Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-06-17

few seconds. shuddered as | watched.
In dazed, half conscious way turned
to peruse the notebook A stained and
discolored slip of paper had been insert
ed between the binding and the back
and dropped out as ] opened the pages.
| This is what it contained: -Four out
from crow clump; 8 left; 8 out; 2
right; back; 2 left; IA out; left; 2
out; left; 8 back; right; 6 back; 4
right 7 back. p" The paper had been
burned and charred at the edges. What
it meant | could not understand. | sat
down on the dried bents, turning it
over and over between my fingers until
| was aware of Gunga Dass standing
Immediately behind me with glowing
| eyes and outstretched hands
''Have you got it?" he painted.
Twill you not let me look at it also?
swear that l will return it. .
"Got what? Return what?'' asked.
"That which you have in your hands.
1t will help US both He stretched out
his long, birdlike talons. trembling with
eagerness.
Il could never find it, - he continued.
He had secreted it about his person.
Therefore shot him, but nevertheless
was unable to obtain it. -
Gunga Dass had quite forgotten his
little fiction about the rife bullet. | re-
ceived the information perfectly calm
ly Morality is blunted by consorting
with the dead who are alive.
What On earth are you raving
about? What is it you want me to give
you?'
"The piece of paper in the notebook.
1t will help US both. Oh, you fool! You
fool Can you not see what it will do
for us? We shall escape.
His voice rose almost to a scream.
and he danced with excitement before
me- own | was moved at the chance
of getting away
Dom skipl Explain yourself. Do
you mean to say that this slip of paper
will help US? What does it mean?''
Read it aloud Read it aloud I beg
and pray to you to read it aloud. -
| did So Gunga Dass listened de-
Iightedly and drew an irregular line in
the sand with his fingers.
''See now 1t was the length of his
gun barrels without the stock. | have
those barrels Four gun barrels out
from the place where I caught crows
straight out; do you follow me? Then
three left All, how we'll l remember
when that man worked it out night aft
Ell night Then nine out, and so on
Out is always straight before you across
the quicksand He told me so before ]
killed him,
But if you knew all this why didn't
you get out before?''
~ did not know it He told me that
ago, and how he was working it out
night after night when the boat had
gone away and he could get out near
the quicksand safely. Then he said that
we would get away together. But was
afraid that he would leave me behind
one night when he had worked it all
out, and so I shot him. Besides, it is
not advisable that the men who once
get in here should escape Only |, and
am Brahman.
The prospect Of escano had brought
Gunga Dass' caste back to him. He
stood up, walked about and gesticul9ted
violently Eventually | managed to
make him talk soberly, and he told NE
how this Englishman had spent six
months night after night in exploring,
inch by it..h, the passage across the
quicksand how he had declared it to
be simplicity itself up to within about
20 yards of the river bank after turning
the flank of the left horn of the horse
SHOE This much he had evidently not
completed when Gunga Dass shot him
with his own gun.
In my frenzy Of delight at the posi-
bilities Of escape l recollect shaking
hands effusively with Gunga Dass after
we had decided that we were to make
an attempt to get away that very night.
1t was weary work waiting throughout
the afternoon.
About 10 o'clock, as far as | could
Judge, when the moon had just risen
above the lip of the crater, Gunga Dass
uduG q LII%9f 2 LII LIS Du41O" w O4lA5
out the gun barrels whereby to measure
our path All the other wretched in
habitants had retired to their lairs long
ago The. guardian boat drifted down
stream some hours before, and we were
utterly alone by the crow clump. Gunga
Dass, while carrying the gun barrels,
let slip the piece of paper which was to
be our guide. l stopped down hastily to
recover it, and as 1 did so was aware
that the diabolical Brahman was aim
ing violent blow at the back of my
head with the gun barrel 1t was too
late to turn round. must have received
the blow somewhere on the nape of my
neck A hundred thousand fiery stars
danced before my eyes, and fell for
ward senseless at the edge of the quick |
sand.
When l recovered consciousness, the
moon was going down, and | was sensi-
BILE of intolerable pain in the back Of
my head. Gunga Dass had disappeared.
and my mouth was full of blood. lay
down again and prayed that l might
die without more ado Then the un-