< Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 4).djvu
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my right thigh, Weoe were Just on the move, hoping to come nto action with some Oude rebels, and T was i agony unable to move 4 step—=so Lwas placed in alitter and carried along with the sick of the headquarters Safl into Rohileund. Small-pox broke out at Lucknow, and clung to us on the march, and among the sick were sir WL Peel (he dicd at Cawnpore), Sir David DBard, and Major Alison. On the 25th March, 1858, the battle of Bavellly was fought. coolic bearers had carried the sick litters mto a shady tope or grove of trees the sun was fierce. There T lay, helpless, hstening

to the sound of battle close at hand. My only clothing consisted of a shirt. Suddenly

0 cry burst from the camp followers:

“The Sowars are coming ! The Sowars e coming

Qur Syees ran up with the How T did i, T do not know. DBut i hopped out of my litter and scrambled up imto the saddle the flaps felt like molen iron, and the bhister on my leg volled up against the leather roasted by the sun outside the tope on my horse. My servant a very brave fellow-—held on by the stirup leather, logging the horse, for T had only hare feet and bare legs. Suddenly he let go. e saw a Sowar making for us, and - he released his hold so as not to mimpede my light. Hewas cut down, T presume, for | never saw him again- and his wages were due. T struggled on, but the sun was more powerful than 1. T had only proceeded a few vards when T fell off my horse insensible

with sunstroke.

“T'hen 1 heard a voiee.

“‘l.ook —a white man

Cltowas some ol our people, thank God ! They thought 1 had heen killed, and that the Sowars had stripped off my clothimg, for | was naked, all save myoshirt, and 1t was bloody. "They bhent over me. “CHe's warm,’ cried one ol the men - 1t was Tombs

chargers.

STHR AN

Our

COTHE T ROUBLES OF

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hattery that had come up. T ogot back to camp, but 1T was wvery near the

point of death s and, indeed, T had the unique and unpleasant trial of histening to my cood friends and physicians, Tice and Mackinnon, discussing the question of my burial at the foot of the charpoy, on which 1 was stretehed, apparently dead.”

Such is one of the experiences of D, Russcll during the Indian Mutiny.

Vet another Christmas Day (1858) was spent in India on the borders of Nepaul. The day dawned upon an anxious people, but 1t coas Christmas, and the war correspondent, with a party of fricnds, meant to keep it up. They gathered for dinner inoa large mess

tent, from the ridge pole of which hung @ huge Tamp. A wellknown Scotch cnthusiast's presence suggested a High- lind fling as an appropriate lnish.

The gallant Highlander got on the table,

and his tripping was so vigorous that 1t shook down the lamp. In two mimutes

the tent was in flames. So ended another Christmas Day.

In 1839 Dr. Russcll returned to Lngland, and received the Indian War Medal with the Lucknow clasp. In. 1860 he started the Arny and Naiv Gasette, of which he s still part proprictor and editor, and m 1861 went to the United States, in time to hear Mr. Lincoln deliver-the Inaugural Address at Washington, which was accepted as a proclamation of war against their “domestic institutions ” by the Southern States. He was exceedingly well received, and sat down at Lincoln’s first official dinner in the White House, being the only person there who was not a Cabinet

A WAL CORRESPONDENT. (o Shoteko by Coll Coleidle.

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