THE GUNS OF BURRISAUL. 



" Before 1 could form the faintest idea of what it meant, I caught the terrified 

 cry: 



"'The Feringhees are coming! fly! fly!' 



" It was uttered by one of the natives in Hindustanee, and instantly the whole 

 party of Sepoys skurried away, vanishing from sight with incredible quickness. 



" The booming continued, though it did not approach, and, while I stood won- 

 dering what it could mean, and speculating as to what I ought to do, if, indeed, I 

 could do anything, Kush-awa dashed forward, calling out in an excited undertone: 



" ' Run, sahib ! quick, sahib ! they will soon be back ! ' 



" It was taking desperate chances, but, yielding to an instinct which I did not 

 understand, I followed him within the jungle, and a couple of hours later, under his 

 pilotage, reached Dacca. From that point, with the help of trusty friends, I suc- 

 ceeded finally in entering the British lines, and was never again in serious danger 

 from tKe mutineers. 



" Now, as to the explanation : Kush-awa was going to Dacca when he met the 

 Sepoys on their way to the missionary's house to destroy him and his family. 

 Kush-awa told them the people were gone, but one of them knew of my presence, 

 and they were determined to slay me. Kush-awa did not dare pretend the friend- 

 ship he felt, and he accompanied them back, hoping a chance would offer to give 

 me warning of my danger. 



" The booming, cannon-like sounds unexpectedly presented an opportunity of 

 which he took instant advantage, and, before the Sepoys could recover from their 

 astonishment and panic, I was beyond their reach." 



" But what were those sounds that saved you? "'asked the wondering youths. 



" The guns of Burrisaul, which, although never fully explained, will doubtless 

 be understood before long. One of the stations in the Sunderbunds of India is 

 Burrisaul, and it has given its name to certain singular noises which are sometimes 

 noticed in that region during the rainy season. There seems to be no reason why 

 the sounds should be specially connected with Burrisaul, for they are heard at 

 Backerjung and even at Dacca. The explosions, which resemble the booming of 

 cannon, vary in frequency. They are only heard during the rainy season ; they 

 proceed from the south, are audible one hundred miles inland, they still come from 

 the south even on the sea-coast, and are very slightly, if any, louder in one place 

 than in another." 



As Mr. Godkin said, the phenomenon known as the guns of Burrisaul has not 

 yet been sufficiently investigated to be understood. The cause is evidently atmos- 

 pheric and, no doubt, we shall learn all about it in time. To quote an authority, 

 explained or unexplained, as surely as July comes round, far out in the tropic Sun- 

 derbunds, through the long darkness, in hushes of the splashing rain, and amid the 

 hum of myriads of insects, to wakeful and feverish ears throb the strange discharges 

 of this mysterious artillery, and startled sleepers sink back relieved, exclaiming, 

 " Tis but the guns of Burrisaul ! " 



