Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-27

clothes they could be called, We're in
rags, his hair was long and snowy
white, matching his beard, which de-
scended to within few inches of his
waist. His eyes were closed, and for q
moment Grantham thought he was
dead. This was not the case, however,
for upon his companion approaching
him he held out his hand and inquired
whether he had discovered the man
who had fired the shot?
To Grantham's surprise the other
made no reply in words, but, taking
his friends hand he made some mys-
terious movements upon it with his
fingers, whereupon the latter raised
himself to sitting position.
MY friend tells me that you are
an EnglishmaG," he said, in a voice
that shook with emotion. I'm glad
we have found you. l heard your
rifeshot and hailed you. We are in
sore distress, and have been through
such adventures and such misery as
no man would believe. / have poi
walk any further. AS you can see
for yourself l am blind, while my
companion is dumb"
This statement accounted for the
smaller mans curious behavior and
the others closed eyes.
you have suffered indeed" said
Grantham, pityingly. "But how did
it all come about?"
I'VE were traders, and we fell into
the hands of the Chinese" the taller
man answered. with their usual
amiability they set to work to tor
ture us. Ny companions tongue they
cut out at the roots, while, as / have
said, they deprived me of my sight.
| After that they turned US loose to
go where we would. We have wan
dered here, there and everywhere,
living on what we could pick up, and
dying thousand deaths every day
1t would have been better if we had
died outright-but somehow we've
come through. Can you take us to
place where we can procure food?
We've been living on jungle fruit for
an eternity. My foot wants looking
to pretty badly, too"
|
Grantham. THAT'S if we can get you
down to the ford, which is about five
miles away"
You'll have to carry me, then,
| for I'm too far gone to walk"
Il think it can be managed" said
Grantham. ''At any rate We'll try"
Turning to the little Shan he dis
patched him with a message to
Handiman, and when the other had
disappeared, knelt down beside the
tall man and set to work to examine
his injured foot. There could be no
doubt that it was in very serious
condition. Tramping through the
jungle he had managed to poison it,
and had been unable to apply the
necessary remedies. Obtaining some
water from the stream Grantham
bathed it tenderly, and then bound it
up as well as he could with his hand
kerchief.
That's the best I can do for YOU
for the present." he said. "We must
leave it as it is, and, when we get
you to the station, we will see what
else can be managed"
He looked up and saw the little
mans eyes watched him intently.
There was look of almost dog-like
affection in them for his companion,
that went to the young soldiers
heart.
by Jove,' he said, ''I'm sorry for
you fellows. You must have suffered
agonies. The Chinese are devils. But
yours is not the first case we have
heard of. We only come up here for
month at a time, but the man we
relieved told us strange tale; about
another poor beggar who came into
the station some two months ago.
He had been wandering in the Jungle,
and was nearly at deaths door,
The blind man gave a start, while
the little man seized his hand and
made number of rapid movements
upon it with his fingers.
my friend wants to know if YOU are
aware of that mans name?" he said.
I'VE lost a companion, and he thinks
that he may be the man. For heav-
ems sake tell us what you know.
You have no idea what it means
to u.s."
'Since you are so interested in him
] am sorry to have to say that l do
not know very much. You see he had
very little to do with us. AS have
said, he turned up while our prede-
cessors were here. From what I
heard about him from Gregory, he
gathered that he was tall, thin
man, who had come through from
Picking by way of Yunnan.'
Are you sure it was from Yum
nan?"
That's what they told me-" said
Grantham. Since then / have heard
that he was on his way from Picking
to Burmah, and that his coolies had
robbed him of all he possessed"
you don't happen to remember his
name, suppose
The blind man tried to ask the
question calmly, but his voice failed
him.
"As far as I remember his name
was George Bertram," Grantham an
swered.