The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-17
BY LOUIS TRACY.

search was even now being made for
them. Even the sloWwitted hillman in
charge of the tonga service had come
to the conclusion that twenty odd hours
were more than sufficient for the per-
Torrance OF the intervening fourteen
miles.
Perhaps the party had fallen over the
Khud When Mchammed Khan pointed
/ out that four vehicles would hardly fol-
| low one after the other over the side OF
the precipice, the tonga master referred
| him to the mysterious ways of Allah.
When did you cause a search to be
| inade?" said the sirdar, with growing
! sternneSS in his voice
when the tonga was missed, protec-
| tor of the poor
+, ''At what hour?" ,
| when it had struck three in the aft
| ernoon, your honor"
| Mohammed Khan dismounted, seized
| the man by the neck, and shook him
violently. Listen, dog, Chundu, the
| dacoit, has done this thing, and thou
| knoWest it. Speak; tell me ALL else will
l silence thee forever"
AT the mention of ChunGn's name thu
| darl<-skinned native bleachsd with ter
| ror.
81 will speak that which 1 know he
| GGrgled. "Chundu fell upon the party
when they were passing through the
wood two miles from here. He made
the drivers turn off into the jungle, and
then he and his followers Slew all save
the sahib and the miss sah:b, I found
the bodies at dawn; but 1 dared not to
cry out in the village lest Chundu should
| hear OF it, and l should meet my death"
How many did Chundus band num-
| ber?"
L know not, Huzoor, bat they were at
| least a score. Such is the talk of those
who have seen them"
The sirdar flung the man eff, satisfied
that he had told all he knew. Bingham's
bloodshot eyes sought mine, and
| thought it best to tell him what he had
learned.
He would have ridden on at once but
L pointed out the folly of such a proceed
| ing. Night was approaching. Chudu and
| his captives must be miles away in the
interior by this time, and as this IA
| nous dacoit and his associated cut
! Threats were known to be we'll armed
| with modern weapons, the only chance
OF succor lay in organized pursuit by
| the military police
| did not add that, in my own opinion
the case was hopeless.
| The sidar agreed with me that our best
| course was to ride on to Solon and inform
the authorities, whilst we must be con-
tent to accompany the armed force that
| When our horses were breathed wa
started, at a quieter pace this time. AS
! luck would have it, we reached the scene
| OF the outrage just as the rapid advance
of the Indian night was plunging all
things in gloom.
| The road was level here, and on both
| SIDES were patches of turf Bingham
re1ned in his charger for little while,
and out of sympathy with him we did the
| dnT1lyr f1oO -i-.J
eyes were ever On the alert, noticed some
| thing unusual on the roadside He jump
! ed from the saddle and grappFed with
| the object, which proved to be a man ~
| ing at full length on the turf, where he
had flung himself face downwards, with
| the object, seemingly, of escaping our
Eotlce as We rode past in the darkness.
He Whined some explanation of his
presence, but when I struck a match
and we caught a glimpse of his evil face,
Mohammed Khan cried: by the beard
of the prophet, It's one of Chundus
| thieves"
1t was a mere guess, but lucky one
The fellow thought we were police Off.
| GERS, and he cried out that If we would
| spare him he would tell US everything
The story was of the common order
which is too familiar in those parts of
! India infested with gangs of dacoits.
| Once the hapless travellers were safely re-
| moved from the high road, Chundu and
| his followers had ruthlessly slain the
drivers and servants before despoiling-
! them of any little articles of value they
| possessed. The baggage was then ran
saced, the phaeton and tongas thrown
into a nulrdh, and the ponies served to
convey MIR. Browne and his daughter
together with the plumber.
| Flow many go with Chundu?" asked
the sirdar
Thirteen, not counting your honor's
slave"
And how came you here?"
81 carry a chit from the old sahib to a
sahib in 5imla.
"a chit! Where is it?"
The man produced a piece of soied
paper, which was rolled up and inscribed
''R. Bingham, Esq, 18th Lancers."
Astounded at the turn taken by events
I lit match after match whilst Bingham
deciphered the following note, written
with trembling hand in lead pencil:
Dear Sir: My daughter and 1 have fall
! len into the clutches Of a number of rob-
| bers who have murdered our servants
! and treated Us with every fndignity. Their
| leader, however, gives me to understand
| so we'll as L can follow his few broken
! words Of English, that If you hand the
| bearer two thousand gold mohurs he will
| place Edith and myself within easy dis
! lance of the main road where we can find
! help. There must be no pursuit or any
| attempt to rescue, he will kill us the
| moment there is any alarm. He will not
| allow ME to WTi to any banker or Off
cial, but only to some friend who will
| SlVe the money required and maintain
| silence with the authorities I have it,
| tie faith in him, but if 1 escape I will
more than repay you, Mr.. Bingham. For
| God S sake save my girl. My own fate
| matters little as it can be but death
| For her 1 fear more.
-Septimus Browne
Reggie got out the last sentence with q
great gulp, and when 1 told the Sirdar the
contents of the note he said:
There is no use waiting for the money
sahib. Chundu is using trick to get the
gold. He will become impatient and kill
the Browne-sahib before the messenger
arrives"
And the miss-sahib?"
She will kill herself. Your women
Kind think differently to ours"
L was glad Bingham did not understand
him, else we should have had a maniac on
our hands, but 1 could have beaten nv
| head against wall in sheer rage at ON,
! impotence.
Mohammed Khan was more matter-of
iact' Listen. thief" he said, kissing the
words into the face of the covering
wretch, Whom he held in his powerful
grasp 'Dost want to die this rnoment?p
Inc man would have uttered a PRAYER
Tor mercy, but the rissaldar-maior needed
him not.
II thou Hest, he growled, 81 will tear
my tongue cut end throw it to the erovysl
| %iere does Chunda await thee p,
he VIII await me at another place. bur
| away 'e1i mites
safety?' u
| 90 IT'S e71iIv Ia +ba h,,, -,