Page:Alien Souls by Achmed Abdullah (1922).djvu/175

currency notes, all his gold and silver coins, his own jewels and those of his beautiful, fat wife.

"Fill the jar with them," said the guru. "But leave sufficient room on top so that the gods can double them."

The babu did as he was told. He was jubilant. Then Chucker-jee asked him to prostrate himself and to recite an especially long passage from the Kata Upanishad. Meanwhile he himself closed and sealed the jar.

Devotional exercises over, he directed Harar Lal to carry away the jar to a spot twenty times as far as the one which had contained the jar with the one rupee, and to guard it until the following dawn.

"Cease not to pray for a single minute," continued the Holy Man. "Let none approach thee or speak to thee. Do not fall asleep. Fast until thou comest here again. Obey strictly, so as not to kindle divine anger."

The babu obeyed. He took the jar and carried it a long distance into the country. He watched it. He allowed nobody to approach. He prayed incessantly. But, finally, worn out with his fastings and his prayers, he fell asleep.

The sun was high in the heavens and the shadows pointing northward when he awoke. Terror gripped his heart when he thought that he might have angered the Mahadeo by failing in his vigil. He seized the jar in alarm. He examined it carefully. But the seals were intact. Nobody had tampered with his treasures. So he felt relieved. Again he watched and prayed.

Finally he could not stand the suspense any longer. He picked up the jar and returned to the house.

The fakir was not there. He searched through house