The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-05

I: THE PURPLE GOD. !:
By WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDoN. Copyright 1903.
o.

1
| llfe and has directed that the feringhee
/ maid shall remain in the custody OF
Chandra Singh. who will be responsible
for her safekeepins.'
t"Thank God!' cried Jack Say 1t
again--swear by all you hold most sa.
/, cred that you speak the TRUTH"
Govind Punt readily obeyed, and swore
by the strongest oath Hindoo can take
| The young officer was satisfied. To be
| near Madge was his highest wish. now
that he knew her life to be In no imme-
dlhte danger.
In tho fiery confidence OF his heart he
vowed that when the day OF retribution
came and the British army entered the
| city-hc believed that time to be very
close-he, himself. should be at the head
| of the rescue party, the first to open the
| girls prison doors.
| ITS n bargain. then. that offer OF
| yours" he said earnestly. Here / shall
stick while the siege lasts, and In return
| for your shelter l will do what you ask
] OF me-"
Thus the compact was sealed with
| mutual understanding, and Jack had no
fears that 1t would be broken. He dis
| liked Govind Punt intensely and was
convinced that he had pnrposely blocked
| tho subterrnnean passage.
But though he knew the man to be
| fnlse-hearted liar and schemer. traitor
| to his own brother. he knew equally well
that tho tics OF self-interest and per-
sonal safety, the certain advantage to
| be gained In the future. would hold him
scrupulously to his word.
Tho wealthy merchants bazaar in the
| Chandney Choke was securely locked up
| and scaled, It appeared, and from tho
| manager down all the assistants had
Joined an irregular force that was being
raised to help defend the city
Tho Hindoos house. In tho little street
| ri. 49,,
quaint and secluded spot 1t was part
| ~ hiden by tho high outer walls that
Enclosed the courtyard. and It's project
Ing upper stories, with their carved and
| painted timbers and curious windows,
lowered above any neighboring building
inside 1t was rookery, a rabbit
| warren of dark tiny rooms all Jumbled
| together. There were two stalrcases that
| twisted and doubled In the most confusing
| manner. and neither was more than two
| feet wide.
| For reasons best known to himself Co
| Wind Punt kept no servant. but he had
n huge, fierce tibetan mastifr, who usual
| ly shared his masters rooms on the
top floor of the house. Jack was assign
ed to nest OF three OF four little apart
| ments on the same story, to which nc
| cess was had by single door that was
difficult to find and open.
Here his meals were brought to him.
and here he remained, as a rule, from
morning till night. spending most OF his
time at the latticed window overlooking
the street. But he WAS permitted to
sleep on the fiat roof, which had bal
ustrade around It and green jalousles and
awnings above that and he would creep
UP there by narrow ladder as soon as
| the shades OF evening fell
Taller buildings at a distance limited
| the view, but he could see behind n
gilded dome. square tower. which Co
| Wind Punt told him was a part OF Chan
| dra Singhs house.
| Either because he did not mind the sui
try nights, or because he had some store
OF treasure to guard. the Hindoo slept In
| his hot. stuffy bed-chamber under the
| roof.
Occasionally no had visitors. but they
were entertained on the lower floor, and
went away without suspicion. Each
morning he went off to the city to pur-
chase food and drink and to CLEAN the
latest news. SO Jack was thus kept in
| formed Of the progress of events.
| For some time after the Sth OF Juno
forces OF mutlncers and trains OF spoiis.
powder and provisions continued to pour
into Delhi. until the rebel fighting
strength numbered 10000 men, with little
short Of 800 pieces OF artillery mounted
on the walls.
Then tho Investing lines were drawn
closer and the siege began In deadly ear
nest. Death and disease took one Brit
| ish commander after another, and even
with It's native allies-Sikhs, Napaulese
and Beloochi--the army Of retribution
was scarcely 5000 strong.
Occasional deseriers brought informa-
ton from the ridge. and rs couriers were
constantly slipping into tho city. Govnd
| Punt was able to bear news of the outer
world to his guest-tidings of massacre
and revolt at Cawnpore and Lucknow.
| Benares and Allahabad and score OF
| other places.
| 1t was black and gloomy record, the
tale of those scorchlng weeks, and 1t Is
| little wonder that courage and hope be-
gan to fail the young .Englishman..
| With shrewd foresight, Govind Punt
| held confidently to his prediction that
Delhi must fall but that end seemed no
nearer than when the siege began. In
| the suburbs there were frequent sortscs
and desperate fighting. Day by day the
bombardment went on indolently the
British sending shells into the city from
their approaching earthworks and bat
terics, and the rebels answering from
| bastions and embrasures
| August witnessed the arrival of the
| siege train and the transfer of the COM.
mand to the gallant Nicholson. while
early in September more achievements
| reached the ridge, But even then no
general assault was delivered. and 1t was
| believed by the majority of the mutt
| ncers that the enemy were too weak to
|
| retire,
| Meanwhile. though the efforts to learn
! something of Ralph Estcourt's fate
came to nothing, Jacks captivity was
frightened by his being able to open
slight communication with Madge by
word OF mouth and for this priceless
| boon he was sincerely grateful to his
| protector.
Govlnd Punt might have concealed the
| fact that n female relative Of his. named
| Zeenut, was n waiting woman In Chan
| dra Singhs household, but whether his
action was dictated by self-interest Tor
not. the fact remains that during the
| month of July he made cautious over
lures to this woman and won her con-
sent to his proposals,
| AT weekly intervals the two met In
| the deep gardens of the rajah's resi-
dence, when messages We're exchanged
that gave comfort to the imprisoned girl
and her lover. and. what was of more
| Importance Jack got by degrees clear
Ii Of ipfa Of