San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-05-01


shoulder, whispered: "BuX Khan, remember
what is written. Verify, children 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 One"
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 mattOck over his Shout
der. Guessing what he was about TO do the
man followed him, carefully keeping out of
sight BuX Khan strobe rapidly on till he
came to a mango tOpe about half mile from
the town. In the center of the tOpe stood
the ruined tomb of 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, with
out looking at its face or making any DEM
OnStratiOn of affection or sorrow, place ii in
| the grave and shovel the earth on IT, When
the grave was filled up, he collected together
number of heavy stones, and piled them on
the spot, to prevent the jackalS from digging
up the body. While looking for stones, Bux
Khan approached near to where the watcher
was standing behind mango tree. and the
man crOuched and trembed for he knew
what to expect if the jemadar discovered
him. Having buried his child. Bux Khan
stood for Il few moments silent over the
grave, then turned slowly away and strobe
back to the khcddah.
Next day the jemadar resumed his work as
if nothing had happened. 1t was soon known
throughout the kheddah what he had done
with the child, and so no questions were ask
ed. At first there was little in his appear
ance or manner to show that he was much
affected at the loss of his child. He went to
his work much as usual, quietly and silently.
But at the end of a week or two il became
very plain to Captain Eaton, VINO was watch
ing him anXiOuSly, that there was something
very wrong with him. He became gaunt
and haggard. Some of the men reported
that he hardly ever slept, and that he was ac-
custOmed to move reStleSSy about all night
in his hut, or walk up and down the elephant
yard muttering TO himself. One mahOut de-
clared that he had watched him walking
about one night and overheard him talking
to himself, as if addressing child by his
side. 1t happened one day that Captain Ea-
ton, accidentally gIancing into his hut as he
walked past, saw him sitting there on the
floor gazing at something in his lap. A sec
Ond glance showed it to be some of the dead
child's clothes and ornaments. BuX Khan
was regarding a pair of little gold ankletS
that lay in the palm of 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 lxedly at his mas
ter for a few seconds, as if he did not recOg-
nize him, convinced Captain Eaton that his
suspicion that the mans reason was shaken
was correct. Seeing in what mood the jenna
dar was, he walked Oh without word.
The fear and awe with which the jemadar
was regarded by everybody in the khCddah
now reached such pitch as to cause Eaton
great annoyance and trouble. Not man
would speak to him except when it could not
be avoided, and the mahouts and others con-
stantly came to their master for orders and
instructions for which they should have gone
to the jemadaT. The women and children in
the kheddah fled when they saw him APP
preaching, and hid themselves out of his
sight, as if he had been a wild beast lie
was universally credited with possessing all
sorts of strange and maIign powers, 81 that
any person on whom the jcmadar happened
tO look with his cleaning eyes Immediately
commenced to muttcr charms. to avert tho
evil eye he supposed to b" cast upon him.
Several weeks passed, and the jcmadar had
not said or done anything that could be con-
sdered the act of mailman Nevertheless,
matters were in an unsatisfactory state, and
Eaton was anXiOusly debating with himself
what course he should take. One day he re-
ceived letter from the government which
assisted to help him out of his difficulty. He
was ordered to break up his establishment
and to take all the elephants to ShOranpur,
place about sixty miles from Jehanabad,
and there to organize a new kheddah. The
hustle and excitement of the next few days
seemed to have the effect of rousing the
jemadar, and he eXerted himself to carry out
his masters orders with such intelligence
and promptnesS, that Captain Eaton was
greatly pleased, and his suspicious as to the
mans state of mind began to wear Off
Within short time the kheddah was re-
moved to ShOranpur 1t was a small town,
not far from the frontier, and was a wild, UNI
settled out-of-the-way place, the haunt of
numerous dacOitS Afghan hOrSe-thieves and
other bad characters Ii was not long before
Captain Eaton realized what a savage, law
less place ii was. One evening week or
two after his arrival at ShOranpur, as he sat
In his room counting a large number of ru-
peeS which were to be paid away next morn
ing, being the wages of the establishment for
the past month, he heard some one enter the
room, and looking up, saw BuX Khan.
Il have something to report, Sahib," he
said as he salaamed.
What is it, jemadar?"
LAS | was sitting in a shop in the bazaar
this afternoon, | overheard two countrymen
of mine, men from the mountains, plotting
with some of our Bengalee mahOuts to muir
der the Sahib tonight and to rob him of that
money" and he pointed to the heap of rupees
on the table.
This was startling news. The Englishman
looked steadily in the jemadar's face, think
ing it might possibly be the delusOn of dis
ordered brain. But there was nothing in his
face or in the way he spoke to cOuntenance
the idea. He was perfectly quiet and COM
posed, and his eyes were steader and had
less of the strange CLEAN In them that had
before so impressed Captain Eaton.
did you recognize any of the mahouts?
How many were thereY' he asked
There were three; and l knew them at
once by their voices, though l did not see
them. They were TOOlsee, Bannajee and
the old man Lal Dass."
did you hear what their plan was?"
"Yes, Sahib. They intend to enter your
room about midnight and to cut your throat
while you are sleeping, and then to carry OFF
the rupees"
What do you think we ought to do, jena
darg' asked Eaton, after pause, while he
thought over this unwelcOme piece of news.
IF the Sahib will permit me to sit in his
room, think we should wait for Them and
receive them when they come" And a look