Rujub, the Juggler

ound his pith helmet, was just mounting in front of his bungalow at

you going to

the villagers and a Talookdar as to their limits. I hav

eadquarters seem to be that big jungle you pass through on your way to Narkeet. He has been paying visits to severa

the military target, I told him that it was madness to think of it by himself, and that he had better ride down to the regiment at Cawnpore, and get them to form a party to come up to hunt the beast. I told him they need not bring elephants with them; I could get as many as were n

stols into my holster, Bathurst; it would be

hen I needed them, and am not likely to do so. I always carry this heavy hunting whip, which I find useful sometimes, when the village dogs rush out and pretend that they are going to attack me; and I fancy that even an Oude swordsman would think

ed the horse's flanks with

er said to his companion; "full of energy, a

st isn't. He doesn't shoot, he doesn't ride-I mean he don't care for pig sticking; he never goes in for any fun there may be on hand; he just work

as a wing of the regiment up here three years ago he and Bathurst took to each other very much-perhaps because they were both different from other people. But, anyhow, from what I know of Bathurst I believe him to be a very fine charact

ief Commissioner more than once. When I was over at Lucknow last I was chatting with two or three men, and his name happened to crop up, and one of them sai

ioning, and never thinks of making suggestions, and is a mere official machine. Men of Bathurst's type, who go to the bottom of things, protest against what they consider unfair decisions, and send in mem

s arrival at Narkeet no thought of the dreaded man eater entered Bathurst's mind. He was deeply meditating on a memorandum he was about to draw up, respecting a decision that had been arrived at in a case between a Talookdar in his district and the Government, and in which, as it

; "our hearts were melted with fear, for the evil beast was hear

And now let us get to business. First of all, I must go through the village records and documents; after that I will question four or five of the oldest inhabitants, and then we must go over the ground. The whole question turns, you know, upon whether the irrigation ditch

truth from their confused and often contradictory evidence. Then he spent two hours going over the ground and endeavoring to satisfy himself whic

bt as to the justice of our claim," the head m

neighbors' that specifies unmistakably which of these ancient ditches is the one referred to. My present impression is that it is essentially a case for a compromise, but you know the final decision does not rest on me. I shall be out here again next week, and I shall write to the Talookdar to meet me here, and we will go over the ground together again, and see if w

ative said; "he is the protector o

tice to the other side too. Of course, neither of

him direct. There was no necessity to bribe underlings: he had the knack of extracting the truth from the mass of lying evidence always forthcoming in native cases; and even the defeated party admired the manner in

ut still important to him-for this tract of land was a valuable one, and of considerable extent, and there was really nothing in the documents produced on either side to show which ditch was intended by the original grants. Evidently, at the time they were

thurst started from his reverie, and spurred his horse sharply; the animal dashed forward at a gallop. At a turn in the road he saw, twenty yards ahead of him, a tiger, standing with a foot upon a

ound of the horse's feet upon the soft road, for the an

ng off and rushed at the tiger, and brought down the heavy lash of his whip with all his force across its head. With a fierce snarl it sprang back

t was, as in even the momentary glance he had noticed, a woman, or rather a girl of some fourteen or f

heart beats, man; I think she has only fainted. The tiger must have knocked h

a few yards away, took a flask from the holster, an

yes, as though he had neither heard nor comprehended what Bathurst was doing. Presently the girl moved slightly and opened he

ht struggle to free herself. He allowed her to slip through his arms unt

her in his arms, and poured out words of endearment. Then suddenly he released her and th

d alone, and the sooner we get away from this place the better; that s

e in front of him. The man took up a large box that was lying in the road and hoisted it onto his shoulders, and then, at a foot

he asked the man. "The natives only venture th

there was no danger. If one heeded all they say about tigers one would never travel at all. I am a juggler, and we are on our way down the country through Cawnpore and Allahabad. Had it not been f

o beat it off just as if it had been a dog, without thinking whether there was any danger in it or not. Men do it with savage beas

small beast, but he may warn the lion. The white sahibs are brave and strong. Would one of my countrymen ha

are plenty of brave men among them, and I have heard before now of villagers, armed only with sticks, attacking a

e her mother died, five years ago, we have traveled together over the country; she plays while I conjure. She takes round the saucer for the money, and she acts with me in the tricks that require two persons; it is

istrict Officer at Deennugghur. Ho

, and this box, though its contents are not weighty, is heavy to bear. We thought of go

ere is one thing-w

uj

re about this affair with the tiger; it is nothing to talk about. I am not a

h shall be obeye

I shall be glad to hear whether your daughter is an

ied out, and knew nothing more till I saw the sahib's face; and now I have heard him and my fath

you feel strange and shaken. Another quarter of an hour and we sh

s I was able to walk, I began to work with my father, and as I grew up h

ricks can be done by our conjurers at home, bu

s a juggler proved false to them. Were one to do so he would be slain without mercy, and his fate in the next world would be terrible; forever and forever his soul would pass throu

le. As they approached it Bathurst checked his horse and lifted

, Rujub," he said, and shaking

ave run; I know it would have been so; I could not have helped it to have saved my life. It is an awful curse that I am not as other men, and that I tremble and shake like a girl at the sound of firearms. It would have been better if I had been killed by the first shot fired in the Punjaub eight years ago, or if I had blown my brains out at the e

in the afternoon a native boy brought in a message from him, saying that his daug

ay's work, Bathurst was told that a jugg

h entertainments, and that he had better go elsewhere; but he insi

girl with

, sa

ow, where Rujub was sitting patiently, with Rabda wrapp

your daughter is b

ib; she has had fev

ngalows; though I don't think you will do much this evening, for there is a dinner party at the Collector's, and almost everyone will be there. My servants will give

shall be on our way again; I must be at Cawnpore, and we have delayed too long already. Could you give us but half an hour tonight, sahib; we will come at any hour y

is seven now, and I have to dine. I have work to do that will take me three hours at least, but a

with a salaam the juggler walke

time Bathurst threw down his pen

ment would have trouble in disputing his facts and figures. He had not since he sat down to his work given

ve just finished my work. C

re performed by sleight of hand or by means of assistance. These are the juggler's tricks we show in the verandas and compounds of the white sahibs, and in the streets of the cities. There are others that

understand," Bathurst said. "I have seen the basket trick done on the road in front

piece of wood about two feet in len

this?"

"It looks like a bit sawn of

come outsi

t of the veranda. Rujub took with him a piece of wood about nine inches square, with a soft pad on the top.

stand in the v

s not to interfere with the passage of the light.

atch,

pparently growing. Gradually it rose until R

o not touch the pole. If you do, it will cau

t the figure of Rabda, seemingly already higher than the top

e, Rabda?" he

he voice seemed to come fr

ter and fainter, although it sounded as if it was a distant cry in

response

descend," th

ness, could make out the end of the pole with the seat upon it, but Rabda was no

bda?" Bathur

oke Rabda rose from a sitting positi

have heard of that feat before, but have nev

edly,

od. The juggler had not touched it, or he would have supposed he might have substituted for the piece he first exam

ou one other f

nd set the wood on fire, and then fanned it until the wood had burned out, and the char

out the la

abled him still to see the light smoke; this

cene. A village stood on a crest, jets of smoke darted up from between the houses, and then a line of troops in scarlet uniform advanced against

t muttered, "it is the

nd there were one or two women among them. He could see their faces and features distinctly. In the courtyard wall there was a gap, and through this a crowd of Sepoys were making their way, while a handful of whites were defending a breastwork. Among them he recognized his own figure. H

mechanically did

at do you think

ou knew I was with the regiment that stormed the village at

he future will be, sahib,"

true. I do not say that the Sepoys can never be fighting against whites, improbab

ler said; "the pictures never lie

enough; you have astounded me.

hap I may be able to repay the debt I owe you;" and Rujub, lifti