The morning times., 1896-09-20
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BY VICTOR SAND.
lCnpyright. / sg6.l

Fort Fraser stands on Il hare, prsCipituus
f'othll Of the Himalayds In the old
days IL was called Fer, Buehlai,'' but
grateful government changed the name for
reasons which Will be- made apparent
Donald Fraser is :; small toy. i'll shor,
Jackets. attending an English public sch.oI
His cheeks are ruddy, his eyes are bright.
and he Is manly little fellow, every inch
uf him But there is nothing notceably re
markahle about him. when placed among
81 crowd of other sChuolboyS Of his age
Yet Donald Frascr's brief life liSt Ury fig
ureS brlvely in the golden book of the
Indian empire \ viceruy has palted his
curly head: the empress queen herself
has written him her thanks. In point of
fact. Fort Fraser. which WIS formerly
Fort Buchlai." was remained in honor
Of this spoiled child of fortune
ponald's father, Il stalwart Scot, was in
come the mutherless BARN about whom this
story is woven. 4 battalonof IIighla nders.
portion Of a Goorkha regiment, and Il field
battery formed Col. Fraser's small force
small. but quite large enough to defend the
basrons Little Donald WAS, Of course,
the pet uf the camp, being the only juvenile.
and the coloncl's son to boot. He knew all
the HirhIanders and artillcrymen by name:
and romped mcrrily with the Go"rkhas.
those wonderful, wiry little warriors-so
good humored in peace. 50 terrible in war.
The only person in all the fort of whom he
stood in awe was his father; and. indeed.
Irir ,l.,,.t
with plcnary powers ot life ana death, is
considerably awe-inspiring. 1t gave Don
aid Il thrill when he entered the colonel.s
strong room at the fort. and saw the mys-
terious dispatch boxes, and the allurinr,
many -C1iuFed maps which Crnwdcdits severy
corner Bnt toward the big, brass bound
box in the corner his admiring eyes stole
most frequently. For well he knew that
in that box lay what Russia hungered Tor
So ficrcrly-the full and particular plans Of
Fort Buchlai.
MY boy" said Col Fraser. that box.
and those maps. must he defended with our
lives il necessary. They mean the safety
or the Indian empre-dn you understand"''
And Donald understood.
II was Springtimc in the pass of Amer
ali. The new grass bowed hlithcly be
fore the winds. and from the North came
an endless train of caravans-'the snow
bound trade from beyond the mountains
let lcos, from it's wintry hondage. Few
came from the South IN springtime, save
only the overland mail runners, and messen-
gers from the government: hence it Uc-
casioncd much plcasureable surprise among
the lonely Officers Of the fort when three
distinguished visitors arrived at their gates
from the direction of Cashmere.
From the very first Donald did not like
theS. venturcsome Frcnchmcn To the
colonel and his officers they seemed pleasant
gentlemen enough. but nothing could in
duce rhc boy to make friends with his
fathers guests. Instead OF sitting at the
mess table. as was his custom, lie stole
off to the soldiers quarters, and. seeking
out a gigantic Highlander, his special crony.
to Tim revealed the causes of his dislike.
There are three of 'em. Neiil, he said.
FIRST there's Capt Ferrier. He's lit
tie. thin mau-likc Il fox terrier. only he
can't look in your eye as fox terriers al
WAYS do. Then there's the Baron de Beliot
"A big. fat fellow. with a nou>taChc like
my fathers shaving brushes The third
is a rrofcssor-I forgot his name, hut he
wears blue spec;aCles and sneaks about like
a cat
Nell Cameron shook his head doubt
fully. Sat docSna sound like Frenchmcn,
whatcfrcr.' 'heSaid. "Frenchmen are emrrry
frlluwS-laugu an sing all sa time
- When those fellows laugh quuth Don
aid. they are just pretending. When
they were i'll fathers room. | saw the
old chap with the blue goggles, sneak
ing about, looking at the maps.
don't believe they're Frcnchnien AT
all,
But sd Gofernor -ChcncrIIS creden-
IialS. whateffcr," protested NeiA
"oh, bother. The yiCer"y can he ini-
posed on l suppose, once in q while. =.
Anyhow, Nell, I'm just going to keep an
eye on them while they're here; and /
want you to help me-
1t was on the fourth night. that as the
Baron De Tellut left the meSs-ruom, and
he ChanCcG to drop a crunipled envelope. |
Sitting in the window of the fort, Don |
aid Fraser S;iw the paper fall; and in IL !
minute he had crcpt forward and seized |
II. Quick TO the guard-rron fire be ran: |
aud there attempted TO spell out the |
superscripturc But. alas, the superscrip-