Chapter Four

The forest wherein the brigands set down Kalyani was passing beautiful. There was no light to see by, nor any eye to behold its loveliness; like the beauty that lies in the inmost heart of the poor man, the loveliness of that forest abode unseen. Whether the country had food or no food — in the forest there were flowers, and by the fragrance of the flowers even in the darkness there seemed to be a light. In the midst, upon a clean and softly flowered patch of ground, the brigands set down Kalyani and her child.

They sat down around them in a ring. Then they began to dispute among themselves what should be done with the captives. What few ornaments had been upon Kalyani's person they had taken already. One band of them was busy with the dividing of these. When the ornaments had been parted out, a certain robber said: "What shall we do with this silver and gold? Will any of you give me a handful of rice for an ornament? I die of hunger — to-day I have eaten naught but the leaves of trees." When one had thus spoken, all the rest began to clamour likewise.

"Rice, rice!"

"Rice, give us rice!"

"We die of hunger — we want not silver nor gold." The leader strove to silence them, but no man would be silenced; gradually the words grew louder and louder, abuse began to fly, and from abuse it came to the verge of blows.

Whatsoever ornament any man had got for his share, that very ornament in his rage he flung at the leader's body. The leader struck down one or two of them; thereupon they all set upon the leader and began to smite him. The leader was wasted and worn from his own hunger, and with but a stroke or two he fell to the ground and gave up the ghost. Then among those famished, enraged, and frenzied robbers, frantic past all reason, one cried out: "Jackal and dog have I eaten; I die of hunger; come, brothers — let us this day eat this fellow." Then the whole band raised a great cry, "Glory to Kali!"

"Bam Kali! This day shall we eat man's flesh!" So crying, those gaunt, black, ghost-like shapes began to laugh hideously in the darkness, and to clap their hands and dance.

One of them set himself to kindle a fire to burn the leader's body. Gathering dry creepers, sticks, and grass, and striking flint upon tinder, he made fire and set the grass and faggot ablaze. As the little flames began to burn, the surrounding mango, lemon, jack-fruit, palm, tamarind, date and other green-leaved boughs were faintly lit. Here a leaf flamed up in the light, there a tuft of grass shone bright; in another place the darkness grew yet deeper. When the fire was ready, one of them caught the dead body by the leg and dragged it to fling into the flame.

Then said another: "Stay! Hold, hold! If we must keep ourselves alive this night by tasting the great flesh, why should we eat the withered flesh of this old man? Let us eat what we have plundered to-day; come, let us roast and eat yonder tender little maid." Another said: "Roast away then, brother — hunger I can endure no longer." Then with hungry eyes they all turned toward the spot where Kalyani lay with her child.

They beheld that Kalyani, having taken her daughter in her arms and set her breast to the daughter's mouth, had fled into the depth of the forest. Seeing that their prey had escaped, with cries of "Strike! Strike!" that band of phantom robbers darted in every direction.

In certain conditions, man is no more than a beast of prey.