Our boys in India . ght so hard againsta railway that they had to put the station on this side theriver. What was it that coolie just said to you? asked Scott. He has a lantern, and I suppose he wants us to followhim to a boat. I could not understand him. I thought you understood all their languages, said Scott. There are over seventy entirely different languages spokenin India, beside a host of dialects, he replied. It wouldtake a lifetime to learn them all. There were three boats waiting on the bank. They were PILGRIMS, PRIESTS, AND PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. 193 miserably weak affairs, even as seen
Our boys in India . ght so hard againsta railway that they had to put the station on this side theriver. What was it that coolie just said to you? asked Scott. He has a lantern, and I suppose he wants us to followhim to a boat. I could not understand him. I thought you understood all their languages, said Scott. There are over seventy entirely different languages spokenin India, beside a host of dialects, he replied. It wouldtake a lifetime to learn them all. There were three boats waiting on the bank. They were PILGRIMS, PRIESTS, AND PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. 193 miserably weak affairs, even as seen in the dim lantern-light;but the man who had led them down proved to be the post-office employee with the mail-bag; and, thinking that themail-boat would probably be as safe as any, they followedhim, much to the disgust of the other boatmen, who, assoon as they were under way in the muddy, rushing river,attempted to show them what a mistake they had made inpoint of speed. This excited the oarsmen of the mail-boat,.. and the three boats creaked and bent as they were pushedthrough the water. The yellow water splashed in their faces, and the littlewaves made the boats rock. Scott began to fear they mighthave a shipwreck there in the Ganges, but Richard onlylaughed. This is the first time in my life, said he, that I haveneeded to urge a native to go slower, instead of giving himbacksheesh to hurry. By dint of utmost exertion they avoided striking a clod 194 OUR BOYS IN INDIA. of some sort that was floating in the river. The next boat,not so fortunate, hit it fairly, and sent two of the three boat-men overboard, much to the amusement of those in the other,boats, who did not stop pulKng for an instant, but left themin the water. What in the world was that ? asked Scott. A cow going to glory, replied Richard solemnly. What! exclaimed Scott, seeing that there was a jokesomewhere, but being quite too sleepy to take it in. Why, the Ganges is very sacred, you know; and whenan animal dies
Size: 1808px × 1382px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidourboysinind, bookyear1892
