Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-02-15
LOYAL HINDOO.

mutgar, and he seemed to have nothing
70 do. He could not speak one word Of
English, and, 70 tell the truth, that was
the first and only recommendation upon
which / engaged him.
In religion he was q Mussulman, but
he was far from being devout Indeed1
very soon rated him as rather below tho
average in everything. However, as l
did not require anything remarkable,
we got on we'll enough to the end, for
he followed me, poor fellow, to his death.
Steal? Most decidedly. He would in
variAbiy steal anything belonging to me
that attracted his fancy. If / discovered
IL and went about it in the right way, /
could Usually get it back
Salad never left me for en- hour from
the time he entered my service He fol-
lowed me all day and slept on a 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
IS many promises as the time allowed,
but / am sure that he told me just as
many lies the last week of his life as no
did the first week he was with me. It is
IS much the natdre of the oriental to lie
and steal US it is Of a dog TO bark at q
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 10 bs Just, or wen generous. Many
q good turn Salad did me right in the
line Of those two traits 1t takes a
rogue to catch a rogue, and 1 know that
he saved nc from being robbed by 9th
ers many times over for all that he took
himself, while he would detect a lie in
what n n else told me as quickly as
a negro boy in old Virgin would spot a
ripe watermelon.
We were marching through the Terai
once with a small detachment A sol
der was leading my horse, while l
walked upon enc side of the path, fol
lowed Rt a little distance by Salad,
hunting for a 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 1 was making, had risen out of the
grass Just behind me. His fiat head and
naring hood were already thrown back
for o final fling at me. His half open
mouth was within three feet of my face
when my eyes rested upon it. If l turn
cd, 1 should only expose more of my
face If l lifted a hand, he would strike
it quicker than lightning. There was nc
chance to get away, and l was utterly
helpless
Before 1 had time to think a second
thought, however, Salad made n lear
from where he was standing, and be.
fore his feet had touched the ground he
had brought his staff about with a SHARP
whir as it cut the air, too quick ever
for a snake to dodge, and the next in.
slant the cobra's body wa writhing il
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 coulC
have reached me, yet if he had misseC
his aim or the snake had lodged hi
own life would have paid the forfeit
No one knew il better than Salad, bu
he took tao chance and saved my life
He had in his girdle at the time q brigh
colored silk handkerchief which he hal
stolen from me, and only that mornin
had solemnly declared that he kneH
nothing about it
Up in the hills one afternoon l was "
ing on n low tent bed taking a mar
when Salad saw a poisonous insect,
kind Of scorpion, crawling owe my pil
low. he had nothing near to use as
weapon and no time to lose. He caugh
IL in his naked hand and threw it u
the tent door. / woke in time to sos
flying through the air, and hurrying on
killed it before it got away.
/ called 70 Salad to ask il he had ei
capped q sting, and receiving a oheerfr
reply in the affirmative thought II
more about it till, CHANGING to enter th
tent softly and Unexpectedly, 1 foun
him sucking the back of his right han
for dear life. He stopped the instant 4
saw me and put the hand behind him.
The poison had already begun to tai
effect The hand and arm were swell
ing, and before long Salad was lying @
the floor writhing In agony. The onl
RntidOtes 1 had were ammonia and viii
ky. Salad knew the contents Of bot
bottles, for he had the care of all N
traps. I did my best for him with Il
ammonia, but utterly in vain ] pleade,
begged, commanded that no take Il
whisky. He would not touch It.
Whyi Only because he was o Mussu
man. No matter how intense his agoT
or determined my command he put h
well hand over his mouth and shook b
head He felt sure that he was dyinI
and he believed my assertion that Il
whisky might save him, but that ma
no difference He anne 80 near 10 deaI
that he was past seeing anything al
bey5ndh hearing. He lay upon the grounI
just breathing, painting, as though
wa almost at the end. II seemed usele
10 try again. and yet, now that no "
unconscious. / could at least make
last desperate trial with the whisk
The moment that IL touched his lips