Page:The Spoilt Boy.djvu/16

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JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL INDIAN ASSOCIATION.

way, now that; now sitting for a moment, now drumming on his desk; not for an instant still.

Coming to school on the Saturday he told the teacher that as it was half-holiday he should go home. On the road he bought a packet of betel, looked into the pigeon shops and the kite shops, sauntering on with careless face looking at no one, when suddenly a sergeant of police and some constables running after him seized him by the hand. The sergeant said, "There is a complaint against you in the police-office, you must come along." Moti Lal endeavoured to free his hands, but the sergeant was strong and pulled him on with force. Moti Lal fell to the ground, his whole body became covered with dust. He then tried to escape and to run away, striking the sergeant with his fist. At length he threw himself in the road, and remembering his father, began to cry, thinking "Why have I brought this upon myself? I am destroyed by evil company." A crowd gathered in the road asking what had happened, one or two old women abusing the police for ill-treating the boy, whose innocent face made them weep for him. Before sunset Moti Lal was brought to the police office, where he saw Haldar, Gadadar, and several boys of the neighbourhood, also in custody. They all stood at the side hanging their heads. Mr. Blacquiere was the magistrate by whom they would be examined, but as he had gone home they were all kept at the station for the night.

(To be continued.)

REVIEWS.

IN THE C. P.; OR SKETCHES IN PROSE AND VERSE, DESCRIPTIVE OF SCENES AND MANNERS IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES OF INDIA. By "PEKIN." Allahabad: Printed at the Pioneer Press. 1881.

This volume consists of a compilation of short sketches that have been contributed from time to time during the past eight years to the Pioneer newspaper, and are republished in their present form “in the hope,” says the author, "that