What does
this stuff about beating a tiger with a whip mean?"
"I am sorry to say, Major Hannay, that part of the letter convinces
me that the contents can be implicitly relied upon. The writer did
not dare sign his name, but those words are sufficient to show me,
and were no doubt intended to show me, who the warning comes from.
It is from that juggler who performed here some six weeks ago.
Traveling about as he does, and putting aside altogether those
strange powers of his, he has no doubt the means of knowing what
is going on. As I told you that night, I had done him some slight
service, and he promised at the time that, if the occasion should
ever arise, he would risk his life to save mine. The fact that he
showed, I have no doubt, especially to please me, feats that few
Europeans have seen before, is, to my mind, a proof of his goodwill
and that he meant what he said."
"But how do you know that it is from him. Bathurst? You will excuse
my pressing the question, but of course everything depends on my
being assured that this communication is trustworthy."
"This allusion to the tiger shows me that, Major. It alludes to an
incident that I believe to be known only to him and his daughter
and to Dr. Wade, to whom alone I mentioned it."
As the Major still looked inquiringly, Bathurst went on reluctantly.
"It was a trifling affair, Major, the result of a passing impulse.
I was riding home from Narkeet, and while coming along the road
through the jungle, which was at that time almost deserted by the
natives on account of the ravages of the man eater whom the Doctor
afterwards shot, I heard a scream.
Pages:
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265