The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1890-11-07
a jJACkAL TEMPLE.
n Fcast Spread md Homage Dono to the
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Betwccn Ix and seven thousand feet
above the lc}vol Of tho sen in the lower
range of tljSNmalayas, to tho north
of Bnroiny, = lovely lako and live
ly ilill:ttsfion " Mimi Tai, Besides the
usual lloatihg population of visitors
tllero is In this earthly paradise large
military dcppt, or hall sanitlrium, where
officers md soldiers whose health has
suffered in pho hot plains OF Oudo and
Roliillsund tire scnt up for n change OF
air. One Winter day, having been Or
dercd to nlafcll u pnrty down to Bareil,
]y, and after encnnping for tho day
started ont to shoot francolln and hnres,
which arc, IVORY plontiful in tho neigh.
borhood. Before started my servant,
an Intelligent IIindoo of higilor caste
than usual, begged mo to return before
sunset, as here wns curious Tam.
asln, tho general expression In India
Tor any shdw-or spectacle, to bo seen
near camp.
llalf an hpur boforo sunset returned
and asked MY servant what the '"rnma.
slnl' was. lit is u forest temple, sallib,
was tho answer. 1t sounded Quaint,
so decided, though rather tired, to 20
and sec. A,guide was at hand. md Of
] started, c'illing to some of tic sol.
diers to como, too, and cnutionng
them to be Silent and do nothing to Of,
fond the natives in any way After
crossing two or tlrco fields wo cap,o to
u greet hedge Of bamboos, about 100
yards long dnd very donse. A narrow
and tortnohs path pierced this will,
which was nbouc twenty yards thick,
and then wo found ourselves In nm OH.
long quadrangle Of high bamboos. at
ono end Of which stood n littlo fiintloo
temple.
1t was q simple clay built, white
washed building, tho tall peaked roof
OF straw bo6lg supported on fow os
and massive beams, whose projecting
ends were olnintly carved. a flight OF
Blk Or seven broken stone steps lei up
to tho temple, In front Of whici hung
on u lttlo cross bar beautiful old
bronze bell.
On either side OF tho building l. little
row of very simply constructed cells or
cubiclcs occupied pnrt Of tho longer
sides Of the quadrangle. Before each
cell sat a. priest, naked, save the
waistcloth end sacred Bralllnan string,
and busy with tho cooking Of chupat
ties, Of y singularly thick and coarse
kind.
Tho scttihs -nt,n struck shafts of light
through thu delicate folingc of the top
most balntoo. The priests sat silent
and stolid teforo their fires and cakes.
rs if ignoraAt Of our presence. Then,
rs the last rays of the sunset died of
the feather of tho mighty hedge
round US, t.. Q Issued from the temple
man OF >trcme age, clad in white
robes, and tSoScly shavon as to Ills face
and head was tho chief priest, and
lie began to- oil the bell Very sweet
md sonoropl was its noto. Tho whole
glade rang With tho sound, the BAN.
boo feathers seemed to toss In sym.
patty, and tho now dusky thickots
caught up, and repeated tho solemn
tocsin. ID
Then Ms- no priests arose, as If for
vespers, moved solennly and in
dead siler round the quadrangle,
bearing WaH hem their hugo clupat-.
ties whtabthey broke up and dcpos-
tied on STONES and old tieo trunlSs nnd
OH tho stops Of the temple What
could it all moan? Just then a rustling
sound nnd Il startled exclamation from
a soldier behind mo made INC look
down. A jackal, big and plump,
brushed past my leg, with an upward
curl Of his lips and mn upward look Of
surprise and resentment In tho red
bronze, cleaning cycsl Slmultanc-
ously from every lnno and passage in
tho darl1ling thicket calno other jaclsals,
singly md IN pairs and oven whole
littcr together, and filled tho space bo.
foro the temple.
Soon tho feast was spread and the
head priest ceased to toll the bell and
then every jackal, on u wnvc Of the
arm md shout from the chief priest,
trotted without rivalry or snarling or
confusion. to what was evidently his
allotted place and feast, seized the cake
in his jaws, turned and disappeared
through tho wood. There was no fon
ding Of the wild animals, no sign Of
worship OF them, no ceremonial, moth
Ing but this sllont. business like al
monry.
Tho rite was over, tho priestly Office
perfo1ncd3 and one by ono the soldiers
moved back to camp In vain did l
fec and question tho priests as to the
meaning Of this bounty. ut had al
ways been so," waa tho answer-tho
best argument and the most complete
raison d'otfo for anything in tho cast. ~
London Graphic.