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Western Star, Issue 1548, 28 March 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

' For the p. rp) ;o of serving my master.' ' Sirarha,' i said, slowly anil impressively, 'if you will tell me all you know—and that you think would interest me, I will pay you well for it. I will make }'OU rich.' ' If the sahib should give mo all the wealth of the Rajah Nahmanda,' he replied, 'it would be useless for me to speak, even though I were willing.' ' Why ?' ' Because I should be killed.' ' By whom ?' * By those who watch me day and night, ' Are there spies aboard this ship ?' ' Ay. sahib, and in this very apartment.' I glanced quickly around, but the Hindoo only smiled.

' They cannot be seen,'he said, 'and yet they are here. See ! I will leave the apartment and go upon deck. While lam gone, if you will recall the face of the Sahib Cogswell to your mind, and then speak to it exactly as you would speak to him where he really here, I will return and tell you what you said arid what he answered. 1 What he answered !'

' Yes, sahib, for he will answer you.' Without another word he turned and left me, while seating myself on the edge cf my bunk, I fell to picturing Cogswell's face upon my memory.

Almost immediately I felt a strange sensation in my head, as if bands of stretched rubber were bound around it; my eyes grew heavy and 1 closed them, but not in sleep ; only because i s eemed an effort to ktep them open. Suddenly a very familiar voice broke in upon me.

' What is it, John ?' it said ; and looking up quickly, although my eyes still felt as if they were closed, I beheld Reuben Cogswell standing before me. He looked just as I had seen him in my in. explicable dream the night whin I obtained tha signatures, and as then his presence did not seem to need an explanation to my mind. It appeared for the moment perfectly natural that he shoula be there.

' Who is this Hindoo travelling with me ?' I asked.

' A peculiar person,'he replied. He is subtle keen, and powerful in his know ledge and command of the occult sciences of India.'

'He knows much of our affairs,'l said slowly ajid meditatively. 'He knows nearly all,' replied the old man, ' What he does not know and what he is determined to find out is the precise reason for your voyage to his country.' ' How shall I be able to prevail upon him to work for me in this matter of carrying out your wishes ? His familiarity with all the phases of Hindoo life would be invaluable to me.'

' Ay, John, so it would, but you must be careful. I believe Simrha to be faitjbiul, and possibly, if you were frank and open with him, it might not be amiss. Regarding that, however, you must judge for yourself, as I am unable to advise you.'. Old Reuben's face was becoming indistinct, and as it did so my mind seemed to work with more freedom, for suddenly a new thought occurred to me.

' Wait!' 1 cri6d. ' One more question.' ' What is it ?' 1 Shall I find your descendant in India ? Have you one there ?' Was it fancy, or did the face before mo relax into a smile as I asked the question ? I could not determine, for the features were growing fainter and fainter to my vision.

As though, in the distance 1 heard his voice reply to my question: ' Ay, 1 have one, John, and it depends entirely upon yourself to find her.' ' Her !' I cried, but he had gone. The familiar old face had faded from view, and I was left alone.

I rubbed my eyes vigorously, and then with an effort opened them to find myself still sitting upon *he edge of my bunk in the state-room with everything that had occurred engraven forcibly upon my mind.

With a strange feeling of wonder and awe, I looked around me.

' Is my mind losing its balance ?' I asked my. self, ' Am I subject to fifs of abstractedness in which I have these strange and realistic visions, dreams, in which I see ghosts ? Pshaw ! Nonsense ! And yet' At thi3 instant the door opened, and Simrha appeared standing in tho entrance. There was a peculiar smile upon his face like that of one \yho was satisfied and pleased, and yet with the oppressed, tight feeling which was still hovering about me, I fancied there was something triumphant in Ms glance also. ' Shall I enter, sahib?' he inquired, respectfully; and as I nodded he cams in and closed the door behind him.

' Shall I speak and tell the sahib what has transpired ?'—See Picture ISfo. 6.—he asked; and I wondering, if ho indeed knew, and yet, dreading to share the knowledge with him, hesitated.

No C.—' Shall 1 epeak and tell the sahib what has transpired ?' asked Simrha. My curiosity was too much for me, however, and the strange smile which still lingered about the Hindoo's eyes seemed to urge me on. ' Yes, 1 speak !' I said. ' Tell me all you know —all, or leave my employ.' CHAPTER IV. the Hindoo's wabotn». Simrha seated himself upon a chair near the door, and slowly repeated the questions and answers, each and all, which had passed between Reuben Cogswell and myself during my strange drqam, for I could explain my late experience no other way. When he had finished, I sprang to my feet in anger.' 'Go on,' 1 cried. ' Tell me all, for there is still much to tell. You, who prevailed on me to engage you as my servant, because you were in want, have by some infernal means obtained possession of all the secrets I would have kept, even from Heaven, had I the power; and now I Bwoar that you shall never leave this room alive until you have answered every question which I shall ask.' I held in my hand a revolver, the hammer raised, and the muzzle pointing straight at his head, but, notwithstanding my attitude and the danger which seemed to menace him, he did not move.

' Let the sahib ask the question before he shoots,' said he, calmly. ' Do you know the descendant of this Beaton Cogswell ?' ' Yes.' ' Who, where, and what is the person ?' ' She is a grand-niece of the Rajah Nahmanha, and resides in his palace in Odeypore. What is she? A true daughter of Vishnu, and I, sahib, am her slave.' I lowered my weapon, and in a moment more he continued : ' Let the sahib listen,' ho said, with a dignity that impressed me, and let him take heed. During tho night before ho left his native place a double crime was committed, with the commission of which he was accused. Being cast into prison, an unknown friend released him, and he escaped.' I was by this time walking back and forth in the little room, too much agitated to allow myself to speak; but in my hand I still carried the reveller, and in my mind many schemes arose for ridding myself of this unpleasant confidant. I did not interrupt him, however. ' You are bound for the East on a most dangerous mission,' he said, and your path will be beset with treachery and danger continually. When you least expect it death will stare you in the face. When apparently in tho greatest security, perils subtle and sudden will stand on either hand. Sleeping, waking, iu company or in solitude, a danger mightier than the sword of Damocles will hang over you, suspended by the tiniest web the spider spins. And so long as the Rajah Nahmanha lives your peril will continue, until it ends with your death, unless you are prepared to turn back from your present intentions and forsake all farther ettort to find the heir of Reuben Cogswell.' ' Never !' I cried. Again that faint smile, like the flitting of a hantom, passed across his face. ' I hare not done,' ho continued, ' for I knew iiefi « I spoke that you would not turnback. There is, Sahib, a brighter side, for a friend—the friend who libe )'ed you from prison—will watch over you constantly, and when dangers threaten and the sword is about to fall you will bo sure to be warned. llow cannot be told, bud let it not matter how tho warning comes heed it; no matter how many there are, heed them all, or you will die.'

' Who is this friend ?' I asked, pausing abruptly in my restless pacing to and fro ; ' and, Simrha, who are you ? Not a servant, surely !' ' Yes, sahib, your servant. Listen ; you shall know all that can be told. With that you must be satisfied, for nothing more can be revealed at present. ' When your enemies find that you escape them and still live, they will resort to apparent warning to lead you'into danger; but heed thorn not. You will always know the messages of your friend by the word "Nurha," either spoken or written.'

'Why do you tell me this?' I asked." To frighten me ? If that is your reason, Simrha.you will not succeed.

'No more questions can be answered, sahib. Of all that you have been told take heed, for the truth has been spoken. I deceived you in order to enter your service, but that was dona for the purpose of this interview. You could not be spoken to until we we.re on the water. No -v that the words are spoken, we must part. Remember, sahib, all that you have heard, and if you heed the warning we shall meet again: if not, you will fail; and, if even you had a hundred lives regiven you, one after another, you would still bedead.'

Turning abruptly, he re-opened the door, and left mo, while I, seating myself once more.upon the edge of the bunk, leaned my head upon my hands, and pondered over the strange words I had just heard. Was I, then, in such great danger constantly ? Was the Hindoo Rajah so powerful that his influence extended into foreign lands, threatening people's lives? Bah! The idea was preposterous.

And yet, how had Simrha known so much of my affairs ? How was he to know that I was in any way connected with the affairs of Reuben Cogswell ? Nay, more ! How had he l?9come possessed of his intimate knowledge regarding the circumstances which hid hastened my doparture for the East,

There was only ono answer to the many questions which crowded through my brain, and that was in verification of his statement that the agents of the Rajah were upon every hand, watchful, subtle—aye, and fatal too. Bui why had he warned me ? Why had he selected mo out of the chao3 of Hindoo hatred to be watched over and finally saved as he had intimated? Was it only to lead me into greater dangers ? Was it part of the treachery to which he referred ? or did there exist some motive of which 1 had no conception for his friendliness towards me ? Alas ! there was no answer to that!

' Stop 1' I exclaimed, hurriedly. 'I will go on deck and find him, question him further, and force him to tell me more.

Without thinking twice, 1 left the stateroom for tho deck, on reaching which, however, not a sign of Simrha could be seen anywhere among the passengers, although I walked back and forth, eagerly looking for him. At last, feeling that to continue my search unaided would be fruitless, 1 spoke to the chief officer, and explained to him my wish to find my servant.

' Oh, yes,' ho said, ' remember him perfoctly—a strange-looking fellow, with big black eyes. An East Indian—eh? 1 thought so. He spoke to me hero on deck loss than an hour ago. Lost him —eh ? Well, he is somewhere aboard ship. 1 will swear to that.'

Calling, tho pursuer to his aid, wo three resumed the search,'but after occupying an hour in fruitless endeavours to find him, we met again.

' He couldn't leave the ship very well, unloss he went overboard,' said the officer, 'and he could not very well do that in daylight without my hearing of it, This thing is very peculiar, and 1 will find him if 1 have to ransack the ship from stem to stern.'

We beg*n with the steerago, evory one of the passengers in that part of the vessel being compelled to pass in review before us, We went down into the hold, whore stowaways secret themselves. We looked among the stokers in the boiler-rooms. In fact, not a portion of the ship whore a man could by any possibility have secreted himself was left unexamined. Simrha had disappeared.

The entire ship, crew and passengers alike, bocame interested in the strange and inexplicable event, and felt that ho must be found; but as the day wore on, and still my Hindoo servant was missing, 1 gave him up.

'He must have gone overboard,' said the chief offuor to me, when the search was completed, ' for 1 am positive that ho is not aboard the vessel now.'

And so thought 1, and although 1 could not believe that he had voluntarily thrown himself into the sea, 1 concluded that in attempting to conceal himself ho had somehow fallen overboard and been lost.

On the following day a nowexcitemont of some kind arose, and my missing servant was forgotten, until almost night, when the chief officer, followed by the steward, approached me as 1 smoked rny cigar on the deck. 'The steward tells mo a strange story,'said the

officer, ' aM 1 have asked him to repeat it to you. If, after you have heard it, you Would like to have the ship gone over again, it shall be done, although 1 think it useless, and the steward's story nothing but imagination.'

' Let me hear it,' 1 said. He said that half an hour before he was putting aw«y aoms glasses in their proper places, and had occasion to step into a back pantry, where ho kept several kinds of dainty food, &e. Ho opened the door suddenly, and was frightened nearly out of his wits by the sight that met his

gaze. Standing at the farther end of tho pantry, with a glass of wine at his lips, was tho figure of my Hindoo servant Simrha.

Tho steward quickly recovered his wits, however, and crying, 'Aha, 1 have caught you, have 1 ?' sprang towards him with arms outstretched. But he had not taken tho second step before he came to a sudden stop, for tho East Indian was no longer there. He had disappeared before the steward's eyes, and at the further end of a little closet-like room, from which there was absolutely no means of escape, except by passing through the door behind the indignant steward. The man rubbed his eyes, thinking that something blurred his vision, but the Hindoo had vanished like tho flame of a lamp when quickly snuffed out.

The second look satisfied him that he was not mistaken, while on the other hand hewasaspositivo that tho strange man had been there when ho first entered.

Thoroughly frightened, -ha turned and fled from tha place, convinced thai he had seen a ghost, and going straight to tho chief officer, ha had told the; story which in turn was related to me.

' All imagination, 1 say,' ejaculated the officer ' but all the s;'.ine, Mr. Martou (that was the name 1 had caused to be entered in thj pissanger list for mine) we will make another search if you say

'Let us go into pantry,' 1 replied. 'Had Simrha indeed been there engaged iu drinking wine, there will be some evidences of his presence there, surely.' We went together to the steward's pantry, and there, upon the little table at tb.3 further end was a half-empty bottle of claret and a giasa, both of which the steward took his oath were not there when he had gone out of the place a couple of hours before, encountering in his way what ho now thoroughly believed to be the phantom of Simrha.

' Ghosts don't drink wine and eat biscuits,' said the chief officer,' and here are crumbs which show that somebody has been engaged in eating. What say you, Mr. Merton ?' 1 did not know what to say, feeling as though 1 was surrounded by uncanny shapes and inexplicable events, which somehow influenced me strangely. ' Let us make another search,' said 1, after a pause. This time it was made with even more thoroughness than it had been before, the different parts of the vessel being examined sifultaneously.

The result, however, was the same as before, as after two hours had been consumed in the fruitless search for tho Hindoo, the chief officer sought me out again.

' It is useless,' he said ; ' the fellow is not aboard this ship—l am certain of that.' 1 How, then, do you account for the steward's story ?' 1 asked. ' Superstition and imagination,' ho replied ; and he turned away to attend to his duties. When 1 went down to my state-room it wa3 with mingled feelings of superstitious dread and sceptical doubt m my mind. 1 could not shako off the feeling that Simrha was somewhere aboard the vessel, and caught myself looking earnestly into dark corners and obscure places, half expecting to aeoliim silently and complacently regarding ni3 with that peculiarly satisfied smile of mingled indulgence, triumph, and friendliness upon his swarthy face. 1 even went so far as to pull asido the curtains and peer under my bunk, as though oxpeeting to see his gleaming and kindly eyes looking at me from among the life-preservers. Thus the time wore away. Twice the steward reported that articles were missing from his pantry, but tho chief officer charged the fact to the man's superstitious terror, saying sontentiously, ' now that Clark had seen ono ghost he would bo troubled with them all his life.'

We made port at Liverpool soon after daylight in the morning, and 1 hud requested to bo notified at the earliest moment whan 1 could go ashore, andacordingly 1 was aroused by aloud rap on my door just aa darkness was fleeing beforo'the advanco of the suti. 1 arose and rubbed my cyea preparatory to dressing. Was it fancy, or was there something pinned to my coat, where it hung on its hook against the bulkhead ? It was no fancy, but fact, and 1 seized the fragment of paper with trembling hands, and as 1 read a strange, creeping Gensation tingled through my nervous system. There was au evidence of the presence of Simrba, for there could be no doubt that it was he who intended to act as the mysterious friend who was to give mo timely warning of any approaching danger. The note was written in the Hindustani language, and was as follows: •Do not stop in London. Go immediately to Dover and then across the Channel to. France. When you reach Calais yon will hear from Nurha again.' I hesitated. Now was the time for me to decide whether or not I should follow the advice thus given me, for if 1 followed it at all, it must be to do so implicitly in blind confidence and obedience. How had the note been placed in my room while I slept? Was Simrba really alive and aboard the ship ? If so, he must indeed be adroit to successfully evade the men who had searched for him so diligently through every part of the vessel.

It was evident.that 1 could not avoid him. Why, then, attempt it ? If he were indeed my friend, 1 felt that my mission would succeed ; if my enemy, it would fail any way, for 1 could not escape this strange man.

1 I will obey !' 1 said aloud; and then I sprang hurriedly around, for a voice behind me had replied almost instantly: 'Nurlia thanks you.' ' Who spoke?'l cried; but no one answered. A careful search satisfied me that 1 was alone. '1 am bosot with devils —or angels,'l mattered, ' or else L am going mad.' My toilet was completed in the utmost haste, and I left the ship without delay, making my way as rapiJly as I could to Dover, and thence across the Channel to Calais.

Nothing occurred worth remark during the time thus employed, and I resolved to rtmain in the quaint old French town a few days f.ir rest and to recover my mental equilibrium, which 1 felt was rather awry since the night when I had completed my bargftiu with—whom ? With Priai'i and Hurley, or wich their ghosts ? Ugh !At all events, I had completed the bargain. With whom or what that bargain had really bseu completed could avail nothing now. It was done, and there was an end of it —so far? Four days passed in this way, and 1 had decided to talto my departure on the morning of the fifth. Jlj 3 [To iie Continued.]