Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-02-27
The RubieS Of the
Sacrifice
Copyright 1913. By W. G. Chapman,
An Audacious Hazard OF Nkoai Independent Agent as
- Related by His Lieutenant Summers
BY H. M. EGBERT

temple attendants. who usually annrn-
priated the minor offerings of fruits
and rice cast into the Juggernaut's
NAV.
There is one essential condition
though" said the high priest to Niko-
lai I must dress you as Hindoos
and dye your skins"
We demurred to this. and the argu-
ment was an extended one. Finally
we compromised. Our faces should
De painted, not dyed. and our hands
also; the rest Of our bodies should
be concealed under the robes of
priests.
Nikolai and agreed afterward that
the project was fair enough.
He can't betray US. or he will be
caught with the rubies himself" he
said to me. And we can't betray
him because we shall be at his mercy.
Lord. Lord as Falstaff says, what a
lot OF wickedness there is in the
world"
On the next morning we saw the
Swami, as of course he called himself,
promenading upon the deck in stately
fashion between his two attendants.
and as Nikolaf and / approached he
drew himself carefully apart. SO that
our shadows should not contamfnate
his purity, at the same time slightly
but deliberately lowering his left eye
lid. We understood the signal to
mean that he desired no further cSm-
munication with us in public. We
saw little Of him thereafter until the
steamship put into the port Of Cal
cutta, when Nikolai found letter
beside his plate at breakfast in which
full instructions were given as to our
actions
We registered at an Eurasian hotel,
frequented mainly by half-breed clerks
in the government service place
where everything was illicit, from the
sale of liquor in a cubby-hole to the
breakfast butter; and in consequence
the patrons mutually respected each
others idiosyncrasies. 1t did not
prove a difficult matter, therefore, for
one of the Swami's satellites, who
called for us the following morning,
and addressed us in tolerable English,
to array us in Indian costume, paint
our hands and faces, and smuggle us
out of the building into the native
quarter. 1t is a popularity Of India
that, If everybody sees, nobody talks;
hundred keen native eyes must have
recognized in the two amateur native
priests Of subordinate grade two
of the hated Feringhees, but not
curious look followed us as we fol-
lowed the sacred bulls that strolled
through the bazaar, helping them
selves to fruit and grains from the
stalls that they encountered. We re-
signed ourselves entirely to our guide.
He CHARTERED us in a native house
and, after dark, led us to the temple
enclosure, where we squatted humbly
outside the Swami.s magnificent pal
ace, awaiting his pleasure.
cit goes against the grain said !
ruefully, as we waited there, with
the chattering, servile herd of temple
votaries.
cts worth it." said Nikolai. Gwen
assuming that the high priest lied
about the value Of the rubies, as he
probably did, there still must be
fortune for both of US" He picked
up handful of the false stones and
scrutinized them ruefully. mot much
chance of passing off some of these
upon him, even in the dark" he said
"They wouldn't deceive child
Suddenly a shadow fell athwart us.
Nikolai sprang to his feet; followed
suit: the Swami stood before US. But
to our surprise he was not attlreo IN
the negalia of his office, but plainly
enough, almost meanly. in his cotton
shirt and breaches.
81 am doing penance," he explained
in a low voice. Il let an Engisn
woman brush against the stall az
which sat. So l have to don penn
tential attire and vacate my quarters
for a space. am housed in little
better than a hut-but 1t aDases
pride" he continued, with his 1nde-
scribable leer. "Come with me.
He led us into rude shanty OF
waffle and daub, where we sat down
tn q substantial meal of meats, washed
down with bottle of extra dry cham
pagne. must confess that the
brazen hypocrisy of the Swami re-
VOTED me: preferred the type OF
rascal that Nikolai represented. we
ate our meal in silence, while the
Swami gave us our final Instructions
II shall lead you direct to the jug
eernaut.. he said. Listen! You near
that din? His votaries are commenc-
ing their orgies. They will keep tnae
up all night, until morning, Wnen tne
celebration begins, they will be mao
with the intoxication of their Ianatl-
cism The idol is housed in the grea.
temple which you saw yonder. snail
lead YOU within; nobody will De there
for only priests of the highest rama
NAV enter. / shall unlock the door
and put you inside the idol. the IN
terror is stuffy, but air comes through
tha trap door in the throat. ana you
will find a couple OF stools and q wa,
+or-sk;n. Tomorrow at dawn you Will