The ruby of the Ganges

Since the death of his mother, John lives a wandering life. He runs away from his home and loiters about the streets of Lucknow, where his father, an English officer in the Indian army, is stationed. When the Indian mutiny starts, John is caught outside the residency of officers. A holy man warns him of his danger if, in spite of his native disguise, he is recognised as English. The boy has no alternative but to accept the protection of the holy man and leave the city. During their journey, they find a little British girl whose parents have been murdered. They disguise her, take her with them, and pretend she is deaf and dumb, for she does not speak the vernacular. Suddenly, while walking through the jungle, they blunder into the encampment of an army commanded by the maharani of Jhansi, one of the leaders of the mutiny. There they find a big ruby, the seal of Bahadur Shah.
In 1988, the Spanish version of this book received the Lazarillo Award, one of the most important awards for children and juvenile books in Spain. The book was published in paper format by Editorial Noguer in 1989, but is now out of print. The translation into English has been done by the author himself.