Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-12-07
A TRAVELLER In A DILEMMA.

At an encampment of Sumric, who are, COM
parativeiy speaking, rather bad race, got
lesson on this subject. One young woman of
them was really beautiful, although she had
grown up in the jungle, without even a tent to
protect her from the fierce sun and from the
cold dews of night. Her complexion unusually
fair; her black locks were wound round her
head somewhatin Grecian style, and her scanty
garments shift and shirt-scarcely concealed
fnely grounded and almost faultless limbs. As
she was suffering slightly from fever, gave
her some medicine, and also some syrup, she
directing me to pour it into the hollow of her
hand, while, by applying her mouth to her
wrist, she was able to drink without allowing
any to escape.
Unfortunately, when / was feeling the pulse
OF this Sumric beauty, her half Belooch, ex-
tremely ugly, black, and savage husband made
his appearance, bearing q broken limbed goat
upon bis shoulders. and looking all suspicion
and wrath. He evidently had no faith what
ever in my moral character, and looked upon
my medical business as q mere diabolical pre-
tence, which 1t was his duty and interest to
expose. Intruding himself upon our tete-a-
tefe, ne spoke in a rude and provoking way,
which L could interpret easily without catching
the separate meaning Of almost a single word
Especially he tried, and with success to excite
laugh against me, by derisively inquiring if
L could turn him, any portion of his body,
white. 1t is dangerous in Beloochistan to let
tho laugh be turned against one by an angry
man, though ID is e1pedent not to be hasty in
noticing good humOred ridioule. In this case
it was lucky that L understood his ridicule; for
while the servant with me was explaining,
there was time to consider how it should be met
The expedient l adopted was to pull out a
knife, catch him by the arm, and make a slight
incision, intimating that there was nothing
easier than to turn him white, only, in the first
place, he would have to su bmit to being f1ayed
This rude and not very brilliant jest took anna
Zingly and preserved my moral supremacy. His
companions seemed highly tickled and delight
ed at the idea Of their friend losing his skin,
and threw themselves on the ground, rolling
about, laughing and repeating, /" Hakullo
wants to be made white, Hakullo must be
fayedi" Marsyas himsclfseemed paraysed at
the audacity of the proposal, and turned away
growing precisely as a savage dog does from an
untried foe which it is doubtful about attacking
This did not please his friend at all, and they
we're earnest on the subject, and | began to
fear-the more 80 as he seemed an unpopular
character among them-that they might tie
him up, and insist on the operation being per-
formed
After this he established himselfbehind bush
close by, and cOnsoled himself with examining
and handling his matchbox in a way which
showed how his thoughts were running; for he
aimed ut me with it more than once when he
thought L was not observing. The cord not
being lighted, there was no danger in this but
when he rose, lighted large pipe, and took it
over to his lair, thought it expedient to speak
to his affectiOnate friends on the subject where
on they said he was a bad man, and took his
gun away from him. There was no grea at chance
Of the laws of hospitality being broken but the
possibility of the ruff an wreaking his vengeance
on the unOfending wife afforded an unpleasing
subject Of contemplation Mag
cSINs.