Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/273

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TEMPERING THE WIND.
263

the fearful emergency in its character and extent opened out so seriously before our view.

A wonderful circumstance occurred in connection with the flight of these people from Moradabad, which illustrates the idea so often expressed of that tender mercy which

“Tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.”

The English Government requires a constant supply of elephants for carrying forage, drawing and handling cannon and timber, and other heavy work for the army and commissariat. As these huge creatures do not breed in captivity, the required supply can only be kept up by constant additions from the herds of wild elephants which roam the great Terai forest surrounding the Himalaya Mountains. To accomplish this a regular department is organized, which trains the more docile of the female elephants to aid in capturing the wild ones in the Terai, and they lend themselves to the work with a sagacity and a fidelity that is truly wonderful. At the head of this “Elephant Department” was a Major Baugh, whose residence was at Moradabad. On the very morning of the mutiny his lady was confined, and in less than four hours after that event the Sepoys rose. The Major's feelings may be imagined when he rushed into his home and broke the dreadful news to his wife as she lay in her chamber with her baby by her side. The agonized husband looked at them, and was almost speechless with horror in anticipation of the destruction that would be at their door in a few moments. But the heroic lady, notwithstanding her situation, was equal to the emergency. With a word of cheer to the sad husband, she made the astounding proposal to him to bring the buggy at once to the door. It was done. She then told him to take a bed and put it in the buggy, and to lift her up and carry her and her baby out, and lay them on the bed, and try to escape. Then commending themselves to Heaven's help, the husband, having his sword in one hand and the horse's bridle in the other, they commenced the dreadful and uncertain march for the foot of the mountains, fifty miles distant, over a rough road, crossed by numerous rivers, not