The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-03

seat in one of the howdahs, Phileas
Foge in the other. Passepartout got
astride the animal, between his master
and the Brigadier-General The Par
see perched upon the elephants neck,
and at nine o. clock the animal, leaving
the village, penetrated the thick forest
of palm trees.
CHAPTER XII.
IN WHICH PHILEAs FOGG AND HIS coMPAN-
IONS VENTURE THROUGH THE FORESTS OF IN
Ola, AND WHAT FOLLOWS
The guide, in order to shorten the
distance to be gone over, left to his
right the line of the road, the con-
struetion of which was still in process.
This line, very crooked, owing to the
capricious ramifcations of the Vindhia
mountains, did not follow the shortest
route, which it was Phileas Fogg's in
terest to take. The Parsee, very ia
miliar with the roads and paths of the
country, thought to gain twenty miles
by cutting through the forest, and they
submitted TO him.
Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Gro
Larty, plunged to their necks in their
howdahs, were much shaken up by the
rough trot OF the elephant, whom his
mahout urged into rapid gait. But
they bore it with the peculiar British
apathy, talking very little, and scarcely
seeing each other.
As for Passepartout, perched upon
the animals back, and directly sub
jected to the swaying from side to side,
he took care, upon his masters recon-
mendation, not to keep his tongue be-
tween his teeth, as it would have been
cut short of. The good fellow, at one
time thrown forward on the elephants
neck, at another thrown back upon his
rump, was making leaps like a clown
on spring board. But he joked and
laughed in the midst of his somersets.
and from time to time he would take
from his bag lump of sugar, which the
intelligent kiouni took with the end of
his trunk, without interrupting for an
instant his regular trot.
After two hours march the guide
stopped the elephant and gave HIM an
hours rest. The animal devoured
branches of trees and shra5s, first hav-
ing quenehed his thirst 1T neighboring
pond. Sir Francis Cromarty nd not
complain of this halt He was worn
cut. Mr.. Fogg appeared as if he had
just got out OF bed.
but he is made of ironr' said the
Brigadier-General, looking at him'with
admiration.
"Of wrought iron," replied Passe-
partout, who was busy preparing a
hasty breakfast
At noon the guide gave the signel for
starting. The country soon assumed
very wild aspect. To the large forests
here succeeded copses of tamarinds
and dwarf palms. then vast, arid plains,
bristling with scanty shrubs, and strewn
with large blocks of syenites. All this
part Of upper Bundelcund, very little
visited by travellers, is inhabited BY a
fanaticaf population, hardened in the
| most terrible practices of the Hindoo re-
ligion. The Government of the English
| could not have been regularly estab-
| lished over a territory subject to the in
| fiuence of the raiahs, whom it would
have been difficult to reach in their in-
accessible retreats in the Vindhias.
They were descending the last de-
| clivities of the Vindhias. Kiouni had
resumed his rapid gait. Towards noon,
the guide went round the village of
Kallenger, situated on the Cant, one of
| the tributaries of the Ganges. He al
ways avoided inhabited places, feeling
| himself safer in those desert, open
| stretches of country which mark the
| first depressions of the basin of the
| great river Allahabad was not twelve
miles to the northeast. Halt was made
under a clump of banana trees, whose
| fruit, as healthy as bread, las succu-
lent as cream" travellers say, was very
much appreciated.
At two o'clock, the guide entered the
shelter of a thick forest, which he had
| to traverse for space of several miles.
| He preferred TO travel thus under cover
of the woods. At all events, up to this
moment there had been no unpleasant
| meeting. and it seemed as if the Jour-
ney would be accomplished without ac-
cident, when the elephant, showing
some signs OF 'uneasineSs, suddenly
stopped
It was then four o'clock.
What is the matterP' asked Sil
Francis Cromarty, raising his head above
his howdah.
Il do not know, officer" replied the
| Parsee, listening TO confused murmur
which came through the thick branches.
A few moments after, this murmur
became more defined. 1t might have
been called concert, still very distant,
| of human voices and brass instruments.
Passepartout was all eyes, all ears.
Mr.. Fogg waited patiently, without ut
tering word.
The Parsee jumped down, fastened
the elephant to tree, and plunged in
| to the thickest of the underground. A
few minutes later he returned, saying:
"A Brahmin procession coming this
way If it is possible, let us avoid be-
ing SEEM"
The guide unfastened the ele-
| plant, and led him into a thicket, rec
| ommending the travellers not to de.
scend. He held himself ready to mount
the elephant quickly, should fight be,
come necessary. But he thought that
the troop of the faithful would pass
without noticing him, for the thickness
of the foliage entirely concealed him.
The discordant noise of voices and
instruments approached. Monotonoui
chants were mingled with the sound Of
the drums and cymbals. Soon the head
of the procession appeared from under
the trees, at fifty PAGES from the spot
occupied By Mr.. Fogg and his compan.
ions. Through the branches they read.
| lily distinguished the curious personae
of this religious ceremony.
In the first line were the priests, with
miters upon their heads and attired in
long robes adorned with gold and sill
yer lace They were surrounded by
men, women and children, who were
singing sort of funeral psalmody, in.
terrupted at regular intervals by the
beating OF tam -tams and cymbals. Be
hind them on car with large wheels,
whose spokes and felloes represented
serpents intertwined, appeared hid
eous statue. drawn by two pairs of richly.
eaparisened zebus. This statue haC
four arms, its body colored with darl