"There is a sort of prologue to it," he went on. "I cannot well dispense with it as it leads up to what I particularly want to say."
"By all means let me have the prologue, if it be instructive."
"It is eminently instructive," he said. "But before I begin, just pass me the bottle, if there is any whisky left."
"It is drained," I said.
"Well, well, it can't be helped. When I was in India, I moved from one place to another, and I had pitched my tent in a certain spot. I had a native servant. I forget what his real name was, and it does not matter. I always called him Alec. He was a curious fellow, and the other servants stood in awe of him. They thought that he saw ghosts and had familiar dealings with the spiritual world. He was honest as natives go. He would not allow anyone else to rob me; but, of course, he filched things of mine himself. We are accustomed to that, and think nothing of it. But it was a satisfaction that he kept the fingers of the others off my property. Well, one night, when, as I have informed you, my tent was pitched on a spot I considered eminently convenient, I slept very uncomfortably. It was as though a centipede were crawling over me. Next morning I spoke to Alec, and told him my experiences, and bade him search well my mattress and the floor of my tent. A Hindu's face is impassive, but I thought I detected in his eyes a twinkle of understanding. Nevertheless I did not give it much thought. Next night it was as bad, and in the morning I found my panjams slit from head to foot. I called Alec to me and held up the garment, and said how uncomfortable I had been. 'Ah! sahib,' said he, 'that is the doings of Abdulhamid, the blood-thirsty scoundrel!'"
"Excuse me," I interrupted. "Did he mean the present Sultan of Turkey?"
"No, quite another, of the same name."
"I beg your pardon," I said. "But when you mentioned him as a blood-thirsty scoundrel, I supposed it must be he."
"It was not he. It was another. Call him, if you like, the other Abdul. But to proceed with my story."
"One inquiry more," said I. "Surely Abdulhamid cannot be a Hindu name?"