Excerpt from The Stronger Claim Receiving no answer, he shook the cold hand that hung heavily over the edge of the bed.
Dadda, arise! He shouted in fluent Hindu stani. Mamma is at my grandpapa's bungalow and the ayah and the servants also. She weeps and will not speak to me, and the ayah and the bearer forbade me to return here. What is the meaning of it all?
He shook the hand again and called to his father repeatedly, till the echo of his shrill little voice rang up into the roof. Then he ceased, and glanced apprehensively over his shoulder. The room was growing dark, and his father lay so strangely still. There was nobody at hand to tell him what was the matter except the punkah coolie, and the child felt afraid to cross the gloomy expanse of room that lay between himself and the door. A nameless terror crept into his baby mind. He burst into loud screams, and, with the self-abandonment common to Anglo Indian children, he threw himself on the floor and rolled from side to side.
Aree! And the ayah poked a fat, nervous countenance in at the door. May evil befall that rascal of a bearer for permitting the child to run back! Come hither, sonny, - quick! - quick! See what is outside! The man with the perform ing monkeys has arrived and awaits thine or ders Then in a low voice, under her breath, she added: May Kali protect me! But I cannot enter the room with the sahib lying there dead of the cholera!
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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Dadda, arise! He shouted in fluent Hindu stani. Mamma is at my grandpapa's bungalow and the ayah and the servants also. She weeps and will not speak to me, and the ayah and the bearer forbade me to return here. What is the meaning of it all?
He shook the hand again and called to his father repeatedly, till the echo of his shrill little voice rang up into the roof. Then he ceased, and glanced apprehensively over his shoulder. The room was growing dark, and his father lay so strangely still. There was nobody at hand to tell him what was the matter except the punkah coolie, and the child felt afraid to cross the gloomy expanse of room that lay between himself and the door. A nameless terror crept into his baby mind. He burst into loud screams, and, with the self-abandonment common to Anglo Indian children, he threw himself on the floor and rolled from side to side.
Aree! And the ayah poked a fat, nervous countenance in at the door. May evil befall that rascal of a bearer for permitting the child to run back! Come hither, sonny, - quick! - quick! See what is outside! The man with the perform ing monkeys has arrived and awaits thine or ders Then in a low voice, under her breath, she added: May Kali protect me! But I cannot enter the room with the sahib lying there dead of the cholera!
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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