Amador ledger., 1905-11-17


British Raj.
81 glanced over my shoulder at Har-
old, and l saw that ne had grown
white, white to the lips, and that his
bridle-hand was trembling.
GA native in the crowd yelled some
thing in raucous, falsetto voice, and
l 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 fort-to
the. fort
"a great strapping Muhammadan, a
butcher in a red turban, leaped from
the crowd and seized the rein of Mrs.
Harold's horse with one hand. The
other held meat chopper. The horse
| reared. l rose in my stirrups, raised
my loaded riding crop and brought the
butt down full between the fellows
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 l was lay
ing about me with that heavy butt, and
the people, screaming with fear, were
tumbling over one another in their
eagerness to get beyond the reach of
my arm.
81 caught a glimpse of Mrs. Har-
old's face, flushed with excitement, her
eyes flashing with enthusiasm and a
sort of fierce delight.
"'Oh, how splendid of you!' she
cried. How splendid!' and then she
and Harold and his sister were off, at
q gallop up the hill toward the fort,
Harold leading.
"The crowd had fallen back before
me, and 1 rode straight at the Muham-
MADAM preacher. l hit him, as l had
hit the butcher, full between the eyes,
and l felt the bone shatter beneath the
blow.
"'You dogs!' 1 cried. You dogs who
dare to bark because fools tell you
that the Raj of the British is ended,
get to your kennels like the whipped
ours you are. And when sense re-
turneth to you, come to me at the fort
craving pardon, lest l send word to the
government of the wickedness in your
hearts, and the hide be stripped from
you in punishment. Coz
"And then, why then, and it brings
tears to my eyes when I recall it, for
they are men, these Muhammadans of
India, though like children they be
easily led astray or Alright as a man
may chance to lead them-the crowd
set up throaty shout, not of rage or
defiance, but of approval and admira-
tion.
"'It is we'll done!' cried many voices
1t is well done, and behold our Sahib
is a man. Let the Raj stand or fall
elsewhere, here the Raj and our Sahib
are one; and see. the Sahib stands
while the fool who spoke vain things
lies yonder in the dust. 1t is in truth
well DONE
81 turned my horse slowly and
walked him up the hill to the fort. For
me at that moment the world held only
one thing-Mrs. Harold's face-and
that too said. 1T is well DONE and 1
think also thank you
after that there came some anxious
| times, but in the end mine was one of
the districts that had no mutiny his
tory. Harold's nerve had been shaken
by that scene in the town, and the
worst of it was that he couldn't get it
back and that his wife saw it.
cat last it was safe for them to leave,
and 1 thanked God for it, though life
didn't seem to offer much to me when
she had gone out of it. Anyhow, I
knew it was the only thing for me, if
was to avoid making a fool of my
self, and she-well, she was everything
that a woman ought to be.
'The evening before they were to go
away 1 came upon her sitting in the
veranda CT my bungalow-we had
moved out of the fort ages before, in
spite of Harold's frenzied protests
and she began to speak of all, she was
pleased to say, they owed to me.
"'Don't,' 1 said. 1T is I who owe
a debt-to you. 1t is you who have
helped me, helped me to play the man.
"I don't think you wanted much
help to do that she said very seriously.
I'm a moment we were on our feet,
facing one another, and her hands were
in mine. l knew then, l know now,
that'I might have kissed her. Butt
would have hurt her
Instead 1 stopped and kissed her
hands.
Goodbye and God keep you,' said,
and turning, left her.
'"That, know now, was my greatest