Gilpin observer., 1911-11-30

0ahi0-!"
Make no outcry, dog, and tell me
no lies. If you value your contemplate
life. Why did you drug meat whose
instance?"
| "Sahib! ;"
Answer me quickly, son Of vipersn
by Dhola Baksh, hazoor, am in.
nocent! Another has done these
! things-he who served you last night
belize, and whose place have taken"
Now the oaths of India are many
and various, 80 that a new specimen
need not be held wonderful. But Am.
ber sat bolt upright his eyes widening
and his jaw dropping. "Dhola-!" he
said, and brought his teeth together
with an audible click, staring at the
khansamah as II he were a recru-
descence of prehistoric mammal. He
caught motion of the head and a
wave Of the hand toward the window,
warning him that there might be an
eavesdropper lurking without, and
rose admirably to the emergency.
That is lie, misbegotten son of
a one-eyed woman Of shame! By tho
gateway Of Kathiapur, that is a lie!
| Speak. brother of jackals and father
or swine, lest my temper overcome
ne and make carrion Of you'll"
MY lord, hear mel" protested the
man in an extremity OF fright. These
be the words of truth. II otherwise,
let my head be forfeit. . Early
I IN Ia ,-,,tv aI froy a
lake, heavy with sleep, and so soundly
have you slept since that hour that
no effort of mine could rouse you,
though many came to the door, ma
king inquiry. l am Ram Lal, true
man, and no trafficker in drugs and
potions."
Even sol" said Amber. ironic.
But if, on taking thought, find
you've lied to me. Go now
and hold yourself fortunate in this,
that / am not a man of hasty judg-
ment"
"Hazoor!" Like a shadow harried
by wind of night, the khansamah
! scurried from the room. But on the
threshold he paused long enough to
lay a significant finger upon his lips
and nod toward the table.
From the khansamah's quarters
came an occasional clash of crockery
and pattering of naked feet. Outside,
in the compound, the sepoys were
chattering volubly; their words were
ndistinguishable but from their con-
stantly increasing animation Amber
Inferred that they were keenly relish
ing the topic Of discussion. He be-
came sure of this when, at length,
his curiosity aroused, he went to the
window and peered out between the
wooden Stats of the blind. The little
company was squatting in a circle
round the fire, and a bottle was pass
ing from hand to hand.
He turned back, puzzled. to find the
khansamah calmly seated at the table
and enjoying one of Amber's choicest
cigarettes.
Thank God" he said. with profound
emotion, for civilized smoke!"
"Labertouche!" cried Amber.
I Tho pseudo-khansamah rose. bowed
formally, and shook hands with con-
siderable cordiality. IT'S good to see
you whole and sound,'' he said. Il had
to wait until Ram Mathis work began
to show results. He's out there, you
know. keeping the bottle moving. I
don't believe those damned sepoys
will bother us much, now. but we've
got no time at all to spare. Now tell
me what you have to tell, emitting
nothing of the slightest consequence"
Amber dropped into chair, and the
Englishman sat near to him. Il say,
thank God for you, Labertouche! You
don't know how I've needed you"
II can fancy. I've had ripping
time of it myself. Sorry l couldn't
communicate with you safely before
you left Calcutta. But we've not a
please; explanations later. If we can
afford EN-"
Inhaling with deep enjoyment, he
narrowed his dark eyes. listening in
tently to Amber's concise narrative of
his experiences since their parting be-
fore the stall of Dhola Baksh in the
Machua bazar. Not once was he in
terrupted by word or sign from Laber-
touche; and even when the tale was
told the latter said nothing, but
dropped his gaze abstractedly to the
smoldering stump of his cigarette.
And you?" demanded the Virginian.
"Have pity. Labertouche! Can't you
see I'm being eaten alive by curios-
ity?"
Labertouche eyed him blankly for
an instant. oh" he said, with an
effort freeing his mind from an in
tense concentration of thought. IL
What's there to tell? I've been al
work. That's all. g.. was
| jostled off to one side when the row
started in the bazar. and so lost you
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