The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25


the loss of the bullock. and the woundins
of the tiger.
Il will ask the Devl. said the priest,
when he had heard all. But what hast
thou. Santhal, to give her for :hy life?''
What haze, Babp,. is nalght. said
the poor wretch, trembling. Il am but
a poor jangliwala, and l have lost my
best bullock. What can do with one Is
it not better the tiger should eat my wife
and child and me than thlt We perish of
hunger"
Thou hast wife and child. Santhal."
said the priest "and thou hast a < cd bow"
Then Rajandra Lal fixed his eyes on the
hideous little black image over the door
of the temple. He swayed backward and
forward. and his eyes began to roll. Then
he spoke:
Son Of the santhsl. here the Devi: The
Sauthal have forsaken my temple, and
withheld the sacrifice OF my blood, which
love Return, Sauthal. Bring thy child
to the place of sacrifice. Offer him on the
sacred stone. and auoint thy arrows with
his blood. With those arrows shalt thou
kill the tiger and for the beast thou hast
lost thou shalt have better one. Fail
in this and the tiger shall defi.e thy dwell
ing and sweep thee and thine from the
face of the land
Sitaram trembled at the command of the
goddess. He laid two or three pics-all
the money ne had In the world-on the old
priests tigerskin. and sorrowfuliy made his
way home. He told Mana and Rebi the
command of the goddess and they, too.
were very sorrowfui. for little Ramchand
was the light of their eyes and the joy of
their hearts But where was Ramchand?
He had not been seen either by his mother
or his aunt, and they were in great fear
lest some evil should have fallen him.
Suddenly the child, in the midst of the
anxious consultation burst into the hut:
He had tale TO tell. Oh. he was quite
safe; no evil had happened to him. What.
indeed could happen? He had the bow.
nearly cubit longer than he was nigh,
that his father had shaped for him. Then
the little fellow drew himself up to his full
height. He could shoot and nit Il mark al
most as well as his fathe-, though his arrow
would not go so far or penetrate so deeply.
But then he had his ak, and the katas or
knife. Sitaram had bought for him in Birp-
hum He could defend himself even
against the fierce Chita. He had been to
the field where lay the dead bullock. ana
the tiger had not returned to its prey. He
had tracked the tiger through the Jangai,
but had come home to report what he haG
seen.
Sitaram and Mana exchanged looks. nd
each mentally vowed that little Ramchand
should never. whatever might happen, fall
a true Santhal. learned in iangaI craft be-
y0nd his years. and destined in time to
become a comfort and support to his par
ents. Then they began to consult. There
could be no doubt that. since the tiger had
net returned during the night or the carly
morning, he or his mate, or both, would
come that very night. Sitaram went out
tC see the state of affairs for himself. He
found that his boy had reported correctly.
His enemy might be expected that very
evening A low hanging limb Of great
tree one CT the outlying sentries of the
jangal, almost impended over the spot
where the carcass of the bullock lay. On
it Sitaram made a sort of perch, small
platform from which to shoot his enemy.
His wife and his sister, with little Ram
chand, had their parts in the drama that
was to be enacted. Armed with sharp
little SaGthali axes and rude spears for
their defence, they were to lie hidden in
an adjacent thicket, ready to help at the
proper time. They carried brass dishes,
too by the beating of which and their
shrll cries. the tigers. il there should be
more than one, would be confused and
frightened.
The sun had hardly set when Sitaram
took possession of his perch. He squattad
there patiently. wrapped in coarse.
brown native blanket. After ALL accord
ing to our European notions. this man
seems poT creature thus to perch him
self on high out Of danger while the wo-
men and the child remained below with
out adequate defence But It must be re-
membered that everything depended on
his strength Of arm. and his eye must
command the whole scene Of action. The
tiger might or might not spring on one Of !
the women or the child, but they knew
the risk as well as the man did. and they |
took it.
The night was clear and bright, and |
Sitaram watched intently. The suspense |
was almost painful. AT length there ap- !
peared a long. ghostlike form. stealing |
from the shelter Of the trees across the |
open country toward the carcass of the |
dead bullock. Almost Immediately after |
came another similar but slightly larger |
FORM dragging itself along, limping, and |
with difficulty. Anyone who has watched |
the motions of pair of cats on noctur- |
nal thievinC expedition Will have lively |
idea in miniature of the appearance the |
procession presented.
Sit2ram took his bow and two arrows in |
his left hand: with his right he fixed the
notch Of third arrow on the string Then |
he tcCk a steady and careful aim at the
neck of the leading tiger, just behind the
head. The bOwstrng twanged sharply.
The animal was almost directly under MIN
at the moment The arrow had pierced the |
for a moment. shifting the air. Then he |
uttered an appalling succession Of short.
sharp yelps. tearing up the ground with !
his claws. Suddenly the air was filled |
with mighty clatter OF brass dishes. Wig
beaten, mingled with shrIil
screeching from the two women and
Ramchand. This confused the tiger, and
he half turned. presenting his side to the
hidden enemy in the tree. He offered
fair mark to the skillful archer. who drew
his bow with all his strength. again the |
string twanged and the arrow pierced the
tigers side just behind the shoulder blade
The animal turned and in his dying ago
ny-fOr as it turned out, his wound was
nortaI-he bounded toward the only enc
mics he could see. the two women and the
hoy He was received on the point of
Rebfs spear. The heroic woman had pi. 1t
ed the butt OF her weapon on the ground
and firmly grapsed the shaft with UNI
resolution though the tiger in his
death struggle almost tore her to pieces
with his claws.
Sitaram. TX in nand. when he saw the
Tiger charge dropped from his perch But
he was too late. His enemy stretched Out
MS great limbs. aud as Rebi, falling faint
ing with loss of clood. let go the shaft of
her spear and sank on the ground, the ii
gers great body lay stretched beside her.
This. then" said sitaram. as he and
Mana after doing all they could to stop the
low OF blood from poor Rebi's wounds.
we're carrying her tenderly TO The hut, lis
he sacrifice the Devi wanted-a more
worthy sacrifice than the life of child.
Rajandra Lal shall have no more of my
money or goods
'.Rajandra Lal is liar and a cheat"
iobbed Mana. IF Devi BhOwani is indeed
powerful. she can take her own for her
elf :"