Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-04-02
THE TOOTH OF silva.
BY GEORGE q. rARouHaR.

failure" exclaimed Louis Henley, ir-
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 o bad job and
make tracks homeward."
We've been unlucly, that's ALL" re-
turned DR.. Worrall "There are yaks
about, for we came across their 'spoor
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 Glanced to catch the gewgaw
that tangled from the chain.
"ThisP" replied Louis, nonchalaLtly
"oh, it's little present had fIora
Pollard before he leftCalcutta. 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 conical-shaped piece of
green jade, about an inch in length;
from the base of it projected n short
strip of tarnished metal, aud through
this metal u hole had been bored DIR.
Worrall looked long and carefully at
the article.
where did Pollard get q" he asked,
grave look on his face
"Well, he came across it in this very
ncighborhood, believe. Perhaps, l
ought to say-putting the fact into
plain English--he stole it."
"How did he become possessed Of
str"
"Oh, by some means or other he Sc
cretly obtained access to Brahmin
temple, In which an elaborately jew
cled image Of silva was enshrined. The
jade teeth of the idol were fixed into
their sockets with golden screws, and
Pollard, desirous of having memento
of his hazardous enterprise, broke one
of the teeth off, and carried it away
with him. 1t was the act of an icono-
clast, vandal, but"
You don't mean 10 tell me-" cried
DIR. Worrall, eXcitedly, "that this is the
notorious Dharatra tooth?"
snow you mention it, I recollect
that was the name of the temple-the
Bharatra temple. But why notori-
ous?"
ut appears that the Bhootaneese
have q special regard for these teeth.
tertain 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 Wayspu offering
n 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 q 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"
Il had no idea was carrying such
n dangerous article about with me-" re
joined Louis, with n laugh. "Here it
goes back into my pocket"
'IIark!" intcrposed the doctor, sud
denly sitting up stiflly. what was
that?"
He rose to his feet, strobe past the
tent pole, and lifted the flap Of the
tent. For n minute he looked keenly
out into the night, listening.
81 must have been mistaken, he said.
returning. 81 thought heard stealthy
footsteps in the grass. But there's no
body about"
"The wind among the leaves, that
was ALL" opined Louis, with yawn.
IL say, Worrall, / 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 shiver, the cold night
mir beating full upon his face. And
no wonder-for there, not n yard from
his head, the tent cloth was dangling
loose, While he was dreamily debat.
ing the means by which the canvas
could be rcfastened with the leas:
amount of exertion to himself, he saw
hand thrust into the opening. Louis
gazed fixedly. The cloth was cautious
" raised, and now the moons rays
glistened upon forearm which, pro
truded into the tent, swept gently
from side to side, in an ever widening
semi-circle.
Louis rolled over nolselcssly and
clutched the cropping limb with botl
his hands. The tug of war was violent
but brief, for Louis fingers slipped
down his adversary's arm as If it wer,
the body of an eel The vigor he hat
used, thus unexpectedly released, shor
him backward upon DR.. Worrall, who
alarmed at his friends halloos, hat
risen into a sitting posture. Before
they could "sort themselves out" th'
Mould-be pilferer-for there could b'
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-thei
lIindoo bearers, porters and attend
nnts-could the slightest trace of th'
marauder be discovered.
Next morning, while the hunters
we're mbibing their early breakfast
their guide, Bhootanese shikari
Chuta Sen, came running breathlessly
into camp. He had already been t.
the top of an adjoining hill, fron
whence he had seen herd Of yak
grazing in the valley beyond.
Swallowing hasty meal, the Eng
lshmen shouldered their weapons ant
set off to the spot. There, far be
low they could discern n dozen or ST
of the wild oxen. mere brown dots OF
tha ploin Iro,yrinr nlnciIlv unon fh,