Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-20
CHAPTER Nv.
Stafford Intervenes.

StdnOTQ xnIeTVeu6S.
The threatening cloud which had doomed
up on the horizon had acted wonders on
Col. Carmichael's constitution. At the
last meeting Of the Marut Diamond Com
pany he had looked like man whose
days on the active service list were mum.
bered. Illhealth. disappointment and
natural pessimism had apparently left an
indelible trace upon him. and Mrs. Car
michaels prophetic eye saw them both
established In Cheltenham or Bath. ree-
gated to the empires lumber room-un-
less something happened. The something
had happened. The one sound which had
the power to rouse him had broken like
a clap of unheraded thunder upon his
ears. 1t was the call OF danger. the war
note which had brought back tn him the
springtime of his youth and strength.
STAFFORD found him restlessly pacing
backward and forward in his narrow
workroom, deep in conversation with
Nicholson. who stood at the table. his
head bent over map OF Marut fsoth
men were in uniform, and II seemed tn
Stafford that Col. Carmichael listened to
the click of his own spurs with the
pleasure Of young lieutenant II was
no longer the sound OF weary routine. II
was the herald OF clashing sabers and
the champing OF impatient horses await
warlike DAYS which we're to come again
He stood still as STAFFORD entered. and
flash of satisfaction passed over MS face
Il am glad you have come. he said
Whatever is to he done must be done Mt
once. | suppose YOU know nothing?
Nothing Stafford answered. Your
note was the first intimation / have re-
ceived that there was anything amiss
Col. Carmichael grunted angrily.
.Of course you know nothing, he said,
rect
room Nor did I-nor did any one.
Heaven and earth. I'm beginning TO
think there's something wrong in our
theory that whatever is going on under
our noses must be too insignificant TO be
noticed. There. Nicholson hurry up ana
tell him what YOU know"
Nicholson stood upright. and folding the
map put it in his pocket
Il was In the new bazaar last night.
he began, curtly. II go there regularly.
as YOU know, disguised as one thing or
another, just for the sake of having
look at the people when they don't know
they are being watched. Last night there
was no one there-not SO much as a child
or a woman. The place was dead.
| admit that l was not particularly star
tied. l knew that there was great
festival at hand Pilgrims have been
streaming in for DAYS past, and IL was
quite conceivable that some ceremony
was taking place in the temple. Curios-
ity fortunately led me to investigate
farther. Myself disguised as travelling
fakir, / made my way to the raJah 8
palace gates. Already on the road ! was
joined by hurrying stream of men and
women. principally men. My suspicious
were aroused / knew from experience
that it was not usual crowd of pilgrims.
Every man was armed, not only with
knives, but guns and revolvers. Some Of
them were undoubtedly deserted sepoys
who had stolen their weapons. More
over. they exchanged a signal which l
recognized, and in order to escape de-
lection. initiated. Ii was the signal which
Der of the Thug fraternity to another"
"Thugsr" exclaimed Stafford, with a
family skeptical smile.
DO not misunderstood. me-" Nicholson
said. Il am not going to recall to your
minds the nursery horrors with which
our ayahs RECALLED our childish imagine
I.tions. I will only emphasize one fact.
The Thugs were not and are not merely
a band of murderous and treacherous rob-
bers. They belong to the priesthood,
they are the deputed servants of the god
dess Kali, and their task is the eX-
termination Of the enemy-of the for
eigner. that is to say-in this case, of
ourselves"
Stafford glanced at the colonel. The
latters face was set and grave.
Il do not for a moment suggest that
the crowd with which I travelled were
Thugs" Nicholson continued. Il know
that they were not. But they had adopt
ed the Thug sign because they had adopt
we had passed the gates and reached the
palace did / realize the gravity of the
situation. The rajah stood on the great
steps, surrounded by a body guard of
native costume, a blaze of gems and
wearing the royal insignia. The express
sion on his face was something l shall
not easily forget, and at the time 1t was
inexplicable to me. cannot describe it.
can only say that l was instantly re-
stands above his followers. superb. daunt-
less, but tortured by hatred, contempt
and God knows what strange minglings
of remorse and anger He greeted the
words revealed TO me that his allegiance
TO us was at an end. and that he meant
to follow in his fathers Bloody foot
steps
STAFFORD stretched out his hand, catch
ing hold of the back of a chair, as il
seeking support
Go onr' he said. sharply
Il have very little more to say. / did
not wait. for / had heard enough to
know that Marut was in instant danger.
order to avoid notice l had to resort TO
circuitous paths and only reached here
this morning.
COL Carmichael brought his hand down
anRriiN upon the table.
ITO think that the scoundrel should
have been pretending friendship all the
time that he was preparing to murder
u.s." he exclaimed. This comes of trust
ing a native"
Excuse me. colonel" Nicholson an
swered, with emphasis. Il have every
reason to believe that until yesterday
Nehal Singh was our sincere ally"
You mean to say that he stamped an
armed crowd out Of the earth in half an
hour?"
NO. That armed crowd was the silent
work of years. 1t was the tool which
has been held ready for long ume-but
not by Nehal Singh"
by whom, then, in the name of ALI"
photograph and handed II to the colonel.
do you recognize that face?" he
asked.
Certainly do 1t is the rajahs father
-Behar Singh. How did you come by
this?"
1T belonged to my father. He gave il
me and I kept 1t as a curiosity. Colonel.
side
The photograph futtered from the
colonels powerless fingers. He looked at
Nicholson. and there flashed into his old
eyes a terrible primitive passion of re-
venge and hatred.
MY Cod He is alive-and l never
knew!
He is alive colonel. And believe
that. hidden from us all. he has been
working steadily and stealthily at the
task which saw its completion last night.
So long as Nehal Singh stood on our side
he could do nothing. The people believe
Nehal to be an incarnation OF vishnu.
Behar knew that-probably he himself
had fostered the idea. He guessed prob