Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

, , ; CASTE. the sword over their heads as argument. Therein Mahomet was a true prophet, a saver of souls rather than a destroyer of such.” : By noon they were drawing toward Mandhatta, and when they came to where the road from Indore to Mandhatta joined the one they were traveling, there was an increase in the stream of pilgrims, and Bar- low could see a look of uneasiness in the jamadar’s eyes. There was a grove of wild mango trees on the left, running from the road down to a stream that gurgled on its way from the hills to the Narbudda river, and Jemla said, “We might camp here, sahib, for there is both good water and firewood.” They could see, as they rested and ate, a party of Hindus down by the stream where there was a shrine to Krishna that nestled under a huge banyan that was like the roof of a cave from which dropped to earth to take. root hundreds of slender shoots, like stalactites, and whose roots, creeping from the earth like giant worms, crawled on to lave in the stream. When they had finished eating, Jemla said, “ That is a temple of the Preserver.” Then he laughed a full-throated sneer. ** Allah hafiz'—God protect us—give me a fine- edged tulwar—and mine own is not so dull —methinks yon grinning affair of stone would not preserve a dozen of these infidels had there been cause for anger.” “What do the pilgrims there, for they go, it would seem, to Omkar?” Barlow queried. “There has been a death—perhaps it was even a year ago, and at the shrine of Krishna, especially this one that is on a water that is like a trickle of holy tears to the sacred Narbudda, straddhas — prayers for the dead—are said. Come, sahib, we will look upon this mummy, the only saver of grace about the infidel thing being that it perhaps brings to their hearts a restful- ness, having the faith that they have helped the soul of the dead.” Barlow rose from where he sat and they went down to where a party of a dozen were engag in the service of an appeal to the god for rest for the soul of a dead relative. The devotees did not resent the appearance of the two who were garbed | as LOS The shrine was one of those, of which are many in India, that, curlo sly él ss sacred to both Hindus and follo the Prophet. On a flat rock, laved } stream, was an imprint of a foot, a le dary footprint of Krishna, Ps there as he crossed the stream to gan with the milkmaids in the meadow beyc And it was venerated by the Musse cause a disciple of Mahomet had at great sanctity by austerities up in the tain behind, and had been buried the But Barlow was watching with deep terest the ceremonial form of the straqdi He saw the women place balls of rice, mul and leaves of the fulst plant im ¢artt ware platters, then sprinkle over this Ho ers and kusa-grass. They added rei plucked from their garments, to typity presenting of the white death-sheet to dead one, a priest all the time muml a prayer, at the end of the simple ce receiving a fee of five rupees. As the two men turned back toward tk camp Jemla chuckled, “Captain $ thou seest now the weapon of the F His loot of silver pieces was acqu little effort and no strife. As to balls the first jackal that catches th will have a filled stomach. It is so: to be thought of in the way of regard a long abiding in heaven that such foc ones will not attain to it. The set ‘ing i ete ny. Ye) nar } to exclude such. It makes one’s f clatter in its scabbard to see such pro: tion in an approach to God.” Then Jemla spoke of the matt engendered the troubled look B observed. ‘The Captain Sahib the temple of Omkar to make offe the shrine?” en ‘Yes, she goes there.” “There will be a hundred os” ge ee a - ye - : * ; - wz - these infidels at Man ar Se see fifty Pindaris, tx ; matchlock, there will be there will be altercatio ey we ride in pilla “com cbooks.com . ra 4 - oa es P tal ws esd ; ; .t -? ae ee. were