y
one. There is to be no human companion in his last journey. The only
thing that stood by him and from which he had never been really
separated is Dharma or the Spirit of Righteousness.

LIFE OF ACTION

Faridpur at that time enjoyed a notoriety of being the stronghold of
desperate characters, dacoits by land and water. My father had captured
single-handed one of the principal leaders, whom he sentenced to a long
term of imprisonment. After release he came to my father and demanded
some occupation, since the particular vocation in which he had
specialised was now rendered impossible. My father took the unusual
course to employ him as my special attendant to carry me, a child of
four, on his back to the distant village school. No nurse could be
tenderer than this ex-leader of lawless men, whose profession had been
to deal out wounds and deaths. He had accepted a life of peace but he
could not altogether wipe out his old memories. He used to fill my
infant mind with the stories of his bold adventures, the numerous fights
in which he had taken part, the death of his companions and his
hair-breadth escapes. Numerous were the decorations he bore. The most
conspicuous was an ugly mark on his breast left by an arrow and a hole
on the thigh caused by a spear thrust. The trust imposed on this
marauder proved to be not altogether ill placed for once in a river
journey we were pursued by several long boats filled with armed dacoits.
When these boats came too near for us to effect an escape the erstwhile
dacoit leader, my attendant, stood up and gave a peculiar cry, which was
evidently understood. For the pursuing boats vanished at the signal.

INDUSTRIAL EFFORTS

I come now to another period of his life fifty years from now, when he
foresaw the economic danger that threatened his country. This
Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition was one of the first means he
thought of to avert the threatened danger. Here also he attempted to
bring together other activities. Evening entertainments were given by
the performances of "Jatras," which have been the expression of our
national drama and which have constantly enriched our Bengali literature
by the contributions of village bards and composers. There were athletic
tournaments also and display of physical strength and endurance. He also
established here the people's Bank, which is now in a most flourishing
condition. He established industrial and technical schools, and it was
the