"And then the ordinary people, with their oily black hair all done up in
a knot behind and held by a comb. It does look so womanish."
"Yes; to us," said Captain Brace. "But their clothes are comfortable
for the hot climate, and that is more than you will be able to say of
ours when you get out in the plains in full uniform some day."
"And it will not be long first now," I thought; and I did not look
forward to my first appearance in full uniform under a hot sun with any
degree of dread.
Then we were once more at sea, sailing on and on through fine weather
and foul, till I learned that we were sailing up through the
Sunderbunds, and on up the Hooghly, passing outward-bound vessels with
great towering East Indiamen among them. Then the shore began to draw
in, and I learned from one that there was good tiger-shooting in that
district, beyond where I could see a fringe of palms, and from another
that it would not be safe to bathe where we were.
"On account of sharks," I said, with an assumption of knowledge.
"No, sir; muggers."