328 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



peak above was not very prepossessing, still less so 

 were his naked companions here below ; and at first 

 they strenuously objected to my staying there at all. 

 The old man, however, soon made his appearance 

 and put matters to rights. He was an oily sort of 

 managing old man, while his disciples were crude and 

 savage young or middle-aged ascetics. 



Left here with only V. V. and the Man of Plea- 

 sure, I found that these two, being Bralimans, were 

 allowed to occupy one of the small houses, which they 

 did soon after nightfall, barricading the door in a most 

 elaborate manner ; but that I, not being a twice-born, 

 could on no account be allowed to enter any of the 

 habitations of this holy and ash - garmented com- 

 munity. "DekkJto, behold," said this oily old ascetic, 

 in his oiliest and most persuasive manner, " here is a 

 far better place for yoii to sleep in ; " and witli that ho 

 showed me a little stone cottage or hut on the other 

 side of the level space. The peculiarity of this cot- 

 tage was not so much that it had no door as that 

 it had no roof, and appeared never to have had any. 

 The walls were about five feet high, and there the 

 erection seemed to have stopped. "Utcha? Bohut 

 utcha 1 Excellent ! very excellent ! isn't it ? " said 

 the devotee, in most persuasive tones, his experience 

 having evidently taught him that to impress that idea 

 strongly upon the mind was quite sufficient to get it 

 accepted. But, in truth, I was very glad to get this 

 cottage, because devotees are apt to make a merit of 



