"Oh, yes, saar," promptly responded Chinna-Sawmy, "I speak very well English, and I have a good chit—I dog boy to General Pringle, and five dogs; and Mrs. General, she liking me too much."
Here Anthony broke in. "Chinna-Sawmy is lucky, always finding things, once find gold watch, and that for why I catching Chinna-Sawmy; better than magic wallah," and he seized upon and exhibited the boy's hands, on each of which were two thumbs—small, perfectly formed, and growing from the same joint. "This bringing master plenty luck!" announced Anthony with an air of overwhelming conviction. But his master recoiled a step, and said:
"Oh, yes, all right; but I won't have the fellow to wait on me. I dare say, out here, a double growth may be a fine thing, but I draw the line at two thumbs on one plate," and having made this declaration, Captain Mallender went to dinner, and Chinna-Sawmy gave expression to his joy by standing on his head.
CHAPTER X
The most popular Meet was at the Marmelong Bridge, and here on a certain Thursday morning half Madras society was assembled on horseback, wheels, or, the lazy folks, in motors, awaiting the arrival of the hounds.
Colonel Tallboys, admirably turned-out and mounted to correspond, was engaged in an animated conversation with little Miss Miller—admittedly the best of horsewomen, and keenest of followers. Unfortunately her steeds were rarely worthy of their rider; to-day, for instance, she was reduced to a bony old waler, who looked as if he had been knocking about the world for many years, and had lately fallen into low estate. As Mallender joined the party the girl was saying:
"Yes, this is the Nizam. I knew he had been raced; and so you remember him winning the Gold Cup ten years ago! What a change! I always feel so sorry for animals when they grow old; Father bought him at auction at the Stable Company for a mere song, and rides him as a charger; after father, I must seem a mere feather! The Nizam loves jumping, and galloping, and finds it much more to his taste than dull morning parades."
"For all his age he has a wild and eager eye," observed Mallender, "if you will allow me I will take up his curb, it's pretty loose."
"No, no, thanks very much," said Barbie, "if we have any jumping, I must give him his head."