The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-14
THE MAN IN &
THE MOONLIGHT

copyright, 1905. by Mcclure Phillips & Col
All over the great highways Of In
dia the government has established free
bungalows for the use Of travellers.
They are little more than shelters from
the weather. If the traveller has no
bedding he finds none provided. II
be has no food he must buy of the ma
lives or go hungry.
On the great highway between ALA
habad and Nagpoor there were eight
passengers Of us who got down from a
stage one night, tired, hungry and
sleepy. Three of the number were
women, being wives Of three Of the
men. We had with us, going down to
his regiment at Nagpoor, a British ma
jor belonging to native regiment.
The British officer, no matter where
you find him, is a gentleman, but this
was an exceptional case. The major
was rough by nature, and drink had
rendered him anything but an agreea
bic companion or a man Of manners.
The married men were first in the
bungalow and made their selections.
The major stopped to quarrel with the
driver and therefore came last. There
was room left for him, but he did not
choose to put up with last choice. He
insisted that one Of the married cou-
Piles turn out for him. When they re-
fused to do so he became abusive. A
personal encounter finally resulted, and
the major was soundly thrashed by
one Of his own nationality. He was
thrashed, but not silenced. He dared
his conqueror to fight him a duel, and
he threatened revenge on all Of us.
1t was a bright moonlight night, 50
bright that one could see every leaf
on a tree hundred feet away. The
major disappeared while the rest OF
US were cooking and eating, and we
saw no more of him for two hours
Then as l walked out on the grounds
to smoke a pipe he came sauntering
down the road. I took it that he had
been to a native hut about a quarter
of mile away to buy food and had
eaten it before his return. The man
had also been imbibing afresh. I had
said that would 60 in and 60 to bed
and had started for the veranda of the
bungalow when the man of war drew
| q pistol and aimed it full at me and
said:
THAT will be as 1 say. Walk down
the road"
isn't this rather high handed, ma
jor?' asked as turned to him.
"Never you mind about that I'm not
going in, and there are enough Of them
to vilify me without adding you Move
on, say"
"Major. you are laying yourself liable
| to the law"
Course the law! Will you move on
| or take bullet?'
saw that he was wrought up to the
pitch where he would shoot me down II
| I opposed him, and walked away
down the road. He followed and took
me by the arm, aud, holding a cooked
revolver In his right hand, he began tc
talk about his military career. The
brandy he had taken would have made
the average man maudlin drunk, and
he would have had to have help to
walk. The mans voice was a bit
| thick, and now and then he lurched q
bit, but one could not have called him
drunk.
We kept on walking for half mile
as we talked, and the major finally
drew me off the highway to a seat on
the ground beneath large tree.
sat with my back to the trunk of the
tree, while he sat in the open six feet
! away. I was in the shade and he IL
the clear moonlight, with a shallow
mullah or ravine thirty feet behind
him. The man had put down his PTS
tol and seemed to have no further
thoughts against me.
1 was impatient to get away from
him and into the bungalow, and kept
hoping that his libations would finally
end In his going to sleep where he sar
Instead Of that happening, however
he seemed to grow more wakeful az
time passed on.
He had held me prisoner under the
tree for a full hour when I suddenly
noticed something queer beyond him.
The mullah was bordered on our side
by a few scattered bushes and bunch.
es Of grass. Under the moonlight each
bush and bunch cast a shadow toward
me. While my eyes were carelessly
resting on these shadows one of them
took the shape Of tigers head, with
the ears cooked up. stared at the
thing for minute or two, but detected
no movement.
Then the major began q story about
battle, and in listening to him I for
got all about the shadow. Perhaps il
was five minutes before looked again.
It was still there, even If it had not
grown palmer. From the shadow to
the fringe Of the jungle was not over
five PAGES. If tiger was stalking US
he would creep down that ravine.
major, look behind you and tell me
II you see the shadow of a tigers
head" I said.
"Bosh on your tigers head" he ex.
claimed without turning his face. IL
tell you I'm bound to get even with
your crowd The man who Struck ma