The Old Man of the Mountain

Jackson, looking up over his

ckenzie, in a drawl. He

sure of a cook," Jackson went o

it doesn't matter," answered Dick Forrest

ie, who always requir

through Calcutta, everybody advised me to wait till I got up country before engaging a man, told me the casuals of the

ckson, with a laugh. "What with his crooked no

act," said Mack

nd that's three years ago, and

cook, at any ra

dded Mackenzie,

ed with the next course, and further dis

n the deck of the liner conveying them to Calcutta, and had struck up one of those shipboard friendships which seldom last. In their case it was otherwise. All three were learning tea-planting in Assam, and, as the "gardens" on which they were severally engaged were many miles apart, their opportunities o

s. Fired by the news, they got permission from their managers to make a dash for the scene. Elephants were out of the question. They made the journey on foot, with four coolies to carry the baggage, Forrester's bearer, Hamid Gul--the man whom he had picked up in Calcutta, and who added to his many accomplishments a considerable skill in cooking--and a vetera

ound the cutlets. He had been so long accustomed to use English of a sort with globe-tr

t?" asked

dangle a four-inch ce

l up honourable back,

de before his eyes. "It had cheek t

east!" said

ettled it with his heel, and m

d Forrester. "If you know any sound more horrid than the plo

," said Jackson. "Apparently they don't like you,

eet!" murmur

h, Dick?" asked Jackson, ig

n-eater's skin is usually mangy, but old Sher sa

hed the insect whirling about, until it came blindly in contact with the tent pole, and fell to the ground. There it lay on its back, spinning r

th a brass salver filled with glowing charcoal, and presented to each a pair of small silver tongs with which to lift a ruddy chip for

stance came the piercing lugubrious notes of bull frogs; the air sang with the hum of innumerable insects; ever and anon a bat flitted past like a shadow. At one side of the tent, on an upturned tub, sat Sher Jang, the shikari, smoking a long pi

ed delights of the approaching holiday. Hamid noiselessly finished his work, and then crouched with hi

n Mackenzie's cutty dropped f

turned in!" said Forreste

nzie, sleepily.

our f

t, yawned, stretched himself, then su

yon?"

swish and scrape of the grass in the breeze. Sher Jang came up to them silently, and handed them their rifles.

stle c

ster whispered in Hind

s make no noise.

e?" suggest

rowl at dawn, but not in the

, ready to fire the instant the beast showed itself. Hamid had not moved; he was no sports

to show any feeling; but the young planters were tingling with excitement, drew quick breaths, and itched

!" ejaculate

man, clothed in European style. But he was not walking erect, as men walk. He was creeping slowly, painfully, on all fours. Seeing them adv

ed to rise, uttered a faint cry

man!" he murmured, brokenly

rrester, feeling the man sh

ackenzie, "get him to the

he fire. The shikari meanwhile remained fixedly on guard, his e

Hamid!" Forr

re as they dared. Mackenzie unscrewed a brandy flask, and poured a little of the liquor between his lips. He

, sahib,"

ter. "Quick! A rubber sheet, a p

n about thirty-five, refined of feature, with thick brown beard and moustache, matted with damp and dirt. The sun-tanned cheeks were sunken, the eyes within their hollow sockets blaze

d Mackenzie. "Did yo

ke a leaf," re

ut the

re blood

n the

wards it; you remember he said, 'Pull yourself together!' He has been pulling himself together for days, by th

, there is

ther dose," s

poured between the sick man's lips,

e night," said Forrester, "and get him to

ackenzie, gloomily. "I'm n

cases. We'll dose him every hour or so. I'll take first watc

shed countenance. He rose once to replenish the fire, and once to brush away a small beetle that was crawling on the blanket. The eerie wail

ne, and started involuntarily when the si

esfo

er thought of encouraging the delusion, but it flashed upon him that the man might not have b

t Beresford, i

ments a look of dread gathered in his eyes, and he struggled to get

remember. Won't you lie still and collect yourself, and

ther!" the man repe

es, reopening them presently

pse into partial consciousness, he went on: "There's no time to lose. They've got him! Don't you hear? They've got him! Th

stened to the stream, filled it with water, and, returning, bathed the stranger's burning brow. The raving ceased. After a

are better; you won't meet men by night. But march

asked Forrester, in the quiet

o, I'm dead beat," he added, falling back. "I'll follow you up.

er. Wher

t, and a look of agony distorted h

ckly loosed t

ocket?"

first seemed to be nothing but a smudge. But when he held the paper nearer to the firelight, he distinguished a design. It was disappointing, puzzling. A pencil line slanted from the left-hand top corner to the middle of the sheet, then branched horizontally