Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-05
THE TOOTH OF silva.
BIZ GEORGE g. FARQUHAR.

ritably, as he sat with his friend, DIR
Worrall, in their tent one night, after
ten hours stalk in the desolate re
gion at the foot of the Himalayas. 81
vote we give it up as bad job and
make tracks homeward."
We've been unlucky, that's all" re-
about, for we came across their tspoor
to-day up the lake. Halloo. Louis
what's that thing?"
Louis had pulled out his chronome-
ter as he was speaking, and the doc
tors eye CHANGED to catch the gewgaw
that dangled from the chain.
'This?" replied Louis, nonchalantly
ooh, it's little present I had from
Pollard before he eftCalcutta. Neither
valuable nor very ornamental, but
keep it in memory of him."
The object which DR.. Worrail now
scrutinized with some degree of curl
osity was a conical-shaped piece OF
green jade, about an inch in length:
from the base of it projected shor,
strip of furnished metal, and through
this metal a hole had been bored. DIR
Worrall looked long and carefully at
the article.
where did Pollard get it?" he asked
grave look On his face.
''Well, he came across it in this very
neighborhood, I believe. Perhaps, /
ought to say-putting the fact into
plain English-he stole it"
"How did he become possessed OF
it?"
"Oh, by some means or other he Sc
cretly obtained access to q Brahmin
temple, in which an deliberately jew
eled image of silva was enshrined. The
jade teeth of the idol were fixed into
their sockets with golden screws, and
Pollard, DESTROYS of having memento
of his hazardous enterprise, broke one
of the teeth off, and carried it away
with him. It was the act of an icono-
clast, a vandal, but"
"You don't mean to tell me- cried
DR.. Worrall, excitedly, chat this is the
notorious Bharatra tooth?"
"Now you mention it, I recollect
that was the name of the temple-the
Bharatra temple. But why notori-
ous?'
"It appears that the Bhootaneese
have a special regard for these teeth.
certain scores or inscriptions upon
them being attributed to Brahma's
own hand. 1t was the double triangle
cut into the face of this piece of jade
that caused me to question you respect
ing it. A description of the missing
tooth was circulated throughout the
district, the rajah of Waysnu offering
a substantial reward for its recovery
If you value your comfort and safety
Louis, would advise you to get rid of
The stone at the earliest opportunity.
Many fanatic would not count the
cost if he could only obtain possession
of the tooth, and many who are not
fanatics would have little scruple
about killing you for the sake of the
reward"
81 had no idea I was carrying such
dangerous article about with me- re-
joined Louis, with laugh. Here it
goes back into my pocket
"Hark!" interposed the doctor, sud
denly sitting up stiffly. what was
that?"
He rose to his feet, strobe past the
tent pole, and lifted the flap of the
tent. For a minute he looked keenly
out into the night, listening.
II must have been mistaken, he said.
returning. 81 thought heard stealthy
footsteps in the grass. But there's no.
body about"
1.-THE wind among the leaves, that
was all,' opined Louis, with a yawn.
Il say, Worrali, 1 think I'll turn in
I'm dead beat"
The doctor followed his companions
example, and within half an hour the
twain were deep in slumber. How long
Louis had slept he knew not before
he awoke with a SILVER, the cold night
air beating full upon his face. And
20 wonder-for there, not a yard from
his head, the tent cloth was dangling
loose. While he was dreamily debat-
ing the means by which tine canvas
could be refastened with the least
AMOUNT of eXertion to himself, he saw
u hand thrust into the opening. Louis
gazed fixedly. The cloth was cautious
" raised, and now the moons rays
glistened upon a forearm which, Pro-
truded into the tent, swept gently
from side to side, in an ever widening
semi-circle.
Louis rolled over noiselessly and
clutched the cropping limb with both
his hands. The tug of war was violent.
but brief, for Louis fingers slipped
down his adversary's arm as if it were
the body of an eel. The vigor he had
used, thus unexpectedly released, shot
him backward upon DIR. Worrall, who,
alarmed at his friends halloos, had
risen into a sitting posture. Before
they could ''sort themselves out" the
would-be pilferer-for there could be
10 doubt the intruder was upon plum
der bent-had utterly vanished into
space Nor, although they at once
reused the inmates of the camp-their
IIindoo bearers, porters and attend
ants-could the slightest trace OF the
marauder be discovered.
''These Indian tent thieves are slip
perry customers" remarked DR.. Wor-
rail-. Literally, 1 mean. They smear
their bodies with oil and grease, and
then go about their nefarious business
naked. We must keep a better watch
in the future But don't think they'll
trouble us again-at least not to-
night"
Next morning, while the hunters
were imbibing their early breakfast,
their guide, Q Bhootanese shikari,
Chuta Sen, came running breathlessly
into camp. He had already been to
the top of an adjoining hill, from
whence he had seen herd of yaks