Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 244

A MIDNIGHT FLIGHT
204
1 was ready to
able violation of the laws of hospitality.
obey it, seeing that he was master of his own house, but he
was also headman of the village, and he was therefore
bound to find me another lodging for the night.
The Brahmin went out repeating his complaints for the
hundredth time. Shortly afterwards he returned with a
number of the villagers, who were even louder than him-
They demanded that my servant
self in their protestations.
should be delivered up to them for severe punishment, and
that I should pay compensation, repeatedly exclaiming
:
What shame
What
'
Wliat abomination
wickedness
My servant, fearing the consequences that might ensue,
racked his brains for some way of proving his innocence.
At last he found one which would have been conclusive
before less prejudiced judges.
If I am guilty of what
you say,' he exclaimed, let two of you come away with
me and examine my person.' The Brahmin, anxious to
prove him guilty, refused on unreasonable grounds to sanc-
Finally, after a long
tion such an unanswerable argument.
and useless discussion, we decided to adjourn the dispute
I left the Brahmin's house, and went
until the morning.
and lodged, together with my people, in a cowshed outside
the village, in which I was allowed as a great favour to
pass the night. My people, even more alarmed than
'
!
!
!
'
'
myself, left the cowshed to see what was happening in
the village, and came and reported to me that a great
that everybody was talking
disturbance was taking place
about the incident that everywhere punishment and com-
pensation were demanded, and that if we stayed there until
the morning my servant would run the risk of being severely
beaten.
To save myself such a vexation I was quite ready
to sacrifice a few rupees, though I would never have con-
sented to have my poor servant exposed to maltreatment
Consequently
for such an offence, whether guilty or not.
At
I thought the most prudent thing to do was to flee.
one o'clock at night, when the cowherd was sleeping peace-
I mounted
fully in a corner of the shed, we left quietly.
my horse and we decamped in all haste. Before sunrise
we had passed the borders of the district where this un-
fortunate occurrence took place, and were therefore out
of danger.
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