Part 169 (2/2)

”Sahib!”

The lamp-light slid along the barrels of the rifle as they leveled themselves against Bahadur Khan's broad breast.

”Go, then, and look!” said Strickland. ”Take a lamp. Thy master is tired, and he waits. Go!”

The man picked up a lamp and went into the dining-room, Strickland following, and almost pus.h.i.+ng him with the muzzle of the rifle. He looked for a moment at the black depths behind the ceiling-cloth, at the carca.s.s of the mangled snake under foot, and last, a grey glaze setting on his face, at the thing under the table-cloth.

”Hast thou seen?” said Strickland, after a pause.

”I have seen. I am clay in the white man's hands. What does the presence do?”

”Hang thee within a month! What else?”

”For killing him? Nay, sahib, consider. Walking among us, his servants, he cast his eyes upon my child, who was four years old. Him he bewitched, and in ten days he died of the fever. My child!”

”What said Imray Sahib?”

”He said he was a handsome child, and patted him on the head; wherefore my child died. Wherefore I killed Imray Sahib in the twilight, when he came back from office and was sleeping. The heaven-born knows all things. I am the servant of the heaven-born.”

Strickland looked at me above the rifle, and said, in the vernacular: ”Thou art witness to this saying. He has killed.”

Bahadur Khan stood ashen grey in the light of the one lamp. The need for justification came upon him very swiftly.

”I am trapped,” he said, ”but the offence was that man's. He cast an evil eye upon my child, and I killed and hid him. Only such as are served by devils,” he glared at Tietjens, crouched stolidly before him, ”only such could know what I did.”

”It was clever. But thou shouldst have lashed him to the beam with a rope. Now, thou thyself wilt hang by a rope. Orderly!”

A drowsy policeman answered Strickland's call. He was followed by another, and Tietjens sat still.

”Take him to the station,” said Strickland. ”There is a case toward.”

”Do I hang, then?” said Bahadur Khan, making no attempt to escape and keeping his eyes on the ground.

”If the sun s.h.i.+nes, or the water runs, thou wilt hang,” said Strickland.

Bahadur Khan stepped back one pace, quivered, and stood still. The two policemen waited further orders.

”Go!” said Strickland.

”Nay; but I go very swiftly,” said Bahadur Khan. ”Look! I am even now a dead man.”

He lifted his foot, and to the little toe there clung the head of the half-killed snake, firm fixed in the agony of death.

”I come of land-holding stock,” said Bahadur Khan, rocking where he stood. ”It were a disgrace for me to go to the public scaffold, therefore I take this way. Be it remembered that the sahib's s.h.i.+rts are correctly enumerated, and that there is an extra piece of soap in his washbasin. My child was bewitched, and I slew the wizard. Why should you seek to slay me? My honor is saved, and--and--I die.”

At the end of an hour he died as they die who are bitten by the little kariat, and the policeman bore him and the thing under the table-cloth to their appointed places. They were needed to make clear the disappearance of Imray.

”This,” said Strickland, very calmly, as he climbed into bed, ”is called the nineteenth century. Did you hear what that man said?”

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