The Winslow mail., 1901-03-07
A Four=FoOted Nemesis
By William NJ. Grayden. :
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"You won't be warned, Ell? Well,
I'll give you something you'll remem-
Der. Take that-and that-and that!''
Three times Daventry's muscular
arm swung the whip. and three times
the long rawhide lash Kissed through
the air to fall with stinging force on
the half-naked body of the savage, who
disdained to cringe or cover.
He stood straight as reed-a slim,
young warrior, lightly cad in native
wove blue cloth, with the dangling
black locks and naughty features of the
Naga tribesmen. At the third blow a
rush of hot blood darkened the swarthy
hue of his face.
Had enough?" Daventry laughed,
mockingly.
A brown hand slipped into the folds
of cloth and whipped out cleaning g
dagger.
what; would you?" and Daventry's s
six-shooter appeared suddenly and
timely.
The Naga lowered his weapon; his
eyes flashed murderous hatred. Then,
with a 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 a mo-
ment 3before, and Daventry, turning
sharply round to the speaker, showed
traces of confusion on his hard counte-
nance.
ITS the only way to serve them, Mr..
Quin," he said. Cunning thieving beg
gars. these Nagas! 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"
Il may be wrong" replied Quin,
"but l fancy recognized him as a
nephew of the chief Howsata. Don't
use the whip, Daventry. I've known a
Naga raid to be caused by much less
than beating"
Those days are over, sir" was tie
careless answer, as the two walked off
toward the bungalow.
Daventry was manager of the Cachar
tea estate, the owner of which, Mr..
Hardy, was at present in Calcutta.
Matthew Quin had come down alone,
a two-days' journey from his camp in
the mountainous jungle of northern
Assam, to ascertain if any letters were
waiting for him, and to repienish his
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 him
half a dozen miles on his way, and he
slept at little shooting box that be-
longed to the Cachar planter. Before
turning in he smoked 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 Hamrach
& Co.'s agent. In the course of two
months the hired shikarees and coolies
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 led
them beyond the camp to the brow of
the hill. Away to the southwest over
jungle, forest and undulating ridges,
the curtain of darkness was pierced by
a lurid red patch that fared and flick
cred on. the edge of the horizon-the
light of great fire.
"By Jove, it must be Hardy's place.
and the Nagas are destroying it. That
fool of a Daventry-''
1--WE can't do anything ?" interrupted
Carruthers.
"No; the savages will scuttle back to
their Businesses at daybreak They will
be content with this one act of ven
geance, especially if they managed to
pot Daventry."
The confiagration quickly burnt it.
self out, and the Englishmen returned
to their beds. The following day the
camp was broken up, and the wheeled
boxes containing the animals were
transported for IS miles eastward, by
two stages over road that had mostly
to be cut as they advanced to navi-
gable tributary of the Barmahputra
Here they were loaded on shallow draft
boats which would convey them to
Goaipara on the big river, and thence
by steam barge to the bay of Ben
gal.
Having seen the valuable cargo safe
ly embarked, Quin and Carruthers