The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1920-01-03
Copynght.)

'N"i" '"Hhl NOT. lney fought as req
tlles night who must either fight or die
But half escaped, and those by swim
ming TO the proaS which, in their first
onslaught, after all hal come on hoard
OF US, we had cut adrift from the
schooner's sides
Many times in the melee my mas.
ter tried to single out Ram Gulat
Singh. that they might meet face ia
face, but it was only at the last the
master came upon the other as Ram
GuiaD Singh was climbing over the rail
to escape, and his hand was on the
rail, but before he had dropped into
the wafer the masters cutlass had sev.
cred three fingers from the hand of
Ram Gulab Singh-such, sahib. is the
reading of the paper with the one-tin.
gered hand
"Sahib, this time the government
took heed, for we had prisoners who
confessed; but against these Ram
Gulab Singh sent many to take the
oath that he had oeen elsewhere at the
time. And so again there was not the
full measure Of proof, but my master
pressed the matter and asked that an
armed force be sent against Ram GU
lab Singh. Sahib, if that had been
done, all would have been we'll
Instead, the government deemed it
wise to bring only great dishonor 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 again-and the
hard. flintlike CLEAN vas back once
more In the coal-black eyes that al
ways swept the water. that never
looked at Wallen.
"Sahib. 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. 1t 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 protruding from the
swarthy skin-"it was only by mir
acle that she was saved. But, sahib,
1t killed her. even If it were months
when your father had hid
den her in the gray house the sahib
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 it 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 a man dead upon the floor?''
II remember" said Wallen In
voice he did not recognize as his own.
And then, Gunga?'
"And them" said Gunga, "the young
sahib went away; and the master had
10 longer any heart for anything but
20 stay on in the gray house. When
next the master learned of you you
we're at sea, sahib; and after that he
watched your comingS and your gOings
always.
"And all this time Ram Gulab
Singh gave no sign. Then came the
line that word reached the master
hat you had taken berth upon the
JpolO, to trade among the islands of
Ram Gulab Singh-and upon fhe mas
er fell again the old fire, for he knew
hat It was the hand of Ram Gulab |
Singh that struck.
II sahib, he sent mere Immediately |
O SPY upon them, and this / learned: |
rink-House Sam. taking with him the |
'hinese of whom the sahib knows, was |
ent to Shanghai 10 wait the coming of |
he Tokamaru, the sahib's ship; and |
here at the time the Upolo was In
,ort. He bribed the man who was
nate to leave the vessel and also some !
f the crew, that there might be room
or the men he had brought; and then,
through the influence of others of Ram
,ulab Singh's agents in higher quar-
ers, the captain. who was an honest
nan. sahib. was led to induce you to
all with him in the Others place.
But sahib, all this J did not learn
t once; and meanwhile your father.
moving well what threatened. had
topped at Honolulu and chartered the
Ionleigh, as the sahib knows, to fol-
wv the Upolo in the hope that he
light reach you in time before the
-ork was done.
"Sahib, there is but Of the murder
{ Drink House Sam 10 tell. Here in
ingapore have crept into the house