, 1888-01-29
THIEVES OF INDIA.

Many wonderful things have been
written about the jugglers of India, but
things still more wonderful could be
written about the thieves. i have lived
in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and an
COON. and have been knowing to some
operations of these gentry which seemed
almost incredible.
Ever foreigner is considered fair game
by the natives. While there arc plenty
who will not rob him by force, there is
none who will not swindle him if it can
be done. On three different occasions,
in different hotels, / sent out by wait
Cri to make purchases or get money
changed. In each instance they ran
away although in no case was the sum
over 81, and in every case the native left
lucrative employment in order to beat me.
1t couldn't nave been the idea of gain so
much MS the idea of getting ahead of a
foreigner. While there is no positive Sc
CuriIy- from thieves il India, there is
partial security in hiring a c~howkadar.
This fellow is a thief from away back.
lie Is known to be, and he is employed
on this account, If you pay him so that
he can afford to be honest, he will keep
other thieves away. 1t is n point of
honor with the fraternity not to steal
from any one employing a chowkadar.
His services are n species of blnckmuil,
but You must either pay him or be at the
mercy of the slickest, slyest set of rascals
on earth.
At Bombay l had a bungalow with an
English artillery captain on leave of
absence. As he had with him two
servants whom hu felt he could trust, We
determined not to employ a ~chowkadar.
Several called to offer their services, and
al .,..,,al rrrD.f1x- g,trt,r1s..1 md aY,p,t.aI
when sent off. One of the fellows was
IN old man with a foxy look, and he pro-
tested to the captain:
IL am a great thief, but too sharp for
the officers, who have never yet laid
hands on me. l know all thieves, and
If | am with you no one will dare steal
from you
And if we do not employ you2'
You will surely bc robbed"
"Well, we shall try to get along with
out ION, nndif thieves come, some one
may get killed. -
The old man went away with n look
of cunning ON his face, and we had no
doubt hat he would be among the lirst
to seek 10 lay hands on our goods. There
werc but three rooms TO our bungalow
n parlor, kitchen and bedroom. The
captain and myself occupied the parlor
as 81 sitiiug room, dining room and bed
room, while the cook and his fellow
servant occupied the other two. We
kept but little money by us and had but
few goods. The captain was experiment.
ing Il little with n new explosive, and l
was making a report to the home govern
mcnt ON the various vegetable poisons
of that peninsula. We therefore had
plenty Of leisure to plan for our pro
lection and watch all susDeCts.
On the second day after the sly old
maI was sent away n lame native woman,
leading a boy about 4 years of age, sent
in word 10y the servant that she wanted
10 Gee the captain On important business.
Tn pair We're admitted, and she began
making inquiries about her husband, who
she said was Il member of the captains
command. She gave the name of a
native known to the officer, and asked so
many questions that she took up fifteen
minutes time. l was not much inter
ested in her story, but was in the actions
of the child. No sooner did she let go %
his hand han he began running about to
inspect things. We saw afterward how
hard she tried to draw all our attention
to herself. The captain paid no heed to
the child; but presently, as l watched, l
saw the little shaver grab something from
81 1AAllAAAs - AlA'h AtNblllIh q llAn lllpllltl
and took her hand. After q L
remembered that my field glasses rested
ca the stand, and MS l rose up to look for
them they were not to be seen. l went
over to the child, and Notwithstanding
the fact that he shrank away and began
to Cry, rs if scared at me, / picked him
up and gave him q shake. The glasses
fell 10 the floor from the folds of n cloth
about his waist, and with them three
0 which he had stolen in the kitchen.
lie ran away as l put him down, and the
woman hurried after him. 1t was a put
up Job to pilfCr from us, and, while the
child did not look more than 4 years Of
g, we aftcrward learned that Ire was
over 10.
In India everybody sleeps during the
middle Of the day. That is, everybody
should. About a week after the occur
renee related above, the captain climbed
into Il hammock under the veranda about
IL O'Clock II forenoon for u nap. l
should have climbed into another, but l
had some letters to get off that day, and
/ removed my coat and vest and sat
down to n table in a corner Of our room.
The window before me was up, but n
light bamboo shade was down TO keep the
sun out. The captain had had plenty of
time TO 20 to sleep when / happened to
look out through the Stats of the blind.
While | saw nothing, l felt that some
thing was wrong, and softly rose up n
went to the door opening out o the YER
anda. This door was, of course. wide
open. My feet were in slippers, and l
made not the least noise as / reached the
door. The v%crandawas about twenty feet
long. and the captains hammock was
slung ut the center. / peered cautiously
out. and | saw the figure of the sly old
man right under the hammock. His
bacl, WAS to me, and / determined to S..
What he would do, and then capture him