h of
that month by twenty thousand cavalry and infantry. These, however,
were defeated after making several desperate charges; and on the
following day another battle took place, in which the Mahrattas
were totally routed, and their general killed, after which Bassein
surrendered.

Chapter 2: A Strange Bringing Up.

The war went on during the following year, but in 1782 peace was
concluded. In 1784, the Mahrattas joined the Nizam and the British
in an alliance, having for its object the overthrow of Mysore;
which state, first under Hyder Ali, and afterwards under his son
Tippoo, was a source of danger to all the allies.

In the meantime Harry Lindsay, who was now called Puntojee, had
been living quietly on the farm of Ramdass; and no suspicion
whatever had been excited in the minds of the neighbours, or of any
of the people of Jooneer, that he was aught but what he seemed--the
son of Soyera. Once a week he was re-stained; and even his
playmates, the two sons of Ramdass, believed that he was, like
themselves, a young Mahratta. They knew that, sometimes, their aunt
talked to the child for hours in a strange language; but she led
them to believe it was the dialect of Bombay, which she thought it
might be useful for him to learn.

The child was shrewd and intelligent, and strictly obeyed Soyera's
instructions never, on any account, to talk in that language with
her except when they were alone; for she said that, if he did so,
some great misfortune would happen to him.

Thus, at six, he was able to speak English and Mahratta with equal
facility. As soon as his hair began to grow, it had also been dyed;
for its colour was fair, and would at once have excited attention.
He was a sturdy boy, and had never known a day's illness.

Four more years passed, and Soyera then revealed to him the fact
that she was not, as he supposed, his mother, but that he was of
English parents; and related to him the manner in which they had
come by their death, and how she had saved him.

"The language which you are speaking," she said, "is English. I
spoke truly, when I said it was the language in use in Bombay; for
it is the tongue of the white men there. Now you will understand
why I wanted you not to speak in it, to anyone but myself; and why
I have stained your skin, once a week. At present we are at peace
with the English; but there may be war again, at any time, and in
that case were it known that you are white, your life wou