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w = : THE SIEGE OF é : = > = : DA GONGE. . = ~. - . = 3 BY A. CONAN DOYLE. = =. a 7 >: 2A eOO REED RDARADAPASARRRAT PARTE AAD ADAP ERSORAAR NN: i On the Ist of Tale, 1857, the Indian itiny was at its height. For ten days . British station at Sunda Gunge had been besieged @y the insurgent Se- poys The station was'divided into two per
tions: the lower, consisting of the Indian village, and the upper, part of which, including the magazine and the British residency, was strongly fortified. Within this portion the English residents had
ret red on the “irst signal of approaching ‘The rebels fortunately possessed only one small piece of cannon, which had proved onite ineffectual against the walls of the ¢nclosure. Provisions were not scarce, and up to the present moment the garrison had entertained strong hopes of being ale to hold out until relief arrived.
Suddenly a new and ger had arisen.
danger
unexpected dan-
The buildings inclosed within the fortificatians formed an opem-square. In the middje of the square was the well
which supplied te garrison with water. About five o’clock in the .afternoon 9 group of several persons were standing in the shelter of an archway which opened into the square, and gazing with looks of consternation and:dismay in the direction of the well.
The cause of their alarm was singular.
The tewn was situated at the foot of a range of hills, and from one particular point upon the slopes ontside the walls the well in the middle of:the square was visible. This the Sepoys had at length discovered. Their sing%, piece of cannon was atonce posted at this point, and brought to bear exacfly on the well within the town. The result of this pro- ceeding is self-evident. If one of the garrisen should now wenture into the square for the purpose of fetching water, he wenld run an imminent risk of being blowa to atoms by a volley of grape shot.
The group of spectators looked in sil- ence at the well. The same thought occu- pied the minds of all. Lhere were women in the garrison—delicate English ladies, girls and children—andwwithin the room set apart for the purpese of a hospital wounded men were moaning for water. Water,.at all costs, muet be had—cven in face of a vigilant enemy and a louded cannen. But how?
Over a fringe of mamgo-trees and the roofs af some low bungalows to the right of the square, a knot of dusty figures could be descried at a «certain point on the hillside. The dark point marked the spot. where the cannon.was posted. Even as the spectators looked toward it the cannem boomed—there came a puff of smoke anda flash of fire—and at the same zmaoment the grround about the mouth.of the well was torn up bya fierce hail of shot. Thésgunners were try- ing their range, and what is more, it was only too evident that they had found it.
The spectators looked -significantly at one another. Four of «the group were English soldiers, the ress were natives. Of the: latter, two wer water-carriers, each ofvwhom carried about his waist a large hollow belt of «akin, capable of containing several gallons of water. The duty of these men wes, in ordinary times, one of no particular danger. But now the ease was altered. There they stood trembling, their dasky faces turn- fing to a sickly yellow, as they stared at the space «f shattered gramind which the «@torm of 4hot had torn up.all round the mouth ofithe well. The other natives were all Sikhs, and these, with the im- passive courage of their mxe, looked on calmly and betrayed no emotion.
Of the Keglishmen, two were private |
soldiers; the other two were officers— Colonei Dumdas, the officergn charge of the garrisog. and a young lieutenant,
St. Georce Vane. The colonel was a tall,
gray man, grave, stern and martial. The | lieutenant was a young mar of not more |
than five or @x and twenty. with blue eyes, fair mustache and careless, hand- some features, enuch bronzetiiey exposure to the sun.
The colonel was the first.te «peak.
“This is an awkward business, Vane,’’ ihe said. ‘‘We might drive these towards yo the well, but ithey will cartainly be +hlown to pieces, and we shatl get no «water. And at night, with this moon, it as as light as day. One could see. mouse «@tirring.’’
“True,"’ said Vane reflecting, ‘‘vet— “tay! one of us might go aut alene and try fo bring in water. If they hit him, a3 they most likely will. three of the others can be ready to rush out, and may bring him in and the water as well, be- fore they have time to joad agaita.”’ and he looked inquiringly at the colomel’s face, eager to learn what he thought of the proposal.
“The cannon is not the only danger,”’ said the colonel. ‘They have rifles there a3 well.”’
“‘True,”’ said Vane, “bat a rife at that range would most likely miss—-a shower of grape is different.”
The colonel hesitated. No commander likes to send brave men on desperate ven- tures. But he could see no other scheme Which would not involve much greater risk of life with still less prospects of success. And they must reach the weil in some way—the necessity was vital. If — their supply of water were cut off aos man ns Sg gona. They could not
N ane had kept his eyes fixed updén the coionel’s face.
“Let me try,"’ he said, eagerly. “Give me a few men~<a « re will volunteer-- and we will laugh at these black scoun- drels yet,’’
The colonel hesitated—pbut enly for a moment. There was no man in the gar Fison whom »e valued and trusted more than St. George Vane. He knew well the danger of the proposed adventure, and he knew well, also, that Vane, if he were allowed to nndertake it. would
| himself Were killed in the atternpt.
THE DAILY EXAMINER, CHARLOTTE/OWN, JANUARY 12 1898.
never rest Tinth “Suis task succeeded, or he
But
feelings must give
way to the weneral good. After a mo
ment the @olonel laid his hand on the
young pein’s shoulder and said, briefiy:— “Tyt"’
in warfare firivate
al.
Am bour or two later Vane entered his orn room.
It was a large apartment, situated at the back of the walled inelosure, which, ©n account of its size, had come to ba
| used by the officers as @ common room.
lts windows opened on a wide veranda, }
which extended the whele length of the building, having the windows of other rooms also opening upon it. The largest of these rooms had been set apart for the use of the ladies of the garrison, and, as the veranda was cool, shady and retired, they were often accustomed to sit there in preference to breathing tke ‘close heat of the room within.
At the moment when Vane entered two figures were siting on the veranda, not far from his own window—two girls. One girl, pate and light-haired—not hand- some, nor even remarkable, except for her eyes, which were large, gray, serious, and, when at rest, deep racher than bright. Her cempanion, on the other hand, was a girl of singular beauty—a girl with dark hair, dark eyes,rather full red lips, and skin of soft and flower-iike bloom. The nrmame of the pale girl vas Mary Sulland; that of the beautiful one was Lenora Dundas. The latter was the colonel’s daughter; Mary Sulland ‘was his ward. Before the mutiny thoy had lived, together with an old English ser- vant, Mrs. Jeesop, in the colonel’s Sun- galow, outside the fortified inclosure.
The characters of these two girls we will leave to weveal themselves as we proceed, only xecording the relations in which they stood to St. George Vane, who had knewn them both sines they were children.
Like all men of her acquaintance, Vane admired Lenora greatly, and some- times half believed himself in love with her, and whether he were really so or not, he had been accustomed for:rears to call himself:her worshiper. On the other hand. though he liked Mary Sullawd very warmly, and would have done anything in his power to give her pleasure, he never told himself that he was-in love with her, ger even thought about it.
Both the. girls, on their side, regarded Vane with ‘feelings far differert from those of erdinary interest. But it is chacteristic of each that while Lenora never forgot that Vane was a rich man, Mary Sulland never gave ‘the fact a | thought, mer would have considered the subject of much interest if she had.
The two girls were now alone on the | veranda, anxious, restless and: uneasy. It is true that at that moment nothing alarming was either to be seen.er heard. No noise of war was in the air; searcely a sound disturbed the evening silence. In the earlier days of the siege there had | been continued assaults upon the walls,
‘but these had now been giten up as hopeless, and, except for the distant humming #@f the human swarms among the hute and bazaars of the Sepoys round
| the walls, the place was still. But ‘‘over all there hung a cloud of fear’’—a_ sense
_of impending danger, as of the sword hanging by a single thread; the cruel uncertainty as to what is going to hap-
| pen, which makes the peculiar horror of
' a passive siege. In such a situation the ear is always listening, the nerves are ready to-start at every sound, and the
| mind is kept stretched constantly upon the rack.
Vane, on entering the room, had no knowledge that the two girls were at that moment on she veranda, so near to his own window. He had just been round the station, and had got together with some difficulty half a dozen men who could be spared from active daty at the
watch-posts an the walls; and these, as he had given orders, were now collected about the deer of the recom, awaiting his arrival Four were English, teo were
Sikhs—every man of them, as Vane
knew well, to Ge trusted to the death.
| These men he now placed on ane side of the table, while he himself stood on
the other. Then, in a few words he ex- |
| plained te them the nature of the service for whie® they were required; adding that he omfiy.wished for volunteers, and thatanmy man etho disliked the -duty might retire at once. Not a man stirred, however. The Silhs saluted gravely; the British soldiers, true to the immemorial custom of their race when called upom to face a special danger, broke into a cheer.
Vane looked round him, and his ayes glistened; but he saki simply:—
“The man that goes out first will min br far the greatest risk. Who will under- take that duty?’’
There were, as alrerdy stated, six men present, besides Vane himself. Six righ hands immediately saiuted—there were six competitors for the privilege of being the first mark of the Sepoys’ cannon. Vane smiled.
NAN Ye Me Me NEM. Se MES MAME Mes 43'43 ee Nhe She SS. SSNS! 4S
4
|
|
|
|
| oo interest.
}
of these was a tall, slight |
Me Nee NE SD P EVE UE OT a
coal or eoke. No coal gas.
CARRIER LAINE & CO.,
R.B. Norton & Co., Ltd, Char-
1 See ES
‘** fe must draw ijots, 1 see,”’ he said. Opening a shallow drawer in the table,
he took out of it a pack of cards.
‘‘Here are seven of us,’’ he continued. ‘kam going to teal these cards all round. Whichever of us receives a certain card-—we will say the knave of spades— will be the man selected.’’ A hush fell
on the six spectators—a hush of rising Except for the slight fluttering noise made by the falling cards, not a sound was to be ‘heard. Strange thaf there something in suspense which affects the mind more strongly than the actual danger. These men _ had volun- teered, without a space of hesitation, to face the risk of death. Yet not one of them could look on without a tingling of the blood, as they waited for the card te fall which carried a man’s life!
Such was their absorption that they did not see two faces which came sud- denly peeping in upon them through the win low of the room.
The two girls on the veranda had been startled by hearing all ati once the sound | of voices in the room close by them. From their position they could not avoid overhearing every word that passed. ' They heard the short speech in which
Vane announced to the men the danger which threatened the well, and the duty which was expected from them; they heard his appeal for volunteers, and then the cheer which followed. So far they
Ve is
had remained motionless, eagerly drink- |
ing in the details of the proposed adven-
ture; but when Vane took out the pack | of cards in order to select a man _ by lot,
to listen, without seeing, was impossible
—and ina minute the two faces came | peeping in at the window in the manner just described,
From this position they could see cleariy every card as it was dealt. The cards fell slowly, one by one, before each man in turn. The deal went round—card by card, as it appeared, the focus of nine pairs of eager eyes. The second deal went round—ne knave of spades as yet appeared. The fourth began; would that complete the ercuit of the seven? The pack was growing thin, and expectation deepened now with every card. Where was the knave ‘of spades? It must come soon! Again the cards went round.
No! Not quite. As the last card of the round fell face upward on the table, a thrill went through the nerves of the
spectators. The two girls at the window shrank back suddenly, as if they had been shot. There was the fatal card at
iast! The lot had fallen to Vane himself! The young man laughed lightly as he threw down the pack.
‘That derides it,’’ he said; ‘‘I go first. You will meet me at the archway in half an hour frem this time; it will then be dusk. and «e will give ourselves what chance wersan. I shall go out aiome; the rest of you will wait under cover of the archway, and will rush out the mo- ment they fire at me. If I fall, tw of you must bring me in—Sanderson King can do it. The other four musi try to get a hecketful of water each—there will be time for that, I think, thomgh it will be sharp work. Remember, at the archway, ‘with all ready, in half an hour.”’
IIT.
The neen saluted and filed out. Vane was left alone. He turned, anf was about to seat himself at the table, when to his surprise he saw a figure standing in the window of the room. He looked again—and saw that it was “Lenora. What could have brought her there he knew not; the truth he did met zuess. Wonderimge, he took a step or tye in her direction, and was about to ask her what she wished, when she came hurriedly forward and stood beside him.
**St. Geerge,’’ she said, “you must not ge—vau shall not go. Tell me you will not; promise me.’’
As she spoke, he thought for she first time, of the veranda; she Knew what he was going to do. He would much rather that she had not known; but he .answer- ed simpty, ‘“‘It is my duty, Lenara.”’
*Dutr’” she repeated with impatience. “Oh, yes—but do not go! Send some one else; surely there are plenty of men. Do not go, St. George.’’ She laid her hand upon the young man’s arm, and looxed up into his eyes.
Great is the power of beanty—:thongh it be the beauty of Delilak. It could not make a mam like Vane forgetfnu) of his duty, or shake for more than a moment his natural wesolution. Kut as he looked down at the Jovely lips which tempted him, he did mot turn at once away. And yet her words jarred on him. He felt no he knew Lenora well; but he would have ehosen that the girl te whom he gave his'leve, though she migkt part from him in agony of mind, weonld not have him shirk his duty in face of dan- ger. Love might be dearer to her than life, but honor should be dearer than either,
He was on the point of speaking, when there appeared at the window of the room another figure. They both looked up and
2! was Mary Sulland. Her face
surprisa;
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ia the stove that gives SOP. €. more heat, with 33 p ¢ Less No clinker.
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and |
| was very pale, and 48 she came forward a close observer might have seen that she
was trembling. But her eyes shone with
a strange light, and when she spoke her voice, though low, was thrilling in its distinctness. Her first words showed that
had not overheard, or had not under- stood what had already passed between Lenora and St. George.
‘‘We know where you are going ’’ she said with shining eyes. ‘ Lenora shall not-be alone in bidding you Godspeed before you go. I have come to do so, too’’; and, as she spoke, she looked as a Spartan maiden may have looked when she sent her lover forth to death or glory.
At the first sound of her voice Vane started. Their eyes met, and one might have thought that some reflection of the light in hers had flashed into his own Without a word he took her band and pressed it to his lips. Then with the same action of farewell to Lenora he turned away to go, reached the door of the apartment, and was gone.
The whole scene was ove almost in a moment. Yet scenes as brief have often been the turning-point of lives—and so it was to be with these.
(To be Cont nned.
she
”
THE BANNER OP DEATH.
A man cannot straddle the fence when it comes to the question of good health or ill - health. Either he marches un- der the flag of health or 4 ; the banner of death. It
is the simplest thing in the world to gain
and keep health, if men and wonien onl will. For that reason it is almost incredi- ble that men and women will continue to neglect their health even after they must realize that they are marching under the banner of death.
_ The great majority of diseases have their
inception in indigestion, biliousness and
impure blood. Among these diseases are deadly consumption, nerve-racking, brain- wrecking nervous prostration and exhaus- tion, body-torturing rheumatism, insanity- breeding neuralgia, emaciating malaria and ail manner of disfiguring blood and skin diseases. Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Dis- covery is a eure for all these diseases, if taken in anything like reasonable time. It | is not a cure-all, but cures the diséases men- | tioned for the reason that they are caused | and aggravated by tue same disorders. It makes the appetite keen, the digestion per- fect, the liver attive, the blood pure and builds firm flesh and healthy nerve fiber. Don't be wheedled by a penny-grabbing | dealer into takitig something else.
‘* Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery cured me of a severe case of poisoning of the blood,’ writes Mrs. Sclia Ricca, of Coast, Santa Cruz Co., Cal. “Boils, owe after another, would break out on my arms, ‘and were very painful. I have tried the loudly praised sarsaparillas without any benefit whatever, and not until I took the * Discovery’ di I get well. That was two vears ago. and I heve not had a boil or sore of any kind since:”
Accidents occur in every home. Dr. Pierce’s Cammon Sense Medical Adviser tells what t do. Send 31 one-cent stamps, to cover cast of customs and mailing om/y, to the Warld’s Dispensary Medical Asso- ciation, Buffalo, N. Y., for a paper-covered copy. Feremch cloth binding, 50 stamps.
Many persons cannot take plain cod-liver_ oil.
They cannot digest it.
It upsets the stomach.
Knowing these things, we have digested the oil in Scott’s Emulsion of Cod- liver Oil with Hypophos- phites; that is, we have broken it up into little glob- | ules, or droplets.
We use machinery to do the work of the digestive organs, and you obtain the good effects of the digested oil atonce. That is why you can take Scott’s Emulsion.
soc. and $1.00, all druggists.
SCOTT & SOWNE, Chemists, 7oronte
PE'e ONALITIES.
John B. Duke, the millionaire cign fette maker, says that he never smoked cigarette in his life.
Herbert G!adstone declares that the story recently published that his father had learned to ride a bicycle is a hoax.
The tallest policeman in the world is said to be William O. Robinson of Knox- ville, Ia., whois 7 feet 11 inches in height.
Albert Abeille, a brother of the man whom Edward Parker Deacon shot in Nice a few years ago, recently blew out his brains in Paris.
S. F. Smith, who was recently elect- ed mayor of Davenport, Ia., is the eld- est son of the late Dr. S. F. Smith, the author of ‘‘ America.’’
Carmen Sylva has received the decora- tion for arts and science from the em- ‘peror of Austria. She is the first woman to win this distinction.
It is said in London that the young Duke of Manchester, whom rumor has reported engaged te so many different girls, will really wed the eldest daugh- ter of William Waldorf Astor.
oF ZN
Levis, Que.
“aN
1, ss Wied
NY,
lottetown, Sole Agent.
Norway’s storthing has voted a lamp eum of 4,000 kroner ($1,080) each to Naneen’s 12 companions and 8,009 kro-
' ner a year for five years to Captain
Svendrup, whe is to command the next expedition in the Fram, planned for 1898. : ‘
ee
AAMAS RAARAR ARR
IMPORTANT
You Cannot Be Sure That it is A wee drappie o Pattison’s
Rare Old Whisky
you are buying unless you insist on getting it in the orig-
jnal amber colored bottle, with branded cork, capsule and label,
This Grand Old Whisky is for sale here, there and every- Whx lesale by
For Sale By All Licensed Vendors
EYEE EEE ESSE ETE SESS SESE
a
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ESEFRS SESS Se
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AHASAAAASHARRAANARAS
FPS PSFSASTY
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Before stocktaking we offer the balance of our stock of man’s ulsters and overcoats, at clearance prices. Ifyou want one, you will get a snap— at the price you cin buy here for now.
A lot of boys and youths Ulsters, at about half price $5 57 fer $2 95, and so on.
BJOTS3, BODTS, this way for Boots. Ifyou want your boots at lowest prices, come this way,
J. B. Macdonald&Co
200 Bicycles Wanted
To be stored (free of charge) for the winter, and cleaned repaired, nickeled or enameled, thoroughly renewed, ready
for spring. ' ENAMELING
We use the highest grade Enamel (black or colors) that /money can buy in New York, and dae it on in a manner tbat the most fastidiovs cannot criticize, and the cost is the same as others charge for ordinary paint, See sample at shop.
W P. DOULL, Kent Steet
EEO TE PE eT ren rarer : SARIS IRD 6 Sy Sana y San haart Sa nsoeane a aa
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P- D’s are the finest imported Frenen Corsets.
Their universal reputation is a proof of their aualitic 8.
The Trade Mark, P. D., isa guaran- ‘eed of the very best workmanship, and materials,
Ask for P. D. and see that it is stamp ed on the band, as we make no guaran- tee if not so stamped
To be obtained from al] the leading Dry Goods Stores.
i’ les ‘Sack e “at vy alg a 7 r aes ane Ee +k ay” «
WA aig oe ag tee me + : tae 4 LAS AT AS Tad tata Sad wee WES PE ere pe WC abe Whe Wie
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Three Reasons
Why you should buy your Furniture from us.
lst,—Our variety is unsurpissed, as we buy our goods from specialists in each line.
2nd —We buy nothing but the best. Srd.—We
cheap.
PROVE Os
JOHN NEWSON,
eiler of Gool Furniture. tranger to Poor Furniture.
sell our good furniture at tke price-of