The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19


were ordered and paid for by rich zamin-
dar' dand owner) If his Honor permits
me to refer to my account books / can give
further details
g BY all MEANS assented the J'int.
Then, sahib. you should have seen the
comedy. A huge pile of account books was
carried into the court. from which. after
much searching, Chuggu Ial selected one
and read an entry: On the - day of -
received from Khuda Bux. resident of Ga
rampura. seven gold mOhurs. to be made up
with pearls into nose-rings, two in number.
Also received from Khuda Bux two large
pieces of gold wherewith to join nine en-
eralds together, so as to form a necklace
All, said the J'int, this is indeed in
teresting'
Again, to my great alarm, tho pleader
refused to cross-examine, cOntenting HIM
self with demand that the account book
should be kept safely in court till the end
of the trial
How them exclaimed Chuggu Lal,
shall my business proceed without my day
book? For truly a close inspection of the
book would not have pleased him. After
some argument the book was impounded
and the trial proceeded.
"Khuda Bux was the next witness, and
of truth, sahib, he was a pitiable sight,
for the loss of much wealth in the
Garampura dacoity, together with all the
trouble and annoyance that follow such an
event, had rendered him foolish and timor-
Gus. Hussain Ali came and stood beside
him. with comforting words upon his
tongue, but with which to guide the mans
lips as he desired.
Then the old pleader called aloud, Since
when q KOfua1 Sahfb hava x-o,i booovao q
wet nurse to infant witnesses? Will not
your worthiness resume his honored seatr
Whereat all men laughed, and Hussain Ali
in wrath went away.
THE witness said, am an old man.
doubtless one hundred years old. and have
| been grievously robbed Thereupon he
lifted UP his voice and wept so to be heard
| afar.
g Keep to the point said the J'int sahib
| angrily; for tiffen time had come, and the
boy was hungry.
g I have been robbed; my house has beer
Destroyer howled Khuda Bux
" Hold your tongue! piped the magis-
tratc.
Justice! Revenge? screamed Khuda
Bux
On this old idiot exclaimed the
J'int, the court is adjourned for an hour
Do thou, o Kotwal, meantime persuade this
foolish old man to cease from improbable
wordsr
Hence it came that after food. Khuda
BuX testified briefly that the three jewels
were his probably stolen from him in the
big dacoity. Now, if ever was a good OPP
portunity to puzzle and confound the wit
ness with clever questions, such as pleaders
I ask; but mine sat silent stroking his beard
tic Jo1 I e..
Then the bog magistrate putting out his
cheeks in earnest endeavor to speak as a
man, gave it as his opinion that the case
was fully proved. and that he intended to
commit the prisoner to sessions on a charge
of being in receipt of property we'll know
ing that the same had been taken by
dacOits. AT these words darkness came be-
fore my eyes, and the sound of rushing
waters filed mine ears: seven years of
prison life stared me in the face, to which
death itself would have been preferable.
"Then at length my pleader spake
honeyed words, Every case, your Honor,
| proved, until an answer thereto is given.
| Have as yet spoken?'
Nay, sir retorted the magistrate, you
have not and indeed 1 have greatly mar
veled at your neglect of your clients in
| terests."
"As lightning from a stormcloud flashed
forth the old pleader's rage. Forty years
before your Honor was a pulling babe at
your mothers breast 1 was defending the
lives of men; shall now learn my work at
your feet? A cold silence fell upon the
courthouse, and L bethought me, All is now
over, my disgrace is at hand.
verify, sahib your ways are not our
ways, for the J'int after a moment of hest
tation rose from his seat and, extending his
right hand to my pleader, said aloud, I beg
your pardon. The two men shook hands in
silence whilst we all wondered.
=" Forgive an old mans tongue said the
graybeard, but to show you why 1 have
hitherto kept silence let a chaprassi ines
senger) be sent across the road to the bun
galow where reside the ladies of the Zenana
Mission, to summon thence Miss Graves
and Miss Fortescue.' Greatly 1 wondered,
for never had 1 heard these names, but
learn, sahib that though he lock her up for
ever yet will not man be able to say all
that his wife doeth.
"After brief delay the ladies came one
by one, and, daintily kissing their sacred
book, spake thus: Three years ago. in full
fillment of our missionary work we paid a
visit to the Zenana of Manik Chand, the
dealer in cloth and jewels, who resides in
the Sudder Bazaar, and, as is our wont en-
such occasions, to overcome the timdity of
the women there, babe them show up their
jewels and finery. They gladly did so, and
we remember distinctly this emerald neck
lace, as it was of very strange design;
but more than this there was an inscrip-
ton at the back of the center stone of which
we took an impression in wax, so as to de-
cipher it more easily The wax was pro-
dueed and found to correspond exactly with
the engraving on the stone, which had es-
capped notice till then. AS to the nose rings
continued one of the ladies. noticed them
ALSO from the fact that they were alike and
that a large pearl from one of them came
loose in my hand which 1 handed back to
the wife of Manik Chand bidding her put
it away carefully. 1t has evidently been
mended since then
'As all men know, the testimony of one
Englishman weighs more than that of many
Indians nor indeed could any one have
doubted that the ladies We're speaking the
truth Consequently the charge against me
came to naught, and ! returned home to re-
jcice with my friends, not forgetting to send
money and sweetmeats to the Brahmins."