gress of Davies' work in Devonshire hardly reached Sin Byu. Twice only in six months Davies wrote, but his letters seemed more in the nature of drafts of political speeches, curious speeches at that, and gave no information. But Carey got a letter from a cousin of his in Devonshire, which explained much. "There is," she wrote, an old fellow named Davies come to live in these parts, who hails from your way. At first he seemed rather an old dear, with a funny old-world sort of manner, and terribly pleased with his house and garden. He was robbed by his servants, except a melancholy black man he brought with him, and, of course, the villagers sponged on him all they could; but he didn't seem to mind that, and appeared childishly pleased when he was touched for subscriptions, or took the chair at village meetings and all that. Quite harmless, you understand, and very kind-hearted, though an awful talker. Then somebody or other started a jest with him-I suspect the Liberals are at the bottom of it, got him to promise to stand for Parliament, and somehow or other used the quarrels in the local party to get him nominated as an independent Conservative. He's wild with joy, and goes about preaching a weird sort of feudalism which fills all his meetings with people who want a real good laugh. Naturally the Liberals and the Labour people are making a lot of capital about what they call the secrets of Conservatism come to light. It's really rather annoying as it may cost us some votes. But, since the old fellow refuses to realise that the joke has gone too far, I'm afraid he'll find the neighbourhood a bit difficult to live in. . . ." Some weeks after the receipt of that letter the English papers arriving in Sin Byu gave the result of a by-election in Devonshire. Davies' name was at the bottom of the poll; he received forty-three out of twenty-nine thousand odd votes cast. One newspaper referred to him as "the freak candidate," but his political ambition seemed to have attracted so little public attention that no journalist had considered it necessary to dig into his past history. The old scandal of his parents' marriage, the fact that he had been cashiered, were not even mentioned in the Sunday press. No more letters were received in Sin Byu from Henry Davies ; but some three months or so after the by-election the little man himself arrived. His hair was whiter than it had been, but he looked in very good health, and seemed full of energy. That was a month or so before Bolton, the Commissioner, visited Sin Byu, and the station was much occupied with the mystery of the old man's return. For Henry Davies, without attempting explanations, resumed his old life. He repurchased the bungalow beside the Chinese cemetery, and proceeded to live not in absolute penury but with strict economy. Violet once more became his only servant; the ancient gharri was reacquired. But there were changes : a younger though not young pony drew the aged vehicle; and, in default of the tin concession sold for forty thousand sterling, Davies purchased land on which he proposed to grow pine-apples and bananas. He was intensely serious and optimistic about this new enterprise, and extremely outraged at any trespass on or damage to his property. Gossips fronting the strange problem suffered sleepless nights. But it was actually Bolton, the Commissioner, who first received an explanation of the mystery. He had dined with Morton, shortly before the conclusion of his tour, at the primitive settlement of The-bon, which serves the white inhabitants of that remote spot as a holiday coast resort. The Careys, Williams the Australian, and old Davies were of the party. They dined in the open, beneath casuarina trees, by the light of the moon. After dinner they walked on the sands beside ripples fringed with phosphorescent fire, and they looked out over an island-strewn ocean and heard the call of native fishermen launching boats of immemorial design. They talked not of the beauty of that tropic night but of the burden of taxation. Old Davies denounced a new tax hotly, and Bolton, the Government servant, excused it. "Come now," he laughed. "It's no good you grumbling. You're a rich man." "I am not a rich man," Davies retorted. "I have not a penny of capital in the world, but I have a life interest in some property which yields me four hundred sterling a year, gross." While the others stared at him amazed, Williams spoke. "Good God," he said. "You mean to say you blued the rest in about eighteen months and you no chicken. Some going!" Davies glared at him. countryside. When I realised that I had made a mistake, I acted. I put beyond my reach the temptation to exist pleasantly where I could no longer achieve my destiny. I lay no claim to immaculacy. To do nothing in an English garden did tempt me. I am getting old." He paused and glared straight ahead of him over that calm sea. By the brilliance of moonlight he did look old. In the minds of the people who watched him there was no doubt that the result of a byelection in Devonshire had killed an ageless child and left a worn man in his place. Yet they wondered at the queer courage that had refused to pamper disillusionment with comfort. Mrs Carey gave a little sigh of discomfort. the sound of it Henry Davies turned from the sea to his companions with every sign of energy. At "The guiding principle of my life," he declared magnificently, "has been to write off my mistakes and to persist in my search. I made a fortune in tin, and the temptation to lead a life of luxury and ease in a rural backwater was too much for me. When I perceived my folly I took effective steps to put it from me. To find fortunes where more timid folk are afraid to seek them has always, from my childhood, been my destined work in life. I propose, since I am acquainted with the possibilities of this district, to extract another fortune from Sin Byu. But that does not alter the fact, Bolton, that these taxes are the devil.” So, since Henry Davies had come back deliberately to the only corner of the world which he could look upon as home, since he came back without a whine, his companions met the situation without useless comment. Wandering on that beach where the night did not bring coolness, they listened with outward signs of interest to an excited lecture on the overburdening of industry; but their thoughts were filled with pity. They pictured the old man walking among the flowers in his Devonshire garden, and finding in that realisation of his dreams not peace but ridicule. A GREAT INDIAN PRINCE AND REFORMER. BY BRIG.-GENERAL COSMO STEWART, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. ALTHOUGH Indian affairs occupy so large a share of public attention at the present time, little is known in England of the late Maharajah Sir Shahu Chhatrapati, Ruling Prince of Kolhapur. But in his State his memory will be honoured as that of its most eminent ruler since it attained a separate existence. Among the Marathas of the Deccan he will be likened to his illustrious ancestor, Shivaji the Great, for by his similarly masterful personality he did much to restore the old-time authority, social and religious, which attached to the ancient conception of Kshatriya Kingship, and the prestige of that war-like race. In the Councils of Empire his untimely death will be regretted, as having deprived the Supreme Government of the enlightened and sympathetic advice of an Indian Prince of devoted loyalty. And among the countless millions of the backward and " untouchable" classes throughout India his name will live as a household word, and operate as a trumpet call of hope to quicken the depressed. Herein lies his title to greatness. them from the thraldom of the caste system. Few, if any, The Maharajah was essentially a leader of men, displaying great resolution once he had decided on a course of action, and unflinching in danger. As a boy he was shy and diffident, especially with Europeans; but, unlike most men, and very unlike Indians who mature early, his intellect, abilities, and character developed consistently all through his life. He was never a book student, but no one realised more strongly the advantages of education. He was a devout and orthodox Hindu, most punctilious over every detail of his religious observances From the commencement of which he considered material, his rule of twenty-eight years but intolerant of any abuse. he set himself to ameliorate the He recognised the evils of lot of the non-Brahmin classes child marriage, avoided it both of Hindus by emancipating for himself and his children, and married but one wife. From the first he showed an abhorrence of intoxicating drink. As a Ruler he made himself accessible to all classes, and had a deep-rooted sympathy with the oppressed. A thorough sportsman in the highest sense of the word, he was never so happy as when spending long and arduous days after big game, in close and informal touch with the humblest of his subjects, learning first-hand at the same time of their difficulties and hardships. His attitude is well summed up in his own words: "My principle has been to take care of the weak among my subjects rather than the strong." Like every Maratha, he was a born horseman, and would spend many hours on end in the saddle, pig-sticking in the scorching Indian summer heat. He was an accomplished whip, and would drive as many as six pairs of horses through the streets of his capital. He was particularly fond of hunting with all manner of hounds and with cheta leopards. He would not hesitate to follow up a wounded tiger on foot. He was genial and affectionate by nature, and until his health gave way was never known to become irritable or annoyed. He accepted even the insults which were put on him by his enemies with perfect coolness and composure, and in the true spirit of generous sportsmanship. The Maharajah was born on the 26th of July 1874, and was the son of the Chief of Kagal, one of the most distinguished Maratha families of the Kshatriya (i.e., noble or warrior) caste in the State, and related to the ruling family. The previous Rajah having died without issue in 1883, the boy was chosen as successor and adopted into the Chhatrapati family at the age of nine years, after the custom in India. By such adoption he acquired all the caste and other privileges appertaining to the ruling family and to his new position as Rajah. His natural father died when the lad was eleven years old; he attained his majority at nineteen years; and was invested with ruling powers on the 2nd of April 1894. He died on the 6th of May 1922. Kolhapur is the principal State in the Bombay Presidency, rather larger than Devonshire, with a population just under a million, of whom the great majority are Hindus, but with a considerable Muhammadan element. It forms a small part only of the the territory peopled by the Marathas, known generally as Maharashtra, which embraced the former kingdom of the Peishwas. The State possesses an unique importance in the eyes of all Marathas as having been created by Shivaji, their great hero, who founded the Chhatrapati family, and for whom the Maharajah entertained an almost superstitious veneration. In order to appreciate at their right value the opinions |