Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-04-20
THE BURIED BUNGALOW.

Of rock, stood the well known tall form
of the planter himself, sngrIly confront
ing a motley mob OF natives, some tawny
others yelow-,kined and few nearly
black. These, although they had flung
aside hoe and spade, knew to be the
coolies employed at the prosperous hill
station, where such scene of confusion
had been hitherto unknown.
The scoundrels are going to leave me,
that's al !" said Mr.. Warren curtly !;
and at that instant there stepped forward
in advance Of the rest n gaunt Tibetan
clad in sheepskins, whv tremendously
and with perfect gravity placed on the
ground a fragment OF wheaton cake. Il
handful of salt, and t0td or brass drink
ing-cup near bv flied with coins, from
silver rupees to copper pieces. Then point
ing with peeled willow wand that he
held in his hand to the food and the mon.
ey thrice, be snapped in twain The slen-
der stick, and with bent head and down.
cast mein stood motionless as though
waiting to he questioned.
What mummery il this ?" asked |
in an undertone. My intended father IN
law, who knew the people and the coun
try better than | did, shook hls head.
1t means mischief" he whispered -
Something has terrified the super,titious
curs, and SEQ they renounce my bread
aud salt, return the advance Of wages
and break the wand, in token that they
are my men no more. You mean"
he added harshly, in the Bengal dialect,
to desert me, .hen, Han Gvran ?"
The Sahib Warren is Il good MASTER"
replied the Tlbetan in the same language.
." If we 60 it is because the evil eye has
looked upon its threshold, and the voice
that never lies has laid curse on Yirmi
Sou and all that dwell there"
The man spoke slowly and with some
difficulty, sucb MS those whouse foreign
tongue impertectly mustered but he
had uttered his brief speech with empha-
sis, and with a certain dignity Of bearing.
Behind him stood the Tibeians and hill
men, sturdy fellows, on whom devolyed
the rough work Of trenching and dyke
building, while little way off clustered
tie du,ky coolies from India proper,
their lips frightened over their shining
teeth, and in attitudes expressive Of the
most abject serviity. Clearly there WAS
no stimulus short of physical fear which
would have nerved thess crouching Great
ures to disobey the Burra Sahib. or own
er Of the plantation, whose lightest word
had been law TO his meek .ubordnates.
"If the Snhb will hearken to the coun
sci Of the poor" said the spokesman af
ter pause, " he and his will hasten away
before"
But here Mr.. Warren lost patience,
and interrupted the Orator, roundy re
ouking the whole gang as pack of era
ven hounds, frightened at their own shad-
o"s, and without II spark of manIne,s to
redeem them. Were it worth while, he
said, he could gallop over to the nearest
magistrate aud enforce the performance
Of the contract under pain of1ogging and
imprisonment but he wanted no half
hearts in his service, SO they might 60.
You hear me ?" be thundeIed, silenc
ing Han Goran's fresh effort to speak
and the men skunk away, cowed, as Ori-
entails usually are, by this undoubting a..
serton Of authority.
The planter recovered his temper as
soon as the recusant had Departed and
laid his broad hand on my shoulder. say
ing with jolly laugh, " A lesson, George
my boy, AS to the thorns TINT will lie in
your path when you and Edith live here
in my stead, as | hope you'll do, after
the gathering Of the next tea crop, and
act to to feather your nest ms her mother
and | have done. / thought better
things, too, OF the overseer- that Han
G0rSin, who, before some heather bogic
scared him, was Il shrewd and reliable
servant. But never mind Come in,
Musgrave, come in The parson from
Nynee Tai is here already and you must
help the bride expectart to entertain him
until dinner time"
Pretty Edith who was on the morrow
to become my wife, smiled away any I'M
comfortable Feelings which the conduct
Of Han Gorain and bis companions had
left behind and neither she nor hsr pa
rents, nor Mr.. Edwards, the clergyman,
who had come over expressly to perform
the marriage ceremony, seemed To attach
any importance to the panic among the
coolies.
1T was something" explained Mr..
Warren, about Alph Dagh, the Big
Mountain, at The foot Of which We live,
but | have been planter here too long
to care for the tattle OF fconies. They are
like children who talk Of the nursery
ghost until they see it in every dark cor
ner. A delightful! life ! should have led
here, had been credulous."
And with thathe dismissed the subject,
and tue evening passed genially enough.
Later on, however, after the whispered
farewell to my sweet Edith in the porch,
draped with the glistening leaves and big
white blossoms OF the Indian creeper, at-
ter the ride home to my own dwelling
among the hills, and when my head rest
ed on its pillow, Il vague sense OF insecu
rity beset me afresh and even when |
fell asleep my dreams were troubled aud
sad, not such as should visit the stunt bers
of one on whom the world smiled MS it
did on me, George Musgrave The
dawning of the new day-my wedding
dsy-however, chased away the clouds
/ from N, u mind nd ,uhnn L a,n,nt.l -. :.