THE MUNDUL AND HIS BROKEN TEETH. "WILL it be thus for ever? I cannot make the two ends meet. Why not go a-begging? As a Brahman I can surely do so unblamed." Thus spoke Goroo Churu Bhuttacharge, an inhabitant of Shoom, in the district of Beerbhoom, a man with a large family, but slender means. Nor did he lose time over the idea that had occurred to him. He prepared to start on his expedition at once, though it was then the depth of winter; and his wife stared at him with astonishment when he appeared before her equipped for the journey. "Don't be a goose, good man," said the wife. "You don't look like a beggar in the least, and no one will give alms to you." "Not give alms to me, you silly girl? Why, how can any Sudra refuse alms to a Brahman when he asks for it? I have only to go round, and the jhooly (wallet) will become so full, that I fear lest I should not be able to bring it to you." The wife shook her head doubtingly; but at last agreed to part with him for the children's sake. "If you must go, you had better be off at once," said she, "before the children come home; for very loathe will they be to let you go." Gooroo Churu left home in the afternoon, and reached the village of Dhamoir a short time after sunset. He was here accosted as "a dear old friend," by a persou who introduced himself by the name of Sonatun, but whom he did not remember to have ever seen; and he was necessarily looking very foolish, when the man abruptly asked him what, had brought him out to that place. "Oh! as to that, I am out on a begging expedition, to replenish my purse." 'Right, quite right, my friend; you have decided correctly in taking that step. Considering your position as a married man, and the father of many children, you could not do anything better than go a-begging. But why are you, then, on this route? This will carry you through several Mahomedan villages, where you cannot possibly earn anything. Come with me, and I shall take you to a Hindu village, where there will be no end to your gains.' Sonatun was shortly after joined by two other persons, who were addressed by him as Berg Nushoo and Cheng Nushoo; and they all professed the greatest friendship for the Brahman, whom they were equally anxious to befriend. "You had better come with us," they said," and we shall put you on the right track." "No," said Gooroo Churu, "I won't accompany you. You have increased from one to three in number, and I don't know any of you." They all assured him that his fears were groundless; but the fears did exist, and Gooroo Churu refused to move. Sonatun thereupon took hold of his right hand, while Cheng carried his jhooly, and Beng gently pushed him from behind, and he was thus led on for about half-a-mile, into a jungle. "Now, what is your will with me in this place? I see neither Hindu nor Mahomedan residents about me. Whom am I expected to beg from here?" "You are still doubting us, Brahman; but don't do so. You can't find anyone anywhere to beg from in the night. This is a nice quiet place to rest in. Sleep here in perfect security, and in the morning we shall lead you to the Hindu village we spoke of." They then made him sit down, after which, Sonatun brought some straw from the village, and spread it out on the ground for him to sleep upon; and Gooroo Churu, spreading out a dhoti on it, lay down on the mattrass improvised, and covered himself with a warm dobur. The eyes of Gooroo Churu were closed; but he did not sleep, for his mind was full of fears. The three persons who had brought him to the spot were now joined by a fourth, and they walked about him alternately, frequently asking each other if he was asleep. They slept themselves, by turns, one being always on the watch; but finding that the Brahman would not sleep, they got up, while a fourth part of the night remained, and desired him to accompany them. "If you want to rob me," said he, "you can do so here. I won't move from this place before daybreak." "Doubt it not, holy man," said Cheng, "that we want what money you may have with you. I have seen money in his waistband, friends, and we bad better take charge of it at once." They now insisted on his getting up from the straw, and as he would not, Cheng seized him, and placed him on the back of Sunjub, the fourth man who had joined them, the Brahman being bound down, in that position, with his own cloths. They carried him, in this manner, to a sursoo khet (mustard field), and after binding his eyes, handled him rather roughly, till the money concealed in his waistband, amounting to Rs. 12/10, was forthcoming. They robbed him, also, of his spare clothing and appurtenances, including a bánlinga Mabádena, the god he worshipped, who was unable to help him. After that, they left him on the field to shift for himself. "I must fly from this spot, at any rate, that they may not come after me again," mnttered Gooroo Churu; and bestirring himself, he was able to go a few paces in a westerly direction. He here came up to a tank, and washed himself, and then, not having slept a whole night, stretched himself out at the foot of a tree. The sun had been up some hours when the Brahman awoke, and finding that he was near the village of Sookdebpore, he proceeded straight into it, to find out the village head man, and complain to him of what had occurred in the night. "Will you tell me the way to the mundul's house?" asked he, of the first villager he met with. The man appealed to was chary of words; but pointed out the dwelling with his long, shrivelled fingers. Gooroo Churu entered the house unannounced, and whom should he see in it but his "dear old friend" Sonatun, anointing himself with oil preparatory to bathing! "Are you the mundul of this village?" Yes, I am ; do you know me?" "Of course I do and I shall always recognise you by your broken teeth." The Brahman left the mundul's house as quietly as he had entered it, and went straight to the thannah to lodge his complaint; and this led to the arrest of all the parties indicated by him. But the thánnádár and the mundul were friends, and the former refused to keep the latter in duress on the mere statement of an unknown complainant, unsupported by other evidence. Beng, Cheng, and Sunjub were brought to trial; but the first two had to be released, as there was no evidence against them to back up the Brahman's story. The only proof against Sunjub was, that a good part of the property plundered from the Brahman was found in his house. He was therefore convicted on strong presumption of having been concerned in the robbery, and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Gooroo Churu never went a-begging again; but he succeeded in making a little money for his children by following the profession of an astrologer; and getting learned in his profession, he ventured to warn the mundul that the stars looked very red on his destiny. 'Tis we who change. The seas remain Obedient to one ebb and flow; Nor, in their constant courses, know These plunging waves that round me roar, But we who let our feelings range In wild caprice from year to year; And toy with hope and sport with fearWe see them fix'd and deem it strange. Yet something in the memory Of past romance will hold us still, And something of its ancient thrill Will linger changeless, like the sea. 1878. THE past is gilded with a rim, The old had stolen from above, Yet she who bears the name of wife, Is not the sorrow-stricken form Who sat in twilight on the pier ; Oh, sea, that saw both old and new MATTHEW SETON. |