The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-11-27

sun was waxing hot. And while we were
engaged in the deglutition of the twin
pegs in the Esplanadc hotel the captain
limited that it was very fortunate for me
l did not overtake the robber. Gle
would have put knife into you without
the least hesitation, h." he continued; land
these fellows are very skillful with that
weapon when their safety depends upon
its use. Next time you find one of them
in your room don't do anything more
than brighten him, and if you pretend to
follow, give him plenty of chance to get
away. You can thus save your reputa-
ton without risk of harm, as he'll
make the best possible use of his heels
and you could catch a monkey about as
readily"
accepted his advice and determined
to follow it, but did not have any subse-
quent occasion for putting it into prac-
tice.
The captain told of some of the ex-
PLOTS of the native thieves, and assured
me he was speaking the words of truth
and sobcrncss. | am certain of the lat
ter, as 1t was his first drink that day.
'N on may have heard, he said, "that
an Indian thief will steal the sheet from
under sleeping man without waking
him. The story sounds ridiculous, but
l know it's true as | lost tive pounds on
a bet that it couldn't be done, soon after
came to India. | made the bet with
the senior captain or my regiment, and
the only stipulation was that | should
not harm the thief in case of waking
suddenly while he was at work.
"The sheet on which | slept was
marked so that it could be positively
identified. Before going to bed l ex
amined it carefully, and on getting up
in the morning saw the sheet was till
there. | smiled triumphantly, and al
ready felt the tive-pound note in my
fingers, when there was a rap on the
door. Opening it, received a bundle
from the hands of my seniors servant,
and opening the bundle, | found the
marked sheet. Then looked at the bed
and found another sheet. My bet of
five pounds was lost.
1--WE break tasted at the mess, and as
paid the wager | begged an explanation
of the trick avowing that the knowl-
edge would be worth the money. The
senior readily told me, and since then
I've more than made myself even by
making the same bet with newly arrived
subs.
This is the way it is done. In sum
mer in this hot climate you never have
any covering beside your pajamas, or
sleeping dress. You lie on the sheet,
which is spread on the mattress, and
take any position you choose. Mosquitoes
are abundant, and the buzzing of these
pests is too frequent to be noticed. The
thief comes to your bedside armed with
a feather. He initiates the buzzing of a
mosquito, and at the same time tickles
you with the feather until you turn to
one side of the bed but without waking.
When YOU are beyond the middle of the
bed he gently rolls the sheet until it is
close to YOU. and then he goes to the
other side of your couch and with 4 buzz
and feather at length causes you turn
the other way. When you have rolled
yourself clear of the sheet he gathers it
up, and if he is on real plundering ex-
petition he is Off at once. But when
we make bet with our friends we gen
orally have another sheet put in the
place of the stolen one, which is done
by continuance of the process I've de-
scribed.
Suppose you have white or gray
horse. A thief will steal it, and few
DAYS later roam or bay horse will be Of
ferel you by dealer who has heard of
your loss. Perhaps You buy the animal,
and set your syce to scrubbing him. Out
comes the color, and you diocover that
you have bought the property which
was appropriated from you, and has
been skilfully dyed. The horse
may be stolen while the syce
is asleep at his side. Two men work
together in horse stealing, and, while
one initiates the action of the animal in
pulling the halter and stamping on the
ground, the other leads away the prize.
| need not say that the work is per-
formed by men who have had a good
daal of experience around horses, and in
nine cases out of ten they are syces OF
grooms out of employment Before
starting on their expeditions they grease
Themselves from head to foot, so that in
case they are seized they cahnot be held.
You have proverb which says slippery
as an eel It applies admirably to East
Indian horse thieves.
"There is story of an officer who
used to put his writing desk under hi;
pillow. 1t contained his papers and
money, and he felt sure it could not be
taken without waking him. One morn
ing it was gone, and he had not beer
disturbed. He offered ten rupees to any
one who would tell how the trick wa:
performed, and it was explained to him
The thieves had observed his care fol-
the box, and concluded it was worth
stealing. They crept silently to his bed
side and one of them slipped his hand
under the pillow and held up the officer
head until his confederate had removed
the desk Then the head of the sleeper
was allowed to go down so gently tina
he was not awakened.
| "They rob houses by tunneling unde
the walls or making holes through then
large enough to admit one of the rob
l bers, who passes the plumber outside t,
) his confederates. These fellows worl
= in gangs that are held together by fear
t full oaths. and they rarely betray eacl