Suddenly Prithwi Pala， the giant， ceased speaking， and disappeared. Vikram and his son then passed through the city gates， feeling their limbs to be certain that no bones were broken， and thinking over the scene that had occurred.

　　* * * * * *

　　We now are informed how the valiant King Vikram met with the Vampire.

　　It was the spring season when the Raja returned， and the Holi festival[FN#32] caused dancing and singing in every house. Ujjayani was extraordinarily happy and joyful at the return of her ruler， who joined in her gladness with all his kingly heart. The faces and dresses of the public were red and yellow with gulal and abir，——perfumed powders，[FN#33]——which were sprinkled upon one another in token of merriment. Musicians deafened the citizens' ears， dancing girls performed till ready to faint with fatigue， the manufacturers of comfits made their fortunes， and the Nine Gems of Science celebrated the auspicious day with the most long-winded odes. The royal hero， decked in regal attire， and attended by many thousands of state palanquins glittering with their various ornaments， and escorted by a suite of a hundred kingly personages， with their martial array of the four hosts， of cavalry， elephants， chariots， and infantry， and accompanied by Amazon girls， lovely as the suite of the gods， himself a personification of majesty， bearing the white parasol of dominion， with a golden staff and tassels， began once more to reign.

　　[FN#32] The Hindu Saturnalia.

　　[FN#33] The powders are of wheaten flour， mixed with wild ginger-root， sappan-wood， and other ingredients. Sometimes the stuff is thrown in syringes.

　　After the first pleasures of return， the king applied himself unremittingly to good government and to eradicating the abuses which had crept into the administration during the period of his wanderings.

　　Mindful of the wise saying， "if the Rajadid not punish the guilty， the stronger would roast the weaker like a fish on the spit，" he began the work of reform with an iron hand. He confiscated the property of a councillor who had the reputation of taking bribes； he branded the forehead of a sudra or servile man whose breath smelt of ardent spirits， and a goldsmith having been detected in fraud he ordered him to be cut in shreds with razors as the law in its mercy directs. In the case of a notorious evil-speaker he opened the back of his head and had his tongue drawn through the wound. A few murderers he burned alive on iron beds， praying the while that Vishnu might have mercy upon their souls. His spies were ordered， as the shastra called "The Prince" advises， to mix with robbers and thieves with a view of leading them into situations where they might most easily be entrapped， and once or twice when the fellows were too wary， he seized them and their relations and impaled them all， thereby conclusively proving， without any mistake， that he was king of earth.