The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-07-07
A LOYAL HINDOO.

extraordinary fellow. ! picked him up
in Benares ere scorching afternoon in
midsummer. 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 l engaged him.
In religion he was a Mussulman. but
he was far from being devout. IndeeGI
very o o rated him as rather below the
average in everything. However, as /
did not require anything remarkable,
we got on well enough to the end, for
he followed ne, 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 III the right way, I
could usually get it back.
Salad never left ne for an hour from
the time be entered my service. He fol-
lowed NE I'll day and slept on a rug at
my door OF lay on the sand at my feet
OF just outside my tent at night, as the
case might be, and he received just as
many lectures CT veracity and made just
as many promises as the time allowed,
but l 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. 1t s
as much the nature of the oriental to lie
and steal as it is of a dog to bark at a
horse or Of a 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 a bad
reputation in the minds of some who
mean to be just, or even generous Many
good turn Salad did me right in the
line Of those two traits. 1t takes a
rogue to catch a rogue, and l Lnow that
he saved me from being robbed by 9TH
ers many times over for all that he took
himself, while he would detect a lie IN
what any one else told me as quickly as
a negro boy in old Virgin would spot a
ripe watermelon.
We were marching through the Terai
nce with a small detachment. A sol
der was leading my horse, while 1
walked upon Il side Of the path, fol
lowed at a little distance by Salad,
uultluS IVA q Dl1u j udu slIOG anu Nu1Su
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-
ton / was making, had risen out of the
grass just behind me. His fat head and
farirg hood were already thrown back
for a final fling at me. His half open
mouth was within three feet of my face
when my eyes rested upon it. IF I turn
ed, / 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 l had time to think a second
thought, however, Salad made one leap
from where he was standing, and be-
fore his fee had touched the ground he
had brought his staff about with a sharp
whir as it cut the air, too quick even
for a snake to dodge, and the next in
slant the cobra's body was writhing in
the grass, while his head, completely
severed, fell at my feet.
Had Salad waited an instant he would
have been toe late. No one else could
have reached me, yet if he had missed
his aim or the snake had lodged his
own life would have paid the forfeit.
No n knew it better than Salad, but
he took the chance and saved my life.
He had in his girdle at the time a 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 one afternoon / was ~
ing on a 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
weapon and no time to lose. He caught
it in his naked hand and threw it ont Of
the tent door. l woke in time to see ,.
flying through the air, and hurrying out
killed it before it got away.
/ called 70 Salad to ask if he had es-
capped a sting, and receiving a cheerful
reply in the affirmative thought no
more about it till, CHANGING to enter the
tent softly and Unexpectedly, l 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 on
the floor writhing.in agony. The only
antidotes | had were ammonia and whis-
ky. Salad 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.