The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1911-10-06
INTHERAJAH'S
SERVICE
BY EDWIN D. TROUSDALE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.


The people of India are the most
sensitive as we'll as the most merciless
people of the world. An Indian will
treat one he wishes to destroy win
the most Gathering attention while ne
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 a certain poison till he has
absorbed so much of 1t that his very
breath is noxious to one unused to
what the poison person is saturated
with.
I had q narrow escape from death
when l 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 woman. ANY Eu-
ropean who attempts the slightest IA
miliarity with one of them is in i'm
minent danger of his life. If they
would give a fellow a chance it
wouldn't be quite so terrible, but they
won't. He is either murdered in the
dark or poisoned.
1 was just twenty years old when ]
landed in Calcutta to take position in
a British house dealing in opium and
the goods of the country. Later l 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
rajah had inherited his effects. Not
caring to keep duplicates, he had offer
ed to sell many articles. Bob and l
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 great honor.
Unfortunately. for Roh and me we
drank too much wine.
Being permitted to roam where we
pleased, we devoted ourselves each to
Il pretty Indian girl. Presently l miss
ed Bob. He and the girl he was with
had strolled away into sort of in
closed summer garden. 1 invited my
companion to 90 off in the same way,
but she gave me look that was all
the warning l 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 ap-
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. l
asked him if he was sure he was IN
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 i'll
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,
bo f,ora an opdar in q tOnollp wQ 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 handSOInest Indian
women l 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 un-
der her especial care, another took
me, and it wasn't long before, under
pretense of showing us some of the
rajah's most valuable curios, they led
us into a suit of rooms filled with
enough rare articles to stock a muse
UNI. Bob and soon got into separate
| rooms My companion and | seated
ourselves on a divan and were chat
| ting about the curiOs when l noticed
that she had been using some strange
perfume. She gradually drew nearer
| to me, and l noticed a deathly sick
ness coming ever me. An instinct OF
self preservation, l suppose, led me tC
get up from the divan. My next idea
was to find Bob. 1 staggered into an
other room. There was Bob with his
lips glued to those of the girl he was
with. Seeing me. she unwound hel
arms from about him, and he fell tC
| the floor. / went to him, bent over
| him and knew that he was dead.
There was q door near by opening
into a garden. 1 managed to get to II
and passed out. The fresh air revived
me, and, regaining the strength of my
legs, ran like deer anywhere to ge1
away from the horrible death l hai
barely escaped.
| I returned to Calcutta and told my
story. Nothing could fbe done in the
matter; it is not the policy Of the Brit
ish government to punish Indians who
take revenge on Europeans for sucf
offenses. Britton's sudden death re
ceived no official notice whatever.
was considered to have made a lucky
escape
There has never been any doubt II
my mind that the two girls who affect
ed Bob and me had been fed on 6
poison and were in the rajah's service
as secret executioners.
| If | HAD ECZEMA.