The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-02-27
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. A FOur=FOOted Nemesis /
BY William M. Grayden. !
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"You won't be warned, Ell? Well,
TIL give you something you'll remem.
Der. Take that-and that-and thatl"
Three times Daventry's muscular
arm swung the whip, and three times
the long rawhde lash Kissed through
the air to fall with singing force on
the half-naked body of the savage, who
disdained to cringe or COVER
He stood straight as a reed-a slim,
young warrior, lightly clad in native
wove blue cloth, with the dangling
black locks and naughty features of the
Maya tribesmen. At the third blow a
rush of hot blood darkened the swarthy
hue of his face.
Had enough2" Daventry laughed,
mockingly.
A brown hand slipped into the folds
of cloth and whipped out a cleaning
dagger.
what; would you ?" and Daventry's
six-shooter appeared suddenly and
timely.
The Maya lowered his weapon; his
eyes flashed murderous hatred. Then,
with strangled cry and few venom
Gus words uttered in his native tongue.
he dived through the bamboo hedge
and was lost to sight.
"Rather a dangerous game, that"
The voice belonged to man who had
come unobserved upon the scene mo.
ment before, and Daventry, turning
sharply round to the speaker, showed
- Il e. n,,d "a.
nance.
ats the only way to serve them, Mr..
Quin," he said. Cunning thieving beg
gars, these Nagasl They come down
from the hills on pretense of trading,
and steal whatever they can lay their
hands on AS for the chap you saw me
punish, if I've warned him off the plan
tation once, I've done it half dozen
times"
II may be wrong" replied Quin,
"but 1 fancy / recognized him as a
nephew of the chief Howsata. Don't
use the whip, Daventry. I've known a
Maya raid to be caused by much less
than beating"
"Those days are over, sir" was the
careless answer, as the two walked of
toward the bungalow.
Daventry was manager of the Cacha1
tea estate, the owner of which, Mr.
Hardy, was at present in Calcutta
Matthew Quin had come down alone
q twodays' journey from his camp in
the mountainous jungle of northern
Assam, to ascertain if any letters were
|, i :.
stock of tobacco.
you'll stop the night" urged Daven.
try, after lunch.
But Quin, who had no liking for the
manager, refused. Sunset found hin
half dozen miles on his way, and he
slept at little shooting box that be-
longed to the Cachar planter. Before
turning in he smoked a couple of pipes
and pondered the happening of the
morning.
On an elevated plateau of the Assam
hills, deep in the heart of that wild re
gion, was the main camp of Hamracl
g. Co.'s agent. In the course of two
months the hired shikarees and coolie!
had trapped a number of wild animals
and the expedition had about finished
its work when Quin returned.
The next night but one toward
morning, he and Carruthers were
reused by the man on watch who lee
them beyond the camp to the brow o,
the hill. Away to the southwest, over
Jungle, forest and undulating ridges
the curtain of darkness was pierced by
cred on the edge of the horizon-tht
light of great fire.
''By Jove, it must be Hardy's place
and the Nagas are destroying it, Tha
fool of a Dayentry-"
eve can't do anything ?" interrupted
CarTuthers.
"No; the sayages will scuttle back Il
their Businesses at daybreak. They will
be content with this one act of ven