118 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



liberately bound her bands and feet, covering ber 

 with a thick black veil. 



He then swept the ground, on which he sprinkled 

 some of the holy Ganges water, and laying her down 

 covered her with the basket he had used "with the 

 mangoe trick, spreading a white cloth over all. He 

 then commenced a prayer to the goddess Bowanee, 

 prostrating himself before the stone image and in- 

 voking its aid, and finished by breaking a cocoa-nut 

 as a sacrifice, and placing the pieces before it. 



Then breaking out into a long wild cry, he rolled 

 his eyes, foamed at the mouth like a maniac, and 

 seizing a double-edged sword, plunged it into the 

 centre of the cloth, through the basket under 

 which he had placed his child, repeating the 

 stroke twice in different places. Dark streams of 

 blood were seen running from underneath the cloth, 

 the sword being also stained ; and at each blow 

 shrieks and groans appeared to rise from under 

 the basket. For a moment all was still, and every 

 face transfixed with horror at the supposed crime ; 

 loud murmurs were heard among the men, and cries 

 of alarm arose among the females, who rushed wildly 

 about screaming and beating their breasts ; then the 

 juggler coolly made an obeisance to the idol, and 

 lifting up the bloody cloth and basket, displayed 

 to the excited spectators only the veil pierced in 

 three places, and the cord with which the child was 

 bound. The child had vanished. 



All were thunderstruck, and some of the by- 



