The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-13
The Buried Bungalow.

The Buried Bungalow.
'What can this mean?" asked I, rein
ing 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 tea plantations, the green valley,
the upland pastures, and the dazzling
peaks of the Hlmalayas soaring overhead.
There, on Il fragment Of rocs, stood the
well-known, tall form Of the planter him.
self, angrily confronting motely mob
of natives, some tawny, others yellow
skined, and few nearly black. These,
althoug h they had flung aside hoe and
spade, knew to be the coolies employed
at the prosperous hill station, whele such
a scene of confusion had been hitherto
unknown.
"The sccundrels are geing to leave NE,
that's all !" said Mr.. Warren, Curtly; and
at that instant there stepped forward IN
advance of the rest, gaunt Tibetan, clad
in sheepskins, Who, tremendously and
with perfect gravity, placed on the ground
fragment of wheaton cake, handful
Of salt and zota, Or brass drinking-c cup
nearly filled with coins, from silver rupees
to copper pieces. Then pointing with a
hand, to the food and money, thrice he
snapped in twain the slender stick, aud
with bent head and downcast mcin, stood
motionless, as though waiting to be
questioned.
"What mummery is thisl" asked I, in
an undertone. My intended father-in
law, who knew the people and the coun-
try better than did, shook his hesd.
ut means mlsch:ef.' he whispered.
:'Something has terrified the supersti-
tious ours; and see! they renLunce my
bread and salt, return the advance OF
wages, and break the wand, in token
that they are my men no more. "You
mcan,' he added harshly, in the Bengali
dialect, "to desert me, then, Han Co.
rain?'
1.-THE Sahib Warren is good master, -
replied the Tibetan, in the same Ian
guage. IF we go, it is because the evil
eye has looked upon his 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
diff .ulty, such as beset those who use ,
foreign tongue imperfectly mastered bu
he uttered his brief speech With emp a
sis and with a certain dignity Of bearing
Behind him stood the Tibetans and hill
men, sturdy fellows, on whom devolvet
the rough work Of trenching and dyke
building, while little way off clustered
the dusky coolies from India proper
their lips frightened over their shinin:
teeth, and in attitudes expressive of tn
most AFFECT servillty. Clearly t-ere wa
no stimulent short of physical fear wnic]
4 Ioxy has
lures to disobey the Burra Sahib, 0
owner of the plantation, whose lightes
word had been law to his meek subordi
mates.
'sIf the Sahib will harken to the cour
sci of the poor" said the spokesman, a
ter pause. the and his will hasten ava.
BEFORE
But here Mr.. Warren lost patience, an
interrupted the orator, roundly rebu. in
the whole gang as pack Of crave
hounds, frightened at their own shadow
and without spark of manliness to IT
deem them. Were it orth while, he SAT-
he could ride over to the nearest magi
trate and enforce the performance of tt
contract under pain Of fogging and in
prisonment; but he wanted no half hear
in his service, so they might go. "Ye
hear me!'' he Numbered, silencing HI
Gorains fresh effort to speak, and II
men skunk away cowed, as Orientals us
ally are, by this undoubted assertion
authority.
The planter recovered his temper
soon as the recusant had departed, al
laid his broad hand on my shoulder, sa
ing with a jolly laugh:
"a lesson, my boy, as to the thorns tn
will lie in your path when you and Ed
live here in my stead, as hope you'll &
after the gathering-in of the next tea crc
and set-to to feather your nest, as h
mother and have done. thought b.
ter things, too, of the ovcrseer-that H
Gorain, who, before some heather loe
scared him, was shrewd and reliaI
servant. But never mind! Come
Muserave, come in! The parson FRI
Nynee Tai is here already, and you M
help the Tablespoonful to entertain h
until dinner time.'
Pretty Edith, who was on the morn
to become my wife, smiled away any
comfortable feelings which the cond
of Han Gorain and his companions +
left behind; and neither she por her
rents, nor Mr.. Edwards, the clergym
who had come over expressly to perto
the marriage ceremony, seemed to atts
any Importance to the panic among
coolies.
ut was someth1ng," exclaimed
Warren, about Alp Dagh, the Big Mo
tain, at the foot Of which we lived, bu
have been planter here too long to c
for the prattle Of coolies. They are !
children who talk of the nursery gh
until they see 1t in every corner. A
lightful life I should have led had I b.
credulous."
And with that he dismissed the sub