New-York tribune., 1890-04-13

White Hussars to touch. and dropped into u
cRp amid shouts Of kpns n
and win" T." Did | whacll YOU over the knee
old man?7 Ressaidar Sahib, what the devil
s eH S0m pa that kSps R S
Then the voice of the colonel The health Of
Ressadar Hira Singh"
After the shouting had died away Hira Sln9h
rose to reply, for he was the cadet OF royal
house; the son OF a kings SON. and knew what
was due on these occasions Thus he spoke IN
the vernacuar: Colonel Sahb and officers OF this
regiment, Much honor have you done me. This
will remember. We came down from afar to
play you; But we were beaten" tNo fault OF
yours, Ressaidar Sahib. Played on our own
ground. " know Your ponies were cramped
from the railway. Don't apologize. There
fore perhaps, we will come again II II nc so
ordained' f. Hear hear, hear, indeed bravo
Happy to meet YOU" till there are left no
feet upon our ponies. Thus far for sport lie
dropped one hand on his swordhl,t, s, ana ms IS Eye eye
But if. by the will of God, there arises any other
game which is not the polo game then be assured
Colonel Sahib and officers that we VIII pay /. ou.
side by side. though they, again his eye sought
Dirkovitch, though they, say have ffty ponies
TO our one horse" And with decp-mou'hed
Rung no! that sounded ike ial;n musKc' % on,t Oh
Drkovitch who had devoted himself steadily
10 the brandy-the terrible brandy aforementioned
did not understand. nor ana the eNpur%a'ed
translatons offered to him at all convey the point
Decidedly Hra Singhs was the speech OF the
evening and tbe eiamor might have continued
TO the dawn had il not been broken by the
noise of shot without ,na' senc G gTery man innn
feeling at his defenceess left side. Then there
scute and yell of PAIN ,
"Carbine stealing again. SAID the adlutant.
calmly sinking back i'll his char. This comes
of reducing the guards | hope the scntrics have
killed him.
The feet of armed men pounded on the veranda
flags, and it was as though something was peinS
Why don't they put him in the cells till the
morning." said the colonel, testify. See If
they've damaged him. sergeant
The mess sergeant fed out into the darkness
and returned with two troopers and corporal.
all very much perpPXed
Caught a man sealin' ca1bines SIR. sald
the corporal. "Lcastways e was crawlin towards
the barricks. sir. past the main road scntrcs,
an the sentry, e sez. sir
The limp heap of rags upheld by the three
men grOancd Never was seen destitute and
demOralzed an Afghan. He was turbancss, shoe
less caked with dirt. and all but dead with rough
handling. liira Singh started slightly AT the
sound of the mans pain. Dlrkovltch took another
What does the sentry say p" said the colonel
"Said e speaks English, sir; said the corporal
instead of handing him over TO the sergeant If
he spoke all the tongues of the Pcntecost, you We
no business --'
Again the bundle groancd and muttcred. Little
Mildred had risen from his place to inspect. lie
Jumped back though he had been shot
Perhaps it would be better, SIR, to send the
men away" said he 10 the colonel. for he was 4
much privileged subaern. lie put his arms round
the rag-bound horror as he spoke, and dropped
him into chair. 1t may not have been explained
that the lttlcncss Of Mildred lay in his being six
feet four and big in proportion The corporal, see
ing that an officer was disposed TO look after the
capture and that the cOOnes eye was tcglnilng
to blaze promptly removed himself and his men
The mess was left alone with the caiolnc-thici VINO
laid his head on fhe table and wept bitterly.
hopelessly and inconsolably as little children weep
IIra Singh leapt to his feet. Colonel Sahib, ="
said he, that man is no Afghan, Tor they weep
Al! Al Nor is he of llindus'an, for they weep
Oh. Ho. He weeps after the fashion OF the
white men. who say Ow Ow''
Nov. where the dickens did you get that knowl-
edge. Iiira Singh p said the captain OF tie Lush
Hear him" said Hira Singh. simply pointing
at the crdmpled figure, that wept as though 1t
lie said, My God" y said little Mildred. Il
heard him say it.
The colonel and the mcssroom looked at the
man in silence. II is a horrible thing 10 hear
man cry. woman can sob from the top Of her
as cry or Sm 4sr Ps top 0 his fi ana
rerNs him TO pieces.
Poor devilln said the colonel coughing trc-
mendously. We ought TO send him tD hospital
Res been man-hendlcd.
Now the adjutant loved his carbircs They
were to him as his grandchildren. the men stand
ing in the first place He rruntcd rcbclliously ::
:" ] can understand Afghan stealing hccau~e
he's built that way. But | can't understand his
crying. lnd' makes ~ WOiSf
The brandy must have affected DrkoNitch. for
he lay back in his chair and stared at the ceiling
There was nothing special in the ceiling beyond
a shadow as OF a huge black coffin. OWING 10
some pecuarity in the construction OF the mess
room this shadow was always thrown when The
candles lighted. II never disturbed the di
geston Of the White IIussars. They were in fact
rather proud Of it.
colonel or are supposed 10 sit up with lltilc
Midred's guest until he feels better ."
The man in the chair threw up his head ana
stared at the mess. "Oh. my God" he said.
and every soul in the mess rose 10 his feet Then
the Lushkar captain did deed for which hc
ought 10 have been given the Victoria Cross
distinguished galantry in fight against over
whclming curiosity. He picked up his team with
his eyes as the hostess picks up The ladies al the
opportune moment, and pausing only hy The
coloncl's chair 10 say, This isn't our affair. you
know. sir" led them into the vcranda and the
gardens. Ilira Singh the last 10 and lc
looked at Drkovitch. But Drkovitch had de
parted into brandy paradise Of his own HIS
lips moved without sound and lie studying
the coffin on the ceiling
"White-whitc all over" said Iasset-I olmcr
the adjutant. What pcrnicious RENEGADE he
must be ] wonder where he came from? p
The colonel shook the man gently by the arm.
and " Who are yOu?' said he.
There answer. The man stared round
the mess-room and smiled in the cooncls face
woman than man till Boot and saddle
was sounded. repeated the question III
voice that would have drawn conf
dences from seyscr. The man only smiled.
Dirkovltch, at the far end of the table, Slid gently
from his chair 20 the floor. No son OF Adam in
this present imperfect world mix the Iussars'
champagne with the lIussars' brandy, by five
and eight glasses of each, without remembering
the pit wheIcc he diggcd and descending
thither. The band began to play the tune with
which the White ilnssaIs from the date Of their
formation have concluded all their functions.
They would sooner be disbanded than abandon
that tune 1t is part Of their system The man
Strengthened himself in his chair and drunmcd on
The table with his fingers
II don't see why we should entertain lunatics,
said the colonel Call a guard and send him
of to the cells Wen look into the business
in the morning. Give him glass Of wine first
though"
Little Mildred filled sherry-glass with the
brandy and thrust it over to the man lie drank
and the tune rose louder, and he straigltened
himself yet more. Then he put out his long
taloned hands to piece Of plate opposite and
fingered il lovingly. There was mystery CON
nected with that piece Of plate, in the shape of