Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-18
The Tonga.

"Badshah Junction. Mr.. Amber
Badshah Junction - Well be there II
'alf an hour 80
Inexorably the voice droned on. repeat
ing the admonition over and over.
Mutinous, Amber stirred and grumblet
In his sleep; stirred and. grumbling
wakened to another day. Doggott stood
over him. doggedly insistent.
mot much time to dress. sir: we're due
in less than 'alf an hour
"Oh. all right" Drowsy, stiff and sore
in bone and muscle Amber sat up on the
edge Of the leather-padded bunk and
stared out of the window, wondering
With laundering flanges the train f1et
from east to west across landscape that
still slept. wrapped in purple shadows
Far in the north the higher peaks of q
burning with a pale. cold light. A few
stars glimmered In the cloudless vault
glimmered wan, doomed to sudden, swift
extinction. Beside the railroad a process
sion Of telegraph poles marched with dip
ping loops Of wire between. There was
nothing else to see None the less the
young man, now fully alive to the bust
ness of the day. said Thank God!' in
all sincerity.
Even a tonga will be relief after
surrendering himself to the ministration:
Of the servant.
1t was the third morning succeeding
that on which he had risen from his BED
possessed by a wild anxiety to find his
way with the least possible delay to Oar
feeling and Sophia Farrell-a journey
which he was destined never to make
For while he breakfasted u telegram had
been brought to him.
froi
Leaves Howrah at $3.50. Imperative" II
was signed Pink Satin
He acted upon it without thought OF
disobedience: he was i'm the hands OF
Between the lines he read that the Eng
lishman considered IL unwise to attemp,
further communication in Calcutta. Some
thing had happened to eliminate the triI
to Darteeling: Labertouche would un-
doubtedly contrive to meet and enlighter
him. either on the way or in Benares it.
self.
In the long, tiresome. eventIess journey
that followed his faith was sorely tried
nor was IL Justified until the train paused
some time after midnight at Mogul Serai
There. before Amber and Doggott could
alight to change for Benares their COM
partment was invaded by an unmistak-
able loafer, very drunk. Tall and burly
marked face. dirty and rusty with a
week-old growth OF beard; clothed with
sublime contempt for the mode and ex.
allied beyond reason with liquor-a typical
loafer Of the Indian railways-he flung
the door open and himself into Ambers
arms almost knocking the latter down.
and resented the accident at the top OF
his lungs.
"You miserable. misbegotten Brighter OF
a wall-eyed American" At this point
he became unprintably profane. and Dog
gott fell upon him with the laudable In
tention Of throwing him out. In the
struggle Amber caught. his eye, and u
was bright with meaning. Pink Satint'
he Kissed. Hes gone ahead.
You're to keep on to Agra Change
for Badshah Junction. Rajputana route.
- Then tonga to Kuttarpur.
,Farreli's there and his daughter.
That's. right. my man.. throw me out!
.. !" t-s e-
|; His downfall was spectacular. In his
enthusiasm for the, part he played. he had
erred to the extent OF delivering blow
in Doggott's face more forcible. probabi
than he had intended 1t to be. Promptly
he landed sprawling on the station plat
form and. I'm the sight of a multitude of
natives but the moment gone by his
shrieks reused from their sleep i'm orderly
ranks upon the door. was gathered into