Gilpin observer., 1911-10-05

l
at home and abroad
| Thunderstruck, Amber caught him
self Just as he was on the point Of at
tempting to drag the driver from his
seat and beat him into a more endur-
able frame Of mind. He swallowed
the hint and gave up the contest.
"Oh, very WELL" he conceded. II
presume you're trying to say there
isn't another tonga to be had and 1t
can't be helped; but don't like your
| tone. However. there doesn't seem
to be anything to do but take you.
How much for the two of us?"
Your servant, sahib? He cannot
ride in this tonga" asserted the driv-
er imDressively
HE can't. Why not!"'
You can see there is room for but
two. and 1 have yet another passen-
ger"
"Where?"
AT the first dak-bungalow. sahib,
where the mail tonga broke down last
night This tonga, which l say is an
excellent tonga, an aram tonga, ton
ga for ease, is sent to take its place.
More than this. am bidden to go In
haste: therefore there is little time
will go with me alone. AS for your
servant. he can follow by this after
Moons mail tonga"
Upon this ultimatum he stood, I'M
movable; neither threats nor bribery
availed. It was an order. he said; he
had no choice other than to obey.
Shabash! Would the sahib be
pleased to make up his mind quickly
Perforce, the sahib yielded. Ttu
be Labertouche; he's arranged this"
he told himself. That loafer said
he'd gone on ahead OF u.s." And
comforted he issued his orders to
Doggott, who received and acceded
to them with all the ill-grace imagin-
able. He was to remain and follow 10
Kuttarpur by the afternoons tonga.
Climbing aboard, the virginian set
tied himself against the endless dis
comforts of the ride which he fore
saw; the tonga was anything but "an
aram tonga-a tonga for ease;" there
was no shade and no breeze, and
the face of the land crawled with
heat-bred haze.
To a crisp cracking OF the whip
shaggy. fiea-bitten ponies, the tonga
swept away from the station. swift
as hunted fox with dusty plume.
Amber leaned forward, watching
the drivers face Your name. tonga
wallah?" he enquired.
Ram Nath, sahib" The man spoke
without moving his head, attending
diligently to the management of his
ponies.
And this other passenger. who
awaits US at the dak-bungalow. Ram
Mathis he. perchance. one known
both to you and to me?"
Ram Nath flicked the tagging
ponies How should I know7" he re-
turned brusquely.
"One." persisted Amber, who
might be known by such name as.
say. Pink Satin?"
What manner Of talk is this?" de-
manded Ram Nath. II am no child
| to be amused by a riddle. I know
naught of your Pink Satin" He
bent forward, shortening his grasp
upon the reins, as If to signify that
the interview was at an end
Amber sat back, annoyed by the
fellows impudence yet sensitive to a
suspicion that Ram Nath was playing
his part better than his passenger.
that the rebuke was merited by one
who had ventured to speak of secret
things in a land whose very stones
have ears. For all that he could say
their every move was watched by in
visible spies. Of whom the rock
strewn waste through which they
sped might well harbor hidden
legion. But perhaps. after
to do with Label1ouche. Undeniable
as had been his wink, 1t might well
have been nothing more than an i'm
pertinence.
Meanwhile the tonga rocked and
bounded fiendishly over an infamous
parody of a road. turning and twist
ing between huge boulders and in and
out Of pebbly nullahs. Ram Nath tool
ing 1t along with the hand Of mas
ter. But all his attention was Of ne.
cessity centered upon the ponies. and
presently his tulwar slipped from his
knees and clattered upon the floor of
the tonga. Amber saw his chance and
put his foot upon 1t.
Ram Nath." he asked gently, have
you no other arms?"
II were fool had not" The man
did not deign to glance round. "He
hath need Of weapons who doth traf-
fic with the Chosen OF the Voice.
sahib'
CTo BE CoNTINUED)