Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/98

86 gold-rimmed spectacles elsewhere, for which he had to pay extra. He fell flat on the platform and his glasses went to pieces.

The next moment, a tremendous shout of Bande Mataram rose from the assembly who had come to see Benoy Babu off. Two or three of them unceremoniously dragged the European out into the platform and began to belabour him mercilessly. Hearing the uproar the Eurasian guard was approaching there to see what the matter was. As soon as the real state of affairs became apparent to him, he ran breathlessly back to his brake-van and waved the green light as signal for the engine-driver to start.

The bystanders, with great difficulty, extricated the poor European from the uncomfortable situation he was in. By this time the Doctor Babu too arrived there. Seeing the Sahib's condition—he was bleeding profusely—he offered to take him to the Government Hospital and bandage his wounds. The Sahib readily consented.

In the meanwhile Benoy Babu had got up and quietly seated himself in an Intermediate class compartment. The next day he arrived at Calcutta without further adventure and published a furious article in his paper about the insolence of Europeans in this country.