Our boys in India . evotion, his eyesflashing, his body writhing about in terrible contortions, whilehe placed fire in his open palms, and cut his flesh with littleknives, Paul would go right up to him, and, putting his armsfearlessly about his neck, would kiss him, and cry, Stop,stop! dont do that! while the boatmen, who would as soonhave had a hand cut off as to have disturbed him, wouldlook on in horror, till they found that the frown disappeared,instead of gathering deeper on the dark brow of Dhon-daram, and that, taking the child in his arms, he would goback to the boat, to wait till some
Our boys in India . evotion, his eyesflashing, his body writhing about in terrible contortions, whilehe placed fire in his open palms, and cut his flesh with littleknives, Paul would go right up to him, and, putting his armsfearlessly about his neck, would kiss him, and cry, Stop,stop! dont do that! while the boatmen, who would as soonhave had a hand cut off as to have disturbed him, wouldlook on in horror, till they found that the frown disappeared,instead of gathering deeper on the dark brow of Dhon-daram, and that, taking the child in his arms, he would goback to the boat, to wait till some other time to finish histerrible devotions. The water of the river was very yellow with mud as they WILD LIFE ON THE RIVER. 49 went up, and every day they passed bodies of dead animalsthat were floating down; yet at every Httle village that theypassed, and at every encampment, there were many peoplebathing in the water, especially at sunrise in the while they bathed they prayed, and threw the water over. ? THEY ARE COMING TO BATHE THE IDOL. their faces. They think it sacred. They believe they arewashing their sins away, said Dhondaram. One morning, just after they had started for the day, theyheard a loud noise of singing and shouting on the banks,beyond a litde jungle ahead of them. Dhondaram drewthe awnines over the windows, and sat on the floor by theside of Paul. Soon they passed the cause of the noise. Ir? 50 OUR BOYS IN INDIA, the lead was a band of girls, whirling about each other, sing-ing and dancing, with soft, white cloth wound gracefully aboutthem, and garlands of flowers upon their necks and roundtheir waists. Behind them came Bramhan priests, shouting,and waving heavy wands in the air, and bearing an imageon a litter. What is the matter, Dhondaram? asked Paul, alarmedmore at the serious face of his protector than at any dangerhe could conceive of from the happy throng upon the bank. They are bringing the god of the temple down, to batheit in the Gange
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