# Secundra Dass — The Master of Ballantrae character guide

> Secundra Dass in The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Secundra, Ask Secundra Dass

**First appearance:** 0005-iii-the-master-s-wanderings

## Snapshot

The Master's enigmatic Indian servant, a quiet, watchful presence whose strange arts and unwavering loyalty mark him as something more than a mere attendant.

## Who they are

Secundra Dass appears at Durrisdeer wrapped like a mummy by the fire, an alien figure with a singular forehead and a secret eye, speaking a tongue no one understands. He serves the Master with a devotion that unnerves the household, and his presence signals that the returned prodigal has brought foreign dangers home with him. His skills and his silence make him one of the story's most unsettling and memorable figures.

## Relationships

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master)

_professional_

An Indian servant who follows the Master with eerie devotion, assisting his schemes and later his resurrection attempt.

### [John Mountain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/john_mountain)

_professional_

Fellow henchmen who work together under the Master's orders, with mutual wariness.

### [Sir William Johnson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/sir_william_johnson)

_professional_

Secundra Dass serves as an interpreter and intermediary between the Master and Sir William Johnson.

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master)

_professional_

An Indian servant who follows the Master with eerie devotion, assisting his schemes and later his resurrection attempt.

### [Sir William Johnson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/sir_william_johnson)

_professional_

Secundra Dass serves as an interpreter and intermediary between the Master and Sir William Johnson.

### [John Mountain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/john_mountain)

_professional_

Fellow henchmen who work together under the Master's orders, with mutual wariness.

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master)

_professional_

An Indian servant who follows the Master with eerie devotion, assisting his schemes and later his resurrection attempt.

## In the story

### [VII: Adventure of Chevalier Burke in India](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/vii-adventure-of-chevalier-burke-in-india)

Appears as the Master's delicate-looking Hindu interpreter, who speaks for the Master and delivers the mocking replies to Burke.

### [VIII: The Enemy in the House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/viii-the-enemy-in-the-house)

Arrives with the Master as his companion; described as an alien figure of darker complexion and secretive demeanor.

### [Mr. Mackellar's Journey with the Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/ix-mr-mackellar-s-journey-with-the-master)

Mentioned as the Master's loyal servant who would die or murder for him.

### [X: Passages at New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/x-passages-at-new-york)

The Master's devoted servant, a skilled goldsmith, who helps him gather funds for future plans.

### [XI: The Journey in the Wilderness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/xi-the-journey-in-the-wilderness)

The Master's loyal servant; helps him spy on the conspirators and plan escapes, speaking only in the Master's ear.

### [Narrative of the Trader, Mountain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/narrative-of-the-trader-mountain)

Secundra Dass is the Master's loyal servant, who spies on the conspirators and is caught crawling through the brush. He is revealed to know English, which alerts the Master to the plot.

### [XII: The Journey in the Wilderness (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/xii-the-journey-in-the-wilderness-continued)

Digs up the Master's body and attempts to revive it through Indian methods; after failing, he accepts the death calmly and joins the funeral.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/endnotes)

Identified by Mackellar as the person meant in a note about a blunder.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/secundra_dass
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters