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303
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts
·
Andrew Lang
75
RIDING
HOME
FROM
MESS
In
1854,
General
Barter,
C.B.,
was
a
subaltern
in
the
75th
Regiment,
and
was
doing
duty
at
the
hill
station
of
Murree
in
the
Punjaub.
He
lived
in
a
house
built
recently
by
a
Lieutenant
B.,
who
died,
as
researches
at
the
War
Office
prove,
at
Peshawur
on
2nd
January,
1854.
The
house
was
on
a
spur
of
the
hill,
three
or
four
hundred
yards
under
the
only
road,
with
which
it
communicated
by
a
"bridle
path,"
never
used
by
horsemen.
That
path
ended
in
a
precipice;
a
footpath
led
into
the
bridle
path
from
Mr.
Barter's
house.
One
evening
Mr.
Barter
had
a
visit
from
a
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Deane,
who
stayed
till
near
eleven
o'clock.
There
was
a
full
moon,
and
Mr.
Barter
walked
to
the
bridle
path
with
his
friends,
who
climbed
it
to
join
the
road.
He
loitered
with
two
dogs,
smoking
a
cigar,
and
just
as
he
turned
to
go
home,
he
heard
a
horse's
hoofs
coming
down
the
bridle
path.
At
a
bend
of
the
path
a
tall
hat
came
into
view,
then
round
the
corner,
the
wearer
of
the
hat,
who
rode
a
pony
and
was
attended
by
two
native
grooms.
"At
this
time
the
two
dogs
came,
and
crouching
at
my
side,
gave
low
frightened
whimpers.
The
moon
was
at
the
full,
a
tropical
moon,
so
bright
that
you
could
see
to
read
a
newspaper
by
its
light,
and
I
saw
the
party
above
me
advance
as
plainly
as
if
it
were
noon-day;
they
were
above
me
some
eight
or
ten
feet
on
the
bridle
road.
.
.
.
On
the
party
came,
.
.
.
and
now
I
had
better
describe
them.
The
rider
was
in
full
dinner
dress,
with
white
waistcoat
and
a
tall
chimney-pot
hat,
and
he
sat
on
a
powerful
hill
pony
(dark-brown,
with
black
mane
and
tail)
in
a
listless
sort
of
way,
the
reins
hanging
loosely
from
both
hands."
Grooms
led
the
pony
and
supported
the
rider.
Mr.
Barter,
knowing
that
there
was
no
place
they
could
go
to
but
his
own
house,
cried
"Quon
hai?"
(who
is
it?),
adding
in
English,
"Hullo,
what
the
devil
do
you
want
here?"
The
group
halted,
the
rider
gathered
up
the
reins
with
both
hands,
and
turning,
showed
Mr.
Barter
the
known
features
of
the
late
Lieutenant
B.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
