RATTAN SaG11.

"ALAAM, Maharaja Sahib ! " " Salaam, Captain Sahib !

0 I'm delighted to see you at Ajpore. To-morrow you shall inspect the troops, and the day after we'll kill a pig or two, with the chance of a leopard. Have you ever stuck a, leopard ? It is very exciting, though he doesn't give you much- of a gallop, but you must be quick or he'll turn the tables on you. live got Red Eagle for you, the chestnut Arab you rode last time you wore here ; he is very fit and well and will give you a good ride. I always think that an Arab stallion has more brains than any other horse, and you want a clever one, for the going is tricky. I've prepared rooms for you in the visitors' bungalow, and if you will excuse me I won't dine with you as I did when we last met at Simla. My people don't like me to eat with an English- man, and for me to fly in the face of public opinion here, where every one knows what I do, is not politic and weakens my position. If occasion demands it, I am always prepared to brave old pre- judices, but I don't believe in offending:people without somegood reason. Now you will want a bath, and after your dinner I'll come round and sec you again."

Rajah Rattan Singh, Regent of the Native State of 4jpore and uncle of the infant Chief, was a Rathur Rajput of the family of the Sun. The Rsjputs, the princely and highest winner carste of the Hindus, is divided into three elastics, those who respect- ively claim their descent, from the Sun, from the Mooffiand from Fire, and many of them trace their pedigrees in direct descent for so many generations that our oldest families ere mere mush- rooms in comparison. Rattan Singh was,proncl to count among his ancestresses that Maharani of Oodoypnr on account of whose courage all other Rajput Princes look on Oodeypur .as the first among equals. The story is that when the Mogul Emperors came conquering from the North and settled in Delhi, they invaded the different principalitiee of Rajputana in turn,- for the undisciplined valour of -the Hindu warriors with theinantiquated methods availed but little against the better organization of the conquering Mohammedans, and the capitals of„Rajputanalell one by one into their hands, and Rajput Princesses found their ways into Mogul harems. The great Akbar, who alwaye aspired to be regarded as a just monarch, showed his impartiality by having three chief wives, one a Mohammedan, one a Christian, and one a Hindu. Like a clever bookmaker, he believed in hedging, and in having a subsidiary string connecting him with Heaven should his principal rope fail. As has been said, Prin- cesses from nearly all the reigning Houses of Rajputana found their way to Delhi. At last it was the turn of distant Oodeypur to be attacked. The 'fighting men, although they fought gallantly, suffered defeat, and messengers were sent to the city apprising the Rani of what had happened; whereupon she summoned seven hundred of the most beautiful and most noble women of her entourage and went with them by a subterranean passage to a lake, where they all drowned themselves. No Oodeypur Princess ever fell into Mogul hands, and it is this deed which has made the race of Oodeypur so highly honoured.

Captain Dick Campbell, of the 60th Bengal Lancers, was inspecting officer of the Imperial Service troops in Ajpore, and also in two adjoining Native States, and he bad came to pay one of his periodical visits. Early in the morning he had sent on a change of clothes with his servant by a tumbledown ekka, a two. wheeled, curiously balanced native conveyance, dragged along by a diminutive butuntiring.pony, whilst he hieeeelf had.ridden

thirty miles along the sandy tracks of .Rajputana under a baking sun. The long Whisky-peg, the hot bath, and subsequent dinner which'ho found awaiting him were all very welcome.

In the evening Batten Singh again came in, and lighting a cheroot said " Can you tell me, Sahib, howlirishna Nath and the other Bengalis who were undoubtedly guilty of trying to murder Commissioner Johnson Sahib sot off ? " " Do not ask me,Maharaj Sahib. I believe-it was on a point of law." "What is a point of law ? Do you believe that they did or did not do it ? Didn't the Judge find them guilty? and in spite of that youallow the matter to bo referred to a superior Court and theseseceuffirels to get off on what you calla point of law. Are you .aware, Sahib, of the way the disloyal Native Press gloats over the acquittal, and how the fact that they -are not to be banged is attributed, not to any sense of justice on your part, lint to fear of the Bengalis ? Do you know what a position all this puts us into ? We fighting men are -being derided for submitting to a rule which is laughed at by the Bengali. Another species of Sahib seems now to be in power, and the men who legislate to-day are not the same as they used to be in the old days. By giving way to a few contemptible disloyal agitators, you are bitterly .offending your real friends, who are infinitely more numerous, and would not tolerate the Bengalis were it not that you protect them. Moreover, because we do not understand English politics we have no opportunity 'of expressing our Teal wishes. Is it true, Sahib, that the Englishman thinks that all people in Indiaore the same, and that a Bengali and a Rajput, because they are-both of them of, darker complexion than -the Sahiblog, have the same character. and the same aspirations, whereas they are really as different as a leopard is from a goat ? I have seen it suggested somewhere that you are contemplating superseding Englishmen in the Civil Service and putting Bengalis in their place. Do you think that this -will be tolerated ? Somebody said to me the other day that he heard.that the English are talking of leaving India altogether, and handing the Govern- ment, over to the 'Bengalis. If you do this, Sahib, :please give me'the tip early, for I want to.have first go in, and I swear that my Itajputs will see that within a fortnight of your leaving there will be-neither& virginnor a rupee inthe whole of cowardly Bengal."

" We soldiers know all this, Rajah Sahib, as well.as you do, but we are powerless, and the Indian civilians who are most in touch with the.people are also never listened to, and if- they pro- test-leo:much their promotion suffers and they ere sent to out-of- the-way places where they may in vain waste their eloquence on the desert air. Licliats everydaymore governed direct from the India Office, whose officials act as if they believe that the Bengali Bsbu represented the feeling of the whole of India instead -of only a few thousands out of three hundred millions, and Indian civilians who stand emond tell the truth are not populac. If I could doanything I would work day. and night to help, but as it is it only makeirme-miserable to talk of the fate weare preparing for the country to whose service we are . devoting our lives. What time do we start to-morrow morning ? " "'Your horse and-orderly will be round at 5.80, so you must get to,bed. Good- :night, Sahib."

The-sun was rising like a red ball as Dick Campbell mounted Red Eagle and cantered to the parade ground, where one regiment of Lancers and two battalions of infantry were drawn up. About half the squadrons and companies -were composed of Bajputs and half of Jhats. The word "Rajput" Insane "sons of royalty," and a good quarter of the men on parade were of such pure blood that according to Hindu law they could have beenchosen as heir to the Rajah should he die without issue. In old days in Rajputana the Rajpute were the owners of the land and the Jhats tillers of the soil, and although not so blue-blooded the latter are also excellent fighting stuff. It may be true that they possess less dash than the fiery-Pathan, but they are stout men when things are going badly; and after all, the best of the Sikhs, the Jhat Sikhs, are onlyJhats who have taken the Sikh oath, some of the principal clauses of which are never to smoke, never to cut the hair or beard, never to turn the face from a friend or the back to an enemy, and to worship iron and steel and not gold_ Of later days the last clause has been more honoured in the breach than in the observance, and many of the Sikhs have taken to trade. The Rajput com- panies were composed of particularly Olean-limbed, spare men, who possessed the characteristics of the thoroughbred animal, • white or black, man or horse. Although the material of both men andhorses was good; there was a. something wanting which differentiated. the regiments- from Indian Army regiments com- manded and officered by Englithmen, for, splendid as they are in many ways, there it invariably a want of thoroughness in any organization or undertaking, which is entirely run by natives. The rest' of the day passed without event, ending up with a.game of polo.

The meet on the following morning was not far off, There were

five speans--Rattan Singh, Dick Campbell, Fatteh. Moll Singh, andaley•Singl, All Rajputs -and Sikhs are called Singh, whick means " the lion," and is an. appendage to. the names of men of these fighting mates. The ground was flat, and the jungle to be beaten. was composed of coarse grass six feet high inter- spersed with-small thorny trees and running along the side dart old river-bed which was boggy and across which no pig would break. The soil had been baked by the fierce sun and was very hard. It required sound legs and hoofs to stand the rattle and concussion. The jungle was full of small dry nullalis or water- courses. The five spears were hidden behind trees and *rape of grass just outside the jungle which WAS being beaten. When the signal was given the coolies, armed with drums, rattles' guns loaded with. blank cartridges,. and last but not least their own voices, pushed into the grass and, made. &diabolical -noise, Presently partridges, peacock, hares, black buck, and. jackals, in the order named; broke and passed close-to-the spears. Then came asonnder of wild boar; aeowwith alitterof eight and aecom. panied bytwo small tuskers; then at last two bigtuskers-showed themselves simultaneously. They first peeped out of the jangle and looked round, and seeming satisfied trotted off. They were allowed a hundred' and fifty yards start, which committed them well to the open,.before Rattan Singh called out: " Ride t Campbell Sahib and. Fatteh Singh-will take the right boar, I and the others the boar on the left:" Both boars cantered along, and half-a-mile had hoes covered before,Camp- bed and his companion were within, twenty yards. of- their quarry. Ib is always necessary to press a: pig: beforeheletw his second. wind or he will probably outlast you, The going was bad, and of a description- that one•would have hesitated to ride over in coldblood'at a faster pace than a walk; but scrambling here and putting in a short stride there, the horses managed to keep up, and Diok Campbell was more pleased than ever with Red Eagle. He just. get-up to the boar and pricked him as he turned. at right angles down a. nullah to the right. Fatteh Singh, who only weighed eight stone and was also riding an Arab, followed him,.and two. hundred yards further on speared as theboar wee-charging ; butthe spearbroke, andDiekwae

handed. against a heavy fighting boar with's, broken spear pro- truding-two feet-from his back The-boar was evidently making for another jungle to the right, and was already on the outskirts whenIXek got en to. terms with liim. The boar did not hesitate, but came straight in ; he was an awkward customer, but the speak went well home ; the little Arab. gave & bound, clearing the broken spear-shafts and,all was well He measured thirty- four inches at the shoulder.

The other party had also accounted for their boar, and- the beaten who had hurried on began to collect; Fatteh Singh had galloped offto get another-spear when a coolie came running to Dick Campbell with the news that he bad seen a leopard only a few hundred' yards. away and would take him- to the spot. Off they went together; the leopard was there, and. on seeing his pursuer boundedaway and hid behind. a tuft of high grass, so that. Dick. Campbell' did not see him until he was nearly on the top, of, him. Some strong blades of grass interfered with the proper manipulation of his spear, and the leopard sprang oa to.bim behind:the saddle, seized him by the-neck, pulled him on to the ground, and mauled. him. The little Arab stallion, according to what the coolies said,. did all he could to protect his master, struck at the leopard with his fore feet and kicked him with his hind, and must have succeeded in breaking a leg. At all events, the leopard made off ; but Dick.Campbell was dying, The other spears, helped by some Jhats withthe heavy loaded sticks whirls they.' carry, found. and killed the maimed leopard re few hundred yards away, and the hunting party returned treAjpore with Campbell, who was carried on an elephant, on whieb also rode Rattan Singh: Campbell died soon after arriving- at Ajpore.

A telegram was at. once sent to Colonel Johnson, who was Camp- bell's. immediate chief, and who happened by chance to be inspecting only twenty miles off, and. a relay of horses was sent out to enable him to come immediately. At about 4. o'olock in

the afternoon: he arrived and was met by Rattan Singh. One of his first questions was to ask what arrangements could be made about the funeral, for itwas necessary owing to the weather that the body should-be buried at. once. Rattan Singh replied: " All' arrangements are made, Sahib." " But, Afaharaj Sahil, who will carry him to the grave.? There• are no Europeans, and, as, yea knowi.no Hindu can do so without losing his caste and:being defiled." " Colonel Sahib, a Rather Rajput is above caste. I and three other Rajput Chafe, will: carry the corpse. In the eyeaaGod there'is only one easte, the casteof brave men, and-to that caste both- Campbell Sahib andwe belong."

After the funeral was over Rattan Singh said to Colonel Janson.: "Sahib, as I told you, we are pleased to think that inthe eyes of God we belong to the same caste as you, the caste of bravemen. We like to be governed by men of our own caste. The Bengalia, however; do- not belong:to that caste, and we will not accept themes our lawgivers, We have always been loyal to the British-Raj, we wish always to remain so, and hope that the -British- will not make it impossible for us- to do so. Good. bye, Colonel Sahib; may God protect you and the British Raj

T. D. Prsolren.