Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-28

mn INSTALLATIONS by DlI


his eye, and It was bright With mean,
ing Pink Satin!" he Kissed, He's
gone ahead. You're to keep
on to Agra Change for Bad
shah Junction. Raiputana Route. g.
Then tonga to Kut.arpur, =.
Farrell's there and his daughter. &.
That's right my man, throw me
out,
His downfall was spectacular. In
his enthusiasm for the part he played,
he had erred to the extent OF deliv-
ering a blow in Doggotts face. more
forcible, probably. than he had in
tended II to be. Promptly he landed
spFawling on the station platform,
And the train continued on its ap-
pointed way. bearing both Amber and
the injured Dcgsott
Thus they came to the heart OF
Raiputana.
In the chill of dawn they were de-
posted at Badshah Junction. A scanty
length of rude platform received them
and their two small travelling bags
They stood then, forlorn in a howl
ing desolation. Fer signs of life they
had the station. a fimsy shelter roof
ed with corrugated iron, a beaten
track that wandered Off northwards
ard disappeared over grassless
swell, handful Of mud huts at a
distance. and the ticket agent The
latter, sleepy, surly Eurasian in
pyiamas, surveyed them listlessly
from the threshold of the station, and
without a sign either of interest or
contempt turned and locked himself
In
Amber sat down on his upturned
suit case and laughed and lit a ciga-
i'ette. Doggott growled
Presently the sun rose in glory and
sent its burning level rays to cast a
shadow several rods long of an en-
ragsd American beating frantically
with clenched fists upon the door Of
an unrsponsiye railway station.
lie hammered until he was a-weary,
then deputized his task to Doggott,
who resourcefuliy found, him a stone
Of size and proceeded TO make dents
in the door This method elected the
Eurasan He came out. listened at
tentively to abuse and languidly to
their demands for tonga to bear
them to Kuttarpur. and observed that
the mail tonga left once q day-at
three in the afternoon. Doggott
caught him as he was on the point of
returning to his interrupted repose
and called his attention to the I'M
wisdom of his ways.
Apparently convinced, this ticket
agent announced his intention Of en-
1eavorirg to find a tonga for the
sahib BESIDES, he was not unwilling
to acquire rupees He scowled
thoughtfully at Amber. feroclously at
Doggott' went back into the station
gossipped casually with the telegraph
sounder for quarter of an hour. and
fnally reaprearing. without word or
= nod left the platform for the road
and walked and walked and walked
and walled.
An hour passed as three The heat
oecame terrific: not a breath OF wind
'tiryed The face of the world lost
its contours in wevering mirage.
In the simple fuIness Of Asiatic time
\ tonga came from heaven knew
where. Amber got up and looked II
over with a lust eye AMI a temper
none the sTeeter for his experience.
It was brute Of a tonga, patched
md ramshackle wreck Of what had
once been a real tonga. with no top to
protect the travellers from the sun,
md accommodation only for three, in
eluding the driver
The EuraT'an ticket agent alighted
md solicited rupees. He got them
md with them Amber's unvarnished
opinion of the tonga; something
which was not received with eivility
by the driver
He remained in his seat--a short.
swart native with an evil countenanee
and, across his knees, a sheathed tut
war-argnng with Amber in broken
English and abusing him scandalous'
ly In impurest Hindi, finging at him
In silken tones untranslatable scraps
of bazaar Billingsgate. For, as he ex-
planned in an audible aside to the
ticket agent, this sahib was an out
lander and, being as ignorant as most
sahibs, could not understand Hindi.
At this the Eurasian turned away TO
hide grin of delight and the driver
wink deliberately at Amber the
while he broadly sketched for him his
ancestry and the manner of his life
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 more endur-
able frame OF mind He swallowed
the hint and gave up the contest.
"oh, very WE'LL he conceded Il
presume you're trying to say there
isn't another tonga to- be had and II
can't be helped; but l 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
rst a., E, III a.. I.tTr