Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/195



On that night that part of the country rang with shouts of Harinam. Parties of Children went about everywhere, some singing 'Hail, Mother* and somQ'ffare Murare? Some despoiled the fallen enemies of clothes and others of arms. Some would kick at the face of the dead and inflict other injuries, Some ran to the villages and others to the towns and then caught hold of passers- by or householders and said, "Say, Hail, Mother or you die." Some looted sweetmeat shops, others went to the milkmen's houses and sucked away potfuls of curd. During that night, the whole country was in a great ferment. Everybody said, " The Moslems have been defeated and the country has come back to the Hindus ; cry Hari, Hari." The villagers would chase any Mussulman that they would meet — some would combine and go to the Mussalrnan quarters to set fire to their houses and pillage them. Many Moslems shaved off their beards, smeared their bodies with earth and sung Harinam. When challenged, they would say in their own patois that they were Hindus. The terrified Mussulmans flew to the city in large numbers. The State officials went bustling about and the remnant of the sepoy force ranged themselves for the defence of the town. In all the various points of the fortifications of the town, fully armed soldiers set themselves to mount guard with care. All men kept awake