"This is a banyan-tree," said Sir Modava. "It is a sort of fig-tree, and
you see that the leaves are shaped like a heart. It bears a fruit of a rich
scarlet color, which grows in couples from the stems of the leaves. They
are really figs, and they are an important article of food. In time the
trunk of the tree decays and disappears, and temples are made of the thick
branches. Some of these trees have three thousand stems rooted in the
ground, many of them as big as oaks: and these make a complete forest of
themselves. One of them is said to have sheltered seven thousand people;
but I never saw one as big as that."
The party proceeded towards the caves, but had not gone far before they
were arrested by the screams of some of the ladies, who were wandering in
search of flowers. Louis Belgrave was with his mother and Miss Blanche. Sir
Modava, who was telling the rest of the company something more about the
banyan-tree, rushed to the spot from which the alarm came. There he found
Louis with his revolver in readiness to fire.
"Snakes!" screamed Mrs. Belgrave.
In front of them, asleep on a rock, were two large snakes. The Hindu
gentleman halted at the side of the lady, and burst out into a loud laugh.
"The snakes of India seem to be determined that you shall see them," said
he. "But you need not fire, Mr. Belgrave; for those snakes are as harmless
as barnyard fowls, and they don't know enough to bite.
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