Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-10
CHAPTER XXI.
The Final Incarnation.

westerly gaze, Splpped sea. IL was not
much of a sea-merely a playful slap of a
wave that broke against the stanch black
side and glanced upward in a shower of
spray. spattering literally solitary pas
senger who had been showing enough in
terest in the weather to remain on deck
until that particular moment. Apparently
undisconcerted by the misadventure. he
shook himself and laughed a sober con-
tented laugh. found handkerchief and
mopped his face with it, then, with final
approving survey of the lowering and bel
ligerent canopy OF wind-cloud that over
hung the tortured ocean, permitted him.
self to be blown aft to the door of the
first-cabin smoking room. Opening this
by main strength, he entered. The gale
saved him the bother of closing it,
Removing his rain coat and cap and de-
posting them on convenient chair. he
glanced round the room and discovered
that he shared 1t with a single passenger,
who was placidly exhausting the virtues
of an excellent cigarette. Upon this gen
tleman the newcomer bent regard
steadfast and questioning, but after re-
turning 1t casually the smoker paid him
other moved toward him, and the deck
slanted suddenly and obligingly the better
to accelerate his progress. so that he
brought up with lurch in the seat next
brows of surprise and hoped that the gen.
tieman had not hurt himself
Il didn't, thank you, Mr.. David Am
ber."
MIR. David Amber looked the gentleman
over with heightened interest. He saw a
man Of medium height, with sturdy fig
ure that bore without apparent fatigue
the years that go with slightly grayish
hair. He was quietly dressed and had i'm
telligent eyes, but was altogether unim-
pressive of manner, save for certain
vague air OF reserve that assorted quaint
ly with his present attitude.
You've the advantage of me, sir, Am
Der summed up the result Of his scrutiny.
It's not the first time asserted the
other. with an argumentative shake Of his
head.
"No-o?" Light ieaped in Amber's eyes.
"Labertouche!''
Surprised you. eh?' The Englishman
grinned with pleasure, pumping Amber's
arm cordially. don't mind owning that
l meant to-
We'll. considering that this is positively
your first appearance as yourself on the
stage of my life, you don't deserve any
credit for being able to deceive me. When
one gets accustomed to remembering you
only as nattve-generaily as a babu in
dirty pink satin Do you know,
made all sorts Of inquiries after you, but
they told me, in response to my wires to
Calcutta, that you'd dropped out of the
world entirely. I had begun to fear that
and that I'd never see you again"
I'D almos. given up hope Of ever see
ing myself again." said Labertouche.
drily.
but why didn't YOU"
Business, dear boy. business.
was needed for several days In the neigh
borhood of Kathiapur.'
1T seems as though I'd waited several
years for news of Kathiapur. The pa
There are a good many things that
happen in India that fail to get into the
newspapers. Amber. 1t wasn't thought
Russia that half the native potentates in
Hindustan had been caught In the act OF
letting the Second Mutiny loose upon
India" A network of fine wrinkles APP
peared about his eyes as he smiled en-
joyment of what he seemed to consider a
memorable joke.
go on pleaded Amber.
'kathiapur was a sort Of mOusetrap;
the brutes came out by twos and threes.
just as said they would, for the better
part of three days. 1t was either sur
render or starve with them, and after
f1ve-sixths of them had elected not to
starve we turned a couple Of companies
of Tommies into the place, and l. don't
enough to hide a rabbit. One by. one they
routed 'em out and booted 'em down to
us. Meanwhile we had rushed enough
troops to Kuttarpur to keep their tails
quiet"
And Salig Singh-and Naraini?''
.Salig Singh. it turned out. was the
chap that got bayoneted IN the tam
arisks. Naraini managed somehow to
steal away the next night. under the
noses of any number of sentries; beauty
such as hers would bribe her way out of
hell. 1 think. What became of her II
don't know. but ;. can prophesy that she
vanced in her views for India-some CEN
turtles ahead of her race. She and Salig
Singh had it all planned, you know; his
was the master mind hers the motive
Of Saligs son. the next day-in the name
Of Har Dyal Rutton:. and then you were
to die suddenly by virtue Of hemp poison
or some other contagious disease. and
Sally was to step into your shoes as EN-
peror Of Hindustan. with Naraini as his
Empress. She should have stayed
home and been suffragette..''
Better for her. said Amber. 'Of
course I've found out about her from
Farrell. 1t seems that she was brought
up in England. with Sophia. and always
given to believe she was his own daugh- |
ter. but she was a wild thing and hard
to handle One day she found out about
her parentage-how, it's not known, but
bounding RuttOn got into communication
with her. At all events. she brooded over
the thing. and when. five years or SO
ago. Mrs. Farrell died and the colonel
raini-well, she rebelled. He refused to
let her leave England. and she finally |
took the bit In her teeth and ran away
vanished and was never heard of again
until Sophia recognized her In Kathia- |
pur.''
''I myself can fill in the gap" Laber-
touche volunteered. she Joined some Of
Salig's underlings in Paris and went |
thence direct to Khandawar, assuming
the name of one of the old queens who
had elected opportunity to die.
Queer case-Singular INSTANCE or reyerSion
to type"
"A mighty distressing one to the old
colonel; you know Rutton kept reli- |
giously to his promise not to see the child
after he'd given her into Farrelfs care.
Farrell lost all track of him and was un-
able to communicate with him, of course,
when Naraini chose to strike out for her.
self . = : One thing has always puzzled
me: the girl called me by her fathers
husband; you can't reconcile such con-
duct"
You can, easily enough-beg pardon.
my dear fellow. Neither she nor SaIig
Singh was for an instant deceived. But
Sally had to deliver up Har Dyal Rut-
ton to the Council. SO Naraini was set to
seduce you. Their plans only. required
that you should be madly infatuated with
her for a couple of days; after that . ."
nificantiy. Il fancy there must have been
family secret or tradition. handed
down from father to son in the Rutton
line, that some day one of the family |
would be called upon to raise the st nd !
ard Of the Second Mutiny. That will ex-
plain why Har Dyal Rutton. a gentleman
of parts and cultivation. dared not live In