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CHAPTER XXX

Next morning the gale had abated somewhat, but it still blew strongly. The skipper gazed anxiously at the sky undecided whether to weigh anchor or not.

Chakrabartti paid an early visit to Ramesh in the cabin next to Kamala's. He was still in his bunk but he sat up at once when he saw Chakrabartti. Perceiv- ing that he had spent the night there and remembering the previous evening's incident, the old man put two and two together. "I suppose you slept here last night?" he said inquiringly.

Ramesh evaded the question. "What a wretched morning!" he observed. "How did you sleep, Uncle?"

"Ramesh Babu," retorted Chakrabartti, "you must have been thinking me an old fool and I certainly talk like one, but I haven't come to my time of life with- out having to tackle many problems. I've been able to solve most of them but you're the hardest one I've struck yet!"

Ramesh flushed involuntarily but he quickly regained control of his features and smiled. "It isn't a crime to be insoluble, Uncle. Take a weird language like Tel- egu, for instance. We'd find it difficult to grasp even the rudiments but to a Telinga child it comes as easily as winking. You mustn't be in a hurry to condemn what you don't understand. When one encounters strange symbols one shouldn't look despairingly at them and give up hope of ever being aUe to decipher them."

"Forgive me, Ramesh Babu," said the old man. "It would be presumptuous of me to try and understand

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