detain him, he is your prisoner instead of my
slave.'

"Here the boy again entreated the major
to spare him.

"' Never mind that.'

"' But suppose that I could prove to you
that he is the child of a sergeant of the
Queen's Thirteenth regiment of Foot, and of
his wife? What then? Would you take
the boy? '

"' Yes.'

"' You would? '

"'Yes.'

"' Then you shall have the boy. Many of
your questions I answered falsely, on
purpose. The true history of the child I will
recount to you, and produce such proofs as I
have in my possession. I vowed to God and
to the Prophet that I would never sell the
child, and I have kept my word. It will be
a bitter grief to me to part with him; but
for his own sake, I will endure it.

"' Usuf Ooddeen was my elder brother.
He kept a shop in the bazaar at Caubul. This
child was brought to him by a woman of
Hindostan, who not only deposited with him
the child, but a sum or money in gold
mohurs and rupees; likewise a quantity of
English jewellery, and her own gold and
silver bangles. She represented to my
brother that the child's parents had been killed,
and that she was afraid every European in
Affghanistan would share their fate. My brother
knew the woman, that is to say, she had
been a customer at his shop, and had
purchased from him sundry articles of warm
clothing for her employers and herself.
After leaving the child, and the money, and
the jewellery, in all to the value of about
four thousand rupees, she went her way, and
never returned. It is most likely that she
died suddenly of cold, like very many of
the native servants of Hindostan, both male
and female. The frost settled about their
hearts, and they slept their lives away; or,
if they escaped death, they lost their toes,
fingers, ears, or noses.

"' When the British army was victorious,
and affairs were in a somewhat settled state,
my brother was most anxious to deliver up
the child, the money, and the jewels, to the
British authorities; but a number of his
friends dissuaded him from so doing, on the
ground that the bare possession of the child
would place my brother's life in jeopardy,
by inducing a conclusion that he was the
affrighted accomplice of murderers, assassins,
and thieves. I confess that I was one who
entertained this opinion, and I shook my
head whenever my brother repeated his
desire. Four or five years ago, my brother
died, and I, a wandering dealer, became the
guardian of this boy (for whom I have a
great affection), and the holder of his money,
for which I care not, and which I have no
desire to retain. He has travelled thousands
and thousands of miles with me. He has
been to Bokara, to Cashmere, all over the
Punjab, to Mooltan, Scinde, all through the
north-west provinces down to Calcutta, to
Simlah, Mussooree, — wherever the English
have settled themselves in India; and I have
done all in my power to expose him, in a
quiet way, to the gaze of ladies and gentlemen,
in the hope that some day he would be
recognised and restored to his proper
position in life. Never, until now, has any
one been struck with his countenance, beyond
casually remarking to me that he was a very
pretty boy; certainly, no one ever seemed to
have the slightest idea that he was born of
European parents, and is a Christian; for he
is not a Mussulman. Though he thinks he
is a Mussulman, and says his prayers, and
is very constant to all the observances of
the Mussulman faith. Gentlemen, I am a
wandering dealer from Afghanistan, but I
am not destitute of good feeling and
integrity, little as you may credit my assertions
in this respect. Give me a proof that you
know who were the child's parents, and I am
willing to restore him, and all that rightfully
belongs to him, to your custody.'

"' But are you not satisfied with my word?
Never mind the money and the jewels—
much as I should like to see the latter—
all I require is the boy,' said the Major.

"'Of course, the Sahib would not speak
an untruth knowingly,' returned the
Affghan. ' But I require some proof that the
boy is the child of certain European parents.'

"' Well, there is the likeness, the
unmistakeable likeness, that he bears to his father
and his mother.'

"'That will not do,' said the Affghan,
interrupting the Major. ' Can you write in
the Persian character, Sahib ? '

"'Yes.'

"'Then, write the name of this boy's
father in the Persian character and let me
see it.'

"The Major did this, and handed it to the
Affghan, who looked at the writing, smiled,
and said:

"'What else? What was the Sahib's
nishan (crest)? '

"'This,' said the Major, holding out the
little finger of his right hand, upon which
was a signet ring. ' This was his nishan.
We are of the same family, and the nishan
is the same.'

"The Affghan, having examined the crest,
again smiled and said:

"' What else? '

"' What more do you want ? ' said the
Major.

"'Do not be impatient, Sahib,' said the
Affghan. ' The identification of a child, who
may be an heir to property, is not so light
a matter as the purchase of a kitten. Did
you know the child's mother ? '

"'Yes,' said the Major. 'She was also a
relation of mine.'