honor of shooting one of them. Felix brought down a couple
of cobras; and killing them seemed to be his forte. Khayrat invited the
party to witness a battle between his mongoose and a couple of cobras his
hunters had caught; and he killed them both, one at a time.

They all declined to attend a fight between a couple of coolies, with horn
spikes attached to their hands, for this was worse than a prize-fight. But
there was no end of amusements that were not brutal, and they enjoyed
themselves abundantly to the end of their stay. They visited the temples
and the palaces of the nobles, where they were received with the utmost
attention. Captain Sharp and his wife declared this was the red-letter week
of their lives; but the commander of the Blanche insisted that he must take
his ship around to Calcutta, and left by train for Bombay the day before
the company departed.

The Guicowar resorted to various expedients to retain his guests, with whom
he was evidently sincerely pleased; but the commander was inflexible. It
was not possible to see a tithe of India, and he felt obliged to leave at
the expiration of the time he had fixed for the visit, and he begged Lord
Tremlyn and Sir Modava not to place them in any more courts, or they would
never get out of India. The train was prepared for their departure, and, in
addition to the compartment cars in which they were to pass most of their
time, a carriage was fitted up, so that all of them could assemble in it;
in fact, it was a conference hall on wheels.

CHAPTER XXVIII

AT THE CAPITAL OF THE PUNJAB

An early breakfast was provided for the travellers, and at this repast the
farewells were spoken. Speeches were made by all the principal persons of
the party of Americans, and by the Moroccan magnate, expressive of the very
great enjoyment of the visit, and in praise of the liberality of the kingly
host's hospitality. Captain Ringgold returned his thanks quite eloquently.

The Guicowar again enlarged upon the service the commander had rendered to
India in saving the lives of two of his best friends, who had also been the
friends of his country, and his only regret was that the Americans could
not remain longer. Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava could not in a lifetime
discharge their obligations to their friends who had entertained them like
princes on board of the Guardian-Mother.

The ladies did not make speeches;