my countrymen have ventured his life to attack a tiger, armed only
with a whip, for the sake of the life of a poor wayfarer?"

"Yes, I think there are many who would have done so," Bathurst
replied. "You do your countrymen injustice. There are plenty of
brave men among them, and I have heard before now of villagers,
armed only with sticks, attacking a tiger who has carried off a
victim from among them. You yourself were standing boldly before
it when I came up."

"My child was under its feet--besides, I never thought of myself.
If I had had a weapon I should not have drawn it. I had no thought
of the tiger; I only thought that my child was dead. She works with
me, sahib; since her mother died, five years ago, we have traveled
together over the country; she plays while I conjure. She takes
round the saucer for the money, and she acts with me in the tricks
that require two persons; it is she who disappears from the basket.
We are everything to each other, sahib. But what is my lord's name?
Will he tell his servant, that he and Rabda may think of him and
talk of him as they tramp the roads together?"

"My name is Ralph Bathurst. I am District Officer at Deennugghur.
How far are you going this evening?"

"We shall sleep at the first village we come to, sahib; we have
walked many hours today, and this box, though its contents are not
weighty, is heavy to bear. We thought of going down tomorrow to
Deennugghur, and showing our performances to the sahib logue there."

"Very well; but there is one thing--what is your name?"