Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-03-01
d follow her maK1e

disappeared lnprecisely tile same manner
as the first.
he terror was now. universal. and all |
the best hunters OF the village set them
selves with one accord to get rid Of this
DESTROYING crocodile Bats were laid
,raps set men posted along the bank
7th loaded guns to keep watch for the
monster but, look FIR l!.ln as they
might, nothing was to be seen Of him.
Several days later the wife Of one OF
the villagers Was washing her white
wrapper On the bank OF the riycr, when
IL slipped from her h.,nls and tioated
slowly out into the wide, still pool
formed by the bend Of the stream. The
woman at once waded after it, and had
just succeeded in clnsching it, when size
was seen by those on the bank to give
sudden start, til row her arms conyul-
sively into the air and disappear under
inscription. Bus at the Grst glimpse of
the person who entered his face cleared
at once.
The visitor was q tall native, with the
|
Mahratta. His.fgure, nearly six feet
IN height, was so-gauutsand sinovy that
it secmed to be made Of pn-wire aud
Lis piercing black eyes looked ont from
beneath the folds Of his white turban
with the quick, keen, watchful glance of
practical hunter.
IN truth, Ismail, the Mahratta was
well used to tracking other game beside
deer or tigers Over and above his oc-
eupaticns as scout, hunter and govern
rnent courier, he was in constant re-
! quest as detective, and, for tracking
down either a wild beast or criminal,
he had no eqnal in Bengal
Gliding INTO the room rs noiselessly1s
shadow, he made low salaam, ann
eaii in his own language: sxss
May the humblest OF his servants
peak to the Sahib9" (master).
There was nothing particularly hum
hlc, it must he admitted, in the speak
RS bearing; on the contrary, he held
water just as the other two bad done be-.
fore #
/
About three days after this last catas-
trophe, Mr.. Henry Sparks, the British
Commissioner for the District Of Jung
| levwalial, was at work in hia Office amid
perfect mound of papers, halting every
now and then TO wipe his streaming
face (Which, despite the numerous
/ puakah, or swinging fan, worked by his
native servant outside with a cord
passed through hole in the wall, look ed
very much like l,alf-melted snowball),
when he was suddeLly disturbed by a
knock at the door.
Come III y cried he snappishlv, ex-
recting the entrance of some Hindu
farmer or peasant With n complaint as
long and unintelligent as an Assyrian
himself erect, and locked the ionifnis-
sioner fnll in the face With the a;r Of q
man who knew his own value, and had
something to tell which he felt to be
worth hearing; but Mr.. Sparks, with
whom Ismail was an old acquaintance,
appeared to understand these signs per-
fectly, and said
"What has Ismail to tell? l am lis
teling.
Il have been ut the village Of Ram
gam, answered the Mahratta, LAYING {
stress upon the last word.
"Rnmganj?" echoed Mr.. Sparks
"Ah, to be sure; the place wherr TIA
crocoiiles been eating up 50 many peo
lle.
Are you quite sure, Sahib?' asl>e'
the Hindu, keculv Watching the effect 0
his words, ''that II was crocodile tia
did it?"
The Enghshman started. and looke'
tixedly at IsmaiI's immovahle face
That's how hcarlthe story told,
reloined he. If it wa~si'. crocodile
: what was il O.
J, did the Commissioner. Sall;h." in
! Guircd Ismail. ''rv,r hear oi u croco,hl
:. being So nice III his eating as 10 dovou
none. but women, and only such wolne
:, as had plenty Of silver bangles on 2"
: Again Mr. Sparks gave slight start
and the sparkle OF his eye showed TIA
J. he WAS begnnlng to guess the rl3dlt
but he took care 10 make Id lnterruu
:, ton, seeing that Ismal wished II hav
~ the pleasure Of telling the whole stor
= himself.
Il went to the village" coutinnc
Tsmal land taxed with the peor.
Then / diyed Into the river (mv lur
:, Knows that cam tul my way throug
Il water rs we'll as through th,cke.sl. a.:
lc A. tl,e bottom I came uro.. 't.>>s
4 rope
:, The Commissioner nodded with Il
:, air II a man WHO understood the whu
j., affair perfectly, hut stall he said llothil
'srhe Sahih MD, @ster}s law ], y
liauc. proceeded the Hindu "Nh,
~ Any woman worth rclhiug vo,lt into I
i, ! water. the moose tang Ell her feet, II
\, tie rohltr, hidden among the hush
~. Oh tue opposite h..!4h, Ira 5se.l h.-r GOV
aud uIoNIra t.Vr. alEi tIIt-II pIal:lstcrs