Our boys in India . can mind you all the better for being large, said themuni at last; but the voice trembled that had rung firm andclear before death and all sorts of terrible dangers, and theeyes that had never flinched were dimmed with tears. I want you to be my elephant, and carry me as the ele-phants did the men to-day, said Paul at last, clapping hishands, and starting to his feet. Im hardly big enough for that, said Dhondaram ; butI can be your horse. Come you, my Hari-Sahib, get on myback, and we will go where you will. And the bare-headed muni, the terror of India, on hishands and kne
Our boys in India . can mind you all the better for being large, said themuni at last; but the voice trembled that had rung firm andclear before death and all sorts of terrible dangers, and theeyes that had never flinched were dimmed with tears. I want you to be my elephant, and carry me as the ele-phants did the men to-day, said Paul at last, clapping hishands, and starting to his feet. Im hardly big enough for that, said Dhondaram ; butI can be your horse. Come you, my Hari-Sahib, get on myback, and we will go where you will. And the bare-headed muni, the terror of India, on hishands and knees went galloping round the bare floor of thatdimly lighted, wretched room, with the pale-faced, blue-eyed,brown-haired Hari-Paul crowing and laughing and shoutingon his back, his little hands clinging mercilessly to the lockof long black hair that In Hindu fashion grew from the top ofhis horses head. It mattered little that he had walked all night with theboy upon his shoulder, and that he had walked all day in the. 254 OUR BOYS IN INDIA. procession : Dhondaram was as wild and happy as Paul. Andyet the boy was not quite happy; for the very excitementof the game seemed to bring back to him other hours, — hoursfull of sunshine and laughing, — and other surroundings, whenhe had not been the Hindu Hari, but — He tried in vain to catch the dream. It vanished, as italways had, just as it touched his eyes. When the sport was ended, Hari, at a loss for somethingnew, said, — Now you must make me dark, just like you, Dhon-daram. I will get something to put on your hands, and let yousee how you like it, my Hari-Sahib, replied the muni. Iwill come back at once, and bring it with me, He went out, and Paul began to be frightened againthe moment he was alone. He would have followed had henot found the door locked again. But Dhondaram had onlygone around one corner to a dye-house, where he was surehe was unknown, and there procured the material with whichhe stained the boys hands and
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