The daily Alaskan., 1905-11-23
THE COLONIES
 VALET

of native valets. 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 1t that you have let me live on so loug?"
 May the sahib colonel live for a thousand years" was the reply of the man with the impressive face who stood before him in criuging attitude.
 That's all glmmOn, Ni1am, and you know it. Like all other Hindoos, you have a deadly hatred of the English. You wish for nothing 80 much as an- other rebellion and chance to cut our throats. Do not speak the truthT'
 Great and powerful are the English, and their rule Is merciful and full of justice"
 "An sheer hypocrisy on your part, Ni- gam. 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, sahlb 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. I am quick tenn pered, and l strike first and tall after ward. have cuf'eI and kicked you, and I have had you whipped, and I'm not fool enough to think you have pass ed 1t all by"
 Tn my hear. there Is nothing but love for the sahib colonel" replied the valet.
 "An right, Nlzam. You won't tell the truth, and can't make you, and so we will let this subject drop. Take pointer from me, however. When you set out to Kill me make quick job of It If you don't I'll have you roasted over Q slow fire"
 Nlzam went away to hls room to ponder. It was true that he hungered for the coloners death. He would have ElYen everything but his own life to bring 1t about. It 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- plclous. He knew of several valet5 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 sahlb colonel suspected his feelings, and now that he knew he did he might be taken out and shot any day. The | Hlndoo'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 1t. Two days later one of inc beg gars visiting the compound to 0Sk for food carried a basket When finding himself alone with Nizam he sad:
 There Iu the basket you wLl. dhd a cobra fresh from the jungle, and the slightest scratch from his fangs means death. Let him be turned loose in the sahlb coloners room, and he will do the rest When Serpeuts are found ey- anywhere, 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 10 bed he Slccpily said:
 "Nizam, you liar and hyp0critc, y2T l know you'd like to murder me, but you haven't the nerve. You are c0war1. | You haven't the courage Of r0ma- I'm drunk tonight ard shall sleep He ! log, but l shall have ID fear of you.
 q shall watch over the zlhi5 c0.0ue as a mother over her child" replied tho ] valet as he turned his face aside t' ! hide a smile.
 1 Half an hour later the basket was upset in the coloncls chamber and thS hissing and angry cobra turned loose. i He would find the sleeper within ten minutes and bury his f0ugs 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 l and give the cobra q chance to escape. ] It might he said he had been care less about e screen or they might say that the salIb colonel had blundered around after being left for the night. l There was a bright moon, and it shone full into Nizam's room. There were neither screens nor glass to keep f 1t out. The natives of India care nei- ther for heat nor insects. As the valet | Vat 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 out through the screen of the colonel's window, but had not made off to the jungle. For two minutes the serpent remained quiet. Then 1t began creeping toward the valet. His eyes were fastened upon 1t and dilated in horror, but his muscles were paralyzed, aud he could make no A1.P