DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5828#0240
206
THE OMRAH OF CHANDAHAR
panion, the latter of whom he was eager to question
upon her chance of success in an object that concerned
him so nearly. His search was fruitless ; and, not
being able to discover either the young girls or the
old woman, he mounted his elephant, and began to
descend the hill, more than ever confirmed in his de-
termination to obtain possession of the most beauti-
ful of the Hindoo sisters. The descent was slow and
difficult; it was, however, at length accomplished
without accident, through the extreme caution and
natural sagacity of the elephants, which descended
the steepest declivities with a skill that might have
shamed the superior faculties of man.
On reaching the plains, as the mahoots were unac-
quainted with the road, it was some time before the
regular path which led towards the village in the
vicinity of Abdallah's habitation was gained. In
passing through the jungle, the Moghul noble amused
himself about noon, while the attendants were pre-
paring him a curry under a teak-tree, with shooting
pea-fowl, with which the woods abounded. He had
strolled about half a coss from his companions, when,
turning into a thickly-wooded dell, he saw the vene-
rable prophetess of the forest seated upon the stump
of a tree, attempting to frighten the vultures from
the carcass of an elk, which had been destroyed by a
tiger during the night. On his approaching her, she
rose and said—
" Thou art here, child of an unholy prophet.
Dost thou come to claim the prize for which thou
didst give me gold ?"
" Thou hast made a goodly guess, beldam," replied
1
THE OMRAH OF CHANDAHAR
panion, the latter of whom he was eager to question
upon her chance of success in an object that concerned
him so nearly. His search was fruitless ; and, not
being able to discover either the young girls or the
old woman, he mounted his elephant, and began to
descend the hill, more than ever confirmed in his de-
termination to obtain possession of the most beauti-
ful of the Hindoo sisters. The descent was slow and
difficult; it was, however, at length accomplished
without accident, through the extreme caution and
natural sagacity of the elephants, which descended
the steepest declivities with a skill that might have
shamed the superior faculties of man.
On reaching the plains, as the mahoots were unac-
quainted with the road, it was some time before the
regular path which led towards the village in the
vicinity of Abdallah's habitation was gained. In
passing through the jungle, the Moghul noble amused
himself about noon, while the attendants were pre-
paring him a curry under a teak-tree, with shooting
pea-fowl, with which the woods abounded. He had
strolled about half a coss from his companions, when,
turning into a thickly-wooded dell, he saw the vene-
rable prophetess of the forest seated upon the stump
of a tree, attempting to frighten the vultures from
the carcass of an elk, which had been destroyed by a
tiger during the night. On his approaching her, she
rose and said—
" Thou art here, child of an unholy prophet.
Dost thou come to claim the prize for which thou
didst give me gold ?"
" Thou hast made a goodly guess, beldam," replied
1