GRANITE MOUNTAIN

ing the name of Joe Manton on the lock. I admired
it, of course.

"That piece," said the Rajah, "was made here by
one of my people."

I ventured respectfully to point to the name of the
London maker.

II Poohl" cried his highness, "what's in a name?
The man who could make such a piece as this could
surely copy a name. Bring the London gun."

And, strange to say, when the model from which
one of his native gunsmiths had made the piece was
placed in my hands, so exaft was the imitation, I could
scarcely tell which was the original, which the copy.
On pulling the trigger of each, however, the difference
in the vivacity of the spring made the distinction
apparent. I had often heard of their powers of
imitation, but had no idea before of its extent

When we had satisfied ourselves with an inspection
of these pieces, the Rajah gave orders for half a dozen
tiger's cubs, about eight months old, and as many
puppy-dogs, to be set to play before us on the carpet,
while a full-grown royal tiger was at the same time
dragged forward and pitted againsl: a bear for a real
battle in the open court. Anything more dispropor-
tionate or absurd cannot be conceived than this match;
and so, perhaps, the poor brutes thought, for fight they
would not, although both of them were well thumped
and forced againsl: each other by the attendants. At
length a brilliant thought slruck the Rajah.

"Tie them together 1" exclaimed his maje&y; and
accordingly the rope which was fastened to the tiger's
collar was hitched to the belly-band of the bear.

Neither party liked this. The tiger roared, and the
bear growled, while the Rajah and his son laughed and
clapped their hands in ecstasy at their own good joke.
Or course, the guards and courtiers joined in the mirth,
and the whole quadrangle rung with mixed shouts of

235