St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-22

was harried and squeezed; the English
women urged on their men to make his
life burden to him; but he held out
manfully till the charms Of an English
girl set waning his affections for his
savage wife. He made a trip up to the
frontier, and there gave her a writing
of divorce, and handed her over to her
tribe again. He gave her also clothes,
money and jewelry, and the head man
a rifle, and refused the return of his
purchase money. Then he rode away,
horn on the sand and stones from which
he had taken her two years before.
He did not think he was acting un-
kindly. He had found her poor, and
he left her rich. No doubt, too, he felt
a pang at parting. But as soon as he
was gone the women of the tribe fell
on her. She retaliated on them, scoffing
at their dirt and savagery, and refused
to do the old menial Offices. She refused,
too, to marry any one of the men. who
would have been quite content to take
her for her wealth. Then the men
turned, too. The women began to
teach them to regard her as a spy in
the camp, and the inevitable Mullah
quickly let it be known that she was
hereto from the faith-whatever that
was in their eyes. As she was wealthy,
her existence was y shame, a danger
and reproach. 1t was not long before
she was doomed an outcast. defiled
infidel, a rebellious woman. They came
quickly to the point of passing sentence
of death on her; and they came to it the
quicker that the news was brought to
them that Grierson was married ac-
cortiing to the English religion to one
of his own race. What the poor tor
tured girl did or said in her rage is not
known, but it sealed her fate. 1t also
Grierson. He had debauched one of
their women, and for two years had
cast shame on them.
On gloomy winter morning, be-
tween dark and dawn, they led her to
the place of execution in the Gorge of
Shame. No women were near. They
stripped her, and left her standing
naked in the midst of ring of cruel
men, pitiless and needless of her
beauty. The Mullah worked himself
and his hearers into religious frenzy,
and then, at the height of it. sprung on
her with his keen, heavy saber and cut
her through the spine. She reeled with
a scream and fell on her hands and
knees. He struck her again, and she
fell on her side in 4 torrent of blood,
with strangling cry for mercy. A
shower of big stones crashed on her.
battering the shape out Of her body
and piling a mount above her. Hardly
had her dying groans ceased when sand
and earth and pebbles completed the
tomb, and effectually wiped out every
trace of her existence.
The men lounged slowly OF to join
the caravan, which was lurching and
struggling away two or three miles
ahead toward their native mountains.
And her relations divided between them
her property. But the atonement was
not complete. 1t was needful that
every trace of Grierson and his race
should be wiped out. The blood of the
murdered woman was on him, and the
shame of the tribe. Year by year the
traders passed through Hindustan, and
sought always Grierson; sought him
for years; sought him till his hair,
which they had known black, was from
gray; sought him until many years
later two men Of the Zillah Khel passed
a native regiment camping on the line
of march, while moving in relief. and
learned that Grierson was in command.
They left their servants and comrades
to journey on with their merchandise.
and took to the jungle, following the
regiment. Grierson was keen sports
man, and they looked to seeing him
alone some day out shooting. At last
their time came.
Two days march from the destined
cantonment Mrs. Grierson came out to
meet her husband, and brought her
three little boys with her. She was to
stay in camp that night, ana 60 ahead
into cantonment next day, a double
march. Grierson took his gun, and said
he would go and shoot some game for
her; and he went with only his orderly.
All unseen and unsuspected, his two
enemies dogged him. until some two
hours later he came to a duck-jeel and
sent his orderly round to a point a mile
away to drive the duck toward him,
where he crouched in mud and water
behind heap of weeds. As soon as he
was alone the two men dashed for him.
Grierson turned at the noise they made
in splashing through the water. He
recognized the dress of their tribe.
'.What do you want ?" he shouted.
"Vcngeance!" they cried. and rushed
ut him with their knives drawn.
For answer he fired both barrels at
them. He knew what they meant, and
in his furry one man took both charges,
and dropped dying. Grierson clubbed
his gun. The second man took a smash
ing blow on his left arm. but got home
with his knife, and Grierson went down.
The man dispatched him and fled. leav-
ing gun and cartridges and his dead
comrade.
When the bodies were found there
was fierce hue and cry. The story of
Grierson's conduct on the frontier came
mp. and the tribe was overhauled by
the politicals. But. of course, nothing
came of it. Poor Mrs. Grierson went
home with her little boys. ignorant of
the cause Of her husbands murder, for
who could tell herr
She had not been out of India month
when her husbands only brother was
stabbed in the Delhi streets by IA
natic.
.And if any of his sons come out here.
even 20 years from now. they will die. i"
said Bakshan Khan.
sWhy." said the boy. young Grierson
who was ut Sandhnrst with me. came
ont and went to Peshawur. He was
out shooting up Abbotabad way. and
was found dead at the foot of a cliff. 1t
was thought he had accidentally shot
himself, and 50 fallen down..
at may be-" said Bakshan Khan.
..But only the Zillah khel know for
certain"
.sBy Jove." said. the boy. Now I
know why his brother. who came out