The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-09-04
ROBBING A JUGGERNANT.
india Times.

many years ago by distinguished
officer ofthe Madras army. The facts
have never appeared in any newspa-
per, nor are they to be found in any
ofthe police records ofthe presidency.
For Obvious reasons the names have
been altered, but to this day by the
camp fires of the great festival held
every yearis told with bated breath
and listened to with rapt attention
the terrible tale of the jewels of Jug
gernaut and of the vengeance of the
greatgod
MANY years ago, "suld my friend,
81 was quartered at Fuzarabad. an
Important military station about $50
miles from the Madras coast. There
were large number of troops there
Of al descriptions and certainly tor
half the year the life we all led was
gay and high enough.
unfortunately, at the time I was
there, gambling and betting were
much in vogue, and many men
plunged and came to grief over their
debts OF honor. Of all thatgay COM
pany nobody was more popular and
better liked by both men and women
than young Fitzroy; but unfortun-
ntely, he lost money at the races,
tried to recover himself at the whits
table, but failed; got into the hands
of the Marwarees, and got deeper
and deeper into the mire of debt.
You could see by his careworn and
troubled expression of face that the
poor young fellow was in a real bad
way. | was not surprised, then,
when one day he came to me and
said: "Major, I'm done for. I'm
utterly broke. can't get any more
money in the bazaar, and they'll
run me in unless | can get away for
a bit. | must get to England and
see if | can raise the wind there, but
goodness knows said the young fell
low bitterly, how | can dare ask my
poor old governor. Major contin-
ned he r. s>a-s~+7 - " - = : t4,c. . "A Eaz-
{ KlIlng ne. You were great friend
of my father and promised to help
me. l wish had stuck to your ad-
vice, but it's too late now. Will you
come away with me? Give out that
we have taken ten days leave for
some shooting, and see me down to
the coast. If / go off alone l shall
be stopped by those cursed
Marwarees.
After some hesitation / agreed.
He sent in his application for leave
togo to Europe on private affairs,
and gave out that | was going on
q ten days shooting expedition. A
week later, with a couple of tOngas,
We had started on our long and
weary journey to the coast, where
my poor young friend hoped to pick
up steamer to take him to Europe.
On the second day out we met
crowds of people tramping along
men, women and children-and the
next day still greater crowds, In
reply to our inquiries we were told
that they we're returning from the
great festival of Juggernaut, held at
Puri, now only some three days
Journey from where we we're. The
tongawallah kept us Interested with
a aGraphio description of the festival
and OF the great god, which was es-
pecially remarkable for the wonderful
jewels it pOssessed-twoem emerald eyes
of inestimable value, it's lips formed
of the finest rubies in the world, and
a necklace of priceless pearls.
'Thesun was sinking as at last we
neared the town of Puri, and we
could see the pinnacles of the temples
rise above the trees which surround
ed the place. Half mile the other
side of the town stood the Travellers
Bungalow, where heintended putting
up for the night. During the last
twenty-tour hours my young COM
panion had kept silence, and was
moody and almost sullen whenever |
tried to rouse hirl. A more uncom.
Portable meal never eat than the
dinner which was served upto us that
evening", and / was quite thankful
when the poor lad said he was dead
beat and would go off to bed. My
own room was on the other side of
the bungalow, and l took my pipe
and sat smoking in the veranda. The
moon was just rising when | thought
saw the figure of European steal
ing along the wall of the compound.
Strange, l thought, and wondered
what other European could be here
at the same time. An idea struck me-,
and went across to my companion 3
room. There was nobody in it, the
bed was undisturbed. | threw down
my pipe and rushed out into the
moonlight.
GA few seconds later was out in
the road, and turned instinctively in
the direction of the town. Running
down the road | soon came to q
sandy lane which went outside the
village wall in the direction of the
temples, their pinnacles standing out
clear and distinct in the moonlight,
In the distance | thought | saw the
figure of my poor lad, but soon the
turnings and twistings of the lane,
withits thick cactus hedges on each
side, shut him out from my view. In
q few minutes / was alone by the big
temple compound. Running up to
the wall / looked over, and this is
what / saw. Anenormous court yard
of pavedstone, on which were lying q
number of priests, their white gar.
ments wrapped round their heuds
and bodies. In the background was
placed temple after temple, but in
the center stood one solitary shrine
raised on three separate fights ot
stens. and inside could see the