The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-10

into the hearts of his hearers. He
was foretelling the downfall Of the
British Raj
Il glanced ever 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 a raucous, falsetto voice, and
1 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
voice Let US get Onto the forte
the fort
"A great strapping Muhammadan,
butcher in q red turban, leaped from
the crowd and seized the rein Of Mrs
Harolds horse with one hand. The
other held a meat chopper. The horse
reared. / rose in my stirrups, raised
my loaded riding crop and brought th'
butt down full between the fellow
eyes. He dropped like a log.
Get on to the fort, Harold, in Gods
name. and take the ladies with YOU
cried breathlessly, for now | was lay
ing about me with that heavy butt, anC
the people, screaming with fear, were
tumbling over one another in thetl
eagerness to get beyond the reach o
my arm.
Il caught a glimpse Of Mrs. Har
old's face, flushed with excitement, he
ewes flashing with enthusiasm and
sort of fierce delight.
"'Oh, how splendid Of you!' sh
cried. How splendid and then sh'
land Harold and his sister were on, a
i gallop up the hill toward the fort
Harold leading.
The crowd had fallen back befoT
me, and rode straight at the Muham
madam preacher. | hit him, as | ha'
hit the butcher, full between the eyes
and / felt the bone shatter beneath tn
blow.
"'You dogs!' I cried. You dogs VIII
dare to bark because fools tell yo
that the Raj of the British Is ended
get to your kennels like the whippe
ours you are. And when sense r.
turneth to you, come to me at the for
craving pardon, lest / send word to tn
government of the Wickedness in you
| ubdItO, anu LILO uluG OV pbA APpSo - "
you in punishment. Col
"And then, why then, and it bring
tears to my eyes when | recall 1t, 10
they are men, these Muhammadans {
India, though like children they .
easily led astray or Alright as a ma
may chance to lead them-the crow
set up a throaty shout, not Of rage c
defiance, but of approval and admir-;
t. IN.
at is we'll done! cried many voice
1T is we'll done, and behold our Sahl
is a man. Let the Raj stand or ia
elsewhere, here the Raj and our Sahi
are one; and see the Sahib stanc
while the fool who spoke vain thlns
lies yonder in the dust. 1t is in trut
well done
Il turned my horse slowly an
walked him up the hill to the fort. F(
me at that moment the world held on
one thing-Mrs. Harolds face-an
that too said. 1T is we'll DONE and
think also thank you
after that there came some anXiot
times. but in the end mine was one
the districts that had no mutiny hi
tory. Harold's nerve had been shake
by that scene in the town, and II
worst of it was that he couldn't get
back and that his wife saw it.
cat last it was safe for them to leav
and | thanked God for it, though Ii
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 everythir
that a woman ought to be.
: "The evening before they were to
away l came upon her sitting in Il
veranda Of my bungaiow-we ha
|, moved out of the fort ages before.
spite Of Harolds frenzied protests
and she began to speak of all, she WI
e pleased to say, they owed to me.
"'Don't,' l said. 1T is | who oV
e a debt-to you. 1t is you who ha'
{ helped me, helped me to play the mar
"I don't think you wanted mut
, help to do that she said very seriousl
r "In a moment we were on our Zee
/. facing one another, and her hands we
in mine. | knew then, | know no
I that | might have kissed her. But
+ would have hurt her.
n 'Instead l stopped and kissed n
e hands.
d Goodbye and God keep you, / sal
t and turning, left her.
"That, know now, was my create