Show copyright 1904 by dalla story pub co it was in 1850 began my friend that I 1 was attached to the staff ot gen the british resident at the court of the maharajah of guallos both the general and his wife were scotch and extremely is one morning mrs spears when she made her appearance at breakfast looked so unwell that the general remarked anxiously you look as if you had had a bad night my dear yes replied the wife I 1 had a most curious dream and it haunts me still it was so vivid and realistic 1 thought I 1 was walking in the corn pound near those old indian tombs when I 1 saw a man of venerable appearance pe arance seated in front of the tomb nearest the main gate of the cv seeing me approach the man arose and advancing toward me salaamed respectfully thinking him a beggar I 1 felt in my pocket tor my purse nay mem sahib said the man 1 do not need your alms but I 1 do need your help if you will give it to me in what way can I 1 be of service to you I 1 inquired I 1 will tell you mem sahib said the man kneeling and kissing the hem of my dress you can deliver me from a punishment that I 1 am un der going tor the murder of my many years ago I 1 was my uncle s partner in business he was a pro berous itinerant merchant and with his train of camels laden with tho rich stuffs of the looms of kashmir shawls of marvelous fineness won drous embroideries on silk and satin cloth of gold precious stones and other costly merchandise we wandered from one end of india to the other doing a thriving trade my uncle who by the way was but a few years my benlor treated me more as a brother than a nephew often telling me that he would leave me all his wealth when he died but alas I 1 was not satisfied to wait for the course of nature I 1 wanted my uncle out of the way at once so that I 1 might marry his daughter the beau leous fatima one night having out stripped the slowly moving camels we arrived at these tombs and determined to await the arrival of the train As my uncle dismounted from his horse I 1 crept behind him and thrust my sword through his heart he fell dead without a groan and I 1 dragged hs body into the tomb covering it with shawls and turned his horse loose to wander at large I 1 bad scarcely done this when the shouts of men the groaning of camels and other sounds apprised mo of the arrival of the caravan the men un loaded and fed the camels while I 1 hastily secured my uncle a money ordering the men to carry it into the amb telling them that my uncle would rejoin us on the following day at dawn the caravan started leaving me with the dead body of my uncle how to dispose of it was the question looking around the tomb I 1 espied an iron trap door leading as I 1 found when I 1 raised it to an underground chamber which had evidently been the abode of the priest in charge of the tomb raising the body I 1 carried it down the stairs and laid it on the ground covering it with shawls I 1 then removed the bag of gold to the chamber intending to return for them and remove them to a place of safety I 1 had carried down the last bag and was preparing to ascend the stairs when I 1 heard the sound of hoofs looking up I 1 saw it was my uncle s horse in the joy of the animal at in what way can I 1 be of service to you I 1 inquired seeing me it neighed joyfully at the same time striking against the trap door which tell with a clang baving me in total darkness ascending the stairs I 1 endeavored to raise the trap but could not it was in vain it was immovable frantically I 1 shouted and beat against the iron until exhausted and with bleeding hands I 1 fell on the floor of the chamber which I 1 now realized was to be my tomb as well that of my unfortunate kinsman truly I 1 was my how long it was before death came to release me I 1 know not but I 1 cannot rest until my remains are burled do this for me gracious lady and bring peace to my troubled spirit but beware touch not the treasure it la accursed it Is blood money and will bring misfortune to the possessor then I 1 awoke and found that I 1 had been dreaming the general was the first to break the silence well my dear it was only a dream forget all about it two days afterward the general accompanied by his staff lett on his regular quarterly inspection of the province letters however arrive I 1 from his wife summoning him to return at once as cholera had broken out at the and had caused many deaths especially among ahe natives the return journey was made with all possible speed mrs thrust my sword through his heart tidings were but too true the dread disease was doing its tell work spar ing neither young nor old and now comes the strange part of my story during the general absence his wife had the tomb search ed the two skeletons were found aa described and the treasure the lamp which stood in a niche at the foot of the stairs was brought away the remains of the men were buried and the treasure tie asure was left in the subterranean chamber then came the cholera epidemic among the victims was the head mahant elephant keeper and his son both of whom perished in a few hours one day the wife 0 the deal man confessed that they had 1 the chamber and stolen the treasure the money was sent to the directors of the honorable east india company the amount was upwards of now mark the sequel in 1857 the indian mutiny broke out the east in dia company lost its charter nd the vast territory passed under the control of the british government was this due to the kashmir s curse quien sabe as the spaniards say |