The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-06-05
ABDULLAH.
By SADIE OLCOTT

The people Of India, passing theil
lives without the methods at hand Eu
ropean races have for development up
ward, are prone to develop downward
What l mean Is that their minds are
forced into unwholesome channels. In
these channels they become very ex,
pert The Indian fakir will do tricks
that to US are inexplicable. In the
matter of poisons it is doubtful If Ital
ians in the days Of the B0rgias knew
1.-THE that Is known in India. Snake
charmers, too, are plentiful, and one
cannot pass along a street without see
ing them seated cross legged doing
tricks with the reptiles. 1t Is aston
fishing what vipers may be taught.
Captain Oldershaw of the Seventy
second regiment Of the line was sta
toned with his regiment In India. The
captain considered himself so much bet.
ter than the dusky natives Of India
that he considered they had no rights
he was bound to respect. He had a
servant, Abdullah, sad faced, unOb-
trusiye creature, whom he treated as a
slave. In India white persons usually
have many servants, each mental for a
different purpose.
One day Captain Oldershaw missed
! some money that he kept In drawer
Of u desk. He was much disgruntled
at his loss, for he had nothing but his
pay and was obliged to make that so
as far as possible. The first man he
met after the theft was Abdullah, and,
rs was to be expected, he vented bis
wrath upon him. Having accused bis
servant and the servant having denied
the charge, the next step was to take
the law in his hands by trying, con-
victing and Furnishing the culprit him
self. He tied Abdullah up by the
thumbs with his own hand and sat be-
side him, drinking brandy and soda
and smoking till Abdullah finally con-
fessed the theft and was taken down.
But since the Indian hadn't stolen
the money he hadn't 1t to return. So
the captain mhgnanimously permitted
him to work it out. Abdullah meekly
consented to this and was even more
faithful to his master than before.
One day brother officer dined with
Captain Oldershaw and saw Abdullah.
what are you doing with that fellow
in your employ?" asked the guest of
Oldershaw.
He is my bootblack," replied Older
shaw
HE has been a snake charmer. l
saw him perform one day on the street
and was so struck with what he had
taught his snakes that l have not for
gotten him."
"What did he teach them?"
ITO charm bird, then crush 1t BY
coiling about it."
Upon my word! You don't mean
it,
Eyes, do. I wouldn't have the fel-
low dUOuC lu6 luz d uUAcuOH.
Oldershaw seemed a bit put out by
the information and resolved that when
Abdullah had worked out the money
he had confessed to having stolen he
should be sent away. But Abdullah's
wages were very small, and the sum
was stable, so a good deal of time
was required in the matter.
One evening very pretty Indian
girl came to the captains quarters and
asked to see him. He received her and
sat chatting with her for some time.
When she was about to depart she ask
ed If the captain would give her kiss.
He did so and would have repeated the
act, but the girl did not seem to care
for another kiss and left him. She was
scarcsly gone when he began to feel
strange and in few minutes sank un-
conscious on the floor.
1t happened that the surgeon Of the
regiment came in at the time and
found Oldershaw being picked up by
his servants. When he asked them
what the captain had been doing to
bring on an attack they informed him
Of the visit of the Indian girl and the
kiss.
"Great heavens" exclaimed the doc
tor. "He has been kissed by poison
grip
An Indian poison girl is one who,
taking little Of a certain poison ev-
cry day, increasing the dose, at length
becomes immune to its effects, but is
herself deadly. The surgeon, having
served in India many years, knew the
antidote ana, having arrived in the
nick Of time, saved the captains life.
Oldershaw was in a quandary. He
suspected that some one having
grudge against him had sent the pol
son girl to him. Possibly some one Of
his own servants might have done so.
He thought Of Abdullah and what he
had heard Of him, remembering having
tortured him. But Abdullah had new.
er seemed so devoted to him as re.
Gently. Still, the captain had begun to