Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/103

64 its escape. Satrughna then caught hold of the car, and, with a sudden jerk, overturned it, and threw it aside, thus clearing the way for the procession. The enemy, daunted at the sight of his prowess, dispersed and ran with their lives. Satrughna was, by this time, greatly enraged, and he followed the enemy, unaccompanied by his followers. The leader of the antiparty, Haldar, ran into his house and shut the outer gates. Satrughna began to kick violently with his bare legs against the spiked doors, which, unable to bear the heavy blows, gave way, and he entered the house of his enemy. He then went in search of his rival, upon which some of his opponents struck him with brick-bats in the delicate parts of his body, which deprived him of his senses. He was then carried off, from the scene, by his followers.

The antiparty now fancied, that Satrughna would prosecute them, and take the matter into law-court, for the unwarranted heavy assault and outrage, he had received at their hands. They, therefore, sent a messenger to him, the next morning, to ascertain the truth. Satrughna said:—'I see, why you have come. Haldar fancies, I shall sue him; does he? O! no, I am not so fool as to fill the pockets of lawyers and bailiffs with my money. This year he has beaten me, the next year I shall beat him. If we resort to law-court, our Gajan festival, for which we have been so much at daggers, will come to an end for ever.' So saying,