El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-11
THE COOLIE
CBy Kari p Fallas)


A GIRDLE Of palms runs round
"A the moonslip beach. Silver rip
= pies are pushed lazily up the
shore cy the gently heaTing sea The
humid air is langourous and warm, and
the light Of the full mon makes here
and there a rainbow haze.
Silently down the avenue leading to
the sea, come two figures, white man
and a coOlie servant Discarding his
long over-garment. the former inhales
the sweet evening air powerfully, then
prances into the water with show Of
boldness, bur really trepidity and dis
trustfuIly He churns its CLASSY, phOs-
phorescent surface into spangled foam
he embraces it with a show Of intim-
acy leaning forward to test its buoy
/ ancy, but always with foot advanced on
the sand below.
Then William"
Sir
You liking come and swim too"
'Sir, impossible!
European never letting sinhalee man
swimming same time"
But I will"
sir. no-oi If other man seeing, then
telling all people"
Never mind. Come along"
sir, sir" pleaded the coo1e.
man resumed his splashing. The coohe
sat down on a boulder and watched
him. his dark figure Shouted on the
sand; when the bather emerged ne Slooo
up quickly and helped him to put ., on
his gown. "By'm bye, master very
good swimmer" he said
Yes, William"
Yes sir. Little practice very day,
master soon best swimmer in CeyIon-
Thank you, William
They disappear All is quiet again
except for the tapping Of the water on
the sand. Steadily, with the advance
of night, the noon approaches the horl-
zOn, drawing in its wake along the
oceans placid surface its silver comet
Gus tail. Phosphorescent sparkes show
here and there where little fish are
playing, and out to sea dim specks tell
of the Watchfulness Of all night ma
tive fishermen in their little cata-
marans.
At last the moon Tan1SheS DeloW Ine
rim of the sea. and the stars hold sway
In the darkness. Suddenly they seem
to pale; an aerial light pervades the
sky. and lol the fleece OF the eastern
armament IS blood red.
Again the white man comes to battle
He arrives with morning freshness De
fore the great god sun has tipped the
Jungle and quickly throws the water
over his head with his hands. He plays
exultingly in the shadows, falling for
ward. breast deep and kicking might
lily.
At the end of the display. William
vouchsafes two words Masters splen-
$50. william"
Z "Yessir"
At the end Of the week the swim
rner was to be seen by the occasional
passerby laundering manfully, uncOm-
fOrtably out Of his depth, round his
waist a rope. the end OF which VII
liam held with both hands, seated on
his favorite boulder.
You pull too much. William" was
his usual comment, and as the coolie
did not comprehend he showed him how
he had Jerked the rope, after each Illus
tration shaking his head and half up
raised hand, and repeating No! mo-"
"Ah yessir," exclaimed William
finally-"master telling pull I pull;
telling no pull, no pull. I under
standing"
Thereafter proficiency and confidence
grew apace. Presently the light mon
soon breezes brought a fuller sea and
man-hlgh breakers but the swimmer
breasted them eXultingly, each time
pausing on the beach only to impress
upon William the necessity of holding
pulling instantly he called, especially
If he should be far out and in dis
tress.
Still the coolie pulled at the wrong
moment, certain Of his master'c danger
in the heavy sweep Of the current round
that peculiarly sloping moonslip beach.
NO, no, William I calling more
rope You no giving plenty. I very
good swimming; you pulling, making
bad swimming"
Very sorry, master trying again.
no pulling )"
Right. I only telling pull no pull
more rope understand"
''Yessir"
Again he is in the water "Big-big
swim he cried proudly, as he made
the plunge.
Occasionally the coolie cranes his
neck TO get a better view Of the swim
mer. who Is out almost to the full ex-
tent OF the rope. To and fro he swims,
rising buoyantly on the waves. He
turns to come in, but is momentarily
overwhelmed by a wave and his action
IS spoiled. Then he realizes that the
backwash is pushing him seawards.
William %
But the coolie did not catch the