The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28

OF these days and Inquire. Bukta will. prob.
fSSsay 1' Bsss ~d'! your Tiger: ftnot. Ss = going
b bSr yS q iIrst.ciass time with Bukta,"
The Major was %sr mot c %T0ng e. d Pnft Sns sGpt y, an
! noticeabio that the first tlmo the now officer
lifted I'M his voice in nm order tho whole line
for e Might nS have been Col. Lionel chi nS"f re-!
| turned from Deyonshire with g new lease of
Tiff B ,h.n1v bad and fqi Il Was almost no sae acespto als AZ pa a
matter Of faith in the lines, since every word
and gesture on young Chinn's part 30 con.
"F The old man arranged early that his dAr.
ling should'wipo out tho reproach of not having
first or any beast that happened to arrive. In
his own villages he dispensed. the high, low,
and middle Justice, and when his p~coplo-nakcd
beast marked down, he babe them send spies
to tho hills and the watering places that he
suited the dignity OF such a man.
Three or four times tho reckless crackers re,
turned, most , trggtht,y.lSS s a tigrd that w the 6 ,si,S
nursing or a brokcn.toothed old male, and
Bukta would curb young Chinn's impatiencc.
n ten.foot' cattle Killer with a huge roll Of loose
skin along the belly, glossy-hided, full.frilled
He had slain a man, in sport, they said.
Let him be fed" quoth Bukta, and the yil-
layers %dutifplly drove out a COW to amuse him.
Princes und potentatcs have taken ship to
India and spent great moneys for tho mere
glimpse OF beasts one-hslt as fine as this of
lit is not good, he said to the Colonel, whom
he asked for shooting leave, That my Coloncls
lose his maidenhead on any small jungle boast.
,nia r, may come 20 n ti after H l have law c waited ID Long long for
with the skin"
The mess gnashcd their teeth cnviously.
Hukta bad he chosen. might lnyc aSkpd thpp,
all. But he went out alone with Chinn, two
days in a shooting Garland u day on fooV. until
and the boy. very naturally stripped and went
A white skin shows far against brown jungle,
ana what .Bukta beheld on Chinn's back and
right shoulder dragged him forward step by
I'd forgotten 1t isn't decent to strip before
q man Of his position said Chinn. tiouncing
The Mark was the whispered answer.
1T l. nothing. It was born on me. You
annoyed. The dull red birthmark on his shout.
der, something like the conrentionalized Tar;
not have bathcd. 1t appeared, so they said at
home, in alternate generations, and was not
R RFSsty on til tn h they m esh t%S or aF tssea a sbiIs.' W sRd
promptly fell on their faces. My people"
grunted Bukta, not condescending to notice
was, a young: man we were fewer, but not so
weak. Now we are many, but poor poo stock; As
hinS, sahibi From a tree; from a shelter elite
which my people shall build; by day or by
ION foot and in the daytime" said young
.,i %Thst was your custom, as I have heard,
Then you ana / will go to him. will
carry one gun. You have yours. There is no
need of more. What tiger snail stand against
thccf'
He was marked down by n little water hole at
head or a ravino; full-g2rged and half
n aI'fIf ike IA p 'nr hss s and Ee turned nee T to do S SaItie
for his life. Bukta made no motion to raise his
rifle, but kept his eyes on Chinn, who met the
it seemed to him hours as he sighted
which tore through the throat, smashing the
shoulders. The brute "e eonched, e choked. and md
and before Chinn knew well what had hap.
pcned, Bukta bade him stay still while he paced
the distance between his feet and the ringing
Fifteen" said Bukta. "short PAGES. No
clearly where he lies. and we need not spoil the
skin. l said there would be no need OF these,
but they came in case"
the heads Of Bukta's people.a force that
could have blown the ribs put Of the beast had
and enanf they Sh Spp 5snisadi S esf ih ahsis kehT b %srs s'e sams
five or six waiting, the word to skin: Bukta
the life fade from the eyes, lifted one
n need to show we care" said he. Now,
after .I this We can kill what we choose. Put out
Chinn obeyed. It was entirely steady. and
Bukta nodded. That also was your custom.
Ny men skin quickly. They viii carry the
I am his officerT'
But those msnmthe heaters. They have
,'oh, if they skin lumsily, we will skin them.
1 TINY are neF my I P p@ o aootb In the lines l am one
This was very true. When Bukta dotted his
uniform and reverted to the fragmentary dress
IN Il oM NEXT ReS %posid ne ' Tba ms n iiHi,@G "ftSr al o. l Hfl,s
talk with his subjects, he devoted to an orgic.
a Bill orgie l. a thing not 70 be safely
was hidden. wild folk came and
his flask to the elders of the village. They
grew eloquent, and wreathed him about with
lowers; gifts and loans; not all scemly, were
and maddened round red fires, while singers
songs of the ancient times, and danced
peculiar dances. The aboriginal liquors are
very potent, and Chinn was compelled 10 taste
them often, but unless the stuff had been
and 10 waken late the next day-haIf a march
from the village?
THE sahib was very tired. A little before
people carried. him horc, and now 1t Is I time we
should go back to environments"
Tho voice smooth and dcferential, the step
steady and silent, made it hard to believe thnt
only u few hours before Bukta was yelling and
capcrlns with naked Fellow devils of the scrub.
My people were very pleased to sec the
Sahib. They viii never forget. When next
the Sahib goes out recruiting he will go to my
people, and they will give him as many men as
we need"
Chinn kept his own counsel, except as to the
shooting OF the tiger, and Bukta embroidered
that tale with II shameless tongue. The skin
was certainly one OF the finest over hung up
in the mess, and the first of many. II Bnkta
could not accompany his boy on shooting trips,
he took care TO put him in good hands, and
Chinn learned more OF the mind and desire OF
the wild Bill in his marches and campings, by
talks mt twilight or NJ wnysidc pools, than an
uninstructed man could have come at in a
lifetime.
Presently his men in the regiment grew bold
10 speak of their relativcs-mostly In trouble
and to lay cases of tribal custom before him.
They would say, squatting In his vernnda at
twilight, utter the easy, confidential style OF tho
Wuddars. that such and such n bachelor had
run AWAY with such and such II wife nj n far
of, village. Now, how many cows would Chinn
Sahib consider IA just finei Or, again. If writ.
ten order. came from tho Government that a
Bhil was TO repair TO a walled city OF the plains
to. give evidence in n law court, would IL be
wise TO disregard that orderi Or tho other
hand. II u were obeyed, would the rash voyager
return alivei
But what have ! to do with these thincsl'
Chinn demanded of Bukta. impaticntly. 81 an
"a i .ln MOI ly--. tl.I -... -