Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-03-25
THE UNSEEN HAND
A STORY OF AN INDIAN CURSE
BY ). MORTON LEWIS.

- - NfORN
Broadbent and were college
chums. We went together to Sand
hurst and served with the same regi-
ment in India.
Broadbent was a wild fellow-no
prank was too mad for him to pro-
pose. 1t was while we we're on the
northern hills that he raided a sacred
temple with three other men as wild
and reckless as himself.
never knew what happened. The
affair was hushed up at the time, but
three months later Broadbent sent
in his papers. In those three months
he became a changed man, his laugh
rang no longer at mess.
l did not see him again for over
two years. Then it had become my
turn to resign. A severe attack of
fever left me so weak that the army
surgeon attached to our corps or
dered my immediate return home.
1t was on June % that l reached
England. AS the steamer drew along
side the quay at southampton a fig
ure sprang on board and hurried
toward me, hand outstretched. 1t
was Broadbent.
81 am going to take you down to
my place-a little bachelor house 1
have built at Haslemere. Next
Thursday Pegram and Manson are
coming down. You remember
them?"
Pegram and Manson were two of
the three men who had made that
wild raid with him.
1t was early morning when we
reached Haslemere. Broadbent drew
me into his study, lined with book
shelves. A cheerful fire was burn
ing to warm US after our journey.
The next evening we were seated
in the same room, smoking after din
ner. There had been q short silence
Suddenly Broadbent turned to me
"Do you remember a remark you
made to me two years ago? You re-
marked on the change that had sud
denly come over me-
eyes," replied.
"That night spent in the temple
changed me. 1t changed the foul
of us. There is temple near Chi
trail, sacred to Buddha. 1t is sup
posed to bring death to any unbe'
lever who enters it Out of sheer
devilment we broke in. The place
was in darkness until we desecrate(
it with the light from our lanterns
"Then we saw before us at the al
tar huge image of the god, I sup
pose, nearly forty feet high. 1t con
tanned room, which we did not
know at the time, and in that room
night and day, there remained q
priest, offering up prayers.
swell, through the mouth of the
god he cursed us, telling US We
should die by the unseen hand at
some date when we should least ex-
pect it-that our punishment should
be the fear of death, which should
hang over our minds night and day
until the hour came.
at was on June ~ that we broke
into the temple. On June 81 last
year / was having dinner with Stan
ford. He was the one who was the
least affected by that evening. Sud.
denly, in the midst of the meal, he
clutched at his throat-the next Sec
ond he was dead"
On the morning of the twenty
sixth Pegram and Manson arrived.
They looked like men suffering be-
meath the sentence of death. They
were men well on the young side Of
forty, but the hair Of both was
tinged with gray.
June 81 dawned-a beautiful
summer day. In the morning we
went for a walk together, the four
of us, and it was late in the after
noon before we returned.
| Four men sat down TO dinner and
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