The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-12

''Not before the fifth shot" said the
mugger. US though he had never
dreame,. of stunning one of his listen
ers--''not before the fifth shot did
sink, and rose in time to hear thief
Of boatman telling all those white
women that was most certainly dead.
One bullet had gone under u neck
plate of mine. l know not If it is there
still, for the reason l cannot turn my
head. Look and see, child. It will
show my tale is true"
"I?" said the jackal. "Shall an eater
Of old shoes, bone-craclIer, presume
10 doubt the word OF the Envy of the
River? May my tail be bitten off by
blind puppies if the shadow of such
thought have crossed my humble mind.
The Protector OF the Poor has con-
descended to inform me, his slave, that
once in his life he has been wounded
by woman This is sufficient, and l
will tell the tale to all my children,
asking for no proof"
"0ver-much civility is sometimes no
better than over-much discourtesy, for,
as the saying is, one can choke guest
with curds. ] do not desire that any
children Of thine should know that the
mugger of Mugger-Ghaut took his only
wound from woman. They will have
much else to think of if they get their
living as miserably MS does their
father"
ut is forgotten long ago! 1t was
never said! There never was a white
woman! There was no boat! Nothing
whatever happened at all"
The jaclal waved his brush to show
how completely everything was wiped
out Of his memory, and sat down with
an air.
Indeed, very many things hap
pened," said the mugger, beaten in his
second attempt that night to get the
better of his friend. Neither bore
malice, however. Eat and be eaten
was fair law along the river, and the
jackal came in for his share Of plunder
when the mugger had finished meal. J
~ left that boat and went upstream,
and, when l had reached Arrah and
the back waters behind it, there were
no more dead English. The river was
empty for awhile. Then came one or
two dead, in red coats, not English, but
of fone kind all-Hindoos and Purbeeahs
then Ave and six abreast, and at
last, from Arrah to the north beyond
Agra, it was as though whole villages
had walked into the water. They came
out Of little creeks one after another, as
the logs come down in the rains. When
the river rose they rose also in
companies from the shoals they had
rested upon; and the falling food
dragged them with it across the fields
and through tfe jungle by the long
hair. All nigSlt, too, going north l
heard the guns, and by day the shod
feet of men crossing fords, and that
noise which heavy cart wheel makes
on sand under water; and every ripple
brought more dead. At last even was
afraid, for l said: IF this happen to
men how shall the mugger of Mugger.
Ghaut escape% There were boats, too,
that came up behind me without sails,
burning continually as the cotton
boats sometimes burn, but never sink
ing"
''Ahw said the adjutant. "Boats like
those come to Calcutta Of the South.
They are tall and black, they beat up
the water behind them with O tail
and they"
"Are thrice as big as my village. My
boats were low and white; they beat
up the water on either side of them
and were no larger than the boats Of
one who speaks truth should be. They
made me very afraid, and left water
and went back to this my river, hiding
by day and walking by night, when
could not find little streams to helI
me. came to my village again
hut could not hope to see any Of my
people there. Yet they were plowine
and sowing and reaping, and going t.
and fro in their fields as quietly as theil
own cattle"
WAS there still good food in thC
river?" asked the jackal.
."More than I had any desire for
Even land do not eat mud-even
was tired and, as / remember, LITTLE
frightened Of this constant coming
down of the silent ones. / heard my
people say in my village that all th'
English were dead, but those that cam,
face down with the current were no
English, as my people saw. Then IN!
people said that it was best to say
nothing at oil, but to pay the tax ant
plow the land. After long time thu
river cleared, and those that came dow
st had been clearly drowned by tn,
floods, as could we'll see; and, thougl
it was not SO easy then to get food
! was heartily glad of it. A little kill
Ing here and there is no bad thing
but even the mugger is sometimes sat
isAed, as the saying is"
'Marvelousl Most truly marvellous!
said the jackal. II am become fa
through merely hearing about so mucl
good eating. And afterward what, i
it be permitted to ask, did the Protecto
of the Poor doP"
~ said to myself-and by the Righ
and Left Of Gunga locked my jaws Oh
that vow-I said would never go rov
sng any more. So l lived by the ghaut
very close to my own people, and
watched over them year after year
and they loved me so much that the
threw marigold wreaths at my hea
whenever they saw it lift. Yes, an
my fate has been very kind to me, an
the river is good enough to respect m
poor and infrn presence; only"
mo one is all happy from his beak t
his tnil," said the adjutant, sympathe'
ically. What does the mugger of Mus
ger-Ghaut need more?"
THAT little white cfkld which / di
not get" said the mugger, with dee
osNL NTIa xt,o a x,arr, eyx,o1l 11,,k bau