of revenge; and a Hindoo
audience never fails to shudder at her fearful vow--that the straggling
tresses shall never again be tied up until the day when Bhima shall have
fulfilled his vow, and shall then bind them up whilst his fingers are
still dripping with the blood of Duhsasana.

The avenging battle subsequently ensued. Bhima struck down Duhsasana
with a terrible blow of his mace, saying,--'This day I fulfil my vow
against the man who insulted Draupadi!' Then setting his foot on the
breast of Duhsasana, he drew his sword, and cut off the head of his
enemy; and holding his two hands to catch the blood, he drank it off,
crying out, 'Ho! ho! Never did I taste anything in this world so sweet
as this blood.'

This staking of wives by gamblers is a curious subject. The practice may
be said to have been universal, having furnished cases among civilized
as well as barbarous nations. Of course the Negroes of Africa stake
their wives and children; according to Schouten, a Chinese staked
his wife and children, and lost them; Paschasius Justus states that a
Venetian staked his wife; and not a hundred years ago certain debauchees
at Paris played at dice for the possession of a celebrated courtesan.
But this is an old thing. Hegesilochus, and other rulers of Rhodes,
were accustomed to play at dice for the honour of the most distinguished
ladies of that island--the agreement being that the party who lost had
to bring to the arms of the winner the lady designated by lot to that
indignity.(18)

(18) Athen. lib. XI. cap. xii.

There are traditions of such stakes having been laid and lost by
husbands in _England;_ and a remarkable case of the kind will be found
related in Ainsworth's 'Old Saint Paul's,' as having occurred during the
Plague of London, in the year 1665. There can be little doubt that it is
founded on fact; and the conduct of the English wife, curiously
enough, bears a striking resemblance to that of Draupadi in the Indian
narrative.

A Captain Disbrowe of the king's body-guard lost a large sum of money to
a notorious debauchee, a gambler and bully, named Sir Paul Parravicin.
The latter had made an offensive allusion to the wife of Captain
Disbrowe, after winning his money; and then, picking up the dice-box,
and spreading a large heap of gold on the table, he said to the officer
who anxiously watched his movements:--'I mentioned your wife, Captain
Disbrowe, not with any intention of giving you offence, but to