire,'' said a voice just then, and, turning, there was Lieutenant Leigh. "The hkqk-hearted wretches," he muttered. "But »vu are all ready ; though now, if we start, it will be the signal for the death of those two.—^But what does this inpan?" What made him say that, was a chief, all iv sha,wls, who rode forward and shouted out in good English, that they gave ua one hour to surrender, but at the end of that time, if we had not marched out without arms, they would blow their prisoners away from the mouth of the guns, . , "This is contrary to rule, As com-? mandant, I ought to stay in the fort 5 but I've no one to give the leadership to, so I take it mygelf," said Lieut, Leigh 5 "and now, my lads, make ready-?-present ! That's well. Are all ready 1 At the word ' Fir-o 1 Privates Bigley and Smith fire at the two gunners. If they miss, I cry, fire, again, and Privates Bantem and Grainger try their skill ; then, at the double, down on lha guns] Smith and spike tlierr , while Bantem and Grainger cut the cords. Mind this : those guns must be spiked, and those two prisoners brought in ; and if th§ sortie is well managed, it is easy, for they will he taken by surprise, Hush,' Confound it, men; no cheering." He only spoke in time, for in the excitement the men were about to hurray. " Now, then, ia that gate unbarred V " Yes, sir." "Is the covering party ready?" <( Yea, sir. 1 ' My hand trembled as he spoke 5 but the next instant it was of a pieQe with my puns took. There was the hot square, with the sun shining on the two guna that must have been hot behind the poor prisoners 1 heads ; there stood the two guuriers in white, with then* smoking linstocks, leaning against the wheels, for discipline was slack ; and there, thirty or forty yards behind,, were the mutineers, lounging about, and smoking many of them. For all firing had ceased, and judging that we should not risk having the prisoners blown away from the guns, the mutineers came boldly up within range, as if defying Us, and it was pretty safe practice at some of them now. I saw all this ' at a gl an < ce .i an< * while it seemed as :if the order would never come; but come : it did,; at last. " Fire !" Bang ! the two. rifle 3 g'liug off like one ; and the gunner behind Captain Dyer leaped into the air, while the one I aimed at seemed to sink down suddenly beside the wheel he-had leaned upon. Then the gate flew open, and with a rush and a cheer, we, ten of us, raced down for the guns. -Doublequick time ? I tell yon it waa a hard race; and being withput my guti bow— only my bayonet stuck "in my trousers' waist-band — I was the first, and had driven my spike into the touch-hole before Lieutenant Leigh reached his ; but the next moment his was dciue, ;the cords were cut, and the prisoners loose from the guns, But now we had to : get back. ■■ The first inkling I had of the difficulty of this was seeing Capt: D/yer and Harry Lant stagger, and fall forward j but they we're saved by the men, and we saw directly that they must be carried. No sooner thought of than done. "Hoist Harry on my back," says Grainger) and he took him like a., sack; Bantem acting the same part by Captain Dyer; and those two ran' off, while we tried to cover them. For don't you imagine that the mutineers wepe idle all this while ; not a bit of it. They were ! completely taken by surprise, though, at ! first, and gave ua time nearly to get to I the gnus before they could understand j what -we meant; but the next, moment same shouted ran at us, and some hegan firing 5 while, by. the time the.prisoners were cast loose, they were down upon, us, in' a hand to hand fight.- And in those "fierce struggles there is. such excitement, that, for my part, I've now but a ! ve>y -recollection of what took place J but. I do. recollect seeing the prisoners well on the, way back, hearing a cheer from our men, and then, hammer in quq hand, bayonet on the other, fighting my way backward along with my comrades, Then all at once-a glittering flash came in 'the air, and I felt a dull cut in the ; face, followed directly after by a strange, numbing blow, whioh made the drop my bayonet, as my arm fell uselessly to my side j and then with a lurch and a ata.ggWj/ X ;feU,' and. .- ; wa£ trampled upon twice, jyhen, as I rallied once, a black, jj.avage'-ibbk'ing sepoy raised : his clubbed Vnusket tQ'kUogk out my brains, but a voice I -well knew cried -=•'* Not- this time, my fine fellow. That's number three, th it is, and well home j" aud 1 sawMeailes drive his bayonet with a crash through the fellow's, bre,as,t-bone, so that he fell across my legs, <{ Now, old chap, come along," h@al)6uts,:and.ai|i arm was passed under me. "Ron, Measled, run,'* I aaid as well as I could. "ItV all over with me." '^No ;• 'taint," he. said ; " and . -don't be a fool, Let me do as I like, for puce in a way.". I don't Know how ; he did it, nor How, feeling sick and faint as I did, I managed to get on my legs; hut old.; Measles stuck to. me like a true comrade, aud brought me in. Fur. one moment I waa strtiggling to my feet ; and the next, a.fter what seemed a deal of firing going aver my hea.d,'J wa.s inside the breastwork, listening to our men cheering and firing away, as the mutineers came how. I*,1 *, in^j and raging up almost to the very gate •,