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

Moons mail tonga"
Upon this ultimatum he stood. i'm
movable; neither threats nor bribery
availed. 1t was an order. he said; he
had no choice other than to obey.
Shabashl Would the sahth be
pleased to make up his mind quickly
Perforoe. the sahib yielded. "it'il
be Labertouche; he's arranged this
he told himself That losfer said
he'd gone on ahead OF u.s. And
eomforted he issued his orders 70
Doggott who received aud aeceded
TO them with all the ill-gfeee tmaEin.
able. He was to remain and follow 70
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 IAN
aram tonga tonga for ease" there
was no shade and 20 breeze. and
the face of the land erawled with
heatbred haze.
To a crisp cracking OF the whip
lash over the backs of the two sturdy,
shaggy, fiea-bitten ponies, the tonga
swept away from the station, swift
as hunted fox with q dusty plume.
Amber leaned forward. watching
the drivers face. Your name. tonga
wallah7" he enquired.
Ram Nath, sahib" The man spoke
without moving his head, attending
diligently TO the management OF HE
ponies.
And this other passenger, who
awaits us at the dak-bungaiow, Ram
Mathis he, perchance, one known
both to you and to mef'
Ram Nath fiicked the tagging
ponies. How should known" he re-
turned brusaueiy.
One" persisted Amber, who
might be known by such name as,
say, Pink Satin7"
What manner OF talk 10 thisr' de-
manded Ram Nath. Il am no child
to be amused by a riddle. know
naught of your Pink Satin" He
bent forward, shortening his grasp
upon the reins. as II TO signify that
the interview was at an end.
Amber sat back. annoyed by the
fellows impudence yet sensitive to
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
all, Ram Nath had nothing whatever
to do with Labertouche. Undeniable
as had been his wink, II might we'll
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 conferred 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 II.
Ram Nath," he asked gently, have
you no other arms?'
Il we're a fool had not" The man
did not deign to glance round. He
hath need of weapons who doth traf-
flc with the Chosen Of the Voice,
sahib'
"Ah. that voice!" cried Amber in
evaporation. Il grow weary OF the
word, Ram Nath."
That may well be-" returned the
man, imperturbable. None the less
it were well for you to have care
pocket, sahib. Should 1t by chance
go off and the bullet find Judgment In
your tonga-wallah, you are like to
hear more of that Voice, and from
less friendly lips"
u think you have eyes In the back
Of your head, Ram Nath." Amber
withdrew his hand from his coat
pocket and laughed shortly as he
spoke.
There IL saying In this country,
sahib, that even the stones in the
desert have ears to hear and eyes to
see and tongues withal to tell what
they have seen and heard"
"Ah-h! That is a wise say
ing, Ram Nath."
There be those | could name who
would do well to lay that saying to
heart, sahib."
You are right, indeed Now
II there be aught OF truth In that say
ing, and If one were unwisely to
speak a certain name, even here
The echo OF that name might be
heard beyond the threshold Of a GER
tain Gateway, sahib."
Ambur grunted and said no more,
contented now with the assurance
that he was in truth In touch with
Labertouche, that this Ram Nath was
en- employee OF the I. s. s. The wink
pnu axnlafAad NTH oil the