208 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTKAL IXDIA. 



With her broad and mighty 

 pinions 



O'er her offspring and our Lingo. 

 By tlie forests and the moun- 

 tains 



Six months' journey was it thither 



To the mountain Dewalgiri. 



Half the day was scarcely over 



Ere this convoy from the sea- 

 shore 



Lighted safe on Dewalgiri ; 



Touched the knocker on the gate- 

 way 



Of the Great God Mahadeva. 



And the messenger Narayan 



Answering, went and told his 

 master — 



" Lo, this very valiant Lingo ! 



Here he is with all the Bindos, 



The Black Bindos from the sea- 

 shore." 



Then the Great God, much 



disgusted, 

 Driven quite into a corner, 

 Took our Lingo to the cavern, 

 Sent Basmasur to his kennel, 

 Held his nose, and moved away 



the 

 Mighty stone of sixteen cubits ; 

 Called those Sixteen Scores of 



Gonds out, 

 Made them over to their Lingo. 

 And they said, " Father 



Lingo ! 

 What a bad time we've had of it, 

 Not a thing to fill our bellies 

 In this horrid gloomy dungeon." 

 But our Lingo gave them dinner, 

 Gave them rice and flour of millet. 

 And they went off to the river, 

 Had a drink, and cooked and 



eat it. 



IV.— SETTLEMENT OF THE GONDS, AND PASSING OF 



LINGO. 



Then they rose and followed 



Lingo, 

 Followed onwards to tlie forest, 

 From the mountain Dewalgiri ; 

 Followed on till night descended, 

 And before them saw a river, 

 Dark and swollen with the torrent 

 Bursting down from Dewalgiri, 

 From the snows of Dewalgiri. 

 (Jn that river nothing saw they, 

 Boat nor raft, to waft them over. 

 Nothing saw they in the torrent 

 Ihit the Alligator Pus6, 

 And tlie River-Turtle Dame, 

 Playing, rolling, in the water. 

 Then our Lingo called them to 



him, 

 Called them brother, called them 



mother ; 

 Bound with oaths to bear them 



And the Alligator Piise, 

 Looming long upon the water, 

 Bore the Gonds into the torrent, 

 Through the black and roaring 



water : 

 And the River-Turtle Dame 

 AVitli our Lingo followed after. 

 Soon the faithless Alligator, 

 In the deep and roaring water. 

 Slipping from below his cargo, 

 Left them flounderinginthe water. 

 Then our Lingo stretched his 



hand out. 

 Fished them out upon the Turtle ; 

 Faithful Diimt'' bore them onward 

 O'er that black and roaring torrent. 

 Bore them on across the river. 

 And the Sixteen vowed to cherish 

 Name of Dani(3 with them ever. 

 Who had borne them safe and 



liurtless 



