Page:Sagas from the Far East; or, Kalmouk and Mongolian traditionary tales.djvu/84

60 people being assembled, assuming the air of a diviner of dreams, he wrapped himself in a long mantle, and made as though he was questioning the pig's head. As all the people passed, he seemed to gain the answer from the pig's head,—

"The talisman is not with this one," and "The talisman is not with that one," so that he had many people on his side glad to be thus pronounced free from all charge of harbouring the Khan's talisman.

At last he made a sign that this kind of divination was ended; and pronounced that the Khan's talisman was not in possession of any man.

"And now," said he, "let us try the divination of the earth." With that, he set out to make a circuit of the Khan's dwelling. Stepping on and on from place to place, he continued to seem consulting the pig's head, till he came to the place in the yard where the dung-heap was; and here, assuming an imposing attitude, he turned round, and said mysteriously, "Here somewhere must be found the Khan's talisman." But when he had turned the heap over, and brought the talisman itself to light, the people knew not how to contain themselves for wonderment, and went about crying,—

"The Pig's head diviner hath divined wonderful things! The Pig's head diviner hath divined wonderful things!"

But the Khan called to him, and said,—