Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-20

duo sAeeP shere' Out Mottram was 40 mllei
away from the nearest telegraph, and knew
nothing Of anything save the needs Of The
survey till he met early on Sunday morn.
ing Lowndes and Spurstow heading toward
Hummil's for the weekly gathering.
"Hope the poor chaps in better temper. ii
said the former, swinging himself off his
horse at the door. II suppose he isn't up
yet"
"I'll Just have look at him." said the
doctor. "If he's asleep there's no need to
wake him."
And an instant later, by the tone Of
Spurstow's voice calling upon them to enter.
the men knew what had happened.
The punkah was still being pulled over
the bed, but Hummil had departed this life
at three hours before.
The body lay on its back, hands clinched
by the side, as Spurstow had seen it living
seven night previously. In the staring ewes
was written terror beyond the expression of
any pen. -..-r
Mottram, who had entered behind Lovn.
des, bent over the dead and touched the
forehead light with his lips. ooh. Won
lucky, lucky devil!" he whispered.
But Lowndes had seen the eyes and had
withdrawn shuddering to the other side of
the room.
Poor chapl Poor old chapl And the
last time met him was angry. Spurstow,
we should have watched him. He has
| Deity Spurstow continued his investi-
cations, ending by a search round the room,
mo, he hasn't" he snapped. There's
no trace of anything. Call in the servants. %
They came, eight or ten of them, whisper
ing and peering over each others shoulders
"When did your Sahib 60 to bed?" said
spurtow.
"At II or 10, we think" said Hummi's
personal servant
''He was well then7 But how should you
know"
tHe was not ill as far as our comprehen-
sion extended, but be had slept very little
for three nights. This I know, because I
saw him walking much and specially in the
heart of the night"
CHUMA'S PHILOSOPHY
As Spurstow was arranging the sheet a
big, straight-necked hunting spur tumbled
on the ground. The doctor groaned. The
personal servant peeped at the body.
"What do you think, Chuma?'' said
Spurstow, catching the look on the dark
face.
"Heaven-born, in my poor opinion, this
that was my master has descen ded into the
dark places and there has been caught be-
cause he was not able to escape with suff-
Client speed. We have thespur for evidence
y -
men of my race do with thorns when a spell
was laid upon them to overtake them in
their sleeping hours and they dared not
Sleep"
"Chuma, you're a mud head. Go out
and prepare seals to be set on the Sahib's
property"
"God has made the heaven born. God
has made me. Who are We to inquire into
dispensations of God? will bid the other
servants to hold aloof while you are reckon
ing the tale Of the Sahib's property. They
are all thieves, and would steal"
Gas far as 1 can make out he died from
oh, anything; stoppage of the hearts ac-
ton, heat apoplexy, or some other vista
tion," said SpIrstow to his companions.
"We must make an inventory of his effects,
and so on"
HE was scared to DEATH" insisted
Lowndes. "Look at those eyesl For PHYS
sake don't let him be buried with them
open!"
whatever it was, he's out of all the
trouble now." said Mottram, softly.
Spurstow was peering into the open eyes.
"Come here" said he. "Can you see any
thing there?"
81 can't face itr' whimpered Lowndes.
"Cover mp the facel Is there any fear on
earth that can turn a man into that like
ness? It's CHASTITY. Oh. Spurstow, cover
him upp'
mo fear-on EARTH" said Spurstow.
Mottram leaned over his shoulder and
looked intently.
81 see nothing except some gray blurs in
the pupil. There can be nothing there,
you know"
"Even so. Well, let's think. It'll take
halt day to knock up any sort of coffin,
and ne must have died ut midnight.
IInU ms
coolies to break ground next to Jevins'
grave. Mottram, go round the house with
Chuma and see that the seals are put on
things. Send couple of men to me here.
and I'll arrange"
The strong armed servants when they re-
turned to their own kind told strange story
of the doctor Sahib vainly trying to call
their master back to life by magic arts-to
wit, the holding of little green box oppo-
site each of the dead mans eyes, of fire.
quent clicking OF the same and bewilder-
ing muttering on the part of the doctor
SahIb, who subsequently took the little
green box away with him.
THE MYSTERY OF THE EYE.
The resonant hammering of coffin lid is
no pleasant thing to hear, but those who
have experience maintain that much more
terrible Is the soft swish of the bed linen,
the reeving and unreeving of the bed tapes,
when he who has fallen by the roadside is
appareled for burial, sinking gradually as
the tapes are tied over till the swaddied
shape touches the floor and there is no pro-
test against the indignity of hasty disposal.
At the last moment lowndes was seized
with scruples of conscience. Ought you
to read the service-from beginning to
end ?" said he
81 intended to. You're my senior as a
civilian. You can take it If you like"
ST didn't mean that Tor a moment. only
thought ii we could get a chaplain from
somewhere-I'm willing to ride anywhere
and give poor Hummil better chance.
That's all.''
"Boshp said Spurstow, as he framed his
lips to the tremendous words that stand at
the head of the burial service.
After breakfast they smoked a pipe in
silence to the memory of the dead. Then said
Spurstow, absently:-
"Tisn't in medical science"
"What?"
"Things in dead mans eye."
''For goodness sake leave that horror
alone" said Lowndes. "I've seen native
die of fright when tiger chivied him.
know what killed Hummil"
"The deuce you do! I'm going to try to
see." And the doctor retreated into the
bathroom with a Kodak camera, splashing
and gruntiug for 10 minutes. Then there
was the sound of something being hammered
to pieces, and Spurstow emerged, very white
indeed.
"Have you got picture?" said Mottram.
"What does the thing look like?"
Nothing there. 1t was impossible, of
course. You needn't look, Mottram. I've
torn up the films. There was nothing there.