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The road was thronged with people, and the village itself, from which a bridge reached to the Island of Mandhatta, was a town in holiday attire, for to the Hindus the mela of Omkar was a union of festivity and devotion.
When Barlow came back he fell to wishing that they were at Mandhatta so that he would start on the rest of his journey in the morning; he dreaded the long evening with the girl.
Barlow was for keeping the tonga, hoping that perhaps Bootea would change her mind and go on to Chunda, but the girl was firm in her determination to end it all at Mandhatta.
Now they could see the wide silver ribbon of Mother Narbudda lying serene and placid in the moonlight, in the centre of the river's wide flow the gloomy rock embrasures of Mandhatta Island.
"Indeed we are not needed; those infidels come to worship their heathen gods, not to combat men, and Mandhatta is but a matter of twelve kos now," Jemla affirmed.
Where the path lay over rocks it was worn smooth and slippery by naked feet, the feet of pilgrims for a thousand years. On the right the mouth of a deep cave had been walled up by masonry. Within, so the legend ran, the High Priest of Mandhatta, centuries before, had imprisoned the goddess Kali to stop a pestilence, making vow to offer to Bhairava, her son, a yearly human sacrifice.
Thus everything logical was on that side of the ledger all against the Gulab. On the other side was the fierce compelling fascination that the girl held for him. Yes, at Mandhatta they would both sacrifice to the gods.
Then the girl said something: a shy halting request that set his blood galloping: "Sahib, it is not far to Mandhatta four kos, or perhaps it is five; would it be unpermitted to suggest that we go there, for the moon is beautiful and the road is good." "All right, girl!" and remembering that he had spoken in English, he added, "It will be expedient, for you will there find shelter."
The procession drove in upon Barlow's mind the thought that they were nearing Mandhatta; he realised it with a pang of reluctance. It seemed but a matter of just minutes since he had lifted Bootea to the saddle.
"It is not permitted, Sahib; the gods have the matter in their lap. For a little yes, perhaps. It is the time of the pilgrimage to the shrine of Omkar at Mandhatta, and Bootea will make the pilgrimage; at the shrine is the priest that told Bootea of her reincarnations, as I related to the Sahib." A curious superstitious chill struck with full force upon the heart of Barlow.
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