The Jungle Girl

side that, as he swept on, the tough bamboo broke like match-wood. The stricken beast tottered forward a yard or two, then turned and

at at first he was unable to stand without support. Leaning on the arm of one of his nobles he held out his hand to Raymond, when the latter rode up, and thanked him gratefully for his timely aid. The

om cover and was instantly pursued by all the others of the hunt. The subaltern ruefully accepted the la

There's another. Come, we'l

hem in a long, stern chase. Again and again the beast swerved; but at last with a fierce thrill Wargrave felt the steel head of the spear strike home in the quarry. As he was carried on past it he withdrew the weapon, then pulled his panting horse round. The boar was checked; but the wound only infuriated him and aroused his fighting ardour. He dashed at Mrs. Norton; but, as Frank turned, the game brute recognised the more dangerous ad

yes and face flushed a becoming pink, making her even pr

at on his panting horse over the dead boar. "You did that splen

the subaltern modestly, no

id of the Maharajah's followers, for in a run they ride so recklessly and carry their spears so carelessly that it's a

rked again with admiration the graceful lines and rounded curves o

cky," she exclaimed. "The biggest

t cost him a pang to surrender the precious trophy. "You deserve them, for you rode

he nobility of your self-denial. This is your first pig; and I know what that means to a man. Now we mu

f bristling cactus or very rarely the tall stem of a palm tree. Of the others of the party there was no sign. His companion and he seemed to be alone in the world; and he began to wonder apprehensively if they were destined

re we are, I suppose, Mrs. No

d better wait quietly where we are instead of wandering about trying to find our

I do. By Jove, I'd give anything to come across the camel that Raymond tells

ed, trying to fan herself with the few inches of

ern. "I've never felt heat like this anywhere else in India. But, th

was being swiftly drawn up over sun

g. That's a sandstorm," she cried, for the

nder a mound of sand, like the pictures we used to have

orton

ered. "But unpleasant enough, I assu

and the sudden darkness and the grim menace of the approaching black wall of the sa

to it. "It will serve to break the force of the

the dark menace overspreading earth and sky. The sun was now hidden; but that brought no relief, for the heat was

The horses followed them instinctively, as they pressed as closely as they could to the shelter of the inhospitable plant. The animals turned their tails towards the appro

h he drew was laden with the irritating sand. It penetrated through all the openings of his clothing, down his collar, inside his shirt, into his boots. The heat was terrific, unbearable, the darkness intense. Wargrave began to wonder if his first apprehensions were not justified, if they could hope to escape alive or were destined to be buried under the st

thering pall was lifted from them. The black wall passed on and Wargrave watched it moving away over the desert. The storm had lasted half an hour, but the subaltern believed its duration to

l over a

ect and drawing a deep breath of cool air into her la

't want to try again. My throat is parched; I must have

hair, eyebrows, grey with it. It had c

ugh I was almost suffocated," she said. "Well, now tha

orses and move out into the open. W

efore he had not known of this woman's existence! and now he had held her to his breast and tried to protect her against the forces of Nature. The same idea seemed born in

earch party a sowar galloped to meet them and, saluting, told them that the Maharajah and the rest had taken refuge from the storm in a village a couple of miles away. Then from the kamarband, or

ling and viciously trying to bite everyone within reach, were being unloaded by some of the Maharajah's servants. Other attendants were spreading a white cloth on the groun

x Hindu could not eat with his guests, begged them to excuse him and, being helped with difficulty on his ho

longest and finest of all; and he was warmly congratulated by the more experienced pigstickers on his success. Shortly afterwards the beaters went into the nullah again; and a few more runs ad

t, like old friends. For the incidents of the day had served to sweep away formality between them and to give them a sense of long acquaintanceship and mutual liking. And, w

to discover that they had

ate place. The ladies and the other officers of your regiment are Philistines. Ragtime is more in their line than Grieg

ave l

uring Mess. I gave up trying to elevate their musical taste when the Colonel told me to order the bandma

sician yourse

y the

y touch it now. My husband takes no interest in music-or indeed, in anything else I like. But, t

her give a little sigh. Was it possible, he wondered, that the husband of

with a chang

y Call, you know. All officers are supposed to

not a mere duty, Mrs. Norton," said the subaltern w

tful to have some music again. I have not opened my piano for months; but I'

raw up the gushing water to irrigate the green fields so reposeful to the eye after the glaring desert. They passed by thatched mud huts outside which naked brown babies sprawled in the dust and deer-eyed women turned the hand-que

ell-kept grounds, he felt quite reluctant to part with her. But, declining her invitation

the broiling heat of the afternoon sun. But Mrs. Norton was more in his thoughts t

cise. Wargrave entered his own bare and comfortless bedroom, and with the help of his "boy"-as Indian body-servants are termed-proceeded to undress. The

rs into the sitting-room which they shared the subaltern found his comrade lying lazily in a long chair and attired in the same cool costume. The outer doors and windows of

ch run and kill, until the servants came in to throw open the doors and windows in hope of a fa

were tumbling in ruins. There was nothing else-not even the "general shop" usual in most small cantonments. Not a spool of thread, not a tin of sardines, could be purchased within a three days' journey. Most of the food supplies and almost everything else had to be brought from Bombay. Around the bungalow the compounds were simply patches of the unive

ers are called) rushed out to crowd round and welcome back their popular officer, Wargrave and Raymond strolled to the Mess. Here in the anteroom other British officers of the corps, tired out after the da

seat in the vehicle, a tall, stately Indian servant in a long, gold-laced red coat reaching below the knees and embroidered on the breast with the Imperial monogram in gold, came out and held a small silver tray to him. Wargrave placed a couple of his visiting cards on it, and the gorgeous apparition (known as a c

o the chuprassi r

laa

ndicated the red-bound Visitor's Book, in which he was to inscribe his name. Then one of the servants led the way up the broad staircase into a large and well-furnished drawing-room extending along the whole front of the buildin

nd she hailed his advent into her monotonous life as a child greets the coming of a playfellow. With the other two ladies in Rohar she had nothing in common. Both were middle-aged, serious and spiteful. To them her youth and beauty were an offence; and from the first day of their acquaintance with her they

delightful to find in this desert spot this pretty and cultured woman, who would have been deemed attractive in London and who appeared trebly so in a dull and lonely Indian station. He had thought much of her since their meeting on the previous day; and although it never occurred to him to lose his heart to her or even attempt to flirt with her, yet he felt that her friendship would brighten existence for him in Rohar. Nor did the thought strike him that possibly he might come to mean more to Mrs. Norton t

t from the other officers of the regiment; and his companionship during the uncomfortable incident of the sandstorm bul

violin well and was, moreover, the possessor of a voice tuneful and sympathetic, even if not perfectly trained. This made ins

no while Frank played an obligato, a servant came to enquire if she wished her horse or a carriage got ready for her usual evening ride or drive, she impat

able act to take pity on my solitude," she said

d have loved to accept your invitation; but it is our Guest Night an

r Mr. Raymond told me the same thing only last week when I inv

the scandal of the stately chuprassis, stood at it to watch him drive away and t

ghtning friendships b