The Jungle Girl

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The Jungle Girl

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Title: The Jungle Girl
Author: Gordon Casserly
Release Date: November 18, 2004 [eBook #14087]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
JUNGLE GIRL***
E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, David Garcia, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

THE JUNGLE GIRL

by
GORDON CASSERLY
Author of The Elephant God, etc.
New York
1922

CONTENTS
I. THE GREY BOAR II. YOUTH CALLS TO YOUTH III. THE
LOVE-SONG OF HAR DYAL IV. A CROCODILE INTERVENES V.
SENTENCE OF EXILE VI. A BORDER OUTPOST VII. IN THE
TERAI JUNGLE VIII. A GIRL OF THE FOREST IX. TIGER LAND
X. A POLITICAL OFFICER IN THE MAKING XI. TRAGEDY XII.
"ROOTED IN DISHONOUR" XIII. THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE
XIV. THE DEVIL DANCERS OF TUNA XV. A STRANGE
RESCUE
CHAPTER I
THE GREY BOAR
Youth's daring courage, manhood's fire, Firm seat and eagle eye, Must
he acquire who doth aspire To see the grey boar die.
--Indian Pigsticking Song.
Mrs. Norton looked contentedly at her image in the long mirror which
reflected a graceful figure in a well-cut grey habit and smart long
brown boots, a pretty face and wavy auburn hair under the sun-helmet.
Then turning away and picking up her whip she left the dressing-room
and, passing the door of her husband's bedroom where he lay still
sleeping, descended the broad marble staircase of the Residency to the
lofty hall, where an Indian servant in a long red coat hurried to open the

door of the dining-room for her.
Almost at that moment a mile away Raymond, the adjutant of the 180th
Punjaub Infantry, looked at his watch and called out loudly:
"Hurry up, Wargrave; it's four o'clock and the ponies will be round in
ten minutes. And it's a long ride to the Palace."
He was seated at a table on the verandah of the bungalow which he
shared with his brother subaltern in the small military cantonment near
Rohar, the capital of the Native State of Mandha in the west of India.
Dawn had not yet come; and by the light of an oil lamp Raymond was
eating a frugal breakfast of tea, toast and fruit, the chota hazri or light
meal with which Europeans in the East begin the day. He was dressed
in an old shooting-jacket, breeches and boots; and as he ate his eyes
turned frequently to a bundle of steel-headed bamboo spears leaning
against the wall near him. For he and his companion were going as the
guests of the Maharajah of Mandha for a day's pigsticking, as hunting
the wild boar is termed in India.
He had finished his meal and lit a cheroot before Wargrave came
yawning on to the verandah.
"Sorry for being so lazy, old chap," said the newcomer. "But a year's
leave in England gets one out of the habit of early rising."
He pulled up a chair to the table on which his white-clad Mussulman
servant, who had come up the front steps of the verandah, laid a tray
with his tea and toast. And while he ate Raymond lay back smoking in
a long chair and looked almost affectionately at him. They had been
friends since their Sandhurst days, and during the past twelve months
of his comrade's absence on furlough in Europe the adjutant had sorely
missed his cheery companionship. Nor was he the only one in their
regiment who had.
Frank Wargrave was almost universally liked by both men and women,
and, while unspoilt by popularity, thoroughly deserved it. He was about
twenty-six years of age, above medium height, with a lithe and graceful

figure which the riding costume that he was wearing well set off.
Fair-haired and blue-eyed, with good though irregular features, he was
pleasant-faced and attractive rather than handsome. The cheerful,
good-tempered manner that he displayed even at that trying early hour
was a true indication of a happy and light-hearted disposition that made
him as liked by his brother officers as by other men who did not know
him so well. In his regiment all the native ranks adored the young sahib,
who was always kind and considerate, though just, to them, and looked
more closely after their interests than he did his own. For, like most
young officers in the Indian Army, he was seldom out of debt; but
soldierly hospitality and a hand ever ready