Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-25
HIS ORIENTAL RECORD.
The Story of a Swindlcr.
BY w. A. FRASER.

| also n ueSlre 10 aOu TO the Rentle
fire worshiper's tribulation. SO he went to
this creditor and confded in him. See
here" he said. this grasping Mussulman.
| Ragnath, who is OF an unchristian faith. is
| seeking to hurt my business by the regu-
lar native methods. See, he has summoned
me for 1000 rupees, which | do not owe.
The officer sent has unfortunately become
| intoxicated in the hotel and | must go alone.
| owe you a thousand, which | have brought
here II is. II you will kindly come with
| me to the court and stand security until
tomorrow for this debt, will show the
follower of Mahomet that II will not do to
bear false witness against a European.
will contest this suit and have him put in
jail. This thousand rupees which l give
you as evidence Of my good faith, you can
then keep for your debt"
1t seemed a candidly honest transaction
and the Parsee stood bondsman for Lang
don's appearance. 1t wasn't a productive
transaction. for that night the broker
quietly took the train and hied him over
the border into King Theebaw's territory
at Mandalay. There was no extradition
treaty and the wailing in Rangoon affected
very little the gay Sidney; in fact 1t was
rather good sport to him. In Mandalay
Langdon again fourished like q green bay
tree. He even carried on business with his
former friends in Rangoon-supplied the
city with stone for the roads. Many devices
were worked to entice him over the border
so that twelve good men might be allowed
to place on record their opinion Of his past
methods of finance, but Sidney was quite
content in his new abode.
He would probably have remained there
until such time as II became necessary to
behead him, but the year following his ad-
h..
land and Upper Burmah Again Langdon
had to prepare for move for with the
coming OF the troops British law would ex
tend up to Mandalay. Rich native mer-
chants became panic stricken at the pros
pect of looting soldiers overrunning their
premises. That was Langdon's chance; he
had big safe, and persuaded some of the
| terrorized Burmese to place their Jewels
with him for safekeeping.
THE soldiers will not steal from n
European" he said. They believed him;
and the soldiers never got a chance to dis
prove his words, for, as the troops entered
Mandalay. Sidney went down the river in
the big fiat steamer, disguised as q Bur
mese servant to one OF the passengers
Right through the watchers at Rangoon he
tripped.
At Calcutta Langdon had a little sport
Ing play in the swindling line None of the
racing men knew of his Rangoon record
and his generally prosperous appearance
backed up by his habit of having a bottle"
or the most expensive, gave him a standing
as man OF means. The Calcutta races
were on and Sidney knew the usual course
among gentlemen bettors was to book
transactions and settle the following Mon
day. So the first day of the meeting he
lyIN ,,,sI,
was kind enough to book his bets. Sidney
won quite sum. That night he said to the
bookmaker:
II should like to settle accounts, II YOU
don't mind. as l am going away to-
morrow"
The other paid with a sorrowful feeling
at losing this man who bet with reckless
freedom. for he looked upon him in the
light OF profitable customer But next
day. at the course. his heart was made glad
by sight Of the buoyant Langdon.
Thought you were going away" the
bookie said.
Got telegram changing my arrange
ments. Going to have another crack at
you"
That's good glad OF It,"
All that afternoon Sidney had his crack
at the layer Of odds and in the end stood
heavy loser on the books-ten times the
amount Of the previous days winnings.
Then the bookmaker had a protrac acted
season OF sadness, for he never saw Sidney
again; not that day nor any day after.
|
But though Langdon dropped out of the
Calcutta life with the same meteoric rapid =
ity he had come into 1t, yet our friend was
not quite finished with India for he tarried
a few days at Madras. Here he passed az
Captain Kane. son OF an American million
aire. His father was an owner OF great sill
yer mines and other gigantic affairs In the
western states. Nobody ever quite knew
how It was managed, but he had letters of
Introduction to one or two prominent people
and after few days was taking tifin and
hobnobbing generally with the governor of
the Madras presidency Goven -Duffen. At
that time the silver question, embodied in
the skeleton form OF the deprecated rupee
was OF vital moment, and king of the dis
cussion board Captain Kane enlightened
the governor OF Madras as to how this cur
rency problem was affected by America. His
} experience as the son of great silver king
was Of much value, and his opinions were
quoted. printed and generally accepted as
standard utterances.
He played whist at the Madras club lived
: on the fat OF the land savored with honey
, and, strange to say, left days before the
! entry of the usual grim aftermath. There
. was an aftermath, but 1t did not mature ir
, reality until the coming of age of the flood
of /. o. US, checks, drafts on the wealthy
father and other dubious literature which
! had been so lavishly given to the Madras
world.
= Days before the fulness OF this time he
encamped at Colombo. From Madras Lang.
don, now Captain Kane. took letters OF in
: PRODUCTION to the military and official life
of Ceylon's beautiful city. This, of course
threw the onus of entertainment upon the
4 Colombo dwellers, and Captain Kane of the
U. s. A. was kept busy answering invita-
tions; his room in the Grand Oriental ho-
tel was filled with them. At the end OF ten
days he said to the proprietor of the hotel
1--WE got to return the many social kind
nesses / have received here, | wish TO dc
It in thorough manner-gve one grand
r ball son ewhere, and invite everybody who
l is anyt ody | give you carte blanche--tht
: best of everything that money can buy
we must have, wines and all. Break the
S record-make IL a long be- remembered
affair-dont forget that"
5 1T shall be attended to, colonel" sale
} the proprietor with fawning Difference
"The best music, and tons of flowers,