A SOLDIERS. RESOURCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 98, 24 April 1886, Page 3

A SOLDIERS. RESOURCE.

An officer who served with Sir Evelyß Wood has communicated an anecdotewhich is singularly illustrative of Sir Evelyn's quickness, vigilance, and resource. It was, ho says, tcld him by the late Lady Wood, mother of. the late gallant officer, and is to the effect that during the height oi the mutiny in Central India, and when he was in command of Beatson's Horse, it was necessary to send important despatches through the heart of the enemy's country. Wood volunteered iEor this dangerous duty, and, possessing a fair knowledge of Hindoostanee, disguised and darkened himself as an itinerant merchant. Attended by only one sepoy, he travelled by night and rested by day until he arrived near the camp of the rebel forces. Here ho was detained and examined, but allowed to sleep in a tent under surveillance. In the night, as he expected, some native soldiers entered stealthily, and, crawling silently in the dark, carefully searched his saddle-bags, hia wallets, and the pockets and folds of bis clothes, but found nothing but sundry small articles of merchandise, tbe packet of despatches in its leather case having been, carefully unsewn by Wood from his turban and buried underneath the spot where ha slept in a hole dug with his clasp-knife. The next morning he and hie attendant were allowed to proceed, carrying with them the letter which, if. discovered, would have brought short shrift to the messengers.