"Am I not，" quoth the thief to himself， "a cat in climbing， a deer in running， a snake in twisting， a hawk in pouncing， a dog in scenting？——keen as a hare， tenacious as a wolf， strong as a lion？——a lamp in the night， a horse on a plain， a mule on a stony path， a boat in the water， a rock on land[FN#135]？" The reply to his own questions was of course affirmative. But despite all these fine qualities， and notwithstanding his scrupulous strictness in invocating the house-breaking tool and in devoting a due portion of his gains to the gods of plunder，[FN#136] he was caught in a store-room by the proprietor， who inexorably handed him over to justice. As he belonged to the priestly caste，[FN#137] the fine imposed upon him was heavy. He could not pay it， and therefore he was thrown into a dungeon， where he remained for some time. But at last he escaped from jail， when he made his parting bow to Kartikeya，[FN#138] stole a blanket from one of the guards， and set out for Jayasthal， cursing his old profession.
[FN#135] These are the qualifications specified by Hindu classical authorities as necessary to make a distinguished thief.
[FN#136] Every Hindu is in a manner born to a certain line of life， virtuous or vicious， honest or dishonest and his Dharma， or religious duty， consists in conforming to the practice and the worship of his profession. The "Thug，" for instance， worships Bhawani， who enables him to murder successfully； and his remorse would arise from neglecting to murder.
[FN#137] Hindu law sensibly punishes， in theory at least， for the same offence the priest more severely than the layman——a hint for him to practice what he preaches.
[FN#138] The Hindu Mercury， god of rascals.
The atheist also found himself in a position that deprived him of all his pleasures. He delighted in afterdinner controversies， and in bringing the light troops of his wit to bear upon the unwieldy masses of lore and logic opposed to him by polemical Brahmans who， out of respect for his father， did not lay an action against him for overpowering them in theological disputation.[FN#139] In the strange city to which he had removed no one knew the son of Vishnu Swami， and no one cared to invite him to the house. Once he attempted his usual trick upon a knot of sages who， sitting round a tank， were recreating themselves with quoting mystical Sanskrit shlokas[FN#140] of abominable long-windedness. The result was his being obliged to ply his heels vigorously in flight from the justly incensed literati， to whom he had said "tush" and "pish，" at least a dozen times in as many minutes. He therefore also followed the example of his brethren， and started for Jayasthal with all possible expedition.
[FN#139] A penal offence in India. How is it that we English have omitted to codify it？ The laws of Manu also punish severely all disdainful expressions， such as "tush" or "pish，" addressed during argument to a priest.
[FN#140] Stanzas， generally speaking， on serious subjects.
Arrived at the house of their maternal uncle， the young men， as by one assent， began to attempt the unloosening of his purse-strings. Signally failing in this and in other notable schemes， they determined to lay in that stock of facts and useful knowledge which might reconcile them with their father， and restore them to that happy life at Gaur which they then despised， and which now brought tears into their eyes.
Then they debated with one another what they should study
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That branch of the preternatural， popularly called "white magic，" found with them favour.
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They chose a Guru or teacher strictly according to the orders of their faith， a wise man of honourable family and affable demeanour， who was not a glutton nor leprous， nor blind of one eye， nor blind of both eyes， nor very short， nor suffering from whitlows，[FN#141] asthma， or other disease， nor noisy and talkative， nor with any defect about the fingers and toes， nor subject to his wife.
[FN#141] Whitlows on the nails show that the sufferer， in the last life， stole gold from a Brahman.
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