The Meeker herald., 1916-09-16
The Specter
Of Goruckpoor
By NJ QUAD
By NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

The garrison of GoruckIoor. In the
provipc. of Oudh. India. In the year
1s;. consisted of 1000 men. and about
half of these were split up into small
detachments and stationed here ana
there in the north to keep order among
the billmen and punish raiding dacoits
Dacoits are bands Of robbers under
command of chief who holds rcli-
r,ous Influence over them. and they
are vet the pests Of India along the
foothills OF the Himalayas. They are
daring men and hard fighters. and very
few British soldiers who fall into their
bands are spared.
We were In the midst Of what seem
ed to be peace when the government
dispatched a large train Of treasure
and military supplies from Goruckpoor
for Ghoorka. Colonel Kemble. who
had been ordered to take command Of
the garrison at the latter place. being
tust back from a years leave of abb
sence in England. was with the train.
and the whole was escorted by 20
cavalrymen. The route for the train
rested for a day and then moved on
In a defile fifteen miles to the north
of us 1t was ambushed by over thou
sand dacoits and suffered a severe mis-
fortune. There was not only heavy
loss In killed and wounded. but the
treasure and q portion OF the supplies
were captured and run on by the da-
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 obstinacy and recklessness
had brought about the disaster. pro-
ceeded to make 1t red hot for every
body. 1t was a 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 score
were shot or hanged offhand, while
many were whipped at the post or or
dered out Of the district 1t was. a
reign of terror for three weeks. and
the end was fitting one.
My own detachment one day brought
in q mere boy whom we had found
covering in q thicket. The colonel
buIldozed and browbeat him and final
~ ordered his execution on the ground
that he was spy. 1t was only wner
he knew that he must die that the
young fellow braced up and showed
his courage. and As he was being led
away to execution be said to the colo
mel:
-sahib Colonel. 1 am innocent. and
you will be punished for my death.
You may shoot me and bury my body.
but nv spirit will follow you to the
grave"
Half an hour later he was dead. but
he was the last one to be executed.
At midnight that night the colone!
called the sentinel into his tent. and.
with white face and trembling voice
and the Precipitation standing out on
his forehead. he said:
"Man. do You see that boy sitting on
the chest?"
81 see nobody. SIR" replied the SEN
tinel.
HE is there. I tell you! He follow
ed me to mess and back. and he has
been here in plain sight all the even
ing. Take him AWAY
"But there's nobody here. sir"
And there wasn't. The sentinel call
ed In two oficers. who looked and
searched in vain and assured Colonel
Kemble that no boy was present. He
tried to turn It Of with a laugh. but
in less than twenty-four hours every
man in camp knew that the colonel
was haunted BY q specter. He made
brave effort to blun 1t out. but 1t was
useless. The specter followed at his
heels by day and sat by his bedside at
night, and in q week the strong, ag-
xressive man was becoming a mental
wreck. He turned to us for pity and
sympathy. but we had little to give.
He had been brutal and without mercy
In his vengeance.
The surgeon looked upon the case at
first a. some disorder of the brain. but
later on acknowledged that 1t was
something beyond his medicine. No
one else could see the specter. The
colonel would say that 1t sat beside
him or stood In the door. but there was
nothing for the eyes to rest upon. He
would draw bis 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. 1t was reported as 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,
nat with him through every night and
dogged at his heels through every hour
of the day. He could no more shake
1t Oh than he could change the color Of
his eyes He made the gamest sort Of
nght. knowing that his future career
was at stake. and at length all men