Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-22
moment was he to taste wafer OF otrer nquIo

He was taken to the room that have de-
scribed as being now the only one OF the old
palace left standing. There his terrible suffer
ings soon began. Chained TO the ring in the
fagstone that still remains, his chain was just
long enough to admit of his dragging himself
to the window 60 watch the Ganges flowing
ceaselessly by. He could hear it ripping and
gurgling as it passed, while his parched lips
hungered for a few drops Of the precious
fluid. His sufferings were beyond all de-
scription; but the RANGES heart softened not.
Savory looking dishes were placed before him;
but they were only temptations TO be resisted,
for in the sauce of ell was brine. As the
end drew near, Muttri1s rawlings made the
night seem hideouS. His bloodshot eyes,
swollen tongue, lacerated lips and haggard
features made him spectacle awful to be-
hold, as ne crouched by the window and
watched the waters of the Ganges flowing by,
and shrieked out the single word PAM, PAM,
pani Water, water, waoerD The word
! Traitor, traitor, traitorl seemed to come back
/ in mockery as an echo. At last, one gloomy
midnight. his fearful torments ended in
death None rnourned his fate.
! At dawn next day the following legend
was found, scrawled in letters OF blood, on
/ the wall of his prison:
/ Whatever sleepeth here again,
Shall neer year its life retain.
/ The servants read the words and trembled;
/ the rance heard them with a shudder.
/ Muttri's head was severed from his body
and hung over the gateway that he had sur
rendered to the English. His body was flung
into the Ganges for the alligators to devour.
Neither man nor beast was again allowed
in the room IN which he died; yet at night
the servants would start from their sleep and
huddle together in fear, declaring that they
heard wailings and unearthly means coming
from that deserted chamber.
4 few days after Muttri's death the RANGES
only child escaped from Its nurse and wander
ing about the palace, came at last to this Ill
fated room With chlldlke curiosity it entered
and began TO play about on the floor. Tired at
last of playing, 1t lay down on a mat and fell
asleep. When the frightened nurse found
him the boy was dead. One hand was grasp
ing the ring on tie floor, and the other was
held over his eyes, as II he was endeayoring
10 conceal some awful object from his sight.
When the news of this death spread in the
city, the superstltlous populace repeated to
each other II awestruck tones the prophecy
that they had heard was written on the walls.
The Rance and her followers once more fled
from Kunai. The palace was allowed to
cruuble away in ruins until the English
again took possession of the fort.
Shortly before left Kunai one Of the two
dogs, Bouncer, went mad and had to be de-
stroyed. l thought very little of this at the
time, as the heat was very excessive and the
dogs often went mad at that period of the
year.
A short time after Bouncer's death l was
relieved by another detachment and returned
to the headquarters Of my regiment, taking
Beauty with me- Slowly the year went by;
the hot weather gave place to the monsoons,
which were heralded as usual by some heavy
dust storuls-an extraordinary sight fer those
who see them for the first time. Then the
nonsoons yielded grudgingly to the winter
delightful months as long as they last. Once
more the summer burst upon Us, hotter and
more shriveling, if possible, than it had been
the previous year. One special Sunday-I
remember it well-the heat was almost suffo-
eating. During the early morning church
parade several men had to fall out" Yet
the irritating movements of the punkah, as it
passed backward and forward before my
eyes, made me feel SO giddy that l could
hardly endure it. In the afternoon l went
it was so hst, however, that would rot take
her out. 1t was little after sunset when Ire
turned. On the doorstep was Beauty ,anxiousy
watching for us, she and the pony being great
friends She barked joyously, ana ran across
the compound to meet u.s. As l was to dine
with some friends that evening, l entered my
bungalow and began my toilet at once. 4
few minutes afterwards my sweeper rushed
INT in, nd
cried out: "Sahib, sahi5, the dog is deadr
l ran out, and there she lay painting il the
veranda l dash5d hucketful of water over
her; it did not revive her in any way. In 4
few moments she had breathed her last Sud
denly the prophecy in connection with the
room at kunai occurred 20 NE. / sought nv
diary, and turned over the pages to the date
On which the two dogs lad been gwen to me-
April-May June. Yes. there IL was, June
Ia wear that very day. Both dogs had
died within the specified time.
thought over this curious coincidence on
my way to dinner, and was not little dis
turbed at it. During dinner 1 was rallied on
my silence, and, by way of excuse, related to
my host the legend OF kunai, and the strange
fulfIlment Of the prophecy that very night I
had hardly concluded, when my khidmutgar
who was standing behind my chair. started
forward and shouted; "Sahib, sahib, dekoi"
(Sir, sir, look.'0 His black face was almost
blauched with fear, as lie turned and fed
from the room, his SNOW white puggaree,
which had tumbied of in his haste, stream
ing behind him.
| looked in the direction in which he had
pointed. l, too, was startled. Outside, on
the lawn, l saw through the glass door the
full outline, clear and distinct, OF the dog
that had just left dead at my bungalow.
Unearthly, unreal, it appeared, as it stood
rigid and motionless, the RAYS of the full
moon falling upon its form. It's eyes, which
glowed like Goals Of fire, seemed to look
mcurpful farewell at me. | rubbed my eyes
and looked again In that moment the SPEC
ter had melted away IL the dim shade. /
could see nothing Was I awake, or was 1
the victim of dream, or was this but freak
Of visioni looked at my host in blank
Amusement He had seen nothing was
about to explain when-a yelp and 9 cry, and
Beauty herself came bounding into the room
il propria persona 20 ghost this time, but
solid flesh and blood. She had only had q
lit, after all, and recovered shortly after /
had left nv bungalow.
We laughed heartily over tie occurrence,
and it was long time before my Legend Of
kunai' was forgotten in the regiment, for
the story soon got wind Beauty lived for
many year after that When she did Gle it
was of prosaic disease called old age
Chambers Journal
Their Novel Adornments.
Two young bellies appeared az q Boston