150 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
senseless before her. She did not rend the air with 
her shrieks, but calmly tore a strip from the turban 
of one of her attendants, bandaged the wound tightly in 
order to stanch the blood, then desired that the Rahtore 
should be lifted into a palankeen, which had fortunately 
been ordered to await her commands at the skirts of 
the jungle, and immediately borne to the house of her 
father. When, on the arrival of the party at the 
Harass abode, he was taken from the palankeen, the 
old warrior discovered that his wounded guest was the 
head of that clan with whom his family had been so 
long at strife. Though this was a galling discovery, 
it did not preclude the generous offices of hospitality. 
These were rigidly performed, yet the rancour which 
gnawed at the vitals of the Hara chief did not for 
one moment abate. Whilst, however, he gave orders 
that every attention should be paid to the stranger, 
bitterness and curses were in his heart. “ May his 
shadow diminish,” he murmured when there was 
no one by to catch the echo of his thoughts, “ until 
he stalk a tortured spirit over the scene of his pilgri- 
mage ! May prosperity never spread her wings over 
his dwelling, but the scourge of desolation smite 
him and his! Should he become a husband and a 
parent, may his children be fatherless and his wife a 
widow!” 
These and similar maledictions were continually in 
his mouth ; nevertheless, it did not abate the scrupu- 
lousness of his hospitality, and the young Rahtore was 
tended with the most careful attention, until he was 
in a condition to be conveyed to his own dwelling. 
During the short period of his confinement under the 
