The morning times., 1896-01-12

II 7 was the time of the Indian monsoon
Everything was damp anu mouldy;
II while, to add TO our distress, we had
been sent to camp out for cholera was rife
b the barracks.
i. George Patton, was sitting upon the
eide of my camp bedstead. smoking and
chatting with Col. Cornwallis, one stifling
morning, when the latters orderly came
1to the tent.
Dennis, the orderly, presented as solemn
couDtenance as Ii he had to report the
destruction of the entire contents of the
canteen. He stood at attention till Corn
wallis, eying him curiously. asked:
We'll, Dennis, what has gone wrong this
time? Have these HiDdoo Johnnies risen
at last?,
mo such luck. colonel" answered Dennis,
with a limp smile. We've bin stuck under
canvas for fear of that cholery till I'd give
the coat av me back for good, murderous
cut in at them nnutinous beggars. BY the
Howly Mother, / would so, colonel, The
heats sickenin', an SOS the rotted dulness
of iiviD' TWO miles from town, which Is our
lot at present, beggn' yure pardon. colonel.
for spakiD' SO familiar like. No, 1t amt
risiD of the natives; but l don't know as
it's any the better nor worse than that
Corporal JacksoD's dead-cGt his throat"
CORVALLIS looked thoughtful as he re-
piled: The heat takes men in different
ways; there wasn't a better fellow in the
ranks than Jackson either. i thought he
looked a little off color yesterday at
parade; his eyes were too bright to my
liking. / faucied he had been drinking
too freely
'If ye think that was the case, colonel,
We are mistook. 'Twasn't the likker in
Jacksons case-not it. The sweltering
heat was at first To blame, / make no
doubt: for, like the rest of us. it told on
him bit, av coorse. Afterwards, the
heat had little TO do with ii at all; and
yit it seems a queer go, too. for Jackson,
of all men, to snow the white feather,
an TO niggers. too. l may be wrong,
own. but to spake plain, it's my idear that
precious son OF sin, LGtt Tuchmee, is at
the bottom of the mess. If there is to be
blood-lettin' atweeu US ard them snaky
sapoys, don't wish he may git near the
twist av me sword, IN touch nun up, by
the holy Moses an the Red Sea, will SO,
colonel, beggiu' your honor's presence He
may be a pujaree, or praste. as is bis
outlandish name, but I'll let daylight into
the middle of his carcase."
Come, Dennis" said the colonel; "if
you go on in that way, man, III begin
to think the heat has affected you. What
is your idea concerning Jackscn's suicde?'
frightened into it, sor, and here's the
10 do sentry duty tonight, seein' there isn't
many OF us here to do that same; for we've
a dacent and tidy hospitallist as you know,
colonel
Il thought jackson was made OF better
stuff. The sentries who have so unaCcount-
ably disappeared. two nights in succession,
fell victims to their own carelessness. Ny
orders were plain enough; fire at any thing
yousee and rouse the camp. Ifa man wont
follow plain orders he deserves his fate,
whatever it be. / went over the ground
yesterday morning. and all could see was
Il tigers spoor. That explains what became
of Mallon, the previous sentry. What
death took Smith the night before,
can't tell"
..That puiaree, Lutt Tuchmee. is at the
bottom OF the mess. ses il agin, colonel
and every trooper swears it's true
There. Dennis. don't talk any more nen-
sense" and So saying, Corn wallis dis
missed the orderly
"Ii's queer thing To happen" said the
colonel 10 me, mCditatively. THE strange
part of it is that l kept Il watch myself
on the sentry last night, without saying
anything about it. To tell the truth. there's
nothing makes our troops so shaky and
nervous as the various warns that reach US
from time Ia ,ime Of the superstitious Jug
glery of the natives which seems To he
going on. / saw Mallon Keeping a good |
lookout, and I'm certain that lie fad MS |
carbine ready. At half-past twelve he had |
l tracked his body for some |
way, but a few thousand yards from bis |
post the trail was lost in ridge OF clayey |
rock or kayar."
what about the pujaree, Lutt Tuch- |
mee?''
u don't suppose he can turn himself into |
a tiger, with al his spells" said Corn
wallis, with a dry laugh. ''lf he has that |
power, mean TO test IL. Say nothing about
II; when night comes l intend To change |
places with the sentry, and leave them /
none the WISER
Il VIII help yOu 10 keep watch" l said.
mot at all; there VIII be no merit in
two solving a mystery that one failed 10
grasp. / viii show the men that. with
ordinary foresight, the two sentries need
not have lost their lives. 1t will be a
esson 10 them TO have eyes behind them,
as well as in front, in these troublesome
tines
Col. Cornwailis lit a cigar and strolled
pat of the tent. | saw hin several times
hat day on matters of duty; but he did not
refer to the coming night. and / naturally
was reluctant 10 poster my superior officer
gith my theories or wishes.