Now I see her slipping a jasam from
her arm, the kitten frisks about, and the child follows it; now it
disappears, and the child runs indoors." Then, raising his voice to a
shrill scream, he pointed with his left hand to the north and asked:--
"What are those animals which are prowling in the orchard? Are they
dogs? No--they are jackals--one, two, three jackals! They pounce on
the kitten, and tear her limb from limb! Now everything is growing
hazy; I can't see any more!"
A thrill of fear ran through the audience, and one might have heard
a pin drop. At length Gobardhan broke the silence:--
"Let us go to the mango-tope north of this house," he said solemnly.
Thither they hurried and, after a few minutes' search, one of the
maidservants cried out that she had found the jasam half-hidden by
the gnarled roots of a tree.
Jadu Babu was overjoyed by the recovery of his missing jewel, and
pressed another fee of ten rupees on the astrologer. As for Gobardhan,
his fame spread far and wide, and his hut was rarely without some
client, eager to learn the future.
CHAPTER XVII
Patience is a Virtue.
Sadhu Sheikh of Simulgachi was not long in finding a husband for his
half-sister, Maini Bibi. Before she was fourteen, a young farmer named
Ramzan proposed for her hand, offering a den mohur of Rs.
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