sar,
even though the Akal Bunga and the Baba-Atal were added. How old it may
be God knows. It is the Sahibs' most sacred Temple.

'In that place, by the new King's commandment, they made, as it were, a
shrine for a saint, with lighted candles at the head and the feet of the
Dead, and duly appointed watchers for every hour of the day and the
night, until the dead King should be taken to the place of his fathers,
which is at Wanidza.

'When all was in order, the new King said, "Give entrance to all
people," and the doors were opened, and O my uncle! O my teacher! all
the world entered, walking through that Temple to take farewell of the
Dead. There was neither distinction, nor price, nor ranking in the host,
except an order that they should walk by fours.

'As they gathered in the streets without--very, very far off--so they
entered the Temple, walking by fours: the child, the old man; mother,
virgin, harlot, trader, priest; of all colours and faiths and customs
under the firmament of God, from dawn till late at night. I saw it. My
Colonel gave me leave to go. I stood in the line, many hours, one
_koss_, two _koss_, distant from the temple.'

'Then why did the multitude not sit down under the trees?' asked the
priest.

'Because we were still between houses. The city is many _koss_ wide,'
the Havildar-Major resumed. 'I submitted myself to that slow-moving
river and thus--thus--a pace at a time--I made pilgrimage. There were in
my rank a woman, a cripple, and a lascar from the ships.

'When we entered the Temple, the coffin itself was as a shoal in the
Ravi River, splitting the stream into two branches, one on either side
of the Dead; and the watchers of the Dead, who were soldiers, stood
about It, moving no more than the still flame of the candles. Their
heads were bowed; their hands were clasped; their eyes were cast upon
the ground--thus. They were not men, but images, and the multitude went
past them in fours by day, and, except for a little while, by
night also.

'No, there was no order that the people should come to pay respect. It
was a free-will pilgrimage. Eight kings had been commanded to come--who
obeyed--but upon his own Sahibs the new King laid no commandment. Of
themselves they came.

'I made pilgrimage twice: once for my Salt's sake, and once again for
wonder and terror and worship. But my mouth cannot declare one thing of
a hundred thousand things in this matter. There were _lakhs_ of _lakhs_,
_cr