The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-01-24


"Oh, IndIn. ! was wondering wha,
country you hailed from. Mny ash
your name?"
Il am called JnlIsInprno Jitendra
snr," he snid In low voice, but sin
guInrly clear. "And yours?'
''Buck Williams smiled back the
staiwnrt chnp across the tnblc. Sorry
I'm leaving nt IIl Pnso. l should like
20 talk with you about your country
some day hope to visit it. II mus.
be very interesting, from what |. have
heard"
"Yee." Tho monosyIlablc suggest
I'd more than mere acqulcsccnce. espe-
cinlly when combined with The cnIg
/ nntic smile which fitted over the
orlcntnI's intelligent face then van
Ished, leaving his features cnotlonIess
snvo for IN expression OF polite !.
1 quiry.
'Tye heard some wonderful stories
about IndIar observed the mining man
rehectIycly rSoni. OF thom strongly
resembled conseientlousiy told triple
plated Hes; hut they were Endorsed by
persons who knew were usuniiy con.
servutive. For Instance. vs. It true that
In your country people can disappear
and renppear almost instantly miles
awayf"
JItendra's answer came hcsitatIngly.
"fhere ARE many things. sahih
which I may not discuss save With
those who have prepared themselves
by the Hatha-YoTu or the Ragah.Yogn
The wisdom OF our people IN oId--vcry
old. Their ways are not your ways,
sahib. and what they practice is for
some purpose which we are taught r.
right and IN necessary preparation for
our next rcincar--" w
His unfinished sentence was
Drowned In a horrible. grinding roar
The dining car. directly behind the
swaying engine. seemed to rcnr up In
the front aud fold hack upon itself.
Buck williams caught sight Of the
calm. untroubled face Of Jltendrn
pcerIng over the top of the table above
him. simultaneously he was catapulf.
ed backward TO the rear OF the car.
The roar died down into a sIckening.
slithcring crash, M the balance of'thc
cars In the rear lmpinged against the
wooden end OF the diner. crushing II
resistlessly against the heavy steel
tender Of the locomotive In front.
In the iirst moment OF utter silence
except for the kissing OF the icvinihnn
OF steam now quivering. but stationary.
ahead. Buck picked himself up from
the vcstlhule OF the car.
"0od bless the man who invented
steel platforms" he whispered to him
self ms he contemplated the wrccknge
In front. Then he leaped through thc
open space TO the Pullman behind and
tumbled 10 the right OF way.
From the front OF the diner. which
was twisted and doubled back upon H.
self. arose an agonized screech. The
negro cooks and walters. penned In az
close beside the tiny kitchen. were
shricking for aId--such ms them as
stfll remained alive.
The locomotive stood half sldcwlse
on the embnnkmcnf. the broken driv-
ing-rod which had caused the disaster
driven far In the earth. The desert
wind swirling around the curve Of the
hill dropped u piece of paper of
strange texture st Buck Williams
feet.
Invoiuntnriiy he picked II M and
read. drawn by IN impulse which he
could not fathom:
Beloved:
"UntIl long after had crossed the
sacred water of the Gnnges. with It's
burden OF true believers progressing
TO their next incarnation. and lived
among the people OF this far-on coun.
try. never understood the meaning
Of true love; but now. after your many |
sacrifices for me. I believe ! do.
"As I have knelt before the shrine |
OF the Blue Buddha. ! have learned
the meaning of such devotion as |
yours; come. therefore. TO me and
speedily. ] write In English that you
may see how have improved.
"INDIRA."
Buck thrust the misslve into his
pocket and turned TO the twisted
tangle OF the wrecked diner. He re-
greited that he had read the note
ON the impulse Of the mo-
ment. for the intimate affairs Of q
chance travelling companion were sure
" no business Of his.
The texture resembled that Of the
paper which Jitendra had been read
ing nj the beginning Of their conversa-
lion. The peculiar style aud idiom OF
the communication left little doubt
hat II was the same and had some
how escaped from him at the Instant
81 the crash. i
A sinister Jet OF fame spIraled up
rom the splintered fragments. The
rainmen were already hewing fran
Iicsily at the debris, and presently .
negro crswled painfully through the
'rince they made, dragging . broken
g.
Another followed. then another. his
ace grimed with the smoke OF the II
= "A rlslog Ara ushleh In aOitQ Of 0on- III