The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-07-03

The gentlemen, Of course, fall In
with the customs Of the country at
once, and soon appear dressed IN
white, with shakos upon their heads.
Mynheer Joe presently makes bis
way to the barracks, known as can.
tonment in this tropical country. He
has business with an officer whom ne
hopes to find in Bombay. Disappoint'
ment awaits him, since the party IN
question is at present away. His re-
turn from Benares is daily expected
Benares, the sacred city, where one OF
the yearly melas, or religious fairs,
that draw thousands Of pilgrims anx-
ious to wash in the waters, and be
made well, is in progress. So Joe can
only wait his coming. Meanwhile.
there is no reason why he should not
be enjoying the passage of time.
When he contemplates the pleasure
with which he will show Molly over
this peculiar city Of the Hindoos,
gazing upon its many strange sights, he
finds no reason to feel down-hearted
over the matter.
He knows it all like book, from
the Towers Of Silence on the hill,
where the Parsees bring their dead
for the vultures to prey upon, to the
horse-markets, where sit, cross-legged,
Persians wearing their blue or green
cotton kuftans, belted at the waist,
and smoking their kalians, together
with more active Arabians, with their
striped mantles and silk kafeeyas, or
tasselled handkerchiefs, twisted about
their heads, all having horses for sale,
that have been brought by sea from
the land Of Mocha.
The mysteries of the native quarter
are we'll known to this man who has
Travelled, and he is almost as much at
home among the shops and bazars OF
the famous Bhendy Bazar Road as on
Broadway, New York.
Thus, the party can In measure be
free from the tyranny Of the chowki-
dar, or guide. although they secure
several Of these illustrious personages
to be useful. They are ready to 90
almost anything, even to waiting on
the table or pulling the cord Of the
great punka fan that keeps the air cool
at meal times.
AS in almost every part of the globe,
the travellers find money an important
factor to bring comfort, and the
mighty rupee in Bombay will 60 far
toward making ones stay round Of
pleasure.
The weather is delightful. and It
looks as if our travellers from the
Nile may have very pleasant stay
in Bombay. Sometimes coming events
do not cast shadow before. The cy.
clone may burst upon community
with startling rapidity. Perhaps these
good folks who have malice in their
hearts toward none may yet be sur
prised by the sudden ard awful com.
ing Of a storm. AS the dreaded mon
soon sweeps across the Indian Ocean
at certain times, bringing ruin in Its
path, so the hatred Of one man may
leave q trail of desolation behind, es-
pecially when that man is as unscrupu-
lous as the Russian baron who comes
to India in the interest Of his czar,
whose covetous eyes have long yearned
to possess the rich country Of the In.
dus and the Ganges.
One there is among them who sleeps
with his senses on the alert-the man
whose business has been such that
he trusts not to seeming peaceful sur.
roundings-Obed Grimes will hardly
be caught mapping when the blow fin.
ally falls.
Sandy is alive to his opportunity,
and endeavors to see as much in
limited time as he possibly can. he
takes copious notes in shorthand as
he goes, which later on will be writ
ten out in the shape of spicy letters
to the wide-awake New York journal
by whom he is employed.
In company with Demosthenes Tan.
ner and a chowkidar or two, he pro-
ceeds to take in as much of Bombay
as can be done during a single after.
noon.
TTo he Continued1