veral hours with
her brother, and was then driven back to the hotel, while Dick
wandered about with Rajbullub through the native town, asking
questions innumerable, observing closely the different costumes and
turbans, and learning to know, at once, the district, trade, or caste,
from the colour or fashion of the turban, and other little signs.

The shops were an endless source of amusement to him, and he somewhat
surprised his companion by his desire to learn the names of all the
little articles and trinkets, even of the various kinds of grain.
Dick, in fact, was continuing his preparations for his work. He knew
that ignorance of any trifling detail which would, as a matter of
course, be known to every native, would excite more surprise and
suspicion than would be caused by a serious blunder in other matters;
and he wrote down, in a notebook, every scrap of information he
obtained, so as to learn it by heart at his leisure.

Rajbullub was much surprised at the lad's interest in all these little
matters, which, as it seemed to him, were not worth a thought on the
part of his lord's nephew.

"You will never have to buy these things, Sahib," he said. "Why should
you trouble about them?"

"I am going to be over here some time, Rajbullub, and it is just as
well to learn as much as one can. If I were to stroll into the market
in Tripataly, and had a fancy to buy any trifle, the country people
would laugh in my face, were I ignorant of its name."

His companion shook his head.

"They would not expect any white sahib to know such things," he said.
"If he wants to buy anything, the white sahib points to it and asks,
'How much?' Then, whether it is a brass iota, or a silver trinket, or
a file, or a bunch of fruit, the native says a price four times as
much as he would ask anyone else. Then the sahib offers him half, and
after protesting many times that the sum is impossible, the dealer
accepts it, and both parties are well satisfied.

"If you have seen anything that you want to buy, sahib, tell me, and I
will go and get it for you. Then you will not be cheated."

The start for Tripataly was made at daybreak. Dick and his mother
drove, in an open carriage that had been hired for the journey. The
Rajah rode beside it, or cantered on ahead. His escort followed the
vehicle. The luggage had been sent off, two days before, by cart.

The country as far as Arcot was flat, but everything was interesting
to Dick; and when they