Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1919-12-18
(CopyrFhtl
BY FRANK L. PACKARD

done. all would have been well.
Instead, the government deemed II
wise to bring only great dlshonor upon
Ram Gulab Singh. and they stripped
Ram Gulab Singh OF all rank and au-
thority, and for several years patrolled
the waters of the island closely"
Gunga paused. The muscles of his
face were twitching agaln-and the
hard, fllntlike CLEAN was back once
more in the coal-black eyes that al
ways swept the water, that never
looked at wallen.
"Snhlb, It was because Of your moth
er, before you were born, that the mas
ter left the East. The heart Of Ram
Gulab Singh was black with hate-and
revenge filled his soul. II is too long
a story to tell now, sahib. Great wealth
was his; those In his pay were every
where.
Twice he tried to bring worse than
death upon the master by attacks upon
your mother. And the second time,
sahib"-Gunga's hands around the
oars frightened until the knuckles were
as white knobs protrudlng from the
swarthy skin-"it was only by a mir
acle that she was saved. But, sahib,
It killed her. even II It we're months
afterward when your father had hid
den her in the gray house the sahlb
knows, for she was with child then,
and when you were born she died.
"And then, sahib, the master stayed
on there to protect you, as he had
promised your mother he would do.
But even there II was not further than
the arm of Ram Gulab Singh could
reach. Does the sahib remember the
night as a child he crawled from bed
and came down. the stairs, and there
was man dead upon the foorT
81 remember" said Wallen in
voice he did not recognize as his own.
"And then, GungaF"
"And then" said Gunga, "the young
sahib went away; and the master had
no longer any heart for anything but
to stay on in the gray house. When
next the master learned Of you you
were at sea, sahlb; and after that he
watched your comings and your goings
always.
"And all this time Ram Gulab
Singh gave no sign. Then came the
time that word reached the master
that you had taken berth upon the
Upolo, to trade among the Islands of
Ram Gulab Slngh-and upon the mas
ter fell again the old fire, for he knew
that It was the hand of Ram Gulab
Singh that struck.
81 sahib, he sent mere Immediately
TO spy upon them, and this learned:
Drink-House Sam, taking with him the
Chinese Of whom the sahib knows, was
sent to Shanghai to wait the coming of
the Tokamaru, the sahib's ship; and
there at the time the Upolo was in
port. He bribed the man who was
mate to leave the vessel, and also some
of the crew, that there might be room
for the men he had brought; and then.
through The influence Of others Of Ram
Gulab CHS agents in higher quar-
tiers, T. ,aptain, who was an honest
man, b, was led to induce you to
sail WIN MIN In the others Place.
"But Vahib. all this did not learn
at once; and meanwhile your father,
knowing well what threatened, had
stopped at Honolulu and chartered the
Monleigh as the sahib knows, to fol-
low the, Upolo in the hope that he
might reach you in time before the
work was, done.
"Sahib,\ lere is but of the murder
of Drink-House Sam to tell. Here In
Singapore have crept into the house
of the banker Loo, an cid and crafty
Chinese fox, who is the chief agent of
Ram Gulab Singh. And II was there
l learned of Drink House Sam, who,
though he was one of them, was hated
by them because his demands for
money we're ever inslstent. and be-
cause. sahib. with the years he knew
too much to be refused.
"And there to that house came the
Kanaka tonight; and there, too, came
word that you had made trouble at
Drink House Sans. And, sahib. as
wolves that feed upon themselves, and
because 1t would seem that the guilt
would fall upon the stranger, upon you,
sahib, who had come and fought al
ready with Drink-House Sam tonight,
they went, sahib, and did even as you
have seen. Would the sahib. too, have
paid with blood for his fathers blood?
~ meant to do that thing myself;
but because / could not escape from
where was hidden in the house until
all were gone, was too late. Sahib,
the tale is told"
No word came from Wallen. For a
long time he sat Uncomfortable q
cloud obscured the moon. and the
riding lights of the vessel cleaned and
twinkled brighter In the greater dark
ness, and until the moonlight strug-
gled forth again In a silver. waving
path-until there came a little splash
In the distance, as though q fish had
jumped.
Then Wallen raised his head.
At the sound Gunga too had stirred.
for now he dipped his oars and rowed
on toward the Monleigh. And then he
spoke again:
"Wash your hands, sahib." he said
In low tones, "for they are red"
At the gangway Gunga sent the boat
adrift with a push toward the Mon
leigh's stern; and Wallen. with the
other behind him, mounted TO the boat
deck. There was no one on the bridge;
and II there was an tnchor-watch at
all. the man was asleep. for they had
come alongside unnoticed.
In the doorway Of the captains cabin
Wallen halted. with Gunga beside him.
There were empty glasses on the lock-
er and an empty bottle. Captain Layn-
ton fully dressed. was snoring In his
bunk. He sat up with q start at Wal
lens second knock.
"Hellol" he blinksd. "oh. you. Mr..
Wallenl And"-he blinked again at