Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/43

Rh front of them peering at every one's face and watching every one with care, as if he was in search of somebody he could not find. After a long search he stopped before one, touched him and made a sign. He instantly rose and the celebate took him to a distance. The man was young; his winning face was overgrown with dark hair and he owned a strong and charming frame. He wore the saffron robe and his body was pasted with sandal.

"Bhavananda," the anchorite asked this man, "do you know anything of Mahendra Sinha?"

"Mahendra Sinha," said Bhavananda, "left his house today and was on the way, when at the inn—" At this the celebate interrupted him, "I know what happened at the inn. Who did it?"

"Rude rustics, I ween.—At this time the very peasants of the village have turned robbers for hunger; and in good sooth who is not a robber now? We have fed on loot to-day; two maunds of rice were going for the Kotwal and we secured that for the gratification of our sacred selves."

The celebate smiled, and said, "I have rescued Mahendra's wife and child from the hands of the outlaws; they are now in the Abbey. Now, I charge you with the task of finding out Mahendra and restoring to him his wife and child. As for the work here," he added, "I doubt not but Jivananda alone would be able to do it."

Bhavananda agreed, and the celebate left the place.