168 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA 



And fly straight to Dewalgiri. 

 Then he spread his mighty pinions, 

 Took his Bindos up on one side 

 And our Lingo on the other. 

 Thus they soared away together 

 From the shores of the Black 



Water. 

 And the fond maternal Bindo, 

 O'er them hoveriag, spread an 



awniag 

 With her broad and mighty 



pinions 

 O'er her ofispring and our Lingo. 

 By the 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 comer, 

 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 g6NDS, AND PASSING OF 



LINGO. 



Then they rose and followed 



Lingo, 

 Followed onwards to the forest. 

 From the mountain Dewalgiri; 

 Followed on till night descended. 

 And before them saw a river. 

 Dark and swoUen with the torrent 

 Bursting down from Dewalgiri, 

 From the snows of Dewalgiri. 

 On that river nothing saw they, 

 Boat nor raft, to waft them over. 

 Nothing saw they in the torrent 

 But the Alligator Piise, 

 And the 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 



over. 

 And the Alligator Puse, 

 Looming long upon the water. 

 Bore the Gonds into the torrent, 

 Through the black and roaring 



water : 

 And the River-Turtle Dame 

 With our Lingo followed after. 

 Soon the faithless Alligator, 

 In the deep and roaring water, 

 Shpping from below his cargo, 

 Left them floundering in the water. 

 Then our Lingo stretched his 



hand out, 



