AN OUTLAW OF OLD CEYLON. "I met M'Hasting at the hotel. Don't think much of him, though he holds more liquor than any man I have ever met, and apparently can't get drunk. He is a wonder for blowing his own trumpet, and we got rather tired of the wonders he had done or could do; but he certainly made good one boast. He said he would go home by the Devilla Ford, though the river was brimful and running like a mill-race. We all went out to see him drowned, but he did it. it. It was a very close thing, but he got across. He is full of pluck, but a nasty, mean little devil. . . ." A later entry, after referring to unrest among the villagers, goes on: "That swine M'H. had a bad row with a nasty crowd of Cingalese last week. They came to his bungalow at night, and meant bad business; but he went for them with crowbar, and laid leaders, and the rest bolted. He is remarkably well hated by the villagers, and I expect with good reason, if there is any truth in the stories of how he gets their land. . . ." At this time the planting industry was in its infancy, and the few planters lived very isolated lives, with no and very little interference from the Government; with the result that a bad hat could cheat the thriftless lazy natives in many ways. And our friend Angus knew all the ways. up by their priests to make trouble. He maintains that they have many real grievances, both against the Government and the planters, some of whom are absolutely unscrupulous as to how they cheat them out of their land. He mentioned that swine M'H. as a really bad case: the Ratwella Lakkum has given him some very full details of that man's dealings with the villagers, and it is a pretty black story. Henderson said outright that he believes that the natives will rise, and that M'H. will be one of the first to be murdered, and that he will richly deserve it. .. Another extract from the diary is worth reproducing, as it introduces two names which had a good deal to do with M'Hasting's subsequent history. One of them, Henderson, was a Government official, and an excellent specimen of the old-time civil servant, who thoroughly understood the art of governing natives that art that can never be successfully practised by any one who sits in an office and is controlled by "the Regulations," however The rising Henderson foregood, but only by an active saw came about before he man who has an intimate reached England, and the rebels and personal knowledge did their best to see that the the governed. The Ratwella second part of his prophecy Lakkum, Appoo Singhe, a should also be fulfilled; but petty headman of the Pan- in this they failed. M'Hasting watte district, and far and had been expecting trouble away the richest and most for some time, and had made influential native in M'Hast- his preparations. What little ing's neighbourhood, was a a of value he usually kept in splendid type of Cingalese chief his bungalow he had sent in in rather a small way. A to Kandy for safety. He also fine old man and a great bought a large supply of white friend of Henderson's, he had arsenic, so that when he was done all in his power to save warned that the villagers round the villagers from Angus's him were coming out-and he tricks, and had on several was warned in good time by occasions been able to upset the Lakkum-he had merely the Scotchman's little games. to mix the arsenic with all After this explanation let us the eatables in his bungalow return to the diary. and get to horse and away with him. None but a fiend would have thought of the arsenic, but Angus was a fiend. He knew his bungalow would be looted; and though there "Stayed with Henderson this week-end. He is going on leave next month. He is most gloomy about things, and says the natives are being stirred was nothing of value to take, swiftly, and these courts had as his furniture consisted of a very short way with all who the barest necessities, yet it had taken any part in the was a sacred principle of his rising. that no one should take anything from him without paying heavily for it; and his poisoned food would make him quits with those who were driving him out. That women and children would also certainly be poisoned did not worry the little blackguard a bit. The rebellion was never very dangerous or bloodthirsty. They killed no one as far as I can trace, and though they captured a few outlying planters, only one ran any severe risk. He was an unpopular man, who put up a bit of a fight before he was secured, and in the heat of the moment he was very nearly knocked on the head. One of his captors, a late carpenter of his, saved him. "I am owed twenty-five rupees by this man," he said, "and I am not going to have him killed till he has paid me." The planter lived to discharge his debt. The Cingalee is no fighting When the rebels were met on the road to Kandy by a native regiment, they broke at the first volley. They fled for miles hunted by the troops, were cut down in scores, and all idea of rebellion ceased in Ceylon. man. The Government had had a bad fright, and now determined to teach the country the penalty of rebellion. Courtsmartial were erected, with M'Hasting, on his way back to his estate, saw one of these courts at at work, and approved of it heartily. He had always despised the natives, and now that he had had to run for his life from them he hated them as well. On his return to his bungalow he found it, of course, empty of everything; but he also found one Banda, a native who had acted as his jackal, and who had made quite a good thing out of it. Banda foresaw very useful pickings for himself when his master should come back, for with many of the men dead, and most of the rest implicated up to their necks in the rising, he knew that a rich harvest was waiting for a thoroughly unscrupulous man"; and he waited impatiently for that man to return and the harvest to begin. M'Hasting's first move was to get back what he could of his furniture. Most of it had been hurriedly and secretly placed near the bungalow by the temporary holders on hearing of the rightful owner's return; but some was missing, particularly a couch of which M'Hasting was fond, as he had actually paid its full value for it, which was not a usual thing for him to do. Banda's first duty was to find where the missing furniture was, and the next morning he returned "Master, I have found the couch," he said; "it is in the Lakkum's house." "But you told me that the Lakkum and his sons tried to stop the people from robbing my bungalow, and that they would have nothing to do with the rising," said M'Hasting. saw "That is true, master, and they also sent word of it to the Government, but the people did not know this or they would have killed them. The Lakkum's youngest son the bed in Appuhamy's house, and thinking it was one Appuhamy had made-for you know he was a carpenter he bought it, not knowing it came from your house, and it is in the Lakkum's house, where I myself have seen it." Now Angus had always had a grudge against the Lakkum for upsetting some of his nefarious plans, and had constantly been on the look-out for some means of hurting him, and, if possible, removing him from the district. He now saw a first-class opportunity for doing this; in fact, of getting rid of the Lakkum and his family for ever. That he almost certainly owed his life to his intended victim's action in warning him of the rising did not count at all with him. Gratitude was a thing he did not understand, particularly when it stood in the way of his getting money or revenge. This was just the chance that was wanted, and calling two huge horse-pistols, M'Hasting rode off, followed by his two Tamil servants, who were, I believe, the only people in the world who liked him. They not only were devoted to him, but actually respected the little scoundrel, and would, and probably have, followed him to hell. Arrived at the Lakkum's house, he was politely greeted by the old man and his eldest son, and he immediately accused them of leading the looting of his bungalow. In spite of their denials he insisted on searching the house, and of course at once found the bed. 66 Master," said the astonished Lakkum, "that bed was bought by my other son, who is away from home, from Appuhamy the carpenter's wife, who told him her husband had just made it." "Where is Appuhamy?" "He was killed by the soldiers, master, and his wife died after eating food stolen from your bungalow." "You are a liar and a thief and one of the chiefs of the rising, and I am taking you and your son now to the court." And take him he did, the two men tied together in front, and he following on his horse, Let us hurry over the next scenes. They are not nice to any one who knows of the wonderful fairness and mildness of British rule. It is enough to say that the courtmartial had orders to punish heavily and quickly, that M'Hasting and Banda gave the most damning evidence, and that by the time the triumphant murderer was back in his bungalow his victims had faced the firing party. M'Hasting was jubilant, and now settled down to enjoy himself. He first searched the Lakkum's house "for concealed arms," as he gave out actually for the dead man's money, which he found buried in the floor, a very useful little hoard. The villagers, terrified and suffering from bad consciences, had only to be threatened by the Lakkum's fate to meet any demand made on them, and what with money, goods, and land, M'Hasting soon possessed most of the resources of his immediate district. crept away with his whole The Government's actions were not approved of by the general European community, if one may judge by the sulphurous entries in the diary. Uncle Roberts was a pretty swearer, one gathers, and his comments on the suppression of the riots are forcible and interesting but quite unprintable; and when he mentions our villainous Scotch friend, he reaches a height of invective that makes the old Ulster Orange toast seem like a blessing. But he had made a bad mistake, to which he was shortly to add another. His first mistake was the killing of the Lakkum ; his second was to quarrel with Banda. The quarrel began over the spoil. Banda was not satisfied with his share, and even when after much haggling it was increased he Helped by vigorously exstill felt defrauded. It con- pressed public opinion, and by tinued over Banda's wife-the admonitions from home, the details do not matter; and it Government recovered its nerve finished up by an imperial and began to feel a bit ashamed flogging of Banda by a drunken of itself. It first dissolved the |