The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-21

spectacle Of bodies and trees and
snakes, and in the shock ana IN
reality Of what had happened TO
them. calloused TO the full horror
Of what they saw, Tom thought:
1T was that way in the war. In
the normal person something must
happen 10 deaden the sensibilities
when a catastrophe occurs. The
war had never upset him in that
way: he had simply grown sick.
horribly sick, at the endless idiotie
killing.
Behind him some one was say
ing, Goodness. there's nothing left
at ALL" and turning he saw Miss
Murgstroyd. her pudgy, sallow
face swollen with sleep, her gown
of blue taffeta. with its garlands
Of pale pink rosebuds, all bedrag-
gled and soiled to the knees with
muddy water. It struck him as
odd that her terror was all gone.
The dull, muddy face betrayed no
emotion of any kind.
"Old Mr.. Bannerjee is dying"
she said brightly. as il the news
made her, in some way more in
teresting.
Il know" said Ransome. Per
haps there's something that we
could do to help Mrs. Bsnnerjee."
"Oh, no." said Miss Murgstroyd.
"She sent me away. She said I'd
only be in the way"
Il hope the old gentleman
doesn't die" said Ransome,
Yes, suppose it would add to
the complications"
TITS worse than that. Bannerjee
will want to burn the body before
shutdown so that he can throw the
ashes into the river. The old man
meant to die in Benares. He was
going there next month to sit on
the bank and wait for death. It
was a piece of bad luck, the
flood -
The wailing of Mr.. Bannerjee.
the So, was less violent now, as if
the exersions of the night had
worn him out. 1t had sunk away
into kind of low, monotonous
keening, rising and falling now
into moan, now becoming dis
tant. like the buzzing of the bees
at night in the great chandeliers
of the palace.
Edwins said suddenly, Has the
house got tin roof ."
mo, it's slabs of stone"
Then it's all right. He could
burn the body up there"
That wouldn't stop him. He's
so scared by now he'd set the
house on fire and burn us all out
If there wasn't any other way"
Then from inside the house the
wailing of Mr.. Bannerjee suddenly
took on a new energy, hysterical, |
ouder even than it had been at
he onset of the flood. For a mo-
nent Ransome listened, and then I
said, The old man must be gone"
All6ithat day they did not see
Mr.. or Mrs. Bannerjee. but Miss
Murgatroyd, bright with the de-
light of finding some one to wor-
ship, came and went. reporting the
progress of the ceremonies of /
Toward noon Lady Es-
keith retired in one of the bed
looms to sleep for a time, and |
Ransome, after he had finished
what remained of the brandy,
vent to another room to sleep.
There was no use in thinking of |
lunch. because there was nothing
10 eat.
When he Weakened he went out
again TO the balcony, but nothing
in the scene of desolation had |
changed save that two or three of |
the fires had burned themselves
out. The water still moved slug
gishly, its surface clotted with /
Still in all the wide landscape
not one human figure was visible.
not one sign of life save for the T
passing of an occasional python
wrapped round floating beam or
branch of a tree, and the distant
chatter of the scared monkeys in
the trees somewhere in the direc-
ton of Ransome's own home.
A little while later Edwina join
I'd him, and presently she said
. Aren't there any boats in Ran
chipur?'
mot many. and those were
along the river. They must have
oeen swept away"
1T doesn't seem To trouble YOU"
There isn't anything we can do
about it. You're not in Europe
low. you know"
Wont anybody do anything
about it >"
" l think 1t unlikely. 1t depends
m who has been left alive.
should think every one is pretty
BADLY disorgsnized. Ranchid we
,ould count on. and the officers
If the Indian regiment. and some
# the Mahrattas 1 wouldn't
rust the Gujerati at a time like
his. Very likley they're all be-
having like Bannerjee or trying to
ave their own property"
Il was only thinking that it's
beginning to be a bore"
The afternoon wore on and Ed
Sinas temper grew a little worse.
Presently she said. Are you in
luman? Don't you care what has
70 your friends ,"
And quickly his face grew white
nd he said, Don't talk like
iamned fool" And she was
.shamed again.
Then Miss Murgatroyd reap
reared. carrying fresh tea, and
hey knew that il must be I
clock. There were only four
oggy biscuits on the tray.
That's all there are" said Miss
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