The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-01-07


applied for work He declared that he
had had no food for several days and
begged as an especial favor that be be
permitted to work for little rice or q
meal. He was turned away by the
servants, but persisted in seeing the
occupant of the premises In this be
succeeded. and Kadur gave him a tenn
porary job to watch the COW with the
others The stranger on seeing the
COW made kotow. putting his face
on the floor. for the cow is a sacred
animal in India. This act of reverence
won Kadur's confidence. and he gave
the stranger a permanent position as
COW guard
One day man living near the prem.
ises went to Agya's father and told
him that few weeks before he had
started on a journey at O'Clock In the
morning and had seen the dead body
OF COW removed from the priests
premises and live COW installed in it's
place This settled Agyas fate. and
her father made arrangements with
some persons engaged in the business
Of strangling unmarried girls to put his
daughter where she would cost him no
more money
Agya. who saw the men 60 into the
house to confer with her father and
suspected the purport of the confer
ence. listened to 1t in concea lment and
heard her father agree to take her into
a wood near by and deliver her to her
executioners. The time appointed for
this deed was one week from that day
Now. 1t was Rustum who had beg
ged Kadur for work and become one of
the guards Of the COW. Agya did not
tell her father that she and her lover
had laid a plan to secure her inherit.
ance, for so great was his reverence
for the priesthood that this would de
feat the plan. Rustum could not solve
the problem by marrying her. for he
had not a rupee in the world
Rustum in applying to Kadur for
work hoped that he might be given
the duty Of watching the cow and In
tended looking out for an opportunity
to expose the fact that she was not
the original COW that as calf had
become the embodiment of the spirit
of Nirmars son and the heir to the
fortune that was to pass at his death
to Agya. If he could not expose the
fraud possibly he might kill the COW
But this would be difficult since no
one person was trusted with her care
| and any such attempt on his part
would be foiled by the other care
takers.
When Agya heard that she was to
be strangled that day week she knew
it behooved her to be up and doing
She contrived to get word to Rustum
of the situation that he might make
haste in the sacrifice of the COW that
she might be saved Rustum deter
mined to put his scheme in operation
at once.
There is no dearth of poisons in
India. and Rustum would have no
difficulty in mixing one of them in the
cows fodder. The trouble was to get
witnesses of the animals death. In
deed. this could only be done by cor
rupting the guard. for Rustum realized
that when she died Kadur would pay
those who were cognizant of her death
to keep 1t a secret If RuStum en-
deavored to forestall him by corrupt
ing them himself in case he was be
trayed by any of them be would be
sent away and the girl he loved would
be strangled Rustum decided not to
attempt to bribe any one; the risk was
too great
One dark morning before daylight
Rustum arose and. partly dressed. stole
out into the yard and, taking some com.
bustibes from under a pile of rubbish
where be had concealed them. placed
them against the corner of the house
where the cow was kept and set fire
to them. When the flames were well
started he raised cry of fire and began
to break down the door Of the manager,
ostensibly to rescue the COW. He had
the day before weakened the door. and
it gave way under his blows just be
fore persons appeared on the scene
Rustum. rushing into the manger, took
a little syringe from his clothing and
thrusting it into the COW, squirted the
contents under her skin. Then, unloOs
ening her. he led her out into the yard
By this time the guards who were on
duty only by day appeared and persons
in the neighboring houses began to
throng in to help put out the fire. Ka
dur came down half dressed and. see
ing that the COW had been saved. NUT
tered thanks to Vishnu and promised
Rustum, who. he was told. had saved
her. large reward But suddenly
while he was rejoicing at her safety
she began to stagger and in another
moment fell dead in presence Of the
assembled crowd.
AS soon as Agya's father heard of
the death Of the animal that stood be.
tween his daughter and her fortune be
instituted proceedings In the courts to
| give her possession of 1t and, there be
ing many witnesses of the cows death.
had no trouble in getting it out of the
hands of the administrator When this
had been accomplished instead of turn
ting her over to the executioners he laid
plan to marry her to rich merchant