The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-28
= DANGEROUS MAN.
(By NJ. Quad.)

The colonel commanding the mill
tary post of Ghoorka. in the Province
of NeDal. India. had heard Of the
strange doings of Ram Lal, up in the
HiRalaya Mountains to the north
Ever since the great Mutiny the
British in India have been vig1lant to
suppress any native seeking to be con-
spicuous in a way to appeal to popular
superstition. Queer tales were told
about Ram La. He had suddenly APP
peared among the people. coming from
no one knew where and he had per-
formed miracles. He had made five
thousand people believe that he was
god.
When things began to get a bit seri-
Gus the colonel dispatched a detach-
ment of cavalry with orders to bring
Ram I4al into Ghoorka. He did not
run away when he heard of their COM
ing. On the contrary, he met the rid
ers two miles out of the hill town
where he made his headquarters anu
waited for them on the banks of
creek. 1t was midsummer, and the
bed of the stream was almost dry. Ram
Lal took his station on knoll few
yards away from the stream, and as
the cavalry came up to cross he
stopped them with wave of his hand
and said:
sahib-colonel says that am a fraud
and a cheat and you would take me
to Ghoorka and expose me. Very we'll.
I viii 20. Come to me here"
The captain in command of the cav
airy started to ride his horse across
the stream, but lol in thirty seconds it
was a raging foaming torrent ten feet
deep. The water did not come down
in a great wave. as from cloud burst
higher up. but seemed to bubble up
from the dr. bed.
81 will be among my people over
tn ere said Ram Lal, pointing and
smiling. and next moment he had fad
ed from the view of the awed Britons.
He had not walked away. but had dis
appeared as if swallowed up in a fog.
Three minutes later the waters had
eubdued until a child could have step
ned across the stream. The cavalry
gaIloped on to the village. and there
Ram I.al was awaiting them. He had
been on foot when they last saw him,
and they had covered the distance at a
gallop, but he was there before them
The officer delivered his orders and in
sisted upon an Immediate start There
were a thousand natives there who
deemed it sacrilege to lay hand on
the man, and were ready to give their
lives in his defense. but he quieted
them and said to the officer:
Come, let US be going"
The troop had no sooner mounted
man every horse lay down in his tracks
and refused to get up. The troopers
were frightened and the officer mysti-
fed. 1t was not until he appealed to
Ram I4al to save him from ridicule and
disgrace at the post that the latter
gIed to his feet. These things were re-
ported to the colonel on the arrival of
the troop. but he sneered at them
Ram Lal was placed under guard for
two days while arrangements could be
made to disgrace him. Couriers were
sent in every direction to bid the ma
tfves to come in as spectators. When
the hour came the military were drawn
up on the parade ground, and five
thousand natives were there to look
on. When Ram Lal was brought out
the colonel said to him:
"I have heard about you and your
doings- You are a fraud and an inn
poster. Your so-called magic is all
nonsense, and I am going to expose
you here and now and then have you
whipped off the grounds"
at shall be as the sahib- colonel
wishes was the humble reply.
A fine big horse. bought for the ar
tiIIery six months before. had been
found utterly useless, owing to his vi
cfous temper. He could not be har-
messed and he could not be saddled.
He had killed two men and injured
three No one would have him at any
- price, and while waiting on red tape to
dispose of the animal somehow he was
kept chained in a stable. After the
colonel had addressed Ram Lal the
horse was brought out. There were
ropes about his neck and four men
hanging to free ends. The horse
reared kicked. squealed and flung
himself about, and pointing to him the
"If you are a magician you can quiet
that beast"
words and the horse dropped to his
four feet and whinnied and stood with
ears working. The men were hidden
TO LET him loose, and at nod from
The colonel they complied.
"Ho. you come to mel" called Ram