The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-03-26
CHAPTER /.
East 10 East.

It began somewhere in the middle
Of the world, at q forlorn landing or
the west bank Of the muddy, turhu
lent Irrawaddy, remembered by mar
only SO often as it was necessary fol
the fiotilla boat to call for paddy, 9
visiting commissioner anxious to gel
away, or = family homeward bound
On the east side Of the river, over
there, was a semblance of civilization
That Is to say. men wore white linen,
avoided murder. and frequently paid
their gambling debts. But on this
west side stood wilderness. not the
kind one reads about as being eventu'
ally conquered by white men; no, the
real, grim desolation. where the ak
cuts but leaves no blaze, where the
pioneer disappears and few or none
follow. 1t al not the wilderness OF
the desert. of the jungle: rather the
tragic. hopeless state Of a settlement
that neither progressed, retarded nor
stood still.
Between the landing and the settle.
ment itself there stretched q winding
road. arid and ~treeless, perhaps two
miles in length. 1t announced def.
nitely that its end was futility. The
dust hung like a fog above 1t. not OILY
for this day, but for all days between
the big rains. When the gods, or the
elements, or Providence, arranged the
world % q At habitation for man, In
dia and Burma we're made the drst.
bins. And as water finds its levels,
SO will dust. earthly and human. the
quick and the dead.
Along the road walked two Iacn,
phantomlike. One saw their heads
dimly and still nor dimly their DO lies
to the knees; Of legs there was moth.
ing visible. Occasionally they stepped
aside to permit some bullock cart to
pass. One Of them swore, not with
any evidence Of temper. not viciou sly,
but in . kind Of mechanical protest.
which. from long usage, had become a
habit. He directed these epittsts
never at anything he could by mertal
or physical contest overcome. He
swore at the dust, at the heat, at the
wind. at the sun.
The other wayfarer, with the inner.
emit patience Of his blood. said nothing
and waited, setting down the heavy
hit bag and the canvas valise (his
own. When the way was free agsin
he would sling the kit bag and the
valise owe his shoulder and step tack
l1to the road. His turban. once white,
was brown with dust and sweat. His
khaki uniform was rent and the rag
ged canvas shoes spurted little spirals
Of dust as he walked. James Hooghly
was Eurasian; half European, half In.
dian. having his place twixt heaven
and he'll. which Is to say. nowhere. lie
was faithful. willing and strong: and
q . carrier Of burdens took unmur.
muringly his place beside the tireless
bullock and the elephant. He was q
Methodist: why, n one could find III.
cid answer. BY dint Of inquiry his
master had learned that James looked
upon his baptism and conversion in
Aethodism - ! corporal would have
looked upon the acquisition Of q v. G.
Twice. during fever and plague. he
had saved his masters life. With the
guilelessness Of the Oriental he con.
sidered himself responsible for his
master In all future times. Instead Of
paying on . debt he had acquired one.
Treated - he was, kindly but always
firmly, he would have surrendered his
life cbeerfully at the beck Of the white
man.
Warrington was an American. He
was also one Of those MEN who never
held misfortune In contempt. whose
outlook wherever II roamed Wal toll
Grant. He had patience for the weak,
resolution for the strong and . fear.
less amiability toward all. He was
like the st. Bernard dog, very dim
cult to rouse Il ID rather the way
with III men who are strong mentally
and physically. He was tall and broad
and deep. Under the battered pith
helmet his face was a. dark - the
Eurastan's; but the ayes were blue.
bright and small PUZZLED, % they are
with men who live ont Of doors, who
are compelled Of necessity to note
things moving 1t distances. The nose
was large and well defined. All
framed IN : tangle Of blond beard and
mustache which. II anything, added
70 the general manliness Of his ap
pearance. He. too. wore khaki. but
With the addition Of tan riding leg-
which had seen anything hut