a;
they are fleet as the mind." And unto his charioteer who had said so,
the king said, "Repair thou to the asylum of Vamadeva." And reaching the
asylum of Vamadeva the king said unto that _Rishi_, "O holy one, a deer
struck by me is flying away. It behoveth thee to make it capable of
being seized by me by granting me thy pair of _Vami_ horses." The
_Rishi_ then answered him saying, "I give thee my pair of _Vami_ horses.
But after accomplishing thy object, my _Vami_ pair you should soon
return." The king then taking those steeds and obtaining the leave of
the _Rishi_ pursued the deer, having yoked the _Vami_ pair unto his car,
and after he had left the asylum he spoke unto his charioteer saying,
"These jewels of steeds the Brahmanas do not deserve to possess. These
should not be returned to Vamadeva." Having said this and seized the
deer he returned to his capital and placed those steeds within the inner
apartments of the palace.

[8] An Indian creeper of the order of _Goertnera racemosa_. It
bears large white flowers of much fragrance.

"'Meanwhile the _Rishi_ reflected, "The prince is young. Having obtained
an excellent pair of animals, he is sporting with it in joy without
returning it to me. Alas, what a pity it is!" And reflecting in this
strain, the _Rishi_ said unto a disciple of his, after the expiration of
a month, "Go, O Atreya, and say to the king that if he has done with the
_Vami_ steeds, he should return them unto thy preceptor." And the
disciple Atreya, thereupon, repairing to the king, spoke unto him as
instructed, and the king replied saying, "This pair of steeds deserves
to be owned by kings. The Brahmanas do not deserve to possess jewels of
such value. What business have Brahmanas with horses? Return thou
contentedly!" And Atreya, thus addressed by the king, returned and told
his preceptor all that had happened, and hearing this sad intelligence,
Vamadeva's heart was filled with wrath, and repairing in person to the
king he asked him for his steeds, and the king refused to give the
_Rishi_ what the latter asked, and Vamadeva said, "O lord of earth, give
me thou my _Vami_ horses. By them hast thou accomplished a task which
was almost incapable of being accomplished by thee. By transgressing the
practices of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, subject not thyself, O king, to
death by means of the terrible noose of Varuna." And hearing this, the
king answered, "O Vamadeva, this couple of excellent well-tr