e rivers. Who die in that
water--ye know how men say--come to us without punishment, and Gunga
knows that the fire-carriage has borne to her scores upon scores of such
anxious ones; and Kali knows that she has held her chiefest festivals
among the pilgrimages that are fed by the fire-carriage. Who smote at
Pooree, under the Image there, her thousands in a day and a night, and
bound the sickness to the wheels of the fire-carriages, so that it
ran from one end of the land to the other? Who but Kali? Before the
fire-carriage came it was a heavy toil. The fire-carriages have served
thee well, Mother of Death. But I speak for mine own altars, who am not
Bhairon of the Common Folk, but Shiv. Men go to and fro, making words
and telling talk of strange Gods, and I listen. Faith follows faith
among my people in the schools, and I have no anger; for when all words
are said, and the new talk is ended, to Shiv men return at the last."

"True. It is true," murmured Hanuman. "To Shiv and to the others,
mother, they return. I creep from temple to temple in the North, where
they worship one God and His Prophet; and presently my image is alone
within their shrines."

"Small thanks," said the Buck, turning his head slowly. "I am that One
and His Prophet also."

"Even so, father," said Hanuman. "And to the South I go who am the
oldest of the Gods as men know the Gods, and presently I touch
the shrines of the New 'Faith and the Woman whom we know is hewn
twelve-armed, and still they call her Mary."

"Small thanks, brother," said the Tigress. "I am that Woman."

"Even so, sister; and I go West among the fire-carriages, and stand
before the bridge-builders in many shapes, and because of me they change
their faiths and are very wise. Ho! ho! I am the builder of bridges,
indeed--bridges between this and that, and each bridge leads surely to
Us in the end. Be content, Gunga.

"Neither these men nor those that follow them mock thee at all."

"Am I alone, then, Heavenly Ones? Shall I smooth out my flood lest
unhappily I bear away their walls? Will Indra dry my springs in the
hills and make me crawl humbly between their wharfs? Shall I bury me in
the sand ere I offend?"

"And all for the sake of a little iron bar with the fire-carriage atop.
Truly, Mother Gunga is always young!" said Ganesh the Elephant. "A
child had not spoken more foolishly. Let the dirt dig in the dirt ere it
return to the dirt. I know only that my people grow rich and