he had said he should go to the city, and the city was plainly
in sight. He must be coming back by this time, Paul thought,




NATIVE LAE,i



158 OUR BOYS IN INDIA.

and at once made up his mind to go toward the city, and
meet him. He put two sweet Hmes in his pocket, and began
eating a third, for he was very hungry, and started on. On
the way he met a httle naked Hindu boy with some bananas,
and he gave him a sweet hme for two of them. Paul thought
he had made a good trade, and the Hindu was sure that
he had. The two bananas satisfied his hunger, and kept him
busy till he was very near the gate of the city.

Every thing was so strange and interesting to Paul, that
he forgot about Dhondaram, and forgot about himself. He
never thought of being alone, or of being afraid. It seemed
more like one of the old dreams than any thing real ; and at
last he reached the gate. Inside there was a dense crowd,
but outside there were very few. It was a gloomy gray wall
that surrounded the city, and a gloomy gateway. Inside he
could see all sorts of bright costumes and bright colors, and
hear the music and shouting, that betokened the happiness
of every one engaged in the religious feast. It drew him like
a magic spell. He was hurrying in, when his eye fell upon
an old beggar sitting beside the gate, and a little boy close
to him.

Paul was not sufficiently versed to know by the dress and
position what the old man was : indeed, he hardly looked at
him a second time. But a cry of joy burst from his lips as
he saw the boy beside him. In his own boy's heart he thought
it the prettiest face he had ever seen. That tantalizing picture
that had so often come almost into his mind, and then slipped
away again, once more appeared ; and he seemed to half
remember merry times that he had had somewhere, with
merry children all about him. He ran across the road ; and,
sitting down on the mat close to the little black-eyed, black-




BZGGAR AND BOY.



l6o OUR BOYS IN INDIA.

haired boy, he touched a lock of the curHng hair with his
dainty Httle white finger, and, looking into the child's face,
in a spasm of joy he kissed the dark lips that were half open
over the tiny white teeth. The child shrieked, and sprang
upon the old man's knee, rubbing his lips furiously, to wipe
away the kiss.

Paul stepped back, and watched him doubtfully.

" I didn't mean to scare you, little boy," he said apolo-
getically. " But I don't believe I hurt you like that. My lips
are not dirty, are they ? " he asked, suddenly remembering
that he had been eating. He wiped his mouth carefully on
his sleeve. " You can put mud on your mouth, and kiss me
to pay, if you like. I'm sorry ; but I don't think I am like
you, for I was made white."

Paul had mingled some English words with his Hindu-
stani without knowing it ; and at best the boy did not
understand much Hindustani either, for there are many
languages spoken in India. But he understood enough to
know that it was an apology ; and, pouting, he slipped off the
old man's knee again. Paul was disheartened, however, and
was turning away, when he bethought him of the last sweet
lime that remained in his pocket ; and as he took it out,
and held it up, the boy's eyes brightened, and his little hand
was extended instantly.

" You like sweet limes better than you do kisses," said
Paul a little sarcastically, as he turned away, and entered the
gate.

Throngs of people crowded the streets. Every one was
talking and shouting. On almost any other day there would
have been swearing and terrible cursing by people who were
so used to it that they really did not know that they were




«Su-,



THE HINDU FEAST.



1 62 OUR BOYS IN INDIA.

cursing at all. There would have been venders of all sorts
of every thing, and every one would have been hurrying in
his own way. But to-day was the great festival, and every
one was good natured.

No one seemed to notice little Paul, as he bent his steps
this way and that, catching glimpses of pretty things that
pleased him as he slowly worked his way toward where he
heard the loudest music, intent upon reaching the spot if it
took him all day : and it seemed very likely to ; for, if he
had thought of it, the sun was sinking very low, and the air
was growing red with the approaching sunset.

Soon, however, the music helped him out by beginning
to come toward him. There were huge elephants as far as
the eye could reach, with magnificent golden howdaks, or cars,
upon their backs ; and flags were flying, and priests, with all
sorts of instruments, were making all sorts of noises ; and every-
where the boys, and even the men too, were firing fire-crackers
to make more noise. There was little in harmony ; and, as
for the music, it was horrible, there is no doubt of it : but
Paul had not an educated ear ; and the excitement was so new
and grand to him, that, for a little time, he seemed in the
seventh heaven. But the procession was very long, and the
crowd was very rude, and little Paul was jostled about in
every direction.

The first of the long line of elephants was out of sight
in one direction, and still there was no end to the line in the
other. Some one stepped heavily upon Paul's foot. The
pain brought tears to his eyes. He struggled to get out of
the crowd. He wanted to go home, when it suddenly oc-
curred to him that he had no home. He would go back to
the place where Dhondaram had left him. But where was



WILD LIFE ON THE RIVER.



163



It ? He had no idea. And where was Dhondaram ? It
came upon him, in all its force, that he had lost every thing,
just at the moment that he had begun to have something
worth keeping. What could he do ? He was too miserable
to cry. It would only have clogged his throat, when he was
choking already.

While he was uncertainly yielding to every pressure of
the crowd, not caring what became of him, he had been
pushed nearer and nearer the path of the elephants ; and now,
as he looked up, the gloomy shadow of one of those great
blue-black creatures was right upon him, with all its be-
spangling gold and silver, and beautifully embroidered blankets,
' and a little temple on its back, — all of glistening gold.

The driver, with a pointed iron bar in his hand with
which to guide the elephant, was sitting on his head, and
saw Paul in the path. He shouted to him to get away : but
Paul did not see or hear either the elephant or its driver ;
for suddenly his eyes were riveted on the figure of a man,
tall and broad-shouldered, towering above the other Bramhans,
walking before the elephant, playing on a native instrument.

" Dhondaram ! Dhondaram ! " cried Paul in a shrill voice ;
and rushing before the elephant, whose great trunk must
have struck him and knocked him down, had he not care-
fully lifted it out of the child's way, Paul sprang into the arms
of his muni friend.

A sharp, bitter contortion distorted every feature of Dhon-
daram's face, as he recognized his charge, and heard his
own name shouted in that throng. He had made discoveries
that had horrified him on reaching the city ; and, thanking
Heaven that the boy was safe outside, he had bearded the
lion in his den, and, to throw off suspicion, was marching



i64



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



there in that procession, under the very eye of officials who
were searching for him, when " Dhondaram ! " rang from
the hps of the httle boy, and Paul leaped into his arms.
For an instant the black eyes rested on the little figure. It
was a moment when life and death were but a hair's breadth
apart. He could drop the child there, and possibly escape
alone. The arms relaxed. Whatever his original motive had
been, in taking charge of Paul, it evidently would not stand
this test.

" Dhondaram ! Dhondaram ! " rang from a hundred voices
in that crowd, as that magic name sounded, sending a thrill
of fear into many a heart, and making many a coward quail.
Paul did not even wonder why.

In an instant that horde might fix upon him, and tear
him in pieces. Dhondaram knew it well. It was growing
dark. The procession had already begun to light torches
here and there, and all was an uncertain mass in the con-
flicting cross-lights. The momentary hush was simply because
the crowd were waiting to know just where and which Dhon-
daram was.

The muni looked steadily into the large blue eyes. They
were laughing and happy. In that instant the arm tightened
ao-ain about the little fig-ure. " He is not afraid of me. He
kissed Dhondaram ! " the muni muttered ; and, bending for-
ward with his burden, he sprang under the elephant beside
him just as a hand was laid upon his shoulder.

All that Paul realized was that he was wrapped beneath
the robe of his friend, who hurried one way and another.
He was painfully crushed sometimes ; but he only realized
that there was danger of some sort, and heroically ground
the suffering between his little teeth without uttering a sound



WILD LIFE ON THE RIVER.



165



that might hinder his protector's escape, till finally the cries
became more distant, and the pace of Dhondaram slower
and more regular. When Paul opened his eyes again, through
the folds of the priest's robe he saw that they were in a very
narrow street, where all was dark, except for torches that
were smoking on occasional booths, where there were people
without any bright-colored clothes, and where there was no
room for elephants.
Sometimes a calf or
a cow stood in the
way, or a donkey
with his burden
almost filled the
breadth of the
path, and there
was shouting and
wrangling ; but no
one was shouting
the name of Dhon-
daram now, and
a moment later
they turned into a
still narrower alley,
where the houses rose up above their heads till they seemed
to touch the sky. Here hardly any one was passing, and
there was very little noise. Here, too, Dhondaram walked
still more slowly, and soon turned into a narrow doorway, and
entered a small room opening from a court.

There, with a sigh, he laid the burden down upon a
coarse mat, lit a taper, and looked long and earnestly into
the pale face and large blue eyes.




A NARROW STREET.



1 66 OUR BOYS IN INDIA.

" The little Ingrij was frightened," he said, gently touch-
ing the golden-brown hair.

" I was frightened till I found you, Dhondaram, and now
I am hungry," said Paul, sitting up, and patting the dark
hand.

Dhondaram hurried out, locking the door behind him ;
but in a moment he was back again with rice, cakes, and
milk, and Paul noticed that his little bundle of clothes and
the bag of sweet limes were already in the room.



SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OF INDIA.



167




CHAPTER XII.

SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OP INDIA.

was growing dark when the steamer on which Scott
Clayton and Richard Raymond had so long been
passengers came in sight of the beautiful harbor
of Bombay. In the distance they obtained a fine
view of the clusters of islands upon one of which the city
of Bombay is built. But the gray dusk of night lay over the
harbor, and the flash from the new Colaba light dazzled them
as they passed it.

The steamer made slow progress, for the water was liter-
ally filled with fishing-craft. Scott could see the quaint out-
line as they crept through the forest of boats, and at last
he was interested in every thing. This was the land toward
which all his hopes were turned ; and he eagerly drank in
every item, that he might the more rapidly become acquainted
with it all.

The steamer was delayed in waiting for a pilot, for the
pilots of Bombay are a very independent set of fellows.

"They'll come when they get good and ready, and not
before," remarked the captain gruffly, as he stood watching
for their light.

" Why is that?" asked Scott. " I should think they would
want the job."

"So they might," said the captain: "but there's a club
of them ; and they all get their percentage, no matter who
takes in the ship."



1 68



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



" Then, why don't you go in yourself, and cheat the whole
of them?" said Scott. "That's what I'd do."

"I'd have to pay the pilot-fee all the same, as soon as I
came to anchor," replied the captain. " And then, if I did
any damage to myself or any one else, I'd be well punished
for it by the court. That's all."



^^r



aA-*" ^j^^^^^^s?s^^'-5^-=i^"'-








COAST OF BOMBAY.



" And quite enough," observed Scott. Then the pilot-boat
appeared.

"They've stocked their lockers, and now they'll take us
in," said the captain as he went on deck, meaning that they
had waited to finish supper before coming out.

Slowly, very slowly, the steamer crept up, and rounded
the point, when suddenly all the lights of the circling city
came into view, extending for several miles away in the



SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OF INDIA.



169



distance. All over the water, too, were the lights of almost
innumerable ships ; for Bombay is the great importation port
of India.

No sooner were the papers signed than the decks were
swarming with all kinds of natives. There were half- naked
boatmen, dingi wallahs in scores, wrangling for an oppor-
tunity to carry them ashore ; for the tide rises seventeen feet
sometimes in Bombay, and it is impossible to make the fine
stone wharves available for the larger steamers. Mingling
with them were very polite and loquacious hotel clerks, with
the dark Hindu faces, but dressed as Europeans, pressing
the claims of a half-dozen of the best hotels of the city.
There were several Hindus and Mussulmans, who spoke
English well, as they thought, urging the passengers to en-
gage them as kitmutgars, or servants ; for, as Scott soon
found out, every one in India has to have at least one
native servant. When they were out of the bustle, Richard
explained to him the necessity. These fellows were shoving in
their faces numberless letters of recommendation from former
employers. They were the neatest set who came on board,
with white or colored turbans twisted tightly about their black
hair or smoothly-shaven heads, long white cloaks bound about
the waist with soft girdles, very small white breeches cling-
ing about their ankles, and feet thrust into pointed slippers.
But the most insinuating and the most unpleasant class of
all were the Parsis, in all kinds of dress, most of them
aping, in some respect, the clothes of the Europeans, but
all wearing the curious shining black hats, looking like bishops'
mitres turned sideways. They were money-changers, looking
for opportunities to purchase English gold with Hindu ru-
pees. They are lighter in complexion than the Hindus.



170



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



" They look as though they had a biHoiis turn, and had
it bad," said Scott. " I should like to push the whole lot
of them overboard."

" It would hardly do," replied Mr, Raymond ; " for they
are the Jews of Bombay. They have the money. They are
very serviceable sometimes. You will meet them everywhere."

It was so late when they landed, that as they rolled
away in an English cab, driven by an apish-looking Hindu,
Scott obtained but a faint idea of his surroundings, except
that every thing was very strange. They went to the Byculla
Hotel as soon as they landed on the Apollo bundar, or
wharf; and early in the morning they started for a walk.

Just outside the court of the hotel they came upon one
of the great sights of India, — a band of jugglers.

" They are bound to initiate you early," said Richard.
" Here are some fellows that are almost the trademark of
Hindustan. Wait till I set them going. They are lying
around here, waiting for the people in the hotel to wake up."
He threw some coins into the midst of the crowd, saying in
Hindustani, " What are you about, you lazy fellows ? Don't
you think we want to see any thing of India?"

It was like throwing corn to a flock of hungry chickens.
Instantly the whole crowd sprang up, and all together began
operations. One fellow began beating a drum, and moaning
and howling as if in his last agony.

"Can't he stop that noise? I can hardly see while he is
making that racket," said Scott.

" You would see nothing if he should stop," replied Richard ;
" for it is that delightful music that inspires the whole of
them."

And, sure enough, as soon as he was well under way.



SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OF INDIA.



171



they all grew excited, and their bodies and voices joined in
the hubbub. In the front, just under their eyes, sat a fellow
who drew out two thin swords twenty-six inches long ; and,







after insisting that they examine them, he deliberately put
the points into his mouth, and pushed the entire length down
his throat. Then he wanted them to put their hands over



172



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



his stomach, where they could feel the points. Another put
a stone into his mouth ; and a moment later, fire and a dense
cloud of smoke issued from his nose and mouth, which at last
completely enveloped him. Then he suddenly turned a som-
ersault, and, opening his mouth, calmly took out the stone,
and threw it on the ground. One fellow took some iron
hoops, one after another, on a pole, where he set them
spinning, till he had eighteen in a line ; then, sticking the
pole into the ground, he deliberately sprang through the
whirling hoops, and, landing on his feet, he turned about,
picked up the pole, and still kept the hoops whirling.
Another began throwing short swords into the air, till he had
ten of them flying about his head ; and, in all the confusion,
little acrobats were performing all manner of antics, and a
sleight-of-hand performer was endeavoring to attract their en-
tire attention to endless little tricks he was dexterously play-
ing. They set a basket down in their midst. It was about
two feet broad, a foot and a half high, and two and a half
feet long. They took a netting that was made in the shape
of a small bag, and, after much ado, succeeded in crowding
into it a Hindu boy. They tied the neck of the bag fast,
and laid the boy upon the top of the basket, which was
apparently much smaller than he was. A sheet was thrown
over him ; and in a moment the netting-bag was thrown out
from under the sheet, tied as it had been, but empty. They
drew the sheet away, but the boy had disappeared. Some
one said that he was in the basket ; and one of the Hindus
at once took the cover off, and jumped in himself, stamping
about in it furiously. He then put the cover on, and bound
it. Then he took a long sword, and thrust it through the
basket, and out of every corner. With the last thrust a wild



SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OF INDIA.



^7Z



cry of pain issued from the basket, and he drew the sword
out dripping with blood.

"I have killed the boy!" he cried; and Scott shuddered,
for he certainly thought he had. But the Hindu pointed to a
crow sitting on a tree at a little distance, and said, —

" Heaven be praised ! my boy was a good boy. He has
only been turned into a bird ; but I will soon have him back."
He gathered the sheet up into a little ball, and threw it at the
crow, which was frightened and flew away. But the Hindu
only laughed; and, gathering up the sheet again, he cried, —

*' I have him ! "

Then he threw the sheet over the basket with one hand,
while he drew it off with the other ; and, behold, the basket was
strained in every part, to contain the boy. The Hindu joy-
fully untied the knots, and the cover flew up, for the boy was
apparently so large that it could hardly hold him ; and, smiling,
he crept out of the basket without a scratch.

One of the Hindus then began to play the famous tree
trick, — making a man go grow from a little seed, blossom, and
bear fruit, under a sheet, where there was absolutely nothing
but sand before : but they had looked so long that it was time
for breakfast ; and, assuring Scott that he would see jugglers in
India till he would wish that there was no such thing in the
world, Richard turned away, and they entered the hotel court.

The guests had begun to gather on the broad veranda,
where already there were two snake-charmers performing.

"These fellows are plenty just now: there must be some-
thing up in the city that draws them here," said Richard, as
they approached the little group gathered about the charmers.

They were two wrinkled old Hindus, with eyes that looked
like snakes' eyes, and motions that were so subtle and quick,



174



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



that Scott thought there must be some affinity between them
and their serpents. In httle baskets before them there were
several snakes coiled away ; and each charmer was playing on
a rude gourd flute to a huge cobra that was coiling and un-
coiling and weaving before him in time to the music. They




SERPENT-CHASMEBS.



would hiss, and dart their heads at the charmers sometimes ;
and the way the charmers dodged them showed that they did
not think them entirely harmless, as they spread the broad
hoods just below their heads, and displayed every symptom of
anger. Then one of the charmers stood up, and, catching the
snake about the neck with one hand, threw him three times
about his head, and let him fall upon the ground. There he
lay, rigid and stiff, at full length, and straight as an arrow.



SCOTT IN THE MYSTERIES OF INDIA.



175



" I have killed my snake," cried the Hindu ; " but I have
a good cane instead." And, taking the creature up by the
tail, he pretended to walk about, leaning on him.

"Will any one buy my cane?" he asked, offering it to
several of the bystanders, who shuddered, and drew away. He
smiled ; and, thrusting the head of the rigid serpent under his
turban, he began to push up the rest of the body, till at last
all but the tip of his tail had disappeared. Then he removed
his turban, and there lay the poisonous reptile in a glittering
coil upon his head

Scott gave a cry of surprise ; and Richard asked, " Does
that remind you of any thing in particular ? "

" Of Moses before Pharaoh ! " exclaimed Scott.

" You are not the first one who has thought of it," replied
Richard. " Sceptics are using it as an argument, to-day, to
prove that Moses was only an expert snake-charmer, after
all."

" Well, he succeeded in getting the children of Israel away,
and that was what he was driving at," said Scott.

Richard went up to the charmer, who was now waiting for
his assistant to collect the offerings. The people who had
been looking on did not pay half so much attention now as
they had before, and were some of them so busy read-
ing the morning papers that they could not even hear the
assistant when he spoke to them. After a moment's conver-
sation, Richard returned, with the information that that day
was the great feast of Nag-Panchmi ; and, on the way in
to breakfast, he promised Scott that he should see serpents
enough that day to keep him in snaky dreams for the rest of
his life.

The breakfast-room was large and high, and full of windows.



176



OUR BOYS IN INDIA.



opened wide and covered with kus-kus grass awnings, that
Hindu servants in white costumes were continually sprinkling
with water, to cool the light breeze that came through them.
Over each long table something entirely new to Scott was sus-
pended from the ceiling, looking like panels, three feet broad,
as long as the table, and ornamented with fancy fringes. From
the lower corner of each, that was only a little above the heads
of those sitting at the tables, a small cord was attached, that,
after passing through several pulleys, went down into the hand
of a native boy, sitting close against the side of the room. Scott
had noticed one of them in his room the night before, but he
was too tired to wonder what it was. Now, before he could
ask, the guests began to seat themselves ; and suddenly all the
panels began to swing vigorously back and forth, fanning every
one at the table.

" You like the punkas f " said Richard, watching him.

"That is a name and a half," replied Scott: " I should like
them better with some other name."

"There is nothing else that will do so well: 'punka' is
Hindustani for ' fan,' and these pU7ikas are the saving of a
fellow's life if he lives long in India."

" But it is not so very hot this morning," said Scott : "I
noticed that the thermometer was only eighty-three."

" But did you ever know it to be so hot at eighty-three in
Boston ? " asked Richard. " It is a sultry, damp heat here, that
tells on one. The blood gets hotter and hotter. After break-
fast we will drive on Malabar Hill, and obtain a little sea-
breeze for a change."

" I feel as if a breath of salt air would do me good," replied
Scott, laughing. Nevertheless, after drinking a cup of hot