Produced by Al Haines [Illustration: Cover art] THE OUTCASTE BY F. E. PENNY AUTHOR OF "THE SANYASI," "THE RAJAH," "THE MALABAR MAGICIAN," ETC. SPECIAL EDITION For sale only in India and the British Colonies LONDON CHATTO & WINDUS 1912 [_The Portrait on the Cover is reproduced from a Miniature by G. I. Penny_] _All rights reserved_ DEDICATED TO THE STUDENTS OF HINDU THEOLOGY AND ETHICS WHOSE WRITINGS HAVE ASSISTED ME TO TELL THIS STORY _The scene is laid in the Native State of Chirakul._ CHIRAPORE . . . Chief Town of Chirakul. ANANDA . . . . . A Convert to Christianity. BOPAUL . . . . . Friend of Ananda, and of the same Caste. COOMARA . . . . Married to Bopaul's Sister. DR. WENASTON . . Principal of the Maharajah's College at Chirapore. EOLA WENASTON . His Sister. PROFESSOR TWYFORD MRS. HULVER . . Housekeeper to Dr. Wenaston. DORAMA . . . . . Ananda's Wife. PANTULU . . . . His Father. GUNGA . . . . . His Mother. SOOBA . . . . . His Uncle. MAYITA . . . . . Coomara's Widow. THE OUTCASTE CHAPTER I The aviation ground was thronged with spectators. Eyes were turned skywards and men held their breath. Women uttered ejaculations, drawn unconsciously from them in their intense excitement. The wind blew gustily with an upward sweep that sent dead leaves and fragments of paper into the air. A furious blast heralding the coming storm seized one of the aviators as he was in the act of turning. It seemed to shake him with a living enmity. Under the violent motion the tips of the delicate wings of his machine snapped. He recognised the seriousness of the accident; and the breathless multitude watched his efforts to avoid impending catastrophe. As well might the dying bird, winged by the October sportsman, try to sustain its arrested flight. The machine ceased its horizontal movement, folded its broken planes about its struggling guide, and dropped almost vertically to the ground. Some, fascinated by the horror of it all, stared at the falling wreck. Others withdrew their gaze, but could not shut their ears to the thud and crash in which the earthly life of a human being came to an abrupt end. The hush was followed by a murmur as emotion found expression in speech and exclamation. Many of the women shed tears; some screamed; a few fainted. Ten minutes later there was a general stir as the sightseers, sick at heart, began to depart. Eola Wenaston beckoned to her brother, who stood at a little distance talking to a couple of men. He approached the motor car into which she had just stepped. Before she could speak he hastened to reassure her, anticipating the question that was on the lips of all. "It's all right; the man is not dead. Of course he has had a shock, falling from such a height, and the machine is smashed to atoms. You need not be nervous----"