Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-05

/
am not coward To make love tc
another mans wife is one thing, to run
away with her another; but to desert ones
colors, to desert ones brother officer, to
leave him to certain death in the hour ol
his need, and at the same time to run
away with his wife, is a piece of villainy
too monstrous for the mind of any man to
conceive or execute.
| explained, l argued, l pleaded for
time; | swore l loved her; told her that
by an act such as this l should become an
outcast. All to no purpose.
"1f you love me, Jack" she said, "surely
you would not have me handed over to the
tender mercies of wretches such as those
And with her little cutting whip she
indicated the two native grooms.
Her kiss was burning on my lips, but
was not the man to desert my colors in the
hour of danger under the excuse of an in
trigue. l said to her:
"Its bad business, Rosa it seems to
me he ought to put you in safety, some
how or another"
"Jack," she said, with savage determin-
alton, 'Tll give him chance. He can
save me tonight if he will 1t is only a
four hours ride, after all. But promise
me one thing, Jack; if he should refuse,
you will save me. You can be back be-
fore dawn, to be butchered here with him,
since you prefer it"
/ shook my head
''Do you refuse me still?" she cried.
''Then, by heavens" she screamed, as she
shook her little fist at the blue sky, cpl
go by myself, for you are both towards,
| you would be paladins W
| l did not answer her, but womanlike
she pestered me into making her prom
Use. agreed that her horse and the Col
onePs should be brought round, as if for a
moonlight ride, after dinner. Then, and
not till then, did her tears, her piteous
tears, cease to flow.
"Forgive me, dear old jack" she said !;
81 knew you would save me after ALL"
All, me, l did save her, but at what
price.
Dinner was over, and we stood in the
| compound outside the mess-room. the
Major, his wife and |. Some sort of at
tempt at floral ornament had heen made in
the so-called garden by few rows of stra-
monium plants. whose large white flowers
which open only at night, gave their
heavy perfume to the tepid air. We
smoked our "1richy," better ones than
they give us here (said Fowler with
sigh. Then there was horrid scene be-
tween the pair. She implored him on her
knees in the dust, as woman might plead
with an executioner for her wretched life
but she did not move the Major.
"My DEAR" he said grimly, 'you didn't
marry me for my good looks; you married
me, Rosa, for my position. My position,
my dear, has its duties, and one of them is
to take my chance of death iu this hole.
My wife has thrown in her lot with me.
take it that that's so, Fowler?" said the
Major, turning to me-
81 could run across with her, if you
liked, you know, as far as Murghab; it's
only twenty-five miles, and the roads are
good"
Now, at Murghab was a large canton
ment-English families, ladies and chill
dren; and what was more important. an
English regiment and some guns
Fowler" said the Major, 81 can trust
you, my boy, but | can't trust her she'll
have to stay and take her chance with the
old man, after ALL"
| saw there was no use arguing with
him. There was only one chance to try and
shame him into it. l left the pair, she
pleading and entreating, but the man was
not to be moved
From the regimental lines came the
sounds of music and song, but the men
were less noisy than usual, and, to my
mind, that BODIED mischief.
| had made her promise. / suppose it
was her only chance of escape. If the
Major chose TO take her out again, and she
hol 20 1.
her, and it could do him no harm; for at
the pass wewere, scandal, even the scandal
of an Indian station, was dead. OF course
he couldn't leave, but he might easily have
sent her off with a sergeants guard he
could do it this very night even, if he
chose. But he didn't. To my mind he knew
that things had come to crisis, and [
felt that he had treated me badly in not
taking me into his confidence. But why
should he have done so? Perhaps he
looked on me as his wife's lover; so was,
in one sense. Perhaps he thought that
he was revenging himself on US both in
booming us to certain and horrid death
so | pondered as We entered the mess tent.
Not servant in the place.
Perhaps ! was too late, after all. ran
out of the mess tent (; as | did so, / came
upon my own syce-a little old man, who
had been with me since my griffin days
He had nothing to do with the regiment,
and could trust him, for he had been my
confident in many stable secret, my
trainer for many an up-country race; the
man had never yet sold me, and he would
not, ! felt betray me now.
"Mortazza," said /, Saddle my horse
and the Mem Sahib's, and bring them
round to the front of the mess tent at once.
Run p l said, as the man hesitated.
He disappeared without word.
AS | returned through the mess tent |
felt that mischief was brewing. The songs
in the lines had ceased, and / heard por-
tentious hum of confused voices. There
was no doubt about the matter. But my
rage against the men, whom | felt in few
minutes would be in open mutiny, was as
nothing to my indignation against the
Major for deliberately sacrificing his wife
ard not taking me into his confidence.
Major" | cried, as | joined the pair,
"there's something serious on foot; there's
not a soul in the mess tent"
He calmly looked at his watch and
smiled As he did so the sound of canter-
ing hoofs fell upon our ears, and Mortazza,
riding my horse and leading Mrs. Cross
Gulf Arab suddenly appeared.
Light as a bird, Rosa sprang into the
saddle. At that moment the report of a
single musket rang in our ears, and shouts
and cries, with the noise of struggle,
were heard from the lines.
"Take my horse, Major~ l cried, as l
urged him to mount.
We were both armed. / drew my re-
volver, and forced it into Rosa's hand.
Ride" said;"I will take their atten-
tion off. Get her away, Cross"
! But the Major never mounted.
"My place is here" he said, as he loos-
ened his sword in its scabbard. His hand
never left her bride rein.
A confused mass of armed men made
their appearance, shrieking and shouting
| in the LIGHTED circle on the farther side OF