The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-12
stones which looked like emeralds.


The priest wouldn't sell me this idol
and in fact looked quite offended wher
| offered to purchase it. He was propi
tiated and appessed, however, by the
welcome gift of a rupee.
l was bound to get that idol for Mrs
Crowninshield. Accordingly l laid my
plans with what | thought was rare
skill bought little canoe from q na
tive for trife and concealed 1t In the
Jungle near the river. | knew that if
attempted 70 steal the idol and take it tc
| Colombo overland | should be detected
and probably murdered by the supeA
stitious Singhalese. Therefore the river
was my sole hope. The tide would carry
me down swiftly and l could easily
reach my ship.
| One pitch dark night / made for the
! joss house. The fat old priest was asleep.
| You could hear his shores afar of. There
were neither locks nor bolts on the por-
tai, and two little lamps OF cocoanut oil
! served 10 make darkness visible. knew
the latitude and longitude of the shrine
perfectly and soon had the idol In my
grasp. Was it only imagination that
! made me think 1t trembled as Rugged
1t 70 my bosom and made for the canoe?
launched my little craft and padded
vigorously down the river. The current
was rapid. The boat struck a sunken
tree and in an instant capsized. chung
TO an overhanging branch for my life.
Now a strange thing happened. The
idol, with a glare of baleful light gilt
teTlng from its nine green eyes, swan
up the stream, cleaving the water with
the lmpetuosity Of a salmon trout. 1t
had suddenly come TO life. This was
too much for me. l lost consciousness.
When recovered l was in my friends
bungalow. 1t appears that party Of
fishermen going out To catch pra WIS for
the morning dish Of curry had seen me
cEuging TO the tree. They had recog-
nized me as the guest OF the "Burra
Sahib' and had taken me 70 his house |
made clean breast Of II TO nv host. He
told me that It was impossible to steal
an idol from the joss house. They al
WAYS returned 70 the temple He took
me 10 the shrine and pulling aside the
curtain from the niche there sat the
same old idol a. unconcerned and in
animate as you please. How did he get
back?
Come 70 the village with me" said
nv host We went 20 the hut of native
carpenter. who was engaged IN whiting
out an idol almost the exact counterpart
of the one tried TO steal. I bought It
for fifteen rupees.
That one can never Set AWAIT
hasn't been blessed said the Burrs
Sahib.
Eighteen months after leaving Salem
we landed th5Te again. concluding .
most prosperous voyage. l hired q
wagon, and packing al nv curios was
driven up TO the house OF Captain Crow
ninshield, choosing 3 tine when the
skipper was engaged 1t the Office OF the
owners. Ms. CrowniElshleia was a.
home looking loEeiier &1A mare bloom
ing than ever. She was kind euo-gh -
remember me / displsyel my colisc-
ton and presented ii. including tie idol
she kissed he ugly faces % The ms-s-e-.
Then turning 70 me she exclaimed.
Tom .JseSrau, Eow can | ever repav
vou for vos- ,-.ad1csse AZ ev@r So
mach cbhgr-i
Then she u4ssss<s3 Ter ,.s ~ 9I.e=ats-
SudQel.lg a t-.ght tlo4ghl IA innate
ker lovely curnfen&I.cr-
"Tll tell wa what. TSm.r size e.