The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-29

'IS 1T STRANGER THAN WHAT YOU
SAW ON MOHURRUM NIGHT ONCE.
IN DOLPUR?' SAID wAJID ALI.
QUIETLY.
ly of the baclways of a great Moham-
medan city. Who was this man who
knew Of it?
"You know much, Valid Ali" he said.
Perhaps /, too, know a little"
"Yes, / know much," said Valid All
with puff at his hoolah. IF / did not,
YOU might not be alive at this moment.
did not trust you without good cause,
sahib. Do you know that you are man
after my own heart? If what tell you
now induces you to throw in your lot
with us, we shall have gained more than
hoped to win so soon. Do you want
to know all?"
"Assuredly." said Esdaile. "S~y on"
The old men had seated themselves
sgain round the fire, acquiescent, ap-
parently, in the leaders line of action.
Valid ali snuggled little closer into
his blanket, sucked at the hoolSah for a
moment, fixed his eyes on Esdaile, and
began.
IL am an old man, sahib, as you per-
ceive. but perhaps am older than you
think. i can remember many things
surely did not dream them--that no
other living man has seen. There was
time when this land we stand in now
belonged, not TO the British raj, but to
another people, and when the English
came there was much trouble. II was
war. and the English did not always
there"-jerking his head 10 the west
ward--"and the little hillmen had their
fill Of slaughter. knew of it. beceuse
/ saw the white soldiers that came back,
and they spoke much Of it. Their gen.
eral was killed. md his officers died
round him; you can see the pillar that
was put up to his memory across the
naddi from Timli now. They won at
last, the sahibs. but the hillside there
has been soaked in English blood. And
those TINT came back. SO worn and hag-
gard-I,can see them now"
The meaning of this preamble forced
itself upon Esdaile at this juncture,
and he grasped.
"You'restalldng about the conquest OF
Timli. You can't remember that. It
happenednca1ly hundred years ago!"
"Ah! Vah till the end of my tale
before yoahsaC-what / can or cannot do"
shuckled Wgjid Ali, much pleased APP
parcntly atythe effect he had produced.
"You knovvjof that time? Twas a grown
man then, pnd the gray hairs were be-
ginning to\ show themselves in my
beard. And OF those that were men
with me, offthe millions that lived and
breathed with me in this Hindostan OF
ours, not o ae remains save only those
here, and they were babes at that time"
He paused impressively. and then
continued:
when l was n young man became
a servant--'rhat you English would call
q clcrk-to IN old and wise merchant OF
Delhi. den YER in silks and carved ivory
ard sweet melting boxes, who was we'll
enough kno wn in his time. lie Travelled
from one great city 20 another. selling
his goods tcythc sahibs sometimes. and
sometimes penetrating to the native
states and doing his business with the
princes OF those lands. lie knew the
worth Of MI things, my master. and he
had alwaystone eye open for bargains
wherever b bvcnt. and the shinEa he col
lccted wcr Smany aud curious. lie was
n rich mara but he was not happy one.
Long before. his only son, who was 10
him as the apple of his eye. had been
murdered, by Thugs while travelling
with go,sis. and his death had prcycd
on my ,aaster's mind. lie favored me
emcrr his servants. for he said thnt