The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-28
RAN AMUCK OPPORTUNITY.
Timely Help Given at a Crisis by
a Malay.
A TRAVELLERS ADVENTURE
In the slums of Cape Town-Attsmpted
Robbery by Ks mrs and Rescue by
h Madness OF a Maiay-Ta-ra-ra
Boom as q Railying Cry.

I'VE a been hearing a great dea
of the Malay people lately" said tn
aimless wanderer. and OF other in
habitants Of the Pacific islands. A
good many worthy folk seem rather sh,
OF coming into close contact with oul
brethren In the Philippines"
our brethren!" the anti-imperialist
shifted.
There Ii a good deal" said the aim.
less w~anderer. somewhat Indignantly
"of the old school japanese IN your
makeup, my boy. You are too exclu.
sive. As to brethren-well. ! know thai
III particular Malay were to CONS
Just now into this smoking room IL
should embrace him.. He was not the
first Malay l had come across. Years
x i spent some time in Ceylon, and
I found that they were very useful
members of society there. The colony
utilized them as police. The big men
or the New York force at the crowded
street crossings deserved re-
spect. no doubt. But IL l were a police
man l should not care for the more
or less hasty regard of a Broadway
crowd. l should choose to be a tall.
handsome, black-eyed, rather fierce
locking Malay in a pretty dark green
belted uniform with red trimmings. My
little round cap l would perch gayly
on my righ ear. like a London guards
nan III uUuTtSS. MY ntIneI garments
would end suddenly just below the
knee. leaving a picturesque terminal to
my person of wiry, bare. brown legs
and feet. i would carry in my right
hand a badge OF office-no common,
stumpy. brutal looking %bludgeon of a
club, but a long wand. a ceremonious,
dignified ~appendage to my rank. Thus
CARRIED. | should march down the CEN
ter OF h bazaar solemnly. with just
a little self-consciousness to show | was
human. n then the brown Cingalese
with their nice clean cummerbunds.
and the black Tamil coolies with their
dirty waistcloths and turbans, and the
fat old Moormen with bales OF curios
would all get out of my way. while the
children OF the bazaar would tag along
In my wake. with great big beautiful
eyes of admiration. and nothing on
them that you could conscientiously
call clothes. Yes. II one must be a po-
liceman. hat is the policeman one
should try to be.
However. my Malay. my own partic-
ular Malay, was not a resident of Cey-
lon nor of the Philippines. but of Cape
Town. There / made the acquaintance
or an exile from Boston, who kent a
little hotel close to the Malay quarter.
The bar of the hotel proper was a SNUG
place. where small ship masters and
petty officers came occasionally. This
was the white mems resort. A door
OF the hall led to a big. bare room.
furnished with long deal tables and
benches and a piano. This was the
gathering place Of the brown men.
Malays and half castles. An alley led
to a back room. where Cape Smoke
was served out to the black men-Kaf-
mrs. So. you see. the B~ostonian cater
ed for all, while strictly observing the
laws or caste. Still, / cannot say tbs
the hotel was at all times the place
for a peaceful man to frequent.
In the brown room, of an evening,
music was the rule. The Malays did
the singing. n some of them Were
very good indeed-comic songs being
their fsvorites. There was one of them
whom | never heard called anything but
John, although that was. Of course. not
his name. He was a beautiful speci-
men of his race-tall. muscular. hand |
and recklessly jolly. He had a
rollicking voice n used to below Ia |
ra-boom-de-ay!-which had then just
South Africa-so that the hotel
John was my very good
"one night ! got tired of the Bos-
tonian's "reminiscences of John l.. SulL-
n of the Malay dancing. and
went to look at the bar Of the blacks.
Its patrons were a dozen big coal-black
pretty raw. as they call the
still uncivilized native out there. They
had some rags on their bodles-being
compelled in towns to dress up-bu;
that only made their feroCious gayety
more unnatural. They all turned 90
at me when I entered. which I
a once sorry I mad lone. and the
opened his eyes. too. He was
A huge chap OF mongrel breed. and. I
heard. was a whirling terror when
he let himself loose among his unruly
customers. I walked "a the bar and
Jailed for the house. and smiled on the
kaffirs with all the sweetness l could
bring to bear.
This Is no place for you. sir said
he bartender. and seemed half in
lined not to serve me. But | could not
without doing something. and I was
! proceeded To pay the score.
found | had no change. and drew out
II n end of my watch chain one OF
hose little silver sovereign purses
rested i'm the vest pocket oppo-
lite to my watch. The Kafirs crowded
again at sight Of this curiosity.
rhe thing did not pen smoothly, and
NO or three soVereigns were jerked into
he palm of my hand. The bartender
hanged one, and I restored the the
o their place. feeling foolish at having
displayed gold In such a place. Then
got out as quickly as I could. ex-
80 - - q WIN
he crowd as I bade them goodbye.
1T was late on a saturday night and
he moon was hidden. Now. Cape Town
; a place where one can lose ones self
4 night pretty easily IL not well ac-
and l Was not well acquaint- I
d. i must nave walked a mile before
recognized hat | was far out OF my
way. There began to assail my nos 4
rils the smell you can hardly mistake. Z
he oriental odor-you meet IL at Its best !
n the by lanes OF Egypt. From one I
came the noise OF n domestic I
.uarrol, and a. I recognized In the I
ow no words of English OF Dutch. but. {
N the contrary. the hlgh-pitched
quail OF the coolie. I knew that I had
wandered into the Malay quarter. aud J
relinquished my intention OF knock !
ng at a door and asking TO be direct {
d home. You see, my friends OF The :
music room were very well In the mu- >
&c room. but there were stories in my :
mind OF the Malay In his lair which q
me ~ all fha au-.nf.-. q