an regiment in
that station. Necessarily there was a number of European military
officers besides a number of civil and executive officers in that
station.

On a certain June morning, which is a very hot month in India, an Indian
Fakir came into the compound of Mr. Anderson begging for alms. Mr.
Anderson and his wife were sitting in the verandah drinking their
morning tea. It had been a very hot night and there being no electricity
in this particular station, Mr. Anderson had to depend on the sleepy
punkha coolie. The punkha coolie on this particular night was more
sleepy than usual, and so Mr. Anderson had passed a very sleepless night
indeed. He was in a very bad temper. A whole life passed among Indian
workmen does not generally make a man good-tempered and a hot June in
the Indian plains is not particularly conducive to sweet temper either.
When this beggar came in Mr. Anderson was in a very bad mood. As the man
walked fearlessly up to the verandah Mr. Anderson's temper became worse.
He asked the beggar what he wanted. The beggar answered he wanted food.
Of course, Mr. Anderson said he had nothing to give. The beggar replied
that he would accept some money and buy the food. Mr. Anderson was not
in the habit of being contradicted. He lost his temper--abused the
beggar and ordered his servants to turn the man out. The servants
obeyed. Before his departure the beggar turned to Mr. Anderson and told
him that very soon he would know how painful it was to be hungry.

When the beggar was gone Mr. Anderson thought of his last remark and
laughed. He was a well-known rich man and a good paymaster. An order
for a L100 on a dirty slip of paper would be honoured by his banker
without hesitation. Naturally he laughed. He forgot that men had
committed suicide by drowning to avoid death from thirst. Well, there it
was.

The bell announcing breakfast rang punctually at 10 o'clock in the
morning. Mr. Anderson joined his wife in the drawing-room and they went
to the dining-room together. The smell of eggs and bacon and coffee
greeted them and Mr. Anderson forgot all about the Indian beggar when he
took his seat. But he received a rude shock. There was a big live
caterpillar in the fish. Mr. Anderson called the servant and ordered him
to take away the fish and serve with eyes open the next time. The
servant who had been in Mr. Anderson's service a long time stared
open-mouthed. Only a minute before there was nothing but fish on the