The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-02-12
BRO
.6TsT,T, ~ ~ \
ByT,0TUS .mSEDH MN(sEs
AUTHOR OF ~THE BRASS BOWL" ETC.
ILLUSTRATIONS by lAH WAQU[5D& s.


Some time later he was second
time awakened by further disputation
in the compound. The troopers were
squabbliQg amongst themselves; he
was able to make this much out in
spite of the fact that the sepoys, re-
cruited exclusively from the native
population of Khandawar, spoke pa
tots Of Hindu so corrupt that even an
expert in Oriental languages would
experience difficulty in trying to inter-
pref it. Amber did not weary himself
with the task. but presently lifted up
his voice and demanded silence, desir-
ing to be informed II his sleep was
to be continually broken by the bick-
erings of sons of mothers without
noses. There followed instantaneous
silence, broken by a chuckle and an
applausive "Shabash!" and nothing
more.
Amber snuggled down again upon
his pillow and soothed himself with
the feel of the pistol that his fingers
grasped beneath the clothes.
FOOTBALLS and hushed voices in the
bungalow were responsible for the
next interruption. Amber came to
with start and found himself sitting
up on the edge Of the charpoy. with q
dreamy impression that two people
had been standing over him and had
just left the room, escaping by way
Of the khansamah's quarters. He
rubbed the sleep from his eyes and
went out to demonstrate vigorously
with the khansamah. The latter
naturally protested complete ignor-
ance OF the visitation and dwelt with
such insistence upon the plausibility
of dreams that Amber lost patience
and kicked him grievously. so that he
complained with loud voice and cast
himself at the sahib's feet, declaring
them and that Amber was his father
and mother and the light of the Uni
verse besides.
Somewhat Modified and rejecting,
at the same time, that this was all but
part of the game, to be expected by
those who patronize resthouses off the
beaten roads of travel, the Virginian
returned to his charpoy and immedi-
ately lapsed into q singularly disquiet-
ing dream. -. He was strolling
by the border of the lake when a coot
swami in and hailed him in English;
and when he stopped to look the cOOt
lifted an "A. d. T. messenger boys
| cap and pleaded with him to sign his
name in little black book, promising
that. If he did SO. it would be free to
doff It's disguise and be Labertouche
again. So Amber signed pink Satin"
in the book and the coot stood up and
said: +I'm not Labertouche at all, but
Ram Nath, and Ram Nath is only an
other name for Har Dyal Rutton and
| besides you had better come away at
once, for the Eye thou dost wear upon
| they finger never sleeps and it's only
q paste Token anyway" Hearing
which, Amber caught the coot by the
leg and found that he had grasped the
arm of Salig Singh, whose eyes were
both monstrous emeralds without any
whites whatever. And Salig Singh
tapped him on the shoulder and began
to say over and over again in whis-
per
But here Amber another time found
! himself wideawake and sitting up, his
left hand gripping the wrist of ma
tive and his right holding his pistol
steadily leveled at the natives breast.
While the voice he heard was real and
no Pigment Of dream-mused imagi-
nation; for the man was whispering
earnestly and repeatedly: et
Hasten. hazor, for the~night doth
wane and the hoursts at han4:ssa
What deviltry's this?" AhGer de.
manded sharply. with a threatening
gesture.
But the native, neither attempted to
free himself nor: to evade the pistols
mouth. Have patience. hazor," he
begged earnestly. land make no dis.
turbance.. It is late and the sepoyl
sleep; If you will be circumspect and
are not afraid"
who are your"
Il was to say. Z come from you
know whom hazoor."
THAT all?"
I'm the matter of. . certain photo
\ graph. hazoor."
by thunder" Labertouche's name
was on Amber's lips. but he repressed
1t. wait bit" He gulped down the
last dregs Of sleep. Let me think
and-see."
This last was an afterthought. Al
. it came to him he dropped the pisto
by his side and felt for matches in
the pocket Of his coat, which hung
over the back of beside chair. Find
ing one. he struck 1t noiselessly and
as the tiny flame broadened, drew his
captive nearer.
1t was fat, mean, wicked face thai
stood out against the darkness: al
ochre-tinted face with a wide. loose
Tipped mouth>and protruding eyes thai
blinked nervously into his. But he hat
never seen 1t before.
Who are your He cast away tn.
match as its flame died and snatchet
up his weapon.
| "I was tn saw"