Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10

rich waters above Benares At first would
not go, for my cousin who is a fish eater,
does not always know the good from the
bad; but / heard my people talking in the
tain"
"And what did they say?" the jackal
sasked.
"They said enough to make me, the mug
ger of Mugger-Ghaut, leave water and take
to my feet. / went by night, using the 1T
tlest streams as they served me, but 1t was
the beginning OF the hot weather aud all
streams were low. / crossed dusty roads, 1
went through tall grass l climbed hills in
the moonlight. Even rocks did l climb.
children-consider this well. 1 crossed the
tail of Sirhind the waterless before / could
find the set of the little rivers that flow
Gundaward. 1 was a months journey frcm
my own people and the river that l knew.
That was very marvellous.
What food, by the way?' said the jack
al who kept his soul in his little stoma ch
and was not bit impressed by the mug
gers land travels.
THAT which 1 could fnd-cousin." said
the mugger slowly. dragging each word.
Now you do not call a man 4 cousin In
India unless you think you can establish
some kind of blood relationship. and 1t is
only in old fairy tales that the mugger ever
marries a jackal; the jackal knew for what
reason he had been suddenly lifted into the
mugger's family circle. If they had been
alone he would not have cared, but the ad-
jutants eyes twinkled with mirth at the
ugly Jest
"Assuredly father. might have KNOWN"
said the jackal. A rhugger does not care to
be called a father Of jackals. and the mug
ger of Mugger-Ghaut said as much-and a
good deal more which there Is no use in
repeating.
kinship. How can I remember the precise
degree? Moreover, we eat The same food.
He has said It," was the jackars reply.
That made matters rather worse. for what
the jackal limited at was that the mugger
must have eaten his food on that land
march fresh, and fresh every day, instead
and proper. condition, as every self-respect-
ing mugger and most wild beasts do when
they can. Indeed one Of the worst terms
Of contempt along the river beds Is eater
of fresh meat" 1t is about as bad as call
ing a friend a cannibal would be among
human beings. Some kinds Of savages
think the same way, too.
THAT food was eaten thirty seasons ago."
said the adjutant, quietly. IF we talk
for thirty seasons more II will never come
back. Tell US now what happened when
the good waters were reached after that
most wonderful land Journey. If we listen
ed to the bowling Of every jackal the bust
ness of the town would stop. as the saying
is" d ~
The mugger must have been grateful for
the Interruption. because he went on with
a rush: Ia
"By the Right and Left OF Gunga, when
I came there never did seeSsuch waters"
Were they better. then, than the big
flood of last season." said the jackaL
Better! That flood was no more than
comes every Ave years-a handful Of drown
ed strangers, some chickens. and a dead
bullock in muddy water with cross cur
rents. But the season 1 think Of the river
was low smooth and even, and. as the
gavial had warned me. the dead English
came down touching each other. I got my
girth in that season, my girth and my
depth From Agra, by Etawah and the
bread waters by Alahabad."
"Oh, the eddy that set under the walls
Of the fort at Allahabadr' said the ad-
jutaut. "They came in there like widgeon
to the reeds, and round and round they
swung-thus!'
He went off into his horrible dance again.
while the tackal looked on enviously. He
naturally could not remember the year Of
the mutiny they were talking about. The
mugger continued:
Yes, by Allahabad, one lay still in the
slack water and let twenty go by to pick
one; and, above all, the English were not
numbered with jewelry and nose rings and
anklets as my women are nowadays. To de-
| light In ornaments Is 10 end with rope
| for necklace, as the saying is. All the
muggers of all the rivers grew fat then,
but 1t was my fate to be fatter than them