besprinkled and besmeared Ananda agreeably
to his own pattern, and scored him with chalk and ochre until the peaceful
apostle of the gentlest of creeds resembled a Bengal tiger. He then hung a
chaplet of infants' skulls about his neck, placed the skull of a malefactor
in one of his hands and the thigh-bone of a necromancer in the other, and
at nightfall conducted him into the adjacent cemetery, where, seating him
on the ashes of a recent funeral pile, he bade him drum upon the skull with
the thigh-bone, and repeat after himself the incantations which he began to
scream out towards the western part of the firmament. These charms were
apparently possessed of singular efficacy, for scarcely were they commenced
ere a hideous tempest arose, rain descended in torrents, phosphoric flashes
darted across the sky, wolves and hyaenas thronged howling from their dens,
and gigantic goblins, arising from the earth, extended their fleshless arms
towards Ananda, and strove to drag him from his seat. Urged by frantic
terror, and the example and exhortations of his companion, he battered,
banged, and vociferated, until on the very verge of exhaustion; when, as if
by enchantment, the tempest ceased, the spectres disappeared, and joyous
shouts and a burst of music announced the occurrence of something
auspicious in the adjoining city.

"The hostile king is dead," said the Jogi; "and his army has dispersed.
This will be attributed to thy incantations. They are coming in quest of
thee even now. Farewell until thou again hast need of me."

The Jogi disappeared, the tramp of a procession became audible, and soon
torches glared feebly through the damp, cheerless dawn. The monarch
descended from his state elephant, and, prostrating himself before Ananda,
exclaimed:

"Inestimable man! why didst thou not disclose that thou wert a Jogi? Never
more shall I feel the least apprehension of any of my enemies, so long as
thou continuest an inmate of this cemetery."

A family of jackals were unceremoniously dislodged from a disused
sepulchre, which was allotted to Ananda for his future residence. The king
permitted no alteration in his costume, and took care that the food doled
out to him should have no tendency to impair his sanctity, which speedily
gave promise of attaining a very high pitch. His hair had already become as
matted and his nails as long as the Jogi could have desired, when he
received a visit from another royal messenger. The Rajah, so