The Press., 1905-01-25
SECRET ARMS IN THE EAST.
Weapons That Are Concealed For
Ready Use by Both Sexes.

l
Ready Use by Both Sexes.
In Hindustan there is IL choice of Sc
cret arms. The gupti or sword stick,
may be bought in every bazaar and is
said to have been used in the days of
Akbar Q543- 1909, but it is doubtful
whether the phrase in the ''Ain-i-Ak-
bari" of Abdul FAIL does not rather re-
fer to the Arab dagger with it's deep
sheath. containing both blade and haft.
If the traveller prefer it, he may buy q
sword thin and flexible as the Toledo
coiled blades to wind around his waist
in his cummerbund. If he. be fakir,
the ornamental crutch which upholds
his arm while he edifies the faithful by
silent reflections upon the syllable ON
will contain sharp pointed quadran-
gular blade for the confusion of the
unbeliever. Even lovely woman in the
harem carries miniature katar, with
III shaped grip, or il diminutive pesh-
kabz, double curved. single edged, afro
cious.
In Mysore and Haidarabad the bich'-
hwa (scorpion), the double curved mi
sericordia of the east, is carried by the
lower classes hidden up the sleeve and
is made right or left handed to suit all
tastes It is favorite and effectual
weapon of assassination, being driven
downward from behind inside the col
lar bone, and is sometimes double blad-
ed and poisoned, the poison being car
ried in suitable hollow i'll the hilt.
6n of
from that of cows horn and resem-
bling that of scorpions sting, recurs
in the khanjar and chilanum and
throughout Afghanistan. With Il vari-
ETY. of this weapon Lieutenant Willis
was killed in the battle at Kandahar.
The strangeSt of secret arms is per
haps the bagh nakh. or tiger claw, OF
the Nah atlas, with its two rings for
the first AMI fourth fingers and the
three to five curved steel claws des-
tined to protrude from the closed hand
between the fingers and to rip open or
mangle the victim. The hand half open
shows only two bright rings round the
fingers.
Tie clinched fist becomes the armed
paw of the human tiger. Mr. Egerton
tells us how the Mahratta leader silva
il muir, cred his enemy. Afzal Khan.
after inviting him to a conference in
which each should come with one at
tendant only. Sivaji wore mail cap
and coat under his turban and cotton
gown, had a bich'hwa in his right
sleeve and a bagh nakh on his left
hand. The khan had only his sword
and sent away his follower to reassure
Sivaji, who was of small stature and
timidity. "In the midst
of the customary embrace Sivaji struck
the bagh nakh into the bowels of At
zal Khan, who quickly disengaged him
self, clapped his hand on his sword, ex-
'Trcachery and murderv but
Sivaji instantly followed up the blow
with his dagger. The khan had drawn
his sword and made cut at Sivaji,
but the concealed armor was proof
against the blow. The whole was the
work of a moment. and Sivaji was
wrestling the weapon from the hand Of
his victim before the attendants could
run toward m."-Saturday Review.
The Shcr1E'S Christmas Dinner.
Deacon Johnson glib a dinner
At he cabin Christmas day:
AK de preacher all de deacons-
Nary deacon stay away!
An hit sholy did look scrlmptious
When dey got de table sot-
Chickin. possum meat an turkey,