Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-31
A LOYAL HIND00.

A LOYAL HlNDOO.
My servant Salad was by no means an
extraordinary fellow. picked him up
in Benares one scorching afternoon In
midsummer. Twas in want Of q 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 /
did not require anything remarkable,
we got on well 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 l 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. 1t is
as much the nature of the oriental to lie
and steal as it is of a dog to bark at q
horse or Of cat to help herself tc
cream.
One who expects too much is apt tc
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
q good turn Salad did me right in the
line of those two traits 1t takes q
rogue to catch rogue, and / know thai
he saved me from being robbed by 9th
ers many times over for all that he tool
himself, while he would detect a lie il
what any one else told me as quickly as
a negro boy in old Virgin would spot 6
ripe watermelon.
We were marching through the Terai
once with a small detachment A sol
dier was leading my horse, while
walked upon one side Of the path, fol
lowed at a little distance by Salad
hunting for bird 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
ton was making, had risen out of th'
grass just behind me. His fat head ant
flaring hood were already thrown bacl
for final fling at me- His half opel
mouth was within three feet Of my fac,
when my eyes rested upon it If turn
ed, / should only expose more of my
face If lifted hand, he would STRIKE
it quicker than lightning There was NJ
chance to get away, and was utterly
helpless
Before had time to think secont
thought, however, Salad made one leal
from where he was standing, and be
fore his feet had touched the ground h
had brought his staff about with sharl
whir as it cut the air, too quick evel
for a snake to dodge, and the next in
slant the cobra's body was writhing il
the grass, while his head, completed,
severed, fell at my feet
Had Salad waited an instant he woult
have been too late. No one else coul'
have reached me, yet if he had misses
his aim or the snake had lodged hi
own life would have paid the forfeit
No one knew it better than Salad, bu
he took the chance and saved my life
He had in his girdle at the time brigh
colored silk handkerchief which he ha,
stolen from me, and only that mornin
had solemnly declared that he kney
nothing about it
Up in the hills one afternoon Twas 1y
ing on low tent bed taking nar
when Salad saw q poisonous insect,
kind of scorpion, crawling over my pill
low He had nothing near to use as
weapon and no time to lose He caugh
it in his naked hand and threw it out G
the tent door. woke in time to see
flying through the air, and hurrying on
killed it before it got away.
called to Salad to ask if he had es
capped sting, and receiving a Cheerful
reply in the affirmative thought n
more about it till, CHANGING to enter tn
tent softly and unexpectedly, / foun
him sucking the back Of his right han
for dear life He stopped the instant b
saw me and put the hand behind him.
The poison had already begun to tax
effect The hand and arm were swell
ing, and before long Salad was lying O
the floor writhing in agony The onl
antidotes l had were ammonia and whis
ky. Salad knew the contents Of bot
bottles, for he had the care of all m
traps did my best for him with th
ammonia, but utterly in vain pleaded
begged, commanded that he take tf
whisky. He would not touch it.
Why? Only because he was Mussu
man. No matter how intense his agon
or determined my command he put h
well hand over his mouth and shook h
head He felt sure that he was dyins
and he believed my assertion that tt
whisky might save him, but that mac
! no difference. He came SO near to deaf
that he was past seeing anything an
beyond hearing He lay upon the groun'
just breathing, painting. as though l
was almost at the end Itseemed usele