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I was deeply intrigued by all they had to tell us, and they poured out their jungle lore in my eager ears. They gave me information about trees and birds; hills and dales and rivers; hunting and hidden tracks, even about highwaymen's haunts and secret places to hide from them.
When they mentioned highwaymen, I could not help telling them frankly about the warning we had received from our friends. My confession was greeted with a burst of laughter, and one of them who looked like their leader, exclaimed, “It's true, Maharaj; what they told you is quite true. We will not lie to you. But, didn't your friends tell you whom we rob?"
"Well,” I said, “you rob. all those who carry anything of value on them!"..
“No, Maharaj! That's not the fact. We, too, fear God. We, too, when we die, expect to stand face to face with Him, so we have our own code of honour. There are many men in the towns who are educated, who talk with an oily, tongue, who have fattened on the toil of the simple, trusting folk. They are parasites. We rob those in these jungles who rob us in the towns by their dishonesty. They will never part with their money out of love, so we force them to part with it out of fear. But that does not apply to men like you! You are a holy man, a Sadhu. You rob nobody and nobody will rob you. If anyone is so base as to rob you, he would have to
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