yes closed and her breath steady. Just as the effort seemed more
than she could keep up, Ram moved away from her bed.

Through her eye-lashes she watched him creep noiselessly to the table
and examine the cash box. Then he returned to the side of her bed
and coughed. Mrs. Bose again succeeded in keeping perfectly still
and he moved round to his master's bedside. Here he stood motionless
for some seconds and then unfastened the sword. The zemindar was
sleeping heavily and as he detached the sword Ram smiled to himself
as if everything was very satisfactory. He grasped the sword in his
right hand and made a trial stroke. Then, smiling again, he lifted
the curtain of the zemindar's bed with his left hand.

Mrs. Bose felt sure that his motive was murder as well as robbery, and
she now shrieked loudly for aid. At the first sound of her voice Ram
dropped the sword and fled from the room. His wife's piercing screams
of "Murder! Help!" woke the zemindar, but by the time he understood
what had taken place Ram had let himself out of the house and was gone.

When morning came the police were informed and the zemindar offered a
handsome reward for the arrest of Ram; but though the police hunted
in Lucknow and elsewhere and also searched the village where Ram's
relatives lived, no one knew anything of him and he was never again
heard of in Lucknow.

Some years after, the old zemindar died and one of the last remarks he
made was: "I should like to know what has happened to poor Ram." He
had never forgotten his affection for his old protege, and had quite
forgiven him for his ungratefulness.

PART II

Tiger Stories

The Bearer's Fate

Mr. Gupta, a Bengali gentleman, was a skilled engineer. The Government
thought highly of him and whenever any work of special difficulty
had to be undertaken, always chose him.

At one time he was stationed at Hazaribagh. This district is even
now infested with tigers, and in those far-off days these lords of
the jungle roamed far and wide.

There was then no railway. Travelling was done by palki or by
"push-push"---a box-like carriage on four wheels, in which the
traveller was forced to recline, and which relays of coolies pushed
before them. The roads were often mere tracks through dense forest.

It happened that Mr. Gupta was ordered to report on some important work
a few miles away. His devoted wife carefully packed his luggage. They
were a happy couple and each short parting was