New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-05
THE HEAD OF THE DISTRICT.
A STORY OF ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA


The indus had risen III food without warning.
Last night il was a 1ordablc shallow; Tonight
five mills OF raVlns muddy water parted h"nh
and cdyng bank, and the river Was sun rSihS
under H., moon litter borne by SIN bearded
men, all unused 10 the employ stopped III The
white SAND that bordercd the wlIter PLAIN.
Its G,ds Will, they said. We dare not
SIc onS I cG, to eylH Ne be oT tcd @ - ~
They LOOKED at the litter inquirlney. Within
tie Deputy Commissioner OF the hOl-huhldIscll
district lay dying OF fever. hey mad brought
him across cOIntrS, SIN uchtinS-mei O1 IionlleT
clan that he had won over TO The paths Oi 4
moderate righteousness, when lie had broken down
at tie foot OF their inhospltablc hills. Ana I@l-
lantire his assistant. rode with them, heavy
hearted as lcaVN-cycd with sorrow and lack oi
sleep. He had served under the slck man 1or
three years, ana had learned 10 love HIM as men
associated N toll OF tie hardest leaIn I" love
or hate. Dropping from lis horse be parted the
curtains Of the litter and pecred inside. -,
Ordc-Orde. old man, can YOU hear we
have 10 wait till the river goes down, worse luck
Il hear returned dfy whisper WAIT III
the river goes down ! thought We should reach
camp before the dawn. Polly knows. She II
one OF the httcI-uicn stared across the river
and caught faint twinkle of h-ht on the lar
side. He whispered To- IolIantlle: 80 There are
bis camp-frcs, and ms wife. They Will cross IN
the morning, Tor they have better boats. Can
L. live 50 long
TaIlantire shook his head. Nardlcy Orde was
Ve~v near 10 death. What need to vcA his soul
win hopes OF mectiu- that could not De ?
Tic river eulped at the banks. brought down a
Gill Of sand and snaTlcd The more huHGrtN. Inc
littcLmen sought for fuel in The wasic-drlct
caUe-thorn and refuse OF the camps t|t iaI
waited Al the tOfd. Their oWord-bclt cnkcd
the, moved softly in The haze Of the moonlight,
and I1-lautIrcs horse cOUgAcd 10 explain that
In cold too, SAID lie voice from the litter.
81 fancy this is tie end. Poor ro.ly.'
IaI!aLLIe rcaIIuug"d tuc blankets; hhodt
Dad Khan. seeing TINS, stripped OF Ms own
hc&Vy -%atded sLecpskiu coat and added il TO the
pile. lnaN be warm DT tAc IRE presently.
said he. lallantire took the wasted body Of
his chief into his arms and held il against his
breast. Perhaps if they kept him very warm
OIGe might live 81 see ms wife once more. II
only blind Providence would send three-ioot
That's bet,er, said Ordc family Sorry to be
a nuisance, bit isis there anything TO drink ~
They gave HIN milk and wIiskey, and TallantlIc
felt htllc warmth against his own breast. OTde
BEGAN 10 muttor.
1t isn't that mind dying he SAID Il It's
leaving Polly and tie district. Thank God we
have no children DICK, You know, I'm dipped
-awfully dlDpcd-deDts IN my first five years
service. II Isl. much OF "A pension, but enough
for her. She has her mother at home Getting
there is the difficulty And-and-you see, not
being a soldiers wife
We'll arrange the passage home, Of course, .
said lalantlTe quietly.
It's not nice 10 think Of sending round the
aat: but. good Lord. how many men lie here
and remember that had u do II. Morlcn dead
lie was Of nv year SlaughncsSy is dead, and
.lcr school letters: what bore we thought
him, Evans is dcad-Kot-Kunharsen killed him.
Ricketts,, Of Myndonic, Is dcad-and I'm GONG,
too. Man that il born 81 a woman IS small
potatoes and few in the hill That reminds NE,
Dick: the four KAusru kicvl villages in our
border want onc-thid remittance this spring.
That's fair: their cTOI~ are mad. See mat they
get il. and speak to Ferris about the canal. !
should like L. have lived ill tla' WAS finished II
means much Tor the NOItl-hdus Nlllagcs-but
Ferris Is an IDLE bc4gar-Wakc him up You IL
have charge Of the district Til ny comes.
| wish they would appoint YOU permanently: YOU
know the folk. ! suppose II VIII be Buows,
though. Good man, ont too weak Tor frontier
work: and he doesn't understand the priests. The
blind priest at Ja2ai viii bear watching You il
find il in my papcr9-in the umioTm-gase; think.
call tie khusu khcyl men up; I'll IOld my last
public audience. Khoda Dad Khan"
The leader Of Tie men sprlng to The side Of
the litter. bis conpanions following:
Men I'm dying" said NIdc quickly. in tho
yernacular: land soon there viii he no moro
OrIc Sahib 10 twist your tails and pre- cnt You
God forbid this thing" broke out tle deep
bass chorus The Sahib is not gong to lie
Yes he is: and then uc viii know whether
Maloulct speaks ruth % NOSES bni YOU must
he good men whcr am not here such OF Non
-, live In our borders must pay your taxes
CiietIv as before | have spoken Of the Villages
10 be gently treated this year Such OF yog as
1--we in The hills must refrain fom Gatile-hit-
Iesiif orr to the voice of the priests, who, not
knowing the slrcn-th of the GotenMcnt, womb
lead you into foolish wars wherein %rl wa
surely die and your crops Lc eaten by s'T3h'cI'
And ,-oi, must not saci, any caravans, ana muS5
icaye YOUR arms at thc police post when You
come IN as has been your custom and my orqcr
And Tallantire Sahib viii be with YOU. b!l 90
MOI no., who takes my place. speak row
true T taik' for am as it were already dead, my
childIcr-for though Sc be slTons men, We are
AnI thou ant our father and oar mother. -
broke i'm KLoda Dad Khan with an oath. what
shall we do now there Is no one 10 speak ioi u.s.
or 10 teach us 10 20 wisely ,
There remains Tallantirc Sahib Go 10 HIM
lie knows VOW talk and your heart Keep he
young men quiet. listen 70 the ola men, ana OBEY
end claim 60 T. INV brother Keep lilo ihnes
for my sale. ard viii spool, to whatever God
] may encounter and tell him that the khusrn
Khoda Dad Khan. the ring upon his finger,