The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-03
THE EPISODE OF RAMA RABoeAH
Chapter x-(Continued).

L
have to relate is my interview with
Moro Scindia. I had engaged an inter-
prefer, but was able to dismiss him as
my guest spoke English with more ease
and fluency than he, being an intelligent
and well-to-do member Of the Vaisya
caste. I thought it wise to see the ven-
cradle Sc1ndia lone, and accordingly
sent Parinama out of the room with the
interpreter. AS before. I give you what
passed between US as jotted it down In
my notebook.
@. You are a friend Of Rama Ragobah,
are you not?
a. No, Sahib; he has no friends
Q. You speak as If you disliked him.
A. 1t Is not Moro Scinda's habit to play
the hypocrtte. I have good reason to hate
him.
Q. You would not. then, had ha COM
mttsd crime, assist him to ESCAPE JUS
tice7
A. would track him like a bloodhound
to the ends Of the earth.
y. You know Ragobah's wife7
A. She was my cousin Sahib.
.. Were your relations friendly?
a They were more than friendly, I
loved her dearly, AID would have tried to
win her had not been SO much her
senior.
9. DID she 1--we happily with Ragobah?
A. No, Sahib.
@. Why2
A cannot answer. have sworn to
reveal the last experiences Of my cousin
20 but ono person.
@. And that person is?
A. l must decline to answer that also,
sabib.
9. If succeed in naming him viii you
acknowledge it9
A. You will not succeed, sahib.
Q. But II 7 should7
A. I will acknowledge 1t.
Q. The person is John Hinton barrow.
efo
stabbed. and looked at me in amazement.
He seemed at first to think I had read
his thoughts and rivited his dark eyes
upon me as If. by way of return he would
read my very soul. I think he did so, for
his scrutiny seemed to satisfy him. He
replied. somewhat reassured: IT can speak
only to John Hinton Darrow"
John barrow is dead" / said
Dead!' he exclaimed. springing to
bis feet; barrow sahib deadl" and he
feil back into his chair. covering his face
with his hands. "Ah. my poor Lona!" he
muttered feebly; II have failed to keen
my promise. Do not reproach me, for I
have done my best. For twenty years
have ! searched in vain for this man that
might fulfill your last request, and the
very first information I receive Is the news
OF his death. have been no less vigil
liant than Ragobah, yet I have failed, even
as he has failed"
i took this opportunity to again question
him.
@. Are you sure Ragobah fa1ledr
A. Yes; had he found barrow sahib ha
you'd have killed him. His mission was
one OF revenge; mine one of love and
Justice; both have failed utterly since their
object Is dead. My pledge Is brokenv'
.. In Its letter, yes; but the chance Is
still left you to keep the spirit Of your
covenant.
A. DO not understand you, sahib.
O.. will explain. Iona Ragobah con-
fded to you certain facts In explanation
OF her conduct toward John barrow.
She loved him passionately, and it was
her desire to stand acquitted in his sight.
Were she alive now, any wish he had ex-
pressed during his life would be fulfilled
by her as sacred and pleasurable
duty. This then, as. one who lovingly
performs her will, should be your atti-
tude also. John barrow was the only
man she ever loved, and were she living,
every drop Of her loyal blood would rise
against anyone who had done him injury
Do not speak the truth?
A. Yes; she was loyal unto death and
SO shall I be. My hand has ever been
against ell who have done her harm;
Ragobah knows that full WELL
Q. Were she alive, you certainly would
aid her IN bringing to justice one who
has done her the most cruel Of wrongs
and, at tho same time, fulfilling the dying
request Of the man who to her was more
than life.
A. I should do her bidding, Sahib.
O. How much more need, then, now
that the poor woman Is dead, that you
should act for her as she would, were she
here.
A.. You have not told mo all speak
your mind freely, Sahib. You may de-
pend upon my doing whatever believe
Iona would DO were she here.
@. I ask nothing more, and am now
prepared to fully conflde In you. AS you
doubtless know. Rama Ragobah left BON
bay for New York about eleven weeks ago
He went, have been told, on an errand
Of revenge. Six weeks ago John barrow
was murdered. He left behind him g
written statement describing his woons
of Iona Scindia and his experiences with
Rama Ragobah. He asserted further.
more, his belief that he would die by
Ragobah's hand-the hand which twice
before had attempted his life. Even as
he loved your cousin, SO he hated her hus
band, and, confident that he would ulti
mately be killed by him, he was haunted
by the fear that he would escape the JUS
penalty for his crime. He bound his he'll
by ths most solemn of promises to use
in the event Of his murder, every posi-
BILE means to bring the assassin to justice
There can, of course be little doubt tina
the assassin and Rama Ragobah are one
and the Same person. The last reques
John Darrow ever made-it was after HI
had been attacked by the assassfn-hat
for It's object the punishment of his muir
derer. Were your cousin living, do 20,
think she would be deaf to that entreaty
A. No She would make it's ful1lmen
the one object Of her life, and, acting ii
her stead, I shall do all in my power t,
see justice done. If can render you an.
aid in that direction you may command
me, Sahib.
Q. You can assist me by telling me al
you know of your cousins married life
and, more especially, the message sh
o. conf1ded to you. ....
A. In doing this I shall brea kthe lette
of my oath, but were I not to do it,
should break the spirit thereof therefor
listen: ..&
You have, I suppose, already learne,
from the statement of Darrow Sahib wha
occurred at his last meeting with m,
cousin on Malabar Hill. Her act, II
throwing a venomous serpent in his face
was one which doubtless led him to be
lieve she wished to kill him, altho it mus
have puzzled him to assign any reason TO-
such desire. Not long after this Incl
dent my cousin married Ragobah, maj
for whom she had always cherished al
iu-concealed hatred. I saw but little o
her at this time yet, for all that, coult
not but observe that she was great,
changed. But one solution suggested itsel
to me, and that was that she had dis
covered her lover false to her and had
out Of spite, as it Is called, hastily mar
ried Ragobah, I confess that when thi