124 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
their lips, no shelter had they from the blazing sun ; 
the Brahmins offered sacrifices, and pious devotees 
muttered unceasing prayers, but still Buddunaut came 
not. Towards noon a burst of triumphant music 
came swelling forth upon the air from the interior 
of the palace, and songs of rejoicing and loud shouts 
of frantic merriment startled the ears of the anxious 
citizens. These continued at frequent intervals ; but 
they heralded not the return of the adventurous chief, 
and towards sunset some of the boldest among the 
people consulted together if they should not force an 
entrance into the mysterious palace, and discover 
whether the mad strains of revelry proceeding from 
thence celebrated the triumph of their prince, or that 
of the terrible Kali. A chosen body of brave young- 
men stood forward to prosecute this adventure, when 
lo ! on the marble terrace which roofed the palace 
Buddunaut at length appeared. 
“ Alas for the pride of man ! A murmur of horror 
and dismay ran through the multitude ; for behold the 
generous and heroic chief, a few hours before the model 
of manly grace and beauty, stood before them a blighted 
and distorted being, a monster of humanity, unrecog- 
nizable save by his jewelled crown, his royal robes, and 
the broad scar upon his brow, token of his days of 
glory and his prowess in battle. With hollow and 
discordant voice he addressed the assembly; — 
“ * My devoted subjects — fellow worshippers of the 
divine Kali, behold your chief, whose eyes are now 
