THE DOON 243 



tears, and with one hand he slightly raised his cap. As 

 he did so, the priest pointed out the place where the 

 stick had alighted, and called my attention to the bruise 

 and swelling which had resulted. 



I consoled the mohunt as best I could, and suggested 

 that he might prosecute the priest, or sue him for 

 damages; and then, as his return on foot was hardly 

 consistent with his dignity, I had him conveyed home 

 in my own palanquin, and accompanied by a becoming 

 escort of my own guards and attendants. 



After much hesitation — for natives of position dislike 

 extremely entering the criminal courts — the mohunt 

 decided to prosecute, and, the case being proved, the 

 monk was punished. His punishment had the effect of 

 procuring for the mohunt a little more outward deference 

 from his subordinates ; but the dissensions and ill- 

 feeling continued the same as before. It was at this 

 time, and as a sort of consolation, that I presented the 

 mohunt with the new cap. 



When completed it proved exceedingly handsome ; 

 the materials were of the best, and I had taken especial 

 pains that the embroidery should be worked with thread 

 of real gold. Before ordering the cap, I obtained from 

 the mohunt an assurance that he would wear it, and this 

 assurance he carried out : he wore the cap so long as he 

 lived, and after his death it descended with the gold 

 bangles to his successor, the then heir apparent. Some 

 years afterwards, when I had long left the Doon, I re- 

 ceived a visit from him when I was staying at Mussoorie. 

 He had on his wrists the gold bangles, and on his head, 

 the brilliancy of its embroidery a little softened by 



