Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-11-22
THE GOORKHA'S KNIFE
Daring Single-Eanded Encounter
With Bengal Tiger


M4ny years ago. whom the King Of
Dude still reigucd in I.ucSnow little
dreaming how soon the English we4e to
come and rnla in his stead, two men
stood together on the upper veranda Of
the palace. which rose fai. above Nil the
other buildings around It. II was q
fine spring evening, and the crimson
glow of sunset was lighting up the fiat
rooted houses and white-dome6 tenn.
pies OF the great city, and the green
fields, waving woods and shining
streams that lay outspread for many a
mile around it.
But, splendid as the view was the
two men seemed to pay but little heed
to it. Their attention was fixed upon
the spacious courtyard below, where
the native soldiers OF the Kings body
guard were going through their exer-
cisos; and the whole court was alive
with the flutter of silken banners, aud
the din of barbaric music, and the clash
and ring of steel, as the dark faces, and
white turbans, and many-eolored
dresses, and glittering weapons, surged
to and fro like the waves of stormy
sea.
BY the keen, critical losk with which
the two spectators (who were both in
European dress) watched the manmu-
vers of tho soldiers, one would have
guessed them at once to be army of
ficers, even without the evidence Of their
SCARED faces ana straight, wcll-knit
frames.
But, although both were unmistak-
ably soldier-lilSc, they wero 50 in very
opposite ways. The one, tall, slim,
dandified young fellow, with a pointed
black mustache, was French captain
OF dragons; the othcr, short, square.
thick-set, grizzled with whiskers as
thick and why as bramble-bush, was
an English colonel OF Bengal native in
fantry.
"Well, you may say what you please.
my dear Colonel said Captain Do
Vautran, but you'll never persuade
me that these Asiatics OF yours can be
made into soldiers. Remember. we
Frenchmen tried it ourselves a hundred
years ago, and you know what eame
of it,
Perhaps you didn't try long enough, I
answered the Colonel, quietly. II don't
say that those fellows down yonder are
fit to face European troops. but think
/ could show you some others chat
would be.
At that moment there appeared on
the terrace behind them q large,
swarthy, heayy-built man, whose en-
broidered robes and iewolcd sword-hilt,
with the splendid ruby that sparkled IN
the front of his snowy white tulban,
showed him to DO person OF some con
sequence. His face was somewhat bloat-
ed and discolored, as if from habitual
oYer-feeding and want Of exercise but
there was nothing in It save the rest
less, sidelong glance Of ais small black
eyes to mark him as one Of the most
pitiless tyrants in all India Yet such
was actually the case, for this man was
no other than tho King Of Dude himself
"You are looking a. my mon, see,
sahibs' (gentlemen). said he, in very
tolerable English. 'Would you like
10 come down and see them little
closer?"
I'VE follow, your Majesty replied
Colonel Sedley, bowling
And the King descended tho stair
that led TO the courtyard, the tFo Of
flcers following, and long train OF
richly-dressed natives bringing up the
rear.
Seats were placed for the King and
his guests, and the guards wentthrough
all the details Of a sham fight with con-
siderable spirit. But Captain De
Vautran was not to be pleased, and
though too polite 70 say 50 openly, he
evidently thought the whole show very
poor affair.
''See that fellow now" said he TO
Colonel Sedley, glancing at lean, lit
tie man hardly bigger than we'll
grown boy, whose fat, brown face and
wide mouth made him look very much
like penny with a mole through it.
do you mean to say that he would
ever make soldier?'
''And supposing ! were to tell You,
replied the Colonel with a quiet smile,
''that that very man is BY far the best
soldier in tho whole place, what would
you say then?A
81 should say cried De Yautran.
''that you should not tell such stories
TO me ~
"And supposing were to say the
same" put in the King, "what would
the Captain sahib say thon?"
II should say answered the
Captain, with polite bow, that your
Majesty was pleased to make fun OF
me.''
The King smiled very curious smile,
Reckoning the little man to him, re-
peated what the Captain HAD said.
Instantly the soldiers face flushed up,
and his small, deep-set eyes glowed
like live Goals. He drew the long,
heavy knife that hung at his belt, and
said, sternly:
You are soldier, ffanghi Qoreign.
err; could you fight a full-grown tiger
with this knife?"
mo, nor you, either, nor any one
else, answered the Captain, contempt
uously, when this question was inter
preted to him.
Il could, said the other, einphati-
cal'y, ''and / seiH, if tho badshah
(King) permits It.
The King smiled again, and said,
simply: "Duore din (to-morrow),
whereupon the soldier saluted and
turned away.
Surely TINT mad fellow doesn't real
" mean to get himself eaten up Tor the
sake of one hasty word Of mine2" cried
the French Captain, with rather
troubled look at his friend.
you'll see Tomorrow whether he's
joking or not" answered the English
man. II can tell you that its not tic
way OF a Goorkha 70 say thing like
that without meaning liz $50
"A Goorkhap' echoed De Vautran. in
anazement us that little fellow one
of the terrible fighters that I've heard
SO much about? Impossible!a
"Wait till tomorrow, and You'll see,
was the Colonels only answer.
Next morning. accordinglv. n mes