The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-30

table, though he controlled his feelings
The color sergeant continued to sit mo-
tionless. Thus for an hour both main
tanned an almost intolerable silence
until a key grated harshly and the door
of the dungeon was flung open. Half a
dozen Sepoys entered and the two Eng
lishmen We're led forth.
Hundreds of tiny eyes followed their
egress The tarantulas, 1t seemed, were
doomed to disappointment.
| Down a flight Of stone steps, through
a subterranean passage rocking with
damp, UP again into dryer atmos-
phere, through more corridors, tortur-
Gus and innumerabe, all forming part
of the great palace of the wealthy Ra-
jah of Bhitoor, were the prisoners led
by their dusky guard.
All this abruptly terminated. Dark
ness gave place to light, squalor to
lsplendor, misery to magniicence. They
were confronted by the Rajah himself
in one of his state apartments.
The Mahratta prince stood surround
ed by the emblems of wealth and east
ern luxury. Upon a motion from him
the two prisoners, their arms securely
held We're led forward
The Rajah's eyes filled with an evil
fire as he glared upon the men who had
once esteemed themselves his friends,
for they in company with others, had
not infrequently shared his hospitality.
The nation which now holds his name
in deepest loathing once trusted Mana
Sahib as an ally, until thwarted an1bi-
| tion-breeding successfully hatred,
treachery and revenge-turned the
prince into a traitor man into tiger.
| His prisoners regarded him with
proud Indifference. He smiled and
pointed a bejeweled finger through
window. The mems eyes followed the
direction Of the gesture.
Cawnpore lay stretched out before
hundreds Of bamboo and mud huts in
terspersed indiscriminately with public
buildings of more substantial struc-
ture, The broad river appeared as a
streak of silver; the minarets flashed in
thu. golden sunlight.
"Down-look down" 1t was the Ra-
jah who spoke.
A long court of extreme narrowness,
bounded on either side by edifices APP
parently consisting Of the quarters al
lotted to the princes retainers. At the
rear end of this court, and almost
against the palace wall, a square, thick
iron shield had been erected. At the
opposite end, some fifty to seventy-five
yards distant, a cannon had been
mounted upon a stone carriage. The
polished steel cleaned In the sunlight
The piece was a muzzle-loading nine
FOUNDER.
Major Lacelles shrugged his Shout
ders. "Of course, you see the devils
game, Hallwell," he whispered. 1T
seems we shall have to run race"
And his face grew white as death.
Softly though the words were uttered
the Rajah's attentive ear did not miss
them
"A race-that is it," he said, his voice
trembling with half-suppressed excite
ment. "A race for life. See, l am mer-
ciful. If you leap the gun before the
fuse burns to the touchhole you shall |
dine with me tonight and go where |
you win with the sunshine. You first;
the other remains-to observe" |
At a glance from the Raiah's eyes
Major Lacelles was seized, but the Off
Ger, by a powerful effort, wrenched |
himself free and faced upon his cap
tors with look rendered more terrible |
by its anger. While they hesitated the
major turned to his companion with |
extended hand.
"Halliwell, you have my word If I |
escape I will deliver your message
God bless my darling girl"
Halliwell gripped the hand offered to
him and wrung it fervently.
Thank you, Major. Heaven help
you. Goodbye. And run hard-nard.
One never knows, you know"
The next instant the major was gone
In a few moments he appeared in the
court and took his station in front of
the iron shield, facing the gun. Two
Sepoys held him by the arms awaiting
the signal. Haliwell could see 1t all
clearly-the loading of the gun, the
careful adjustment Of the fuse.
He will never do it" groaned the
color sergeant inwardly. Hes too fat.
He will be blown to pieces Oh, devils
DEVILS
Suddenly the man at the gun raised |
MIS- hand and touched off the fuse. At
he same instant the major was pushed
forward. He bounded with great swift
ness down the passage, so narrow that
ne had scarcely room to swing his
arms. In a trice he had covered a
quarter Of the ground-a half-three-
quarters. Then Halliwell cried Good |
God" for a horrible jet of red flame
BURST from the cannon's mouth.
A mans body cannot check "a charge
If grapeshot, so the missiles came on
I'll bloody, and smashed into the iron
hield. Major Lacelles had been blown
% pieces. The watchers at the window
heard the patter of CHASTITY rain upon
he stones,
Halliwell turned his face to the prince
o show him that a soldier can look
pon a soldiers death and not finch. :
he Nanas dusky skin had paled a lit
lie. He took some grapes from a dish
nd ate them slowly. Then he turned
0 one of his retinue
THE cursed Feringhee has lost a
inner"
The man smiled and bowed without +
eplying.
This one is thin. Think you he will l.
un faster?" f