aps you were very young then?"

I once more insisted that I had never been at Pondicherry, or even in
any part of India. All I said convinced him the more that I was not
speaking the truth.

"You speak Hindustani with the _bandaddy_."

It is true I had learnt a dozen phrases and had once or twice used them.
To say I had learnt them in the ship was useless.

"Oh, no, you have been in India. Why will you not tell me the truth,
sahib? I am the only one from Pondicherry but you."

He spoke mournfully. I was denying my own fatherland, denying help and
comradeship to my own countryman! It was, thought Pondicherry, cruel,
unkind, unpatriotic. He gathered up the mess he had spilt and descended
sorrowfully to the main deck to discuss me with his friends among the
crew. As I heard afterwards from the wrinkled old serang, there were
many arguments started in the fo'castle as to my place of origin. It was
said, by those who took sides against Pondicherry, that even if I knew
"Pondicherry" (and for that they only had his word), I also undoubtedly
knew English. And when did any of the white rulers of Pondicherry know
that tongue? Some of the Lascars who had been on the Madras coast in
country boats swore that no one spoke English there. On the whole, as I
came from England and knew English it was more likely that I was what I
said than that I came from Pondicherry. But even so all agreed it was a
mystery that I could speak it. The serang came to me quietly.

"Say, Robat, you tell me. You come Pondicherry?"

"No, serang," said "Robat."

"But you speak Pondicherry the boy say, Robat?"

"Yes, I speak it, serang. Many English people speak it a little. Very
easy for English people learn a little, just the same as we learn _jeldy
jow, toom sooar_."

And as the serang was well acquainted with the capabilities of English
officers with regard to abusive language, he went away convinced that
"Pondicherry" and "Hindustani" insults were perhaps taught in English
schools after all.

In spite of my refusing to take Pondicherry into my confidence he
remained on friendly, if suspicious, terms with me. When I said a word
or two of French to him he beamed all over, and turned to the others as
much as to say, "Didn't I tell you he came from my country?" For
nothing that I and the serang or his friends said convinced him, or even
shook his opinion. He used to sneak up to me occasionally as he worked
about the decks and spring a question on