Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-03-14

~N--
fair?"
l was to write them volumes about the
wonders of the Indies and was TO give par
ticular information on these two points
namely, the feeling inspired by wounded
tiger charging full upon you when yourgun
is empty and what thought of the hea-
then sods-from a financial point OF view.
81 believe" remarked one with taste
for finance "those unconscionable pagans
make themselves deities of the finest ore
set with precious stones while we haven't
cash enough for an afternoons outing. Just
senG us a god, old chappie, till we see bow
the heathen abomination would melt in the
crucibla of Christian goldsmith"
They escorted me in body to my coach.
For, being prosperous now, acquaintance
became friends. They gave prolonged
cheer es the vehicle moved off and unani-
nous injunction to mind my liver and be
, on my guard against the encroachments of
pride when, as nabob with a retinue of
slaves, I hobnobbed with the dusky and
luxurious potentates of the east.
Only one thing marred my enjoyment.
had it set in my mind to give Peter Gle
phane the soundest drubbing he had ever
had in his life, but as he happened to be
absent in Dundee my virtuous intent did
not blossom into action.
Arrived in London, my first business was
to find Captain Rogers. He had heard
from Sir Thomas and received me with
great atfability and consideration, under
taking to have me bestowed III the best
part of the ship and to letme see something
of the town before we started. In me, as
remember, our sightseeing expeditions pro-
duced perhaps as much bewilderment as
pleasure wandered through the seeth-
ing, roaring wilderness of the largest city
of the world eager to learn and admire, yet
feeling so utterly out of my element, 50
much coniounded by the din aud smoke
and rush, by the ruthless self assertiveners
and indifference that seemed TO character
ize men and things alike, by the squalor
and splendor so grotesquely blended and
tragically contrasted-in a word, so dazcd
by the distracting throb and tumult OF
nations mighty heart, that | was glad TO
get away.
When the time came to sail, the river
sides were thronged with people to witness
the spectacle of our departure; for, that
| being just the beginning of the era OF steam
it was thought a miraculous thing TO see
stately three decker sailing off with never
stitch of canvas set nor any visible means
of getting forward save by n wheel that
| frantically churned the water INFO foam
| and if it was strange to the spectators on
shore to see big ship going bravely on in
dependently of wind and tide must own
it was rather startling to one ut least OF
those on board tp be Gagged upon the waters
with a bclching, pounding, wheezlng,
screeching fire demon that seemed TO DE
crying out in eternal agony and struggling
with all it's frenzicd might TO burStlts bonds
and v;reak destruction on all about It.
Often in the night have lain listening
to it in its miniature pandenonium, never
silent, never slumbering, never Tor one
brief moment ut peace, but for vcr wrench
ing and writhnG. ( revcr setting up the
same inappeasablc. =. :: of lahoriNS pain and
the same terrible threat OF vengeance
Nowadays we have grown 50 familiar with
The fire iicnd that rs it were, we stroke
him complacrnt!y OF the back, but never
come near him in steamer Or kissing loco
motive without Il @shudder 1t the Thought
of the vengeance he will one day wreak on
this world
Eut in that fresh experience curiosity and
interest soon mastered! fear There was
"ladness in the ease and specd with which
our flame fed slave carried us down tlc riv
cr and along the coast Of Kent aud past
the tall white cliffs Of Dover" the last
prominent spot Oh which the cXilcs strain.
| ing eye rests when he is leaving England
for the east and the first on which 1t wiSt
fully falls when happily he returns The
sun was going down in q soft suiinsion OF
color as we entered the strait, casti2g a
plamorous iridcscent light Oh the reccdlng
| land and the sails of the many stately ships
that were bearing galantly up and down,
some like ourselves, outward bound, 9th
ers, their wanderings for the present over,
bound for the home we had left. stood
on the deck gazing backward till the land
melted into darkness, then Captain Rogers
quietly slipped his arm in mine, and we
went below to supper
The Pearl of the Orient made quick and
prosperous passage, landing us in Bombay
in day less than the time reckoned for
the voyage before starting. You may be
sure did not allow Sir Thomas business
to lag.
Having presented my letters Of introduc-
ton and undergone q brief but fiery course
of hospitality, set vigorously to the work
before me, assisted by the numerous friends
of my patron. | had no difficulty in dis.
covering that Donald Gordon had been
in Bombay some is months before and had
suddenly disappeared. But whittier he had
gone, whether he had departed by land or
| by sea, or been dispatched by the hand of
the assassin, no one had the least idea.
There were Of course conjecturcs in plenty.
| He might be hunting in the jungle, or TAX
ing the cool air among the hills, or trailick-
ing with oily natives in another town. He
might be in China or Japan or Australia
or the South Sea islands or Peru, or in the
interior of some entcrprising shark. The
possibilities were endless but there was
only one certainty-that he had completely
slipped all his friends in Bombay
In my first report home, then, had
nothing better to send than hope, of which
| was no niggard. / stated, truthfully
enough trust, that had already learned
something about Donald; also, fear not
quite so truthfully, that was not without
reasonable ground for thinking that he and
I should shortly have dish of curry to.
pether. did not tell them that as Il last
resource had employed the cleverest pri,
vate detective in the city to help me, and
that he had failed to find so much rs
single clue. Had written what was in my
mind should have said frankly that so far
as could then be seen there was not the
remotest chance of being able totrace Don
aid. Perhaps the better course would have
been to say that. | saw this more clearly
when the letter was gone, and had strong.
er reason to conclude he must be really
dead.
argued in this way: Donald Gordon has
a multitude of friends in Bombay, and if
he wished to leave he would certainly have
told them Of his intention, and the direction
he purposcd to take, and what he intended
to do. There isamplc evidence that he ner
er breathed syllable to one of them Of any
plan for the future. Moreover, there is a
considerable sum Of money standing TO his
credit with his fathers banker. He knew
it had been lodged there for his use, and
considering his extremely precarious and