The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-04-30
A TALE OF INDIA.
BY c. w. DOYLE.


Early one morning in December in the
year 49, left my camp with pointer
at my heels to explore the foothills to the
northwest Of Nyagong. The region
abounded with iron ore and the mining
syndicate represented instructed me to
conduct my prospecting in a way that
would not arouse the suspicion of the
manager Of another company that had al
ready established ironworks at Kaladoon-
gle. So 1t speedily became noised about
in that section Of the Terai that was
one Of the many Englishmen who spend
their leave of absence in the jungle for
the purposes Of sport
There was a shrewd nit in the air when
started, and the barrels of my gun were
| so cold that l was glad l had put OIL u
pair of thick gloves.
The jungle was hardly awake when I
struck into the path that skirted the Bore
Nuddee. Presently green parrot
"kr-r-r-d" tentatively as 4 faint flush ap-
peared in the cloudlcss east. A wild boar
jumped n fence few hundred yards
ahead of me, followed by the sounder, of
which he was chief, as they left the fields
they had been marauding during the
night. A nilghau, with his wicked looking
horns, soon followed and numbered noise
lessly away. These were the thieves Of
the Terai. and they were, naturally, hur-
rying to their coverts before the coming
day should be upon them.
Suddenly the dewy silence was broken
by the invocation of a black partridge
the muezzin Of the jungle. "Sobhan theri
koodruth.' How solemnly and with what
splcndor of utterance and pause this
voice of the Tera announces the miracle
of the morning! The cry was taken up
and passed OH with a significance that
dwarfcd the passing Of the fiery torch as
told by Scott in 1.-The Lady of the Lake"
And Immediately thereafter the jungle
was singing its many voiced matin, not
the least "notable note of which was
the challenge Of the jungle cock, who is
a native of the Tcrai and whose vigor-
ous voice is not raucous with the civilized
laryngeal affections of the time villatic
fowl"
And then in the awakening Of the for
est, there came-1talan opera! A well
poised soprano voice sienced the jungle
choir by brilliantly executed chromatic
scale, as though the singer were trying
her voice. Finding it flexible enough for
her purpose, she launched into the diff
cult-and Northumberland, 'Di tale
amore che dirsi' in I'll Trovatore." She
suddenly stopped, as though she were
ashamed of the rubbish she sang, and
after a pause of half minute my soul
was stirred by the air Of Reethoren's i'm
mortal "Ich Iiebe Dich," sung to the
following words, which were beautifully
enunciatcd:
lcvc thee, dear! All words would fail
To tell the true and tender theme;
Such ardent thoughts and passion pale
And humble suit fondly deem
Would need poets rapturous mind
Oh il At words could but be bought
II loves own speech could not find,
ia sell my soul to express my thought.
So you should in loves tolls be caught
Oh then kindlicr sun would shine.
The yeymeilcd flowers would look more fair,
The common world would seem divine,
And daily things appear most rare!
My soul, soaring lark, would rise
TO greet the morning Of the love
So swectly dawnng in thine eyes
And in thy smiles, Which should approve.
The tender charm of the sweet old
song, now utterly neglected for more bra
zen uttcrances and which only Beethoven
could have written, was thoroughly APP
preciatcd by the singer.
Wishing to see her without myself be.
ing discovered and hoping to hear her
sing again, "stalkcd" her, and, behold,
she was padhani. couldn't be mis-
taken, for she was singing David's 10
ma maitressc' as l watched her from be-
hind the bole of great huldoo tree.
A little boy about 3 years of age played
beside her, and she sat on fallen tree
trunk and took part in the matn of the
Terai. There was noble breadth be-
tween her eyes that reminded one of the
Sistine Madonna and an air of repose
about her figure which was set off by her
simple garments.
She was, without doubt, Chambeli, the
Padhani protegee of the Fishers, whose |
flight from her husband, the Rev. John
Truser, Immediately after her return to |
the Terai had been the sensation of the
season at Naini Tai a few years ago.
Swapping dry twig with my foot to
attract her attention, | stepped into the
open and approached her. Her first inn
pulse was to flee, but she quickly regain
I'd her composurc and awaited me- stand
ing, her eyes meeting mine without the
east embarrassment.
"Your singing attracted me- began,
taking off my hat to her.
yes" she replied, evidently not at all
anxious to come to my relief in the Rwk-
ward position had sought.
at was very beautiful
"And it is finished" she interrupted.
There was a slight tone of contempt in
her voice as she thus gave me to UNDER
stand that my presence was unwelcome.
But as student Of psychology I was not
10 easily to be moved from my design Of
Investigating the case" before me.
'"The Rev. John Trusler Ia dead" I