Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-06-24
|INTHERAJAH'S
SERVICE
BY EDWIN D. TROUsDALE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

- y
This story was told me by an Eng
lishman who had grown old in the
civil service in India. We were sitting
in the smoking room of liner between
Southampton and New York:
The people of India are the most
sensitive as well as the most merciless
people of the world. An Indian will
treat one he wishes to destroy with
the most flattering attention while he
is planning to kill him. He always
strikes in the dark-that is, when he
kills with steel But it is with poison
that Indians do their most artistic MUIR
derous work. They have studied the
science of poison for ages. They have
poison rings, poison perfumes, poison
flowers. But the strangest of all is a
poison human being. They will feed
person on certain poison till he has
absorbed so much of it that his very
breath is noXious to one unused to
what the poison person is saturated
with.
/ had a narrow escape from death
when was in India. 1t was when /
first went out there as youngster and
had no idea of the secret dangers to
be incurred. That which an Indian is
most Jealous of is a woman. Any Eu-
ropean who attempts the slightest IA
miliarity with one of them is in Inn
minent danger of his life. If they
would give fellow chance 1t
wouldn't be quite so terrible, but they
won't. He is either murdered in the
dark or poisoned.
I was just twenty years old when I
landed in Calcutta to take position in
a British house dealing in opium and
the goods of the country. Later | was
sent into the interior to buy curios,
two of us being sent together for
greater safety. Bob Britton, not much
older than myself. was my companion.
In one of the towns we heard of a
rajah whose brother or some other
relative had died childless, and the
Tajah had inherited his effects. Not
caring to keep duplicates, he had offer
ed to sell many articles. Bob and
called on him, and he exhibited his
wares, treating us at the same time
royalty. While we were bargaining
he Toasted US in the room occupied by
the women, which was a great honor.
Unfortunately for Bob and me we
drank too much wine.
Being permitted to roam where We
pleased, we devoted ourselves each to
a pretty Indian girl. Presently | miss
ed Bob. He and the girl he was with
had strolled away into sort of In
closed summer garden. / Invited my
companion to go off in the same way,
but she gave me look that was all
the warning needed. contented my
self with remaining with the others
Bob and the girl he was with re
manned away from the rest OF us for
some time. When he returned he APP
peared to be quite proud of himself,
though the girls face wore fright
ened look AS soon as we were alone
he told me that he had taken the
sweetest kiss he had ever tasted. /
asked him If he was sure he was up-
observed, and he said he saw no one
about, but while his lips touched the
girls she had uttered a suppressed
scream. 1t was Immediately after this
that the two returned.
When we rejoined the rajah he ex-
pressed a hope that we had enjoyed
ourselves He was very ELUSIVE in
his offers of hospitality and friendship.
He asked us how we were pleased with
the ladies, and when we expressed
ourselves delighted he said that we
had not seen the most beautiful lie
clapped his hands, servant appeared,
he gave an order in a tongue we did
not understand, the servant withdrew.
and in few minutes our host led US
into another room where were assem-
bled several of the handsomest Indian
women / have ever seen. The rajah
introduced us, then left us, saying
that he would take nap.
One of the women, apparently with
the consent of the others, took Bob I'M
der her especial care, another took
me, and it wasn't long before, under
pretense OF showing us some of the
raiah's most valuable curios, they led
us into suit Of rooms filled with
enough rare articles to stock muse
um. Bob and ! soon got into separate
rooms. My companion and | seated
ourselves on a divan and were chat
ting about the curios when | noticed
that she had been using some strange
perfume. She gradually drew nearer
to me, and / noticed a deathiy sick
ness coming ever me. An instinct OF
self preservation, / suppose. led me to
get up from the divan. My next idea
was to find Bob. / staggered into an
other room. There was Bob with his
lips glued to those of the girl he was
with. Seeing me, she unwound her
arms from about him, and he fell to
the floor. ! went to him, bent over
him and knew that he was dead.
There was a door near by opening
into a garden. / managed to get to 1t
and passed out. The fresh air revived
me, and, regaining the strength Of my
legs, ran like deer anywhere to get
away from the horrible death had
barely escaped.
I returned to Calcutta and told my
story. Nothing could be done in the
matter; it Is not the policy of the Brit
ish government to punish Indians who
take revenge on Europeans for such
ofgehses. Britton's sudden death re-
ceived no official notice whatever. l
was considered to have made lucky
escape.