"Indeed I shall not ride in those 'devil-wagons!'" cried the grandmother, "nor shall the son of my son" (meaning her grandson). "Do you wish him to die before he can bathe in the holy river?" "In my young days there were none of these fire-spitting things rushing all over our country," she continued, throwing back her veil in her excitement; "people were content to ride in their wagons and palanquins." Harajar Chumjeree was easy-going, and the mother cared only to start as soon as might be; so the old lady had her own way, and it was settled that they should travel in the big, slow-moving ox-wagon, while she should be carried in her own special palanquin. CHAPTER IV THE CHILDREN TRAVEL IN THE BIG OX-WAGON THE next day everybody in the house began to make preparations for the journey. Not that they hurried about it as we do. No, indeed! Everything was done very leisurely, though there was a lot of talking and disputing and the giving of contrary orders. At last, however, the great "_ruth wagon_" drawn by oxen, was ready in the courtyard. It was a heavy and ungainly vehicle with _solid_ wooden wheels and a canopy closed in with lattice-work and curtains. The old porter was there, directing and scolding the servants as they piled the rugs and blankets and bags of food and pots and pans and dishes into the wagon. Chola's father and mother had to take all these things with them on the journey because there are no hotels at which they might stay, only camping-places, or "_paraos_" beside the roads, where the traveller could buy his food if need be and camp for the night. It was a wonder there was any room left for the people, but they were all finally stowed away; except Mahala's father, who was to take Harajar's place at the shop in the Bazaar while he was away, and the many cousins who were left behind to look after the house. There was quite a procession when at last the big wagon rumbled out through the gateway. Behind it came the grandmother, in her "_dhoolie-dak_," a sort of a litter, or easy-chair, swung between two long poles. This was carried by two men, one in front and one behind, who rested the end of the poles on their shoulders. Besides the family there were many servants, and several others walked beside the slow-moving wagon. The cook, too, went with them. "Good-bye!" shouted little Nao from his garden wall as they went by. "Good-bye!" called out Chola and Mahala to him, from their seats in front beside the driver. The boys were perfectly happy to think of all the new, strange sights they were going to see along the road. They shouted greetings to their friend the potter as they passed him, and also to the old "_fakir_," smeared all over with ashes, who sat in a little brick hut by the bridge and pretended to make wonderful cures.