The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27

SAID the DEPUTY commissioner, TOf It's worth
the eye q a buddhist god IN him. .
l nearly lot .Saiontyno's life out Of him tho
i, thought II was q slug: but II It's a good,
c~leersscut ruby Il viii probably never hurt him,
and I'm not going to take any chances ,,,.
The Phoongycs, headed by their Archbishop.
haunted his office and his bungalow night and
"Beda,';i for the eve Of their buddhist god.
But the surgeon was obdurato.
I'm not goIss to murder him to please any sei.
low.robed Phoongye; wouldn't do u even II ho
wS 81 c Sn ses sRS Do pa lo Som snG dSTwiSf had aFf to re.
port II to the Commissioner, and ho to the Chief
The report read: That tho sacrcd 'Beda,' the
famous ruby, had boon stolen from the forehead
Of the image OF Buddha, in the Pagoda, there,
captured and the ruby traced to tho possession
That It appeared from Hpo Thit's evidence that
tcndcnt's body, but as to whether Hpo Thit's
evidence could BIO accepted and the superinten.
stolen goods or not, or whether he should be ar.
rested as n receiver Of the stolen goods. he was
higher authorities to decide. He suggested
that 1t might be better to refer 1t to the Judicial
VALENTINE in the meantime had to DO guarded
at tho hospital. for Nj Mira discovered that the
Phoongyos. had set a scheme on foot TO kidnap
him. and. incidentally, carve him up to find the
There were many reasons why. they should
recover IT. as soon rs possible. Their Buddha
had lost all prestige since his maltreaiment and
no pilgrims came now to lay their generous Of
forings at his great square feet. The Pagoda
had ceased to do n paying business. for CzZana's
ruby had been a drawing card. 1t had been a
good Investment that for twelve centuries had
Valentync applied for and obtained sicK leave.
handicapped with an order that, he must not
take the ruby out OF the Jurisdiction of the Bur-
mese courts.
It was 2 splendid bit Of judicial ruling that,
and and, the =, Dspaaty Commissioner Sio smiled grimly
heard about it, for he had ordered VALENTINE of
here he SAID. because If you don't. die of
fever they'll murder you sure, By Joye! Your
purposes. though, If they don't get the first slash
But VALENTINO steadily improved. The
wound was healing uD nicely, the ruby seem.
ingly giving him no trouble whatever.
As soon as he was able to sit UP and move
Devout Burmans were constantly coming and
prostrating themselves Mt his feet, touching
their foreheads to the ground. and muttering
What does it all meanl" he asked Moung
"sir. they are worshipping the 'Beda,' which
you. by tho grace of God and that wicked Hpo
Thit. have got"
This is intolerable." thought VALENTINE. IT
am a Euby mine and a Burmese god and a re.
ceiver, Of stolen goods. oil in one
was further enhanced by the dcluge Of official
correspondence that commenced to pour in
by order of the Chief Commissioner he was
asked to explain how he meant to make good TO
the Pagoda the value Of tho ruby he was still
pointed out that If half his salary was cschcated
for this purpose. it would take at least forty
4 delay 81 .i' Of tbs 81 sort w Would ID hardly ne tHyf be fair to
the Phoongyes. besides, in that uncertain eli
mate his salary might cease at any moment. At
any rate. under the fifty five years service rule,
vice for that length of time. and his pension
The civil surgeon was raked over the Goals for
not acting upon the Deputy Commissioners
t tnsEe as IL were ~e1 l PfHoi mot making ma kira.t another IL sne effort FORT
to recover the jewel.
1t was in vain that he wrote in answer that
dangcreG by another operation.
His answer only brought another literary wig
British Government expected its officials to do
their duty. irrespective Of personal feeling or
Hang them for 'o a lot Of bioodthirsty swine"
exclaimed COrbyn. for that was the surgeons
name; they mean to have that ruby out of
VALENTINE even if it costs him his life"
Then I'VE Phoongyes got up q monstrous petit.
ton; signed By all the Buddhists. living and
cieverly worded.. having been drawn up by a
young Burman barrister. who was the gold
medalist Of his year in England.
Al ~ Noo No'N " W ~ y iNC-
roy through the CHIEF Commissioner, and
prayed that the Superintendent of Police, Val.
entync. should be delivered over 10 them that
they might regain the most sacred relic in all
the Buddhist empire.
family nhSy b MGtfet h m'i rnby Il tRe pay must "n Rnve, 10 MS
For a time it looked rather blue for Valen-
tyne. for the viceroy was a man who had great
ideas about the rights of the natives; in fact.
he went in for it very much as a baboo plays
lawn tennis: without much science in the game,
but with his whole soul and ponderous body
dead on the ball.
The papers at home took it up: and a nice
out to the B. BE- p. that eey il lily It was was ar1 oaHfe4
case of oppression of the poor native. One of
their temples had been dcsecrated: one of their
most sacred idols violated; a jewel, to which
they attributed miraculous powers. stolen. and
the jewel was now in tho possession Of one of
the Government Superintendent of Police.
There was n cock-and bull story, ne said.
about it having been shot into his body. but
even II It were so they could not set q whole ma:
one man. In honesty they must give the jewel
up: and il this man couldn't part with i, why
he would have TO go with 1t, that was all.
The Viccroy seemed inclined to look at it in
this light, too, and it really seemed awkward for
Nalentyne.
In the mean time a civil suit to recover the
value Of the ruby had been instituted in the
courts in general and against VALENTINO in par.
=. Luckily for VALENTINE the Secretary of State
was a hard headed man, not much given to nom
guage. that he'd be damned II he'd see an inno-
cent Englishman deliberately cut up to recover
any fetish bauble.
But all the Same the Superintendent would
have to be retired on half pay. for his useful.
ness was gone. The two. could not be com,
bined; the dual position Of Burmese god and
superintendent of Police. for the natives still
persisted in rovcrencing him, though ready as
soon as the word was given to cut him VI.
Just when he thought his troubles were Mt an
end. and he might go home. they applied for nm
Injunction to prevent him from moving the ruby
out OF Burmah. They showed to the court on
medical authority that there was every posi-
bility that the stone might work itself out some
day. and so be recovered. hut IL Valcntync were
to leave the kingdom the chances OF the
rightful owners ever becoming possessed of 1t
were very slim indeed.
They undertook to pay Valontyne a salary
of 5000 rupees "A year so long AZ he remained
In RanRoon: and all they asked in return was
tho privilege of coming to worship tho Beda at
certain periods. and that q medical officer, APP
pointed by them. should have free access TO Val:
cntyne's person. with n view to keeplnZ track Of
the perainbulations of the ruby; and that when
1t made its appearance near the skin anywhere
so that 1t might he extracted without danger
to him. he would relinquish all claim upon IL
and allow the surgeon to hasten its appearance.
Nalentyne's counsel. seeing which way the
wind was blowing. agreed to accept this ruling