Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-19

tried to rouse him. A more uncomfOrt-
able meal never ate than the dinner
which was served up to us that evening,
and was quite thankful when the poor
lad said he was dead beat and would go
OIL to bed. My own room was on the
my pipe and sat smoking in the ver-
andu. The moon was just rising
when l thought l saw the
figure of q European stealing along
the wall of the compound. Strange,
| thought, and wondered what other
European could be here at the same
time. An idea struck me, and l went
across to my companions room. There
was nobody in it, the bed was undis-
turbed. threw down my pipe and
rushed out into the moonlight.
"A few seconds later | was out in the
road, and turned instinctively in the
direction OF town. Running down the
road, soon came to sandy lane which
went outside the village wallis in the di-
rection of the temples, their pinnacles
standing out clear and distinct in the
moonlight. 1t the distance | thought I
saw the figure of my poor lad, but soon
the turnings and twistings of the lane
with its thick cactus hedges on each
side shut him out from my view. In a
few minutes / was close by the big tenn
pie compound. Running up to the wall
looked over. and this is what | saw:
An enormous courtyard of paved stone,
on which were lying anumber OF priests,
their white garments wrapped around
their heads and bodies. In the back
ground was placed temple after temple,
but in the center stood one soli-
tary shrine raised on three
separate flights of steps, and inside /
could see the great black god raised on
three other smaller flights of colored
marble steps. The moonbeams shone
directly on the god and lit up the emer-
aid eyes and ruby lips, while the pearl
necklace ,glowed on his huge black
bosom. Not sound WAS to be heard
except some distant tom-toming on the
other end Of the town. The festival was
over and Puri had lapsed into solemn
silence. To my unutterable horror |
saw my companion walking right across
the courtyard.
"Not living creature moved until
pariah dog rose up from near the wall,
gave one howl, and then skunk away
and crouched down again. Still no one
stirred. My.tOngue Glove to the roof of
my mouth. NJ dared not shout even if /
could have raised my voice. A ghastly
struck ME that in his madness my
poor friend intended to save his
honor in otheI greater dishonor of rob-
bing the aidol. Speechless / saw
him mounti step after step, and
the next moment saw him enter the
shrine across the threshhold which no
other foot bHt that Of Brahmin has ever
passed. Nine steps led up to the god
one, two,rtbree, four, five, six. He
paused. 1 tried to shout, but no noise
would corne.s-He raised his hand as if
to tear Off the pearl necklace. 1t was
still above hts reach. His foot then
touched the seventh. Can l ever for
get the sight? In the moonlight
flashed out two arms covered with a
hundred-nay, two hundred-daggers
and clasped the daring youth to the
black gods breast. AT the same in
stant the sound of gong broke the
Stiffness OF the right, and in one mo-
ment the priests had cast off their COW
erings and were rushing to the shrine.
Two minutes later saw the amazed and
mortified priests carrying out the life
less body of the dishonored Englishman
and turned and fed"
The Minden star expresses the hope that
II cyclone visits Nebraska this year, it will
come in such shape that it will lift farm
mortgages without destroying farm build
ings. IL is time TO set new fashion in
cyclonic way, and the above would be a
laaa mt All bau fas a aha ~