The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-01-11

across the lake to n dungeon in the
palace, where they kept him until the
next morning.
"Then he says he was brought be
fore the rajah with other prisoners
and examined, and he said it would
have made your blood run cold to see
the offhand way in which that despot
desperate despot' was what Ananias
called him-would just listen to what
the prisoners had to say and then nod
carelessly to one or another OF the
jailers and they would be carried of
to be put to death or torture or re-
leased.
"Ananias said that the rajah was the
most awful looking critter he ever set
eyes upon-a giant in size with wool
ly hair and squint eyes. and 1t was the
squint eyes that caused all the trou-
BILE. 1t seems the rajah was so cross
eyed that the jailors would get all
mixed up on the sentences and half
the prisoners got the wrong sentences.
1t was all right for some. but bad FOR
others. So Ananias says when'it came
his turn to plead he got up and told
the rajah all about the Indus. and how
her water casks had sprung leak, and
that we wanted fresh water from the
everlasting waterfalls, and that We
was citizens of the q. S. A. The rajah
Just smiled and said it was all right
and he could have all the water he
wanted as long as the waterfalls last
ed, and then he nodded one way and
his eyes got so horribly squinty and
crossed Just then that the executioner
made a grab for Ananias saying the
raiah had looked at him and the rajah
was to busy to interfere. so they haul
ed Ananias Off to put him to death.
HE says he got away and swum
ashore and reused our four men. and
they all cut and run for the Indus with
three of the rajah's men chasing after
them, and here was Ananias and here
was the three men. staring borrow
struck just as If they had understood
every word of what my first mate had
said, and they didn't believe word Of
1t.
"Then one of the three Hlndus spoke
up politely. and what he said would
have flabbergasted you. ma'am. for be
spoke In English. Says he: 'Sahlb
captain. this man speaks lies whenever
his mouth opens and he has called our
prince by evil names and with false
tongue. We have been ordered to
bring him back to the palace that our
prince may examine him.
"Of course I wasn't surprised to hear
that Ananias had been drawing the
long bow as l could see that he was
pretty much chapfallen to mink he'd
been wasting all that breath before
these Hindus who could speak his lang
witch better than he could. just call
ed the second mate to command the
Indus, and. taking fresh supply OF
men. I started with the whole lot for
the rajah's palace.
"At last we arrived at the palace,
and Ananias was right about that part
of 1t. He always did mix little truth
In with his classifying. 1t was on an
island In the middle of lake. and !
could see waterfalls here and there
among the hills.
1--WE all got into big barge and
were rowed across the lake to the pal
ace and hustled into the audience room
where the rajah appeared In all his
glory.
when he smiled at Ananias that
cheerful prevaricator just hauled in his
tops'ls and looked down at the floor
and don't wonder, for that rajah
turned out to be one of the handsomest
men 1 ever saw in all my days. and
his eyes were as straight as yours,
ma am. That part about his being
squirt eyed was all yarn Of my first
mates.
'It seems that the rajah Of Raddabar
had been educated in England. and he
talked with me quite a spell in a free
and easy manner. He told me that his
men had found Ananias and his four
mates stealing fruit from the palace
gardens, and for that reason he had
arrested him. He escaped all right
and the rajah's servants had given
chase and caught him on board the
Indus.
1.-The rajah Of Raddabar was a gen
tleman after all. and he laughed and
made joke Of Ananias and his story
Of the squirt eyed rajah.' He pre-
tended he wanted to buy Ananias fol-
his chief story teller. kind Of court
fool, he explained. with twinkle In
those straight. handsome eyes Of his
and poor Ananias hung his head and
looked mighty scared. for the rajaf
pretended to offer me all kinds of rich
Jewels in exchange for the critter, and
I pretended to bargain for him and
then put the matter Off until the next
time Ananias told a big yarn.
$50 insisted on Ananias paying for
the fruit he had stolen, and he apollo
gized to the rajah as decently as his
kind can apologize to somebody who
has, done them good turn. and then
as the rajah had made us welcome to
all the water we wanted. we all fell te
and filed up our casks and away we
went back to the Indus with some
presents that desperate despot' had
showered on US.
"Of course sent a special messen
ger back to the rajah with some pres
ents from the Indus stores. and Their
we h'isted sail and away we went
homeward bound"
"And what did Ananias have to say
4 III xx,ftt