LÂTAH
accident that their comrade was lâtah, that they had ordered him to climb the tree, which he had at once done, and that then, out of sheer devilry, some one had taken a bit of rattan, said, "Do you see this snake? I will tie it round the tree, and then you can't come down," and so left him from 10 A.M. till the afternoon, when the inspector
returned and released him.
The time of Kâsim's penance was probably greatly exaggerated, but that is how the story was told to me, and of all that follows I was an eye- witness.
I made Kâsim Minor my orderly, and as he was constantly with me I had better opportunities of studying his peculiarities. About this time also I learnt that Kâsim Major was also lâtah.
Speaking generally, it was only necessary for any one to attract the attention of either of these men by the simplest means, holding up a finger, calling them by name in a rather pointed way, touching them or even, when close by, to look them hard in the face, and instantly they appeared to lose all control of themselves and would do, not only whatever they were told to do, but whatever was suggested by a sign.
I have seen many látah people, male and female,
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