The Durbar--Outside the palace--The State elephants--The soldiery--The Durbar Hall--Officials and gentry of the State--The throne--Queen Victoria's banner--The hidden ladies--_Purdah nashin_--Arrival of the _Dewan_--The Maharajah's entry--The Sons' Salute--A chivalrous Indian custom--_Nuzzurs_--The Dewan's task--The Maharani--An Indian reformer--_Bramo Samaj_--Pretty princesses--An informal banquet--The _nautch_--A moonlight ride--The Maharajah--A soldier and a sportsman--Cooch Behar--The palace--A dinner-party--The heir's birthday celebrations--Schoolboys' sports--Indian amateur theatricals--An evening in the palace--A panther-drive--Exciting sport--Death of the panther--Partridge shooting on elephants--A stray rhinoceros--Prince Jit's luck--Friendly intercourse between Indians and Englishmen--An unjust complaint 213 CHAPTER XII A MILITARY TRAGEDY In the Mess--A gloomy conversation--Murder in the army--A gallant officer--Running amuck on a rifle-range--"Was that a shot?"--The alarm--The native officer's report--The "fall in"--A dying man--A search round the fort--A narrow escape--The flight--Search parties--The inquiry into the crime--A fifty miles' cordon--An unexpected visit--Havildar Ranjit Singh on the trail--A night march through the forest--A fearsome ride--The lost detachment--An early start--The ferry--The prisoner--A well-planned capture--The prisoner's story--The march to Hathipota--Return to the fort--A well-guarded captive--A weary wait--A journey to Calcutta--The escort--Excitement among the passengers on the steamer--American globe-trotters--The court martial--A callous criminal--Appeal to the Viceroy--Sentence of death--The execution 232 CHAPTER XIII IN AN INDIAN HILL STATION