SOMETHING LIKE A BURGLARY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1197, 6 February 1885, Page 3

SOMETHING LIKE A BURGLARY.

The robbers of India at one time carried their art to such perfection that in some places it used to be absolutely necessary, and that not so very Jong ago, to pay them black -mail to escape their dep. edationa. In Bombay, during the hot weather, the wealthier Euiopeaus live on the esplanade near the seashore in tents or temporary bungalows, and it used actually to be quite a common occurrence for a family to hire a well known thief to act as watchman over their property. In the Madras Presidency some twenty years since, an officer am the march chanced to halt at a certain place. The chief of the thieves waited on him and told him it wash veiy bad place, there w :re so many rogues in it; would the sahib a low him to do watchman ; of course for a consideration being understood. No, said the officer, he would post his sentries as usual, and if .any thief approached their tents the thief would find himself the worse for it. The sentries were accordingly posted, and the rest of the detachment went to sleep. The next morning not a musket Wis to be found, save those of the sentries, who'all declared that not one of them slept, and that they had kept the stiictest watch. In this unpleasant predicament the officer had to send for the ‘ watchman’ who had tendered his services, guaranteeing no harm ah mid befall him in the matter.

When the astute old scoundrel presented himself, the officer told him of his loss, and promised a reward if the muskets were restored. * 1 told the sahib there were bat men here. I will see what can be do"e ; but mind. 1 know nothing of the affair myself.” What could the unforluna e officer do but wink at wh it he well knew was a lie? In a few hoars the ol i fellow re mned, an i said he had obtained information that the muskets would be found hidden in a certain nullah or dry watercourse There they were sure enough. The * watobm m’ pocketed a ranch heavier reward than he wouul have got if his services had been en gaged before, and the officer proceeded on his way a sadder and a wiser man The way the thing was done was this. As the sentry turne I his back a dusky form crept nearer and nearer to the c imp, auo thor and another following, and cunningly did the movers avail themselves of any bush or scrub, or inequality of the ground, that their presence iu the viciniiy war never suspected. At length, watching his opportunity, the foremost opened a corner of ihe tent on the side opposite that where the sentry was patrolling, ■ ntered, and abstracted a musket; this he handed to the c nnpvni m hams lively behind him who passed it on to the next, and so on until the last hid been ie nove l, when they all retreated iu the same order as they had advanced. Bo hj in India and Ceylon thieves are in the habit of greasing themselves all over, in order tha r , if seize I they may slip like eels through the fingers of their captors.