1 rying jackals. Mulvaney's impetuous | corn-sack. He was payin' the coolies fair More than ever puzzled, Learoyd turned round two or three times, felt an arm, kicked tentatively, and answered: "Ah'm fit." He was accustomed to fight blindly at the bidding of the superior mind. They sat them down, the men looking on from afar, and Mulvaney untangled himself in mighty words. "Followin' your fool's scheme I wint out into the thrackless desert beyond the barricks. An' there I met a pious Hindu dhriving a bullock-kyart. I tuk ut for granted he wud be delighted for to convoy me a piece, an' I jumped in stances. "Sedan-chair! Put your 'ead in a bag. That was a palanquin. Don't yer know a palanquin when you see it?" said Ortheris with great scorn. "I chuse to call ut sedan-chair, an' chair ut shall be, little man," continued the Irishman. "'Twas a most amazin' chair — all lined wid pink silk an' fitted with red silk curtains. 'Here ut is,' sez the red man. "You long, lazy, black-haired swine," Here ut is,' sez the coolie, an' he grinned drawled Ortheris, who would have done weakly-ways. 'Is ut any use to you?' sez the same thing under similar circum- the red man. 'No,' sez the coolie; 'I'd like to make a presint av ut to you.' 'I "'Twas the height av policy. That am graciously pleased to accept that same,' naygur-man dhruv miles an' miles as sez the red man; an' at that all the coolies far as the new railway line they're buildin' cried aloud in fwhat was mint for cheerful now back av the Tavi River. "Tis a kyart notes, an' wint back to their diggin', lavin' for dhirt only,' says he now an' again tim- me alone in the shed. The red man saw oreously, to get me out av ut. Dhirt I me, an' his face grew blue on his big, fat am,' sez I, an' the dhryest that you iver neck. Fwhat d'you want here?' sez he. kyarted. Dhrive on, me son, an' glory be Standin'-room an' no more,' sez I, 'onless wid you.' At that I wint to slape, an' it may be fwhat ye niver had, an' that's took no heed till he pulled up on the em- manners, ye rafflin' ruffian,' for I was not bankment av the line where the coolies goin' to have the Service throd upon. 'Out were pilin' mud. There was a matther av of this,' sez he. I'm in charge av this two thousand coolies on that line - you section av construction.' 'I'm in charge remimber that. Prisintly a bell rang, av mesilf,' sez I, 'an' it's like I will stay a an' they throops of to a big pay-shed. while. D'ye raffle much in these parts?' 'Where's the white man in charge?' sezFwhat's that to you?' sez he. Nothin',' I to my kyart-dhriver. In the shed,' sez sez I, but a great dale to you, for begad he, engaged on a riffle?' 'A fwhat?' I'm thinkin' you get the full half av your sez I. "Riffle,' sez he. You take ticket. revenue from that sedan-chair. Is ut He take money. You get nothin'.' 'Oho!' always raffled so?' I sez, an' wid that I sez I, that's fwhat the shuperior and cul- wint to a coolie to ask questions. Bhoys, tivated man calls a raffle, me misbeguided that man's name is Dearsley, an' he's been child av darkness an' sin. Lead on to that rafflin' that ould sedan-chair monthly this raffle, though fwhat the mischief 'tis doin' matther av nine months. Ivry coolie on so far away from ut's home which is the section takes a ticket - -or he gives the charity-bazaar at Christmas, an' the 'em the go- wanst a month on pay-day. colonel's wife grinnin' behind the tea- Ivry coolie that wins ut gives ut back to table-is more than I know.' Wid that him, for 'tis too big to carry away, an' he'd I wint to the shed an' found 'twas pay-day sack the man that thried to sell ut. That among the coolies. Their wages was on Dearsley has been makin' the rowlin' a table forninst a big, fine, red buck av a wealth av Roshus by nefarious rafflin'. man - sivun fut high, four fut wide, an' Think av the burnin' shame to the suf three fut thick, wid a fist on him like a ferin' coolie-man that the army in Injia Dearslev "Dom t' coolies. Has't gotten t' cheer, man?" said Learoyd. "Hould on. Havin' onearthed this amazin' an' stupenjus fraud committed by the man Dearsley, I hild a council av war; he thryin' all the time to sejuce me into a fight wid opprobrious language. That sedan-chair niver belonged by right to any foreman av coolies. 'Tis a king's chair or a quane's. There's gold on ut an' silk an' all manner av trapesemints. Bhoys, 'tis not for me to countenance any sort av wrong-doin' me bein' the ould man but anyway he has had ut nine months, an' he dare not make throuble av ut was taken from him. Five miles away, or ut may be six ——" are bound to protect an' nourish in their | for ut,' sez he, 'for well I know you will bosoms! Two thousand coolies defrauded never dare make report to anyone.' Fight wanst a month!" I will,' sez 1, 'but not this day, for I'm rejuced for want av nourishmint.' 'Ye're an ould bould hand,' sez he, sizin' me up an' down; an' a jool av a fight we will have. Eat now an' dhrink, an' go your way.' Wid that he gave me some hump an' whiskey good whiskey- an' we talked av this an' that the while. It goes hard on me now,' sez I, wipin' my mouth, to confiscate that piece av furniture, but justice is justice.' Ye've not got ut yet,' sez he; 'there's the fight between.' 'There is,' sez I, 'an' a good fight. Ye shall have the pick av the best quality in my rigimint for the dinner you have given this day.' Thin I came hotfoot to you two. Hould your tongue, the both. 'Tis this way. To-morrow we three will go there an' he shall have his pick betune me an' Jock. Jock's a deceivin' fighter, for he is all fat to the eye, an' he moves slow. Now I'm all beef to the look, an' I move quick. By my reckonin' the Dearsley man won't take me; so me an' Orth'ris'll see fair play. Jock, I tell you, 'twill be big fightin'—whipped, wid the cream above the jam. Afther the business 'twill take a good three av us-Jock'll be very hurt to take away that sedan There was a long pause, and the jackals bowled merrily. Learoyd bared one arm, and contemplated it in the moonlight. Then he nodded partly to himself and partly to his friends. Ortheris wriggled with suppressed emotion. "I thought ye wud see the reasonable. ness av ut," said Mulvaney. "I made bould to say as much to the man before. He was for a direct front attack-fut, horse, an' guns-an' all for nothin', see in' that I had no thransport to convey the machine away. I will not argue wid you,' sez I, 'this day, but subsequintly Mister Dearsley, me rafflin' jool, we talk ut out lengthways. 'Tis no good policy to swindle the naygur av his hard-earned emolumints, an' by presint informashin''twas the kyart man that tould me―'ye've been perpethrating that same for nine months. But I'm a just man,' sez I, ‘an' overlookin' the presumpshin that yondher settee wid the gilt top was not come by honust' at that he turned sky-green, so I knew things was more thrue than tellable-not come by honust, I'm willin' to compound the felony for this month's winnin's '" "Ah! Ho!" from Learoyd and Ortheris. "That man Dearsley's rushin' on his fate," continued Mulvaney, solemnly wagging his head. "All Hell had no name bad enough for me that tide. Faith, he called me a robber! Me! that was savin' him from continuin' in his evi! ways widout a remonstrince — an' to a man av conscience a remonstrince may change the chune av his life. "Tis not for me to argue,' sez I, fwhatever ye are, Mister Dearsley, but by my hand I'll take away the temptation for you that lies in that sedan-chair.' 'You will have to fight me chair." "But wot'll we do with the bloomin' harticle when we've got it? Them palanquins are as big as 'ouses, an' uncommon 'ard to sell, as McCleary said when ye stole the sentry-box from the Curragh." "Who's goin' to do t' fightin'?" said Learoyd, and Ortheris subsided. The three returned to barracks without a word. Mulvaney's last argument clinched the matter. This palanquin was property, vendible and to be attained in the simplest and least embarassing fashion. It would eventually become beer. Great was Mulvaney. Next afternoon a procession of three formed itself and disappeared into the scrub in the direction of the new railway line. Learoyd alone was without care, for Mulvaney dived darkly into the future, and little Ortheris feared the unknown. What befell at that interview in the lonely pay-shed by the side of the half-built em bankment, only a few hundred coolies | took a full half of our wages. Will the all our money. It was our bank-box, to fill which we cheerfully contributed to Dearsley Sahib three-sevenths of our monthly wage. Why does the white man look upon us with the eye of disfavor? Before God, there was a palanquin, and now there is no palanquin; and if they send the police here to make inquisition, we can only say that there never has been any palanquin. Why should a palanquin be near these works? We are poor men, and we know nothing." "We were at work. Three men in red coats came. They saw the sahib- Dears. ley Sahib. They made oration; and noticeably the small man among the red-coats. Dearsley Sahib also made oration, and used many very strong words. Upon this talk they departed together to an open space, and there the fat man in the red coat fought with Dearsley Sahib after the custom of white men with his hands, making no noise, and never at all pulling Dearsley Sahib's hair. Such of us as were not afraid beheld these things for just so long a time as a man needs to cook the midday meal. The small man in the red coat had possessed himself of Dearsley Sahib's watch. No, he did not steal that watch. He held it in his hand, and Such is the simplest version of the simat certain seasons made outcry, and the plest story connected with the descent twain ceased their combat, which was like upon Dearsley. From the lips of the the combat of young bulls in spring. Both coolies I received it. Dearsley himself men were soon all red, but Dearsley Sahib was in no condition to say anything, and was much more red than the other. See- Mulvaney preserved a massive silence, ing this, and fearing for his life—because broken only by the occasional licking of we greatly loved him - some fifty of us the lips. He had seen a fight so gorgeous made shift to rush upon the red-coats. that even his power of speech was taken But a certain man very black as to the from him. I respected that reserve until, hair, and in no way to be confused with three days after the affair, I discovered in the small man, or the fat man who fought a disused stable in my quarters a palanthat man, we affirm, ran upon us, and quin of unchastened splendor-evidently of us he embraced some ten or fifty in in past days the litter of a queen. The both arms, and beat our heads together, so pole whereby it swung between the shoulthat our livers turned to water, and we ran ders of the bearers was rich with the away. It is not good to interfere in the painted papier maché of Cashmere. The fightings of white men. After that Dears- shoulder-pads were of yellow silk. The ley Sahib fell and did not rise, these men panels of the litter itself were ablaze with jumped upon his stomach and despoiled the loves of all the gods and goddesses of him of all his money, and attempted to the Hindu Pantheon - lacquer on cedar. fire the pay-shed, and departed. Is it true The cedar sliding doors were fitted with that Dearsley Sahib makes no complaint hasps of translucent Jaipur enamel and of these latter things having been done? ran in grooves shod with silver. The We were senseless with fear, and do not cushions were of brocaded Delhi silk, and at all remember. There was no palanquin the curtains which once hid any glimpse near the pay-shed. What do we know of the beauty of the king's palace were about palanquins? Is it true that Dearsley stiff with gold. Closer investigation Sahib does not return to this place, on showed that the entire fabric was everyaccount of his sickness, for ten days? where rubbed and discolored by time and This is the fault of those bad men in the wear; but even thus it was sufficiently red coats who should be severely pun- gorgeous to deserve housing on the threshished; for Dearsley Sahib is both our old of a royal zenana. I found no fault father and mother, and we love him much, with it, except that it was in my stable. Yet, if Dearsley Sahib does not return to Then, trying to lift it by the silver-shod this place at all, we will speak the truth. shoulder-pole, I laughed. The road from There was a palanquin, for the up-keep of Dearsley's pay-shed to the cantonment which we were forced to pay nine-tenths was a narrow and uneven one, and, travof our monthly wage. On such mulctings ersed by three very inexperienced palanDearsley Sahib allowed us to make obei- quin-bearers, one of whom was sorely sance to him before the palanquin. What battered about the head, must have been could we do? We were poor men. He a path of torment. Still I did not quite 2 recognize the right of the three musketeers to turn me into a "fence" for stolen property. Curiously enough, Learoyd, who had fought for the prize, and in the winning secured the highest pleasure life had to offer him, was altogether disposed to undervalue it, while Örtheris openly said it would be better to break the thing up. Dearsley, he argued, might be a manysided man, capable, despite his magnificent fighting qualities, of setting in motion the machinery of the civil law- -a thing much abhorred by the soldier. Under any circumstances their fun had come and passed; the next pay-day was close at hand, when there would be beer for all. Wherefore longer conserve the painted palanquin? "A first-class rifle-shot an' a good little man av your inches you are," said Mulvaney. "But you niver had a head worth a soft-boiled egg. 'Tis me has to lie awake av nights schamin' an' plottin' for the three av us. Orth'ris, me son, 'tis no matther av a few gallons av beer - no, nor twenty gallons-but tubs an' vats an' firkins in that sedan-chair. Who ut was, an' what ut was, an' how ut got there, we do not know; but I know in my bones that you an' me an' Jock wid his sprained thumb will get a fortune thereby. Lave me alone, an' let me think." "I'm askin' you to warehouse ut," said Mulvaney when he was brought to consider the question. "There's no steal in ut. Dearsley tould us we cud have ut if we fought. Jock fought-an', oh, sorr, when the throuble was at uts finest an' Jock was bleedin' like a stuck pig, an' little Orth'ris was shquealin' on one leg chewin' big bites out av Dearsley's watch, I wud ha' given my place at the fight to have had you see wan round. He tuk Jock, as I suspicioned he would, an' Jock was deceptive. Nine roun's they were even matched, an' at the tenth- About that palanquin now. There's not the least throuble in the world, or we wud not ha' brought ut here. You will ondherstand that the queen God bless her!-does not reckon for a privit soldier to kape elephints an' palanquins an' sich in barricks. Afther we had "dhragged ut down from Dearsley's through that cruel scrub that near broke Orth'ris's heart, we set ut in the ravine for a night; an' a thief av a porcupine an' a civet-cat av a jackal roosted in ut, as well we knew in the mornin'. I put ut to you, sorr, is an elegant palanquin, fit for the princess, the natural abidin' place av all the vermin in cantonmints? We brought ut to you, afther dhark, and put ut in your shtable. Pay-day came, and with it beer. It was Do not let your conscience prick. Think not in experience to hope that Mulvaney, av the rejoicin' men in the pay-shed yon- dried by four weeks' drought, would avoid der -lookin' at Dearsley wid his head excess. Next morning he and the palantied up in a towel-an' well knowin' that quin had disappeared. He had taken the they can dhraw their pay ivry month wid-precaution of getting three days' leave "to out stoppages for riffles. Indirectly, sorr, see a friend on the railway," and the you have rescued from an onprincipled son av a night-hawk the peasanthry av a numerous village. An' besides, will I let that sedan-chair rot on our hands? Not I. 'Tis not every day a piece av pure joolry comes into the market. There's not a king widin these forty miles" - he waved his hand round the dusty horizon —“not a king wud not be glad to buy ut. Some day meself, whin I have leisure, I'll take ut up along the road an' dishpose av ut." Meantime the palanquin stayed in my stall, the key of which was in Mulvaney's hands. colonel, well knowing that the seasonal outburst was near, and hoping it would spend its force beyond the limits of his jurisdiction, cheerfully gave him all he demanded. At this point his history, as recorded in the mess-room, stopped. Ortheris carried it not much further. "No, 'e wasn't drunk," said the little man loyally, "the liquor was no more than feelin' its way round inside of 'im; but 'e went an' filled that 'ole bloomin' palanquin with bottles 'fore 'e went off. He's gone an' 'ired six men to carry 'im, an' I 'ad to 'elp 'im into 'is nupshal couch, 'cause 'e wouldn't 'ear reason. 'E's gone off in 'is shirt an' trousies, swearin" tremenjus-gone down the road in the palanquin, wavin' 'is legs out o' windy." "Yes," said I, "but where?" "Now you arx me a question. 'E said 'e was goin' to sell that palanquin, but from observations what happened when I was stuffin' 'im through the door, I fancy 'e's gone to the new embankment to mock at Dearsley. Soon as Jock's off duty I'm goin' there to see if 'e's safe not Mulvaney, but t'other man. My saints, but I pity 'im as 'elps Terence out o' the palanquin when 'e's once fair drunk! "He'll come back without harm," I said. "'Corse 'e will. On'y question is, what'll 'e be doin' on the road. Killing Dearsley, like as not. 'E shouldn't 'a gone without Jock or me." Reinforced by Learoyd, Ortheris sought the foreman of the coolie-gang. Dearsley's head was still embellished with towels. Mulvaney, drunk or sober, would have struck no man in that condition, and Dearsley indignantly denied that he would have taken advantage of the intoxicated brave. "I had my pick o' you two," he explained to Learoyd, "and you got my palanquin not before I'd made my profit on it. Why'd I do harm when everything's settled? Your man did come here drunk as Davy's sow on a frosty night came a-purpose to mock mestuck his head out of the door an' called me a crucified hodman. I made him drunker, an' sent him along. But I never touched him.' To these things Learoyd, slow to perceive the evidences of sincerity, answered only, "If owt comes to Mulvaney 'long o' you, I'll gripple you, clouts or no clouts on your ugly head, an' I'll draw t' throat twistyways, man. See there now.' The embassy removed itself, and Dearsley, the battered, laughed alone over his supper that evening. Three days passed-a fourth and a fifth. The week drew to a close and Mulvaney did not return. He, his royal palanquin, and his six attendants had vanished into air. A very large and very tipsy soldier, his feet sticking out of the litter of a reigning princess, is not a thing to travel along the ways without comment. Yet no man of all the country round had seen any such wonder. He was, and he was not; and Learoyd suggested the immediate smashment of Dearsley as a sacrifice to his ghost. Ortheris insisted that all was well, and in the light of past experience his hopes seemed reasonable. "When Mulvaney goes up the road," said he, "'e's like to go a very long ways up, specially when 'e's so blue drunk as 'e is now. But what gits me is 'is not bein' 'eard of pullin' wool off the niggers somewheres about. That don't look good. The drink must ha' died out in 'im by this, unless 'e's broke a bank, an' then-Why don't 'e come back? 'E didn't ought to ha' gone off without us." Even Ortheris's heart sank at the end of the seventh day, for half the regiment were out scouring the country-side, and Learoyd had been forced to fight two men who hinted openly that Mulvaney had deserted. To do him justice, the colonel laughed at the notion, even when it was put forward by his much-trusted adju tant. “No; 'Mulvaney would as soon think of deserting as you would," said he. he's either fallen into a mischief among the villagers-and yet that isn't likely, for he'd blarney himself out of the pit; or else he is engaged on urgent private affairs - some stupendous devilment that we shall hear of at mess after it has been the round of the barrack-rooms. The worst of it is that I shall have to give him twenty-eight days' confinement at least for being absent without leave, just when I most want him to lick the new batch of recruits into shape. I never knew a man who could put a polish on young soldiers as quickly as Mulvaney can. How does he do it?" "With blarney and the buckle end of a belt, sir," said the adjutant. "He is worth a couple of non-commissioned officers when we are dealing with an Irish draft, and the London lads seems to adore him. The worst of it is that if he goes to the cells the other two are neither to hold nor to bind till he comes out again. I believe Ortheris preaches mutiny on those occasions, and I know that the mere presence of Learoyd mourning for Mulvaney kills all the cheerfulness of his room. The sergeants tell me that he allows no man to laugh when he feels unhappy. They are a queer gang." For all that, I wish we had a few more of them. I like a well-conducted regiment, but these pasty-faced, shifty-eyed, mealy-mouthed young slouchers from the depot worry me sometimes with their offensive virtue. They don't seem to have backbone enough to do anything but play cards and prowl round the married quarters. I believe I'd forgive that old villain on the spot if he turned up with any sort of explanation that I could in decency ac cept." "Not likely to be much difficulty about that, sir," said the adjutant. "Mulvaney's explanations are only one degree less wonderful than his performances. They say that when he was in the Black Tyrone, be |