The Story of Sonny Sahib Part 8

'Hazur, ha!'[13] replied Tooni, 'Sonny Sahib hai!'

[13] 'Your Honour, yes. It is Sonny Sahib.'

The Colonel looked at Sunni an instant longer, and the boy smiled into his face. 'Yes,' said he a.s.suredly, with a deep breath, 'it is Sonny Sahib.'

'The woman saw your honour this morning, and the khaber was brought to me then,' remarked the Maharajah complacently.

It was three weeks, after all, before the Maharajah of Chita was satisfactorily arranged. For three weeks Thomas Jones indulged in roast kid and curry every day from Lalpore, and Lieutenant Pink, having no more warlike way of amusing himself, made sanguinary water-colour sketches of the city to send home to the Misses Pink in England. The day came at last when Colonel Starr and Sonny Sahib went to pay their final respects to the Maharajah. With his hand upon his son's shoulder the Colonel turned once more after the last courtesy had been exchanged.

'Your Highness will remember,' said the English soldier for the pleasure of saying it, 'he did not tell.'

THE END