The Southern herald., 1914-03-20
The RubeS of the
Sacrifice
An Audacous Hazard Of Nkolai Independent Agent as
Related by His Lieutenant Summers
BY H. NJ. EGBERT
(cWyrieht. 1918. " ". c. chapman)

hou Oh oppO4buAAly W 1lAp away DO-
fore the interior was explored by the
temple attendants, who usually appro-
priated the minor offerings of fruits
and rice cast into the Juggernauts
nav.
There is one essential condition
though" said the high priest to Niko-
lai. Il 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
be painted not dyed, and our hands
also; the rest of our bodies should
be concealed under the robes of
priests.
Nikolai and l 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
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 Nikolai and approached he
drew himself carefully apart, so that
our shadows should not contaminate
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 COM
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-a place
where everything was Illicit, from the
sale Of liquor in cubby-hole to the
breakfast butter; and in consequence
the patrons mutually respected each
others idiosyncrasies. 1t did not
prove 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. It 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 a
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 quartered 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.
ut goes against the grain," said
ruefully, as we waited there, with
the chattering, servile herd of temple
votaries.
TITS worth It," said Nikolai. Even
assuming that the high priest lied
about the value of the rubies, as he
probably did, there still must be
fortune for both Of u.s." He picked
up a 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 a child"
Suddenly a shadow fell athwart us.
Nikolai sprang to his feet; l followed
suit; the Swami stood before us. But
to our surprise he was not attired in
the regalia of his office, but plainly
enough, almost meanly, in his cotton
shirt and breeches.
Il am doing penance," he explained
in a low voice. II let an English
woman brush against the stall at
which l sat. So l have to don peni.
tential attire and vacate my quarters
for space. / am housed in little
better than a hut-but it aliases
PRIDE" he continued, with his inde-
scribable leer. Come with me-"
He led US into a rude shanty Of
waffle and daub, where we sat down
to substantial meal of meats, washed
down with a bottle of extra dry cham
payne. must confess that the
brazen hypocrisy of the Swami re-
volted me; I preferred the type Of
rascal that Nikolai represented. We
ate our meal in silence, while the
Swami gave us our final instructions
Il shall lead you direct to the Jug
gernaut," he said. Listen! You hear
that din? His votaries are commenc-
ing their orgies. They will keep that
up all night, until morning, when the
celebration begins, they will be mad
with the intoxication of their fanati-
cism. The idol is housed in the great
temple which you saw yonder. shall
lead you within; nobody will be there,
for only priests of the highest rank
may enter I shall unlock the door
and put you inside the idol The in
terror is stuffy, but air comes through
the trap door in the throat, and you
will find a couple of stools and a wa
ter-skin. Tomorrow at dawn you will
have the rubies ready for me. You