Shafts frome an Loastern Quiver.
NI T HINDU
FAKIR
Ol I SILENT CITY,
By Charees Jo Mansrorn, 130A.
I FLAT am extraordinary scene ! /P said Denviers, as we sal A under the veranda of a Hindu house facing the street.
“WCl” T responded, “alte it we sawoat o Jaganath IToam scareely surprised at anything in India.”
“The sahibs have reached Conjeve just in tme,” saad our guide, Tassan, as he stood hehimd us watehing what was transpiring with s grave eves, Sforoof all the sights in Southern India this s surely the most remarkable 17
After our escape from the temple at Delh and the capture ol the diamonds from the ~word-hilt of the 1dol which 1t contained, we
had passed through the long plam of the
Cranges, and eventually reached Caleutta, We then determimed o travel along the coast of India, and, after witnessing the death of several voluntary vie-
(s beneath the wheels of the fumous car ol Jaganath, we
pushed on to Madras, and thenee to Conjeve, where we were destined fo meet with o strange adventure,
“What s the cause oF all this exertemeent, Hhassan 27 asked Den- viers, as he Tooked into the thronged street.
Ltoas the fisst day of the festival which s kept every year,” he answered ; Cthe mmage vonder on the 1dol car 15 that of the primcipal vod.”
Amid the wild eries
and - exerted gesticulations ol the onlookers we osaw o car fully forty feet in height, andshaped ke a0 tower or gopuran, upon which was placed the gigantic image of o cod nding upon o bull carved in black eramite, and with its horns gilded. 'The whole of the car was covered with grotesiuc carvings, while hefore the solid wheels, on which it moved slowly along, was a crowd of pilerims and devotees pulling with all their might at the ropes as they were cheered on by the vast concourse which lined the streets.
SWemay as well get a nearer view of the car, sard Denviers, as he rose from the chair on which he had been sitting. * T'he carving upon 1t s cortinly worth closer examination.” assan placed his hand on my companion’s shoulder as he said quickly i —