Cumner & South Sea Folk, Complete

'd bring me a b

lilies, a gar

hat to set off

my bonnie

sessor of a great secret, and he had been paid high honour. He looked round on the court-yard complacently, and with an air of familiarity and possession which seemed hardly justified by his position. He noted how the lattices stirred as he passed through this inner court-yard where few strangers were ever allowed to pass, and he cocked his head vaingloriously. He smiled at the lizard

e neared the group; but he stopped short, as he hea

bring me a bunch

my bonnie

was no mistaking the high narrow forehead, the slim fingers, and the sloe-black eyes. Yet he seemed not a native of Mandakan. McDer

said he, "the Red Pl

consternation. "No, no," cr

im, and all the city goes mad with fear. What's to be done? What's to be done? Is there no h

knew the history of this plague, the horror

turned on him in his fury, and would have kicked him, but Cumner'

know of the

hen I complained and in my anger went mad at the door of the Palace, the Rajah drove me from the count

d Cumner's Son, coming closer and eagerly que

w him-he had j

ou wilt save him with me. If he be healed there is no danger; it is

asked McDermot, noddi

ers. "That he may not do with

Dakoon," sa

young man

at?" asked

d a loaf of bread, a bowl of goat's milk,

but I promise for the Dakoon-he wi

shouldst brea

mises," said t

thou give thy li

es

d again and rose.

ot, laying a hand on the young man'

on. "I believe he speaks the truth. G

nning beside him. They passed out of the court-yard,

or, and six men of the artillery riding towards them.

man told

nded. "Suppose this rascal," nodding towards the beggar, "speaks t

the beggar, "and all the multitude would come after, from the babe on

artly in admiration, partly in p

one else? I

the city! I can believe the young; the old h

ously. "The man may die. You say yes

d, and the skin of

ng out his hand, and grasped the hand of his son. "God be with you, lad," said he; t

ngo Dooni the chief was sile

lose his life for its sake, we will not call the people together in the Hall of

arfully through the Bazaar and the highways, and watching from a distance a little white house, with blue curtains, where lay the

empty spaces where the only life that showed was a gay-plumaged bird that drifted across the sunlight, or a monkey that sat in the dust eating a nut. All at once the awe and danger of his position fell upon him. Imagination grew high in him in a moment-that beginning of fear and sorrow and heart-burning; yet, too, the beginning of hope and

What a fool I was to

he passed from headlong, daring, lovable youth, to manhood; understanding, fearful, conscientious, a

sick man's bed, to see the beggar watching him with cold, passive eyes and a curious, half-sneering smile. He braced himself and met the passive, scrutinising looks firmly. T

ten hours, but it seemed like years in which he had lived alone-alone. But he met firmly the passive, inquisitorial

hit. Open!" came a

y not c

r-in-blood, and

those who prize it. G

d there. My pla

e Aqueduct." There was silence for a

u not let

ang-a-Dahit's words, and without a word Cumner's

the sun went down, and to the watchers the suspense grew. Ceaseless, alert, silent, they had watched and waited, and at last the beggar knelt with his eyes

nd the sweet boolda wood was burning at a thousand shrines. Midnight came, then the long lethargic hours after; then that moment when all cattle of the field and beasts of the forest wake and stand upon their feet, and lie down again, and the cocks crow, and the birds flutter their wings, and all

his feet. "The man

id Cumner's Son gladly, and h

t them suffer for their sins. We hold the

nd Tang-a-Dahit,

sked the beggar scornfull

rmot came galloping to them. He jumped from his horse and wrung the boy's hand, then that of the beggar, then talked in broken sentences, which were spattered by the tears in his throat. He told Cumner's S

lders, but he walked beside the beggar to his father's house, hillsmen in front and English soldiers behind; and wasted and ghostly, f

m, and he received idly all who came, even to the sick man, who ere the day was done was brought to the Residency, an