The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-05-22

The diamond fell into the possession OF
Tippoo. sultan of Seringapatam, who
caused 1t to be placed as an ornament
in the handle of n dagger, and who
commanded 1t to be kept among the
choicest treasures Of his armory. Even
then-in the palace Of the sultan him
self-the three guardian priests still
watched In secret. There were three
officers of Tippoo's household, stran-
gers to the rest, who had won their
masters confidence by conforming, or
appearing to conform, to the Mussul-
man faith, and to those three men re-
port pointed as the three priests In dis
guise.
SO, as told In our camp, ran the fan
ciful story of the moonstone. 1t made
no serious impression on any of us ex-
cept my cousin, whose love of the mar
velous induced him TO believe it. On
the night before the assault Oh Serln-
gapatam he was absurdly angry with
me and with others for treating the
whole thing as a fable. A foolish
wrangle followed, and Herncastle's I'M
lucky temper got the better Of him.
He declared In his boastful way that
we should see the diamond on his fin
ger II the English army took Seringa-
patam. The sally vas saluted by a
roar of laughter. and there, as we all
thought that night. the thing ended.
Let me now take you on to the day
Of the assault.
My cousin and l were separated at
the outset. l never saw him when we
forded the river, when we planted the
English flag In the first breach, when
we crossed the ditch beyond and, fight
ing every inch Of our way, entered the
town. II vas only at dusk. when the
place vas ours. and after General Baird
himself had found the dead body Of
Tippoo under a heap of the slain, that
Herncastle and | met.
We were each attached TO a party
sent out by the generals orders TO pre-
rent the plumber and confusion which
followed our conquest. 1t was in the
court outside the treasury that my
cousin and | met to enforce the laws
of discipline on u own soldiers.
Herncastle's fiery temper had been, as
l could plainly see. exasperated to a
kind of frenzy by the terrible slaugh-
ter through which we had passed. He
vas very unfit, in my opinion, TO per-
form the duty that had been intrusted
to him.
There were riot and confusion enough
In the treasury. but no violence that |
saw All sorts OF rough jests and
catch words were banded about among
them. and the story of the diamond
turned up again Unexpectedly In the
form of a mischievous joke. Who's
got the moonstone?' vas the rallying
cry which perpetually caused the plum
dering as soon as it was stopped In
one place to break out In another.
While | was still vainly trying to es-
tablish order | heard a frightful yell
ing ON the other side of the courtyard
and at nee ran toward the cries In
dread of finding some new outbreak OF
the pillage In that direction.
l got to an open door and saw the
bodies of two Indians (by their dress,
as | guessed. officers of the palace) ly-
Ing across the entrance dead.
A cry inside hurried me into a room
which appeared to serve as an armory.
A third Indian, MORALLY wounded, was
sinking at the feet of a man whose
back was toward me. The man turned
at the instant when came in, II |
saw John Herncastle, with a torch In
one hand and a dagger dripping with
blood in the other. A stone. set like a
pommel, in the end of the dagger's
handle flashed in the torchlight as he
turned on me like a CLEAN of fire. The
dying Indian sank TO his knees, pointed
to the dagger in Herncastle's hand and
said In his native language, "Ihe
moonstone will have its vengeance yet
on you and yours" He spoke those
words and fell dead on the floor.
Before l could stir in the matter the
men who had followed me across the
courtyard crowded in. My cousin rush.
ed to meet them like a mailman. Clear
the ROOM he. shouted to me. land set
a guard on the door," The men fell
back as he threw himself on them with
his torch and his dagger. / put two
of my own company on whom
l could rely to keep the door. Through
the remainder of the night l saw no
more of my cousin.
Early In the morning. the plumber
still going on, General Baird announced
publicly by beat of drum that any thief
detected in the act. be he whom he
might, should be hung. The provost
marshal was In to nrnYa