The Southern herald., 1914-03-20


sUst as the City Of Newcastle was
smerging from the torrid stretches Of
the Red sea into the cooler waters Of
the Indian ocean. We were eight
days out from Southampton, with
twelve days more to pass before ma
king Calcutta, our destination. We
had gone thither attracted by the
coronation ceremonies, thinking that
some financial profit ought to accrue
20 us when raiahs and high officers
of state were fiocking to attend the
magnlficence Of the Viceroy's durbar.
The priest was dressed in the full
uniform or regalia of his order, and
attended by two devoted servitors,
who cooked his rice lest he should be
contaminated by sharing the same
meal as that OF the outcasts. l no
Heed, too, that when he walked on
Ehe deck he took care that the shadow
of no passenger should fall athwart
him. 1t was whispered at the cap
tain's table that he was man of ex-
Ereme sanctity who, having spent ten
years in meditation among the forests
OF the Hindu Kush, had gone volun-
6arily to England to offer spiritual
blessings to England's new ruler
And yet-he had been educated at
Cambridge
It came upon me with a sort of
shock at first to hear this pundit, ven
cradle in dignities If not in years,
discuss with Nikolai the latest scien-
tific discoveries, pragmatism, Metz
scheism, and dozen more up-to-date
philosophers; and l perceived that
when his interest was aroused he did
not especially object to my shadow
falling across his own. After the first
evening we were firm friends; on the
second night he admitted, in fluent,
eloquent English, that he was an
agnostic On the third he was sitting
in our stateroom drinking gin.
1T looks like water-and it's always
well to be on the safe side," he whis-
pered, as we raised our glasses.
don't know how it came about, but
all at once discovered that the vener-
able gentleman was as squalid a
Iblackguard as / had ever had the
fortune to meet. / suppose conf
dence begot confidence; anyhow, pres
emily we three were hard at work up
on the details of scheme which was
to enrich US all.
Mind you" said the high priest,
Teassuming the discarded garment Of
virtue, II am not a dishonest man.
But why should these wretched idola-
ters possess such wealth, which has
absolutely no meaning to them, when
it could be used as l know we three
shall use it"-here he winked portent-
ously-"for the advancement Of
humanity"
"And this statue-how is it called?"
asked Nikolai.
THE Juggernaut" l interrupted
"Surely you have heard Of it, Nikolai?
They used to put human victims in
side and burn them to the beating Of
tomtoms; and since the English gov
ernment abolished the practice they
take it through the streets of Cal
cutta annually and sacrifice a pig in
stead"
This Rajah," interpolated the priest
blandly, slipping at his gin and soda,
decorated it with rubies to the value
of about eight millions Of your dol
lars. There is an enormous ruby for
either eye, and a bigger one still that
hangs over the forehead. These three
gems are worth about a million apiece.
The smaller gems, aggregating five
millions, are strung between the ears
and over the breast. They can all be
reached from the trap window in the
throat by anyone inside. You enter
Through the back. l want the three
! big gems-and you can divide the
I smaller ones. Such a treasure con-
verted into money will do much to
spread the pure faith Of the Vedas
through Bengal" he added, with an
unctuous smirk, "and the idolaters
will never know that their jewels are
Birmingham crystals and cost one
shilling a gross" Here he pulled out
a handful of what looked like magni-
ficent rubies and threw them upon the
table. Three were as large as
pigeons eggs.
Then the scoundrel unfolded his
plan to US. 1t appeared that, as one Of
the highest order of Brahmin priests,
he was in charge Of the Juggernaut
temple and Of the priests who served
the great idol He would admit us to
the temple, let US into the door at
the rear Of the figure, and leave us
there to remove the splendid rubies
from the eye-sockets and forehead
and to put in their place the imitation
stones, which he thereupon handed
us We should be able to reach every
gem through little opening In the
throat, and must watch our oppor-
tunity during the night when we
should be inside the idol In the
morning, while the priests we're busy
in the temple, he would approach US
and receive the three largest stones
through the trap door. The remainder
were to be our property, and we would
then be wheeled throuh the streets
of Calcutta, inside the idol. When
the portions Of roast pig we're thrust
through the trap in the throat, we
would dispose of them, thus incident