The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-11-09

into the hearts OF his hearers. He
was foretelling the downfall Of the
British Raj.
Il glanced over my shoulder at Har-
old, and | saw that ne had grown
white, white to the lips, and that his
bridle-hand was trembling.
"a native in the crowd yelled some
thing in q raucous, falsetto voice, and
caught the words at once.
"'Your fellows down country have
mutinied and killed their officers
cried to Harold. Did you hear what
that man said?
"'God help US, God help u.s. he ex-
claimed In that same hoarse, tense
voices--Let us get onto the fort-to
the fort
"a great strapping Muhammadan, a
butcher in q red turban, leaped from
the crowd and seized the rein of Mrs.
Harold,s horse with one hand. The
other held a meat chopper. The horse
reared. / rose in my stirrups, raised
my loaded riding crop and brought the
butt down full between the fellows
eyes. He dropped like log.
"'Get on to the fort, Harold, In Gods
name, and take the ladies with you.'
cried breathlessly, for now l was lay
ing about me with that heavy butt and
the people, screaming with fear, were
tumbling over one another In theiI
eagerness to get beyond the reach Of
my arm.
II caught q glimpse Of Mrs. Har
ODDS face. flushed with excitement, hel
eyes flashing with enthusiasm and
sort of fierce delight.
"'0h, how splendid of you!' sh,
cried. How splendid!' and then sh,
and Harold and his sister were of, a
\ gallop up the hill toward the fort
Harold leading.
"The crowd had fallen back befor'
me, and rode straight at the Muham
MADAM preacher. hit him, as hat
hit the butcher, full between the eyes
and felt the bone shatter beneath tn
blow.
"'You dogs!' cried. You dogs VIII
dare to bark because fools tell yol
that the Raj of the British Is ended
get to your kennels like the whippe
ours you are. And when sense re
turneth to you, come to me at the for
craving pardon, lest l send word to tn
government of the wickedness in you
hearts, and the hide be stripped fror
you in punishment. Coz
| "And then, why then, and 1t bring
tears to my eyes when | recall 1t, TO
they are men, these Muhammadans G
India, though like children they b
easily led astray or Alright as ma
may chance to lead them-the crow
set up a throaty shout, not Of rage G
defiance, but Of approval and admir-;
ton.
"'It is we'll done!' cried many voices
1T Is well done. and behold our Sahi
is a man. Let the Raj stand or ia
elsewhere, here the Raj and our Sahi
are one; and see. the Sahib stand
while the fool who spoke vain thing
lies yonder in the dust. 1t is in trut
tweff done.
81 turned my horse slowly an
walked him up the hill to the fort. Fc
me at that moment the world held onl
one thing-Mrs. Harold's face-an
that too said. 1T is well DONE and
think also thank YOU
after that there came some anxiou
| IihSo, puI III INC Nilu ulliS Ndo OlO !
the districts that had no mutiny hi
tory. Harold's nerve had been shake
by that scene in the town, and tn
worst OF it was that he couldn't get
back and that his wife saw it.
"At last it was safe for them to leav
and | thanked God for it, though Iii
didn't seem to offer much to me whe
she had gone out of it. Anyhow.
knew it was the only thing for me,
was to avoid making fool of m
self, and she-well, she was everythin
that a woman ought to be.
'The evening before they were to 6
away / came upon her sitting in tt
veranda CT my bungalow-we ha
moved out of the fort ages before,
spite Of Harold's frenzied protests
and she began to speak of all, she We
e pleased to say, they owed to me.
"'Don't,' l said. 1T is who ov
. a debt-to you. 1t is you who hay
t helped me, helped me to play the man
"I don't think you wanted niue
, help to do that she said very seriousl,
r in a moment we were on our fee
facing one another, and her hands wei
in mine. | knew then, l know nov
| that | might have kissed her. But
: would have hurt her.
! "Instead l stopped and kissed h
g hands.
| Goodbye and God keep you,' l sal
t and turning, left her.
"That, ! know now, was my greate