indulge in family pride call themselves descendants of the Norman or the Scandinavian sea-robbers. In ancient India, the Kouravas enjoyed the highest social rank and status, and they were but plunderers—they had attempted to rob King Birat's cows. There are only a very few Zemindar families in Bengal who have to some extent such family reputation.
But then, Pratap was not exactly a plunderer of the type of the ancient Zemindars. He sought and employed the services of robbers and plunderers, only when it was necessary either for the security of his own property or for the submission of a wicked and unyielding enemy. He did so, not to rob people of their properties or to unnecessarily oppress them, but, in fact, only to protect the feeble and the oppressed. Pratap was now about to have recourse to such means once again.
On the morning of the very night Shaibalini stole away from the boat, Pratap was delighted to find that Ramcharan had come there; but he became anxious for not finding Shaibalini in the boat. He waited for her a while, and when she did not turn up, he began to search for her. He made a search on the bank of the river till the day had far ad-
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