E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, David Garcia,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
CHAPTER
III. THE LOVE-SONG OF HAR DYAL
X. A POLITICAL OFFICER IN THE MAKING
XIV. THE DEVIL DANCERS OF TUNA
Youth's daring courage, manhood's fire
Firm seat and eagle eye
Must he acquire who doth aspire
To see the grey boar die
—Indian Pigsticking Song
Mrs. Norton looked contentedly at her image in the long mirror whichreflected a graceful figure in a well-cut grey habit and smart longbrown boots, a pretty face and wavy auburn hair under the sun-helmet.Then turning away and picking up her whip she left the dressing-roomand, passing the door of her husband's bedroom where he lay stillsleeping, descended the broad marble staircase of the Residency to thelofty hall, where an Indian servant in a long red coat hurried to openthe door of the dining-room for her.
Almost at that moment a mile away Raymond, the adjutant of the 180thPunjaub Infantry, looked at his watch and called out loudly:
"Hurry up, Wargrave; it's four o'clock and the ponies will be round inten minutes. And it's a long ride to the Palace."
He was seated at a table on the verandah of the bungalow which heshared with his brother subaltern in the small military cantonment nearRohar, the capital of the Native State of Mandha in the west of India.Dawn had not yet come; and by the light of an oil lamp Raymond waseating a frugal breakfast of tea, toast and fruit, the chota hazri orlight meal with which Europeans in the East begin the day. He wasdressed in an old shooting-jacket, breeches and boots; and as he ate hiseyes turned frequently to a bundle of steel-headed bamboo spears leaningagainst the wall nea