The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-05-11

SERVICE
By EDWIN D. TRCUsDALE
Copyright by American Press Asso.
citation. 1911.

sensitive as well as the most merciless
people of the world. An Indian will
!, treat one he wishes to destroy with
! the most catering attention while he
Is planning to kill him. He always
strikes in the dark--that is, when he
kills with steel. But 1t Is with poison
that Indians do their most artistic muir.
derous work. They have studied tie
science Of poison for ages. They have
poison rings. poison perfumes, poison
flowers. But the strangest of all il a
poison human being They will feed a
person on a 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 narrowAs De from death
when l was in Id Fit 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 fl.
miliarity with one Of them Is in i'm
minent danger Of his life. If they
would give fellow chance il
wouldn't be quite so terrible, but they
won't. He is either murdered in the
dark or poisoned.
was just twenty years old when I
landed in Calcutta to take position in
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
rajah whose brother or some other
relative had died childless. and the
rajah 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.
drank too much wine.
Being permitted to roam where we
pleased. we devoted ourselves eachto
pretty Indian girl. Presently ! miss
ed Bob, He and the girl he was with
had strolled away into O sort Of IN
closed summer garden invited my
companion to go off III the saIne 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 un.
observed, and he said be saw no one
about, but while bis lips touched the
girls she had uttered suppressed
scream. 1t was Immediately after this
that the two returned. /
When we rejoined the raiah he ex-
pressed 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. He
clapped his hands, a servant appeared.
he gave an order in a tongue we did
not understand. the servant withdrew
and IN a 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 aus, saying
that he would take nap.
One Of the women, apparently with
the consent Of the others, took Bob I'M
der her especial Sare, another took
me, and 1t wasn't long before, under
pretense of showing us some of the
rajahs most valuable curios, they led
us into suit of rooms filed with
enough rare articles to stock q muse.
UNI. Bob and soon got into separate
rooms My companion and seated
ourselves on q 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 deathly sick.
ness coming ever me. An instinct Of
self preservation, I 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 It
and passed out. The fresh air revived
me, and, regainlng the strength of my
legs. ran like deer anywhere to get
away from the horrible death I had
barely escaped.
/ returned to Calcutta and told my
story. Nothing could be done In the
matter; 1t Is not the policy of the Brit |
sh government to punish Indians who
lake revenge on Europeans for such
,ffenses. Britton's sudden death re-
,eived no official notice whatever. III
was considered to have made lucky
Escape.
There has never been any doubt In
- A