Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-07-25

EIGu NDen i saw l1at IL Hou euCSScucN.
Gunga Dass changed his tone Immediately
and disavowed all intention Of asking for
my boots.
At the time it did not strike me as az all
strange that /, a civil engineer, man of
thirteen years standing in the service, and
| trust an average Englishman, should
thus calmly threaten murder and violence
against the man who had, for consider
alton it is true, taken me under his wing
| had left the world, it seemed, for cen
turies. / was as certain as l am now of
my own existence that in the accursed
settlement there was no law save that of
the strongest; that the living dead men
had thrown behind them every canon of
the world which had cast them out and
that had to depend for my own life on
my strength and vigilance alone. The
crow of the ill-fated Mignonette are the
only ma who would understand my frame
of mind.
''At present." l argued to myself, II am
strong and a match for six of these
wretches. 1t is imperatively necessary
that should, for my own sake, keep both
health and strength until the ho1r Of my
release comes-if ever it does"
Fortified with these resolutions 1 ate and
drank as much as I could, and made Gunga
Dass understand that intended to be his
master, and that the least sign of in
subordination on his part would be visited
with the only punishment I had in my
powe er to inifict-sudden and violent death.
Shortly after this | went to bed.
That is to say, Gunga Dass gave me
double armful of dried bents, which
thrust down the mouth Of the lair to the
right Of his and followed myself, feet fore
most, the hole running about nine feet into
the sand with slight downward inclina-
ton, and being neatly shored with timbers.
From my den, which faced the river front.
i was able to watch the waters Of the Sut
lei flowing past under the light Of young
moon and compose myself to sleep as best
I might.
The horrors of that night / shall never
forget. Ny den was nearly as narrow as a
coffin, and the sides had been worn smooth
and greasy by the contact of innumerable
naked bodies, added to which it smelled
abominably. Sleep was altogether out of
question to one in my excited frame of
mind. As the night wore on it seemed
that the entire amphitheatre was filed
with legions of unclean devils that troop
Eg up from the shoals below, mocked the
unforturates in their lairs.
THE eUICKsAYD.
Personally am not of an imaginative
temperament-very few engineers arc
but on that accession | was as completely
prostrated with nervous terror as any
woman After half an hour or so, how
ever, j was able onse more to calmly re-
view my chances of escape. Any exit by
the steep sand walls was, Of course, i'm
practicable. had been thoroughly con
vinced of this some time before.
1t was possible, just possible, that |
might, in the uncertain moonlight, safely
run the gauntlet of the rife shots. The
place was so full Of terror for me that |
was prepared to undergo any risk in leay-
ing it, Imagine my delight, then, when
when after creeping stealthily to the river
front | found that the Internal boat was
not there. My freedom lay before me in
the next few steps!
BY walking out to the first shallow pool
that lay at the foot of the projecting left
horn Of the horseshoe, could wade across,
turn the flank Of the crater and make my
way inland. Without moments hesita
tion 1 marched briskly past the tussocks
where Gunga Dass had shared the crows
and out in the direction of the smooth
white sand beyond. Ny first step from the
tufts OF dried grass showed me how utterly
futile was any hope Of escape, for, as | put
my foot down, felt an indescrible draw
ing, sucking motion of the sand below.
Another moment and my legs was swal
lowed up nearly to the knee. In the moon
light the whole surface of the sand seemed
to be shaken with deyilish delight at my
disappointment. ! struggled clear, sweat
ing with terror and exertion, back to the
tussoclss behind me aud fell on my face.
Ny only means of escape from the semi
circle was protected with quicksand!
How long / lay l have not the faintest
idea; but 1 was reused at last by the
maleyolent chucklc of Gunga Dass at my
ear. ~ would advise you, Protector Of the
Poor" (the rufiian was speaking EngIish),
''to return to your house. 1t is unhealthy
to lie down here. Moreover, when the
boat returns, you will most certainly be
rided at. He stood over me in the dim
light of the dawn, chuckling AID laughing
to himself.
Suppressing my first impulse to catch
the man by the neck and throw him ON to
the qucksand, rose sullenly and follow
cd him to the platform below the burrows.
Suddenly, and futilely as ] thought
while | spoke, / "Gunga Dass,
what is the good OF the boat if can't get
uot, any howi" / recollect that even in my
deepest trouble | had been speculating
vaguely on the waste OF ammunition in
guarding an already well protected fore
shore.
Gunga Dass laughed again and made
have the boat in daytime?
1t is for the reason that there is way.
hope we shall have the pleasure of your
for much longer time 1t is a
pleasant when you have been here some
years and eaten roast crow long enough"
staggered, numbed and helpless,
toward the fetid burrow allotted to me,
and fell asleep. An hour or SO later I 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
barrow. When was in the open / saw
Pornie, my poor old Pornic, lying dead on
the sandy soil. nv
How they had killed him / cannot
guess. Gunga Dass explained that horse
was better than crow, and greatest good
Of greatest number is political maxim. We
are now republic. Mister Jukes, aud you
are entitled to fair share of the beast. If
you like we will pass a vote Of thanks
Shall | proposep
Yes, We were a republic indeed! A re-
public of wild beasts pcnned at the bottom
IF a pit, to eat and fight and sleep till
we died. | attempted no protest OF any
sind, but sat down and stared at the
lidcolls sight in front OF me In lcsE timn