The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-25


veterans in the corps who had fought in
e sgaI and in Egypt, but for per-
this stern-visaged warrior out-distanced
those Of all his comrades Was it not
tWhIi,ten In the chronicles of the regiment
onaI ms strong right arm had saved the
! Solors at Maiwand? And was not the rib
BON OF the V. c. on his breast in token
that he had snatched Colonel MacLeod
surely wounded, from among the Arab
spears of FL Teb? Frazer and Dalzeii
S.1qefScniing MIN step on to the veranda and
GERS could not help thinking that but FOR
| me coloneIs Injunction, If Ferguson ever
mo- the handling Of him, IL would go hard
that brave rescue
The color sergeant halted with salute
III .Iont OF the Bombay chairs. and stood
waiting. Captain Frazer knew his man too
Wen Ven 10 beat about the bush and try to
| 3reak the news 10 him gently The SOL
| dierly qualities of the veteran REQUIRED sol
| ulerly treatment, and his officer was aware
s siIaI whether he got it first or last, the
| equally we'll concealed.
| Ferguson" said Frazer 1.-The Colonel
h MaS snot az this morning on parade-with
pan cartridge. you understand-and from
/ the position he occupied at the time. / am
| inclined 10 think the bullets came from G
| company. Can you suggest any clew which
| may help TO trace the scoundrl or mailman
| who fired them?'
The angry glare in the sergeant's eyes
| ana culver of the nostrils were the only
| sign he gave, except that there a scarce
perseptible tremor in his voice as he made
/
| sir; there's nae lad in G. company-ay, nor
| in the regiment-would willingly put his
hand to sic dastardly deed"
Frazer fastened TO inform Ferguson of
| the previous attempt the preceding
| Tuesday. which had put the idea of acct
| dent beyond the bounds of reasonable con-
| lecture.
It's nae matter" said the color sergeant
| sic an accident as that wad he waur than
| crime I'm glad to ken that il is neither,
| by your honor's showing. Some puir body
among the lads has been stricken daft, and
| done this thing but l Gamma say whole
! fore tomorrow night"
Both the officers started in surprise. "You
suspect some one. then%' exclaimed Dali
zell. You have noticed a strangeness in
| verify your SuSpiciOns%
In that case. sergeant" added Frazer,
| lit is your duty TO confide your suspicious
TO us. This is n serious affair, in which we
| have the Colonel's positive orders not to act
| definitely without informing him. 1t Is my
belief that If he can see his way TO pre-
| venting a repetition of the attempt he will
move heaven and earth to hush the whole
thing up"
II wadna TAX upon myself to act in the
matter except under orders. sir" replied
the color sergeant, the mar th espe bar Is
is just that suspicion I'm after getting,
and by your honor's leave I'll get it to-
| morrow night"
How do you mean to get to work.
| asked the Captain.
Il ken nae guild it will do tellin' We, sir.
Seem that I'll cen TAX the risk OF mysel';
| we maun let me haze my ain way, and no
speak ae word" replied Ferguson.
GA o s",i tne snd roSbf on ordinary Occasions
have presumed a good deal more than ne
was in the habit of doing; but under the
| circumstances his answer was a little more
| than the captain of his company could
stand.
sharply "You will either inform me at
| once what tseps you mean to take, or take
no steps at all. That is an order, mind;
| and please remember that the ColonePs life
| may depend upon your decision. There Will
be another blank-firing parade day after
| sent himself because Of what happened to-
The color sergeant was still standing at
| attention, and his fingers clawed convul-
| sivey at the seams of his trowSerS as he
| listened TO the alternatives thus plainly
placed before him; but he chose the one
Frazer had expected, prefacing his explain
but 1 ken better than that And then he
told how he had scraped acquaintance with
recently established himself in the Sudder
Bazaar, ostensbly as an astrologer. but
lief in him. must have been a past master
of the black art as we'll. According to
| Ferguson, Rajab ALI had the means, either
by cards or by the divining-rod, OF unveil-
ing what was hidden in the past. the pres
ent the future, He, the sergeant, had
been privileged TO test the astrologers mar
velous powers, and he had but little doubt
| but that the latter would be able to cope
with the mystery which was puzzling them.
i
the rear of the barracks the following
night, when he was to be favored with q
| further demonstration, and he would take
| the opportunity of getting this matter
cleared up at once for all.
Frazer smiled ncredulousy, and then his
| face was clouded with a shade of dsap-
| pointment. He had been pinning his faith
to the practical assistance of his shrewd
old subordinate; and and now the latter had
sample of Highland superstition. What
was worse, the captain was half inclined TO
think that Rajab Ali and his divining rod
were only being exploited as a substitute
for more sensible methods of detection, be-
cause Ferguson obstinately refused TO be-
lieve in the possible guilt of any member
of his company.
Come, Ferguson said Frazer, this is
no time for tomfoolery of that kind. Be-
sides, you forget the ColonePs orders not
TO blab the affair to anyone You will best
show your zeal by going back to barracks
in your charge. By comparing the result
with the musketry sergeants register Of
every shot fired on the ranges it may be
| possible to trace the cartridges that were
| used. There must be at least three short
somewhere. At any rate, that will be a
more sensible way of going to work than
| questioning q native impostor, whose first
task will be to handy a garbled account Of
| the case about the baZaarS."
i dinna mean heckling the body or con-
fidin' anything to him, SIR replied Fergu-
son ruefully al should only ask him to
show me what most desire to see-same as
he showed me my aud mitherS face in a
pool of ink in his hand a while agone May
| hap this time 1 should behold the daftie
who did this de'irs wark. / will make q
| return of receipts from magazine and am
| munition in stock and bring them with the
musketry registers, sir" added the Sergeant
quickly, noting the growing Impotence on
| his officers face.
| Let me have them by noon," said Fra
| ger. shortly; and Ferguson, seeing that the
| interview was at an end, saluted and re-
| tired with knitted brows. The Captain and
| Lieutenant watched him striding away
across the parade ground, and it was not
| till he had passed far beyond hearing that
| DalZell broke silence.
| Il suppose you were right" he said, ito
| put a damper on his ardor in that direc-
| ton; but, do you know, l have got a sort
| of feeling-I won't go TO the length OF call
| ing it presentiment-that perhaps this fell
low Rejab might, after all, put us on the
| right scent"
| Frazer stared at his subaltern in aston
| ishment "You don't mean to tell me, Stu
| art, that you believe in magic and such
| like?" he exclaimed.
NO" said the other, 81 do not; and yet
| the motive-not the reason-which sets me
| laundering after this Surau astrologer's ac-
| Quaintance is pretty nearly the same, ex-
| pect, as that which makes the Sergeant so
! keen on consulting him. i mean that Fer
| guson has absolute faith in the lads of G.
| Company, and will catch at any straw
| rather than try of his own initiative to
| faSten suspicion on any one of them. That
| is precisely my case. L suggested just now
that native mischief might somehow be at
| the bottom of the attempt Macleod /
do not believe in Rajab Ali's magic; but L