Evening star., 1904-02-01

rushed at Meredith with shrill scream
and a wild waving of the arms. He closed
with him. clawing and tearing, with prob
ably no other reason in the attack than a
crazy lust of fight born of bhang and ar
rack.
Meredith showed him roughly away, but
as he did so one of the fellows hands
caught in his turban and dragged 1t off.
For an instant the sight of the hair on the
doctors head seemed to almost sober the
man; the next, to rouse him to a fresh fury.
"A spy! spy! XIII the traitor! See
his hair! Mario! Marro!' And shrieking,
he rushed at Meredith with his ugly knife
flashing in his hand.
Meredith met him with a long, straight
drive, landing hard between his eyes as the
knife cut the smoky air a couple of inches
from his chest. The fellow shot back into
the pressing crowd with a yell, and the
smoke aiding him, Meredith dashed aside,
avoiding the first rush of the maddened
mob and shouting Justify for Ben Alif.
Even as he called there rose a sudden
added confusion of noise-shrill cries of
Police! Police!' and "Spy!' and "Trai-
tori The doctor stood still bewildered.
The music had ceased and women We're
shrieking in terror; harsh curses and the
thud of harsher blows came muffied through
the smoke, and then loud cry nearby:
.'Thakur! Thakurr
Evidently there was another little game
on, perhaps another spy, or-then he seized
the situation; the police were on them,
He answered Ben Alifs hail quickly
enough then, and the two made a dash
through the first side room they struck
only to find the passageway blocked by a
dozen big Sepoys driving back the frantic,
panic-stricken mob.
Sahib, whispered the dwarf, dragging
off his linen coat hastily, do we go or
stay?"
Go. man; go!'
"Uccha, Sahib; quick; gather some torches
while l talk to these children of foolish
m0tlQrS Stand wi he On
hib; one for thee and one for me; and
when 1 beckon, follow me quickly-ahead
of these ours, mind, Sahib-ahead of them
if we would get OUT
He ran to the skirts of the crowd, which
was raging impotently for lack of a leader,
and forcibly dragged at the men and COM
PEELED them to listen to his words. Then two
-three-a doZen-twenty-Sprang away and
CROPPED for torches. And then there came a
hurricane rush through the mob of their fell
lows, who gave way right and left from this
Few peril of flying fire, but, seeing their in
tention. closed in after them clamorousiy
Ready, Thakur?" cried the dwarf as
they broke through to the foremost rank of
SepoyS, and when Meredith answered Aye
he sprang furiously forward with a long,
low dive.
A dozen clubs ratified on his back, but he
was too low to be much hurt, and, catching
the two center men round their hips, he
lifted them high in his brawny arms ar4
flung them forward on their comrades and
with hoarse battle yell bored in again.
Meredith was after him in an instant,
smashing right and left with his flaming
torches, and hard on his heels came the
vile, unwieldy mob frantic with exultation
now. and impossible Of control.
The Sepoys fell before their rush, bruised
and burned, and by the time reinforcements
came great sweating. turbulent crew was
in the passage between them and the two
leaders
Ben Alifs plan Of getting the crowd be-
tween themselves and pursuit had been
touch of genius that was only equaled by
his courageous method of carrying 1t to a