LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7179, 2 June 1891, Page 1

LITERATURE.

THE SOUBAHDAR SUFDER JUNG, THE TREACHERY OF THE TRUSTED HINDOO. (Concluded.) The loyal twenty closed round him. It was time, for the ping of bullets brgan to echo through the woods. One or two were wounded. The General had them picked ■up by their comrades, as they moved back slowly with their faceH to tho foe, " See ivhat it is to be a traitor !" he said to the man nearest him. "Tne villains are shooting wild. If they had shot bo under one, there are a few of them who wouldn't have survived to see this day. Come on, you hounda ! Come on, if you daro I" The foremost o£ the dark mass, almost indistinguishable in the gloom of the evening, were so near that they could have touched him ; but they did not. Muttering curses of bailled rage, they fell back confusedly, and their comrades received them with yells of derision. " Seize him yourselves !" they said sullenly. " The goda fight for him. He has a charmed fife." The little band, meanwhile, with the General in the midst of them, were Hearing the outskirts of the wood. They had increased the distance between them and their assailants, who, in the gathering gloom, could scarcely catch more than the outline of their figures. " Pools \" cried one of them — the man who had killed the General's horse — "you are letting him escape." He was known as the most deadly shot in the regiment, and he had eyeß like a cat's. Over mid over again the General had boasted of his powers. This man took aim deliberately, the acarlet coat Berving him as a guide. Almost by a miracle the General esc/iped ; but the nearest of hia escort fell. "That was Koolraj Sing, I know," raDg out the voice of the indomitable old man. " Well aimed ! Another like that, my man, and — ha I You villain — would you? Others can see in the dark as well as you. Have at him, Kullum Khan! Steadily, my friend! Aim low! There is the moon, thank Heaven ! Now ! Halt and fire !" Ping ! Ping ! Sharply and clearly the detonations rang out. The 6moke cleared away. The General still stood his ground, but Koolraj Sing, the dead shot of the regiment, the man whose eyes could pierce through a stone wall, was writhing in the agonies of death. " Well done, Kullum Khan !" eaid the General. "You shall have a medal for this ! Keep together, my little onea ! We shall be out of this coon." "They are coming up behind," said Kullam Khan. " Listen, Excellency !" For a moment the General halted. Kullum Khan had spoken truly. Close in their rear they could hear sounds, tho eracklinsr of the dry branches of the underwood, and the heavy breathing of men and animals. " Who's there ?" cried the General in English. He was answered with an English cheer. ••' Courage, my men," ho cried joyfully to the little band of the faithful, " and keep close to me, lest they mistake you for the rebels. Hurry up, my hearties I" to his own men, who, having missed him, and feeling certain that treachery was on foot, were searching the wood. "These," pointing to his escort, as one and another of his troopers rode up, "are comrades. I owe my life to them. They have stood by me gallantly. Your horse, Tommy," to his own servant, who was first to come up. " Never fear, you shall have your hand in the fun. Now then, are we all ready ? You see those Wack-heartedscoundrelsoutyonder. Three times our number, boys, but cowards, every mother's son of them. Charge for old England's sake, and mow them down !" A ringing cheer, clear and joyful, which echoed and re-echoed through the wood, that seemed peopled by hundreds instead of tena, greeted these gallant words. The mutineers answered it with a scream of defiance. Then, crash, crash, thundering over the dry underwood, came the tramp of the English horsemen. The Pandies, ■who were on foot, stood their ground, firing wildly. Several horees fell, and their riders joined the faithful Indians, who were coming up behind them at a quick march. " Force them into the open," cried the General. "See — where the light shines in!" At his word the little band of horsemen swung round to the left.. Tho mutinefirs, expecting a front attack, were taken by aurprise, and, instead of facing round, as the only surviving officer commanded them, they broke into confused groups, some of which stood their ground, while by far the greater number took to their heels. Uttering a cry of despair and hatred, the officer drew hiß tulwar across his throat, and fell at the very feet of the General's hor?e, which started and plunged aside. At the same momenta mutineer, who had been lying in ambush close by, sprang forward and discharged his musket at the General. The gallant old man's bridle-arm fell helpless by his eide ; but he gathered up hi 3 reins in his . right hand and pressed on. As for the men, English and ludians, they had eyes and ears for nothing but the foe. Stumbling and plunging, now in close order, and now separately, they rode and ran over tho broken ground. Meanwhile, with tho fatality that comes of abject dread, the mutineers were rushing towards the open. Night had fallen, but the moon, which xose early at this season, was flooding 1 »ll the plain with Rilver light, and when the Englishmen emerged from the wood they saw the fugitives — gray figures in the ghostly light — ODly a short distance in front of them. "Halt!" cried the General, " and fire !" They obeyed with alacrity. Erery shot took effect. Some who had not been touched fell prone with fright and weariness, and over tho plain tho bodies of dead and dying lay scattered. " Quick march \" cried the General. It waa like the loosing of an arrow from a tow. In skirmißhing order, but keeping well in line, they cantered madly acrosstbe plain. Passionate wrath and the wild thirst for vengeance made demons of them ail. There was no quarter given. The black-hearted wretches they were pursuing had laid a net for the feet of their openhearted General, and had nearly succeeded in entrapping him. For their treachery they should die. Group after group was overtaken. Some were speared, 6omo were shot. Not one of them all turned to bay, or lifted up his hand against the avengers. For, lying heavy as lead at the heart of each one and making him a coward, was the consciousneaß that he had played the part of traitor. A short half-hour, and it was all over. Some few, who were the first to fly, and were particularly fleet o£ foot escaped into the country. The others lay dead on the plain outside Meerut. Everybody is patting up good teas, but Ninian, Hyslop and Co.'s " Imperial " beats all. X3GS The City of Tokio, Japan, now has six crematories at which 29,013 bodies were cremated during the last three years. Cremation ia not allowed in the absence of a proper burial cerbificate,nor until twentyfour hours after death, unless the cause ha 3 been an infectious disease. " All is fin 9 that is cloan." Simple homes tnuda ■bright witti SAPOLIO SAPOLIO SAPOLIO Are better than tawdry palaces. Sapolio ifl a solid 1 c\te of Sooniingr Soap. Try it. Sold by Grocers, Druggists an! Ironmongers.