Adventure Magazine Cover, December 10, 1922 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Benefit of Doubt “T am Grosset Wilmshurst, sahid.”’ The statement was received with blank incomprehension. ‘The Moplahs glanced at one another for a cue and some one shouted to them from the trees behind. The judge put on speed to explain. “tT am the high court judge who was sent for from Bombay Presidency to hold impartial inquiry into the Moplahs’ grievances.” “Ah! Oh! Ah!” That evidently did convey a meaning. The Moplah headmen looked in one an- other’s eyes again and knew themselves unanimous. “That is good. Then you are prisoner,” said the tall man in the middle. “Stuff and nonsense! I came to inquire into your grievances. Do you treat a guest that way? Have you no sense of honor?” The man in the middle began to translate that to the other two, who had only half- understood it, and the judge took advantage of that to turn on Sutherland. “Leave this to me, d’you hear me! This is a case for the Civil authorities. Go back there and tell my wife to keep out of sight. As long as they don’t see her ze But it was already too late. They both saw Rachel Wilmshurst stepping down from the car. The three headmen saw. Every Moplah in the fringe of trees had seen. There were shrill comments from the covert, not all of them unintelligible. “{ demand protection for my wife and myself,” said the judge; and that, although he did not know it, was a thoroughly stra- tegic attitude to take, for if Moslem law insists on one thing it is that the stranger demanding protection must receive it. Needless to say, it does not always work, and the Moslem does not live who is not a quibbler over technicalities. “That shall be seen,”’ said the men in the midst. “‘You demand for yourself and your wife? You are high court judge? Judge what name? Willimsshirse. Bohut atcha. You know bohut atcha? Bombay language. Very well. We take you and your wife. As for these others, it is too late to make demands for them. Besides, they are military. They kill—we kill—blood- fare regular business. Of course you under- stand.” There followed one of those revolting arguments that leave all concerned dis- 29 satisfied. The judge and Sutherland asked time for consultation and were granted fifteen minutes by the headman’s silver watch. They walked back ‘toward the station arguing, the judge trying to over- bear Sutherland and the subaltern falling back on sheer obstinacy. “T tell you I will!” “You shall not, sir!” “You young ass!”’ “Maybe. But you shall not while I have a man left to prevent -you!” The judge believed that he and his wife would be perfectly safe in the hands of Moplahs. Furthermore, that the Moplahs would let the soldiers alone if they could gain two important hostages, and the loot from the first-class railway carriage, without | a fight. Sutherland, with a youngster’s views, might perhaps have been persuaded to let the judge go. The judge was his senior and of the male sex. fully he swore that he and his men would die before any Moplah came within bayonet Jength of Mrs. Wilmshurst. He disliked her already cordially, and for sufficient reason; hoped never to see her again, and told the judge so to his face: “But I’d like to be able to look my own men and my mother in the eye. What’s more, I will! By I will! She stays. That’s all about it!”’ The judge made the incredible mistake then of appealing to Sutherland’s men over their officer’s head. He stood with his back to the station building and spoke as if he were on the bench lecturing a row of lawyers. “Now you men must know what the origin of this disturbance was. Your officer has told me how you came to be here. He has said nothing about your conduct in the village where you were supposed to attend a funeral, so I am left to draw my own conclusions. These Moplahs are a proud people, who bitterly resent such in- dignities as soldiers of an alien race can thoughtlessly subject them to, and they no more enjoy having their harems inter- fered with by aliens than you would enjoy having, let us say, your mothers carried off by Moplahs. However, the harm is done and must be remedied. I am the only person who can do that. I am here on an investigation of Moplah complaints. I in- tend to report that in my opinion at least 900kKsS EOMIGc But bluntly and truth- ~ (ef 0)