Connecticut western news., 1894-10-18
A LOYAL HINDOO.

~-%~ extraordinary fellow. picked him up in Benares one scorching afternoon in midsummer. I was in want of a kit mutgar, and he seemed to have nothing to do He could not speak one word of English, and, to tell the truth, that was the first and only recommendation upon which engaged him.
 In religion he was Mussulman, but he was far from being devout Indeed very soon rated him as rather below the average in everything. However, as l did not require anything remarkable, we got.o we'll enough to the end, for he followed me, poor fellow, to his death
 Steal? Most decidedly. He would in- variably steal anything belonging to me that attracted his fancy. If discovered it and went about it in the right way, could usually get it back.
 Salad never left me for an hour from the time he entered my service He fol- lowed me all day and slept on rug at my door or lay on the sand at my feet or just outside my tent at night, as the case might be, and he received just as many lectures on veracity and made just as many promises as the time allowed. but am sure that he told me just as many lies the last week of his life as he did the first week he was with me It is as much the nature of the oriental to lie and steal as it is of dog to bark at a horse or of cat to help herself to cream.
 One who expects too much is apt to give credit for too little. That may be the reason the Hindoo has such bad reputation in the minds of some who mean to be just, or even generous Many a good turn Sajad did me right in the line of those two traits It takes a rogue to catch rogue, and know that he saved me from being robbed by oth- CTS many times over for all that he took himself, while he would detect lie in what any one else told me as quickly as negro boy in old Virgin would spot a ripe watermelon.
 We were marching through the Terai once with small detachment A sol dier was leading my horse, while l walked upon one side of the path, fol lowed at little distance by Salad, hunting for bird I had shot and which had fallen in the tall grass Suddenly there was a cry from those behind. looked quickly over my shoulder. A hooded cobra, disturbed by the commo- tion 1 was making, had risen out of the grass just behind me His flat head and daring hood were already thrown back for final fling at me His half open mouth was within three feet of my face when my eyes rested upon it. If turn ed, l should only expose more of my face. If lifted a hand, he would strike it quicker than lightning. There was no chance to get away, and was utterly helpless
 Before had time to think second thought, however, Salad made one leap from where he was standing, and be- fore his feet had touched the ground he had brought his staff about with sharp whir as it cut the air, too quick even for snake to dodge, and the next in stant the cobra's body was writhing in the grass, while his head, completely severed, fell at my feet.
 Had Sajad waited an instant he would have been too late. No one else could have reached me, yet if he had missed his aim or the snake had dodged his own life would have paid the forfeit l No one knew it better than Salad, but | he took the chance and saved my life He had in his girdle at the time bright colored silk handkerchief which he had stolen from me, and only that morning had solemnly declared that he knew nothing about it
 Up in the hills ope afternoon was ly- ing on low tent bed taking a nap, when Salad saw a poisonous insect, a kind of scorpion, crawling over my pill low. He had nothing near to use as a l weapon and no time to lose. He caught | it in his naked hand and threw it out o1 the tent door. l woke in time to see il l flying through the air, and hurrying out killed it before it got away.
 called to Salad to ask if he had es- caped sting, and receiving a cheerful | reply in the affirmative thought nc more about it till; chancing to enter the tent softly and unexpectedly, I found him sucking the back of his right hand for dear life. He stopped the instant he saw me and put the hand behind him.
 The poison had already begun to take effect. The hand and arm were swell. ing, and before long Salad was lying or the floor writhing in agony. The only l antidotes had were ammonia and whis.
 ky. Sajad knew the contents of both
 bottles, for he had the care of all my traps did my best for him with the ammonia, but utterly in vain pleaded | l1I %l~ak I- koIr ( Al.<
 whisky. He would not touch it.
 Why? Only because he was Mussul
 man. No matter how intense his agony
 or determined my command he put hii
 well hand over his mouth and shook hi.
 head. He felt sure that he was dying,
 and he believed my assertion that the
 whisky might save him, but that made
 no difference. He came so near to.deatl
 that he was past seeing anything anC
 beyond hearing. He lay upon the ground
 just breathing. painting, as though ht
 was almost at the end It seemed useles.
 to try again, and yet, now that he wal
 unconscious, 1 could at least make {
 last, desperate trial with the whisky.
 The moment that it touched his lips, h, struggled away, clutched his lips witl
 his hand and shook his head.
 believe the very fear that l should
 succeed in giving him the whisky kep
 him alive till the poison began to los'
 its power. At all events he did not die
 Sajad was as fond of hunting as |
 Many time we two slipped away from
 camp in the gray of early morning
 Once, just before daylight, was ou
 with my shotgun in thinly wooded jungle a mile from camp upon tn,