Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-16

below. Another moment and my leg wa:
swallowed up nearly to the knee. In the
moonlight the whole surface of the sand
seemed to be shaken with deyilish delight
| at my disappointment. | struggled clear
sweating with terror and exertion, back to
the tussocks behind me and fell on my
face
NY only means of escape from the semi.
circle was protected with quicksandl
How long | lay | have not the faintest
idea; but I was aroused at last by the
maleyolent chuckle of Gunga Dass at my
ear. II would advise you, Protector Of
the Poor" (the ruffian was speaking En-
glish) ito return to your house. 1t is I'M
healthy to lie down here. Moreover,
when the boat returns, you will most GER
tainly be rifed at" He stood over me in
the dim light of the dawn, chucklins
and laughing to himself.
SURPRISING my first impulse to catch
the man by the neck and throw him on to
the quicksand, / rose sullenly and followed
him to the platform below the burrows.
Suddenly, and futilely as | thought while
| spoke asked: "Gunga Dass what is
the good of the boat if l can't get out,
anyhow" | recollect that even in my
deepest trouble | had been specializing
vaguely on the waste of ammunition in
guarding an already well protected fore
shore.
Gunga Dass laughed again and made
answer: "They have the boat only in
daytime. 1t is for the reason that there
is way. l hope we shall have the pleas
ure of your company for much longer
time. 1t is pleasant spot when you have
been here for some years and eaten roast
crow long enough"
| staggered, numbed and helpless, to-
ward the fetid burrow allotted to me, and
fell asleep. An hour or so later was
awakened by piercing scream = the
shrill, high-pitched scream of horse in
pain. Those who have once heard that
will never forget the sound. / found
some little difficulty in scrambling out OF
the burrow. When | was in the open |
saw Pornic, my poor old Pornic, lying
dead on the sandy soil.
How they had killed him cannot guess.
Gunga Dass explained that horse was bet
ter than crow, and greatest good of great
est number is political maxim. We are
now republic, Mister Jukes, and you are
entitled to fair share of the beast. If you
like we wilf pass vote of thanks. Shall
propose%
Yes, we were republic indeed A repub.
lie of wild beasts penned at the bottom of a
pit, to eat and fight and sleep till we died
/ attempted no protest of any kind, but sat
down and stared at the hideous sight in
front of me. In less time almost than il
takes me to write this Pornic's body was
divided, in some unclean way or other; the
men and women had dragged the frag.
ments on to the platform and were pre-
pairing their morning meal. Gunga Das;
cooked mine.
THE OTHER SAHIB.
The almost irresistible impulse to fly al
the sand walls until was wearied laid
hold of me afresh, and had to struggle
against it with all my might. Gunga Das;
was Extensively jocular till told him thai
if he addressed another remark of any kline
whatever to me / should strangle hin
where he sat. This silenced him unit
silence became unsupportable, and bade
| him say something.
"You will live here till you die like the
other Feringhi," he said coolly, watching
me over the fragment of gristle that he wa.
gnawing.
"What other Sahib, you swine? SPEAK
at once and don't stop to tell me lie."
ale is over there" answered Gungf
Dass, pointing to burrow mouth abou
four doors to the left of my own. "You
can see for yourself He died in the bur
row as you will die and | will die, and a
all these men and women and the one chile
will also die"
"For PHYS sake, tell me all you know
about him. Who was he? When did ht
come and when did he die? ?"
This appeal was weak step on my part
Gunga Dass only leered and replied, /"
will not-unless you give me something
| first
Then / recollected where l was ant
struck the man between the eyes, partially
stunning him. He stepped down from thu
platform at once, and, cringing and fawn
ing and weeping and attempting to EN-
brace my feet, led me round to the burrov
which he had indicated
81 know nothing whatever about tn
gentleman. Your God be my witness tina
| do not He was as anxious to escape a
YOU were, and he was shot from the boat
though we all did things to prevent him
He was shot here" Gunga Dass laid hi
head on his lean stomach and bowed to tn
earth.
'Well, and what then? Go on"
"And then-and then. Your Honor, vi
carried him into his house and gave hin
water and put wet cloths on the wount
and he laid down in his house and gave u
the ghost"
SIN how long? In how long?
"About half an hour after he receive
his wound. l call Vishu to witness,
yelled the wretched man, ''that | di
everything for him. Everything whic
was possible, that I did"
He threw himself down on the groun
and clasped my ankles. But had m
doubts about Gunga Dass' benevolenc
and kicked him off as he lay protesting.
81 believe you robbed him of ever,
thing he had But / can find out in
minute or two. How long was the Sahi
: hereY
Nearly a year and half / think /
must have gone mad But hear me swea
Protector Of the Poor Won't your Hont
! hear me swear that | never touched a
dIblSAc lildt pSiOpScu W MN w lat
your Worship going to do y
l had taken Gunga Dass by the wal
and had hauled him upon the platfor
opposite the deserted ..burrow. As did
A | thought of my wretched fellow priso
er's unspeakable misery among all the
$ horrors for eighteen months and the fin
t agony of dying like rat in hole, with
0 bullet wound in the stomach. Gun!
Dass fancied | was going to kill him an
r he howled pitifully. The rest of the pc
q ulation, in the plethora that follows
full flesh meal, watched us without sti
E ring.
Go inside, Gupga Dass,n said l, "al
u fetch it out"
y was feeling sick and faint with horr
now. Gunga Dass nearly rolled off t
platform and howled aloud
, "But l am Brahmin, Sahib-a hi
e caste Brahmin. BY your soul; by yo
fathers soul, do not make me do Il
thingp