Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-08
The Fakir's Curse.

! JallleS NLuSS, ZIG UldNGItI, tcl!S VulS
story: ut was about 5 o'clock in the
evening, and Col. Yeager and l sat on
the verdanda of the Yicullah Hotel in
Bombay, and ON the edge of the native
city, which is called Vicullah, and not
/ Bombay. The Colonel is dead all that
he once owned and loved is gone. lie
was expecting his wife and daughter,
who had been out to England on q
years visit, and the vessel was to arrive
at Calcutta next day, while we were
going to get the bungalow ready to re-
ceive them. The Colonel was in the
best of spirits. He joked and laughed
and told old stories of love and war;
how he was nearly captured and muir
dered by the renowned Nana-Said at
Compore; of his vast poppy plantations
and the revenue he derived from the
opium he distilled every year. Fin
ally we started to walk to where we had
our horses stabbed, and then for can
ter over the beautiful roads to the bun
galow fifteen miles away. We had to
go through Vicullah to reach our desti-
nation. What kaleidoscope that
native city is! The burrah- wallah water
carrier, wearing nothing but breech
clout, and the male body servant, with
his red turban and long white jackets.
Jews from Palestine, Parsees, or fire
worshippers, who Travelled 5000 miles
over desert and mountain from Persia
and carried their sacred fires, all
picturesque, all in white, bordered with
red OF other bright colors.
well, in turning corner in Vicul-
lab we found a crowd being harangued
by one of the best known falirs in
India. had heard him spoken of as
one who could put blight upon you.
People called him Sadi-Saib, Sadi, my
master. Col. Yeager pushed through
the crowd to within few feet of the
| fakir, to whom he said something in
Hindostanese. 1t seemed to enrage
Sadi, who jumped from his little plat
form in front Of Yeager, saying:
"'Englishman, be careful, or blight
may full upon you and yours. Tread
not upon the smallest thing Buddha
has created or it may turn and sting
you
Before I could stop him the Colonel
had cut the fakir across the face, and
with an oath had shouted: Out of the
way, you Hindoo pig'
"The fakir with blazing eyes said:
"'Englishman, you will not meet
your wife. You will not meet your
child. Your plantations will be devas-
tated; your craven heart will wither
within you. You will die
"The fakir's words were prophetic.
l felt it then, and I also think the
Colonel did. We reached the bunga-
low, and We're soon in bed. How I
slept that night I don't know. The
words, 'Englishman, BEWARE were
continuously raging in my ear. Next
morning l went into the breakfast
room, and shudder when think of it.
The Colonel was there walking up and
down with telegram in his hand, his
face drawn, and he looking twenty
years older than he did the night be-
fore. With tears in his eyes he handed
me this message: Steamship Fiago
went ashore at the mouth of the Hoo
galy. Your wife and child drowned I
have never seen the Colonel since, but
l have watched his career. His poppy
crop was a failure that year and It
ruined him, his bungalow was burned
by either accident or design, and
Yeager died within twelve month of
broken heart"