(October 4th to 10th)
Format: Triple
‘I went forward, but I cannot say whither I went, and there was no more food for myself or the sister. And upon a hot night, she weeping and calling for food, we came to a well, and I bade her sit upon the kerb, and thrust her in, for, in truth, she could not see; and it is better to die than to starve.’ |
This is from ‘Little Tobrah’ in ‘Life’s Handicap’. A little Indian boy, who has been brought before the magistrates after his little blind sister’s body has been found in a well, is telling the the tale of how he and his sister had been orphaned at a time of famine and smallpox, and how he had killed her rather than see her die of hunger. |
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‘Be quick’, said Athira; and Suket Singh was quick; but Athira was quick no longer. Then he lit the pile at the four corners and climbed upon it, reloading the gun. |
This is from ‘Through the Fire’ in ‘Life’s Handicap’. A young Indian soldier leaves his wife to take up with the young wife of a brutal charcoal burner. But the husband has a curse put on her, and she starts to wither away. Rather than die from the curse, or leave each other, the couple have decided to die together. |
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…an instant later, by the tone of Spurstow’s voice calling upon them to enter, the men knew what had happened. There was no need to wake him. |
This is from ‘At the End of the Passage’ in ‘Life’s Handicap’. A young engineer in a remote station in the hot weather, over-worked and over-wrought, has been tortured by terrible dreams, so terrible that he is afraid to fall asleep. His friends find him dead in his bed, of fear…. |