198 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



Bit his tingcrs till the l)lood came ; 

 Said he — " Search ye for the 



footprints 

 Of these sixteen scores of Rohees." 

 Then the Brothers bent them 



downwards, 

 Searching closely for their traces, 

 Traces nowhere that appeared 

 Of the sixteen scores of Rohees. 

 Searched they long and found a 



footmark, 

 Single footmarks scarce appearing, 

 Thence the jungle trodden down 



■was 

 To the forest shades primeval. 

 Fast they followed on the traces, 

 But the sixteen scores they saw 



not. 

 Soon a Peepul tree appeared 

 Towering high above the forest ; 

 Clambered Lingo to its summit, 

 Looked he from it o'er the forest, 

 Spied the sixteen scores of Rohees, 

 Rohees in the shade reclining, 

 Rohees sleeping, Rohees frisking 

 In the forest shade primeval. 

 Then said Lingo to the Brothers — 

 " Take your bows and take your 



arrows ; 

 Quickly get ye round about them, 

 To the four sides of the Rohees. 

 Slay and spare not, smite the 



rascals ! 

 Hence my bolts I will deliver." 

 Then the Brothers stalked around 



them, 

 To the four sides of the Rohees ; 

 Thence their bulrush shafts 



delivered ; 

 Shot our Lingo from the Peepul. 

 Smitten were the herd of Rohees, 

 Only Maman, Uncle Maman, 

 And one little female Rohee, 

 Of tliose sixteen scores remained. 

 Then our Lingo aimed an arrow 

 At that L^ncle, ancient jMamdn : 



But the arrow from his hand fell. 

 Thought he, surely here's an omen 

 That this very ancient IMaman 

 Of our rice has nothing taken. 

 Then to run began the Rohee, 

 Female Rohee that remained ; 

 And to run began the Uncle. 

 Brothers all behind them followed. 

 Shouting " Catch them " to each 



other. 

 But they vanished and were seen 



not. 

 And the Brothers, much disgusted, 

 Back returned to their Lingo. 

 Then said Lingo, " Search ye, 



Brethren, 

 For a firebox in your Avaistbelts." 

 Flints and steel they forthwith 



brought out. 

 Struck a spark among the tindtjr. 

 But the tinder would not burn. 

 Thus the whole night long they 



tried it. 

 Tried in vain until the morning, 

 When they flung away the tinder. 

 And to Lingo said, "0 Brother, 

 You're a prophet, can you tell 



us 

 Why we cannot light this tinder?" 

 Answered Lingo, " Three coss 



onward 

 Lives the Giant Rikad Gowree, 

 He the very dreadful Monster, 

 He the terrible Devourer. 

 In his field a fire is smoking ; 

 Thither go and fetch a firebrand." 

 Then the Brothers went a little. 

 Went a very little, onwards ; 

 Thence returned, and said to 



Lingo — 

 " Nowhere saw we Rikad Gowree, 

 Nowhere have we found this 



Giant." 

 Then said Lingo, "Lo my arrow, 

 V>y its pathway see ye follow." 

 Then he fitted to his bowstring 



