Chapter 3: The Rajah.
"Now, Mother, let us talk over our plans," Dick said as, after dinner,they seated themselves in two chairs in the veranda, at some littledistance from the other guests at the hotel. "How are we going tobegin?"
"In the first place, Dick, we shall tomorrow send out a messenger toTripataly, to tell my brother of our arrival here."
"How far is it, Mother?"
"It is about a hundred and twenty miles, in a straight line, I think;but a good bit farther than that, by the way we shall go."
"How shall we travel, Mother?"
"I will make some inquiries tomorrow, but I think that the pleasantestway will be to drive from here to Conjeveram. I think that is aboutforty miles. There we can take a native boat, and go up the riverPalar, past Arcot and Vellore, to Vaniambaddy. From there it is onlyabout fifteen miles to Tripataly.
"I shall tell my brother the way I propose going. Of course, if hethinks any other way will be better, we shall go by that."
"Are we going to travel as we are, Mother, or in native dress?"
"That is a point that I have been thinking over, Dick. I will wait,and ask my brother which he thinks will be the best. When out there Ialways dressed as a native, and never put on English clothes, exceptat Madras. I used to come down here two or three times every year,with my mother, and generally stayed for a fortnight or three weeks.During that time, we always dressed in English fashion, as by so doingwe could live at the hotel, and take our meals at public tableswithout exciting comment. My mother knew several families here, andliked getting back to English ways, occasionally.
"Of course, I shall dress in Indian fashion while I stay at mybrother's, so it is only the question of how we shall journey there,and I think I should prefer going as we are. We shall excite nospecial observation, travelling as English, as it will only besupposed that we are on our way to pay a visit to some of ourofficers, at Arcot. At Conjeveram, which is a large place, there issure to be a hotel of some sort or other, for it is on the main roadfrom Madras south. On the way up, by water, we shall of course sleepon board, and we shall go direct from the boat to Tripataly.
"However, we need not decide until we get an answer to my letter, forit will take a very short time to get the necessary dresses for usboth. I think it most likely that my brother will send down one of hisofficers to meet us, or possibly may come down himself.
"You heard what they were all talking about, at dinner, Dick?"
"Yes, Mother, it was something about Tippoo attacking the Rajah ofTravancore, but I did not pay much attention to it. I was looking atthe servants, in their curious dresses."
"It is very important, Dick, and will probably change all our plans.Travancore is in alliance with us, and every one thinks that Tippoo'sattack on it will end in our being engaged in war with him. I wastalking to the officer who sat next to me, and he told me that, ifthere had been a capable man at the head of government here, war wouldhave been declared as soon as the Sultan moved against Travancore. Nowthat General Meadows had been appointed governor and commander-in-chief,there was no doubt, he said, that an army would move against Tippoo in avery short time--that it was already being collected, and that a forcewas marching down here from Bengal.
"So you see, my boy, if this war really breaks out, the English maymarch to Seringapatam, and compel Tippoo to give up all the captiveshe has in his hands."
"That would be splendid, Mother."
"At any rate, Dick, as long as there is a hope of your father beingrescued, in that way, our plans must be put aside."
"Well, Mother, that will be better, in some respects; for of course,if Father is not rescued by our army, I can try afterwards as wearranged. It would be an advantage, in one way, as I should then bequite accustomed to the country, and more fit to make my way about."
A week later, an old officer arrived from Tripataly.
"Ah, Rajbullub," Mrs. Holland exclaimed, as he came up with a deepsalaam; "I am, indeed, glad to see you again. I knew you were alive,for my brother mentioned you when he wrote last year."
Rajbullub was evidently greatly pleased at the recognition.
"I think I should have known you, lady," he said; "but eighteen yearsmakes more changes in the young than in the old. Truly I am glad tosee you again. There was great joy among us, who knew you as a child,when the Rajah told us that you were here. He has sent me on to saythat he will arrive, tomorrow. I am to see to his apartments, and tohave all in readiness. He intends to stay here, some days, beforereturning to Tripataly."
"Will he come to this hotel?"
"No, lady, he will take the house he always has, when he is here. Itis kept for the use of our princes, when they come down to Madras. Hebade me say that he hopes you will remain here, for that none of therooms could be got ready, at such a short notice.
"He has not written, for he hates writing, which is a thing that hehas small occasion for. I was to tell you that his heart rejoiced, atthe thought of seeing you again, and that his love for you is as warmas it was when you were a boy and girl together."
"This is my son, Rajbullub. He has often heard me speak of you."
"Yes, indeed," Dick said, warmly. "I heard how you saved her frombeing bitten by a cobra, when she was a little girl."
"Ah! The young lord speaks our tongue," Rajbullub said, with greatpleasure. "We wondered whether you would have taught it to him. If ithad not been that you always wrote to my lord in our language, weshould have thought that you, yourself, would surely have forgottenit, after dwelling so long among the white sahibs."
"No, we always speak it when together, Rajbullub. I thought that hemight, some day, come out here, and that he would find it very useful;and I, too, have been looking forward to returning, for a time, to thehome where I was born."
There were many questions to ask about her brother, his wife and twosons. They were younger than Dick, for Mrs. Holland was three yearssenior to the Rajah.
At last, she said, "I will not detain you longer, Rajbullub. I knowthat you will have a great deal to do, to get ready for my brother'scoming. At what time will he arrive?"
"He hopes to be here by ten in the morning, before the heat of the daysets in."
"I shall, of course, be there to meet him."
"So he hoped, lady. He said that he would have come straight here,first, but he thought it would be more pleasant for you to meet him inprivacy."
"Assuredly it would," she agreed.
"I will bring a carriage for you, here, at nine o'clock; and take youand my young lord to the Rajah's house."
At the appointed time, a handsome carriage and pair drove up to thedoor of the hotel, and in ten minutes Mrs. Holland and Dick alightedin the courtyard of a large house. Four native servants were at thedoor, and the old officer led the way to a spacious room. This wascarpeted with handsome rugs. Soft cushions were piled on the divan,running round the room, the divan itself being covered with velvet andsilk rugs. Looking glasses were ranged upon the walls; a handsomechandelier hung from the roof; draperies of gauze, lightly embroideredwith gold, hung across the windows.
"Why, Rajbullub, you have done wonders--that is, if the house wasunfurnished, yesterday."
"It is simple," the Hindoo said. "My lord your brother, like otherrajahs who use the house when they come down here, has a roomupstairs; in which are kept, locked up, everything required forfurnishing the rooms he uses. Four of his servants came down here,with me. We had but to call in sweepers, to clear the house from dustand wash down the marble floors, and then everything was put into itsplace. The cook, who also came down, has hired assistants, and allwill be ready for my lord, when he arrives."
In half an hour, one of the servants ran in, and announced that theRajah was in the courtyard. There was a great trampling of hoofs, anda minute later he ascended the stairs, and was met by his sister andDick at the door of the room.
Mrs. Holland had attired herself handsomely, not so much for the sakeof her brother, but that, as his sister, those
with him would expectto see in her an English lady of position; and Dick thought that hehad never seen her looking so well as when, in a dress of richbrocade, and with a flush of pleasure and expectation on her cheeks,she advanced to the door. She was still but a little over thirty-threeyears old, and although the long years of anxiety and sorrow had lefttheir traces on her face, the rest and quiet of the sea voyage haddone much to restore the fulness of her cheeks, and to soften theoutline of her figure.
The Rajah, a young and handsome-looking man of thirty, ascended thestairs with an eagerness and speed that were somewhat at variance withDick's preconceived ideas of the stateliness of an Eastern prince.
"My sister Margaret!" he exclaimed, in English, and embraced her witha warmth that showed that his affection for her was unimpaired by theyears that had passed since he last saw her.
Then he stood with his hands on her shoulders, looking earnestly ather.
"I know you again," he said. "You are changed, but I can recall yourface well. You are welcome, Margaret, most welcome.
"And this is my nephew?" he went on, turning to Dick, and holding outboth his hands to him. "You are taller than I expected--well nigh astall as I am. You are like your mother and my mother; and you are boldand active and strong, she writes me. My boys are longing to see you,and you will be most welcome at Tripataly.
"I have almost forgotten my English, Margaret "--and, indeed, he spokewith some difficulty, evidently choosing his words--"I should quitehave forgotten it, had not I often had occasion to speak it withEnglish officers. I see, by your letters, that you have not forgottenour tongue."
"Not in the least, Mortiz. I have, for years, spoken nothing else withDick, and he speaks it as well as I do."
"That is good," the Rajah replied, in his own tongue, and in a tone ofrelief. "I was wondering how he would get on with us.
"Now, let us sit down. We have so much to tell each other, and,moreover, I am ravenous for breakfast, as I have ridden forty milessince sunrise."
Breakfast was speedily served, the Rajah eating in English fashion.
"I cling to some of our mother's ways, you see, Margaret. As I havegrown older, I have become more English than I was. Naturally, as aboy of thirteen, as I was when you last saw me, I listened to the talkof those around me, and was guided by their opinions a good deal.Among them, there was a feeling of regret that our father had marriedan English woman; and I, of course, was ever trying my hardest to showthat in riding, or the chase, or in exercises of any kind, I was asworthy to be the son of an Indian rajah as if I had no white blood inmy veins.
"As I grew up, I became wiser. I saw how great the English were, howsteadily they extended their dominions, and how vastly better off wereour people, under their sway, than they were in the days when everyrajah made war against his neighbour, and the land never had rest.Then I grew proud of my English blood, and although I am, to mypeople, Rajah of Tripataly, a native prince and lord of theirdestinies, keeping up the same state as my father, and ruling them innative fashion, in my inner house I have adopted many English ways.
"My wife has no rival in the zenana. I encourage her to go about, asour mother did, to look after the affairs of the house, to sit attable with me, and to be my companion, and not a mere plaything. I amsure, Margaret, your stay with us will do her much good, and she willlearn a great deal from you."
"You have heard no news since you last wrote, Mortiz?"
A slight cloud passed across the Rajah's animated face.
"None, Margaret. We have little news from beyond the mountains. Tippoohates us, who are the friends of the English, as much as he hates theEnglish themselves, so there is little communication between Mysoreand the possessions of the Nabob of Arcot. We will talk, later on, ofthe plans you wrote of in your last letter to me."
"You do not think that they are hopeless, Mortiz?" Mrs. Holland asked,anxiously.
"I would not say that they are hopeless," he said gently, "although itseems to me that, after all these years, the chances are slight,indeed, that your husband can be alive; and the peril and danger ofthe enterprise that, so far as I understood you, you intend your sonto undertake, would be terrible, indeed."
"We see that, Mortiz. Dick and I have talked it over, a thousandtimes. But so long as there is but a shadow of a chance of his findinghis father, he is ready to undertake the search. He is a boy in years,but he has been trained for the undertaking, and will, when the trialcomes, bear himself as well as a man."
"Well, Margaret, I shall have plenty of opportunities for forming myown judgment; because, of course, he will stay with us a long timebefore he starts on the quest, and it will be better to say no more ofthis, now.
"Now, tell me about London. Is it so much a greater city than Madras?"
Mrs. Holland sighed. She saw, by his manner, that he was whollyopposed to her plan, and although she was quite prepared foropposition, she could not help feeling disappointed. However, sheperceived that, as he said, it would be better to drop the subject fora time; and she accordingly put it aside, and answered his questions.
"Madras is large--that is, it spreads over a wide extent; but if itwere packed with houses, as closely as they could stand, it would notapproach London in the number of its population."
"How is it that the English do not send more troops out here,Margaret?"
"Because they can raise troops here, and English soldiers cannot standthe heat as well as those born to it. Moreover, you must rememberthat, at present, England is at war, not only with France and halfEurope, but also with America. She is also obliged to keep an army inIreland, which is greatly disaffected. With all this on her hands, shecannot send a large army so far across the seas, especially when herforce here is sufficient for all that can be required of it."
"That is true," he said. "It is wonderful what they have done outhere, with such small forces. But they will have harder work, beforethey conquer all India--as I believe they will do--than they have yetencountered. In spite of Tippoo's vauntings, they will have Mysorebefore many years are over. The Sultan seems to have forgotten thelesson they taught him, six or seven years back. But the next timewill be the last, and Tippoo, tiger as he is, will meet the fate heseems bent on provoking.
"But beyond Mysore lies the Mahratta country, and the Mahrattis alonecan put thirty thousand horsemen into the field. They are not like thepeople of Bengal, who have ever fallen, with scarce an attempt atresistance, under the yoke of one tyrant after another. The Mahrattisare a nation of warriors. They are plunderers, if you will, but theyare brave and fearless soldiers, and might, had they been united, havehad all India under their feet before the coming of the English. Thatchance has slipped from them. But when we--I say 'we' you see,Margaret--meet them, it will be a desperate struggle, indeed."
"We shall thrash them, Uncle," Dick broke in. "You will see that weshall beat them thoroughly."
The Rajah smiled at Dick's impetuosity.
"So you think English soldiers cannot be beaten, eh?"
"Well, Uncle, somehow they never do get beaten. I don't know how itis. I suppose that it is just obstinacy. Look how we thrashed theFrench here, and they were just as well drilled as our soldiers, andthere were twice as many of them."
The Rajah nodded.
"One secret of our success, Dick, is that the English get on betterwith the natives here than the French do--I don't know why, exceptwhat I have heard from people who went through the war. They say thatthe French always seemed to look down on the natives, and treated evenpowerful allies with a sort of haughtiness that irritated them, andmade them ready to change sides at the first opportunity; while theBritish treated them pleasantly, so that there was a real friendshipbetween them."
Dick, finding that the conversation now turned to the time when hismother and uncle were girl and boy together, left them and wentdownstairs. He found some twenty horses ranged in the courtyard, whiletheir riders were sitting in the shade, several of them being engagedin cooking. These were the escort who had ri
dden with the Rajah fromTripataly--for no Indian prince would think of making a journey,unless accompanied by a numerous retinue.
Scarcely had he entered the yard than Rajbullub came up, with theofficer in command of the escort, a fine-looking specimen of a Hindoosoldier. He salaamed, as Rajbullub presented him to Dick. The ladaddressed him at once in his own tongue, and they were soon talkingfreely together. The officer was surprised at finding that his lord'snephew, from beyond the sea, was able to speak the language like anative.
First, Dick asked the nature of the country, and the places at whichthey would halt on their way. Then he inquired what force the Rajahcould put into the field, and was somewhat disappointed to hear thathe kept up but a hundred horsemen, including those who served as anescort.
"You see, Sahib, there is no occasion for soldiers. Now that thewhites are the masters, they do the fighting for us. When the Rajah'sfather was a young man, he could put two thousand men under arms, andhe joined at the siege of Trichinopoly with twelve hundred. But nowthere is no longer need for an army. There is no one to fight. Some ofthe young men grumble, but the old ones rejoice at the change.Formerly, they had to go to the plough with their spears and theirswords beside them, because they never knew when marauders from thehills might sweep down; besides, when there was war, they might becalled away for weeks, while the crops were wasting upon the ground.
"As to the younger men who grumble, I say to them, 'If you are tiredof a peaceful life, go and enlist in a Company's regiment;' and everyyear some of them do so.
"In other ways, the change is good. Now that the Rajah has no longerto keep up an army, he is not obliged to squeeze the cultivators.Therefore, they pay but a light rent for their lands, and the Rajah isfar better off than his father was; so that, on all sides, there iscontent and prosperity. But, even now, the fear of Mysore has notquite died out."
"My position, Margaret," the Rajah said, after Dick had left the room,"is a very precarious one. When Hyder Ali marched down here, eightyears ago, he swept the whole country, from the foot of the hills tothe sea coast. My father would have been glad to stand neutral, butwas, of course, bound to go with the English, as the Nabob of Arcot,his nominal sovereign, went with them. His sympathies were, of course,with your people; but most of the chiefs were, at heart, in favour ofHyder. It was not that they loved him, or preferred the rule of Mysoreto that of Madras. But at that time Madras was governed by imbeciles.Its Council was composed entirely of timid and irresolute men. It wasclear to all that, before any force capable of withstanding him couldbe put in the field, the whole country, beyond reach of the guns ofthe forts at Madras, would be at the mercy of Hyder.
"What that mercy was, had been shown elsewhere. Whole populations hadbeen either massacred, or carried off as slaves. Therefore, when thestorm was clearly about to burst, almost all of them sent secretmessages to Hyder, to assure him that their sympathies were with him,and that they would gladly hail him as ruler of the Carnatic.
"My father was in no way inclined to take such a step. His marriagewith an English woman, the white blood in my veins, and his long-knownpartiality for the English, would have marked him for certaindestruction; and, as soon as he received news that Hyder's troops werein movement, he rode with me to Madras. At that time, his force wascomparatively large, and he took three hundred men down with us. Hehad allowed all who preferred it to remain behind; and some fourhundred stayed to look after their families. Most of the populationtook to the hills and, as Hyder's forces were too much occupied tospend time in scouring the ghauts in search of fugitives, when therewas so much loot and so many captives ready to their hands on theplains, the fugitives for the most part remained there in safety. Thepalace was burnt, the town sacked and partly destroyed, and somefifteen hundred of our people, who had remained in their homes, killedor carried off.
"My father did some service with our horse, and I fought by his side.We were with Colonel Baillie's force when it was destroyed, after fortwo days resisting the whole of Hyder All's army. Being mounted, weescaped, and reached Madras in safety, after losing half our number.But all that I can tell you about, some other day.
"When peace was made and Hyder retired, we returned home, rebuilt thepalace, and restored the town. But if Tippoo follows his father'sexample, and sweeps down from the hills, there will be nothing for itbut to fly again. Tippoo commanded one of the divisions of Hyder'sarmy, last time, and showed much skill and energy; and has, since hecame to the throne, been a scourge to his neighbours in the north. Sofar as I can see, Madras will be found as unprepared as it was lasttime; and although the chiefs of Vellore, Arcot, Conjeveram, and otherplaces may be better disposed towards the English than they werebefore--for the Carnatic had a terrible lesson last time--they willnot dare to lift a finger against him, until they see a large Britishforce assembled.
"So you see, sister, your position will be a very precarious one atTripataly; and it is likely that, at any time, we may be obliged toseek refuge here. The trouble may come soon, or it may not come for ayear; but, sooner or later, I regard it as certain that Tippoo willstrive to obtain what his father failed to gain--the mastership of theCarnatic. Indeed, he makes no secret of his intention to become lordof the whole of southern India. The Nizam, his neighbour in the north,fears his power, and could offer but a feeble resistance, were Tippooonce master of the south and west coast. The Mahrattis can always bebought over, especially if there is a prospect of plunder. He relies,too, upon aid from France; for although the French, since the captureof Pondicherry, have themselves lost all chance of obtaining India,they would gladly aid in any enterprise that would bring about thefall of English predominance here.
"There are, too, considerable bodies of French troops in the pay ofthe Nizam, and these would, at any rate, force their master to remainneutral in a struggle between the English and Tippoo.
"However, it will be quite unnecessary that you should resume ourgarb, or that Dick should dress in the same fashion. Did I intend toremain at Tripataly, I should not wish to draw the attention of myneighbours to the fact that I had English relations resident with me.Of course, every one knows that I am half English myself, but that isan old story now. They would, however, be reminded of it, and Tippoowould hear of it, and would use it as a pretext for attacking andplundering us. But, as I have decided to come down here, there is noreason why you should not dress in European fashion."
"We would remain here, brother," Mrs. Holland said, "rather than bringdanger upon you. Dick could learn the ways of the country here, aswell as with you, and could start on his search without going toTripataly."
"Not at all, Margaret. Whether you are with me or not, I shall have toleave Tripataly when Tippoo advances, and your presence will not inany way affect my plans. My wife and sons must travel with me, and onewoman and boy, more or less, will make no difference. At present, thisscheme of yours seems to me to border on madness. But we need notdiscuss that now. I shall, at any rate, be very glad to have you bothwith me. The English side of me has been altogether in the background,since you went away; and though I keep up many of the customs ourmother introduced, I have almost forgotten the tongue, though I forcemyself to speak it, sometimes, with my boys, as I am sure that, in thelong run, the English will become the sole masters of southern India,and it will be a great advantage to them to speak the language.
"However, I have many other things to see about, and the companionshipof Dick will benefit them greatly. You know what it always is outhere. The sons of a rajah are spoilt, early, by every one giving wayto them, and their being allowed to do just as they like. Naturally,they get into habits of indolence and self indulgence, and never haveoccasion to exert themselves, or to obtain the strength and activitythat make our mother's countrymen irresistible in battle. They havebeen taught to shoot and to ride, but they know little else, and I amsure it will do them an immense deal of good to have Dick with them,for a time.
"If nothing comes of this search for your husband, I hope you willtake up your
residence, permanently, at Tripataly. You have nothing togo back to England for, and Dick, with his knowledge of bothlanguages, should be able to find good employment in the Company'sservice."
"Thank you greatly, brother. If, as you say, my quest should come tonothing, I would gladly settle down in my old home. Dick'sinclinations, at present, turn to the sea, but I have no doubt thatwhat you say is true, and that there may be far more advantageousopenings for him out here. However, that is a matter for us to talkover, in the future."
The Rajah stayed four days at Madras. Every morning the carriage cameat nine o'clock to fetch Mrs. Holland, who spent several hours withher brother, and was then driven back to the hotel, while Dickwandered about with Rajbullub through the native town, askingquestions innumerable, observing closely the different costumes andturbans, and learning to know, at once, the district, trade, or caste,from the colour or fashion of the turban, and other little signs.
The shops were an endless source of amusement to him, and he somewhatsurprised his companion by his desire to learn the names of all thelittle articles and trinkets, even of the various kinds of grain.Dick, in fact, was continuing his preparations for his work. He knewthat ignorance of any trifling detail which would, as a matter ofcourse, be known to every native, would excite more surprise andsuspicion than would be caused by a serious blunder in other matters;and he wrote down, in a notebook, every scrap of information heobtained, so as to learn it by heart at his leisure.
Rajbullub was much surprised at the lad's interest in all these littlematters, which, as it seemed to him, were not worth a thought on thepart of his lord's nephew.
"You will never have to buy these things, Sahib," he said. "Why shouldyou trouble about them?"
"I am going to be over here some time, Rajbullub, and it is just aswell to learn as much as one can. If I were to stroll into the marketin Tripataly, and had a fancy to buy any trifle, the country peoplewould laugh in my face, were I ignorant of its name."
His companion shook his head.
"They would not expect any white sahib to know such things," he said."If he wants to buy anything, the white sahib points to it and asks,'How much?' Then, whether it is a brass iota, or a silver trinket, ora file, or a bunch of fruit, the native says a price four times asmuch as he would ask anyone else. Then the sahib offers him half, andafter protesting many times that the sum is impossible, the dealeraccepts it, and both parties are well satisfied.
"If you have seen anything that you want to buy, sahib, tell me, and Iwill go and get it for you. Then you will not be cheated."
The start for Tripataly was made at daybreak. Dick and his motherdrove, in an open carriage that had been hired for the journey. TheRajah rode beside it, or cantered on ahead. His escort followed thevehicle. The luggage had been sent off, two days before, by cart.
The country as far as Arcot was flat, but everything was interestingto Dick; and when they arrived at the city, where they were to stopfor the night at the house the Rajah had occupied on his way down, hesallied out, as soon as their meal was over, to inspect the fort andwalls. He had, during his outward voyage, eagerly studied the historyof Clive's military exploits, and the campaigns by which that portionof India had been wrested from the French; and he was eager to visitthe fort, whose memorable defence, by Clive, had first turned thescale in favour of the British. These had previously been regarded, bythe natives, as a far less warlike people than the French, who wereexpected to drive them, in a very short time, out of the country.
Rajbullub was able to point out to him every spot associated with thestirring events of that time.
"'Tis forty-six years back, and I was but a boy of twelve; but sixyears later I was here, for our rajah was on the side of the English,although Tripataly was, and is now, under the Nabob of Arcot. But mylord had many causes of complaint against him, and when he declaredfor the French, our lord, who was not then a rajah, although chief ofa considerable district, threw in his lot with the English; and, whenthey triumphed, was appointed rajah by them, and Tripataly was madealmost wholly independent of the Nabob of Arcot. At one time a forceof our men was here, with four companies of white troops, when it wasthought that Dupleix was likely to march against us; and I was withthat force, and so learned all about the fighting here."
The next day the party arrived, late in the evening, at Tripataly. Alarge number of men, with torches, received them in front of thepalace; and, on entering, Mrs. Holland was warmly received by theRajah's wife, who carried her off at once to her apartments, which shedid not leave afterwards, as she was greatly fatigued by the two longdays of travel.
Dick, on the contrary, although he had dozed in the carriage for thelast two or three hours of the journey, woke up thoroughly as theyneared Tripataly. As soon as they entered the house, the Rajah calledhis two sons, handsome, dark-faced lads of twelve and thirteen.
"This is your cousin, boys," he said. "You must look after him, andsee that he has everything he wants, and make his stay as pleasant asyou can."
Although a little awed by the, to them, tall figure, they evincedneither shyness or awkwardness, but, advancing to Dick, held out theirhands one after the other, with grave courtesy. Their faces bothbrightened, as he said in their own language:
"I hope we shall be great friends, cousins. I am older and bigger thanyou are, but everything is new and strange to me, and I shall have todepend upon you to teach me everything."
"We did not think that you would be able to talk to us," the elder,whose name was Doast Assud, said, smiling. "We have been wondering howwe should make you understand. Many of the white officers, who comehere sometimes, speak our language, but none of them as well as youdo."
"You see, they only learn it after they come out here, while I learntit from my mother, who has talked to me in it since I was quite alittle boy; so it comes as naturally to me as to you."
In a few minutes, supper was announced. The two boys sat down withtheir father and Dick, and the meal was served in English fashion.Dick had already become accustomed to the white-robed servants, at thehotel at Madras, and everything seemed to him pleasant and home-like.
"Tomorrow, Dick," his uncle said, "you must have your first lesson inriding."
The two boys looked up in surprise. They had been accustomed to horsesfrom their earliest remembrance, and it seemed to them incredible thattheir tall cousin should require to be taught. Dick smiled at theirlook of astonishment.
"It is not, with us in England, as it is here," he said. "Boys wholive in the country learn to ride, but in London, which is a verygreat town, with nothing but houses for miles and miles everywhere,few people keep horses to ride. The streets are so crowded, withvehicles of all sorts, and with people on foot, that it is no pleasureto ride in them, and everyone who can afford it goes about in acarriage. Those who cannot, go in hired vehicles, or on foot. Youwould hardly see a person on horseback once in a week."
"I do not like walking," Doast said gravely.
"Well, you see, you have no occasion to walk, as you always have yourhorses. Besides, the weather here is very hot. But in England it iscolder, and walking is a pleasure. I have walked over twenty miles aday, many times, not because I had to do it, but as a day's pleasurewith a friend."
"Can you shoot, cousin?"
"No," Dick laughed. "There is nothing to shoot at. There are no wildbeasts in England, and no game birds anywhere near London."
Dick saw, at once, that he had descended many steps in his cousins'estimation.
"Then what can you find to do?" the younger boy asked.
"Oh, there is plenty to do," Dick said. "In the first place, there isschool. That takes the best part of the day. Then there are all sortsof games. Then I used to take lessons in sword exercise, and did allsorts of things to improve my muscles, and to make me strong. Then, onholidays, three or four of us would go for a long walk, and sometimeswe went out on the river in a boat; and every morning, early, we usedto go for a swim. Oh, I can tell you, there was plenty to do, a
nd Iwas busy from morning till night. But I want very much to learn toshoot, both with gun and pistol, as well as to ride."
"We have got English guns and pistols," Doast said. "We will lend themto you. We have a place where we practise.
"Our father says everyone ought to be able to shoot--don't you,Father?"
The Rajah nodded.
"Everyone out here ought to, Doast, because, you see, every man heremay be called upon to fight, and everyone carries arms. But it isdifferent in England. Nobody fights there, except those who go intothe army, and nobody carries weapons."
"What! Not swords, pistols, and daggers, Father?" Doast exclaimed, insurprise; for to him it seemed that arms were as necessary a part ofattire as a turban, and much more necessary than shoes. "But, whenpeople are attacked by marauders, or two chiefs quarrel with eachother, what can they do if they have no arms?"
"There are no marauders, and no chiefs," Dick laughed. "In the oldtimes, hundreds of years ago, there were nobles who could call out alltheir tenants and retainers to fight their battles, and in those dayspeople carried swords, as they do here. There are nobles still, butthey have no longer any power to call out anyone, and if they quarrelthey have to go before a court for the matter to be decided, just aseveryone else does."
This seemed, to Doast, a very unsatisfactory state of things, and helooked to his father for an explanation.
"It is as your cousin says, Doast. You have been down with me toMadras, and you have seen that, except the officers in the army, noneof the Europeans carry arms. It is the same in England. England is agreat island, and as they have many ships of war, no enemy can landthere. There is one king over the whole country, and there are writtenlaws by which everyone, high and low alike, are governed. So you see,no one has to carry arms. All disputes are settled by the law, andthere is peace everywhere; for as nothing would be settled byfighting, and the law would punish any one, however much in the righthe might be, who fought, there is no occasion at all for weapons. Itis a good plan, for you see no one, however rich, can tyrannise overothers; and were the greatest noble to kill the poorest peasant, thelaw would hang him, just the same as it would hang a peasant whokilled a lord.
"And now, boys, you had better be off to bed. Your cousin has had along day of it, and I have no doubt he will be glad to do so. Tomorrowwe will begin to teach him to ride and to shoot, and I have no doubtthat he will be ready, in return, to teach you a great deal about hiscountry."
The boys got up. But Doast paused to ask his father one last question.
"But how is it, Father, if the English never carry weapons, and neverfight, that they are such brave soldiers? For have they not conqueredall our princes and rajahs, and have even beaten Tippoo Sahib, andmade him give them much of his country?"
"The answer would be a great deal too long to be given tonight, Doast.You had better ask your cousin about it, in the morning."