The Cherry Pickers

暂无简介Col. Guest is entertaining the officers of his regiment, and is assisted by his lovely daughter, Nourmalle. Among the uniformed guests is Lieut. John Nazare, a Eurasian, an aide to the colonel, who is conspicuous through his attentions to the young lady, the toast of the night. Another prominent personage is Major Brough, an elderly man of fine figure and military bearing, but a coarse and unscrupulous character. He is infatuated with the fair Nourmalle; but she instinctively turns the cold shoulder to the amorous major, while she is correspondingly friendly toward the young lieutenant. This establishes instant hatred on the part of the major for his subordinate on the staff. The regiment goes to India and is ordered to take the field against the warring Afghans. Before departure for the interior, a reception is given at the post, which is attended by the Viceroy and other notables. During the course of the voyage Col. Guest had yielded to an ancient weakness, cards, and now finds himself heavily indebted to his more skillful and unscrupulous companion in play, Major Brough. He hardly knows which way to turn in order to raise the money to meet the so-called \"obligation of honor,\" and finally agrees to the major's proposition that he give him Nourmalle's hand in marriage, it being understood that this will cancel all debts. Of course, the young lady does not understand the arrangement and continues to treat the major with distinct disdain. As the function is at its height, a sentry rushes in with the report that two Afghan spies, Ayoob and Leukman, have been captured, prowling about within the fort, and that a large force of Afghans are in the immediate neighborhood, preparing for an attack. Major Brough is elected to command by the colonel, in turn to be supported by Lieut. Nazare, and a picked detachment of Hussars to drive off the scouting parties that are menacing the fort, while the rest of the company keep up the festivities in happy ignorance of imminent danger. In the skirmish that follows, Lieut. Nazare, at the risk of his life in a hand-to-hand conflict with one of the natives, saves his commander, Brough. The latter, however, in his bitterness and humiliation only hates his rival in love all the more. By the same daring deed Nazare acquires unknown to himself, the bitter hatred of Ayoob, the spy, who swears that he will discover and kill the man who ended the life of his brother. A little while later, Major Brough, who nurses his enmity secretly, allows it to break out openly and purposely insults Nazare, who, enraged beyond control, strikes his superior officer. This is a serious military offense, and Brough at once orders him incarcerated in the prison in which Ayoob is a sojourner. The cunning Brough, having learned of the Afghan's vow to kill the soldier who slew his brother, manages to impress upon Ayoob that Nazare is the man. Brough carries his sense of duty to an extraordinary degree, by having Nazare chained in the tower of the prison above a gun port. The chief furnishing of this tower is a revolving cannon. With diabolical ingenuity, he brings Ayoob in the presence of the other prisoner, to the tower, explains the working of the gun, and then leaves him to settle his affair with Nazare. Ayoob. With the true joy of an Oriental, is almost crazed over the opportunity of such fine revenge, and goes about it with fiendish deliberation. Brough. having seemingly disposed of his enemies, rushes off to Nourmalle, who has steadily repulsed him, and tells her of the tragedy that will soon end the life of her lover, and bring such havoc, that no blame can be laid to him. The boaster, however, has not reckoned upon the strength and quickness of the weak woman, who writhes under the knowledge of imminent ruin. She snatches the heavy prison keys from the belt of the phlegmatic major, gives him a blow on the brow that knocks him senseless to the floor and rushes to the tower. She liberates Nazare from his shackles just a few seconds before the cannon is discharged by the fanatical Ayoob. His faulty aim instead of going through the port, strikes the wall and brings down the masonry about him, causing his own death, while the girl and her lover escape to her father. Explanations follow and lead to the cashiering of the villainous major, who is disgraced at home as well as in India, leaving the lovers happy, presumably ever after.