Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/34

 them fell on him and began to strike him. He was famished and weak, and so he fell dead after a few strokes. Then of the hungry, irate, excited and senseless ruffians one said, "We have delighted in the flesh of dogs and jackals! Now that we are dying with hunger, come, let us eat this rogue to-day." Then every one shouted in delight "Jai Kali"—"Bom Kali! To-day we will eat human flesh." So saying the lank and shorn, black and ghostly, shapes began to laugh and clap and dance like fiends. One of them set about lighting a fire to roast their captain. He got together some dry creepers and wood, and with a flint and iron set fire to the mass. As the light began to glow, the green leaves of the surrounding trees—mangoe, lemon, jack, palm, tamarind, date and others,—slowly came to view. Here a leaf caught fire, there a grass shone bright with the light; at other places the darkness grew thicker. When the fire was ready, one was about to throw the corpse into it when another said, "Tarry, my man, if live we must on the noble meat today, why then eat the stiff flesh of that old wretch? Let's eat what we have secured to day; let us roast that tender girl." Another said, "Roast something—anything—boys, can't bear the hunger any more." And they all greedily looked to the spot where Kalyani lay with her child. But lo! the place was empty; neither mother nor child was there. She had made good her escape while the robbers were busy quarrelling, having silenced the child by putting her to suckle. Seeing that their prey was gone