The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-09-04

cordIhlly eHoush' pu' Wy
HCE as ] would, ! could not en-
list his interest in the mat
ter about which had come. He was
gloomy and silent. Finding he could
not be persuaded TO talk, j gave over
the business for the day and took my
leave. But before left the place j met
Ram Abadhur, the half-caste court In
terpreter, and learned the cause OF the
Rajah's depression.
ut is the tiger that disturbs his
hlghness," Ram Abadhur snid. He
has appeared In the jungle about Nah
rabad, and there is much talk OF him
among the people. He Is man-eater.
but that is nothing. Strange reports
have come to the palace that the beast
Is In the likeness of a tiger pictured on
the flag OF the old Kehab kings, and
the story has spread that he Is the re-
incarnation OF Raj Kehab. His com
ing, IL is whispered means some mis-
fortune TO the reIgning family-a death,
or Il even might be that which his
hghness most breads this Is very
secret, sahib) the return OF the old
ruling family to the throne"
Through many traditions / knew Raj
Kehab, the mighty founder OF the
royal family that had ruled Budhra-
pore for n thousand years, up 10 the
time, half century before, when the
East India Company installed In power
the new dynasty, which began with the
present Rajah's grandfather, and j
had seen In the Viccroy's palace Mt
Calcutta, kept as relic the flag which
from the time Of Raj Kehab down to
the last king descended from him had
been the emblem OF the Kehab dy-
nasty. Its design was tiger worked
I'm white embroidery upon dark-green
ground.
/ rode home and at the bungalow
found Khatra Ahab, the shlkarl. await
Ing me i'm the compound. lie was
master OF his craft. He knew the
habits of all the jungle beasts and
could read the tokens OF their goings
and comlngs ms surely rs the white
man reads the business signs In the
city streets. Before | had time TO
speak with him was hailed from the
verandah by Captain Bent Murdoch,
Chief of the Budhrapore police. who
had ridden with his orderly from Ca
ramhat that morning. After bidding
him welcome l questioned Khntra as
to the truth of the report OF n man
eating tiger in the Nahrabad Jungle.
81 have seen him." the shikari an
swered. "Watching from tree, /
saw him pass not twenty PAGES away.
On that day he carried off my cousins
wife from the rice field. lie had feast
ed ana mad no need TO Kill, but he
looked mt me. Sahib, his color! i
swear by Krishna. he was white. And
his eyes! The color of tigers eyes
in daylight Is yellow, but his were red
as red as the blood smcars on his
jowls. When | saw his tracks | knew
them, for ! had seen them before.
Sahib, il Is useless to follow him. for
he Is ghost tiger. His lair is in the
haunted city of Nahrabad."
"Then to Nahrabad we will go for
him." exclaimed Captain Murdoch,
who was famous as n hunter of big
game. "Ghost or no ghost, white or
striped, Wen wait for him there to-
night. If lead fails wen try silver
bullet. suppose, major, you can lend
me gunT
1.-TWO. If you WISH" I returned.
"Khatra, you know the tigers path.
You will guide us this afternoon to
where we shall watch tonight by the
Nahrabad ruins"
The shikari tried TO object. hut ]
overruled his objections, and he un.
willingly agreed TO be our guide. The
details having been arranged had
time to talk with Murdoch. For sew
eral months he had been unusually
busy suppressng the dacoits who. at
the beginning OF the year. had started
their annual carnival of robbery and
murder in the Rajah's domininons.
He had broken up the principal hand.
and, so far as could he known, those
or the outlaws who had not been
killed outright were In Jail awaiting
the trials which would determine
whether they should be hanged or
sent to penal servitude In the Anda-
mans. One only had escaped, Nadraj.
their chief, and no search could dis
cover his hiding place.
"His death or capture would he
worth more than that OF all the rest
of the band" Murdoch said. There
won't be an end of dacoity in Budhra-
pore SO long as he is alive"
Everybody In Budhrapore knew OF
Nadraj. and most people. native or
European, HAD cause 10 dread him. A
high-born Hindu. fanatically hating
everything associated with the English
rule in India. his crimes and crueties
had been inspired as much by hatred
and revenge as by desire of plunder
Native mothers stilled their children
with the threat of his name. AS he
was utterly desperate even the Rajah
himself, who favored the English
could not be safe from the chance oi
assassination while Nadraj was al
large.
II can't think where he can be con
cealed." the captain continued. "If Il,
were friendly 10 the Raiah could nm
derstand. but his Majesty has IN,
greatest motive OF any one for wishn,
him of the earth. DO you know tha
this dacoit is Of the old royal family
a lineal descendant. ii is said. OF Ra
Kehab? III the old dynasty shad no
been overthrown by the help OF tn,
English he might be Rajah OF Budhra
pore to-day. We are going to his an
cestral city tonight to wait for th,