The morning times., 1896-03-15

! Next morning, hardly was breakfast over
When the beating OF tom-tOms was heard
1he sound came nearer and nearer one
OF The servants, who knew a little English.
came into the room where the two friends
Were sitting and said "Sahib. much unonle
come from city out they went, ana a
strange sight met their eyes long urn-
ceSsion coming up the tOwlath preceded
by priests in flowing white garments beat
Ing lonl-lumS: then a large number of
men, with trays on their heads cuutaiuiuo
sWeejmeats; Others with trayS filled with
iFult and vegetables; others with trays
full of chupattees, bread. rice, flour. etc.
then the high priest himself seated on n
white pony grotesquely painted, and fol-
lowing the nigh priest wdsau immense num-
Der OF men, VarIouSiy attired, some beat
ing tOn-tOmS, other blowing trumpets
others carrying poles with StrCanrrS AT
tached TO them. As the leaders of the pro-
cession came up to the TWO friends they
halted, made obeiSanCes, and wheeled
around little farther up the towpath
The bearers OF the offerings deposited The
trays ana their contents at the feet of the
two friends and passed ON. Atlast came the
high priest. He stopped his pony. and,
rather falling off than dSn1Ounting from it,
proStrated himself at Grass feet This
was the signal for n simultaneous beating
of the tGnl-tOms, the baring OF the trum-
FEitlSs Vic waving OF lDp StfeamerS, and
the shouts Of the people. " Haiti all hai! the
soul of Gholah Singhr' The high priest
rose to his feet and, approa aching Grass.
tried 10 take his hand and kiss it-an
action that was promptly resented by the
person in question, vino dealt the high
priest a lusty box on the ear. at the same
time saying, Get out. you ID Niger!
What do you want to touch me for?'' The
high priest, in place of being offended
turned TO the people and said in loud
voice: verify, it is The soul Of my master
that guided the Feringhee'S hand Gho.ab
often saluted me in The same way" Grass
was, however, thoroughly angry and push
ing through The people, who prostrated
themselves as fast as they could, made his
WAY TO his boat and started off down the
river.
The explanation of this is simple When
the high priest had returned from the gar
den the previous night, he hastily summoned
a conclave of his fellows TO determine the
whereabouts of the wandering kings soul.
Two Engiishmen had eaten the fish: the
remains were left In the garden for a prey
to the first pariah whose nose Informed
him that frle.l fish was handy 1t was an
impossiblity that Gohlab could have gone
into parah dog The choice, therefore
lay between the two Englishmen who had
been seen 10 eat the fish. warm discus
sion arose in the conclave as TO which of
the two had consumed the larger portion
Some argued that Grass had eaten the most
while others declared for Gage; some in
deed, argued that Gholab must be in both
of them. The champions of the several
theories grew so excited that they almost
forgot the issue they were called together
to decide, until at last the high priest
after calling for silence, thus addressed
them: /" Brothers" he said, II decide,
first, that ii is impossible that the soul Of
ll q laNTfr, r,...N A
immaterial is n Whole, and / therefore
dismiss that theory. l likewise dismiss
the other theory, for no soul can inhabit
anything that has perished organically ,
and i decide that the moment the hook of
the dog of an Englishman touched the
mouth of the sacred fish, once the tenement
of the illustrious Gholab the soul of that
monarch who in life knew not to spare
any one once in his clutches, recognized
that doctrine, and sped through the mouth
OF the. mahaseer, up the fishing line, and
down the rod into the hand OF the accursed