THE JEWELS OF JUGGERNAUTH.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7346, 26 June 1889, Page 2

THE JEWELS OF JUGGERNAUTH.

The true and tragic tale which I am about to relate (writes " L. F." in the Times of India) was told to mc many years ago by a distinguished officer of the Madras army. The facts have never appeared in any newspaper, nor are they to Dβ found in any of the police records of the Presidency. For obvious reasons the names have been altered; but to this day by tbe camp fires of the great festival held every year Is told with bated breath, and listened to with wrapt attention, the terrible tale of tbe Jewels of Juggernauth and of the vengeance of the great god.

RUINED B7 GAMBLING. Many years ago said my friend, "fc was quartered at Fusarabad, animporUnl military station about 150 miles trom the Madras coast. There were a large number of troops there of all descriptions, and certainly for half the year the life we all led was gay and high enough. Unfortunately ac the time I was there, gambling and betting were much In vogue, and many men plunged and came to grief over their debts; 01 honour. Of all that gay company nobody was more popular, and better liked by both men and women than young Fitsroy; but, unfortunately, he lost money at the races, tried to' recover himself at the whist table, but failed, got into the hands of the Marwareee, and got deeper and deeper into the mire of debt. You could see by his. careworn and troubled expression of face that the poor young fellow was in a real bad way. I was get surprised, then, when one day he came to mc and said, "Major, I'm done for. I'm utterly broke. I can't get any more money in the bazaar, and they'll run mc in unless I can get away for a bit. I must get to England and see if I can raise the wind there, but goodness knows," said the young fellow bitterly, "how I can dare ask my poor old governor. Major," continued he, "I must get away: it's simply killing mc. You are a great friend of my father and promised to help mc. I wish I had stuck to your advice : mit it's too late now. Will you come away with mc? Give out that we have taken ten days' leave for some shooting, and see mc down to the coast. If I gooff alone. I ehall be stopped by those cureed Marwarees." TEDB FESTIVAL OV JUGQBBNAUTH. After some hesitation I agreed. He sent in his application for leave to Europe on private afr&lrs, and I gave out that I was going on a ten days* shootine expedition. A week later, with a couple of tongas, we had started on our long and wearying journey to the coast, where my poor yoooK friend loped *? P lok °P * eteamer to *&* him to Europe.' OiTtoe second day out we met crowds of people tramping along— men, women, ana children —and the next day etlll'greater crowds. In reply to our enquiries we were told they were all returning from the great festival of Juggftrnauth held at Purl, now only some three days' journey from where we were. The tongawallah kept us interested with a graphic description of the festival and of the great god, which was especially remarkable .for the wonderful jewels it possessed—two emerald eyes of inestimable value, its lips formed of the finest rubies in the world, and a necklace of priceless pearls. AT THE TOWN OF PTTRI. The sun was sinking as at last we neared the.town of Purl, and we could Bee tho pinnacles of the temples rise above the trees which surrounded the place. Half a mile the other side of the town stood the Travellers' Bungalow, where we intended putting up for thVnight. During the last twenty-four hours my young companion bad kept silence, and was moody and almost sullen whenever I tried to rouee him. A more uncomfortable meal I never ate than the dinner which was served up to us that evening, and I was quite thankful when the poor lad said he was dead beat and would go off to bed. My own room was on the other side of the bungalow, and I took my pipe and sat smoking in the verandah. The moon was joat rising, when I thought I saw the figure of a European stealing along the wall of the compound. Strange, I thought, and wondered what other European could be here at the same time. An idea struck mc, and I went across to my companion's room. There was nobody in it, the bed was undisturbed. I threw down my pipe and rushed out into the moonlight. XN THE TEMPLE COMPOUND. -. A few seconds later I was out In the road, and turned instinctively in the direction of the town. Running down the road I coon came to & sandy lane which went outside the village walls In the direction of the temples, theirpinnacles standing out clear and distinct Lα the moonlight. In the distance I thought I saw the figure of my poor lad, but soon the turnings and twietings of tho lane with its thick cactus hedges on each side shut him out from my view. In a few minutes I was close by the big temple compound. Running up to the wall X looked over, and this is what I saw. An enormous courtyard of paved atone, on wblch were lying a number of priests, thejr white garments wrapped rouod their heads and bodies. In the background was placed temple after temple, out in the very centre stood one solitary shrine, r»ised on three separate flights of steps, and inside I could see the great black god raiaed on three other smaller nighto of coloured marble atepa. The ! moonbeams shone directly on th« sod and I lit up the emerald eyes and ruby lipa, j while the pearl necklace glowed on his huge black oosom. Not a eoand was to be heard except come distant tom-toming [on the further end of the town. The festival was over, and Purl had lapsed into solemn silence. To my unutterable horror, I saw my companion walking right across the courtyard, A THRBXELB XnOfBSIS. ! Not 8 livlbg creature moved, until a ! pariah dog rose up from near the walL I gave one howl and then slunk away and crouched down again. Still no one stirred. My tongue clove to the roof of my month. I darefl not shout even ; if I could have raised my voice. A ghastly horror took hold of mc as the idea struck mc that in his madness my poor friend intended to save his honour by the greater dishonour of robbing the IdoL Speechless I saw him mount step by step, and the next moment I saw him enter the sacred shrine across the threshold of which no other foot but that of the Brahmin has ever passed. Nine steps led up to the god—one, two, three, four, five, six. Hβ paueed, I tried to shout, but no sound would-come. He raised hie hand as if to tear off the pearl necklace. It was still above his reach. His foot then touched the seventh. Can I ever forget the eight ? In the moonlight flashed out two arms covered with a hundred—nay, two hundred—daggers, and clasped the daring youth to the black god's Tareaet. At the same moment Che sound of a gong broke the stillness of the night, and In one moment the priests had cast off their coverings, and were rushing to the shrine. Two minutes later I saw the amazed and horrified priests carrying out the lifeless body of the dishonoured Englishman, and I turned and fled.