Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-08-15


Iney indeed vehemently suspected him
Oh keeping up the old Santhai custom
Oh human sacrifice and made many in
Quirles about the matter. but nothing
couid be learned from the tribesmen
beyond hints darkly dropped at the
market by Santhais whose tongues bod
Deen loosened by excessive drinking of
toddy or rice whisky. but the sight Of
white face or n police uniform was
enough To reduce them to silence and
that pretense Of stupidity I'm which
when he chooses TO assume II. thc m.
1--WE or India, whatever NAV be his
tribe or caste. has no equal.
Inc molly man. sitting on his heels on
tiger skin spread In the porch OF the
temple, listened To the story OF the
dream. the loss OF the bullock and the
wounding of the tiger.
Il VIII ask the devi," said the n,ips,
when he had heard all. "But vhot
hast thou. Santhal. to give here for thy
lifer'
What / have. Babu, is naught." said
the poor wretch, trembling. Il am but
poor jangliwala. and have lost ;oy
best bullock. What can do with one;
Is II not better the tiger should .ot
my wife and child and me than we nor.
ish Of hungerT'
1hou hast wife and child. San.
THAI said the priest. and tlou hast a
good bow" Then Raiandra Ini txed
his eyes on little black IMAGE over
the door of the temple He svyoy.d
backward and forward. and his eyes
began TO roll. Then he spoke:
son OF the Santhai. hear the d,yi
Inc Santhai have fOrssken my trninle
ana withheld the sacrifice of bi,,,,l
which 1 love Return. Santhai. Rrlur
my child TO the place Of sacrifice. OF.
fer him on the sacred stone All a,oint
thy arrows with his blood. Will tbnSe
arrows shalt thou Kill the tiger. aul
Tor the beast thou hast lost thou shalt
nave better one. Fal ia lh.~. and
the tiger shall defle thy dNenn. .at
sweep thee and thine from the f...., of
the land"
Sltaram trembled ~ the command OF
the goddess. He laid two or tlrre
pice. all the money he had in the world.
on the old priests tiger Sklu and Sor-
rowfully made his way home lie told
Mama aud Rcbi the comma.lI OF the
goddess. and they. too. We're very sor-
rowful, for little Ramchand was the
light OF their eyes and the 10Y 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
befallen him. Suddenly the child in
the midst Of the anxious consultation
burst into the hut
He had a tale 10 tell. Oh. he was
quite safe; no evil had happened TO
him. What. indeed. could happeni
He had the bow. nearly cubit longer
than he was high. that his father had
shaped for him. Then the little fellow
drew himself mp TO his full height He
could shoot and hit q mark almost as
well as his father. though his arrow
would not 20 SO far or penetrate so
deeply. But then he had his aX and
the katas, or knife. Sitaram had bought
for him In Birbhum. He could defend
himself even against the fierce chita.
He had been 10 the field where lay the
dead bullock. and the tiger had not re-
turned to its prey. He had tracked the
tiger through the jangal. but had come
home TO report what he had seen
Sitaram and Mana exchanged looks.
and each mentally vowed that little
Ramachand should never, whatever
might happen. fall under the sacrificial
knife. The boy was n true Santhai.
learned I'm jangal craft beyond his
years and destined in time TO become
comfort and support to his parents.
Then they began To consult There
could be no doubt that, since the tiger
had not returned during the night or
the early morning. he and his mate. or
both. would come that very night. ST.
taram went out TO see the state OF af-
fairs for himself. He found that his
boy had reported correctly. His enc
my might be expected that very even
ing. A low hanging limb Of a great
tree. one OF the outlying sentries OF the
Jangal. almost impended over the spot
where the carcass OF the bullock lay
On II Sitaram made 4 sort OF perch, "A
small platform from which TO shoot
the enemy. His wife and his sister.
with little Ramchand, had their parts
In the drama that was to be enacted.
Armed with sharp little Santhai axes
SlltuTS lntiE ueIenSc, IDeN
were 10 lie hidden In an adjacent thick
ct, ready to help at the proper time
They carried brass dishes, too. by the
beating OF which and their shrl cries
the tieers, If there should be more than
one, would be confused and frightened
The sun had hardly set when Sitaram
took possession of his perch He squat
ted there patiently. wrapped in coarse
brown blanket. After all. according to
our European notions. this man seems
poor creature thus to perch himself
on high out Of danger while the women
md the child remain below without
adequate defense. But ii 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 nignt was clear and bright. and
Sitaram watched intently. The Sus-
pense was almost painful AT length
there appeared a long, ghostlike form
stealing from the shelter of the trees
across the open country toward the