The evening times., 1896-01-12

n T was the time of the Indian monsoon
Everything was damp and mouldy;
while. to add to our distress. we had
been sent TO camp out, for cholera was rife
D the barracks.
/, George Patton, was sitting upon the
side of my camp bedstead, smoking and
chatting with Col. CORVALLIS, one stifling
.oorning, when the latter's orderly came
ato the tent.
Dennis, the orderly, presented as solemn
. countenance as III he had to report the
destruction of the entire contents of the
oanteen. He stood at attention till Corn
wallis, eying him curiously. asked:
well, Dennis, what has gone wrong this
time? Have these HiDdoo Juhnnies risen
at last?''
mo such luck, colonel answered Dennis,
with 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 mutinous beggars. BY the
Howly Mother, would so, colonel! The
heats sickenin, an SOS the rotted dulness
ofiivin twomiles from 4 town, which Is our
lot at present, beggin' yure pardon, colonel.
for spakin' SO familiar like. No, it amt
risin' of the natives; but l don't know as
It's any the better nor worse than that.
Corporal Jackson's dead-cut 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. thought he
looked 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 lkker in
Jackson's case-not it. The sweltering
heat was at first to blame, l make no
frr Of
him a bit. av coorse. Afterwards, the
heat had little TO do with il at all; and
yit it seems queer go, too, for Jackson,
of all men. 10 show the white feather,
an to niggers, too. may be wrong, l
own, but to spake plain, it's my ldear that
precious SOD OF sin, LGtt Tuchmee, ls at
the bottom OF the mess. If there is TO De
bloodlettn' atweeu us ard them snaky
sapoys. don't l wish he may git near the
twist av me sword, I'll touch him up, by
the holy Moses an the Red Sea, will SO,
colonel, bcggiu' your honor's presence. He
may be a pujaree, or praste, as is bis
outandlsh name; but III 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 Jackson's suic.de?''
Frightened into it. sor, and here's the
why av it. He knew that it 'ud he his turn
to do sentry duty tonight, seein' there isn't
many OF us here tn do that same: for we've
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 carelcssness. My
orders were plain enough: fire at any thing
yousee, and rouse the camp. II man wont
follow plain orders he deserves his fate,
ub a lao |
yesterday morning. and all could see was
q tigers spour. That explains what became
of Mallon, the previous sentry. What
death took Smith the night before, l |
can't tell"
THAT pujarec, Lutt Tuchmee is at the |
bottom or the mess. ses il arin- colonel, |
and every trooper swears it's true"
There, Dennis. don't talk any more non |
sense" aud so saving, Cornwallis dis |
missed the orderly.
"H's queer thing 10 happen said the |
colonel TO me, mCditatively. The strange |
part of il is that l Kept Il watch myself |
on the sentry last night, without saving |
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 time of the superstitious jug
glery of the natives which seems 70 he
going on. l saw MalloH keeping good
lookout, and I'm certain that he had his
|
disappeared. / tracked his body for some |
way but q few thousand yards from his
post the trail was LOST in a ridge Of ciayey
Tock or bayar."
what about the pujaree- Lu,t Tuch-
mee?"
81 don't suppose he can tura himself into
a tiger. with all his spells" said Corn
wallis, with a dry laugh. .If he has ;hat
power, mean to test IL. Say nothing about
II; when night comes / intend To change
places with The sentry, aud leave them
none the wiser
Il will help you To keep watch said.
Not at all: there VIII be no merit In
two solving 4 mystery that Que failed TO
grasp. / viii show the men that. with
ordinary foresight the two sentries need
not have lost their lives. ii will be
lesson to them TO have eyes behind them.
as well as in front, in these troublesome
times
Col. CORVALLIS lit n cigar and strolled
out OF the tent. / saw him several times |
that day on matters of duty; but he did not
refer to the coming night. and naturally
was reluctant TO poster my superior officer
with my theories or wishes.