The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-06-14
Chapter 7.

da was heavy with smoke. Major
Weatherby had just stopped talking.
Il can't understand 1t at ALL" said
Captain Nevill, in continuation of the
majors last remark.
The new man leaned forward in his
deck chair and listened to what was
being said with a vicious interest. Cap
tain Nevills tone was puzzled and re-
Elective.
Two years ago. when Summers
joined us he was the merest boy; ]
used to hear the older fellows call
him backboneless. though 1t always
seemed to me that there was more in
that affair Of old Houseley's murder
by a fanatical Hindoo cropped up, and
a week later little Miss Houseley dis
appears off the earth without leaving
L. trace behind. Goodness only
Knows"
Wasn't there some talk OF a very
curious will?" asked the new man. in
a tone which he scarcely concealed
from being insinuating.
Yes. an old uncle of them both died
some time ago.. leaving his money to
Miss Houseley and Summers. on on
dition that they married. 1t was to
give his daughter a chance of meeting
Summers again that old Houseley
came out to India. They met a good
deal all through the roo season, and
some women's gossip got about that
with him, though Summers didn't
seem to altogether return her affec-
tion. Then the whole thing vas
brought to an unexpected end by poor
old Houseley's brutal murder, and a
week later Miss Houseley's disappear
ancc. To all intents and purposes the
girl simply evaporated in the height
&c n ID 49, -, or,~ --I ,tA ALA ~ssA
of the whole of India full on her. The
mystery has not been cleared up in
any way whatever. Summers came
back off leave looking ten years older
than when he down. but though
there was an uncanny air of reserve
about him, the hoy persisted on his
honor that he couldn't tell lis a thing"
And you believed him. ] suppose %
The sheer was SO pointed that Nevill
turned sharply in the new mans d.
rection.
through" he said in a stiff voice. I'VE
didn't doubt his word. All the same"
he went on slowly. the fellows don't
chum with him as they used to do. so
he takes it out in pampering his COM
pany, n going off on long shooting
expeditions by himself in the jungle.
Every now and then an old native
strengthening old chap-comes in,
and when he appears Summers goes
been going on like this for four
months now. I wish" A troubled
expression crossed Captain Nevilrs
face as he got up and sat on the rail
of the veranda. IT wish the boy
would confde in some one," he finish
ed mentally. He thrust the uneasiness
from him and added. Il wish the lad
would take a few months leave and
go home for a bit. BY George. I'll try
and persuade him to-"
Chapter II.
As the swift Indian summer started
to draw in. the officers mess Neranda
slowly emptied.
The new man. Smith, who had heen
left to himself, rose and threw his
cigar end over the veranda rail with
an unpleasant laugh.
Two years ago little Jessie Houseley
had refused the offer of his hand and
debts because, she playfully informed
him. she was going to marry a boy in
India" and live in the jungle all her
in no hurry to claim her for his wife.
after all. But how Smith had hated
that "boy in India"-the rival for
whom Miss Houseley had coolly
thrown him over. just when he had let
the whole mess see that he was quite
confident of winning her!
AS Smith stood there the weird lit
tie figure of an old mar suddenly
fitted past the mess compound in the
the direction of Summers bungalow.
1t was a native. and Smith decided
that it was the individual Captain
Nevill had mentioned as the strange
looking old native" who always ap-
peared in the cantonment to give
Summers warning that it was time to
go off on one Of his jungle expeditions.
There was a curious, malicious sort
of CLEAN in Smiths eyes as he left the
mess with the impulse to follow that
figure and to find out its mission. The
shadows had gathered so quickly that
before he reached the compound gate
it was almost out of sight. Behind.
on the polo field. a race was evidently
just beginning, for A hum Of excite
ment sounded across the station. Hav-
ing seen that Summers was not in his
bungalow. the old native swerved or
in the direction of the polo field. n
Smith followed. Three times round.
Go it F company! Go it, F-By
George. what on earth is Summers up
to now?" The last exclamation came
from Captain Nevill. who stood near
the winning post. a%nxiously Watching
the work Of getting the horses off. A
subaltern was riding for the honor
of each company. and Summers had
heen pressed into the race quite
against his will. His horse was we'll
in front, and going at a mad pace:
For the first round he had to exert all
his strength to hold the brute In. Then
a queer limpness crept down his arms.
and the animal took what head ne