The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-04-03
THE BURIED BUNGALOW.

What can this mean ?" asked 1, rein
ing up my horse close to the dense milk
thorn hedge that shut in Mr.. Warren's
pretty house, and its garden gay with
flowers from the plantations, the green
valley, the upland pastures and the daz-
zling peaks of the Himalayas soaring
overhead. There, on fragment of rock,
stoodthe well-known tall form of the plan
ter himself, angrily confronting motley
mob of natives, some tawny, others
yellow-skinned and a few nearly black.
These, although they had flung aside
hoe and spade, knew to be the COOLER
employed at the prosperous hill-station,
where such scene of confusion had
been hitherto unknown.
"The scoundrels are going to leav,
me, that's all !" said Mr.. Warren curtly.
and at that instant there stepped forward
in advance of the rest a gaunt Tibetan,
clad in sheep skins, who tremendously
and with perfect gravity placed on tn,
ground fragment OF wheaton cake,
handful of salt, and lota or brass
drinking cup nearly filled with coins,
from silver rupees to copper pice. Then
pointing with peeled willow wand that
he held in his hand to the food and the
money thrice, he snapped in twain the
slender stick, and with bent head and
downcast mien stood motionless as
though waiting to be questioned.
"What mummery is this" asked I
in an undertone. My intended father
in-law, who knew the people and the
country better than did, shook his head.
cit means mischief" he whispered.
Something has terrified the supersti-
tious ours, and see ! they renounce my
bread and salt, return the advance Of
wages and break the wand, in token that
they are my men no more. You mean" |"
he added harshly, i'll the Begali dialect,
"to desert me, then, Han Gorain?"
"The Sahib Warren is good mas
ter" replied the Tibetan in the same
language. elf we go, it is because the
evil eye has looked upon his threshold,
and the voice that never lies has laid a
curse on Yirmi Sou, and all that dwell
there"
The man spoke slowly and with some
difficulty, such as those who use a
foreign tongue imperfectly mastered |;
but he uttered his brief speech with
emphasis, and with certain dignity of
bearing. Behind him stood the Tibe-
tans and hill-men, sturdy fellows, on
whom devolved the rough work of
trenching and dyke-building, while a
little way off clustered the dusky coolies
from India proper, their lips tightened
over their shining teeth, and in attitudes
expressive of the most abiect servility.
Clearly there was no stimulus short of
physical fear which would have nerved
these crouching creatures to disobey the
Burra Sahib, or owner Of the plantation,
| whose lightest word had been law to his
meek subordinates.
"If the Sahib will hearken to the
counsel of the poor" said the spokes,
man after pause, "he and his will
hasten away before"
But here Mr.. Warren lost patience,
and interrupted the orator, roundly re-
buking the whole gang as a pack oi
craven hounds, frightened at their own
shadows, and without spark of manli'
ness to redeem them. Were it worth
while, he'said, he could gallop over to
the nearest magistrate and enforce the
performance of the contract under pair
of flogging and imprisonment; but h'
wanted no half-hearts in his service, sc
they might go. "You hear meG" HI
thundered, silencing Han Gorain's fresl
effort to speak; and the men skunk away
cowed, as Orientals usually are, by thu
undoubting assertion of authority. Th'
planter recovered his temper as soon a'