The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-03-09
The Specter
Of Coruckpoor
BY NJ. QUAD
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate

Nhtit III Nbt hNANH w httlf 'iuti
the hillmen aud punish rniding dacoits
Dacoits are bands Of robbers under
command of chief who holds reli-
gious influence over them. and they
are yet the pests OF India along the
foothills of the lIimalayas. They are
daring men and hard fighters, and very
few British soldiers who fall into their
hands are spared.
We were In the midst OF wha; seem
ed to be peace when the government
dispatched large train of treasure
and military supplies from Goruckpoor
for Ghoorka. Colonel Kemble. who
had been ordered x take command of
the garrison nj the latter place. being
Just back from years leave Of alb
sence in England. was with the train.
and the whole was escorted by 800
cavalrymen. The route for the train
brought 1t past our station. where II
rested for day and then moved on.
In detile fifteen miles to the north
Of us II was ambuShed by over a thou
sand dacoits and suffered severe mis-
lbiNbuts iNlF WIS nv fAHl a.
loss In killed aud wounded but the
treasure and a portion OF the supplies
were captured aud run OH 10y the ia
colts.
The remnant of the train returned to
us and went into camp until re-en-
forcements could come up. and the
bullet headed. tyrannical Colonel KEN
Bile. whose ohstinacy and rccklcssncss
had brought about the disaster. pro
ceeded to make IL red hot for every.
body. II was well populated coun.
try. with hundreds Of loyal natives to
be picked up. but the colonel proceeded
to look upon each and every one As
guilty Of having had hand in the at
tack on the train. More than a score
were shot or hanged offhand. while
many were whipped at the post or or
dered out Of the district. 1t was
reign Of terror for three weeks. and
the end was a Hitting one.
My own detachment one day brought
In mere boy whom we had found
covering In thcket The colonel
bulldozed and hrowbeat him and final
iy ordered his execution on the ground
that he was a spy. 1t was only when
be knew that he must die that the
young fellow braced up and showed
his courage. and as he was being led
away to execution he said to the colo
mel:
"Sahib Colonel. | am innocent. and
you win be punished for my death.
You may shoot me and bury my body.
but my spirit viii follow Won to the
grave"
Half an hour later he was dead. but
he was the last one to be executed
At midnight that night the colonel
called the sentinel into his tent. and.
with white face and trembling voice
and the perspirntion standing out on
his forehead. he said:
MAN. do you see that hoy sitting on
the chest?"
Il see nobody. sir replied the sen.
.inel.
-He IL there. tell Won. He follow.
ed me to mess and back. and he has
been here In plain sight all the even
ing. rake MIN AWAY.
But there's nobody here. sir"
And there wasn't The sentinel call
ed In two officers. who looked and
searched IN vain and assured Colonel
Kemble that no hoy was present He
tried 10 turn 1t OF with u laugh. but
In less than twenty four hours every
man in camp knew that the colonel
was haunted by n specter. lie made a
brave effort TO blum IL out. but ii was
useless. The spccter followed at his
heels by day and sat by his bedside at
night. and in week the strong. az
wreck. He turned TO us for pity and
sympathy. bur we had little to give.
He had been brutal and without mercy
In his vengeance.
The surgeon looked upon the case at
first as some disorder of the brain. but
later ON Acknowledged that ii was
something beyond his medicine. No
one else could see the specter. The
colonel would say that II sat beside
him or stood in the door. but there was
nothing for the eyes Ia rest upon. He
would draw his sword and cut and
slash and thrust at the specter but he
could not harm IT, by the surgeons
advice the colonel returned to Goruck-
poor II was reported as II case OF
breaking down over mental anxiety,
but hundreds of people came TO know
better The specter followed him back,
followed him to the house Of friend.
sat with him through every nieht and
logged AT his heels through every hour
y the day lie could no more shake
II OF than he could change the color Of
his eyes. He made the gamest sort of
fight. knowing thai his future career
was nj staRe. and at length all men
zane TO pity him-pity him and avoid
him rs one accursed. lie was medical
~ treated. given brief furloughs and
every effort made TO build him up. bun
At the end of eight months, every day
and every night Of which had been
terror TO him. he ended by blowing out
bis brains.
Was II case OF man haunted by "A
spirit seeking revengeI II was not 50
reported officially. but from first TO
last and from the highest to the low
sst. and this includes two surgeons. Il
was fully and firmly believed that II
was. and the uncanny affair had a
treat influence over other officers In