The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-10-18

string twaUgcd sharply. The animal
was almost directly under him at the
moment. The arrow had pierced the
spinal cord. The second tiger stood
still for a moment, shifting the air.
Then he uttered an appalling success
sion of short, sharp yells, tearing up
the ground with his claws. Suddenly
the air was filled with a mighty clatter
of brass dishes, vigorously beaten, min
gled with shrill screenings from the
two women. This confused the tiger,
and he half turned presenting his side
to the hidden enemy in the tree He Of
fcred a 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
agony--for, as 1t turned out, his wound
was mortal-he bounded toward the
only enemies he could see, the two wo.
men and the boy. He was received on
the point of Rebrs spear. The heroic
woman had planted the butt Of her
weapon on the ground and firmly
grasped the shaft with both hands. and
she continued to hold 1t with undaunt.
ed resolution, though the tiger in his
death struggle almost tore her to pieces
with his claws.
Sitaram, ax in hand, when he saw
the tiger charge, dropped from his
perch. But he was too late. His enc.
my stretched out his great limbs, and
as Rebi, falling fainting with loss Of
LOT On hn c1,of ,f hn,
sank on the ground, the tigers great
body lay stretched beside her.
This, then," said Sitaram, as he and
Mana, after doing all they could to stop
the flow of blood from Rebi's wounds,
were carrying her tenderly to the hut,
sis the sacrifice the devi wantcd-a
more worthy sacrifice than the life of a
child Rajandra Lal shall have no
more Of my money or goods"
"Rajandra Lal is n liar and a cheat"
sobbed Mana. "If Devi Bhowani is in.
deed powerful, she can take her own
for herself"
They made the injured woman as
comfortable as they could. There was
no means of getting proper care and
attendance for her, and probably no
skill could have saved her. But she
was happy, for she thought she had
given her life for her sister and her
sisters child and she died rejoicing in
the thought.
Sitaram had no time to indulge in
sorrow. The two tigers must be skin
ned and their heads cut off. They were
young animals, and the skins were
very fine. Then, at earliest dawn, he
had to pack his spoils on his remaining
bullock and start for Birbhum. When
he got there, il was no easy matter,
between the treasury poems and the
tahsildar, to get admission to the col
lector sahib. At last he was introduc-
ed, bullock and all, to gentleman who
was just on the point of mounting
his horse. To him Sitaram told his
story.
"You killed two tigers last night, did
you" cried the collector. 'Then you're
lucky fellow to be alive to tell it. But
tell me the whole story" And he sat
down on chair in the veranda to
listen.
''Your honor's slave shot them with
arrows, for one of them had killed your
slaves best bullock the night BEFORE"
answered Staram with many salaams.
Here are the heads and the skins"
Then he unrolled the two bundles and
spread the skins on the veranda.
Then the collector called Karin Ali,
the tahsldar, and directed him to pay
Sitaram 10 rupees for each head, and
when the poor jangliwala saw the 20
bright silver pieces counted into his
hand he actually trembled. He had
never seen so much money in his life.
But that was not all, for the sahib had
been examining the skins, and he ask
ed what Sitaram intended doing with
them, and when he heard that they
We're to be offered to some of the
chunars, who would probably buy
them for a few rupees, he himself at
once offered to give 20 rupees for them,
and as Sitaram could not go home that
night, for the sun was already low, he
was told to come to the treasury early
in the morning for his money. He did
so and was paid.
Sitaram became prosperous man
after that He was rich and old Ra.
| jandra Lars prophecy was so far veri-
| fed that he soon became the proud
possessor of the best pair Of plow bull
| locks in the district. Mana and RAM
chand We're loaded with silver bangles
| and anklets, and the little hut in the
| jangal was soon resplendent with a
| glttering array Of the brazen lotas and
dishes with which the prosperous In
| dian raiat, when he can afford it, loves
| to adorn his home.
But the temple of Bhowani gained
nothing, though her priest did not fail
to remind Staram of all he owed to
the devi. The truth is that the Indian
aboriginal had had his faith In and
fear of the malign deities whom his
people have added to the Indian Pan
theon weakened till it had almost
ceased to exist. Besides that, in Bir-
blum he had listened to the preaching
of Mussulman, who said that the
Brahmans were naught and the gods
We're less, but there was one great God,