Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-08
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
DISPOSSESSED.


fifteen years. and for decade he had
ruled over the 200 villagers. Nynee
TAX was n good man and just man.
and Ofttlmes men jOurneyed half 4
hundred miles to ask his advice. His
word among his people was law, and
the British civil commissioner held
no court in the village. There had long
been peace and good will when the
summons suddenly came. y stranger
and n white man had laid claim to
Nynee Talks acres. and the just man
was notified to appear at Neemutch
on certain date and defend his title.
When he had mastered the words of
the paper. he was in despair, and when
he had explained them to his people
they cried out in Indignation.
Nynee TAX had no papers to support
his claim. He was n sQuatter. In
wandering over the country he had
come upon this fertile spot and built
him a hut and staked out modest
claim. Others had followed him, and
years had passed, and no one had been
disturbed. Now. under some act of
government. n white man had secured
legal rights, and the old man realized
that there could be but one reSult-he
and all others would be dispOssessed.
Il will go down to Neemutch and ap-
pear before the sahib Judge" he said
to his people. but when l return it
will be TO tell you that we must go.
Our rights cannot stand against the
laws of the Feringee."
On the date specified he appeared in
court. 1t was made plain to him that
hn NO iCrhf ~ Of
land on earth was free to man. 1t
must be bought and paid for, whether
on the mountain. down in the valley
or in the wilds of the jungle. white
man had paid the government gold for
this village site, and the villagers to
the last man must go elsewhere.
Where they should go, where they
should find other lands, it did not mat
ter, but I'm two weeks they must be
gone. Nynee TAX and his people had
cleared away acres of jungle and dug
two miles of bitches, but they could
not expect pay for this They had
lived while they worked, and what
more could they ask? The court look
ed at least for protestations on the
part of the old man. but none came.
When he saw that any words from him
would be wasted, he simply lifted his
head and whispered:
3 Great is the ssfib Judge. 1 will 60
back to my people and tell them that
we must move"
A week later lieutenant and fifteen
men from the garrison of Neemutch
were sent over TO the village to see
that the order of dspossession was
carried out. They were Feringees and
had no sympathy for the natives. If
the villagers packed their belongings
and stole quietly away, well and good:
if they were inclined to hang on. then
the huts would be burned over their
heads and the butts of muskets used
to club them into submission. The
sixteen men went into camp on n
grassfield to the north of the village.
and the officer called the villagers to-
gether that evening and read them the
legal notice and haughtily added:
AT noon tomorrow you will go. The
law says so. and say so, and who of
you dares dispute:"
I'VE will go, sahib officer" humbIy
replied Nynee TAX as he bowed his
head. I'VE must wander about to
starve and become food for the jackals,
but that is nothing to the law. At high
noon we will go"
That night the women began making
up bundles of clothing and the men to
gather food for a journey, and there
were curses, tears and wailingS. Ny
nee TAX sat apart by himself and kept
his eyes on the ground, and. though
often spoken to, he made no reply. 1t
was only when the officer sent down a
messenger to say that if the noise in
the village did not cease he would be-
gin driving out the people that the old
man raised his head and said to the
cursing men and weeping women:
Hush. Be quiet! 1t is the law. we
will go, and we will not lay hand on
these men WHO mock us in our misfor-
tune. but nevertheless we shall be
avenged. Seek your beds and leave
me alone"
A quarter of an hour later the viii
lage was quiet, and Nynee TAX picked
up his flute of reed and wandered
along the edge of the jungle above the
soldiers encampment. AS he wander
ed he played soft and low music, and,
though it was heard by the drowsy sol
diers, it soothed them. Back and forth
for a full hour paced the old man, and
he smiled as he heard the rustlings in
the dry grass and the close thickets.
BY and by he returned to the village
and his hut. OF all the people only
his wife was awake. She looked at
him for long time and then asked:
'Have you been calling the cobras to
avenge us?"
aye, l have called Them" he an
swered. land now let us sleep. At noon
tomorrow we must CO."
When the morning came, the soldiers
in the grassfield did not stir. At S
O'Clock they were still in their tents; at
10 not one had appeared: at noon the |
people wondered.
lit is noon, and we must co." said |
Nynee Tax as he lifted up. his bundle.
He led the way. and the villa gers fol-