The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-23
e-oe-e-es-p- 90 . 1900
!; THE PURPLE GOD. !:
p BY WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDoN. Copyright 1903.
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0-e-o-0-0-O-0-0-@-0-0-0-0-0
yes, dead as doornail. It's glad am
to see YOU. sir. 1t was rumored this
morning that you had been Killed by
Plndaroon robbers near Jhalapur.'
I'll tell you about that again" replied
Jack. II have just come from Jhalapur--
met the mutineers hurrylng to Delhi.
For Gods sake. what does 1t all nean2"
1T means simply hell. sir, ard i've
been In IT, was the husky response; and
he jefked n thumb toward the burning
town, III live a thousand years Ill
never forget this bloody night It was
tho Third Cavalry started the devils
work. Sir, and the Eleventh and Twen-
tieth OF the line Joined In. And now yov
say they've all gone to Delri2''
Yes to commit more murders But
where are our fellowship English
troops p J..
The Lord only knows. sri COULDN'T
find them anywhere about the town,
and was riding To look for item ut thi
environments when that IIindoo pig bowl.
cd me over. l came down pretty heavily,
and the fall stunned me for a moment,
but I pulled round In time to chip In
when you were getting the worst of It."
'"Thcn the fellow missed you and hit
your steed2'
I'm the throat SIR killed tho poor
creature instantly"
JACK bent over the dead horse, and
Strengthened up with a Jerk.
This is Colonel Erlton's charger!" hS
cried sharply.
That's right. sir" assented Rugglcs.
''And the colonel"
''Shot through the heart ut tho Jail
sir. scarcely half an hour ago.
Colonel Erlton murdered! BY God,
what a heavy score there Will be to wipe
out!"
CHAPTER XIII.
A BLOW FOR VENGEANCE.
For moment Jack averted his face,
though he was not ashamed of the tears
that dimmed his eyes or of the choking
lump that rose in his throat. Some OF his
ca rliest recollectlons were of Colonel Erl-
ton. who had in later years taken almost
the place of father to him, and his
grief was bitter and sincere.
.'1he day OF retrlbutlon Will come" he
muttcred through his clenched teeth. "and
Ill show no mercy then
1T amt safe to be standing here In
the open. sir said Ruggles, MS he drew
the young officer among the trees. Tho
rebels may not all have passed yet.
don't wonder you feel cut UP about tho
colonel he added In n tone OF quiet sym-
patty.
..IIow did 1t happcn7" Jack asked.
I'll tel you, Sir. and half dozen
niore OF the fusillers were shifted to the
gaol guard tonight and we hadn't been
there an hour when the Third Cavalry
came up like a whjrlw!nd. yelling and
screeching. We let them have a.svolley,
Iul little they cared for that. They
smashed In the doors. dragged their cons
demned comrades from the cells aud
Knocked the shackles of OF EN- in a
jlffy.
Meantime the guards had either fed
or been shot down and all that saved
my LIE was a trapdoor from one of the
upper corridors by which gained the
roof After waiting n bit dropped to
a. she'd and from that to the ground,
and crept around to the front
'.The troopers OF the Third and the res
cued men were swarmlng out. and be-
hind them. bowling like hends. pressed
the 1000 and more ordinary conv.cts. who
had been set loose. And at that very
instant, sir. who should come galloplns
up but Colonel Erlton. quite alone and aa
brave as n lion.
''But 1t was no use. They wouldn't lis
ten to him. and they were thirsty for his
blood. The first shot hit him In the chest.
and he must have been fairly riddled with
bullets when he pitched out OF the sad
die"
'.You saw tho crime done?"
Almost as plain as I see you. sir"
'tAnd them"
"Wel. sir. then the colonel's horse
which somehow or other wasn't hit
came tearing my way, and before you
could say Jack Robinson had grabbed
the bride and was on the creatures back.
1t was pretty dark by that time, and
though the musket balls sang pretty thick
about my ears got safely away
The rest of the narrative the sergeant
told in voice that WAS husky with emo
ton and horror; he had been twice pur-
sued by mounted mutineers, headed or
FROM the cantonmcnts and driven toward
the town. and had utterly failed TO dis
cover any trace OF the British troops,
l,rr huIin aafyr ~
i have Witnessed" he concluded. and
couldn't put them into words But these
brown devils have slaughtered men,, Wo-
men and children like sheep. And what
TO be done now. sir. I'm at your ORDERS.
81 don't know, Ruggles. i can't fhthom
this mystery about our troops. Where In
heavens name are thcy?'
''If they were in tho nelRhborhoou, BIT,
they would be keeping quiet at such 2
time. Tho smoke may have confused
them and lead them astray. put Us my
opinion, begging your pardon, That they
have taken short cut across country
to head the mutineers or on the DEM
road
God grant that you are right" ex-
claimed Jack. That's The most propu-
And, anyway. the rebels may give them
the slip. What we must think about 1lrst
is how to get word to Delhi, But per-
haps the operator had sense enough W
attend to that. though he could not nays
been at his office Tonight"
1T wouldn't have mattered II ne hau
been sir. The wires were cut quarter
of an hour after the Third Cavalry started
for the gaol. saw them trailing IN ING y
dust here and there when l first rode
toward tho town.
'Then the telegraph Is out of the Gues-
ton. The only thing we can do, Ruggles'
Ia TO follow the highway to Delhl. VI,
better still. to strike across country-wa
might yet get ahead of the mutincers, IN
case they are not interrupted and beaten
by our fellows But to carry out thae
plan We must have good, fresh mounts a..
"And think know where we can ilnu
them, sir, II you don't mind the FISK.
There are some big houses on the out
skirts of Meerut, and they may NOT nave