sight of its home, is caught hold of by this devil, who stretches out its awful hundred hands one by one, to grasp its victim in its clutches, so tight as to render all rescue impossible. The monster, thus securing the prey in its grip, begins to suck its life-blood.
Shaibalini, finding herself unfit for the struggle, took to heels. She had this fear in her mind that Pratap would try to find her out as soon as he would come to know that she had escaped. For this reason, she had gone as far as she could, without halting anywhere in the way. She could see before her, at no great distance, that chain of hills which can appropriately be called the belt of Hindusthan. She did not mount the hills during the day, lest any one of the searching party would discover her. She hid herself somewhere in the forest, and passed the whole day without any food. Slowly and gradually the twilight of the evening faded away, and darkness covered the face of the earth. The moon was to appear that night long after the sunset. Shaibalini began to ascend the hills in darkness. She got many wounds in her feet, as she made her way through the thorny plants and stones, lying scatter-
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