Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-06-03

of the collector sahib for some time and
heartily despising the Hindoo subjudge,
arranged to start little Mohurrum riot
of their own. But the Hindoos turned
out and broke their heads When, find
ing lawlessness pleasant, Hindoos and
Mohammedans together raised an aim
less sort of Denny brook just to see how
far they could go. They looted each
others shops, and paid off private
grudges in the regular way 1t was a
nasty little riot, but not worth putting
in the newspapers.
Michele was working in his office
when he heard the sound that man
never forgets all his life-the 'ah yah!"
of an angry crowd. when that sound
drops about three tones and changes to
thick, droning ut, the man who hears
it had better go away if he is alone.)
The native police inspector ran in and
told Michele that the town was in an
uproar and coming to wreck the tele-
graph Office. The baboo put on his cap
and quietly dropped out of the window,
while the police inspector, afraid, but
obeying the old race instinct, which
recognizes drop Of white blood as far
as it can be diluted, said, what orders
does the sahib give?'
The sahib decided Michele. Though
horribly frightened, he felt that for the
hour he, the man with the Cochin Jew
and the mental uncle in his pedigree,
was the only representative of English
authority in the place. Then he thought
of Miss Vezzis and the so rupees, and
took the situation on himself There
were seven native policemen in Tibasu,
and four crazy smoothbore muskets
among them. All the men were gray
with fear, but not beyond leading. Mi
chele dropped the key of the telegraph
instrument and went out at the head Of
his army to meet the mob. AS the shout
ing crew came round corner of the
road he dropped and fired, the men be-
hind him loosing instinctively at the
same time.
The whole crowd-curs to the back
bone-yelled and ran, leaving one man
dead and another dying in the road. Mi
chele was sweating with fear, but he
kept his weakness under, and went
down into the town past the house
where the subjudge had barricaded him
self. The streets were empty. Tibasu
was more frightened than Michele, for
the mob had been taken at the right
time.
Michele returned to the telegraph Of
flee and sent a message to Chicacola
asking for help. Before an answer came
he received deputation Of the elders of
Tibasu. telling him that the subjudge
said his actions generally were "uncon-
stitutional'' and trying to bully him.
But the heart of Michele d'Cruze was
big and white in his breast because Of
his love for Miss Vezzis, the nursegirl
and because he had tasted for the first
time responsibility and success. Those
two make an Intoxicating drink, and
have ruined more men than ever has
whisky. Michele answered that the sub
judge might say what he pleased, but
until the assistant collector came the
telegraph signaler was the government
Of India in Tibasu, and the elders Of
the town would be held accountable for
further rioting. Then they bowed their
heads and said, "Show mercyp' OF
words to that effect, and went back i'll
great fear, each accusing the other Of
having begun the rioting.
| To,.1x, %1,o Ioxry,, oF+o,, n irrl, 3o
patrol with his seven policemen, Michele
went down the road, musket in hand,
to meet the assistant collector who had
ridden in to quell Tibasu. But in the
presence Of this young Englishman Mi
chele felt himself slipping back more
and more into the native, and the tale
of the Tibasu riots ended, with the
strain on the teller, in q hysterical out
burst Of tears, bred by sorrow that he
had killed a man, shame that he could
not feel as uplifted as he had felt
through the night, and childish anger
that his tongue could not do justice to
his great deeds. It was the white drop
in Michele's veins dying out, though he
did not know it.
But the Englishman understood, and
after he had schooled those men of Ii
basu and had conferred with the sub
judge till that excellent official turned
green, he found time to draft an official
letter describing the conduct of Michele,
which letter filtered through the proper
channels, and ended in the transfer Of
Michele up country once more on the
imperial salary Of sc rupees a month.
| So he and Miss Vezzis were married
with great state and ancientry, and now
there are several little D'Cruzes sprawl
ing about the verandas Of the central
telegraph Office.
But if the whole revenue Of the de-
| partment he serves were to be his re-
ward, Michele could never, never repeat
what he did at Tibasu for the sake of
Miss Vezzis the nursegirl. Which proves
that when man does good work out
Of all proportion to his pay, i'll seven
cases out Of nine there is woman at
the back Of the virtue.
The two exceptions must have suf-
fered from sunstroke. -Rudyard Kip
ling