The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-08-24
CHAPTER XIV.
Over the Water.

Ram Nath, patient and impassive
40 ever, had the tonga waiting for
Amber before the Residency. Ex-
allied beyond words, the American per
mitted himself to be driven OH
through Kuttnrpur's intricate network
Of streets and backways, toward des-
tination of which he knew as little as
be cared. Ha was guest of the state,
officially domiciled at the designated
house of hospitality; without especial
permission. obtained through the ef-
forts of the Resident, he could sleep
In no other spot in the city or Its
purlieus. He was Indifferent. abso-
lutely; the matter interested him as
scantily--which is to say not at all
as did the fact that an escort of troop
ers OF the state, very we'll accoutred
and disciplined, followed the tonga
with a great iangling of steel and tu-
mutt of hoofs.
Alighting in the compound, Amber
tisbursed few rupees to the troop
ers, paid of Ram Nath-who was
swift to drive off citywards, in mad
haste lest the gates be shut upon
him for the highland entered the
bungalow. An 1ged, talkatve. and
! amiable khansaMah met him at the
threshold with expressions Of exagger-
ated respect, no doubt genuine enough.
and followed him, a mumbling shadow
~ the Virginian made a brief round
of inspection.
| Standing between the road and the
water, the resthouse proved to be
moderately spacious and clean, on the
lake front It opened upon marble
bund, or landing stage, it's lip Tapped
by whispering ripples of the lake.
Amber went out upon this to discover,
separated from him by little more
than half mile of black water, the
ghostly white wall of the Raj Mahal
climbing in dim majesty to the stars.
The Virginian remained long in
rapt wondering contemplation of it,
until the wind blowing across the wa
tiers had chilled him to the point or
! III lftl ltB. Wutl wi i'u Iib'D'o W
his bed. But he was to have little rest
| that night The khansamah who at
tended him had hardly turned low
his hight when Amber was disturbed
by the noise of an angry alteration
in the compound He arose and In
dressing gown and slippers went to In
vestigate, and found Ram Nath In
violent dispute with the sergeant OF
the escort-which, 1t appeared, had
bullded fire and camped round II in
the compound: a circumstance which
furnished food for thought.
Amber began to suspect that the
troops had been furnished as guard
less Of honor than of espionage, less
In formal courtesy than in demonstra
ton of the unsleeping vigilance OF
the Eye-kindly assisted by the Ma
harana Of Khandawar.
man who, warmed by the ardor o
his first love, feels suddenly the shad
ow death falling cold upon him, IL
apt to neglect nothing. Amber con
sidered that he had given Ram Natl
no commission OF any sort, and ben
an attentive ear to the communication
which the tonga wallah insisted upor
making to him.
Ram Natb had returned, he asserted
solely for the purpose of informing
Amber in accordance with his desires
'"The telegraph Office for which yo,
enuuired, sahib, stands Just within thu
Gateway Of the Elephants" he an
nounced. The telegraph-babu will b.
on duty very early in the morning
should you desire still to send thu
message"
"Oh. yes said Amber indlfferently
"rd forgotten. Thanks"
He returned TO his charpoy witt
spirits considerably higher. Ram Nat
had not winked this time, but the fac
was indisputable that Amber had no
expressed any interest whatever (
the location Of the telegraph office,
Wondering If the telegraph-babu b
any chance wore pink satin, he doze
og ON the decision that he would nee
70 send message the first thing /
the morning.