The Cairo bulletin., 1904-05-25

my sepoys without your aid, and Ill
give you a front place on the platform
where you can take in the whole and
make grand account Of it for your
1 friends in the seats of the mighty
7 How much more he intended or could
/ have accomplished don't know. Pos
sibly he could oven have found a way
10 give me Balayas medicine, He was
omnously civil and kept me close to
him on the raised platform.
"Balaya was blindfoldcd and bound
10 post a little 10 our right. AS far
on our left stood n line of regulars and
I in front Of them one poor sepoy, his
cap, covered with a deep, white pug
gerry which almost hid his face ana
fell in heavy folds over his shoulders
and around his throat, the native in
sigma of mourning. The sepoy regi-
mcnts were drawn up next. TO receive
the full force Of the object lesson, and
behind them the home regiments.
"Ihe colonel made a brief address,
and not Il bad one, on the duty of the
soldier TO defend the queen and en-
press even against his own father and
mother Then the poor sepoy in white
stepped three PAGES forward and threw
his rife to his shoulder. We could
only see his eyes through the folds Of
his puggery, but they were rveted on
tho colonel, watching for the signal,
when he counted three and dropped his
handkerchief which was 10 be the
fatal sign.
1T was hendish-hideous Ana the
eyes Of that poor scpoy seemed to fash
fire through the white folds of The pug-
gerry | thought Of the woman and
looked about for her, but she was not
there. 1t would have been dangerous
for her to have spoken then. thought
how fortunate that she had realized Il
more likely that what she said to me
was bnt the poetic imagery Of oriental
fiction. Yet cold pcrspiration drippcI
from ny forehead, and | shut my eyes
as the colonel said 'rhreer ana drop
pei the handkerchief.
"Ihe report Of the rifle Yves followed
by groan a heavy fan on the raised
platform and gasp Of horror from
those about NE. / opened my eyes to
see the colonel shudlcrng IN death ag-
ony at my fect and, IKE tha hand
writing on the wall, to hear again:
The voice Of woman win speak to
him. lie will hear it, ana be VIII heed
IT, lie viii bow Bis forehead IN the
dust to me- Verify, he heard ana
Needed,
Before a soul could recover from the
shock Khabeer Ehan's savage followers
burst upon our resr with their blood
curdling battlecry. Led by the Khan they
had crept up close EnG cover Of the ex-
element
I'VE were fortunate IN being able to
make successful retreat with only a
heavy less TO report Balava his wife
and brother disappeared 7 simply re-
ported the colonel among the dead Il
was quite sufficient
"Quartermain was promoted for valiant
conduct, which he fo1lishiy credited 10
the reports which ! sent homo The COR
duct was his. Nothing but the reports
was mine
Not another saul knew that 10 was
Balaya's beautiful wife. disguised 90 his
sepoy brother who fired the shot ana
id not see H. Ny eyes were shut There
would have been 10 sense in ms rakinc Up
the ungedly facts as / knew them X
would ouly have r5Haed III timed indiena-
ton at home The colonel was dead. and
he alone was t. blame
"Quartermain deserved promotion. as he
has shown ever since. II was the voice OF
woman that saved him. IL he was really
In danger. and you cen tell him ! said So