158 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA 



Let us cunningly our way take 

 To our forest shades primeval." 

 As he said so did the Eohees, 

 Lightly stepping left no traces, 

 Marks of footsteps none appeared ; 

 Reached their forest shades prim- 

 eval. 

 Some to sit down, some to sleep 



went, 

 Some to stand up in the cool shade, 

 'Gan these sixteen scores of 

 Rohees. 

 'Midst the perfume sweet of 

 flowers, 

 Swinging in a swing, was Lingo ; 

 Swinging slept he, and he dreamfed. 

 Dreamt of sixteen scores of 



Rohees, 

 Of a devastated rice-field. 

 And his soul was greatly troubled ; 

 And he rose and looked about him. 

 Looked, and went to reconnoitre 

 By the way of Kachikopd; 

 Went he through the lion Valley, 

 To the Red HiUs, Lahtigad^, 

 Went the very valiant Lingo ; 

 Saw the devastated rice-field ; 

 Thence returning, to the Brothers, 

 Brothers sleeping in their wig- 

 wams. 

 Spake our Lingo — " Listen, 



Brothers, 

 Listen to my doleful story. 

 How these sixteen scores of 



Rohees 

 All our rice-field have demolished." 

 Then the Brothers, greatly troubled 

 By this doleful tale of Lingo, 

 Wailed a wail of disappointment, 

 Spake the words of bitter anguish— 

 " To the gods our yearly firstfruits, 

 Firstfruits that we yearly ofier, 

 Now of what shall we give first- 

 fruits. 

 Since our rice-field is demolished ? " 

 Answered Lingo — " Lo a first- 

 fruit 

 To the Gods of Rohees' livers. 

 Of the sixteen scores of Rohees 



Liver firstfruits shall we offer. 

 On the perfume of the flowers 

 I, a devotee, can prosper; 

 Ye are Gonds with hungry 



stomachs. 

 Wherewithal shall they be fiUM, 

 Now these sixteen scores of 



Rohees 

 AU our rice-field have demol- 

 ished ? " 

 Then the Brothers took their 

 weapons — 

 Bows of bamboo from the moun- 

 tains. 

 Shafts of bulrush from the 



marshes ; 

 And in wrath they sought the 



rice-field. 

 Where the soil was black and 



naked, 

 Saw they nothing but the stubble 

 Of the rice that waved so greenly. 

 Then a flame of mighty anger, 

 From the heels of Lingo rising. 

 To his matted head ascended. 

 Reddened were his eyes like fire- 

 brands, 

 Bit his fingers tiU the blood 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, 



