THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO 



165 



Asked them, " Had they seen his 



Brothers ? " 

 And was very much astounded 

 When they told him how they 



found him 

 Gouged and butchered by his 



Brothers. 

 Then he thought perhaps 'twere 



better 

 Now to leave this lot of Brothers, 

 And their seven nice young 



women ; 

 And go seek those other Sixteen, 

 Sixteen threshing-floors of Koitor. 

 So the Strong God and the 



Raven 

 Hied them back and told Bhag- 



wantal 

 Of their surgery successful. 

 And our Lingo Bedivivus 

 Wandered sadly through the forest. 

 Wandered on across the mountains 

 Till the darkening of the evening, 

 Wandered on until the night feU. 

 Screamed the panther in the 



forest. 

 Growled the bear upon the moun- 

 tain. 

 And our Lingo then bethought him 

 Of their cannibal propensities. 

 Saw at hand the tree NirudA, 

 Clambered up into its branches. 

 Darkness fell upon the forest. 

 Bears their heads wagged, yelled 



the jackal — 

 Kolyal the King of Jackals. 

 Sounded loud their dreadful voices 

 In that forest-shade primeval. 

 Then the Jungle-Cock Gugotee, 

 Mull the Peacock, Kurs the Wild 



Deer, 

 Terror-stricken screeched and 



shuddered 

 In that forest-shade primeval. 



But the Moon arose at midnight, 

 Poured her flood of silver radiance, 

 Lighted all the forest arches, 

 Through their gloomy branches 



slanting; | 



Fell on Lingo, pondering deeply 

 On his Sixteen Scores of Koitor. 

 Then thought Lingo, I will ask 



her 

 For my Sixteen Scores of Koitor. 

 " Tell me, Moon ! " said Lingo, 

 " Tell, Brightener of the dark- 

 ness, 

 Where my Sixteen Scores are 



hidden." 

 But the Moon sailed onwards, 



upwards, 

 And her cold and glancing moon- 

 beams 

 Said, " Your Gonds, I have not 

 seen them." 

 And the Stars came forth and 

 twinkled— 

 Twinkhng eyes above the forest. 

 Lingo said, " Stars that twinkle ! 

 Eyes that look into the darkness, 

 Tell me where my Sixteen Scores 



. are." 

 But the cold Stars, twinkling ever. 

 Said, " Your Gonds, we have not 



seen them." 

 Broke the morning, the sky red- 

 dened. 

 Faded out the star of morning, 

 Rose the Sun above the forest, 

 BrilUant Sun the Lord of Morning, 

 And our Lingo quick descended. 

 Quickly ran he to the eastward, 

 FeU before the Lord of Morning, 

 Gave the great Sun salutation — 

 " TeU, Sun ! " he said, " dis- 

 cover 

 Where my Sixteen Scores of Gonds 



are." 

 But the Lord of Day reply made — 

 " Hear, Lingo, I a Pilgrim 

 Wander onwards through four 



watches 

 Serving God, I have seen nothing 

 Of your Sixteen Scores of Koitor." 

 Then our Lingo wandered on- 

 wards 

 Through the arches of the forest ; 

 Wandered on until before him 



