The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-31
A LOYAL HINDOO.


extraordinary follow. picked him up
in Benares one soorching afternoon in
midsummer. was in want Of 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.
Steal9 Most decidedly. He would In
variably steal anything belonging to me
that attracted his fancy. II / discovered
it and went about it in the right way,
could usually get it back
Salad never left me for Oh hour from
the time he entered my service He fol-
lowed mo all day and slept on rug at
my door or lay on the sand at my feet
or just outside nay tent ut night, rs tho
case might be, and he received Just rs
many lectures on veracity and made Just
u
but am sure that he told me lust as
many lies the last week of his life as he
did the first week he was with me- It is
Us much the nature of the oriental to lie
and steal Us it is of dog to bark at
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 o bad
reputation i'll the minds of some who
mean to bejust, or even generous Many
good turn Salad did me right i'll the
line Of those two traits It takes a
rogue to catch rogue, and know that
he saved me from being robbed by 9TH
ers many times over for all that he took
himself, while he would detect O lie in
what any one else told me as quickly rs
negro boy in old Virgin would spot
ripe watermelon.
We were marching through the Tcrai
once with small detachment a sol
der was leading my horse, while
walked upon one side of the path, fol
lowed at little distance by Salad,
hunting for bird had shot and which
had fallen in the tall grass Suddenly
there was q cry from those behind
looked quickly over my shoulder A
hooded cobra, disturbed by tho oomno.
ton l was making, had risen out Of the
grass just behind me His flat head and
faring hood were already thrown back
for final fling ut 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 moro of my
face. If lifted hand, he would strike
it quicker than lightning. There was 10
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 tho 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
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 too 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 tho forfeit
No one know it better than Salad, but
he took the chance and saved my. life
He had i'll his girtlle at the time bright
colorcd 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 ono afternoon Twas w.
n low 1n1 t,,I.
when Salad saw 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 out of
the tent door. | woke III time to see it
flying through the air, and hurrying out
killed it before it got away.
called to Salad to ask if ho had es.
capped sting. and receiving cheerful
reply in tho affirmative thought no
more about it till, CHANGING to enter the
tent softly and unexpectedly, / 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 OH
the floor writing i'll 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 tho
ammonia, but utterly IN vain pleaded,
begged, commanded that he take tho
whisky. He would not touch 1t
Why? Only because he was Mussul-
man. No matter how intense his agony
or determined my command no put his
well hand over his mouth and shook his