EAirZA—GOKXAH PAHVA7 121
**The blackguard!"" he cried otit in rage, "he cheated
me downright. He shall not go scot-free—come on,
let ns go to him; I would have a good poll at his
long beard."
The party started again, now on an adventure. He made
<<ne of the party carry the shoes. Giving up his lordly gait
Balak Ram was now hnrryingr on at a brisk pace. His
hands were presumably itching to have a tug at the
Muslim's beard! They came before the shop but it was
closed. In the intoxication of charas, Balak Earn did not
remember the shop from which he had made the purchase.
Adjoining the closed shop was another dealer in boots and
a bearded old man was seated at the counter. Balak Ram
approached him, and was about to give a full and free play
to his well-trained tongue when Baindas palled him by the
sleeves and warned him.
"Look here, yon are about to tear up the wrong man. It
is from the closed shop that yon bought the pair of shoes.
Let us be away/'
The party turned back. Balak Ram was fuming like a
suppressed volcano. All the way he had conjured up a
charming array of choice epithets to be shot at the shop-
keeper, but all went in vain! His chagrin was great. Bnt he
made good the loss to some degree. He stood before the
closed shop and delivered himself of the invective on the
absent bootmaker, dragging into it also his ancestors and
descendants, resolving them all finally into one lump of the
mcfft despicable piece of humanity. On their way back to
Moolchand's house, in a rumbling sound like slow thunder,
he further gave vent to some newly remembered ehoiee bits
of billingsgate.
(iT) Cause of Toothache
By the night train Balak Ram and Ramdas started from
Banda and reached Mahoba early in the next morning. In
the baaaar they were greeted by Balak Ranf s old friends.