Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/48

and anchorite have turned bandits now-a-days." So saying he pushed Bhavananda by the neck. Bhava- nanda's eyes flashed in the dark, but he did not resent it ; he only said : " Sire, command me what you want me to do." The sepoy was pleased with his submissive tone and said, " Take, sala> take a load on your head," and put a kit upon his head. But another sepoy suggested " He'll escape, better tie up him on the cart where you have bound the .other sala" At this Bhavananda grew curious to see the person they had bound down. So he threw away his load and gave a smart slap to the sepoy who had put it on his head. The sepoy thereupon tied him up too and threw him on the cart beside Mahendra. The sepoys again began to make a great noise as they marched carelessly along, and the cart wheels went on creaking. Then Bhavananda slowly said, in a voice that Mahendra alone could hear : " Mahendra Sinha, I know you, and I am here to help you. You need not know now who I am. Take care to do what I tell you now. Hold the rope on your hand on the cart-wheel." Mahendra was startled, but silently did as Bhavananda asked him to do. In the darkness he approached the wheel and placed his hand on it, so that the tying rope just touched the wheel. By and by the friction cut away the rope. Then he cut the bond of his feet in the same way. Thus freed, he lay still on the cart without an effort to escape. In the like manner, Bhavananda too cut his bonds. Both lay still. The road of the company lay through the spot where