The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-01-20

"
/ just see. A nurse who talked contlnu-
ally about snakes and pulled him back
from the mouth of a fascinating dry
we'll, and a mother who believed that
the sun hurt little heads, were the
only drawbacks to this loneliness. But,
as his legs grew under him, he found
that by scaling an enormous rampant
three feet of broken-d0wn mud wall
at the end of the garden-he could
come into a rcady-made kingdom where
every one was his slave. Imam Din
showed him the way one evening, and
the police troopers cooking their sup
per received him with rapture, and
gave him pieces of very indigestible
but altogether delightful spiced bread.
Here he sat or sprawlcd in the horse
feed where the police horses were pick
eted in a double line, and he named
them, men and beasts together, accord
ing to his ideas and experiences, as his
first father had done before him. In
those days everything mad a name,
from the mud managers to the heel
ropes, for things were people to Adam
exactly as people are things to folk
in their second childhood. Through all
the conference.-the hand twisted into
Imam bins beard, and the other OF
his polished belt Duckle-there were two
other people who came and went across
the talk-death and sickness-personS
greater than Imam Din, and stronger
than the heel-roped stations. There
was Mata, the smallpox, u in
some way connected with pigs; and
Hcza, the cholera, a black man accord
ing to Adam; and Booka, starvatiOn;
and Kismet, who settled all questions,
from the untimely choking Of il pet
mungoose in the kitchen drain, to the
absence Of a young policeman who
nee missed Il parade and never came
back. 1t was all very wonderful to
Adam, but not worth much thinking
over; for a child's mind is bounded
by his eyes exactly as a horses view
Of the road is limited by blinkers. Be
tween all these Objectionable shadOwy
Migrants stood a ring Of kind faces
and strong arms, and Malta and Heza
would never touch Adam, the first Of
men. Kismet might do so because
and this was a mystery no staring into
the looking glass would solve-Kismet,
who was a man, was also written, like
police orders for the day, in or on
Adams head. Imam Din could not ex-
plain how this might be, and it was for
that gray fat Muhammedan that Adam
learned through every infection the
khuda janta God knowsD that settles
everything in his mind.
Beyond the fact that "Khuda" was a
very good man and kept lions, Adams
theology did not run far. Mrs. Strick-
land tried to teach him Il few facts,
but he revolted at the story of Genesis
as untrue. A turtle. he said, upheld
the world, and one-half the adventures
Of Iuzrut NJ N'ather Noah had never
been told. If Mamma wanted to hear
them, she must ask Imam Din. Adam
had heard of a saint who made wooden
cakes and pressed them to his stomach
when he felt hungry, and the feeding of
the multitude did not impress him.
So it came about that a reading of
miracle stories generally ended into a
monOlogue by Adam ON other and much
more astonishing miracles.
It's awful" said Mrs. Strickland,
half crying, Ito think of his growing
up like a little heathen." Mrs. Strick-
land Miss Youghal that was, if you re-
member herr had been born and
brought up in England, and did not
quite understand things.
LET him alone" said Strickland.
Hell grow out Of it all, or it will
only come back to him in Dreams"
Are YOU sure?" said his wife, to
whom S%trickland's least word was pure
truth.
''Quite. l was sent home when I was
I, and they flicked it out Of me with
a wet towel at Harrow. Public schools
don't encourage anything that isn't
quite English"
Mrs. Strickland shuddered for she had
been trying not to think Of the separa-
ton that followed motherhood in India;
and makes life there, for all that is
written to the contrary, not quite the
most desirable thing in the world.
Adam trOtted out to hear about some
miracles, and his nurse nus have WOr-
ried him beyond bounds, for she came
back weeping, saying that Adam Bahia
was in danger OF being eaten alive by
wild horses.
AS a matter Of fact, he had shaken
off Juma by boiling between q couple
of picketed horses and lying down un-
der their bellies. That they We're per-
sonal friends of his Juma did not under
stand, nor Strickland either. Adam was
settled at ease when his father arrived
breathless and white, and the stations
put back their ears and sQuealed.
If you come here" said Adam, they
will hit you kicks. Tell Juma I have
eaten my rice and wish to be alone"
"Come out at once said Strickland,
for the horses were beginning to paw
violently.
Why should I obey Juma's orders?
She is afraid of horses"
1T is not Juma's orders. 1t Is mine.
Obey"
"Ho" said Adam, "Juma did not tell
me that!!' and he crawled out on all
fours among the shod feet. Mrs. Strick-
land was crying bitterly with fear and
excitement, and rs a sacrifice to the
home gods Adam had to be whipped.
He said, with perfect justice: '"There
was no order that 1 should not sit with
the horses, and they are my horses
Why is there this tamasha?
49, Strickland's face showed him that the
whipping was coming, and the child
turned white. Mother like, Mrs. Strick.
land left the room, but Juma, the foster
mother, staid to see.
Am I to be whipped herc"' he gasp.
ed.
"Of course"
Before that woman? Father, I am
a mani am not afraid. 1t Is my izzat
my honor"
Strickland only laughed Ito this day
L cannot imagine what possessed HIM,
and gave Adam the little tap-tap with
q riding-cane that was whipping suffi.
cient for his years.
When it was all over, Adam said,
quietly. II am little, and you are big.
II I had staid among my horse folk
I should not have been whipped. You