Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-01
THE GAZETTE: FORT WORTH, TEXAS, 0o.,. JAM

with yells OF rage and fear into the r.
cesses OF the woods, leaving sewers
killed and wounded behind them.
by dawn next morning Lonsdale wen
fofth few yards from the gate to see thu
scene OF the late conflict sud there picked
up, to his 10y, sharp and deadly dab o,
burmese dagger, and that which was bet
ter, six.chsmbered revolver, with al,
une1ploded cartridges In It.
"Slx Barmese lives to go ere mine Is
lost, l hope!" he mutterea s,erply. We,
with laugh.
He saw that the revolver was British
government lone. and thus serious doubts
OF its being serviceaole occurred to him
these weapons and their ammunition
Ike our machine guns, so often failed in
action; but the charges seemed all right.
ana with sigh Of genuine gratitude, he
concealed it and the dagger beneath his
tunic.
But ere he turned to re-enter the gate
ne saw in its immediate vicinity q Very
appalling sight,, but one that was thor
oughl5 Burmese in character.
Eight OF those wrerches who had been
assaitants over night hsd been taken and i,
oy order OF the Woongyee, were fastened
to lofty bamboo fence, first by the hair
OF the head, the long coiled topknot beipg
unbound for taat purpose, and then by
the throat, with their bare limbs stretched
out al Tar as they could be without dislo-
cation, and thus, with under Jaw fallen,
lhe2r eyes open and glazed, and nude, all
save linen scarf, they hung in the blaze
on the morning sun, ripped open, with
the viscera dropping out, IS punishment
fog sacrilega.
Lonsdale lad seen men too often bat
tered, gashed, and torn In many WAYS by
| shot and she'll in action; but this sppail-
ing spectacle proved too much fo- him
and he turned away in horror.
However, an emotion OF confidence
came back to him now with the knowl5
J edge thst ne was secretly armed, and es-
cape did not seem quite so hopeless. He
calculated that oDce safely from the vi
clnlty OF the monastery, wherein he was
known to be lurking, by travelling west
ward at the moderate rate of fifteen miles
g day, in less than three days he might
reach the river, feeding himself as best
he might on the way.
The obseQnies Of his late protector
gave him additional hope of escape if he
could only get forth into the open country
among those who were to drag and escort
the funeral car, thus GLIDING the watchful
and sanguinary Dacoits.
The RIngOon Rahoan favored, even
suggested this idea, and gave him blue
cotton Burmese frock, reaching to the
knees, a sort of camise, with loose sleeves
| to cover his uniform, and an ample hand
kerchief Of what the British call book
muslin, to envelope the head and face
partially In turban fashion. He also
gave him some food in species of wallet
made OF mating, to be ready for aly
emergency.
So the eventiul evening of the old
PooBgYee's cremation came at last, for
the bodies of ell priests and persons of
rank are burned In that region, while
those of the lower classes and those who
die under the age Of fifteen are buried or
| flung into the river.
| A stage twelve feet high was erected on
a four wheeled carriage ornamented with
paintings and mirrors, and on the summit
# this lay the GOTTA, wherein the body
wss half visible, but covered with gold
leaf umbrellas; red bsnEeroles on bam-
| boo slaves were stuck all about it, and
high over all rose al acute spiral pyramid
OF split bsmboo.
With several priests upon it chanting
asmonotonous dirge for the dead, the
| whole OF the cur ious structure was drawn
from the monastery for mile or more,
chiefly by women and boys, all shouting
and laughing, followed by a great blnd Of
spectators, Of whom I. )nsdale-disguised
as we have subscribed-was one; and the
brief twilight was closing into night when
| the place for cremation wss reached, the
tributary Of the Irawsddy, which was
covered with gigantic lotus foWers hoat-
iIg on it's CLASSY surface.
There was no weeping Or wailing, but
there was an exhibition OF female dare
ing, which, to say the least OF 1t, was
rather strange, for the costume OF the
Burmese dancers, While descending to
the ankles, is not closed By front seam,
so that, like the Spartan girls, if Euri-
pides belle them not, great part OF the
limb is always exposed, and while the
dance was in progress the resinous. oiled
ind perfumed wood was heaped up in
piles to form the funeral pyre.
At this juncIure Of the ceremony, when
a Whimsical contest ensues by an adverse
pulling at the rear OF the car, by party
who profess reluctance TO leave the prec-
ious remsius, till those in front prevail,
Lonsds!e, almost holding his breath in
the keenness Of his excitement, quietly
drew eside and took his way into an ad-l
j.cent wood, needless, or JUS. then OBJ
livious, 81 what wild animals it might con-
tain.
AS he proceeded with quickening steps
he could hear upon the evening wind the
booming Of barbsric drums, the tinklipg
OF bells, and the waiIing Of wind instru-
ments mingling with the chanting and
shouting Of the people.
Anon, great lurid glare shot athwsrt
Inc eky and fl,sied through the vis.as OF
the woods as If ii came from a solid
mountain Ct fire.
The night was clear, and the peculiarly
rarifed and transparent atmosphere rem
dered objects distinct 1t great distance;
far into the recesses OF the leafy wilder
ness through which Lonsdale took his
way went the lurid glare Of the flames,
and the grotesque shadows they formed
out of the strange trees and gigantic
plants, till silence and darkness began to
close together around him aud he found
himself alone and out in the night.
To be Continued Nert Week.I