The Jungle Girl

ountains. The rain fell in ropes of water that sent the brown, foam-flecked torrents surging full-fed down every gully and ravine in the mist-wrapped hills. The single, steep road of Ranga Duar

h it, climb the verandah steps, and reach his door. Here

the window. Then he took out of his pocket and laid before him a manuscript book filled with notes on the frontier dialects taken at the l

easing downpour. He had flung himself enthusiastically into the study of the frontier languages, of which Colonel Dermot proved to be a painstaking and able teacher. Miss Benson, who had returned to Ranga Duar and remained there longer than she had originally intended, owing to fever contracted in the jungle,

d's office and seeing the dark and the fair head bent close together over a book, smiled to herself, well-pleased at the thou

sloyal to her without utterly wrecking all her chances of happiness in life and dishonouring himself for ever in his own eyes. Muriel Benson had left the station ten days ago to rejoin her father; and Wargrave had instantly felt that he dared not see her again until he was irrevocably and openly bound to Violet

actually explaining his conduct that he realised that he should have obtained his permission before inviting Violet

d in silence. When the sub

dered an unnecessary and unfair letter giving me the reason of your being sent here. But Hepburn, whom I kn

; but his face brightened at the knowle

nd was glad to help you by agreeing to Colonel Dermot's application for you. I believe that you will make a good

g," broke in the subaltern.

r commanding officer. Frankly, I am very sorry for what you have just told me. I was hoping that Time and separatio

ir; but I'm bo

an shook hi

pular with men, while I was a shy, awkward boy. She said she was 'being a mother' to me-you know what a married woman 'mothering' boys leads to in India. She used to tell me how misunderstood she was, neglected, mated to a clown and all that." (Frank grew red at certain memories.) "Women have a regular

ed his hand wearil

rrelled again and again. At last we agreed to separate; and I insisted on her going to England and staying there. I couldn't trust her in India. Living in lodgings and Bayswater boarding-houses wasn't amusing-she got bored, but I wouldn't have h

dy. He had guessed from the first that his senior officer had some ever-present grief weighing on his s

unt spo

not prevent her; but the General, when he knows of it, will not permit her to remain.

ght to the Political Officer and repeated his story. Colonel

course I see, with Major Hunt, the difficulty that will arise over the lady's remaining in this small station, where her presence must become known to the Staff. If you are

-and Mrs. Dermot-you mightn't wish me to--," stam

you with horror. If she can be a friend to the lady she will. As for you, well, you saved our children, Wargrave"-he laid his hand on the young

fully, but failed, and, picking u

on. Indeed, some weeks had passed since her last letter, as usual an unhappy one; and, sitting staring out into the grey worl

man, squat and sturdy-limbed, with glistening wet brown skin, an oilskin-covered package on his back, a short spear hung with bells in his hand. It was the postman. For a miserable pittance he jogged up and down the mou

baltern, and went on to knock at Burke's door with his correspondence. Frank returned to his room with the mail which contained the official letters for the

arge and gay military and civil station in the West of India, a few h

ed at every ball; and she had been asked to take one of the leading parts in "The Country Girl" to be produced by the Amateur Dramatic Society. She had two excellent ponies with which to hunt and to join in gymkhanas. She wished Frank could be with her; but probably he was enjoying himself more with his wild beasts and Tiger Girls. As to his proposal that she should go to him at once in that little station he must have been mad when he

better to wait. He was glad to know that for a time at least she was away from the uncongenial surroundings of Rohar and again enjoying life. He went through the official correspondence, shoved it in his pocket, put on coat and boots and splashed through the water do

elighted to talk to Wargrave about Muriel, a topic always interesting to him, dangerous though it was to his peace of mind. His thoughts were constantly wi

uspected that it concealed a deeper, warmer feeling. He betrayed no jealousy of Frank's constant companionship with her when she took part in his studies; and his friendly re

ht him how to be a merchant, peasant, nobleman's retainer or a lama Red or Yellow, of the country-but always a man of Northern Bhutan and the Tibetan borderland, for his height and blue eyes were not unusual there, though seldom or never seen in the south. Frank was carefully instructed in the appropriate manners, customs and expressions of each part that he played, how to eat and behave in company, how to walk, sit and sleep. But he specialised as a lama, for in that character he would meet with the least i

. This man, Tashi, before he wearied of the cloistered life and fled to India, had been always one of the principal actors in the great miracle plays and Devil Dances of

g the steep, forest-clad hills and deep, unhealthy valleys seamed with rivers prone to sudden floods that rose in a few hours thirty or forty feet. Wargrave marvelled at the engineering skill of the inhabitants who with rude and imperfect appliances had thrown cantilever bridges over the deep gorges of this mountainous

divides Bhutan. This great feudal chieftain was reputed to be completely under the influence of Yuan Shi Hung and both anti-British and disloyal to his overlord the Maharajah or Tongsa Penlop. The close watch that his myrmidons

ia emissary reported his failure to cross the line. As

political complications, for I'm not supposed to trespass on Bhutanese territory uninvited, but also because fatal accidents

e to get through, sir?" queried t

ee," was th

e fowl whirred up from under his feet, deer crashed away through the undergrowth as he passed; but never a shot was fired at them, though rifles and guns were in the riders' hands. Little brown monkeys peeped down

f trees falling before the pressure of great head

lephant

ot n

ere right in our pat

had never yet seen a wild herd, was reaching for his rifle. Wargrave obeyed, rem

ew-born woolly calves a bare three feet at the shoulder to splendid tuskers nine feet ten inches in height and lean, ragged-eared old animals a hundred and thirty years of age. All were regarding the newcomer and their trunks were raised to point towards him, while from their throats came a low purring sound, wh

t his companion's

used to him and me. I've come in search of them, fo

Badshah-cows with calves leading, tuskers in rear-and followed him submissively in single file as he head

asts. Badshah sank to his knees to allow his passengers to dismount and relieve him of his pad. The three men ate and then wrapped themselves in their blankets, for it was very cold high u

ound them-a power that could make these shy mammoths thus subservient to his purposes. He began t

covered themselves with their grey blankets lest vigilant watchers on the peaks around might espy them. Thus do the mahouts

the frontier-line between India and Bhutan, and with cries of fear and dismay armed men sea

ants swam the wide and rushing water, for of all land animals their kind are the best swimmers. The tiniest babies were supported by the trunks of their mothers, on to whose backs older calves climbed and

esses and other things that they needed for their disguises, and

for we are not far from inhabited and cultivated country, and ind

ying no heed to them. The Colonel turned to Ba

! (Re

ntinued to

r they'll find us,

cles, followed by a lame coolie carrying their scanty possessions, emerged, r

olicited by his cut-throat retainers. They learned enough to realise that the Amban was endeavouring by the free supply of arms and military instructors to form he

to Wargrave's relief, they had not been many hours camped on the spot where they had parted with them when Ba

lves, but even with their less trusting mothers. He was now thoroughly at home in the jungle and no longer needed a tutor in sport. His one room in the Mess began to be overcrowded with trophies of his skill

he wrote herself. When she did she seemed to be in a brighter and more affectionate, as well as calmer, mood than she had been before her visit to Poona. But

ther-a subaltern in an Indian cavalry regiment-and five planters, old friends of his from the district in which he had once been a planter him

d Judy Show. On Christmas Day Badshah, his neck encircled with a garland of flowers procured from the Plains, was led up solemnly by his seldom-seen mahout to present Colonel Dermot with a gilded lime and receive in return a pres

snow fell so low down, it froze at night, so that the Europeans could indulg

e to the touch during this visit of hers. He did so without success, it seemed; for before she left there was an evident sense of constraint between them and they tried to avoid sitting beside each other or being left alone together, even for a