The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-01-20
The Specter
OF Goruckpoor
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

half of these were split up into small
attachments and stationed here and
there in the north to keep order among
the hillmen and punish raiding dacoits.
Dacoits are bands Of robbers under
command of a chief who holds reli-
gious influence over them. and they
are yet 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
hands are spared.
We were in the midst of what 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 to take command OF
the garrison at the latter place. being
Just back from years leave OF alb
sence in England. was with the train.
and the whole was escorted by 80
cavairymen. The route for the train
brought 1t past our station. where 1t
rested for day and then moved on,
In Il detile fifteen miles to the north
of us 1t was ambushed by over thou,
sand dacoits and suffered severe mis-
fortune. There was not only heavy
loss In killed and wounded. but the
treasure and a portion of the supplies
were captured and run Off 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 well populated coun-
try. with hundreds of loyal natives to
be picked up. but the colonel proceeded
to look upon each and every one ns
guilty Of having had hand In the at
tnck on the train. More than score
were shot or hanged offhand, while
many were whipped Mt the post or or
dercd out of the district. 1t was
reign of terror for three weeks. and
the end was a fitting one.
My own detachment one day brought
in mere boy whom we had found
covering in tliicket. The colonel
bulldozed and browbcnt him and final
ly ordered his execution on the ground
that he was a spy. 1t was only when
he knew that he must die that the
young fellow braced up and shovel
his courage. and as he was being led
away to execution he said to the colo
mel:
"Sahib Colonel. | am innocent, and
YOU will he punished for my death.
You may shoot me and bury my body.
but my 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 colonel
called the sentinel into his tent. and.
with white face and trembling voice
and the perspiratlon standing out or
his forehead. he said:
"Alan. do you see that boy sitting on
the chest?"
II see nobody. sir" replied the SEN
tinel.
He is there. tell you! He follow
ell me to mess and back. and lie 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 officers. who looked and
searched in vain and assured Colonel
Kemble that no boy was present. He
tried to turn it of with laugh. but
in less than twenty-four hours every
man In camp knew that the colonel
was haunted by specter. He made
brave effort to bluff 1t out. but 1t was
useless The spccter followed Mt his
heels by day and sat by his bedside at
night. and In week the strong. ag-
gressive 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 as 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 WIS
nothing for the eyes to rest upon. He
would draw his sword and cut and
sl:lsl and thrust ut the specter. but he
could not harm 1t. By the surgeons
advice the colonel returned to Goruck-
poor. 1t was reported as II case OF
breaking down over mental anxiety.
but hundreds of people came to know
better. The spccter followed him back.
followed him to the house Of friend.
sat with him through every night and
logged ut his heels through every hour
OF the day. He could no more shake
it on than he could change the color of
his eyes He made the earnest sort of
fight. knowing that his future career
was ut stake. and at length all men
came to pity him-pity him and avoid
him as one accursed. He was medical
~ treated. given brief Burroughs and
every effort made to build him up, but
ut the end of eight months. every day