The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-10
A LIEUTENANT'S
STRANGE PET.
The Way a Tiny FiGld-Rdt ManifGStS Its
Gratitude.
Story That Is Told of the Narrow Escape
From Death That an officer Of Native
East Indian Regiment Had
burn has queer taste in pets. hasn't

"Leyburn has queer taste in pets. hasn't
be, Jack"
mot a bit queerer than some other fel.
lows I've known, though, after all. There
were two young fellows in my old regiment,
one of whom had tame snake. and the
other a pet spider as big as an apple; and
no one dared go into their quarters for fear
of being bitten. But at last, one fine day,
the snake gobbled up the spider, and either
choked himself or died Of the poison, and
so we got rid OF the pair of EN-"
In fact, Lieutenant Leyburn Zone Of the
English officers of a native East Indian
regiment had undoubtedly chosen a very
curious pet, and had picked it up in a very
curious manner; and in this dreary Afghan
outpost, where there was little enough fun
Of any kind to be had, and only one mail a
fortnight, the story Of "Leyburn's pet was
the standard joke of the officers mess.
During the first nights enCampment Gun
der canvas" on the edge Of the broad sandy
plain that stretches along the whole frontier
OF Beloochistan up to the very foot OF the
Afghan border mountains, the Young officer
had been disturbed by q scratching near his
bed, and the popping up through the ground
(as he could see plainly by the splendid
tropical HO0uil1uU OIL queer nLll6 luLLg-
haired beast, shaTp-nOsed, bright-eyed and
lOng-tailed, which LeybuTn recognized IN
moment as one Of those tiny held-ratS"
that are so common in the lOWlandS Of South
eTn Afghanistan
At Leyburn's first movement the four
footed burglar vanished in terror, and the
Lieutenant, having stopped up the hole with
big stone, thought no more about the mat
ter But the very next night the indetatig
able little engineer came back again, and
finding the stone too heavy for its strength,
burroWed a shaft alongside OF it, and popped
up as before.
AMUSED
By the little creatures perseverance, the
young Englishman determined TO make
friends with it if possible, and accordingly
sprnkled on the ground close to his bed
handful Of bread-crumbs mixed with sugar.
The rat was rather shy Of the dalntles just
at first, but after time, seeing no sign OF
danger, yentured to creep forward and
snatch a mouthful-anOther-a still
and 50 on till the whole store was finished
The next night fresh supply lay ready
for it in the same place, and after awhile
Mr.. Rat grew So tame that he would come
and take the food cut of Leyburn's hand.
Finally the two established such friendly re-
lations that the rat was won't to run up on
10 It's masters knee, or perch Itself on his
shoulder, and thrust its snOut into his pOck-
cts in quest of TODD and as every pet must
have a name, the young otIlcer remem per-
ing the burgIariOus fashion in Whlch his
new chum had made its first appearance.
called il ''Ghal," the Afghan word Tor thief.
Whenever LeybHrn started out TO sketch
the surrounding scenery (as he was very
fond of doing Ghai went with him, as
matter Of course, and the tall, solemn, native
soldiers used TO smile gTavely as they
watched the Lieutenant Sahib 90 strid-
ing past with his queer little pet planted On
his shoulder like an epaulet, looking all
round it with its small bright eyes as brisk
ly as if it were a sentinel
Our hero's fay0rite haunt when off duty
was a small platform OF TOCk on the ridge
above the camp, shaded by a huge overs
hanging Crag. Ii was almost the only shady
spot to be found in this roasting place,
where las the wag Of the regiment declared)
the very mosquitoes had all died OF sun
stroke" and moreover, 1t commanded very
good view OF the surrounding country and
Of the steep, narrow path down which those
picturesque mountain men," whom he was
so fond of sketching, came to the village
market. So there Leyburn was to be found
almost every afternoon, and with him, OF
course, his friend Ghal, the rat.
One hot, close, bTeezeless day, when al
most every one else was asleep, the young
man was seated in his wOnted place, busy
with a sketch, as usual, when all at Cnce the
pet Tat-Which on such occasions used to sit
quietly
BY ITS MASTERS SIDE,
Gravely watching his proceedings began to
show, without any apparent reason, strange
signs of dlsquiet and alarm. SpTlnglng from
its place, it ran backward and forward eX-
citedly, uttering shrill cries, now darting
away, as if meaning to fly from the spot
and now running back 10 It's master, as II 1t
were urging him to follow it.
The young artist, who was just atthe crit
ical point of his sketch, aud felt rather
veXed at being disturbed in this way, mo-
toned angriy at the poor little beast TO lie
down and be quiet. But far from doing so,
Ghal grew more and more excited, ran wildly
round and round his friend, leaped up into
his lap and back to the ground again, as if
determined to stir him from his place; and
at length, finding all his efforts in vain,
sprang upon Leyburn's knee with shrill,
angry squeak, and actually nipped the young
mans wrist pretty smartly with his sharp
little white teeth.
1t was now, for the first time, that our
hero began to feel uneasy in his turn. He
recalled the many stories that he had heard
Of the wonderful sagacity Of rats, and felt
sure that some danger Though he could not
think WHAT must really be hanging over
him.
just then he happened to glance upward.
and the whole mystery was suddenly and
terribly explained by the sight of a thin
stream of Dust trckling down the face of
the frOwning cliff above him.
Only too we'll did Leyburn know the
meaning of that fatal sign. He sprang
aside with a bound like a hunted deer. and
not whit too soon. for the next moment a
huge mass OF rock broke of from the crag
overhead with deafening crash, and fell
laundering down with a shock that liter
ally crushed to powder the largest stones
upon which it alighIed, right on the very
spot where the young man had been seated
only an instant before.
q" Well, old fellow you've paid me in full
for my care of you. and no mistake" said
the Lieutenant, drawing long breath, as
he Stroked the furry head of the wise little
reseuer; and the other officers, when they
heard the story, were quite of the same
opnion.-Harper'S Young People
|
Didn't Know when He Was Well OF.