Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-07-07
NUMBER 27.

Oh an angry crOwo. (Wnen tnat sound
drops about three tones and changes 10
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 rs far
as il can be- diluted, said, What orders
does the sahib givef''
The sahib decided Michele. Though
horribly frightened, he felt that for the
hour he, the man with the Cochin jew
and the menial uncle in his pedigree,
was the only representative Of English
authority in the place. Then he thought
OF Miss Vezzis and the 80 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. Nj.
chele dropped the key Of the telegraph
instrument and went out at the head Of
his army 10 meet the mob. As the shout
ing crew came round a corner of the
road he dropped and fired. the men be-
hind him loosing !nstinctiyely 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 moi had been taken at the right
time.
Michele returned 10 the telegraph Of
flee and sent message a. 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 II Michele d'Cruzc was
big and white in his breast because II
his love for Miss Vezzis, the nursegirl
and because he bad 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 ~
the town would be held accountable for
further riotimg. Then they bowed their
heads and said, SHOW mercy or
words TO that effect, and went back IN
great fear each accusing the other Of
having bcgun the riotlng
Early in the dawn. after a nights
patrol with his seven policemen, Michele
went down the road, musket IN hand,
10 meet the assistant collector who had
ridden in 10 qucll TIbasu. But in the
presence Il this young Englishman Mi
chele felt himself Slipping back more
and morr into the native, and the tale
Of the Tibasu riots ended. with the
strain on the teller, in u hysterical out
burst If tears, bred by sorrow that he
had killed a man, shame that he could
not feel A. upliftcd ~ he had felt
through the night, and childish anger
that his tongue could not do justice to
his great deeds. II was the white drop
in Michcle's veins dying out, though he
did not know il.
But the Englishman understood, and
after he had schOoled those men Of tt
basu and had conferred with the sub
Judge till that excellent official turned
green. hc found time TO draft an official
letter describing the coniuct Of Michele,
which letter filtered through the proper
channels, and ended in the transfer #
Michele up country once more on the
imperial salary II SO rupee a month.
So he and Miss NeZzis We're married
with great state and ancientry, and now
there are several little D'Cruzes sprawl
ing about the vcrandas Of the central
telegraph office.
But If the whole revenue Of the de-
partnent he serves We're 10 be his r.
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, in seven
cases ont of nine there is woman AT
the back Of the virtue.
The two exceptions must have suf
fered from sunstroke. -Rudyard Kip
ling