New-York tribune., 1903-01-04

thyself up against me, thy holiness to mine!
| Thou, to plant thy vile bones in the place L
the face of mine! Where is thy record? What
! hast thou done that pous should give
! honor to thee? Hast tasted /, walked upon
! thy knees through the length of HindOstan, hast
kept thy lips from aught but water and little
| meal, I?'
Even so' said the level measured voice. and
| the sneer remained. These be but poor things;
even this unworthy hath accomplished
them, on man of gray hairs! Show these as
| sembled brethren better deeds than mine for the
faith, and truly they viii arise and cast me out.
| Comet"
| Hollands heart gave great bound and the
! hand that he upraising remained in
the air He knew the voice; good Coo, 1t was
| impossible to mistake it He looked. sharply
and nearly. at the Green Fakir from Lehind his
rivals back, and he found himself fixed by the
eyes Of ChampneyS, undiSguiSed as the tones OF
| his voice, and set in the face OF an unrecog-
niZable and naked fanatic The eyes looked in
! telgently upon him; there was a flash of ap-
| peal in them, deep calling to deep Yet the
! Buddha-like sneer sat undisturbed a brown
| face smeared with ashes.
The thought that this Lnstock's muir
| derer come to justice did not sting him; but the
suddenness of the thing did, for Holland had
| had the remembrance of an English gentleman
| brought back to him, and the creature upon
whom he looked Enthusiastically horrible And
close upon the heels of the unexpected mystery
flung the knowledge that Mrs Champneys
was not a hundred yards away, and that she
| too might see and show them all what she saw.
! Some had plucked at the Yellow Fakir,
and stemmed his torrent by revealing the man
! in authority. There was Jingle, a clatter, and
!
| the crowd, chased it, bued it. and split it into
receding units The Green Fakir gazed upon
the tumult with the calm of a disinterested
| spectator, and tossed a swift, scornful word to
| his retreating foe. Show me a better deed for
| the faith oh holy mani"
| Holland took half a dozen hurried strides tow
| ard him, full only of desire to hide the truth
| from the wife, and at the same time to put this
! gross dishOnOr TO the Champneys he had known
| out of the eyes of the sun and the gaping world
Give me to-day-I only ask a day" said
| Champneys's voice through closed lips in Eng
! liSb Holland / clean
! man tomorrow! But for Heavens sake, you,
who were nv friend put reliable witnesses into
my crowd! That yellow devil shall talk YETI
Holland fell back. The eyes had dropped:
! there nothing to be seen but a loathy fakir,
nothing to be heard but the patter of his med-
tations- He realized as he stared that not even
a wife could pierce the depths of that disguise.
! And then, still mazed, still uncertain OF what
| his action should be, he drifted slowly back to
! the elephants and found his discovery hustled
! back to some other thinking time by the voices
| of Mrs. Champneys and the children Hs
climbed into the pad, and the little party was
rolled away to the further ends of the fair.
"
But Champneys killed Linstock.' Verney
| said. You said there was no doubt that there
! could be none. Would he come back, risking SO
much and appeal to you after four years%'
He was sitting upon Hollands bed with the
| shadows thick about the narrow corners of the
| tent. And Holland, who had beaten his brains
| all day against mystery, now unburdened
himself and poured forth his perplexities.
| Il did think so, but if there could be loop
hole-No. it is impossible. Yet. Verney, there
is method in this pitting himself against the
| Yellow Fakir; and l can see it,
''Where?'
The Yellow Fakir knows something. and
Champneys is stirring him to pitch of rage in
which he may be shaken beyond caution, and
spit it out This Green Fakir has logged the
Yellow for months past, they tell me now;
he has rivalled him and baited him incessantly
and aIways-mark that.-with the never vary
ing challenge to produce proof of greater
labor for the faith than he has shown
"Weu?"
The old man has hnted at things; and there
and ba has lost OrO
he went no further than limiting. The crownlnS
insult of occupying his place is part Of the
scheme. What does it all mean? And what
have the last four years been to Champneys1
That creature-that naked savagei Where
he learn the tricks of the beast so minutely!
Through what depths has his premiership not
dragged him? He passionate tempered
man-poor erring soul-but he was English, and
wholesome and he was Nellie Champneys's hus-
band The fakir is a horror to dwell upon.
Ughv' Holland swung about and gripped the
tent pole defiantly He killed Linstock; how
could it be otherwise? But he was my friend.
Varney and he has asked me for this day. He
has it. There are some of my men amorg TIE
lockers on. too, he wished II the Yellow
Fakir boils up again, and commits an indscre-
ton they are there to note it. L give him his
day Afterward-I don't knoW-my duty
He made gesture of despair
Cheer upr' Varney said. and sprang to his
feet Let us get out OF this. 1t is abominabIy
puzzIing and / can light more clearly
than you. But man would not descend to Il
vile disguise-ay, and you say, the prentice
ship which his perfection in it implies-without
desperation for every move is planned l be-
Iiaxa Sranr NV