Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-01-13
A Tale Of the Far East
o, cLARIssA MAcKIE

Fish rs he skilfully mended net on
the silver sands OF ounce harbor;
"thereforr. ma'am. I'm not responsible
for its veracity."
Never mind" assured him eagerly.
"Of course know they can't be true.
Nevertheless they are interesting II one
can separate the truth from the hc-
ton"
Miss TeIham." said the captain.
turning his lwinkling eye upon me,
.nction amt no word to use In connec
ton with my old messmate Ananias
Slime. He's just plain and simple
liar. but every once In awhile. IKE
most liars. lac swings the pendulum so
far 10 leeward that back she comes
and runs afoul of the truth. At such
times Ananias gets into heaps OF trou-
Bile.
Now. the story | have I'm mind Is
about the time Ananias got into trou'
bile with the rajah OF Raddabah. out
In India. You wouldn't think the mate
OF peaceful trading ship like the old
Indus was would be mixing In such
high society as Indian princes. but
when Ananas got started on an nd
venture there was no knowing where
he'd stop not nj princes anyway.
Likely IL would have TO be kings or
queens or biz hugs OF some extra high
standing
We'll. we had left Calcutta and was
running along down the coast with the
Jaipur hills in the background when
Ananias came aft and told me thar the
water butts had sprung leak and
that we would have 20 put ashore and
get another supply OF water.
Il won't go into the details OF how
this happened. maam. for IL was all
most nnseamanlike. and il had never
happened Ia me before. Our ships
carpenter repaired the damages. aud
all we had 20 do was 10 tie up at the
right place aad try and find some pure
water. and In India rna'am. that's no
easy matter
AT last we came 10 fair sized vii
lare where the natives didn't seem any
more than naturally curious ut sight
OF US. and Ananias went ashore with
some men TO have powwow with the
headman.
How could you talk TO that head
man, Auanias? I asked him. j didn't
know you could speak Hindustani.'
~ don't wear all my accomplish
ments on my sleeves. skipper he says
excitedly.
"'S'pose you talk little Hindustani
TO me- baiied him.
Then Ananias ratified OFF lot OF
queer gibberish that sounded rs II he
had swallowed all his teeth aud was
laughing about II. You savee" he
ended up just like n Chinee laundry
man.
- understand ! says TO him grim
ly 4 understand from what You say.
Ananlas Slime. that you're throwing
ine game Of bun about talking to the
headman lie looks too intelligent 10
converse in any langwltch like that.
Whatever he told you about the water
YOU 20 and do II. | can stand anything
except water from the Gauges. II
you're going through the jungle you
better take guns.
"Ananias didn't say word. but he
and the men he picked out hustled
around and got the wafer casks and
| provisions aud some guns aud ammu-
milton. ANA away they went In the bull
lock cart. with the headmaH OF the vii
lage lashIng long whip and yelling
at the buIlorks in langwitch that
didn't sound like the one Ananias made
| up.
1T was the next morning before
| Ananias and his party came back. and
they were hurrying some. nam. can
tell you Ananias was In the lead.
running for his life. aud behind him
came his four seamen. and back Of
them were three OF the tallest. longest
legged Tllndus ever set eyes upon.
and rye seen sight OF 'em In my
day
II had boat at the jetty TO meet
'em. but declare II the three Hindus
didn't get there at the same time. and
all tumbied In with nur men. and SO
they were NIL brought aboard and
came before me
WHATS all this demanded OF
Ananias.
"'I'll explain. skipper. II you'll send
my men below for bite 10 eat and a
little rest he says slyly. And so
sent the four seamen below. and that
left Annnias standing there. looking
scared and mad nj the same time.
while the three IIindns stood just be-
hind him. staring sadly NJ me
Explain. then. snapped out.
"Ananias tnok n chew OF tobacco and
folded his arms II happened this
way. skipper he began And then he
launched out 10 n wonderful tale OF
how they had reached the shore OF the
lake where the raJah's palace was sit
uated when the rajah was taking his
| pleasure in boat on the lake.
1T seems he didn't understand the