The daily Alaskan., 1911-06-16

! This story was told me hy an IAA Iusbmau who had grown old m thc |civB service in India. We were sitting ] in the smoking room of a liner between l Southampton and New York.
 The people ut India are Che most sensitive as well as the most mereHess people of thc world. An Indian will treat one he wishes to destroy with the most aaueriug attention while he | Is planning to kill him. He always strikes in the dark-thdt is. when he kills with steel. But it with poison that Indians do their most artistic mur
 lerous work They have studied the science of poison for ages They have poison rings, poison perfumes, poison
 Bowers. But the sraugest of all is a poison human being. They win feeda ! person ou. d. certain poison till he has absorbed so much of iJ that his very ! breath is uoNious Co one unused to
 what the poison person is saturated with
 I had a narrow escape from death
 when l was in India It was when l first went out there as a youuEster and ! had mo idea of the secret dangers Co l be incurred. That which am Indian is most jealous of Is a woman. Any Eu- ropeau who attempts the slightest fa- milurity with one of them is iu im- mineut danger of his life. IT they
 would give fellow a chance it wouldn't be quite SO terrible, but they won't He is either murdered iu the ] dark or poisoned.
 I was just twenty years old when | 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 BriJtou, not much older than myself, was my companion.
 In one of the towns we heard of a raiah whose brother or some other relative had died cbildless, and the rajah had inherited his effects. Not caring to keep duplicates, he had offer cd to sell many articles Bob and called on him. and he exhibited his wares. treating Us at thc same time royalty. While we were bargaining he feastcd us in the room occupied by the women. which was great honor
 Unfortunately for Bob and me we drank too much wine.
 Being permitted ,o roam where we pleased we devoted ourselves each Co a pretty Iuian girl Presently ] miss ed Bob He and the girl he was with had stroued away into a sort ot iu- closed summer garden I invited my companion Co go oT in the same way, but she gave me a look that was an the warming needed. ! COuteutod my self with remaining with the others
 Bob and the girl he was with re- malned 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 a fright
 ened look As soon as we were alone he told me that he had taken the sweetest kiss he had ever tasted I asked him if he was sure be was uu- observed, and he said he saw mo one about but while his lips touched the girls she had uttered a suppressed scream. It was immediately after this that the two returned
 When we reioiued the rai8h be OK pressed a hope thaJ We had enjoyed ourselves. He was very edusive In his offers Of hospitality and friendship. He asked us how we were pleased with thc ladies. and when we expressed ourselves delighted he said that we had not seen the most heautful He cIapped his hands, a servant appeared. he gave an order in tongue We did not understand, the servant withdrew, and in a few minutes our host led ms into another room where were assem- bled several of the h8ndsomest Indian women I have ever seen. The rajah introduced us. then left us, saying that he would take a 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 preteuse Of showing ms some of the raiah's most valuable curios, they led
 us into suit Of rooms filled with enough rare articles to stock a muse um. Bob and I soon got into separate rooms. My companion and I seated ourselves on 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 I noticed a deathly sick ness coming ever me An instinct of self preservation, I suppose, led me to
 get up from the dlvau My next idea
 was to find Bob. I staggered inIo on- other room. There wns Bob with his lips glued to those of the girl he was with Seeing me she uUwound her arms from about him, and he fell to the floor. went Co him, bent over him and knew that he was dead There was door near by opening into a garden. I managed to get to it and passed out The fresh air revived
 me. and. rcgaining the strength of my ! legs. I ran like a deer anywhere to get
 away from the horrible death had ! barely escaped.