The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-30

hinl-he could hear the toor TUX TUX Of
the bandur wallahs dholuk or little
drum. The munshi was taking his usual
morning nap; slipping out of the room
| without waking the old man, Alec made
his way through the wild tangle of trees
and crccpcrs, more junGly than the most
unkcmpt of Indian gardens. and gave
the CRY of a peacock three times. It was
answered from the servants quarters.
and presently Tippoo came running to
see what new adventure he was TO help
in.
Faulting over the low wall that sur
rounds most Indian gardens. Alec saun-
tered along the road taken by the BAN
dur wallah.
A little way farther there was a shall
low pool near a temple, where Alec had
discovered the bandur wallah, Of late.
occasionally took a bath on his way to
the soldiers barracks. Arrived there, he
saw the bandur wallah up to his waist
IN water, while his goat nd monkeys
were tied to a tree on the roadside I'm
fortunately. however. the bandur wallah
was facing that way. and although he
could not see his goat and monkeys. they
being on a higher level. he could have
seen anyone leading them away.
Alec stole cautiously forward, the tree
trunk between him and the man. I'M
loosed the ropes, and waited. Presently
the bandur wallah bodied under water
On the instant Alec 'bolted with the
animals. while Tippoo took up the bag of
tricks, and both made straight for home
Alec easing his conscience meanwhile by
vowing to himself that later on he would
pay the owner Of the animals well for
the enforced loan of them. Once at
home, 1t was not long before the two
boys left the compound with the goat
and monkeys; and none could have
guessed that one was English.
They arrived at the bazaar. with its
medley Of sights and sounds, where. in
dear old-world simplicity. the artisan
piled his trade open to the eyes of all
the potter at his wheel: the weaver lat
iooIi' lHe Will HIS Tlduy tupS
Of color and bright cloths drying in the
sun; goldsmths, woodcarvers, workers
in brass and copper, an endless pleasing
panorama that Alec was never tired of
the hulwafs shop as the sweetmeats
frizzled in the spluttering ghee, made
them pause and invest the hot jelabies
and monkey nuts for the animals. Then
they wandered happily about. giving
performance here and there, but they
were not very successful.
Truth to tell. Alec was not expert
enough to make the goat stand on the
pyramid of wooden blocks properly, and
he did not know the monkey mans trick
Of eoaxing Mea Mansa Ram, the male
monkey. to do his share of work, and
above all he lacked the bandur wallah's
talent for personal badinage-which
brought the bazaar folk round him in
numbers. Mea Mansa Ram was a very
large specimen Of the Indian Rhesus
monkey. with a red face that reminded
one Of an apoplectic old man. At pres
ent Mea Mansa Ram was smarting I'M
der a great indignity; he had only been
given three monkey nuts, while the goat
had had FIVE and even his wife had one
more than he. His own master always
gave him twice as many as the others,
and who was this slip Of boy, dragging
him about at the end Of q rope. to in
suit him thus?
Mea Mansa Ram had gone through his
tricks very badly. The standing on his
head. walking on his hands, and somer-
saulting were Of the poorest description,
and the bystanders had repeatedly A.ged
Alec to go home and take q few more
lessons from the old man. and generally
sharpened their wits at his expense.
Next. the monkey had to dress in a
red Jacket. shoulder his rifle. and, having
shaken himself free from his clingins,
sobbing wife. to set OF for the war on
his charger. the goat, which. after scam
pering round in a circle half q dozen
times. brought him to the battlefield,
where he let OF his gun and fell dead;
after which his wife came and sat over
the PROSTATE warrior. weeping.
All this Mea Mansa Ram did, though |
with very bad grace. even to the death |
on the battlefield. But then he sudden
ly tore on the encumbering coat ana |