The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-10-27


however, that when tired ofsexcrcise
and exploration, he would return as
usual, and join their party when even
ing drew nigh. Before this, however,
accident revealed the body to d keeper
who happened to be passing.l 1t had
got cntangled among some roots or
branches, and, but that it was lying over
ono of these, It is probable that'the dis
covcry would not have been made so
carly, as, from being thus caught, as il
were, it was prevented from sink
ing into the depths of the lake. Life
was quite extinct.
cat what hour" 1 asked, "did he
leave the house?"
AT ono O'Clock; after lunch-time."
"Where were the Hindoos ?"
"In their masters apartments, pack
ing up and preparing to be gone. One
of the hOuse-sCrvants had seen them
busily engaged in doing so indeed, so
fully were they occupied with theirtask
that atthcyplainly showed him they wish
ell his absence, and Immediately after he
left locked their door, and so had Kept
it ever since. [ went at once to the
rooms, impclled by some shapplcss sus-
picion, of what | scarcely knew. The
door was now unlocked, and | went in
to find them both eagerly engaged in
the manner represented to me by the
servant, and aS, to all appearance, they
had been ever since his visit. lief them
to themselves, though ! declarea shep-
herds dog, who suspects, but Is notquite
certain, that some vagabond ours have
been worrying his masters sheep, and
longs to ily at thcir thrOats, must feel
very much as l did.
can inquest was duly held. All the
ordinary indications Of death by drown
| ing were of course exhibited, and there
was nothing moro, with the exception
Of certain bruises about the right ankle
joint, which might have been ogcasion-
ed by striking against the rocks or stubs
in the lake, though, as one of the jury
observed, they presented remarkably
circular and band-like appearance. l
was myself present, and Il good deal
struck at the time by tho words. They
escaped, however, without comment,
and, aS | could not connect them in any
way with anything leading to suspicion
Of foul play, nothing further was said
| and the circumstance passed from my
mind, to return, however, with terrible
distinItnes5 and meaning thereafter. A
sudden seizure of cramp was taken q,
the cause of death, u verdict returned
accordingly, and young Wc5tcrton, Just
about to step into the arena of active
life, was laid stark ana distlgurod in the
vault of his forcfathers.
"If this were an ordinary tale / am
narrating, I ought ! suppose, in thi,
place, to dcscant upon the dreadful
shock Though that for a while it certain.
lv was) this sad event ocCasi0n2d to thC
borcavod bride-to send her, with dis
hevcled hair, into the woods, or to find
her living lifeIess at the foot of some
frightful precipicc. There rises, how
ever, in my minds eye the vision Of .
still comaly dame, not without sund"y
olive-branches springing around her
which quite precludcs the prOpricty of
that unusually orthodox termination
Not that his intended wife was heartle5.
or unreeling. No; while she mourncd
for him, she mournod for him sincerely
but time, with its alleviatiOn5, temper
ed, though it might not oblitcrate, tho
smart, and his remembrance faded into
ono of those gentle aorrOWS which We
must of necessity cause to stand apar
from those active duties life still bring
with it. As to the heartstruck anJ
hopeless old father, let us draw ovej
him the veil of deep and silent sympa
thy.
"Morc than two years now pas5ot
away, and was on the banks Of tn
burning Gangos. My duties carri2'
me to one of the lesser towns on tn
: river, where time soon began to han;
rather heavily on my hands. Occa
, ,iOnully would, out Of the merest idle
p ness, turn into the court OF justice there
but was seldom rewarded in my quca
Of adventure by anything moro thai
r the most petty illustrations OF tn
, doing5 of the Indian Thcmis. AT las
, there came q change, and of so startlln!
, Ia character that, neither during the re
mainder of my sojourn there, nor for
, long time after, had | anything to com
plain OF in the way Of listlessnesS o
lapathy. 1t CHANGED that | one day en-
: tered the courthouse at one door jus
as mixed crowd Of guards and offend
crs were leaving it by another. / ha
: lust time to recognize among them tho
, TO me, unmistakabie features Of tn
n Ilind0o GhOlab, hut whether there aS
J custodian or intractor of the laws | Wa
then unabic to make out. 1t mattcre
? Itllc, however, NJ / know where to oil
{ tain easy and certain information ofan
: and everything connected with the az
# ministratiun of justice. On my retur
!. to my quarters, found that the ver
!. men whom | wished to meet with We
|. there, and were then discussing withsou
Y brother officers the details of Grin
: Of an extraordinary nature, which ha
V Just come to light in chat district. Soy
Il raj IIlndoo girls had suddenly and my
IT toriously disappeared under the waite
= when performing their ablutlons in Il
l. sacred stream, drawn under and dovou
Vt ed by alligatOrs. Such was the gener
v belief, until the body of one of the
.d Glanced to be picked up lower doy