The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-10-18
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| A SACRIFICE 70 BHONAN| J
A Story of Peasants Of India.
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Sitaram Dhas left his hut at earliest
| dawn. He carried on his shoulder his
rude plow, consisting of two strong
| poles, the one forming the beam and
the other, shod with iron at one end,
serving at once as the share and the
single handle. He drove his two little
bullocks, already yoked, before him.
His wife, Mana, and his sister, Rcbi,
! shrilly wished him luck in his days
blowing, and Ramchand, his little
9-year-old boy, proudly bore Sitaram's
great bamboo bow and quiver of ar
rows, for who could tell what evil
beast father might find in the clearing
which he had made in the forest, not
to speak of the chance of a fine buck
coming his way to provide them with
II feast?
Arrived at the clearing, Staram firm
ly lashed the beam of the plow to the
yoke, slung the bow and quiver at his
back and stuck the handle of his little
| Santhai AK in his girdle. Then driving
the iron shod point of the plowsharc
into the ground and cheering on the lit
tie bullocks with an inspiriting cry, the
| plowman began his work. Back and
forward the little bullocks plodded all
the long morning. The sun rose high
in heaven and poured down its rays
pitilessly on the little clearing of four
or five acres. Sitaram was himself
ready for the midday rest when little
Ramchand appeared with great arm
ful of coarse grass which he had cut.
The plow was stopped in the furrow,
the grass thrown down before the hun
CRY bullocks, Sitaram lay down in a
shady spot to sleep through the heat of
the day, and the boy started off to
gather sticks for the fire at home.
When the sun began to sink toward
the west, Sitaram awoke. He had had
a dream which disturbed his mind. He
though he saw the great black image
of the goddess BhOwani. with her
necklace of grinning white human
skulls. standing before him as he had
seen 1t in the old temple that stood,
feared and reverenced by all his tribe,
far in the recesses of the hills. The
goddess said not a word, but she looked
at him with a frowning and terrible
cOuntenance and brandished before his
eyes the great sacriticial knife she held
in one of her hands.
Sitaram trembled in every limb. He
dared not try to guess what that awful
apparition might portend. The goddess
loved human sacrifices, and. though
the Sahib Log, who were lords of the
land, did their best to prevent them,
he knew that children were sometimes
offered. But the blowing must be fin
ished. Tomorrow he would have to
begin sowing. In the meantime he
would try to forget his dream. Again,
with voice and goad, he urged the bull
locks to their work. The last furrow
would soon be turned. 1t was nearly
dark when the bullocks got to the end
of the last furrow and Sitaram stop
ped them. He had scarcely let go the
handle of the plow when something
that in the uncertain light looked like
a grayish puff of smoke flew out of
the darkness of the forest and alighted
with crash on one Of the bullocks.
Sitaram snatched at the strong BAN
boo bow and fitted an arrow on the
string, for he well knew that 1t was
one of pair of tigers that the shikaris
Of all the country round had been
tracking for weeks past The beast
bad killed the strong young bullock
that Manas father had given to her
husband. lSitaram drew the bow with
all his force holding In his hand sec.
ond arrow In case the first should miss
its mark. The tiger lay on the body OF
the PROSTATE bullock, greedily drinking
the blood which flowed from wound
in the animals throat The arrow few
true to its aim and buried half Its
length in the great cats shoulder. Blu,
1t had been shot from behind, and Sita'
ram knew he had given neither a NOR
tai nor a disabling wound. The tiger
snarled savagely and bounded into the
darkness, followed by the second ar
row.
Sitaram sorrowfully released the sur
yiving bullock from the yoke and drove
the trembling animal home, leaving the
plow and tackle behind. The night
closed In, and should the tiger return
to feed on the carcass Of the dead bul
lock there would be no chance of an
other shot. So family council was
held In the little hut. Mana and Rebi
after the fashion Of the Santhai WON
en-, freely gave their opinions. 1t was
. decided that In the morning Sitaran
should go and seek counsel Of old Ra
jandra Lai Bhaai the tribal priest who
served the temple Of the great goddess
Bhowani.
The wisdom and sanctity of Rsjandrs