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About The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1920)
I' it ft . r v I: I Swami Ram's Reincarnation WFRANK BLIGHTON r ryvrjgj Copyright. SYNOPSIS. CIIAPTEIl I.-Wlillo itls.ffnln Is hld . on a siding Tom DaviiniiortrcUKlnccrbf tho I'aciiio Limited, bccomotmntcreniuu in : tho furtlvo movement or a 'small brown mnn, evidently u forclKiirf.hnd Invrvtl f rates. Whnt ho discovers' semi lilm ack to Ills cab In u hurry. Uiirlinimn iWllllnmii, mining man, boawls tlio train 'and makes tho ucquittjitaieo of tlm v 'ntrnnKtr, Jftllrlnirrno JltAtiilrn, who Sroven to bo nn liust Indian., ITI10 limited i wrecked, CHAPTHIl II William, thminh rnln. fully burned, snves Jllendrn: who hud been pinned under the wreck; Tho Hindu vowfl eternal Krntltude. U'llllntnu. if "fiScelvcB r inrsiMKe telling Into Mvxlcnn revolutionism have sclr.nl l' Ills' mine, known ns "Kl TlKre," and kiraU or tfrlvim en thvAniei leans. ' CHAPTER Ill.-Onhls .yo his mine, alone. M.'lllinma discover tlintj Jltfltulra lu following I'lm, and ho order (film tn turn back. The Hindu apparently. ucijulenceB, tout when WlllliunH rvuehea (ho mine he ' S)nd Jlfctulra there. CHAPTKU IV The Hindu' declares Kate him bound him and Wllllnms to Wether, and nssort mysteriously that the eds Vishnu and Blvu lire with him. WIN (una, pomewhnt touched, allow him to Mayi While In n sleep or exhaustion Wll HAa la made prisoner hy a Mexican ffwco headed by Manuel PacNrco, his for Mr mlno foreman. With Jltendra. nlso a prisoner, the party sets out for Znpn Mlo. On the way I'ucheio brutally strikes tTllllams ana aimnsi Immediately ' falls from his cause. horse dead, apparently without CHAPTER V.-Arrlvlne; at Zatintlllo WIN Hams and Jltendra are ptnrcd In, a filthy ytL Williams Is visited by HcMrert Har emce, representative of n rival' mining company. I In offers Willlnms his liberty tf he will abandon Kl Tlcro und ajtreo to leave the country. William Indig nantly refuses. Tho world of strife nntl MniKalc, of HHtcr hnte unit hunilng ilNrortl, nf which ho Imtl been u part wns lilnttctl oat, nntl, InHtcud, tliuri! wits only ti naperlntlvo sense of contentment, a divine pence, n sweet oltlivlon. e " "Sahib nuck I Siihlli Huck I" WlllnmH struggled In dazed fiulilon tO hlH lUlCVrl. Between hi d renin nntl I lie dark ncs.s lie wns ho ennfuxed Unit he did not realist) where lie wiih r why. Homcthlng cold, metallic, slender, wits ferclng It fell into hlH hands. There Is llttlo time, sahib." hissed the voice. "See the dour Ik open and the Rods granted thy request. Make haste, I pray thee, mill depart. He ware of tho other who nlt asleep Just within the mU' of this plnre." "W-w-who what tho dovll are you talking about? Oh, I remember now It's you, Jltendra, Ihn't It?" "Yes, sahib, hut deluy not. The Ittht Is yet youtiR by dawn thou must bjs far from here." UnbcllevInRly the mine owner taR jeered to his feet. Ho tried tn look around tho obscure Interior of the cell. Then ho saw that the Iron-bound onken floor leudlng Into the corridor was open, as a draft of nlr came through. Near It two tlumlnR points of llRht, awaylnR rhythmically In tho corner, blazed back at him. Hack stumbled to ward them, groping blindly. JItendrn's hand was on his arm the Hindu's slender fingers bit down em his bleeps like steel tonRd. "Sahib, beware the venseance of Tlshnu J Not that way l" He felt himself drawn forcibly, aside and thrust Into the corridor. He tnmed to Rlance at his friend. Two other crimson RlarlnR points of llRht biased bnck Into his startled eyes, but these seemed suspended Just above the white turban which the Oriental wore. Like those the mine owner had seen In tho cell corner, they might have been tho nn?ry orbs of the gods at whom he hnd scoffed. ' Buck trembled. A cold sweat streamed ont on his forehead. He at last realised that ho was In tho passago leading to the gate' of the cnrcel, and In his hands wns a rifle the thing ho had Jestlugly com manded the patient, little brown man to secure for hi in through the exercise of his occult powers. ' "Hurry, Biiblb Iluek," whispered Jltvndra ; "tarry not for me, for Vishnu and Siva have mo In their lfoly keep ing. Go thou and quickly V The cool, satiny rifle barrtrl sent a thrill of madly Intoxicating ecstasy rioting through the American's brain, Like the tiger, from whom he had been named, he padded stealthily along the, short passage leading to the; gate of ' the prison, filled with an angry ven geance. The sleeping sentinel waa lolling la his chair. Ills weapon thudded, dowa pou tho head of the ebmnoVent, a) dler, who rolled to the ground; Williams seized the ringed key from the guard's Inert fingers and thrust It lato the, lock, Tho last barrltir swung laward, the soft breeze of the reful gent night kissed his feverish face, aad he was blotted out by Its protect ing curtain. Jall8lngrao Jltendra squatted In the corner of the cell from which tbo American had so miraculously .been re leased, and bent over the prostrate fig ure of the Mexican who had beenon guard In the corridor. Back and forth on the bronst df tho soldier, who lay rigidly upon his back, swnyed two sinister, menacing points of crimson, mid In perfect unison swayed also two others upon tho head of tho Hindu, "Wouldst thou hava life?" sternly demanded tho llttlo brown man ot tho1 prostrute ilguro. - T H I! T. I M 'ST, "Mori'1 ' "Thoii heed vtl "hut I ahull uny." wont on tlm othut' tn cold, precise ac cents. 'Tf thoy wnlie to tint! Sahib Buck gone, tltoiii Instead of he, will i dlo. So, tholi too must depart," lie lenned closer to tho man, whose . faco was distorted with ri hldeouH ter ror. Ab tho Mexican comprehended tho half-friendly attitude of the Hindu, hopo struggled with despair lu his eyes, "Tell mci If It true that I, too, am to die with tho coining of the sun?" Tlie Mexican nodded. "But that, senor, s not of my doing, nor Is It In iny powVr to savu you 'unless you lice wlth'Kl'AnicrlcnW' 1 " .' "Vo sttll.,syQ," crisply returned the Oriental. ftVhcre Is It that the killers of men will work their ovlt powers upon me If J renin liu ' "III tlictoiLnf Mlo ( Thoy wjllul Mi b o, ciujccl, Honor, that you are free, and thciPfiH yon near tho gate to pifb.tlutoifghtU ithey wlll flro n't "your' I. .ml- .lltendrii pondered n moment,, his head Incllijed it lltllOj forward. Ho, was delnitlng jvhut courfe-lo pursue, if Jie iitteniited to (lee, nyu; out Into t(3 ,nlght In this Mihldinwn country, his swollen feet would be a terrible handi cap. Kyon Vlth it' hoixv, Ijp would nl most certainly be secy, ovor,tilku and, shot byJjlit! .sjde,rti, ibsWAnaed through tile province of Slnnloa, BeslthVSnbJIj Buck must hnyeamplp time to reach lily friends, else what he had dono for his preserver would count for nothing. "Where will the men stand to slay one who bears them no malice?" he queried. i "Does the senor remember how, the carcel yard looks?" "Somewhat." I "Tho passage through which joa were brought to this ccjl leads to the carcel yard. Directly across on the other side Is the gate to the street. The soldiers " "How mnny?" "Six, senor, and a corporal, maka up the firing squad. Theso will take you to the yard. You will bo told that any reasonable request of yours will tic granted. It may also bo made to appear that you are free to depart But, If so, he not deceived. You "will never pars the gate alive. "Behind, near the edge of the yard, closo to the building and directly over .... . .t i ...I,, i ...t.t. nil oiu ornm, inu nix win maim wuii i rifles ready. As you near the gate you will die by their shots. I have spoken truth, scnor, I swear It by tho saints." "What is this drain? I do not un derstand." "A very old, large, round pipe, senor, ouco used to carry off waste, but now abandoned. You may st-o the end uhovo the ground on the way to tho gate. It Is nut far from the carcel It-1 sure." self where It coiiich up through the He slipped Into the Jail yard, heed ground, from there it runs along the less of the glorious beauty of the new yard beneath where the soldiers stand. day, Justin time to see tho frail llgure Senor, I awwir J have told you all .of the Hindu as ho emerged from the will yoa bow not take from me this , building. strange, hideous monster with the flaming eyes, ere I die?" "One more thing must I know," Icily replied the Hindu. "If I should ask of the corporal a cigarette what then?" "The officer in command would give It to yon." "Now, listen with care to my words for on them hang life or death for thee," venomously hissed Jltendra, bending so low that his lips almost touched those of the other man. "I shall ask for that clgurotte when 1 start for the gate. And, If I am gives It not well, It were better for thee that thou wert never born. If I receive It, and thou also obey me In what 1 shall now require of thee It shall be life and Joy to thro In the years to come. Heed well, therefore, and fall not to obey me In all I shall command of thee." He whispered a few words In the ear of the prostrate figure. "That Is all," he observed. "I understand, senor. By the blessed saints, I swear to do as you have asked. Now, may I depart?" Slowly Jltendra arose and stood be fore the door. The angry, crlmsoa orbs above tho breast of the soldier vanished, to reappear near the other two above tho Hindu's turban, "All men ure brothers und thou art mine," resumed Jltendra. "To kill Is sin. Therefore, and because thou hast promised to do as I have commanded, I bind upon thee the sacred symbols of Vishnu and Siva that no harm may hereafter cime to thee. Loose thy shirt" , The quivering Mexican obeyed. Something cold, clammy, and unspeak ably repugnant wrapped Itself around him. "Thus doea Siva enfold thee," went on the Oriental. "Never again canst thou offend the god by causing the dtftth a.Dy.'llytag thtag' His lithe aria ioag Itself the darkaeee, arid agata the shudderlag Mezlcaa ex perienced the sabllmty of horror as his hot blood raced through his Icy body. "With Vishnu, too, do I crown thee, brother. Now, if thou do but keep thy promise all will lie well with thee. But" Jltendra pausad'J significantly "of this also be assured, If I die at sunrise because tbou hast lied, the gods Vishnu and Siva die not with me, but live on forever. Whither thou goest, even if it were to the' euds of tho earth, there Vishnu will pursue thee and Siva, too, will sock thco out 1" CHAPTER VII. Jltendra Disappears. na cxcolleucy, Governor Genernl Juan Moreno, scowled blackly Into the sleep-heavy countennnco of Herbert Hardlnge. Tho two sat In the tern lorary ollclnl headquarters of the pro- 13 II E U A L D' ' II I) U Nf) JI l 4- im visional government of'Blnnloii, It Wild il I tin before; tliiwil, "Your bird Ihih Ilown, scnor,"' ho luruillv dlkl'VIll. "What do you. niean?"i llnrdfngo's dismayed face grow gray beneath its reddish Inn. -Moreno' shrugged tils shoulders. "I have tho honor to Inform you,' punctlltlotisly sneered tho Insurrecto, "that Scnor Williams esenped from his cell some time tonight nnd is still at Inrce. I hnvo' Riven ordors that. he shall be brought In, dead tfr alive. My men are searching every whoro for him. We learned of It nn lloO'r ago, when ttfe oincjr' of tho night H'htuiBod tho guards at the prison." , "Why It's Impossible" gasped Hr-.rdlngc. "How did ho.tnunago to do It?" , ''It' "Wo do not know. iTlio sentr,y,.at lhi cute wns found with hln .skull crhshed and tho gttto rtpn. WllyjriiH wns gone. Tho guard-, who whk Oh Ldtify In'tlie corridor, ntvilwho'wnH per- souiiiiy responsinio mrjijio security or the prisoners, In undeti'ViUKplclon, but he.rnnnot be fodnd." "Did Hlic other prlsoivor chci1o also .1... . i. - ti.i.ii.t. ...a. the one claiming to be ,a 'BrltlHh Hib- jectr , , "No. I do noLunderstnnd why.' we Wt found hrin. asleep Jn the coll. 'IIP an' swerf uoj questions,, Ho will Ve cutftf n sunrise, and Williams will b shot wherever found tjioso are my orders." u t Hardlnge nodded uneasily. The escape was a thing hn had' not counted upon. With EI Tlgre's owner' at large, Ids plans for seizing tho mine might not tic so easily carried out The American government might make rcprcseatatlons to Great Britain or Mexico, through diplomatic channels. Hardlnge's position, In 'that event, would be far from enviable. The little brown man who had been In tho cell during his Interview with Williams a few hours beforo might also prove tn bo nn awkward stumbling Mock, With him gone, there would nt least be no confirmatory witness to his threats. Hardlnge rose from his chair. Tho first faint shimmer of the dawn was glinting tbo tops of the hills In tho east. The time for the execution was near, and the Englishman determined to observe the removal of, at least, ono possible Impediment to his future schemes. "Klvi! million dollars Is too big a stake to take any morn chances of , losing," ho muttered as tin reached tho Jail gate. "I might have known that a resoluto tighter like Williams would ho up to some trick probably ho promised that guard enough pesos to make him rich. If I'd been at all clever 1 would have seen this thing through I myself, even If I had to walk that foul , smelling corridor all night to muko Jltendra was curiously calm the fare of Buddha himself could not have been moro Inscrutable, nor unmoved by fear. Hn chanted something In a low, clear tone as he passed Hardlnge without a look of recognition. The agent for the United Xlagdoia Exploration company shivered. There was a quality la the timbre ef that voice suggesting a mysterious, malign presence a sense of something hovering over and around the place of death, Invisible but, nevertheless, very real. The words, too, were disquieting. If the red slayer think he slays, Or If tha slain think he Is slajn, They little know the subtle ways 1 keep, and pass, and turn again. Jltendra paused, waiting meekly for directions. The corporal la command of the squad pointed toward the wall. "Your sentence has been set aside, senor. There Is the path to the street" The prisoner had net been bound. As the gate of the Jail yard swung Invitingly open the leering soldiers parted their ranks, resting their rifles on the ground assuming aa air of careless indifference, but, nevertheless, covertly watching the man. "They're going to Klv him la ley furga,' shivered Hardlnge. "I guess Moreno's got cold feet on hla court martini sentence don't want to take chances officially, I wish I hadn't told him yesterday that this fellow claimed to be a British subject. If he should prove a good sprinter and they should Miss " r He chlllld and broke off. Jltendra stepped lightly and without emotion toward the gate, flinging back over his shoulder the Innocent smile ef a pleased child, Hardlnge heard the low command and saw a soldier start to raise his rifle. He turned away, A forwal execution, with a asaa 4t lastly facing the trlag Ma4, "a aet ae unusual aa to ex:cKe hfrrer wheai the condensed was t a pattW, Bat this was the epitome et betrayal the deliberate, cowardly a sm set na tion ot a man whe has been told that he is free to depart only te.fall, huH(t shfttered from behind, at the very TfCkof' hl.s coveted freedoai, , La ley, 1 ae'ga la traly Uexleea'. ' "Will yoa give me a cigarette, sarf Hardlnge whirled. Jltendra was retracing his. steps tq Vard the corpora) in enwaiijf. Mur der is murder hut, even in liexlco, ;lt Is hard for a murderer to shoot down a pitiful, gaunt, soft-ey.qd, unsuspect ing atom of humanity while appealing to him for a last solace. The officer sheepishly passed over tho materials, Jltendra dexterously rolled the golden-brown tobacco In tho wrapper, and, still smiling, reached for tho match which was tendered him. . lie bowed his thanks and again ,1 Jin iiiswswa luiws m $ fciWOwiitw wwnam saw wiilhell flilniy'iowlrt1 flit' rili. A" Tow feet fmlhor oil ho steupid lo IguUo tho inntoh on tho of id (f tho old drairt jvhoro It prpJcOted ao,vo the ground. Grouching lpw, ho sheltered the flitmo with his cupped hands, 4 Tho blazlpg remnant he dropped Into tho hole. Ho rose, facing the I in patient soldiers,, pufllng vigorously, then turned and walked a step or two further In tho direction of the en trance, still some dlstancii away, which It was never Intended ho should reach alive. t) , This tlmo v Ilnrdlnuo kneW :" tlrero would bo no delay In the. death-deUng. Youoy. ( , ... ,.,.. A sound, curiously e.mbllniji; hiss, HWCP.t olong beneath , surfaao of tho ground, almost at the English .inniVstfeot. It was not ttijllkp't.bp i)irt1 J'swlshr of a rocket jdltahurtle (through tho nlr, or tllo Mdsjlsr of'-nf' rsefHiit beneath a tuft (vriruHS 'MKor-ponU had no t(ino' tV TccrWcr from 'his surprise. Bcrunth hlh 1 mu arwi Hiiuueniy iipiiiyuu, J,Mipv,uj by tsibnr that mingled wltk the.vqllay. .of tho firing squad. ' j A'.'kYeht cloud of mnoko looped high nbpvof.th'o carcel walls, carrying with It uhowcr of nun-bnked, blood-stained oartty.-jimigic.ii with fragments oc nesn, 'Slowly tho whltlsh-bluo wreaths set tied down or drifted uwny. 8ohllcrsi wero strowu over the .grotfnd somo4 Hideously mangieu corpsus, otners Writhing In agony. , , Hardlnge,, mlrarulotinly uninjured peered with amazed nnd horror-filled eyes for some sight of the Hndn. Jallslngrari Jltendra had vanished. Thunderstruck for an Instant, the' quick-witted knave at the next bolted for -the Jail gate. He hud not reached the opening, however, wliea a, frightfal yell of terror rose outside la the streets of Zflpatllllo. "Los Americanos I Kl Tlgrel RI Tlgrcl" Behind tho roar nf other rifles rang out a hearty cheer. Herbert Hardlnge, scurrying across the road for pro tection with Moreno's bodyguard, sprawled suddenly and lay still. A hatlcss giant with yellow hah and Implacable blue eyes, upon hla ferocious face a satyr's smile of utter contempt for danger, wan riding at tho head of tho cyclonic knot of men. His smoking rifle told the story of the Englishman's passing. Shrieking "Mexicans scattered for safety In every direction before that whirlwind, tigerish assault fleeing aa their forefathers had fled three gen erations before when confronted by fighting men of Anglo-Haxoa blood. With a venomous look of aemlsatta faction, Buck Williams spurred Ida foaming horsn over Hardlnge's corpse, straight into tho Jail yard. Hn sharply reined In -the animal, as his luqulsltorjal eyes fell iiKn JIten drn's turban. He leaped to the ground and picked up the discarded head dress. "Too latel" he groaned. "I waa sure that volley I heard was hln finish. Great God I what hellish luck Ave minutes more and I shoald have saved him I" With a perplexed glance at the dead nnd dying soldiers clustered la or aronsd the hug hoje freshly gsashed in the earth, he remounted aad rode dejectedly through the gate. A man hurried up to hits. "Did yoa Had hire, Buck?" -He's gosc, Hcotty. But he evldeat ly had company, for hell must have broken leese la that jail yard every body's dead In there I" "Ooth that's tough I But why didn't you bring hlai along with yoa last night, Buck? The boys waa oa the way five minutes after we got the nows down In Cullacan yesterday aft ernoon, and all Mexico couldn't have taken either you or him away from us." "I don't know, Scotty; I was crazy, I suppose. All I thought of waa my selfand getting back here to clean up that dog Hardlnge. I remember Jltendra's saying something about beating It quick, sad that hla gods would keep aa eye out for him. Hcotty,, I can't ever forgive myself he was a good scout." "He sure musts been, Buck!" con soled the superintendent. "But I wouldn't" "Look what he did for me," Inter rupted Wllllsms. "He followed me al most five hundred miles after I threat ened, to shoot hliu if I saw him again; ho gaye Pacheco the 'Broadway Bouse' in some fashion I have neVer been able to igure out the very tulnute that dirty greaser struck me .across the fsce; sad last light be grew this gua right wp la the mltldta of that cell In there aad thea opened the door fer me all sacs use I dragged kiM from un der that wrecked car. And the, I laid daam ea aim like s yfHow ," I alsit a aa, Icetty I'm a sea eyed, goeee-h rained blots I I astght baVatflt and tfcey'd baad it $ s pfeiu wish ( "Aw don't tsks It se smcs te heart, Muck. A maa caa't tbiak ef every thiaa when lie's maklna si'ititawsy. Bs- t bides, K a all jour; fault If h couia git you out, wny coataa t ae air. out himself? What Was there to hinder him from following you?1 'If, don't know, Scotty,1 But I do know that1 he thought of mo tret that's what galls me and I never thought of him till I was half-way to Cullacan und run Into you boys." 'Woll, hoofing won't help us any, If tho llttlo fellow's dead he ain't got nothing nmro to worry about. lie's hotter off'n wo nro, I guess, for Mo rcno'll git his mcu together and start something If wo don't beat it for El Tlgro boforo thoy rally,'' (to bti concluded next wcok) 11 19 G Q N !U,FfcJl JTLMjaiW HBJin.HS Alfalfa Seed gay sa (hat you can ESI ::i2 IKJ ?f " c.? " f 4uv SAssst www a si ess. at compllss (oa and Orttoit. We can ship earloadi lit. PortlsmfT Yakima. sshln aaairlislslsi leatlle. PortUndT YTkirSa7 ass through ieeal aytnt. . JUg BEST lies a Imputation. In th iM-'UFBt'Vi asic '-FWCalfes, mt .VI.BBB'Bl BSanBBBBl'IHA"m ' I ASIC IIXS Mlm XjIIIV US.. .. I i i t ,rJ''.fi rioS jpopQCPn, ' Urariges, uy- . .. st;es, virapeiruit, urapes -. 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