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Chapter XV

Many people had heard Satyananda's song and among them was Jivananda. The reader may remem- ber that he had orders to follow and watch Mahendra. In so doing he met a woman on the way who had not had food for seven days and lay on the road side. Jivananda had to wait for sometime to revive her. Having done so, he was coming after his errand calling the woman all sorts of names, for, sooth, it was she that delayed him. Now he saw his master being taken captive by the Mussulmans and heard him singing as he went. Jiva- nanda understood all signs of the master. lf In the wood beside the stream, fanned by zephyr mild, lies a beauty " so sang the master. u Now, here's fine business — another starving wench lying on the river side, I trow," thought Jivananda and walked along the bank. He had seen the master being himself taken away by the Mussulmans and, of course, his first work would be to deliver him. But he saw that this sign did not mean that ; and the first lesson he had from him was that obeying him was greater than saving his life. He would, therefore, perform his command, he decided. Jivananda walked along the river side, and on the way found a female body and a living child under a tree. Jivananda had never seen Mahendra's wife and child, but he thought these might be his, for he had seen