The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-06-24
song of the bullfrog suddenly ceases;
so Ii is with all 1OI1d-voSpo6 onoSt

magistrate sahib, and wore the magIs
trate sahib's clothes, having none of
his own. But the loss of his goods did
not weigh heavily ON his soul. for wher-
ever there was feasting or merriment
there was our snhib to be seen. Such
is the strangeness of the sahib log!
Sometimes time travels slowly, and
so 1t did in our case. 1t was the night
before the day of trial, and we THAT Is
10 say. the other servants and myself
were gathered round tile grasscutters'
fire. wrapped in the mantle of our own
black thoughts. when suddenly man
appeared in the circle of light, and sat
down at my right hand, and I. looking
on him, saw that it was MuDnoo Lall
the mess khansama, who was butler to
the officers that are my sahib's frisnds
Ram! RAM the man cried.
And the other Hindoos Nho were
present took up the salutation and an.
swered back. "Sita RAM
open your ears wide, oh, We men,"
said Munnoo Lall; "for l have come all
the way from the messhOuse in order to
tell you a tale. and to ask you the lnean.
ing thereof. Behold. there once lived a
king in a great land 4 humane ruler
was he, and also Il man of great under
standing: yea, the ants in their houses
gathered not more wisdom than he.
But one day this king departed for n
short season. leaving instructions with
his viZier and other officers to guard all
things in his absence. Now. when the
master was away, each man repaired
to his own house. and did there what
he pleased. One betOok himself to the
bazaar to buy new coat; Il second EN-.
tertained large party of friends, and
so Cn-each man according to his own
inclination. Then the king returned
and it was found that while those un.
worthy servants had feaSted and made
merry the treasure had been left I'M
guarded and it had vanished no man
knew where. But the king only laugh
ed and dismissed those unworthy SER
wants, and, strange to tell. the king
laughs still. Tell me. o Girzi Khan,
what is the meaning of this tale?"
Then my heart grew uneasy within
me, for this story was like in many
respects to our own
Il know not" answered.
"The answer to this ridlle is not far
to seek" MunnOo Lall called, rising
and gathering up his robe as If he
would leave us, ''fOr it lies in mine
hand. But knowledge is n pearl of
great price, and is only to be bought
with money!
Then did we consult among our
selves, so that at last we went and
fetched that which the man required.
"The explanation is so simple" Num-
moo Lall continued, that We have walk
ed past and left it! This is how the
knowledge has come to my hand You
must know that there was a great din
ner at the messhouse tonight, and the
magistrate sahib and your master were
both invited. Now, when the wine
We're present got loosed, and they knew
not that l could understand their Ian
guage. And at last the lieutenant sahib
told tale which was to this effect.
On that evil night when your sahibs
things vanished, you must know that
your master returned earlier than he
had intended, and with him came the
lieutenant and the magistrate sahfbs.
And when they saw that none had been
left behind to watch they laughed, and
your master having opened godown,
Of which he alone keeps the key, they
placed the furniture within and made
all fast again. But the magistrate
sahib looked ON only and took no active
part, for it was fitting that he should
keep his hands clean, being ruler.
Then when the tale was finished there
was much laughter at the messhouse
and under cover of 1t I slipped away to
tell you how all things had happened.
Run quickly, now, o ye men, and see if
all Is as 1 say
SO we ran, and 1. having leaped upon
Hussain Ali, the khansama's shoulders,
looked through the window and there
saw in the dusk many shadows within
the godown that might perhaps be rec.
ognized as the sahib's goods; according
ly the sweeper went with the speed Of
the wind to the bazar, and, having Dor.
rowed many keys of the locksmith in
order that we might undo the lock, we
opened the door. And there truly every
thing was as the mess khansama had
said-nothing gone and nothing broken.
4 I,Il
cried. Take your sahib's belongings
upon your shoulders and carry them
with all speed to the house; and you,
Girzi Khan, see that they are arranged
as the sahib was accustomed to seq
them. Then, when all is ready, go and
tell your master that his furniture has
any further explanation that
you desire to give you must arrange
yourselves" So saying he de-
parted.
man can tell, but at last, when the
sahib's clock pointed to the half hour
after 3, we looked round, and, behold,
all things We're in their accustomed
places So, as it was too early yet for
our sahib to have risen, We repaired to
the magistrate sahib's compound, and
there sat round the fire that the grass
cutters had lighted in front of the sta.
bles until such time as our master
should awake. However, al things
come to an end, and so at last word
was brought that l might go irto the
presence of the heaven born.
What is the matter, Girzi Khan?"
the sahib asked, as he lay on his bed.
'Oh, high-born onew 1 cried pros
trating myself on the ground before
him. II have sought an audience in
order that might lay before thee the
mighty workings of providence. Be
hold, oh. sahib, as we lay ON our beds
last night, our hearts being heavy with
there came a mighty
wind from heaven that wrapped thine
house in its folds, and when the wind
had passed away we went to look, and,
10! all the sahib's furniture had return