The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-08-30

!
the rife bullets which cut up the sand
round me, for ! dared not face the
death of mad dog among that hideous
crowd, and finally fell, spent and raw
ing, at the curb Of the we'll No one
had taken the slightest notice of an ex-
hibition which makes me blush hotly
even when think of it now.
Tive or three men trod on my pant
ing body as they drew water, but they
were evidently used to this sort O.
thing and had no time to waste upon
me. The situation was hunliliating.
Gunga Dass, indeed, when he had
banked the embers of his fire with sand,
was at some pains to throw half cup
full Of fetid water over my head, an at
tention for which I could have fallen
on my knees and thanked him, but he
was laughing all the while in the same
mirthless, wheezy key that greeted me-
on my first attempt to force the shoals.
And so in semicomatose condition l
lay till noon. Then, being only man
after all, I felt hungry and intimated
as much to Gunga Dass, whom I had
begun to regard as my natural protector.
Following the impulse of the outer
world when dealing with natives, l put
my hand into my pocket and drew out
4 annas. The absurdity of the gift
struck me at once, and I was about to
replace the money.
Gunga Dass, however, was of diff
ferent opinion. "Give me the money,
said he; "all you have, or will get
help, and we will kill you!'' All this as
if it were the most natural thing in the
world.
A Briton's first impulse, I believe, is
to guard the contents of his pockets,
bu. moments reflection convinced me
of the futility CT differing with the one
man who had it in his power to make
me comfortable and with whose help it
was possible that might eventually
escape from the crater. l gave him all
the money in my possession-9 rupees,
s annas and pie-for I always keep
small change as backsheesh when am
in camp Gunga Dass clutched the
coins, and hid them at once IN his rag
ged loin cloth, his expression changing
to something diabolical as he looked
round to assure himself that no ore had
observed US.
"Now I will give ycs something to
eat, said he
What pleasure the possession Of my
money could have afforded him l am
unable to say, but inasmuch as it did
give him evident delight 1 was not
sorry that I had parted with it SC read
ily, for had no doubt that he would
have had me killed if I had refused.
One does not protest against the vaga-
ries of a den of wild beasts, and my
companions were lower than any beasts.
While I devoured what Gunga Dass had
provided, coarse chapatti and cup
ful of the foul we'll water, the people
showed not the faintest sign Of curiosity
that curiosity which is SO rampant.
as rule, in an Indian village.
I could even fancy that they despised
me. At all events they treated me with
| GuS 1uOSG SulI11uS 1AOiACAOASO, eAAA>S
Gunga Dass was nearly as bad. I piled
him with questions about the terrible
village and received extremely unsat-
isfactory answers. So far as l could
gather, it had been in existence from
time memorial-whence concluded
mat it was at least a century old-and
during that time no one had ever been
known to escape from it. q had to con-
trcl myself here with beth hands, lest the
blind terror should lay hold of me sec
ond time and drive me raving round
the crater Gunga Dass took a ma
licious pleasure in emphasizing this
point and in watching me vince. Moth
ing that could do would induce him
to tell me who the mysterious ''they''
were.
cit is so ordered" he would reply,
land I do not yet know any one who
has disobeyed the orders. %
"Only wait till my servants find that
I am missing I retorted, land 1
promise you that this place shall be
cleared off the face of the earth, and
I'll give you lesson in civility. too.
my friend
"Your servants would be torn in
pieces before they came near this place,
and, besides, you are dead, my dear
friend. It is not your fault, of course,
but none the less you are dead and
buried. y
At irregular intervals supplies Of
food, 1 was told, were dropped down
from the land side into the amphithea-
ter, and the inhabitants fought for
them like wild beasts. When man
felt his death coming on, he retreated
to his lair and died there. The body
was sometimes dragged out of the hole
and thrown On to the sand or allowed
to rot where it lay.
The phrase "thrown on to the sand
caught my attention, and asked Gunga
Dass whether this sort of thing was not
likely to breed pestilence.
s'That, said he, with another of his