Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-12-09
THE COLONIES
VALET

Bombay, had taken a native valet be-
cause that was the fashion, and he eX-
pected the fellow to assassinate him
some day, because that was the custom
of native Wallets. He thought the event
might happen the first year, then the
second, the third, and when four years
had gone by and no attempt had been
made on his life he called Nizam to him
one day and said:
"How is it that you have let me live
on so long?'
MAY the sahib colonel live for a
thousand years." was the reply of the
man with the impassive face who stood
before him in cringing attitude.
''That's all CANNON, Nizam, and you
know it. Like all other Hindoos, you
have a deadly hatred Of the English
You wish for nothing so much as an
other rebellion and chance to cut our
threats. Do not speak the truth?''
Great and powerful are the English,
and their rule is merciful and full Of
justice"
"All sheer hypocrisy on your part, Nj
Fam. You'd like to put your knife into
a dozen of us today. You have now
been with me four years."
-Four long and happy years, sahib
colonel, and 1t would break my heart
to have you send me away"
"More rot There has not been a
week in the four years that / have not
knocked you about. / am quick tenn
pered, and strike first and talk after
ward. I have cuffed and kicked you
and | have had you whipped, and I'm
not fool enough to think you have pass
ed it all by"
I'm my heart there is nothing but
love for the sahib colonel" replied the
valet.
"All right, Nizam. You won't tell the
truth, and l can't make you, and so
we will let this subject drop. Take a
pointer from me, however. When you
set out to kill me make a quick job of
it. If you don't I'll have you roasted
over q slow fire."
Nizam went away to his room to
ponder. 1t was true that he hungered
for the colonels death. He would have
given everything but his own life to
bring it about. 1t was true that for
four years he had been ready for any
opportunity and had never been with
out poison, but he feared the white
men. They could trace the most sub
tie pOisons, and they were always sus-
picious. He knew of several Wallets
who had killed their sahibs, and each
and every one had been found out and
punished, no matter how sharp they
were. He had often wondered if the
sahib colonel suspected his feelings,
and now that he knew he did he might
be taken out and shot any day. The
Hindoo's alarm lasted for a month
Then he began to pluck up heart again.
The simplest and easiest weapon at
hand was one he had never thought of,
and the idea came to him like a flash
one day. An hour later he was acting
on it. Two days later one Of the beg
gars visiting the compound to ask for
food carried basket When finding
himself alone with Nizam he said:
There in the basket you will find
cobra fresh from the jungle, and the
slightest scratch from his fangs means
death. Let him be turned loose in the
sahib colonels room, and he will do
the rest. When serpents are found ev-
erywhere, who can say that you had
anything to do with this?''
There were guests at the mess that
night, with much drinking and speech
making, and the colonel came in late
and staggering under his load Of wine.
He was not so far gone, however, but
that he remembered certain things,
and while being put to bed he sleepily
said:
MAN, you liar and hypocrite, you
know you'd like to murder me, but you
haven't the nerve. You are a coward.
You haven't the courage of a woman.
I'm drunk tonight and shall sleep like
a log, but shall have no fear of YOU"
II shall watch over the sahib colonel
as mother over her child" replied the
valet as he turned his face aside to
hide a SMILE
Half an hour later the basket was
upset in the coloneIs chamber and the
kissing and angry cobra turned loose.
He would find the sleeper within ten
minutes and bury his fangs in his flesh.
Nizam sat down in his own room to
enjoy the sensation. In the course of
an hour he would go out on the veran-
da and push one Of the screens aside
and give the cobra a chance to escape.
1t might he said he had been care
less about the screen or they might say
that the sahib colonel had blundered
around after being left for the night.
There was a bright moon, and it
shone full into Nizam's room. There
were neither screens nor glass to keep
it out. The natives of India care mel
ther for heat nor insects. AS the valet
sat crouched on his launches, wonder
ing and listening and smiling, some
thing came wriggling over the sill of
the window and dropped to the floor.
The cobra had got oft through the