e him. Dinky knew what he was
about all the time; and though his foe struck at him several times, he
dodged him and put in several bites. After considerable manoeuvring, the
snake appeared to have had enough of it, and deemed it prudent to beat a
retreat. He dropped on the ground, and headed for a thicket; but this was
just what Dinky wanted. He sprang upon the neck of the cobra, placing his
fore-paws on him, and then crushed his spine with his sharp teeth. The
serpent was dead, after writhing an instant.

The fight was ended, and Khayrat caressed the victor. Louis declared that
the mongoose was a friend worth having, and immediately made a bargain with
the huntsman to procure him a couple of them, and send them to Calcutta.
They returned to the palace; and at the breakfast-table Louis told the
story of the battle, in which all the Americans were much interested. But
the business of the forenoon was the great Sowari, or public procession;
and the party were conveyed in carriages to the pavilion, from the veranda
of which they were to see the spectacle. An abundance of easy-chairs was
provided for them, and they were made very comfortable.

It required more than an hour for the procession to pass the point of
observation; and when the last of it had disappeared in the distance all
the Americans declared that they had never seen anything, even in Europe,
which could be compared with it in variety and magnificence. It was an
Oriental spectacle, and the tourists could easily believe they had
witnessed a pageant that had stepped out of the pages of the "Arabian
Nights."

First came the regular soldiers of the Maharajah, who were sepoys, all
under the command of English officers; and they marched like veterans who
had been drilling half their lives. They were followed by a company of
Arabs, who seemed to have been imported for the occasion. Sir Modava
explained what the troops were as they passed. Next came a whole squadron
of Mahratta cavalry, which looked as though they were serviceable soldiers
of that arm, for they were good riders, well mounted, and were all lusty
fellows.

After the cavalry came a troop of dromedaries with small cannons mounted on
their backs, with gunners to work the pieces. The military portion of the
procession was completed by several regiments of the Guicowar's special
army. Following the household troops, apparently acting as an escort, came
the royal standard-bearer, a personage of decided imp