Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-23

however, our hopes were shattered by
our being arrested as the murderers OF
Achmet
1T came about in this way; When
the rajah put his jewels into the hands
Of Achmet he did it because he knew
that he was a trusty man. They are
| suspicious folk in the east, however; SO
what does this rajah do but take see
ond even more trusty servant and set
him to play the spy upon the first?
This second man was ordered never to
let Achmct out Of his sight, and he fol
lowed him like his shadow lie went
after him that night and saw him pass
through the doorway OF course he
thought he had taken refuge in the
fort, and applied for admission there
himself next day, but could find
no trace OF Achmet This seemed
TO him SO strange that he spoke
about II to sergeant Of guides.
who brought II TO the ears OF
The commandant. A thorough search
was quickly made, and the body was
discovered. Thus at the very moment
that we thought that all was safe we
were all four seized and brought 10
trial on II charge Of murder-'hree Of
Us because we had held the gate that
night, and the fourth because he was
known to have been in company OF the
murdered man Not word about the
jewels came out at the trial, for the
rajah had been deposed and driven out
Of India; so no one had any particular
interest in them The murder, how
ever. was clearly made out, and 1t was
certain that we must all have been
concerned in H. The three Sikhs got
penal scrvitude for life, and was con-
dclnncd TO death, though my sentence
was afterward committed into the
same as the others
III was rather queer position that
we found ourselves In then. There
we were, all four tied by the leg and
with precious little chance Of ever get
ting ont again, while we cach held
secret which might have put each OF us
in palace II we could only have made
use Of it. 1t was enough to make Il
man cat his heart out to have to stand
the kick md the cuff Of every petty
jack If Office, to have rice to cat and
water to drink, when that gorgeous
fortune was ready for him outside, just
waiting to be picked up. 1t might have
driven me mad; but | was always II
pretty stubborn one, so just held on
and bded my time.
AT last II seemed to me to have
come. was changed from Agra to
Madras, and from there to Blair island
in the Andamans. There are very few
white convicts at this settlement, and,
as had behaved well from the first, |
soon found myself sort Of privileged
person. was given n hut in Hope town,
which Is a small place on the slopes Of
Mount Harriet, and was left pretty
much to myself. 1t is dreary, fever
stricken place, and all beyond our little
clearings was infested with wild canni-
bal natives, who were ready enough to
blow poisoned dart at us II they saw
a chance. There was digging, and
ditching, and yam-planting, and
dozen other things to be done, so we
were busy enough all day; though In
the evening we had little time to our
selves. Among other things, learned
to dispense drugs for the surgeon, and
picked up smattering Of his knowl.
edge. All the time was on the look
out Tor chance Of escape; but 1t Is
hundreds OF miles from any other land,
and there is little or no wind In those
seas; 80 It WINS terribly difficult Job to
get away
1.-THE surgeon, Dr. Somerton, was
fast, sporting young chap, and the
other young officers would meet in his
rooms Of an evening and play cards.
The surgery where used to make up
my drugs, was next to his sitting-room,
with II small window between US.
Often, II felt lonesome, used to turn
out the lamp in the surgery, and then,
standing there, could hear their talk
and watch their play. | nm fond OF q
hand at cards myself, and 1t was al
most as good as having one to watch
the others. There was Maj, Sholto,
Capt Morstan and Lieut.. Bromley
Brown, who were in command Of tho
native troops, and there was the sur
geon himself and two or three prison
officials, crafty old hands who playeda
nice sly safe game A very snug little
party they used to make
well, there was one thing which
very soon struck Inc, and that was
that soldiers used always to lose and
the civilians to win. Mind, don't say
that there was anything unfair, but so
it was. These prison chaps had done
little else than play cards ever since
they had been at the Andamans, and
they knew each others game to n
point, while the Others just played to
pass the time and threw their cards
down anyhow. Night after night
the soldiers got up poorer men, and the
poorer they got the more keen they
were to play. Maj. Sholto was the
hardest hit lie used topay in notes and
gold at first, but soon it came to notes
Of hand and lfor big sums. He some
times would win for a few deals, just
to give him heart, and then the luck
would set In against him worse than
ever. All day he would wander about
as black as thunder, and he took to
deal more than was good
for him.
Zone night he lost even more heavily
than usual. | was sitting in my hut
when he and Capt Morstan came
stumbling along on the way to their
quarters. They were bosom friends,
those two, and never far apart The
major was raving about his losses.
ats all up, Morstan,' he was say
ing, as they passed my hut I shall
nave to send in my papers, am a
ruined man
Nonsense, old chapr said the