The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-19
CHAPTER II.-BUx KHAN's FATE.

ShAFIEk ul.-BUX KHANS FATR Although it had been supposed ,h,.
 Bux Khan's child had escaped unhr..
 from ihe elephant, it soon proved tba, \.
 had in some way been injured internallS
 From the day of Sdaitan's outbreak ,nS
 death, the little fellow began to pine aw,s
 Every day he grew worse, till it was cIss.
 to everybody in the place that he vs.
 dying. The only person who did no,
 appear to be aware how serious was tb.
 chiid's condition seemed to be Bux Khan
 himself. That he was anxious and die.
 turbed was evident, for, for the frs, tim.
 he began to neglect his duties. He nos
 never left the child day or night. H.
 master tried to induce him to let ,h.
 kheF dah doctor prescribe for the bov.
 but bux kaan respectfully bat firmly IT.
 fused. He appeared to have faith in
 certain nostrums and drugs, which h.
 himself administered to the child. ar
 that Eaton could do was to excuse him
 from his duties, so that he might alwav,
 be with his too surely dying child.
 Most os the people in the kheddah
 sympath,zed sincerely, aud would gladly
 have given what assistance and comfor
 they could; but they knew Bux Khsps
 peculiar temper too well to care to mako
 any offer of help, CT to express their sym.
 pathy. Consequently, he was left aiop.
 with his child, his only visitor being Captain Eaton, who frequently looked in to inquire how the child was At length the little fellow became so ill that Bux
 Khan, alarmed at last smothered his jealous feelings. and procured the assis.
 rance of two women, the wives of ma. houts, to help him tend and nurse the child. But 1t was too late One evening as Eaton sat at dinner, his butler came In and reported that the child was dead
 The Englishman knew very we what child was referred to SO, after lrtv be repaired to the kheddah to see IL et i'd do anything or be of any asseia ce. Tnere was dim light burnin. iu Bux khans hut; and looking in at the door. Eaton saw the Afghan sitting cross-lec. ged on the floor with the body of the child on his lap. He was not fondling 1t, but was sitting silent and motionless, looking down on the little dead face There was an expression on the mans dark face which made Captain Eaton hesitate 10 address him, not from fear but from respect for strong mans agony. Af:er looking on quietly for a few seconds, he stepped softly in, and touching the jemadar gently on the shoulder, whispered: "Bux Khan, re- member what is written. 'Venly, chil- dren are as the flowers of the earth, Death as the hot wind cometh, and they wither and die. But they shall bloom again in the Paradise of the faithful, saith the Merciful Oae."
 Bux Khan did not look up or make any reply so the captain went quietly away.
 That night, about two hours before dawn, the watcher at the kheddah gate saw the Jemadar pass out carrying his dead child in his arms and with a mat tock over his shoulder. Guessing what he was about to do, the man followed him, carefully keeping out of sight Bux khan strode rapidly on till he came to mango tope about halt a mile from the town. In the center of the tope stood the ruined tomb of a Mohammedan saint. Having laid the body of the child gently on the steps of the tomb, the Afghan, by the light of the stars dug a deep grave at the back of the tomb. Then the watcher saw him take up the body of the child, and, without looking at its face or making any demonstration of affection or sorrow, place it in the grave and shovel the earth on it. When the grave was filled up, he collected together a number of heavy stones, and piled them on the spot, to prevent the jackals from digging up the body. While looking tor stones, Bux Khan approached near to where the watcher was standing behind mango tree, and the man crouched and tremoled, for he knew what to expect if the jemadar discovered him. Having buried his child, Bux Khan stood for a few moments silent over the grave, then turned slo owly away and strode back to the kheddah.
 Next day the iemadar resumed his work as if nothing had happened. It was soon known throughout the kheddah what he had done with the child, and so no questions were asked. At first there was little in his appearance or manner to show that he was much affected at the loss of hls child. He went about his work much as usual, quietly and silently. But at the end of week or two it became very plain to Captain Eaton, who was him anxioasly, that there was very wrong with him. He be- came gaunt and haggard. Some of the men reported that he hardly ever slept, and that he was accustomed to move restlessly about all night in his hut, or walk up and down the elephant-yard nut teJing to himself. One mahout declared that he had watched him walking about one night and overheard him talking to himself, as if addressing a child by his side. It happened one day that Captain Eaton, accidentally glancing into his hut as he walked past saw him sitting there ,n the floor gazing at something in his lap. A second glance showed it to be some of the dead child's clothes and or naments. Bux Khan was regarding a pair of little gold anklets that lay in the palm oi his huge brown hand, when he caught sight of the figure standing in the doorway. The mad glare in his eyes as he looked up and gazed fxedly at his master for few seconds, as if he did not