In the meantime the child was sleeping sweetly and peacefully in his bed in his mother’s room.  Tired out with play, he had slipped into bed unknown to any one and there he lay.

About twelve at night the dacoits arrived and broke into the house.  They searched the empty rooms and were furious at finding no valuables worth carrying away.  They came to the room where the little boy slept, and their loud voices awakened him.  He sat up and, seeing their strange faces and glaring torches, screamed with fright.  One of them threatened to kill him if he did not stop his noise.  Another stepped to the bedside and taking the little boy in his arms said:  “Little one, do not cry.  No one will hurt you.”

The child recognised his father’s servant and twined his little arms around the man’s neck.  The other dacoits laughed and walked out of the room leaving their comrade with the child.

When daylight broke, the family returned home, and the poor young mother flew through the house in search of her child.  To her surprise and joy she found him sleeping peacefully in her own room.  Her hysterical caresses awakened him and the little fellow could not understand what ailed his mother.

“Did nothing happen during the night?” she asked.  “Did you see anything or anyone, my son?”

Rubbing his chubby knuckles in his eyes the sleepy little boy answered:  “Oh, yes, where were you, mother?  A lot of men came.  Some wanted to hit me, but—­(naming the servant) was with them, and he sent them away.  Then he gave me sweets and put me to sleep.”

The servant was arrested, and he confessed that he was one of the band of dacoits who had sent the warning letter and had broken into the house.  Nearly the whole band was captured.

Two Chinese Dacoits

In a large house in Calcutta there lived an Englishman, his wife and her sister.  Mrs. C. was of a highly-strung and nervous disposition, and as her husband’s business frequently occasioned his absence from home, they had persuaded her sister Ethel to come out to India on a long visit.

Ethel was a bright, lively girl, very practical and quite the opposite of her sister, whom she often rallied for her timidity.  Once when Alice was more trying than usual, Ethel exclaimed:  “Perhaps if I were a little like you, Alice, delicate, nervous and silly, I might get a husband who would fuss over me like Charlie does over you.”

Alice laughed at her sister’s earnestness and said:  “If you were not healthy and strong-minded you would understand me better, Ethel.”

Not long afterwards the two ladies were left alone for some days as Mr. C. was obliged to go upcountry on business.  While he was away, Ethel slept with her sister.  It was the cold weather when night closes in early and the evenings are long.  Mrs. C. liked an early dinner, soon after which she always retired.  Ethel liked to spend the long quiet evenings, reading or writing, and often sat up till midnight.