TOMMY ATKINS IN INDIA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 12

TOMMY ATKINS IN INDIA.

AN AMUSING ADVENTURE WITH BACOITS. The many reports that have reached Lord Roberts of the * •’surrounding* 5 of B© Wet. must recall to his mind the long hunt which ensued ere Boshway, the famous Baeoit chief, was run to earth. For nearly two years the daring Boh played “hide and seek 55 with the Expeditionary Army, effecting escapes that were nothing less than miraculous. Three times w‘e “entirely surrounded him/ 5 rushed his camp, and took a few worn out Biaeoits prisoners, but the elusive Boshway was non est: and while we were cursing our ill-luck, he was improving. the shining hour on our “right flank rear 55 by helping himself to our supplies. At last we began to regard him as ■an altogether mythical personage, especially as a learned sergeant of my regiment, sa thee sophist , explained to us that the moment we. got near him he “precipitated himself 55 —whatever that might mean; while a South Wales Borderer “rather though he was a man of the mist, 55 which wretched pun earned him a corner cot in hospital. As there is an end to everything—even to a Boer War —so there was an end to the Boshway. hunt, and it came about as follows. A loyal Phoongye brought news of Boshway’s whereabouts, so our mounted men set out, and after a march of 52 miles through a dense jungle, covered in 14 hours, the wandering Boh was brought to bay and slain. It was during these manoeuvres that a most amusing incident occurred to a party of my regiment. A patty of Pa go its had taken up a position with their right resting on the left bank of the Irrawadi, th© front being strengthened by gangers. Two companies of ours and two (companies of a Native regiment were detailed to assault the position: to us were assigned the frontal attack, while the natives were to threaten the enemy’s left flank by making, a long detour in that direction. Everything had been timed to a nicety ; we advanced to a. nullah about 1200 yards from the position, and -were ordered' to lie down until the flank attack had developed. The Bacoits kept up an innocuous fire, but as they were behind the aforesaid stone walls, we kept our powder dry, intending to do the 'business with th© bayonet. “Man proposes, etc., 55 but in this instance th© disposition came from another and quite unexpected quarter. About a mile in rear of the nullah a number of Commissariat elephants had been parked, and. unfortunately, three “must 55 elephants managed to get among them. Now an elephant in this .state is the most dangerous and ferocious animal on. earth, consequently a terrific stampede ensued. Fifteen gigantic rieochettiug mountains of flesh cam© dashing down on. us. with trunks poised in air and trumpeting like an Army Corps of Gabriels. To stay in our position meant that a number of us would be crushed to death. We dare not shoot them down as they wore Government property; to advance before the flank was developed meant heavy less, as the enemy had a clear fire-swept zone. Our captain took in the situation at a glance, and, almost before the order “advance 55 was given, we were making for the enemy at rather better than “Sheffield Handicap 55 rates. It was a case of “the foe in front and the hat his, behind. 55 As we scudded across the fire-swept zone. I heard the theosopliist sergeant jerk out something about the “horns of a dilemma, 55 which I interpreted to mean,' “lie would bee the Dacoits further

before he would fall between the tusks of the elephants. 55 Not daring to look behind, expecting to reel the "little finger’ 5 of the leading elephant's trunk sampling the bank of my neck. I. with the rest, tumbled pell-mell into the position. never heeding whether there were a thousand Bacoits within or not. Fortunately, they, like the' elephants fled long before we got- to the position, only to come across the natives who gave them a good gruelling. When we had recovered breath and counted up our casualties, we found that we had only five wounded, which was rather cheap. This episode, a.s may be readily imagined, formed a them© of amusement among ourselves; but when it got noised abroad among other corps who embroidered it in a most fantastic •manner —well, it was not quite acceptable. The most widely circulated story of the affair was, that we refused to assault the position, and the commanding officer was. therefore obliged to let loose three “must 55 elephants in our rear to make us face the foe. A few months later, when we sent, a runner clown to Mandalay to compete in the “Bunn ah Mile, ' he was greeted on the course with. “Why didn’t you bring your trainers down?' 5 “Go it, hathi-wailah (elephant driver)!” “Who won the elephant Stakes? 55 and other personal reminders of the race where the elephants came in second. —G. T. O. Coone, in “Weekly Telegraph. 5 ’ 5