The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-05-22

taste. Their little eyes shone like car.
buncles; they put their left foot forwad
and aimed with an arrow of nacre resting
on filigrane of gold Bonze Dhealy had
won this chess board and pieces in tourn-
ament with the grandson of the celebrated
Kosrii. He was proud of them as the tenn
pie Of Nagpur is proud of its gates of
bronze the masterpiece of El-Manussi, the
great sculptor.
Both players sat on the sand before the
low relfefs representing Triarre, the be-
loved elephant of India. As soon as the
first figures were moved by Ajeeb the
bonZe became aware that he had before
him the most redoutable chess player of
Asia; but he did not despair to .vanquish
him. He proposed to him to play for
stake. Generally speaking players who
stake a part of their fortune on the result
of game often make big mistakes and
lose through timidity but as Ajeeb had only
few more hours to live he thought it use
less to except any thing from his earthly
possessions.
81 put up all my fortune as a stakes
said Ajeeb to the bonze.
SIS it little or muchF' asked Dhealy.
"A rice field, dwelling house on the
Triplican, another in Tchina-Patnam and a
ship now in Taragambur the city of the
waves of the sea, the queen of Coroman-
del. There are the deeds of those proper
ties in this sandalwood box they bear the
seal of our Chief Magistrate.
Take care, replied the bonze, "do you
except any thing! Think, if you lose, you
will be poorer than rice thrasher, you
will be compelled to yoke the oxes in the
Tandigel for living."
Sun of Nagpurm answered Ajeeb,
smiling, q have thought of every thing"
"Ahl Well, | will place against your
fortune something greatly more valuable.
Listen: The architect of the temples of
Flora was bitten by serpent here at that
very place; the most illustrious of my an
cestors officiated as chief bonze in the tenn
pie of Willia-Karmia; hearing the cries Of
the wounded man he rushed out to his res
cue, pounded seven leaves of Tody, the tree
of benefaction on a sacred stone, applied
them on the mortal wound and healed it.
When the architect became a god heap
peared to my ancestor and said to him L
have received from silva the power to giant
to you and your posterity any favorthat
you or yours may ask from me one in
your life, either for yourself or for am one
else. Even If this favor was to carry the
nearest waterfall made out of a tear Of the
chaste silva in the middle of the TcIultry
plain. have asked nothing yet from the
glorious architect god know the gift he
has IN reserve for me and put itas my
stake against your whole fortune.'r
accepted P' said Ajeeb, ''let us pay"
Hearing the bonze's words, the ELEPHANT
Triarte moved his enormous head shook
his ears and swung his trunk majetically
over inc DOHzeS neau, bnen ne reSuuleu MS
monumental position and fell again into
his eternal immobility
You see," said Dhealy, 1.-The architect
god has animated his work of gIanite for
moment to corroborate my words"
Let us proceed" replied Ajeeb bowling.
Ray of Nagpur, | accept your stake.'
The servants had departed. They we're
alone. Thus, no human eyes saw this
matchlesS combat that had only the gods
of India as witnesses. Ajeeb, by tie grace
of Sursutee, became initiated at first sight
to the mysteries of the game. HIS mind,
warmed by the sun of Hindostan exalted
itself at the fire of the victorious tombina-
tions which take birth in the brain and
cause joy to flow to the heart. Pushing
forward his ivory pieces it seemed to him
that the chess board was enlargng itself
more and more, and that either adivine or
an internal breath animated tie figures
and gave them the stature and passions of
the human beings they represented. In his
delirium he believed he was present. at the
battle of Rama and Ravaha, imnortalized
in poem that appears to have been writ
ten by the Sun in letters of pear, between
Ceylon and the cape of Coromanlel SPLEEN
did theater of the war between the mons
tiers of Hindostan and their enemies.
The chess player felt himself equal to Au-
reng-Zeb; he fought for an empire, he
moved an army of giants with the tip of
his finger; he shook the earth under the
COMING lnUO COLLISION OIL powerful masses
of soldiers. He thought he heard around
him the praises of all the gods in marble
sculPtured on the low reliefs of the ten
temples of Flora.
The bonZe, accustomed to conquer all his
adversaries he who had checkmated his
illustriouS colleagues of the Pagoda of
Djagrenat, trembled with anger and aston
ishment at each of his defeats; and, some
times, seized with holy respect he i'm
agined himself playing with the god
pfrN.,, .,.N. H.
in his eleventh incarnation. This idea
comforted him and forbade him from
breaking his head on the Group of the
elephant of granite.
The sun set in the Bay of Bengal and the
life of Ajeeb would end with it at the mo-
ment when decisive checkmate gave him
a last victory. The now vanquished bonze
prayed to Siva and the architect god was
sent to him by the powerful god invoked
by Dhealy. He came down in an aureola
of azure and gold
'Bonze Dhealy, what do want from the
blue god2" asked he.
Bonze DhealY interrogated his victor
Ajeeb, who said:
THE favor of remaining fifty years more
on this earth of delight"
The bonze transmitted the request of
Ajeeb to the god.
Granted - replied the divine messenger
of silva, and he assembled towards heaven
to take his place under the palm trees of
the Garden Mendana Immediately Ajeeb
felt life returning to his body and new
blood circulating in his veins; he kissed the
feet of bonze Dhealy and thanked fervent-
ly the architect god and silva.
Il see that you are great lover of life,''
said the bone to his victor; what do you
intend to do during the half century of ex-
istence won by you!n
Il shall sleep to live in dreaming, and l
shall awake to play chess" answered
Ajeeb.
You are right" said the bonze. "a
man tired heartily needs only two things:
A bed and a chess board Tra,.datios
from the French, in ". Y. Graphic.